(Ep. 5: The Nina Project)

A loud honking sound awakens Gwen from her sleep.

She sits up, gasping at the intensity of its blaring that makes her pounding headache feel like knives are pressing against her skull. Her eyes are groggy and filled with exhaustion and her entire body is aching from her previous sleeping position.

Slowly, she rubs her eyes to try and rid them of sleep. The honking seems to be getting nearer and that's when she realizes there's something off about this. The last she remembered, she had been trying not to fall asleep and was sitting on the steps of the Wheeler's basement, so how in the world did she end up here?

Gwen can feel the tightness of a seatbelt, its fabric clawing deep into her shoulder and chest that will definitely leave a mark behind. She starts noticing she's sitting in the backseat of a car and there's someone in the front seat driving erratically. At first thought, she believes it's Steve trying to get a moment alone, but it's not in his nature to do this - especially in the middle of the night with Vecna on the loose.

"What's happening?" she questions, her voice tremulous and shaky. Her hand reaches for the seatbelt and tries to loosen the tension around her body from it getting tighter and tighter with every breath she takes. "Can you tell me what's-"

"It's alright, Gwenie."

That voice.

She knows that voice.

The sudden feeling of dread takes over once she realizes this car is the one her dad drove, a 1974 Volkswagen Golf, and the voice belongs to her late father. Her eyes wander to every inch of this vehicle, to the worn down leather seats, to the carpeted ground that has a piece of gum stuck in it from Dustin having placed it, to the smell of cherry as intense as ever... and the all too familiar driver.

Gwen can feel the blood rush to her cheeks and her hands get clammy and shaky. She can feel herself start to hyperventilate the more her dad presses on the gas and accelerates like a maniac.

She remembers this drive, she remembers this night, and she definitely remembers how afraid she was at her dad's erratic speed, especially since it's pouring rain and the roads can hardly be seen. This had been the night of the crash, the night when she lost her dad and nearly got taken to the afterlife as well.

"Can you please slow down?!" Gwen panics, her nails digging deep into the seats as she tries focusing on not losing it at this moment. This must surely just be a dream, what else can it be? This can't be anything else other than one of her night terrors.

Her dad looks behind his shoulder at her, his brown eyes filled with worry and some gentleness to try not to scare her. "We'll get home on time. We'll get to dance in the rain like I promised, alright? Just hold on tight."

"No, I'm scared," she cries, her eyes welling up with tears as the rain starts getting stronger and the lightning can be heard close by. She can't experience this again, not when she knows what's coming and can do something to prevent it. "Just pull over. I don't care about dancing! Just please make a stop, dad!"

"Don't get scared, honey," his voice is low and delicate, "We're almost there so no need to worry."

The light from the thunder reflects onto the windows, its luminescent blaze revealing her dad's face is filled with an odd serenity that leaves her confused and terrified. She doesn't understand why he's not stopping since it's not in his nature to dive into danger, especially with one of his children nearby.

Her hand clutches her seatbelt as if her life depends on it and she shuts her eyes for a split second, hoping this nightmare ends and she awakens back in the safety of Nancy's basement. She counts to ten and takes deep breaths, her chest heaving uncontrollably and her face streaked with tears as she starts feeling the time for the crash is getting nearer.

"Dad, please stop! I don't want you to die!" Her voice bellows throughout the vehicle, anger and heartbreak evident in her tone. She can't afford to watch him take his last breath and feel herself fade away; all the pain getting worse before completely disappearing, leaving nothing but a catastrophe behind. "I can't lose you again. I- I won't! So please do it for me and just pull over!"

There's a piercing silence drowning her ears. Only the clattering of the rain hitting the metal and glass fill the empty space. The world around her starts getting blurry, everything except for her and her dad. It's just them, only them and nobody else.

That is until she hears a clock chiming from a distance.

"I'm doing this for you," his voice sounds off, like it's him but not actually him. She can feel her heart start racing, the blood pounding in her ears, and her body feeling as if it's carrying a boulder on her shoulders. "I know you miss me and I miss you too."

Gwen can't prevent the goosebumps from circling her body. She knows this isn't real, but reliving this moment sends the logical part of her into oblivion. Her fingers start pinching her arm, hoping it offers some form of alleviation and awakens her from this, but nothing happens. The more her nails dig into her forearm, the more real this feels that leaves her with no other choice than just accept her fate.

"I know you think about joining me," he makes a sharp turn, the speed nearly reaching over a 100 mph that makes her stomach churn. "Every night, every morning, you pray to reunite with me. So why are you afraid now?"

She ignores the tears streaming down her face, her incessant need to wake up keeping her sane despite experiencing the worst night of her life again. "That's not true. I don't- I don't want that."

He chuckles, his head slowly turning around as his foot presses on the gas with even more force. The entirety of his eyes are white, their once comforting brown color are long gone and have been replaced by the monster of her nightmares. "Oh but you do. I know everything there is to you. I know what you're scared of and what you deeply desire. Joining me is your greatest wish."

"NO!" she yells, her grating voice breaking as a sob escapes her. "That's far from the truth! I- I don't want..." She's suddenly unable to finish her sentence as it would feel terribly wrong to admit when deep down, Gwen knows there's some truth behind it.

"I'm here to help you, my dear Gwenie. To make your wishes come true so we can finally be together," he growls as a light from a car's headlights start getting nearer. "Isn't that what you want? To follow me into death?"

The harsh impact from the other vehicle makes all the air trapped in her lungs forcefully come out. Her ears are ringing and the piercing pain in her entire body ricochets incessantly. Her breaths start getting harder to accomplish, an intense pressure spreads all around her chest, and there's the shattering feeling in her legs and arms. The all too familiar feeling she experienced as a child is felt once again, but this time, it's even worse and much more magnified.

Her eyes are still shut despite hearing the fire emerge. She knows she needs to get out just like her younger self did, but finds all of her energy and the will to escape has vanished. Her limbs are aching and her head feels like it's been mushed together. The glass from the windows are all around her body and some have dug deep into her skin. She debates on staying or getting out, maybe if she gives up, she'll wake up back at the basement. Maybe she can-

"Gwen?! Gwen, where are you?!"

The comforting voice of Steve can be heard just a couple feet from her. It's enough to jolt her awake, enough to return her will to fight back and make her start trying to escape the rummages of this vehicle. "Steve!" she screams, her arm stretching to the gaping hole that proves to be the source of escape. "I'm right here!"

A relieved breath escapes him as he kneels down and reaches for her arms. Gently, he starts guiding her past the ruins of the car. He holds her close to him, his warmth radiating comfort and security that helps soothe her heartaches.

Gwen clutches onto him like he's her lifeline and takes deep breaths. A smile tugs at the corners of her lips and the pain from the accident is suddenly placed aside as she wraps her arms around his shoulders. "You're here. You're here with me."

"I would never leave you," his embrace starts getting tighter as his fingers start digging into her back. "You might have left me, but I never would. Even if it's what you deserve."

Her eyes flutter open and her entire body runs cold. The temperature around her drops drastically, low enough that her breath can be seen and sends shivers down her spine. "What?" she questions, her voice resembling more of a whimper. His fingers become tighter as they squeeze her back and make it challenging to breathe. "Let me go!" she demands, her arms loosening and proceeding in shoving him off.

"Stay with me," he growls, his once comforting warmth becoming replaced by a foreboding terror.

The faint sound of a clock chiming can be heard again and Gwen starts panicking when feeling his grip is far from loosening. "Let go of me!" she yells, her palms slamming right into his chest that sends her falling backwards. Her eyes close as she awaits for the impact, but it never comes.

Opening her eyes, she finds herself at the cell the Russians locked her in. Her back is pressed against the chair and her hands are tied. It's the place that's been haunting her dreams, the one she believed would have been the place of her death.

The door bursts open and the terrifying commander enters along with the doctor. He has the most menacing of looks, his lips curving upwards into a mocking smile all while he takes a step closer and gestures for his partner to proceed.

She notices the familiar syringe filled with the blue liquid that makes her start trying to pry herself off the chair. Even if it had been a truth serum, it felt like burning lava when it was first injected. At first hand, she believed it had been acid and she started bracing herself for her death. Only it never came and instead she was offered a drunken haze that she wishes to never have gone through.

"Get that away from me! Please just let me go!" she begs, but her screams only motivate the doctor even more. He tilts her head to the side and stabs the needle right into her neck, both him and the commander laughing hysterically at her agonized screams.

Within a quick second, the piercing pain knocks her unconscious until she's awoken by the sound of fireworks and a familiar hum.

No, I can't be back here.

Leaning forward, Gwen finds herself back at Starcourt Mall. A couple feet from her is the mind flayer being attacked by pyrotechnics and right in front of her is Natalia. She's slowly walking in her direction and is flicking her pocket knife with ease. Her haunting humming of an oldie feels like blades cutting her open.

Pushing herself off the floor, the remaining hopeful part of her looks around for her friends. Seeing them would allow her to feel better and help her regain her strength to keep moving forward, but as she looks up at the second floor, the sight only worsens everything.

All of them are pressed against the pillars being held back by thick vines. Their eyes are gone, their clothing is covered entirely in blood, and their faces are twisted in all kinds of ways. She freezes, her heart pounding against her chest with extreme magnitude that threatens to jump out. Her soul feels like it's been completely shattered and she's nothing more than just a broken shell.

Her knees sink down to the ground, her eyes are blurry with tears but from the corner of her eye, she sees the familiar Scoops Ahoy uniform. Knowing the sight beside her would break her completely, Gwen's unable to just stand still and not turn around. With reluctance, she slowly turns her head sideways, a gut wrenching scream escaping her when seeing Steve entrapped by those vines looking the same way Eddie described Chrissy looked like.

All of the pain she endured at the hands of those demogorgons, those Russians, and even her car accident were nothing compared to this. She would experience all the physical pain again just to never witness this again.

Seeing the man she loves nailed to the pillar with his once beautiful eyes sucked out and mouth hanging open in a twisted way is enough to break any part of her that remained whole. She's terrified this isn't just an image Vecna conjured up to torture her with. She's afraid he's showing her a glimpse of the future and she'd be forced into knowing everyone she loves are bound to have the same fate as Chrissy and Fred.

"You did this," Vecna's voice growls from behind her, his footsteps echoing throughout the mall and the clock ticking following him like a curse. "If it wasn't for you, all of them would be alive."

"Shut up!" she screams, her fists slamming into the cold tiles beneath her. A small crack starts opening and just as quick as it appeared, millions of black widows crawl from the crevices and start running all around her body.

Gwen flails her arms and tries shaking the spiders off her, but their bites are making it twice as challenging to escape that sends her crashing down to the ground. She continues trying to remove them, but she suddenly finds herself back at the Wheeler's laying on their living room couch.

The faint morning light is entering through the blinds, making her squint her eyes and shield them with her hand. She's trembling uncontrollably and her face is streaked with tears. Is this a trick? Is this a part of Vecna's torture and she's about to come face to face with him again?

"Good morning, dear," Karen Wheeler says as she walks down the stairs and heads into the kitchen, her husband and Holly following behind.

She swallows hard and clutches onto her chest as she struggles in keeping a neutral expression. What if this is a part of a hallucination?

Holly looks around for her crayons and paper and complains to her mom about it. Springing up from her chair, she gallops into the living room and smiles when seeing her art supplies scattered on the coffee table. "Do you want to draw with me?" she asks and offers her a few crayons.

This surely can't be a hallucination anymore, can it? She must be back to reality and safe and sound in the Wheeler house. Slowly, she nods her head and takes the crayons for her hand. They feel real, their wax is soft and semi oily, and it leaves the smallest stain in her fingertips.

"Of course," she says and Holly excitedly gallops back to the dining table. Gwen takes a deep breath and courses her way past the kitchen. Not before excusing herself and heading to the bathroom for a brief moment.

The door creaks just like the wooden tiles. There's a cold feeling in the room, but it's nothing like the one she experienced in those visions. She closes the door behind her and just as the lock clicks, she's unable to contain herself any longer.

Sinking into the corner of the room, she buries her head into her arms and is unable to prevent herself from keeping it together. The overbearing pain of everything that's transcurred ricochets throughout her body, forming low and uncontrollable sobs that she tries to muffle by covering her mouth with her hands.

Every year there's always something new. Whether it's a new monster or the same one, it's always one after the other. Even if they manage to find a way to defeat Vecna, there's no certainty he won't return again in another form. What if what Vecna showed her comes true? What if everyone she loves dies and she's forced into being the last one standing?

Gwen can't find any comfort or any remaining part of her that remains optimistic. Not with the way they've been fighting this evil since '83 and could possibly be dealing with for years to come. Her breath is trembling as she exhales and she looks down at her hands as if they're bound to alleviate her. She more than anyone wants to believe there's a high chance of winning this battle, but with all the losses and all the scars left behind, it's safe to say her faith is slipping away.

Something about this feels different. There's a sinister feeling that wasn't as prominent as the previous years. Usually, there's a reason, some answer and a cause as to why it started again. There's not any gates that've been opened, not that they know of. The Russians are gone and the lab is vacant, completely abandoned with no intention of ever rekindling its base. So why did the attacks suddenly start? Is Vecna truly the mastermind or just another pawn to a higher force?

None of this makes sense and having no answers sends Gwen into a greater spiral. She's unable to conjure up any faith that somehow this won't worsen in a matter of days or hours. If her hallucinations are happening, then that means it's only a matter of when Vecna officially takes her, and she's just not sure if she's willing to fight.

But sitting here wallowing in her troubles won't do anyone, won't do her any good. She has to be strong, she has to pretend nothing is happening and put on a brave face for the sake of the kids. They need to hold on to their hope because without it, what more is left?

After a few minutes, Gwen gathers the courage to leave the room. She splashes cold water on her face and focuses on maintaining her composure. No one can know there's something wrong, not when Max barely escaped Vecna and could possibly still be a target for him. She runs her hands through her hair in an attempt to fix it and quickly scurries off into the hall before getting the chance to change her mind.

Walking to the dining room, she hears the voices of Dustin and Nancy mumbling incoherently with each other. Probably about the rundown of what's going on today that leaves her feeling anything but ecstatic.

"What if we somehow unlocked a backdoor to Vecna's world?" Dustin rhetorically asks, quickly turning around when sensing his sister behind him. "Where have you been? We were supposed to stay together."

"Sorry, I fell asleep on the couch," Gwen takes a seat next to Holly, noticing various pieces of paper colored entirely with red and black scattered all around. She grabs one and inspects it in close detail, paying close attention to the way all of them have a piece of a house. "What is this?"

"It's what I saw when I faced Vecna," Max clarifies, her forehead suddenly creasing when noticing Gwen's pale expression and drained gaze. She knows that look very well as it was the one she sported after Vecna tortured her with visions. Did that mean she was also cursed then? Before she gets a chance to ask what's wrong, Dustin is already interrupting her by continuing his rambling.

"I'm just saying, what if the answer we're looking for is somewhere is this incredibly vague drawing," he examines the paper in closer detail, his brows knitting together in concentration to try and get a better understanding of it. "God, we need Will."

"No shit," Max complains, "I tried them again this morning and it's the same busy signal."

Nancy studies the drawings, more specifically one holding a window with a red rose in the center. "Is this a window?"

"Yeah."

"Stained glass with roses," Nancy mumbles to herself, her mind running a mile a minute.

Max prides herself in her seemingly detailed drawing, quickly glancing towards Dustin with a smirk. "See? I'm not so terrible after all."

"It helps that I've seen it before," Nancy drops the paper onto the table, her hands gathering the rest as she starts folding them and placing them together like a puzzle. The rest just watch in pure attentiveness and try understanding the meaning of this. That is until the folded pieces start forming into the shape of a house.

"It's pieces of a house."

"Not just any house," Nancy says.

Gwen leans forward, her elbows plotting onto the table as her eyes narrow in a pensive state. The silhouette of the house seems familiar, one that she's seen before but can't quite point her finger to. Maybe in a book, news article, or... The Creel House. She saw a picture during their time at their library as they skimmed through various articles.

"It's the Creel House."

__________________

The ruins of the Creel House stand before the Hawkins Crew. Its windows are boarded up, the pale blue paint is clinging on for dear life, and the front garden has all kinds of plants growing freely in various ways. The steps are cracked, a few bugs crawling all around in the glory of their home as the faint sunlight hits the surrounding trees. Its desolate atmosphere is enough to become a home to millions of ghosts and monsters, one of them could probably be Vecna.

Just standing in front of it sends shivers down Gwen's spine. If its exterior is enough to make her feel uneasy, she can't even imagine how much worse it would be inside. She places her hands inside her pockets for comfort, almost as if hiding them will protect her from more hallucinations.

"Yeah, that's not creepy," Steve sarcastically says as the group continues staring at the abandoned house. He glances over in Gwen's direction, right away noticing how nervous and afraid she seems. She senses his eyes on her and turns his way, and like he's been caught doing something he shouldn't be, Steve turns the other way and places his focus on the sight in front.

She can feel her heart leap at seeing him perfectly fine and completely safe. Even if uncertainty on not knowing if the vision was a glimpse into the future, all she's certain is that she's bound to do anything to protect the people she loves. Anything.

"I really hope Vecna doesn't appear," Daphne complains, rubbing her arms together for warmth as she nervously gawks at her surroundings. "And why are we even here? Why this specific house?"

"Did you not hear Nancy say that the house Max drew is this one?" Lucas snaps at her, rolling his eyes and shoving past her. "Erica's annoying but at least she understands."

Daphne scoffs, her eyes widening in annoyance and mouth hanging slightly agape. "Seems Jason's personality rubbed off on you."

"Says the airhead cheerleader!" Lucas retorts and dodges her attempt at whacking him in the head.

She rolls her eyes and folds her arms across her chest in a rather defensive way. "At least I was able to make it on the court all year round. Unlike you, who just barely got his first shot this week."

That's enough to send the Sinclair cousins into a fit of arguments. Everyone just watches with a deadpan look at the sight, even Dustin started glancing down at his watch impatiently and glared at them like a disappointed parent.

"Guys!" Nancy tries cutting their banter short, but not even with her authoritative voice is she able to make them stop. She turns to the others, all of them exchanging equally annoyed looks at the scene.

Gwen just shakes her head at them, suddenly remembering when Dustin and Lucas were arguing at the abandoned railway all because Lucas told Max about their secret. Oddly enough, it makes her feel just a tad bit better in seeing their moods haven't been affected as much by the terrible circumstances.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Steve claps his hands and takes a step forward. "Cut the chit chat already so we can focus on what's important!" He sighs heavily, placing his hands on his hips like a tired mother scolding her children.

She bites the inside of her cheek to refrain from smiling, not wanting to make the moment worse by adding more fuel to the fire. But it seems Steve notices by the way he turns to look at her and flashes her a gentle one, his face turning a crimson red that leads him to run a hand through his luscious locks.

"That's why Erica's my favorite," Daphne mumbles while making her way past the others and walking up the porch steps.

Lucas is about to send another retort, but Max sends him the deadliest of glares that makes the boy unwilling to continue.

Just as the cousins stopped their arguing, the rest made their way to the porch. Gwen leans against one of the pillars and crosses her arms, watching how Steve and Nancy begin removing the nails from the barrier blocking their entrance. She glances over to check on Max, but is surprised to see she's doing the same to her.

Her piercing blue eyes are staring at Gwen like she's a complicated poem she's trying to decipher and it sends a wave of discomfort to overcome her. She refuses for anyone to even remotely be suspicious that she's cursed. The group can't afford to look after another person, especially when Vecna still has a grasp on Max.

"What exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?" Steve frustratedly asks, cursing under his breath as he struggles in removing the nails.

"We're not sure," Nancy tells him, "We just know this house is important to Vecna."

"Because Max saw it in Vecna's red soup mind world?"

She nods, "Basically."

His lips curve downward into a frown as he's already dreading having to enter this eerie place that may or may not be linked to Vecna. "Great," he mutters sarcastically.

"Maybe it holds a clue to where Vecna is," Dustin tries to further explain Nancy's theory, already knowing Steve's having some trouble understanding their reasoning in coming here. "Why he's back. Why he killed the Creels."

Gwen can't help but wonder if this house could possibly be his lair. If Max managed to enter his mind, what's to say this house isn't the place he's been residing in all this time? It makes perfect sense if you take into account how the mind flayer used the abandoned steel mill, so why wouldn't Vecna choose this desolate place?

"And how to stop him before he comes back for Max," he finalizes, his sentence bringing Max's attention as she takes a step closer to the group and turns to Gwen.

"Not just me," Max loudly says, bringing the others to turn in her direction with confusion in their expressions.

Like a terrible secret is about to get revealed, Gwen pushes herself off the pillar in a rather swift way. A mountain of nerves overcome her and she's suddenly afraid of everyone knowing as she can't afford to have everyone on her back.

Her tense behavior doesn't go unnoticed by Steve. He swallows harshly and his gaze becomes adorned by pure anguish at sensing there's something more she hasn't been telling him. God, he seriously hopes it's not what he thinks. "What do you mean, Mayfield?"

Max gapes over at her, arms folded and determination lacing her expression. She more than anyone understands not wanting to be a burden, but her encounter with Vecna made her realize she has people around her that care for her, and there's nothing wrong in relying on them. She's not about to let Gwen face this by herself, not if she can prevent it.

"I'm not the only one Vecna's after," she begins and starts maneuvering past Robin in the direction of her. "She-"

"Those who went to see Ms. Kelley are in danger too, so Nance, this theory of yours better be right." Gwen immediately shoots down Max's attempt in exposing her and proceeds to take the hammer from Steve's hand. She averts her gaze to anything but him, knowing he'd be able to read her like an open book like he always did when they were still together.

Steve chooses not to say anything right now, but knows better than to dismiss this. He's seen the way she's been acting more different than usual and it doesn't help that she doesn't seem to be snapping back at any of them like she used to. It's been a long time since he's heard a genuine laugh or even witnessed a smile that matches her eyes.

At first he believed it was because of him, that maybe she was still angry with him after all these months, but their moment before visiting the graveyard made him realize this isn't linked to him like he believed. They were actually moving forward and had a moment, suddenly feeling like it was the olden days and like nothing had changed.

And then, everything went south once Dustin told her about their conversation.

He's been trying to speak to her since then, but every time he gets remotely close, she ends up walking away or pretending to be asleep. It's not like he can blame her because how can he expect them to be Gwen and Steve when they haven't properly spoken about that December night. All he knows is that before attempting to do anything, he needs to make sure she's alright. He needs to know Vecna hasn't cursed her in order for him to fully move forward with his plan on winning her back.

"Ready?" Gwen glances over at Nancy, both of them nodding at each other as they press their fingers into the edges and begin dropping the wooden barrier to the ground. The loud thud makes them flinch, sending dust everywhere that they swat away in an instant.

Looking towards the entrance, the door to the Creel house matches Max's drawing to the exactitude. Its mahogany color is less vibrant, covered in all kinds of dust along with the dull stained glass that has lost its vibrancy in all the years of being shielded. The style resembles a Victorian architecture, one that makes the moment much more eerie since its style is usually linked to haunted houses in horror movies.

Steve rattles the doorknob and tries pushing his way through, but obviously, it's bound to be locked. "It's locked," he informs the group.

"No shit, Sherlock," Gwen snaps and runs her hands through her hair. "Did you think it'd be open after all these years?"

He can't even be annoyed as he's missed hearing her remarks, "Maybe. Maybe not."

Just staring into those big brown eyes of his are starting to make her crumble. After all this time, he still has control over her and as much as it's frustrating, she can't help but love it at the same time.

"How about you knock?" Daphne jokes, earning a chuckle from Robin. "See if anyone's home."

"Let's break a window," Gwen suggests just as soon as she shifts her attention away from him. "I'm sure no one would mind."

"No need," Robin's voice makes everyone turn to her. She holds up a red brick and smiles proudly, "I found a key."

All of them step back from the door and watch as she tosses the brick through the stained glass, shattering it completely and leaving behind enough space to unlock it from the inside.

Steve takes initiative and moves forward. He inspects the hole for a few seconds, making sure there's enough space to put his hand through and not accidentally cut himself. Letting out a sharp exhale, he places his hand inside and searches for the lock.

The door creaks menacingly as it opens, its low yet piercing sound echoing throughout the empty home. Its low lighting sends a sinister feeling to course through everyone, creating an instant wave of dread and trepidation as this visit can go one way or the other. If luck or misfortune is on their side, they're able to get some answers as to why this house is connected to what Max saw in Vecna's mind.

Lucas heads to one of the lamps and tries turning it on, much to his cousin's annoyance as she smiles in getting a chance to tease him once more. "Dude, you can't seriously expect this place to have electricity."

"Can you shut up?" he seethes.

"Here," Gwen opens her bag and grabs one of the spare flashlights she brought. Thanks to her brother's necessity in bringing all kinds of things, she chose to follow in his footsteps and come prepared as well. Better be safe than sorry.

"Where'd everyone get those?" Steve questions, brows furrowing in confusion when seeing the majority of them thought to bring flashlights.

Dustin snaps his head over at him, eyes narrowing into slits at his lack of unpreparedness. "Do you need to be told everything?" he snaps, annoyance evident in his tone. "You're not a child."

"Thank you," Steve sarcastically says, already becoming fed up with this teen's attitude.

Dustin lets out a soft groan and slides his backpack off. He hands him the bag and stares at him with a deadpan look, "Back pocket."

Gwen shoves the third flashlight she brought back into her bag and turns on her heels as she starts inspecting the desolate home. It's still furnished, which means the place was left as it was and no one dared to buy a home that had three murders happen. Well, who in their right mind would?

She shines the light to every corner, catching glimpses of various cobwebs hanging around along with a few bugs hiding in the crevices. The floor creaks with every step she takes that makes her cautiously move forward just in case one wrong step causes a board to break.

Gwen tries not to look behind her when sensing Steve trailing after her like he's her bodyguard. She knows better than getting distracted at a time like this, especially when they're in Vecna's possible home.

She tightens her grip on the flashlight and starts heading up the stairs, but from the corner of her eye, she sees the familiar silhouette of the grandfather clock she had seen at the library. This one is in better condition, but there's no doubt it's the same one.

With her hand still holding on to the railing, her gaze remains focused as if her life depends on it. Seeing it again sends shivers down her spine and forms goosebumps all around her skin as the terrible sensation of doom washes over her again. She's not sure what this means, but it's only proving this house could be the hive mind for Vecna.

"You saw it too," Max says in a low voice without a sense of doubt in her statement. "Why don't you want to tell them?"

Gwen's not sure of what to say. She doesn't want to openly express her fears and worries to her knowing Max has a lot on her plate and it hasn't even been a day since surviving the curse. It wouldn't be right to place this burden on her when it should be the other way around, so for the sake of Max, she knows better than to admit the truth.

"There's nothing to tell," she simply says and avoids peering into her distressed eyes. Yet another reason for wanting to keep this quiet as she can't afford to have everyone's pitiful looks on her. "Just let it go."

Max shakes her head and moves in front of her, "I know I'm being hypocritical when saying this, but I know something's wrong and I want you to know that I'm here." Placing her hand on hers, Max tries getting her to open up as facing this curse alone is the last thing anyone should ever do. "I'm right here and you can talk to me about this. I more than anyone understands so don't keep it to yourself."

Gwen can't find any comfort in her words. Not when everything is going south continuously and even if she chooses to have hope, it's not worth holding on to it when it's bound to disappear in an instant. There's no escape from this, nothing to save them from these recurring monsters, or all the trauma this has brought. Talking about it won't help because what's the point? Conversation won't put an end to this. It won't give them the answers they're seeking, so why waste time with it?

She turns around, shielding her face as her eyes start watering with haste. She's fairly grateful for the low lighting as she can't make anyone grow concerned and waste their time on her.

"Is this what you saw?" Nancy asks the young girl when remembering she mentioned seeing it at the school. "In your visions?"

Gwen leans her back against the wall, taking slow and steady breaths as she can feel the familiar pressure on her chest returning. There's no way in hell she's bound to have another attack in front of everyone. She starts focusing on her friends' conversations, ignoring all her thoughts pounding against her skull that makes it hurt for what seems the millionth time.

"I mean, it's just a clock," Robin tries making the situation less concerning and looks at the others for agreement. "Right? Just a normal one."

Daphne eagerly nods and awkwardly pats her on the back, "It could be. I mean, he could be using grandfather clocks just because they're creepy."

Steve stares attentively, his mind running a mile a minute as he's determined to figure something out to prove himself to be useful. "Why is this wizard obsessed with clocks?" he asks himself, "Maybe he's, like, a clockmaker or something?"

That simple comment is more than enough to calm her down. She pushes back against the wall and rejoins the group, biting back the urge to respond back by giving him one of her remarks.

Dustin slowly glares up at him with a blank look, "I think you cracked the case, Steve."

"All I know is the answers are here," Nancy looks around, her determination in finding out a solution to this becoming more prominent. "Somewhere."

"Then we better get looking," Gwen adds on.

"Everyone stays in groups," Nancy starts walking away from them before calling out, "Robin, Gwen, we're taking the upstairs."

Daphne raises her hand just as a student would at school, "Can I trade places with Gwen, please? I won't be of much help if Lucas and I argue all the time."

"Couldn't agree more," he mumbles, but feels utterly grateful when realizing he'll get a chance to be alone with Max.

"Umm, it's up to Gwen," Nancy starts heading up the stairs with Robin trailing after her and soon after, Max walks away with Lucas.

"Pretty please?" Daphne begs, her necessity in staying near Robin getting the better of her.

Gwen playfully rolls her eyes and nods her head, "Fine. Go nuts." She's caught off guard by Daphne's excited squeal and embracing arms, leaving her completely stricken as it's been a while since it happened.

Steve smiles, fully content in this choice of grouping that makes him thankful for Daphne's need in staying with the others. At least he'll get a chance to be alone with Gwen, well, as alone as it can get since it seems Dustin is staying with them like the olden days.

Dustin smirks at him all happily, but Steve just walks past him while letting out a heavy sigh as he follows Gwen up the stairs. "Was that a sigh?"

"No, I did not sigh," Steve answers far too quickly.

"Why'd you sigh?" Dustin presses as he trails after him.

Steve rolls his eyes and glances down, "I didn't sigh. Just come on, dude."

"I heard you," the curly haired boy argues, stomping on the steps with the force of a thousand boulders.

Steve stops walking and lowers his voice, "We're just always partners, okay? And I was hoping I could - you know... get some-"

"Alone time with my sister?" Dustin finishes his sentence, smirking proudly when seeing the flustered look on his face. "Fine. I'll give you two some space. You won't even know I'm there."

Steve narrows his eyes, not sure if he should believe him since it's not in this teen's nature to give them privacy considering during the time he and Gwen were still dating, Dustin would burst through her bedroom without knocking. They were caught a few times making out, which is when they decided it was best to head over to Steve's house since his parents are never home anyway.

"Come on," Dustin complains when seeing his reluctance. He presses his right hand over his heart and says, "I give you my word that I won't interrupt you two."

Reluctantly, he chooses to believe him and nods his head. Just as he reaches the top of the staircase, he points his finger in his direction in an authoritative way, "If you break your word, your ass is grass, Henderson."

Raising his hands in surrender, Dustin remains quiet and waits for him to turn around just so he could stand back and head in the opposite direction.

"Wait," Steve stops halfway into reaching the end of the hall, "Before you go your separate way, can you clarify what sort of clues we're supposed to be looking for here?"

Dustin doesn't look back at him and just continues shining his flashlight into a vacant room. In a British accent, he says, "The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes." He turns around and smiles at him, expecting him to understand the context behind his words, but Steve just stares at him with a blank look and is completely still. "Sherlock Holmes."

"That's great," Steve snaps, sarcasm dripping from his tone. He turns back to ask him another question, but it seems Dustin is following up on his word by leaving him alone. He smiles to himself and heads into the next room where Gwen is inspecting, sudden nerves overcoming him that he has to take a deep breath before placing a foot inside. "Find anything?"

Gwen shakes her head as she opens one of the books lying around. She flips through the pages, dust flying everywhere that makes him cough at its intensity. "Shit, sorry about that."

"Nah, it's good," Steve stands next to her, their shoulders brushing against the other that emits a comforting ambience to fill the room. He's not even aware of his trembling hands until seeing the light shaking uncontrollably. She surprises him when she places her hand on top of his, her touch so soft and gentle that makes him forget everything happening around them.

"Don't tell me little Steve is scared of the dark," she teases as she maneuvers her way past him to the other side of the room. He takes another deep breath, scolding himself for not being great at hiding how nervous she makes him. Seems she still has a hold on him after all this time. "Hey, look. I think I found something."

Steve kneels down next to her and observes her concentrated expression. From the way her nose is scrunched up, to the way she's biting the inside of her cheek, and the way her forehead creases in deep attention. He can't help but think about how it's incredibly unfair how with time, she only appears to get more beautiful. It's making it incredibly hard on him not to kiss her right now with no interruptions present, but of course, he could only dream.

She starts raising the lid of what appears to be a vent, her finger curling around the edge in a delicate way as well as with strength. It's only when he sees her reaching into the dark hole that the trance she has him in breaks, making him quick to prevent her from moving forward.

"Whoa, whoa! Let me do this," he holds back the urge to smile when she playfully rolls her eyes and scoffs. He averts his gaze to the vent underneath him, carefully placing his hand inside until he suddenly feels a small container. "There's something here."

Before he can even get a glimpse of what he's holding, Gwen takes the glass jar from his hands and shines her light through it. There appears to be a spider inside covered entirely with cobwebs and a few leaves. Its eight legs sprawled completely wide that if she didn't know better, she could swear it's still alive.

"What the hell?" She mutters and looks over at Steve to see if he's understanding this, but he abruptly jumps back and starts flailing his arms all around like a crazy person. He swats his shoulder and arms, shaking his body as he bumps against the wall rather too cartoonishly that lands him out in the hall. "What's wrong?"

Continuing to slap his arms and jacket, he breathes uncontrollably before looking up at her, "There was a spider. A black widow." He slams the door closed behind her and says, "Don't go in there. It's not safe."

Gwen softly smiles, "Better hope it's not a radioactive spider. Unless you want to become the next Spiderman."

"I'd be a great Spiderman, thank you very much, and since one of his love interests is named Gwen, I'm set already," Steve smirks at her boastfully, his face displaying a tinge of pink when seeing her blush under the low lighting. He parts his lips to say something, anything, but his damned nerves are preventing him from saying the words. God, why is this so hard all of a sudden?

"Wait, you have something-"

"What?" Steve starts shaking his hair and heads to the mirror just a couple feet from them. He looks down at his arms and checks for any lingering spiders, but he's confused when finding nothing. "Where? Where do I have something?"

"Stop moving," Gwen sternly says, pressing her hands into his shoulders to prevent him from continuing to move around like a lunatic. She reaches for his brown hair, her fingers removing a few cobwebs that became imprinted into his thick mane. He freezes upon her touch, his entire body tensing when feeling her warmth bouncing on to him. Just being near her sends him into a frenzy, into a complete state of bewitching he never wants to leave. "I got it. Stay very still, okay?"

Steve slowly nods, a faint gasp escaping his mouth as her fingers start tracing down closer to his neck. He loves how delicate she is with him, almost like she's afraid of hurting him. Her touch feels majestic and sends a magnetic force to overpower him. Like an invisible string pulling him to her, he turns around and is met by her enchanting blue eyes that reminds him of the sky. They're magnificent, resembling Van Gogh's masterpiece, Starry Night, that makes all his troubles vanish in seconds.

"You're okay," she reassures him, reluctantly moving her hands back and hiding them into the comfort of her pockets.

"Thank you," he says, his voice barely a whisper. "I- umm... I just want to-"

"If there's a spider, you're never going to find it till it lays eggs and the babies spill out," Robin interrupts his stuttering words as she walks past them alongside Daphne and Nancy.

Steve rolls his eyes, his patience hanging by a loose thread as it seems he didn't have to worry about Dustin interrupting them when he should've worried about Robin instead. "What's wrong with you?" he complains, shaking his head disapprovingly at her. "Robin, seriously?"

Ignoring his best friend's comment, he shifts his focus back to Gwen and gathers the courage to finally speak clearly. "I was thinking that after we find Vecna, kill him, save the world and stuff, maybe we can... go out." By the way her eyes widen and she appears to be struggling to speak, he's clear that he's about to get rejected. He can't help but feel like a fool for asking her in this creepy place. Why couldn't he do this someplace else that's nicer? "You know what? Just forget I asked-"

"No, it's not that," Gwen cuts him off, her voice louder than before. "I just didn't expect it."

Steve comes closer, his hand reaching for hers that immediately become intertwined. "So... is that a yes?" He waits for her to say something, but she remains quiet and appears to be thinking about something else. That same worried look fills her eyes, the one she's been carrying for a while that creates a terrible sensation at the pit of his stomach when becoming frightened she's hiding something. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she tells him, her words coming out faster than intended. "And yes. We can go out." He smiles and tilts his head back to let out a sigh of relief. "I really think it's time we try to be friends."

Friends.

That damned word. The one he's been afraid of hearing and has been haunting him for a while now. He doesn't want to be just her friend, he wants to be more, to become her partner and be the person she can confide in. Friends? Why does that feel wrong as deep down he knows there's more between them?

"Umm, right. Friends," he says, disappointment lacing his expression. "Guess we should, uh, get back to the investigation." She nods and takes a few steps back that makes him long even more for her. He doesn't know what to say that won't result in him confessing he still loves her, so he only says what comes to mind. "The obvious things are not what people observe. Or... do- don't observe." She knits her brows in confusion, eyes narrowing attentively as she tries figuring out what he's trying to say. "Or... Sherlock Holmes."

Gwen can't help but laugh at his attempt of trying to quote something that clearly Dustin told him. She's missed this dorky side of him and seeing him incredibly flustered makes her heart grow a million times more.

"I've really missed that," Steve says, which leaves her confused as to what he means.

"Missed what?"

He looks down for a few seconds, almost as if he's gathering the courage to continue. "Your laugh. I've really missed it."

Gwen doesn't know what to say. She knows how hard it's been for everyone around her to deal with how much she changed, and she tries not to think about it when it only leaves a deeper loathing for herself. She never wanted her problems to affect the people she loves, and it seems not even distancing herself helped. Maybe, just maybe, she could tell him everything about her nightmares, her visions, and how she's afraid of not finding the will to survive once Vecna comes for her. Maybe she could-

"Gwen."

Her thoughts come to a halt when hearing her name from downstairs. She turns around and like a cruel joke, the clock starts chiming and the hall becomes darker until she's suddenly left in complete darkness.