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"MURRAY, WE GOTTA MAKE THIS CALL." JOYCE URGED, MURRAY TOO BUSY TYPING AWAY ON HIS MACHINE. "One moment, please." He spoke, clicking one final key that made all of the outlined states in America vanish. "Voila. Okay, you are now calling from Durham, North Carolina." Murray announced, Joyce nodding. Murray's plan was to track the call from another state so the dangerous KBG had no way of tracking their call back. "But if this is the KBG, they will still be able to trace us eventually, so keep it brief." Murray reminded, seeming to be absolutely petrified by this group of people. "How brief?" Joyce asked, Murray shrugging.

"A minute, max, and..." Murray looked to Joyce, her nodding. "Proof of life and authentication of escape." They both chorused, Murray nodding. "Got it." Joyce hummed, sitting down on the kitchen table next to Murray. "Okay." She got her phone out and copied the number from the letter, Murray nodding. "One, two..." Pressing buttons at the same time, they called the number and changed the state origin. They both waited as the phone rang, looking to one another. It seemed to be forever before-

"This is Enzo."

Joyce flinched, Murray's eyes widening. What was he doing? "Hello, Enzo? This is Joyce. I received your message, and I would like to make a reservation." Joyce spoke clearly, hearing shuffling. "Yes, good, good." The man spoke, his voice gruff as Murray sighed to calm himself down. He didn't want to be involved in the KGB. Whatsoever. "But for reservation, you need too make deposit." 'Enzo' spoke, Joyce confused. "Uh, what... what kind of deposit?" She asked, 'Enzo' humming. "Forty thousand dollars." He answered simply, both Murray and Joyce scowling at one another silently. Forty thousand? "You have it in Hopper's trust, for the twins, yes?" The man asked, Joyce nodding.

"Uh, yes. Yes. Forty thousand." Joyce nodded, Murray doing the same. "Bring to Yuri's Fish n' Fly in Nome, Alaska." He ordered, Joyce confused. "Uh, you want me to go to Alaska?" She confirmed, Murray shaking his head. This was ludicrous. "Yes." 'Enzo' nodded, Joyce staying silent. "You give Yuri money, Yuri gets me money, I give him your friend. Simple trade, understand?" He asked, his thick Russian accent awaiting a response from the woman. She watched as Murray mouthed something,

Proof of life and authentication of escape.

"Uh, what about the kid?" She asked, Murray nodding, 'Enzo' sighing. "Kid is not here. They said he escaped on his way." He seemed annoyed to be telling Joyce this, Murray's head tilting. If this kid escaped, he's impressive. "Where is he now?" Joyce asked clearly, Murray staring at the phone. He wanted to know too. "Near base or dead." He answered, Joyce looking up at Murray. Near base? What does that mean? "We need to know Hopper's alive." She insisted, Murray thinking about 'Enzo's answer. Russian was spat into the phone, Murray flinching back lightly. This Russian woman seemed feisty.

"I'm afraid not possible." 'Enzo' spoke into the phone, overlapping the woman's yells. "Why not?" Joyce asked, 'Enzo' shrugging. "You're friend is, uh, stuck. But you give me money, I make him unstuck. You must trust me." Murray shook his head. There was not proof of life. Maybe authentication of escape but they were better off without it. "How do I trust you? I don't know who you are." Joyce raised her voice lightly, hearing more of the woman's yells. "Forty thousand. Yuri's Fish n' Fly. Two days. Do not call again." The male voice spoke, Joyce and Murray watching the screen buzz as 'Enzo' hung up. Sighing, Murray stopped his tape recording, Joyce looking to him. "Well, that wasn't the KGB." She spoke, Murray shaking his head.

"But it wasn't a friend either." He shot back, Joyce leaning back in her seat. "So we're both wrong." She let out, seeing Murray nod. "Who the Hell was that?" She asked, worried for both Hopper and Sebastian,

Murray speechless.

-––––––☆––––––

"EDDIE MUNSON." JASON SPOKE AS HE PUT THE PHOTO OF THE HELLFIRE CLUB ON ONE OF BENNY'S TABLES, THE TEAM SURROUNDING HIM. Lucas stayed behind, still stunned by everything that's going on. "He's a part of that freak devil cult, Hellfire." The captain spat harshly, Lucas confused. Hellfire wasn't a cult? It was just a bunch of shy kids who liked a board game. "The cops, they say Chrissy went to him to buy drugs." He informed, Patrick shaking his head. "Drugs? No." He let out, Jason pointing to him. "That's what I said. Chrissy would never touch that shit. They wouldn't even show her parents her face." The boy ranted on, the basket ball team listening intently.

"I don't know what this freak did to Chrissy, but he did something sick." He spat, another teammate nodding. "Probably sacrificed her, drained her blood for the devil. Satanists do that." He spoke, Lucas only watching his team assume these things. "That's what I'm saying. It's this cult he's in." Jason spoke, Lucas clearing his throat. "Hellfire isn't a cult." He let out, everyone looking back at him. "It's just... a D&D club." He informed, seeing no one saying anything. "D&D? Dungeons & Dragons?" He asked, none of his team seeming to know what it was. "It's like a... it's like a game. It... It's fantasy." He spoke, one of the teammates rounding the table to him.

"And how exactly is it you know all of that, Sinclair?" He asked, everyone facing him. "Uh... well," He let out, the teammate tilting his head. "it's my sister. Yeah, she's like... She's like, a total nerd. You know?" He let out, not wanting to get himself involved with the Hellfire club as he was surrounded with boys who hated them. "Yeah." The boy ahead of him nodded, Lucas continuing. "Nerds? Like, she plays a lot sometimes-" "I'm sure your sister isn't killing people, alright?" Jason walked forward, mistaking Lucas' lies for panic. "But I've read the wrong person plays this game, it can warp their mind. They confuse fantasy and reality, and innocent people die." He spoke, Lucas gulping.

"It's been happening all over the country. It's an epidemic." Jason let out, Patrick nodding. "I've read about that shit. It's real." He nodded to his teammates, Jason humming. "And I think Eddie... He's the wrong type of person, right?" He assured, everyone watching him walk away from them. "You know, he got lost. He thought Chrissy was just a part of his... his sick game. And chances are, he's still in the game. Meaning-" "He's gonna kill again." Patrick finished, Jason turning back to the team. "But not if we can help it. Would Chrissy just want us to stand by while the cops go around pursuing some bullshit leads, spreading rumours saying she's some druggy?" Jason asked, Lucas' heart dropping.

They were going to go hunt Eddie down. "No!" The team let out, minus Lucas, Jason continuing. "No, she'd want us to go out there. To do something, wouldn't she?" Jason asked, Lucas looking around at his team. "Yeah!" They were getting revved up, Jason's tone raising too. "Then let's hunt some freak!" He yelled, the team doing the same. "For Chrissy!" He yelled, everyone erupting in cheers as Lucas stood still,

watching Jason burn the photo of the Hellfire club.

-––––––☆––––––

"NOT THERE?" WILL ASKED, MIKE SHAKING HIS HEAD. After what had happened, El ran away, Mike and Will having no clue where she was. "She should've told me she was having trouble." Mike let out, Will shrugging as he followed Mike. "I didn't know they were gonna be here." He let out, mike huffing. "You knew she was having trouble for a year and didn't tell me." Mike shot back, Will's face scrunching up. "I didn't know she was lying to you." He defended himself, Mike nodding. "Which is why you were a douche all day?" Mike spoke, Will scoffing. "I wasn't being a douche." He let out, Mike shrugging.

"You were." Mike stopped, turning to Will. "You were rolling your eyes, moping. You were barely talking. You basically sabotaged the whole day." Mike continued, Will scoffing. "She was lying to you. Straight to your face, ever since you got here." Will defended himself, hitting Mike's shoulder a little. "And I've been a total third wheel all day. It's been miserable." He ranted, Mike letting him. "So, sorry if I wasn't... wasn't smiling." Will let out, Mike shrugging. "Yeah, whatever, man." He scoffed, walking away as Will watched. "Well, what about us?" Will let out, Mike turning to him confused. "What?" He asked, watching Will walk up to him. "You're mad that I didn't talk to you?" He asked, shrugging.

"You made it super clear that you're not interested in anything I have to say." Will spoke, Mike huffing. "That's just not true." He scoffed, Will shrugging sarcastically. "You've called maybe a couple times. It's been a year, Mike. Meanwhile, El has a book of letters from you." Will let out. Mike was his bestfriend. For way longer that El and Mike have been. So why was he getting kicked to the side. "That's because she's my girlfriend, Will." Mike spoke clearly, the Byers' boy huffing. "And us?" He asked, Mike getting aggravated. "We're friends. We're friends." He stated, Will scoffing. "We used to be best friends." He shot back, Mike sighing. "Then maybe you should've reached out more, I don't know." Mike shrugged, Will shaking his head.

"But why is this on me? Why am I the bad guy?" Mike let out, sick of people blaming him for everything. Noticing that Will wasn't going to say anything, he sighed. "Let's just... Let's just find her. Okay?" He asked, Will watching him walk past the Employee's room, following him. El sat in that room, weeping softly. She wiped the milkshake off of her face, hearing laughs from outside. "Yeah." She sniffled, wishing she had Seb here to comfort her. She would've never been bullied if he was here. She would be okay if he was here.

Everything would be okay if he was here.

Picking herself up, El moved the blinds to see Angela and her other bullies laughing together. "Oh my God, her face." Angela laughed, El's broken expression turning into a frown. "Yes!" The boy laughed, El scowling at him. "She looks like she shit herself." Stacy laughed at Angela's sentence, everyone else doing the same. Storming out of the room, El walked over to the group. "Angela." She spat, the group turning to her. Laughing, Angela pretended to be scared. "Uh-Oh, look who it is." She told her friends, the teens laughing. "She looks upset." The boy laughed, El angered by their behaviour. "You ruined my day." She spat, Angela putting a hand on her chest.

"Oh no. Did we embarrass you in front of your boyfriend?" She asked, Stacy laughing. "I want you to say sorry to me, and I want you to tell my boyfriend that it was just a joke and that we are really friends." El started to cry more, the bullies looking at her stunned. She still believes they're friends after that? "Or what?" Angela spat, El watching her put her hand out as if she had powers herself. "You gonna hurt us with your mean stare again?" Angela mocked, the bullies laughing as El started to cry more. "Sorry you can't cry to teacher today. You'll just have to cry to your daddy instead." She mocked further, El watching her grin. "Oh wait. Can't do that either. What about big strong Jacob?" She asked, El's cry dropping quickly as the boy shook his head.

"He's not available either." He joined in, Angela nodding. "Oh, yeah!" She laughed, the group laughing as they walked away from El. She watched them go with tears in her eyes, a scowl on her face. Strutting forward, she snatched someone's roller-skate, hearing their protest behind her. Ignoring it, the girl stormed towards the group, them not noticing as she gripped the skate tightly. How dare they mock her? "Angela!" She spoke with pure venom in her tone, the girl turning around,

to meet a skate smacking her face.

The scream alerted everyone, Will and Mike turning to the noise. "Holy shit. Angela, you okay?" Her friends knelt down by her quickly, El taking deep breaths as she held the skate still. A crowd formed around them, Angela sitting up. A large cut appeared on her nose bridge, blood pouring out of it. "Oh, shit!" Stacy let out, the crowd staring at El. Angela shrieked seeing her red coated fingers, El looking down to the blood that dripped off the skate's wheel. "You're okay. You're okay." Stacy assured, Angela sobbing. Will and Mike joined El, the girl staring at Angela. "Oh... Oh my God." Will let out, stunned by what his sister just did. "Holy shit, El." Mike let out, the three not being able to take their eyes off of her.

"What did you do?" Mike asked, El not replying as she stared at Angela's injury,

it being the same one Dr Brenner had when he found her.

"What have you done?"

-––––––☆––––––

DUSTIN RANG THE DOORBELL TO THE LIPTON ESTATE, THE GROUP SURE THAT EDDIE WWAS CAMPING HERE OUT OF FEAR. Nobody answered, Steve, Robin and Max watching Dustin ring the doorbell repeatedly. "Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here." Steve hummed, Dustin ignoring him. "Eddie! It's Dustin!" The teen yelled into the door, Steve sighing. "Great." He spoke, Robin shining her torch through the window. "Look, we just wanna talk! Eddie!" He yelled, banging on the door as Max joined Robin in searching through the windows. "Rick!" He kept hitting the door, Steve sighing. "Reefer Rick!" Dustin yelled, Steve hitting his back. "Don't scream that." He scolded, Robin knocking on the window.

"Rick!" She yelled, Steve huffing. "He's not there." He spoke, Max rounding the house slowly. "He could just be really high." She heard behind her, the three surrounding the door. "Is that a foot?" Steve asked, Dustin shaking his head. "No, that's a shoe." He shot back, Max turning to them. "Hey, guys?" She called, the group walking over to see a lone door. And a lone light above it. Searching through the windows, Robin was able to open the unlocked door. "Hello? Is anyone home?" She called out softly, the group walking in to the building. "What a dump." Steve let out, everyone individually searching different places. Steve switched off his flashlight, picking up a boat oar and hitting the tarp in the middle of the room.

"What are you doing?" Dustin spat, Steve continuing to hit the tarp. "What are you doing?" He repeated himself, Steve harshly hitting the tarp. "He might be in here." The older teen explained, Dustin scoffing. If he was in there, he'd be dead with the roughness of his 'checking'. "So take the tarp off." Dustin spoke, Steve turning to him. "If you're so brave, you take the tarp off." He continued to hit the tarp, Dustin rounding it ready to take it off himself. "Hey, look over here." Max ushered again, Robin moving to her as the boys wouldn't stay away from the tarp. "Someone was here." She informed, seeing food wrappers freshly dumped. "Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran." Robin shrugged, Dustin scoffing.

"Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar." He mocked, Steve scoffing also. "I know you think you're being funny, but considering that everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally, it don't find it funny in the slight-" Dustin flinched back when someone sprung out from the tarp, attacking Steve. "Wait! Wait!" The boy yelled, being shoved into the wall with a broken bottle to his neck,

by Eddie.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Eddie! Stop!" Dustin yelled, the two girls flinching back. Turning to Dustin, Eddie stared at the three, Steve terrified. "Eddie! It's me. It's Dustin." He assured, Eddie's breaths ragged. "This is Steve." He spoke slowly, the two older teens making eye contact. "He's not gonna hurt you, right, Steve?" Dustin asked, the boy nodding. "Right. Yeah." He let out, Dustin nodding as Robin and Max watched silently. "Steve, why don't you drop the oar?" The boy suggested, Steve doing as told as Eddie held the bottle closer to his neck from the loud noise. "He's cool. He's cool." Dustin let out, Steve humming. "I'm cool, man. I'm cool." He repeated, terrified.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie let out shakily, Dustin shrugging. "We're looking for you." He assured, Max nodding. "We're here to help." She spoke, Eddie turning to them slowly. "Eddie, these are my friends. You know Robin, from band." He introduced, Robin imitating herself playing the trumpet. "This is my friend, Max. The one who never wants to play D&D." Dustin informed, Max nodding awkwardly. "Eddie. We're on your side. I swear on my mother." He let out, looking to everyone else. "Yes. Yes. We swear." Max agreed, Robin nodding. "On Dustin's mother." She spoke quickly, Eddie turning back to Steve.

"Yeah, Dustin's... Dustin's mother." He spoke, everyone watching as Eddie finally let go of Steve, moving back with a sigh. Holding his knees, Steve leant over with deep breaths, Robin checking on him as Dustin sat down in front of Eddie. "Eddie. We just want to talk." Dustin spoke slowly, Eddie staring at the floor. What he saw was terrifying. Flinching back once Dusting tried to grab the bottle, Dustin did the same. "Okay?" He spoke, Robin leaning down slowly. "We want to know what happened." She spoke, Eddie shaking his head. "You won't believe me." He cried, Max shrugging.

"Try us."

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i have a bunch of exams so i apologise for not being as active this week so have two chapters xo

hello.

[2988 words!]

Hope you enjoyed!!

Byeee!