Chapter Six

After spending some time with Steve, Nancy had picked me up exactly two hours later just before sundown to drive back to Steve's house. Funny, we had to make it look like we weren't stalking him as he was driving back to his, also.

Now, with Nancy and Jonathan, I walked behind them. Jonathan was holding the bat while Nancy and I had two guns. Apparently from Nancy, Jonathan didn't do well with guns which is understable. They're dealy things.

"Yesterday." Nancy began the conversation with Jonathan. "You were talking about Juno in the pictures—And I wanna know what I looked like. Was I saying something in my picture?"

"Oh, uh..." Jonathan stammers. "I don't know. My guess... I saw this girl, you know, trying to be someone else. But for that moment... It was like you were alone, or you thought you were. And, you know, you could just be yourself."

He looks at her, but she keeps her gaze low. "That is such bullshit."

"What?" Jonathan pauses, looking at Nancy with wide eyes. Nancy faces him and I stopped in my tracks.

"I am not trying to be someone else." Nancy defends herself. "Just because Juno is dating Steve—"

"I am not dating Steve." I interrupted but Nancy sends me a glare.

"And you don't like him—" 

"You know what?" Jonathan cuts her off, stepping further into the woods. "Forget it. I just thought it was a good picture."

"He's actually a good guy," Nancy spoke up, defending Steve now.

"O—Okay." Jonathan stammered, feeling rather uncomfortable and it made me want to hit Nancy as I trailed behind them.

"Yesterday, with the camera... From what I've seen, he's not like that at all." Nancy tells him. "He was just being protective of Juno."

"Yeah, that's one word for it." Jonathan rolled his eyes.

"Oh, and I guess what you did was okay?" Nancy bewilders, staring angrily at Jonathan.

"No, I... I never said that." Jonathan dismiss.

"He had every right to be pissed—"

"Okay, all right." Jonatha cuts her off for the second time. "Does that mean I have to like him?" Jonathan turned to her as they stopped in their tracks.

"No," Nancy replied.

"Listen, don't take it personally, okay?" Jonathan asked. "I don't like most people. He's in the vast majority."

Nancy looks off disbelieving. Why is she getting so pressed about this? "You know, I was actually starting to think that you were okay. I was thinking, "Jonathan Byers, maybe he's not the pretentious creep everyone says he is."."

"Well, I was starting to think you were okay," Jonathan fires back. "I was thinking, "Nancy Wheeler, she's not just another suburban girl who thinks she's rebelling by exactly what every other suburban girl does... Until that phase passes, and then marry some boring one-time jock who now works sales, and they live out a perfectly boring little life at the end of a cul-de-sac. Exactly like their parents, who they thought was so depressing, but now, hey, they get it."."

He walks past Nancy, scoffing. Nancy turned to me. "Can you believe the nerve of that guy?"

"You know what I was thinking?" I called out to them as they both stormed off. "I was thinking these two idiots right in front of me should get over themselves and stick to the programme!" I rolled my eyes and realised they were walking quite far away from me. "Hey, wait up!"

︾ 

A pink and orange sunset looked pretty tonight through the trees in Hawkins. I still walk with Nancy and Jonathan, they had eventually gotten over themselves and we were all walking together in the dark night in the forest.

In the distance, I heard a small whimper and I looked at Nancy. I come to a stop, and Jonathan and Nancy turn back to me.

"What, are you tired?" Jonathan asked me.

"Shut up." I snapped. "I heard something."

I looked out into the darkness, and the two's gazes shifted around the woods. The whimpering continues and we followed the sound, coming up to an injured deer. Our flashes landed on the poor injured creature.

"Oh, God." Nancy gasps softly. I bend down on the ground, Nancy following me, and then Jonathan. "It's been hit by a car." Nancy reaches out, grazing the injured deer. "We can't just leave it." She looked towards us.

Jonathan's eyes dropped to the revolver in our hands. She eyes it uneasily and adjusts her grip. Nancy hesitates. "I'll do it." Jonathan offered. He holds his hand out for the gun.

"I thought you said—"

"I'm not nine anymore." Jonathan cuts her off, shaking his head. She lets him take the gun from her hand and we all rise to our feet, staring down at the wounded deer. Jonathan raises the gun, and he cocks the gun.

Before Jonathan could shoot, it was snatched away into the darkness. This jump scared all three of us. We all jumped back in fright, my heart thumping widely.

"What the hell was that?" I whispered out, my eyes wide.

With our flashlight on the blood trail, we followed it. We searched the ground, but it was like the deer vanished in thin air. Jonathan aims the gun and the flashlight around, as we move through the dark. I also hold up my gun, gripping it tightly while Nancy had the bat.

"Where'd it go?" Nancy whispered.

"I don't know," Jonathan replied.

"I'm lost," I mumbled, feeling absolutely terrified.

"Do you see any more blood?" Jonathan asked.

"No," Nancy responded. We looked around some more, I lean forward, looking by a nearby tree. At the base of the tree, a slimy substance drips inside of an opening. Nancy and I gave each other curious glances and we stepped forward.

Nancy dropped her bat and I put my gun into my pocket. I was crouched down in front of it. Using my flashlight, I eliminated the opening area, a slimy substance going through dried leaves. I touched the tree, looking up.

"Jonathan?" I called out. I glanced over both of my shoulders and so does Nancy.

"Where the hell did he go?" Nancy asked. She huffs. "I'll go find him, can I have your gun, please?"

"What? No, I want my gun." I began to softly whine. "What if something came out and grabbed me?"

"You're being paranoid, I'm going to get Jonathan," Nancy told me, her hand reaching out in front of me. I sighed and gave her my gun. "Besides, you have the bat." She got up and turned to leave, leaving me alone with the weird tree.

Once she was gone, I turned back to the hole. I grip onto my flashlight, I leant inside with it. Slowly, I crawled into the opening. I squeezed through the thick, wet, roots with slimy substances wetting some streaks of my hair. I could feel it and it felt disgusting.

I emerged from the other side, and rose to my feet, in a dimmed Forrest. I noticed white particles floating through the air and it looks like the exact same forest but darker. My flashlight flickered and I frowned.

I stepped into the woods, noticing that roots clung over to the trees. I smacked my flashlight a little as it began to flicker some more. There was a snarl in the distance and I instantly turned. My eyes widen in terror as they fall upon a creature feeding.

I take a step back, and that is one of my next big mistakes as a stick breaks underneath my feet. The creature turns around with his mouth opening, it had no face. I let out a shriek, dropping my flashlight instantly and making a run for it.

"Juno?" I heard Jonathan and Nancy call my name on the other side, it was like it was echoing as I run around the forest, trying to get away from the monster.

"Nancy!" I yelled back, in absolute distraught. "Jonathan! Guys, I'm right here!" I could hear them calling my name, but I don't know think they can hear me. That terrifies me. "Nance, where are you?!"

I come to a stop, my breathing growing rapidly. I looked around desperately, trying to find a way out. "We're right here!" Nancy yelled, her voice echoing. "Juno, we're right here! Just follow our voice!"

"Jonathan! Nancy!" I yelled out and began to walk the way I could hear their voices.

"Follow our voices!" Jonathan yelled. "Juno, we're right here!"

I turned around the corner and faced the creature once again. I let out a gasp and began running away again, going back in the direction I came in. I hid behind a tree, my heart beating ten times fast.

"Juno?" I heard Nancy's voice call. I felt frozen as the monster walks slowly past me. "Juno! Follow my voice!"

I looked towards the opening and almost breathed, but I didn't. My head turns at the sound of the monster growling. I take a sprint and dived arms first, reaching out my hand. "Nancy! Jonathan!" I felt them pull on me, calling out my name as I got pulled through to our dimension.

Once I was free and felt like I could breathe, I let out a small cry, clinging onto Nancy for dear life as Jonathan wrapped another arm around me, holding me tightly.