CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX:
THE SAUNA TEST

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   THEY WAITED HOURS for the pool to close and for the sun to go down. It was almost scary being the only ones at the pool at night. Liz didn't think it would be creepy since it was only the community pool, a place she had been multiple times, but it still freaked her out a little bit. Max could tell Liz was a little nervous and so, as they hid behind lockers, Max and Liz stayed beside each other and Max held Liz's hand. Liz could tell that Max was nervous as well but for entirely different reasons.

   Billy was taking a shower as the group hid. It was only a few minutes before the shower was shut off and he went over to the lockers to get dressed. He was putting on a pair of red swim trunks when Mike slammed one of the doors, getting Billy's attention, "Pool's closed." He slammed the door once more, which seemed to make Billy angrier but got him away from the locker and towards the room they were going to lock him in. "Hey. Do you hear me? Pool is closed!"

   The door to leave the men's locker room was locked, of course, courtesy of Lucas, which Billy soon found out. He hit the door a few times, trying to get it open but to no avail. That was when Will ran out of his hiding spot and hit the lights. Liz heard Billy slowly start to move away from the door, "Who's there?"

   From Mike's hiding spot, he spoke into the walkie-talkie that was connected to another walkie-talkie in the sauna where they wanted Billy to go, "Billy!"

   "Who's there?" Billy called out. He ripped open one of the shower curtains, finding no one. Liz and Max peeked out from their spot and watched as Billy slowly made his way closer to the sauna room which was in the male gym. "You think this is funny, huh?"

   "Billy," Mike continued to tease. "Come and find me."

   "I find you, it is your funeral."

   "Come and get me!" Mike continued. "Come on!"

   As Billy went into the gym, Liz and Max left their hiding spot along with the rest of the group. They all stood at the door to the gym and watched as Billy spotted the dummy they placed in the sauna. Billy started to laugh and clap, which Liz found really weird. Mike smirked, "Come and get me, you piece of shit!"

   Liz watched from the window as Billy grabbed the dummy by the neck and lifted it into the air, clearly pissed off. That was when Mike sent Eleven in. She entered the room quietly, standing a few feet behind Billy. Mike spoke into the walkie-talkie once more, "Hey. Behind you."

   Billy dropped the dummy and whipped around, seeing Eleven, "Hi." Billy started to walk towards her but Eleven whipped her head up, throwing Billy against the wall with her powers. Billy hit the wall hard, the tile cracking and falling onto the floor.

   The rest of the group filed in, Mike and Lucas rushing towards the door. They slammed it closed before using a pipe and chains to lock it, making sure Billy wouldn't be able to get out. They needed to keep him in the sauna if they were going to make sure he wasn't possessed by The Mind Flayer. He wouldn't get hurt by the heat if he wasn't possessed and Liz could tell that Max was praying that Billy wasn't possessed.

   Once they were sure the door was locked, Lucas and Mike ran back to the group that was standing a few feet away from the door. Billy was grunting and banging hard on the door. He paused for a moment and looked around at the group, his eyes stopping on Max. He looked at her in disbelief, "Max."

   The group all turned their heads towards her, including Liz who hated seeing Max like that. She looked conflicted and scared, but she nodded, "Do it."

   Will ran over to the sauna and turned it to the highest heat possible. The sound of steam entering the sauna was heard and that's when Billy started to get angry. He was pounding on the door as hard as he possibly could and yelling at Max, "Max! Let me out of here!" His voice got lower. "Let me out. You kids... You think this is funny? You kids think this is some kind of sick prank, huh?" Billy spit at the window. "You little shits think this is funny? What is this? Open the door. Open the door! Open the door! Open the goddamn door!"

   Billy leaned down, lower than the small window in the door. They heard him start to hit the ground with his hand. Will walked back over to the sauna and alerted everyone that the sauna was at 220 degrees which was the highest it could go. Liz wasn't sure if Billy was possessed anymore or not. The sound of him starting to cry echoed, "It's not my fault. It's not my fault. It's not my fault, Max. I promise you, it's not my fault."

   Max started to slowly walk towards the door. She looked through the window and Billy who was now sitting on the floor, "What's not your fault, Billy?"

   "I've done things, Max. Really... bad things," Billy started, his voice cracking. "I didn't mean to. He made me do it."

   "Who made you do it?"

   "I don't know, it's like a shadow," Billy explained. The group gave each other looks, all of them knowing what that meant. "Like a giant shadow. Please, Max."

   "What did he make you do?"

   "It's not my fault, okay? Max, please," Billy cried out. Liz watched as Max started to tear up. "Please, believe me, Max, it's not my fault. I tried to stop him, okay? I did. Please believe me, Max. Please believe me."

   Max placed her hand on the window, "Billy, it's gonna be okay. We want to help you. You just have to talk to us, okay? You have to talk to us. I believe you, Billy. We'll figure it out together, okay?"

   "I feel him," Will whispered, his body shaking. "He's activated."

   "Max, get away from the door," Mike stated, his eyes not leaving Will. Liz's eyes widened and she watched as Max stayed put, not moving, "Get away from the door!"

   Liz ran over to Max and pushed her out of the way, just as Billy used a shard of the tile to break the glass window on the door. Shards of glass flew onto Liz, giving her small cuts on her arms. Max fell to the floor as Billy cut Liz's cheek, right across her cheekbone. Liz cried out in pain and clutched her face as it started to bleed. She stood in front of Max who was crying on the floor as Billy yelled out, "Let me out, you bitch! Let me out! I'll fucking gut you!"

   He reached down and pulled the pipe which started to loosen the door. Lucas quickly grabbed his slingshot and hit Billy with a rock, sending him to the floor with a loud thud, "Max, Liz, come on!" Liz grabbed Max's hand, pulling her back over to the group.

   The lights started to flicker above them. The group all looked around the room and at the lights, trying to prepare themselves for whatever was about to happen. They were all too distracted by the lights to notice Billy's grunting. It wasn't until he stood up and started to roar that they all saw. Liz's eyes widened as she saw the dark veins that covered Billy's body. He starting charging for the door, trying to get it open. With each hit, the group jumped back.

   "He can't get out, can he?" Max asked, her voice shaking as she gripped onto Liz's arm.

   "No way, no way," Lucas answered, shaking his head but clearly still unsure.

   Finally, after one final roar and one final charge, the door flew off its hinges and Billy rolled out. The group all jumped back, standing behind Eleven who was face to face with Billy. Eleven raised her arm up, lifting one of the dumbbells to the right of her and flinging it at Billy. It slammed him into the brick wall, the dumbbell against his throat. Eleven extended her arms, pushing the dumbbell deeper into the brick wall and pressing it harder against Billy's throat. Billy was stronger, though, and pushed the dumbbell off of him, throwing it at Eleven who ducked before it could hit her.

   Billy marched over to her and grabbed her by her hair, forcing her head back so she was forced to look at him. He looked over at the group. Lucas had moved in front of Max and Liz, protecting them while Will and Mike stood off to the side. Without his gaze moving from them, he gripped Eleven's throat, starting to choke her. Eleven started to gasp for air and cough as Billy lifted her into the air by her throat, "No! No!"

   Mike moved quickly, grabbing a bar and hitting Billy in the head with it, making him drop to the ground and drop Eleven, "Go to hell, you piece of shit!" Mike tried to hit him again but Billy grabbed the bar before he could, throwing it to the side. Liz watched with wide eyes as Billy got up and walked closer to Mike who had nowhere else to go but pressed against the wall. Liz thought that was the end of Mike until Eleven got up and raised Billy into the air. She moved so she was standing in front of Mike as Billy was in the air in front of her, choking. They both screamed before Eleven threw Billy at the brick wall, breaking it in the process, Billy landing in the grass outside.

   Liz watched as Eleven fell to the ground against Mike. She leaned into his chest and cried, wrapping her arm around him. He held her tightly, soothing her before lifting her up. The group all watched from the now gaping hole in the wall as Billy got up and ran away from the pool, leaving the group with their newfound information. Billy was possessed by The Mind Flayer.

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[ 1733 WORDS ]

this is so plot heavy & very
little max & liz moments but
i promise in the next few chapters
there will be a lot of key moments
in max & liz's story!!