"Ashes to ashes, funk to funky
We know Major Tom's a junkie
Strung out in heaven's high
Hitting an all-time low"

The Upside uʍop

Victoria was breathing heavily as she stumbled over her own feet as she looked behind her again, this time not seeing anything.  She looked ahead where Will was running a few feet in front of her.  Will then came to a stop as he started to look around.  His eyes held fear as he looked to her.

"Is it gone?"  He asked in a whisper.

Victoria then came to a stop and was about to answer when the thing grabbed Will, making him scream out.

"WILL!"  Victoria screeched out.

She couldn't quite hear what Will was saying but she could only imagine it was him asking for her to help him.

"Will!  Will!  Will!  Will.  Will?" 

Victoria gripped at her knotted hair as she started to turn from left to right, to left again.  But she didn't see him.  Her breathing started to become heavier as she started to whisper to herself, trying to calm down. 

That's when she stopped again and turned her head as she heard a noise she only heard one other time when she was here.

It was a clock.

And then she too was grabbed.

~~~

Anthony pulled up to the Byers household. He came to a quick stop and opened up his door before going out and opening the back door, grabbing what he brought. Anthony opened up the front door to the house, Jonathan and Nancy looking over at him as he held up his baseball bat.

"Got it." Anthony gave them a nod.

"Can you still swing that thing?" Jonathan asked and Anthony gave him an offended look.

"I'm still on the baseball team. I've just haven't been showing up." Anthony shrugged, pointing that bat to Jonathan before handing it to him.

"I need to work on it." Jonathan said as he grabbed the bat and made his way to another room.

"What?" Anthony asked and followed after him. "What does that mean?" Anthony watched Jonathan put the bat down along with grabbing some nails and a hammer. "Hey. What are-". Anthony's eyes widened as Jonathan started to drill nails in the bat.

"That was my favorite bat." Anthony mumbled.

"Remember."  Jonathan looked at Nancy who was standing in front of her.

"Straight into Will's room-"

"And don't step on the trap." Jonathan said then looked over to Anthony who was on the other side of the room, practicing some swings on his newly improved bat.

"Wait for the yo-yo to move and light the sucker up.  We got this."  Anthony gave Jonathan a nod.

"Alright.  You two ready?"  Jonathan asked as he handed Nancy a butter knife while placing his on his palm.

"Ready."  Nancy said and Anthony just gave another nod.

"One...two...you don't have to do this.  Anthony and I can-"

"Jonathan, stop talking."

"I'm just saying, you don't have to-"

"Three."  Nancy cut him off as she sliced her palm open, Jonathan doing the same while Anthony made a gagging noise, the two looking over at him.

"Sorry.  Sorry."  He put his free hand up in surrender.  "Don't mind me.  I'm just going to get some gauze for those."  Anthony shuttered as he walked past them, placing the bat down before heading towards the bathroom.

He searched through the bottom cabinet and quickly found the gauze before returning to the room where he handed it to the two.  Anthony pointed to the kitchen with his thumb as he looked to Jonathan.  "Mind if I make a sandwich while we wait?"  He asked.

"Go for it."  Jonathan said.

"Thanks.  You two want one?"  He asked as he headed into the kitchen, taking a little longer to find everything that he needed.  He moved his hair out of his face before putting the sandwich together.  He took a few bites before he jumped from hearing banging on the front door.

"Jonathan?" 

Anthony popped his head out of the kitchen with the sandwich hanging out of his mouth.  "Dat Steve?"  Anthony's voice was muffled from the sandwich as his eyes were wide while looking at the two on the couch.

"Are you there, man?  It's...it's Steve!  Listen, I just want to talk!"  The banging continued as Anthony took the sandwich away from his mouth.

Nancy went over to the door and unlocked at as she looked at her boyfriend.  "Steve, listen to me."

"Hey.  Nancy-"

"You need to leave."  Nancy told him seriously.

"I'm not trying to start anything, okay?" 

"You need to-"

"No, no, no.  Listen, I messed up, okay?"  Steve stumbled on his words.  "I messed...I messed up.   "Really please.  I want to make things right.  Please."  He suddenly stopped as he looked at the gauze around her hand.

"Hey, what happened to your hand?"  Steve asked.

Anthony who was just a few feet away from Nancy looked over to Jonathan, waving his hands in the air.  "Abort!"  He whispered shouted.

"Is that blood?"

"Nothing.  It was an accident."  Nancy said and Anthony slapped his face.  Oh, this isn't going to be good.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing."

"Wait a sec.  Did he do this to you?"

"No."

"Nancy, let me in!"  Steve pushed his way in as Nancy was protesting.

"No, Steve!"

When Steve got in, he stood in the room as his eyes looked around him.  He looked from the bat with nails in it to Jonathan and Anthony.

"What?  What is this?  What's going."

Anthony went over to his friend and placed his hands on his chest, pushing him back.  "Steve.  You really need to get out of here." Anthony told him urgently as Steve looked at him with confusion.

"Whoa. What is all-"

"Listen to me. I'm not asking you, I'm telling you, get out of here!" Anthony pushed him back a bit but Steve held onto his arm.

"What is that smell?" Steve looked at Anthony then to Jonathan. "Is that...is that gasoline?!" The sound of a gun cocking stopped everyone as Nancy pointed the pistol at Steve.

"Steve, get out!"

Anthony quickly backed away from Steve as he looked at Nancy in shock. "Wait. What? What is going on?" Steve stuttered slightly.

"You have five seconds to get out of here." Nancy told him sternly.

"Okay, is this a joke? Stop. Put the gun down." Steve waved his hands in front of him.

"I'm doing this for you."

Anthony looked at the lights as they started to flicker. "Nancy." Jonathan said.

"Three."

"No.  No.  No!"

"Two."

"No.  No!"

"Nancy!  The lights."  Jonathan shouted as Anthony held the bat in his hands with a tight grip while looking around.  "It's here."  He told the two.

"Wait, what's here?"  Steve who was still confused about everything asked.

"Where is it?"  Nancy asked.

"Where is what?  Whoa!  Easy with that!"  Steve stepped back as Nancy was basically flinging the gun around as the three had their backs to one another, looking around.

"Where is it?" 

"I don't know.  I don't see it."  Jonathan answered.

"I swear if that thing can go invisible, I'm getting the hell out of here."  Anthony told the two seriously.  Basically forgetting Steve was there even though he was still shouting at them.  The lights seemed to flicker faster, which only made Anthony grip the bat tighter, if that was even possible.

It suddenly came through the ceiling.  Nancy immediately started to shoot at it.  "No!  Go!  Go!  Run!"  Jonathan shouted and shoved Nancy in the other direction as the thing jumped down.

"Go Steve!"  Anthony pushed his friend, grabbing his hand as they ran around the corner.  "Jump!"  Jonathan shouted as Steve saw the bear trap, jumping over it. "Oh, my God!  Oh, my God!"  Steve yelled and ran after the three, the door slamming as they all got inside Jonathan's room.

"Jesus!  Jesus!  What the hell was that?"  Steve shouted at them.  "What the hell was that?"  Steve was pacing the room.

"Shut up!"  Jonathan and Nancy yelled at him and he quickly did just that.

The screeching sounded just out the door and the three teenagers stood ready, waiting for it to break in or do anything.  "Do you hear anything?"  Nancy asked and Anthony shook his head. "No."

Jonathan looked over to Anthony and he nodded. Jonathan opened the door as Anthony stepped out, with the bat ready in case he saw the creature. The three others followed after him as they looked down the hall. Nothing was there.

They went around the corner to where they were earlier. Steve stood away, muttering to himself while the others were confused, not knowing where it could have gone.

"This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy!" Steve repeated over and over again, then started to tell it.

"Steve-". Anthony looked at him.

Steve went over to the phone and quickly started to dial a number before Nancy went over and grabbed it.

"What are you doing? Are you insane?!"

"It's going to come back! So you need to leave. Right now."

Well, didn't take long for Steve to bolt out the door.  The lights started to flash again and the three were looking around for the creature.  "Where is it?"  Nancy asked.

"Come on.  Come on you son of a bitch."  Jonathan grumbled.  "You see it?"  He asked.

"No."  Anthony and Nancy answered at the same time then the lights just went out, leaving them in the dark.

"Anthony!"  Nancy shouted as the creature appeared in front of her.  Anthony quickly turned around and went to swing his bat on it, but it quickly knocked him down, the bat falling to the ground as it's claw held him down.

"Anthony!"  Jonathan shouted as the creature's face got closer to Anthony's.  Some substance falling out of its mouth and landing on his face.

"That's disgusting."  Anthony gasped as its face opened up above his head.

"Go to hell, you son of a bitch!"  Nancy shot at it and the thing stood up, looking over to where her and Jonathan stood.   Nancy shot a few more times before her gun was empty.

Steve suddenly showed up, swinging the bat at it while Jonathan helped Anthony up.  "Steve!"  Nancy shouted as Steve hit it a few times, sending it back before its leg got caught in the trap.

"He's in the trap!"  Jonathan told them while Anthony wiped his face off.

"He's stuck."  Anthony confirmed as he watched it struggle to get out.

"Now!" 

Jonathan flicked his lighter on and through it to the ground where it instantly caught on fire, lighting it up where the creature screeched.

"Get back!"  Jonathan grunted as he went away for a second before coming back with a fire extinguisher.  That's when the four didn't see anything.  They coughed from the substance in the air that covered them before it finally died down.

"Shit."  Anthony grumbled.

"Where did it go?"

"It has to be dead.  It has to be."

The Upside uʍop

"Oh, my god."  Joyce spoke out loud as she shunned her flashlight on a Skelton that was trapped underneath some sort of substance.  Joyce and Hopper walked further, careful of where they were going before Joyce moved her flashlight a little more.

"Will!  Will!"  Joyce exclaimed and quickly moved over to his son who was strapped on the wall, something attached to his mouth.   "Will!  Hopper!"  Joyce shouted   "Oh, my God!  You need to help get him out!  Hopper!  Hopper?"  Joyce quickly turned around as she noticed Hopper wasn't there.  She noticed he was a few feet away and went over to him.  "Hopper!  Will is-Victoria!"  Joyce gasped as Victoria was in the same position as her son.

"Get them out.  Get them out."  Joyce cried out as Hopper seemed to be in some type of trance before he grabbed the thing that was around Victoria's mouth and started to pull it.  The thing screeching as it was getting longer and longer.  Who knew how deep it was down her throat.

Once Hopper pulled it out of her throat he threw it on the ground and watched it move before he grabbed his gun and fired shots at it.  "Oh, Jesus."  Hopper continued to shoot at it as Joyce carefully placed Victoria on the ground.

"You're ok.  You're ok."  Joyce stroked Victoria's hair as Hopper did the same thing to Will.  "Got him."  Hopper told Joyce before his gun went off again.  "Disgusting."  Victoria grumbled as she looked up at Joyce, waking up.  "You're ok."  Joyce smiled at the girl, helping her sit up before going over to his son.

"He's not breathing, he's not breathing."  Joyce looked to Hopper.

"I'm sorry."  Victoria looked to Joyce then to Will.  She didn't protect him well enough and now he could possibly be dead.

"All right, Joyce, Joyce, listen to me, listen to me, listen to me."  Hopper tried to get her attention.  "I need you to tilt his head back..."

"Okay."

"...and lift his chin."

"Okay."  Joyce nodded and did what she was told.  Hopper started to do chest compressions while counting.  "One, two, three, four.  Now when I tell you.  You're gonna punch his nostrils and breath into his mouth.  Twice." 

Victoria shook her head as she buried her face into her legs.  Her arms over her head as she didn't want to watch the scene in front of her.  She just mumbled to herself, wanting everything to be quiet.

"Will listen to me.  It's me, it's your mom and I love you so much.  I love you so much.  I love you more than anything in the world.  Please.  Pleas come back to me." 

"Come on, kid!"  Hopper said as he continued.  Victoria looked up, watching the scene in front of her as tears ran down her cheeks.  "Wake up Will."  Victoria practically begged.

"Please, please wake up.  I need you to wake up now!  I need you to breathe!"

Will gasped as he jolted up, Joyce immediately grabbing onto him and pulling him into her arms.  "That's it.  Oh, my God, that's it, that's it."  Victoria smiled, as they were finally okay.

They made their way to the exit.  Seeing the opening in the distance before a strange noise filled their ears.

"What's that?"  Hopper suddenly spoke up as it looked like the floor was moving where they needed to go.  Victoria turned her head and saw the same thing.  "Shit."  She mumbled and looked at him.

"I call those Indy's worst nightmare."  Victoria told him.

"Indiana Jones fan?"  He asked and she nodded before slowly standing up.  She didn't know how but she was in a much better state then Will.  Maybe it was due to being in these conditions longer or because, she refused to let her body shut down.

"Listen to me and listen to me good.  I'm going to distract these guys and you two get Will out of here."  She told them.

"What?!"  Hopper gave her a look.

"We're not leaving you honey.  You're coming home too."  Joyce told her.

"I'll get out.  I'll lead them far away enough for you to get out and I'll be back."  She said seriously.  "Go on my signal."  She said and quickened her pace away from them.

"What's the signal?"  Hopper called out to her.

"You'll know!"  She called back and ran towards Indy's worst nightmare.  She gave a kick to one making them all look to her and click.  The noise of getting ready to attack their now prey.

"Come here you little creeps."  She gave a kick to another one that was getting too close to comfort before she did what she did best.

She ran.

She guided them away as they were all following behind.  Once she knew the three could get out she cried out; "I hate snakes!"

"That's the signal."  Hopper gave a nod, smiling slightly before adjusting his grip on Will, making his way out with Joyce.

But Victoria Parker never made it out.  They waited and waited but she never came and eventually the portal to The Upside Down closed, leaving her in there.  If she was still in there walking around.  Just like she has been doing since August 14th.

The news to Anthony didn't go well. As Will laid in the hospital bed, listening to his friends exclaim to him what happened and what they went through. Hopper pulled the teenager outside of the hospital.

"Where's my sister? Where's Tori?" Anthony asked and Hopper placed a hand on his shoulder.

"She...we got to her but there was a problem and she decided to distract them so we could get out. She never came back through." Hopper explained and Anthony shook his head before backing away from him.

"No...no. No. No. No!" Anthony yelled at the end before placing his hands on the back of his neck as he breathed out. "She's gone. She's actually gone this time." He choked down a sob.

"Where's Tori?" Will asked his friends once they stopped talking. This left them speechless as they looked at one another.

"Uhh. Sheeeee-" Dustin didn't know what exactly to say but Mike cut him off.

"She's resting. I'm sure she's happy to be resting now." Mike gave Will a smile then looked over to Joyce who gave him a thankful look. They couldn't tell Will the truth. Not yet anyways.

**Little heads up for season 2 since there is only one more chapter of season 1. Whatever is in italics are little flashbacks**