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"OKAY, SHE'S IN. INITIATE PHASE THREE." ERICA SPOKE THROUGH THE RADIO, ROBIN NODDING. "She's in, copy." She spoke, Dustin nodding. "Copy that, initiate phase three." He spoke, plugging in a certain plug. "Hopefully they'll hear this." He spoke to himself, the amp whining as the boy messed with the machine. Feedback crackled, Eddie nodding to ready himself. "Chrissy, this is for you." He spoke, Dustin watching him play his guitar loudly, crouching down. Master of puppets was the song of choice, bats gurgling as the loud noise alerted most of them. It played faintly, Seb watching the bats atop of the house fly towards the sound. "It's working." Nancy spoke, Seb sitting up. "Let's go." He led the group, the four hurrying into the house. Dustin watched in simple amazement as his best friend played the guitar as he had rehearsed. He felt insanely lucky to be able to witness this, as would anyone else. Max ran down the stairs, colliding with the front door of the Creel home. Opening it, wooden bars blocked her escape.

"Where are you going, Maxine?" Vecna asked, Max turning to see him calmly walk down the stairs. Running through to another room, Jason and his friends watched her. "I see her." He spoke, engine revving as Erica looked to her right, eyes widening. Quickly climbing down, the car stopped on the grass ahead of her, the girl panicking. "Shit, shit, shit." She cursed, running away quickly. Jason's teammate was fast to chase her, the boy quite literally slamming her to the ground. Max sprinted through the home, every door she opened blocked with wooden bars. Binoculars on, Dustin's eyes squinted as he watched the bats fly in hoards directly towards them. "Max!" She froze, Billy begging for her to open the sauna door she turned to. "Max! Open the door!" He screamed, the girl turning to see another set of wooden bars blocking the doorway. Glass smashed, Max flinching as she turned to see Billy smashing the glass of the door. "Max!" He screamed, messily finding the door handle as Erica struggled. "Get off me!" She yelled, the basketball player holding her arms.

"Eddie!" Dustin yelled once the bats were close enough, the boy glancing to him. "We gotta lock down in T-minus 30 seconds!" The Henderson yelled, Eddie nodding as he played the guitar even louder. Max watched as Billy ran into the door multiple times, yelling as he did so. The chains around the door thrashed, Max flinching each time they did so. "T-minus 20!" Dustin yelled, Eddie beginning his solo on his guitar. "Max! Let me out!" Billy screamed, his voice hoarse as his veins were black beneath his skin. "Max! Max!" He continued, the girl closing her eyes. Flashes of memories ran through her mind. At the Snowball. With El. With Sebastian. Watching movies with her friends. Skating. Billy raged a few feet from her, the girl's chest ragged as Eddie riffed his guitar loudly. "T-minus 10!" Dustin yelled once more, the chain rattling as Billy threw himself at the door. Lucas. Snowball. Kiss. Lucas. The girl thought back to her happiest memory, Dustin keeping his eye on the bats. "Five!" Billy had threw himself at the door for the last time, the object bursting off of it's hinges.

"One!" Dustin yelled, Eddie finishing his song as Max opened her eyes, seeing herself in the Snowball dance. Alone. "Holy shit." She spoke, glancing around slowly. "Move! Move!" Eddie urged, the two quickly climbing off of the roof of Eddie's trailer. "Hurry!" Dustin yelled, Eddie jumping off of the front of the vehicle. "Shit! Shit!" The bats flew closer, Dustin throwing himself into the trailer's shield. "Eddie! Shut it!" He screamed, the Munson boy quickly doing as told. Thumps smacked the fence as soon as this occurred, Dustin panting as the two entered the trailer. "Dude!" Dustin spoke, Eddie looking to him. "Most metal ever!" He grinned, Eddie jumping up and down with him. "Oh my God!" He spoke in amazement of his own talents. The two hollered in excitement together, bats digging to get in.

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HOPPER EMERGED FIRST, FLAMETHROWER PLACED ON THE GROUND BEFORE HIM. Glancing around the place, everything was broken, lights buzzing. Joyce came through next, Hopper helping him up by hand. The two observed the room they landed in as Murray pulled himself through behind them. Windows were broken, distant yelling and gunfire occurring. Joyce was the first to notice, the two men turning with her. "Oh dear God." The woman let out, each container of the Demodogs empty. Walking down a set of stairs, Hopper lit the flamethrower ahead of him, glancing upon a dead scientist. Multiple other men lay dead around him, the three silently glancing. Murray looked to his left once he heard a gurgling, seeing a man still breathing. Barely. Crouching ahead of him, Hopper and Joyce looked over. "What happened here?" Murray asked in Russian, the man struggling to look at him. "The monsters got in." Murray translated the man's unintelligible sentence, Joyce gulping lightly.

She shared a glance with Hopper as the man continued. "The guards, they tried to stop it. The gunfire shattered the tanks. The others came alive." He translated further, Joyce leaning forward. "The particles. Ask him about the particles." She insisted, Murray doing as told as he spoke Russian to the man. "He says they call it 'the shadow.' The shadow went into them." Joyce looked to Hopper, the man keeping his eyes ahead. "Into who?" His question was translated towards the man, him gasping wordlessly. Murray repeated himself sternly, the man gasping towards him before his head lolled to his right. Dead. Everyone stayed silent, Murray not getting an answer before the Demogorgon and Demodogs roared far, Joyce flinching. Hopper lit his flamethrower once more, Murray standing fully. "I think this answers your question, Jim." He spoke, the man turning with Joyce to see the screens. Multiple murders by the monsters were occurring right before them, Joyce turning to Hopper.

"The shadow is in them."

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SEB OPENED THE DOOR TO THE CREEL HOME, TENTACLES MANOUVERING THEMSELVES AROUND THE MOVEMENT. "Oh, shit." Steve spoke, him behind Seb as he flashed his light over the many tentacles on the ground. "That's not good." He spoke further, Seb feeling his eyes sting as he kept them on the ground. He went first, shakily stepping into the first safe gap he saw, Steve inhaling deeply. Jumping into the next gap, Steve followed him, Robin panicked. "It's okay." Nancy assured, Robin feeling her hand get taken by the girl. "You got this." She continued, watching Robin go next. Seb made his way to the stairs, glancing back at the group behind him. Shining his flashlight up the stairs, El walked through the memory she had entered. Multiple people skated around her, the girl looking for one person in particular. "Shouldn't you be playing with dolls or something?" A boy asked, El looking to the noise. A small ginger girl sat on the ground, skateboard in front of her.

"Shouldn't you bag your face?" She snapped back, the boy in front of her scoffing as skating away. Max. El walked towards her, crouching down. "Max!" She called, the young girl not seeming to hear as she begun skating away herself. "I found her." El told the group, Mike staring at his girlfriend. "But she's young. She can't see me. Can't hear me." El informed further, Will shrugging. "Do you see anything weird in this memory?" He asked, Mike glancing to him. "Any sign of Vecna or... or the Mind Flayer?" He asked further, El shaking her head gently. "No, everything is normal." She spoke as she glanced around the place, everyone skating around her mindlessly. Music began playing, El's brows furrowing before she looked up. A DJ stand stood atop of a bridge, Every breath you take playing. "There is something that doesn't fit." She spoke slowly, Johnathan and Argyle sharing a glance. The latter was silent. In pure amazement. "I think it is another memory." She spoke, Argyle tilting his head. "A memory within a memory?"

Everyone looked to him silently, Mike sighing. El walked slowly towards the bridge, Max sat on one of the tables at the Snow Ball venue. A smile slowly emerged, she was happy. Every breath you take played, nothing else occurring in the gymnasium. The girl flinched once something popped behind her, springing up from her seat. Broken balloon shards laced within the puddle of blood, Max terrified. Balloons on the tables began popping like water balloons, thick red liquid pouring out. Backing away from the messes, the record began distorting, Max glancing back to it. Dream a Little Dream of Me began playing, El's head tilting as she made her way up the bridge. The decorations in the gymnasium began to rot. The flowers on each table sunk from a light blue into a dark green, Max watching the large sign mold from white to yellow. The food moulded, Max silently watching as particles flew around her. They rained around her as the gym darkened, red thunder booming. Looking to her right, El watched the same thunder far away, the people around her mindless.

Lucas kept his eyes on Max, the girl panting in her state. "Oh shit." He cursed, shining his torch towards Erica once more. For no answer once more. "What the hell is taking so long?" He spoke, his breathing growing faster. "Let me go, you meathead!" Erica yelled, the boy atop of her grunting. "Shut your mouth or I'll break your arms." He threatened, Erica writhing. "Hear me, you little shit?" He asked, Erica whining as Lucas continued to flash his torch. Tensing, Lucas turned around once he heard creaking, seeing Jason slowly walk into the basement. "Shit." The Sinclair spoke simply, Jason observing Max's entranced state. "Jason?" He asked, slowly walking forward. "You can't be here right now, man." Lucas spoke somewhat gently, Jason not taking his eyes off of Max. "What the hell have you done?" He asked, Lucas gulping. "Jason. You need to leave." He sternly spoke, stepping forward. "Is this what you did to Chrissy?" He asked, crouching down next to Max. "Jason, just listen-" "Hey." He ignored Lucas, hand on Max's back.

"Hi, can you hear me?" He asked gently, Lucas huffing. "Man, you need to leave." He ordered, stepping forward more. "Don't touch her. I'm not messing around." He continued, Jason waving a hand ahead of Max. "Hey. Hear me?" Jason ignored him again, Lucas inhaling sharply. "Jason!-" "Back up! Back up!" Jason quickly got the gun from his pocket, Lucas backing away with his arms in surrender. "Not another step." Jason seethed, Lucas still. "Wait... we don't have to do this." Lucas spoke gentler, Jason exhausted. "I hope you're right." He replied, Lucas gulping. "Wait-" "Is there anyone else in the house?" Jason interrupted, hoping to find Eddie or the boy he saw in the lake. His face had been imprinted in Jason's mind, the boy not sleeping until he saw those red eyes again. "No. No." Lucas spoke truthfully, Jason shoving the gun forward. "Turn around." He spat, Lucas confused. "What-" "Turn around!" Jason yelled, Lucas doing as told. "Okay, relax. Relax." He spoke, Jason gulping himself. "And put down your flashlight." The captain ordered, Lucas slowly putting it on the floor.

"It's okay. Okay." He assured as best as he could. "And empty your pockets." The gun in his hand shook lightly, Lucas hurriedly doing as told. Wrappers and change fell, Lucas putting his hands back up as fast as he could. "Now, this is what's gonna happen." Jason started, Lucas listening intently with his back turned. "I'm gonna back away to the top of the stairs there. Then I'll watch you wake her up from whatever the hell this is." Jason ordered, Lucas gently shaking his head. "I can't." He admitted, turning around. "Jason." He started, the boy staring at him. "If I wake her too soon, we all die." Lucas continued, Jason shaking his head as he rearranged his sweaty fingers on the trigger. "No. If you don't wake her up right now, you die, Sinclair." He spat, clicking the safety off of the gun. "Just you." He spoke simply, Lucas shaking his head. Seb's breathing increased, watching red flash at the doorway to the basement. He was there. Henry was there. His brother was there. Nancy appeared behind him, the group staring at the doorway.

Steve glanced at Seb, clearing his throat. Seb didn't want to kill his brother. If he never conspired, would it be different? Would Henry live with El and him? Would they accept him? Would they all be happy together? Henry is the only person who wanted Seb. Needed Seb. And they made an entire plan to kill him. Seb's lips squeezed shut, the boy frozen as his eyes began to sting. "Oh, shit!" Steve let out, the three teens behind him gripping to one another as the house began to shake. Seb faltered himself, Steve grabbing his vest and holding it tight. Staying in one spot, the rumbling stopped, Robin panting. Everyone stayed silent, Seb glancing around. A tentacle was quick to wrap around Robin's ankle, the girl looking to Seb. "Guys?" She asked, everyone watching multiple tentacles grip the girl, forcing her against the wall and holding her there. "Steve!" She yelled, the boy quick to hit the tentacles with his axe, Nancy doing the same with the butt of her shotgun.

"Seb!" Robin yelled, the tentacle wrapping around her neck as she stared at the boy. He was frozen. Stood watching her in danger. She gasped out, Nancy glancing behind her at the boy. His lips were parted, there seeming to be no one behind his eyes. "Help!" Steve yelled, Seb blinking before raising his arm. A tentacle gripped the outstretched limb before Seb could do anything, dragging the boy towards the wall parallel. He grunted, feeling more tentacles wrap around him, the one around his neck dragging him up the wall. Nancy watched in horror, the boy choking as he raised from the floor. Steve's axe got dragged away by a tentacle, others gripping his form and holding him underneath Seb. Nancy glanced around at everyone, her chest ragged before a tentacle wrapped around her middle, slamming her back into the wall. Seb felt his eyes roll back, the boy passing out as Nancy choked,

the four dying.

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[2426 words!]

Hope you enjoyed!!!

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