Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Eleven walked into the hospital room, and set her bag down beside the chair. She looked over at her friend, lying small and frail in the hospital bed. For the past two months, Max Mayfield had been in a coma, and there was no change in her condition. She had a great deal of injuries, which were still healing. Eleven listened to the quiet beeping of the machines that was keeping her friend alive. The room was otherwise quiet.

Eleven noticed that there were a few new ‘Get Well Soon’ cards on the nightstand. Over the past two months, Max had received many cards from her friends, classmates, and relatives, as well as the occasional flower bouquet, and stuffed animal purchased at the gift shop. Everyone was really worried about her, and they all hoped that she’d have a full recovery. Eleven hoped that one day, Max would be able to wake up. She planned on reading each and every one of the cards out loud to Max, and telling her everything that she had missed.

Sometimes, it felt like two years instead of two months, since El had returned to Hawkins. It had been a rough year for her. El’s entire life had changed when she’d lost her father; it had been a devastating blow. She’d moved in with Joyce, and her brothers – and shortly afterwards, Joyce had announced that they’d all be relocating, moving away from the only home that El had ever known. She’d lost her father, and she’d had no powers. Eleven had been angry, depressed, bitter with grief. It had all been too much to deal with. At least when she had started high school, Jonathan and Will were always there for her. High school had been incredibly daunting.

El was glad to be back home in Hawkins. She just wished that her return had been under normal circumstances. It was a relief to be back with her friends again, returning to her hometown. But everything was different now. She couldn’t have sleepovers with Max again, or hang out at the mall with her. They couldn’t talk about boys, or read comic books together, or do any of the things that they used to do. Sitting with her in the quiet hospital room, was now the best that she could do. Hawkins had been destroyed, and people had died. Her friends had been put in danger, trying to protect the town. And Max had suffered so much, nearly dying. Out of all the teens that Vecna had targeted, Max was the only survivor. And even then, she was barely clinging to life. Eleven went to the small vase, and scooped up the bundle of wilted flowers. They drooped downwards, listless and pathetic. Max deserved better. She tossed them into the trashcan with disdain, then replaced them with the fresh bouquet of bright yellow flowers that she’d bought in the gift shop downstairs. There, that was better. The yellow flowers were cheery, and they helped brighten up the room a great deal.

“Hey, Max,” Eleven said, quietly. She sat down, pulling her chair closer to her friend’s hospital bed. El reached for her friend’s hand. “Max, I miss you. We’ve all been waiting for you to wake up. Hawkins isn’t the same without you. I wish you would wake up one day.”

Eleven leaned forward in her seat, studying Max’s face. Max didn’t move, or react to her words at all. She never did. But still, Eleven would check in on her, hoping to see even the slightest sign of life. Eleven gave her friend a pained smile, trying desperately to feel optimistic. It was always so disconcerting, seeing Max so quiet, so still. Before her coma, Max had always been so vibrant, full of life. But now, she was lying unresponsive in the hospital bed, wearing a neck brace. Her arms and legs were in casts, slowly healing. It hurt to see her friend like that. Max was still comatose. The hospital staff were uncertain if she would ever wake up again – and if she did, they weren’t confident that Max would make a full recovery. There was a chance that she might stay comatose for months, or even years. Maybe even for the rest of her life. El wished desperately that this wasn’t the case.

Eleven glanced up as her brother, Will, came into the room. He nodded at her, then sat down in the seat beside her. Eleven watched as he dug through his bag. He pulled out the pack of fine-tip Sharpies that he’d brought from home, and dumped them out on the bed. Will picked out a purple one, and started to draw on Max’s cast.

Will was a really good artist, and over the past few weeks, he had been slowly filling up Max’s casts with his doodles – pictures of knights fighting fiery dragons, the names of all their DnD characters, and other drawings. Max’s casts had started out being stark white – plain, and boring. But now that Will had decorated them, they were bright and colourful. All of Max’s friends had signed their names on her casts. They were truly a work of art.

But unfortunately, even if Max did eventually wake up, it wasn’t like she’d actually get to see their artwork. She had been fully blinded in both eyes, and the doctors said there was no way she would ever be able to see again. But they all continued to draw on the casts, because it was better than seeing the stark white casts every time they visited her. They wanted to make some amount of beauty, out of a bad situation.

Eleven leaned forward, as she held Max’s hand. She was glad that she could physically touch Max while she spoke to her. It helped, having that close physical connection. Being away from her when she’d moved to California had been extremely tough. She had missed all of her friends a great deal, but being away from Max had been particularly difficult.

Max’s fingernails were recently trimmed, and she was wearing blue nail polish. Eleven wasn’t sure whose handiwork it was, as Max had a great deal of visitors. Probably Robin, or maybe Erica. Her nails looked pretty. Eleven smiled at Max.

“Guess what?” Eleven said. She tried to make her voice sound more upbeat than she felt. There was a chance that her friend could hear everything that was going on around her, and if that was the case, then El wanted Max to think that everything was okay, that El was happy – and not stressed out, and anxious. Even if she could only hear a small amount, then El hoped that Max would know how loved she was, and that there was always someone by her side. “Max, the movie theatre’s up and running again! The whole town was so excited, ‘cause the theatre’s grand reopening was yesterday. The place was packed. Will and I, we went to see ‘Top Gun’ yesterday, with Jonathan. It was good. I think you would like it, too. When you wake up, I’ll take you. We’ll get a big bucket of popcorn, and eat so much candy that we’ll throw up.”

“Yeah,” Will said, glancing up from his handiwork. He smiled at Max, then glanced over at Eleven. “The movie was really good. I’m going to go again, with Mike and Nancy.”

Eleven reached over, and brushed back the thin tendrils of bright red hair that framed her friend’s face. Max was so pale, her freckles standing out even more so than normal. With her eyes closed like that, El could almost let herself imagine that Max was just sleeping. She smiled at her friend, nostalgic for the time before Max had been hospitalized. She wished that Max would open her eyes, sit up in bed. She wanted to hear her voice, her laugh. But El knew that that day might never come. For now, she could just sit with her, and keep her company. Will and Eleven were certain that Max would wake up one day. They had to hold onto that glimmer of hope that their friend would be okay, eventually.

It had been two months since Max had become comatose. Two months since the party had gone after Vecna, plotting to kill him while he was distracted in the Creel House. Each member of the group had had a part of the plan, with strict instructions not to deviate. Some of them were the distraction, others were the soldiers. Though they had given it their all, things had ended disastrously. Max ended up being technically dead, another one of Vecna’s victims. Eleven had been able to restart her friend’s heart remotely, though Max was still in a coma. She had yet to wake.

“Hey, Max. I saw your mom this morning,” Will said, quietly. “She’s been volunteering at the school, helping people. She really misses you.”

“Yeah.” Eleven nodded. “She was so heartbroken when you ended up in the hospital. We get to see her all the time, because your mom visits you a lot, Max.”

When Max had first been admitted to the hospital, one of the nurses had told Eleven and the others, that they should talk to Max whenever they visited her. Read to her, tell her about their day, keep conversations lighthearted. There was a slim chance that Max might be able to hear them. Familiar voices helped coma patients. Sometimes hearing their family and friends talking to them, was enough to bring them out of it. And so, whoever was visiting Max, they would sit and talk to her.

Eleven felt a bit weird at first, talking to Max, when she knew she wouldn’t get a response. She had been inside her friend’s head, and found nothing. Just the empty, dark void. El had gone in, screaming and shouting Max’s name, but nothing had ever come of it. She’d figured that if talking to Max on a regular basis might have even the slightest chance of bringing her friend back, she would do it. And so, every time Eleven visited Max, she would tell her all the gossip about Hawkins, tell her funny stories about her brothers, tell her about the DnD campaigns Dustin and Erica were co-writing. Eleven told her everything that she normally would’ve said, if Max had been awake. She needed to feel that connection to her friend.

Eleven would also bring in books or magazines from home, and read to Max. On the days when she forgot a book, she would grab something from the ever-growing collection of reading material on Max’s bedside table. People had left various books behind during previous visits, or they’d picked them up in the gift shop downstairs – Stephen King books, some comics, a poetry book. There was always some reading material for Eleven to choose from, so she would sit, and read out loud to Max.

Max wasn’t the only casualty from that terrible night – Eddie Munson had died, after taking on the demobats in the Upside Down. He had been part of the distraction, playing a Metallica guitar solo on the roof of his trailer. Eleven had never met Eddie, as she had been living in California when Dustin and the others had befriended him at school. But she had seen him briefly in the void, when she’d tried to look in on her friends in Hawkins. Her friends had all been in Max’s trailer, trying to form a plan. Eleven had seen Eddie sitting on Max’s couch, beside Steve, and Erica. He had been quiet, fidgety. Eddie had looked nervous, glancing around the room at his friends, as they all worked on what to do next.

The others had told Eleven about Eddie, so she knew about him. Some of her friends had only known him a short time, while some of the group had gone to school with him for a few years. She knew that Eddie Munson had played DnD with Dustin, Mike, and Lucas – and that they had all been in Hellfire Club together. From what she had gathered, he was a good guy – though he had a bad reputation. El knew that he’d been falsely accused of murder. Eddie was innocent – Dustin had been adamant about that.

On the same night that Eddie had died, and Max had gone into a coma, both Lucas and Erica Sinclair had also been attacked. They had both been at the Creel house with Max. Erica was lookout, while Lucas was with Max – so he could turn her Walkman on, and save her. But that hadn’t gone to plan, when Jason and his friends showed up. Erica had managed to get away with minimal damage, but Lucas had been assaulted, and nearly shot. Steve, Robin, and Nancy had also been in danger that same night. The vines in the Upside Down had pinned them to the wall, choking them. It had been a bad night for everyone involved.

And there had been others that had died the night that Hawkins had been torn apart. When the deep crevices had appeared (the ones that were later reported to be ‘earthquakes’), a lot of people had been sleeping in their beds, unaware that anything bad was about to happen. Suddenly, the town had been torn up, with roads getting split open, and some houses had fallen into the deep crevices. People had died, and others had gotten seriously injured. It had been a chaotic time, as there had been a great deal of missing and displaced people.

Hawkins, Indiana was no longer the small, sleepy Midwest town that it had once been. For years, Hawkins had barely been a blip on the map. It was the kind of town that didn’t really gain too much attention. People who lived there were used to the quiet, slow small-town pace. But ever since the murders that Eddie Munson had been falsely accused of, and then the ‘earthquake’ that had ravaged the town, Hawkins had become widely known – for all the wrong reasons. Hawkins had been all over the news. Reporters had come to the town, intent on reporting about the murders, about Eddie, and the town that had been wrecked. Not to mention the monsters. Once Vecna had taken his victims, Hawkins was completely destroyed. The ground had split open, deep crevices tearing open the town in different directions, the fissures an angry lava red. The town residents, who had previously thought that the worst thing they needed to deal with was Satanic panic, suddenly found themselves having to face the fact that monsters were very, very real.

Having Hawkins be destroyed like that had crushed Eleven. She hadn’t wanted to leave town in the first place, but after the incident at Starcourt Mall that had ended in Hopper’s death, Eleven and the Byers family had been relocated. They had all been viciously homesick, but it was supposed to be the right thing for them – to protect them. A fresh start. All she’d wanted to do, was come back home. But once she’d finally made it back home, Hawkins had been in ruins. The distinction between their Hawkins, and the terrifying monster-filled Upside Down world, became blurred. She recalled vividly how she and her friends had watched with horror, as the flowers and the grass had withered and died in the clearing. The sky had become angry with red lightning. And then, the monsters had begun to spill through, attacking the town. After all the party’s efforts to protect their home, it was deeply upsetting to see the monsters running rampant through the streets of Hawkins. The monsters had attacked people in the street, going into businesses, wreaking havoc on a town already so heavily damaged. So many people had fought to protect their town, and had died in the process. It had been hell.

The government had stepped in immediately, and the town had been swarmed with soldiers in vehicles. They had begun setting up fences, and guard posts. Residents had been instructed to stay within the limits, and certain areas had been on lockdown, as they fought off the monsters. There were rules, and guards, and soldiers on patrol. Everything was suddenly so different, a warzone.

Even with the government being called in to take control of the situation, Hawkins residents had a hell of a time maintaining control, as they tried to fight off the monsters. Some of them had been small creatures that they could easily hunt down and kill. But there were others that had been huge creatures that had nearly wiped them out. Demodogs, and demogorgons had run amok. There were some beasts that the town didn’t even bother to assign names to, but they would simply hunt them down and kill them. There had even been a large two-headed dragon that had spewed fire. It had taken a lot of firepower to take the dragon down, but they had ultimately been successful.

Things were very different this time around. Before, only a select few knew about the monsters lurking in Hawkins. Just the small group of kids, and the occasional grownups, who knew about the monsters’ existence. But this time, the party had been joined by a large group of Hawkins residents – locals armed with guns, axes, shovels, and anything they could get their hands on. And the military had brought in adequate firepower. They had a fighting chance now.

Even now, two months afterwards, there were still stray monsters running around town. Just this week alone, there had been a few sightings of demodogs hiding in the local fields. And one woman had discovered a flock of demobats hiding in her cellar. They had gone after her, maiming her. But she had survived – and her neighbours had helped her clear out the bats. These sightings were becoming less frequent, but the monsters were still active enough to be cause for concern.

They had taken down Vecna, which had been the most difficult battle that Eleven had ever done. El, her friends, and every Hawkins volunteer, along with members of the army, had all stepped up. Vecna had put up a hell of a fight, but in the end, they had managed to destroy him.

Even now, weeks after destroying the monsters, Hawkins was still piecing itself back together. Some of the buildings had structural damage, and needed repairs – while other buildings needed to be torn down and rebuilt altogether. Hawkins was a mess, and it would take considerable amount of time until it would be returned to its former glory. But Hawkins was not a lost cause just yet; their residents were resilient. They’d been through the worst pits of hell, and they would get through whatever lay ahead of them.

Every day, Eleven took notice of the small, subtle changes that showed how Hawkins was slowly healing. The flowers were starting to grow back. No longer ashes, and dust, the grass was growing back a nice, healthy shade of green. It was small things like that, that gave Eleven hope that her town would go back to some semblance of normalcy again. She had loved being out in the fields, the woods, being able to see all the wildflowers. Eleven missed that.

Hopper had told her that when a forest fire burns, the entire area becomes completely devastated. But then, something beautiful could come out of such a tragedy. Because although the ground would be burnt and blackened, plants would eventually begin to grow again in the area. Hawkins would be like one of those fires. Though the area had suffered horrific damage, Hawkins would begin to thrive again one day, and they would get their town back to how it used to be. The town had suffered, but they refused to be permanently wiped out. This was their home.

Eleven had been inside Max’s head shortly after arriving in Hawkins. She had desperately needed to know if Max was still in there, needed to know if she would be able to draw her out, to pull her out of her coma. El had sat with Max at her bedside, and gone in. But there had been no trace of her friend in there. The void had been just an empty room. Cold, and dark, and desolate. Eleven had gone in a few more times, needing to find her, and bring Max home. But she was always unsuccessful. But despite this, Eleven continued to sit with her, talk to Max. Even though she knew it was likely a lost cause, she needed to believe that there was still the smallest amount of Max still locked away somewhere in there. She held fiercely onto that hope, desperate to bring her out of her coma.

“Max, I don’t know if you can hear me,” Eleven said, quietly. She paused, collecting her thoughts. “Everyone’s really worried about you. We miss you, Max.”

“I wish she would wake up,” Will said, quietly. He looked up at Max. “Max, hey. It’s Will. I just want you to know that we’re here for you. We’re all thinking about you. We want you to wake up, as soon as you’re ready.”

Eleven picked up a green marker, and started to draw on Max’s cast. She drew a little green cat, with whiskers, and pointy ears, and a curved tail. She coloured it in, the marker making small scratchy sounds against the white cast. Eleven glanced over at Will, admiring his handiwork. He was drawing an owlbear on her cast. It was really detailed.

“I like your picture.” Eleven smiled at him. “Owlbears are cool.”

Will smiled. “Thanks. I think Max would really like it.”

Eleven had loved spending time with Max, before she’d been relocated to California. The girls in their party were largely outnumbered, as it was mostly boys. El and Max had spent that summer bonding. Max had been a good friend to her, taking her out to the mall, helping her find herself. She’d taught Eleven a great deal, showing her comics, teaching her how to stand up for herself. Teaching her to try things out until she knew what she liked. Max had helped her pick some outfits at the mall that suited her, and they’d had sleepovers together. They’d even got ice cream at Scoops Ahoy where Robin and Steve worked. Having female friends like Max had been great. Eleven had loved having a girl to lean on, to become close to. She missed that.

At one point, before they had properly met, Eleven put Max at arm’s length, treated her coolly. She’d been upset that Mike and the others had brought in a new girl to their party, that they were spending all their time with this cute redhead. Eleven had been angry, jealous. She didn’t want Mike picking this other girl over her, or for Mike to get too close to Max. But once they had finally started spending time together, El and Max had become quite close in the short amount of time before she’d had to move. Every time she looked at Max now, her heart ached.

Eleven grabbed a darker green marker, and started to add some shading to her cat drawing. She had been working on her art since returning to Hawkins. She did some drawing, a bit of sketching. El had even tried watercolour painting, but she wasn’t so fond of that. Drawing helped pass the time. It was a nice, quiet activity. Will had a lot of art supplies, and he loved sitting with her, so they could do art together. Going to the hospital to visit Max was their downtime, a way to relax after particularly long days.

It had hurt, leaving Mike, her friends, her home. In California, she had been largely outnumbered again. Her and Joyce had been the only girls in the Byers household. She’d become closer to Joyce during those months in California; El could always go to her for anything. They were both grieving the loss of Hopper, and the loss of their former hometown. Joyce was a great mother, and a great friend. The boys, Jonathan and Will, and Argyle, had all been there for her as well. And Eleven had been grateful for her brothers. But she had missed Max so much.

It had especially hurt, because El hadn’t been allowed to call Max on the phone after they’d left town. She wasn’t supposed to call anyone. Not Max, or her boyfriend – none of them. She’d contemplated breaking the rules a few times, just to hear her voice. Especially in those first few weeks, when they were still getting settled. A new town, new school, new everything. It had all been so much. Joyce had told her that having a fresh start was the best thing for the entire family. For El and Joyce, who had lost Hopper. For Will, who had bad memories associated with getting trapped in the Upside Down. And for Jonathan, who’d had his fair share of trauma in Hawkins – what with all the monsters, and getting attacked in the hospital by his flayed boss. A fresh start would do them all good. And so, El had tried her best to find her place in her new town. None of her classmates knew about what she’d been through back in Hawkins; to them, she was just a new freshman student, an unknown amongst her many classmates.

Thankfully, Max and El had been able to send each other letters in the mail. El would write to a lot of her friends, and also her boyfriend, Mike. They were a lifeline, hearing from them, keeping up to date on what was happening at home. Her and Max were both grieving, both suffering a great loss. Eleven had lost her father, and Max had lost her brother. El knew how dire things had gotten, especially when she found out about how Max had moved from her home to the trailer park when her mom and stepfather had split up. Max had written letters to El talking about how much she missed Billy, how alone she felt. The anxiety and depression she’d felt, losing her brother like that. Max and Billy had never been close siblings – they had fought more often than they got along. But losing a sibling would always be especially difficult, no matter the circumstances. And even though they’d always had a complicated relationship, Max still missed him.

Eleven had wanted desperately to attend Hawkins High with her friends. She thought that it would’ve been really cool, being in the same classes with her friends. She could’ve been there for Max, supported her. They could’ve studied together. And Robin, and Nancy would’ve both been there. That would’ve been really nice. Eleven often wondered if her freshman year might have been different, if she’d been with her friends. She might’ve had an easier time fitting in, with the party by her side. Maybe she could’ve even joined Hellfire Club, and gotten to learn the game that her friends were so obsessed with. El thought that it would’ve been neat to create her own character, and fight monsters in the game, instead of the real-life variety. Eleven would’ve liked to have known Eddie. The way Dustin and Mike always talked about him, he seemed like a really interesting person. But she’d never been given the chance.

The last time she had seen Max before leaving Hawkins, was the day that they’d packed up the Byers residence. They’d put everything they wanted to keep in the U-Haul, and everything else had been donated. And then, they’d driven away from Hawkins, Indiana. That had been one of the most depressing days of her life. Leaving everything behind – her friends, Hopper’s cabin, Hawkins. At least they had been able to hug their friends, and say their goodbyes before driving off. Eleven hadn’t known if she would ever see Max in person again. Not for a long time, anyway. And then, just before Max had gone into her coma, Eleven had managed to help her fight Vecna, when she’d been in the pizza freezer. She had been able to go into the good memories where Max was hiding, secreted away, protecting herself from Vecna. She’d seen little Max with her skateboard, and Max at the Snowball dance. These were good memories that Max had clung to, where she believed she would be safe from Vecna. And it had worked, at first. Max had done her best, but Vecna had still managed to find her.

It had been horrifying to have her friend attacked like that in front of her, as Eleven had been unable to protect Max. Even two months later, Eleven still had frequent nightmares about that horrifying time, of her and Max being attacked. Seeing Vecna’s other victims, twisted and broken, knowing that that would’ve been Max’s fate if she couldn’t successfully protect her. Eleven was still wracked with guilt that she’d been unable to protect her friend. Both of them had very nearly died.

“El,” Will said, recapping his marker. He turned in his seat to look at her. “D’you think she’ll ever wake up? It’s been months.”

Eleven glanced over at Will, seeing the concerned look on her brother’s face. They had both been sitting vigil at Max’s bedside off and on for about an hour. For the most part, they had been sitting in silence, working on their respective art projects.

“Max will wake up. She has to.” Eleven frowned. “We’ll find a way to bring her back, because I’m not giving up on her.”

“I’m not either.” Will stretched for a few seconds, then stood up. He started pacing the room. “I’ll never give up on her. I’m just worried, that’s all. People in comas, they don’t always recover.”

“Max will.” Eleven stared at him, watching as Will paced back and forth. He had his head down, a troubled expression on his face. He glanced up at her for a second, then glanced back down to his feet. “Will, I brought you back home, when everyone thought that you were gone forever. I can bring her back, too.”

“That was a bit different,” Will said. “I wasn’t in a coma. I was just stuck in the Upside Down. I wasn’t lost – I was hiding. I just couldn’t find my way back home, out of that hellhole.”

“I know.” Eleven nodded. “I remember how sick you were. You almost died.”

“I remember,” Will nodded. “I’m just glad that I had people looking for me. Mom, Hopper, you. I was able to stay hidden, for as long as I could, until help came.”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe that’s how it is for Max?” Will said. “Maybe she’s just found a really good hiding place? She’s probably just scared of Vecna, and the monsters. Max might not even know that we’ve stopped Vecna, that he’s no longer a threat. Maybe she’s just waiting for help to arrive?”

Eleven didn’t know what to say to him. She wanted this to be true. Max could just be hiding, keeping herself safe until she was rescued. But each time El had gone into the void and searched for her friend, she had found no trace of her. If what Will said was true, and Max was just hiding, then that would be the best-case scenario. It meant that Eleven could seek her out and convince her that it was safe to return home. But she was beginning to think that the doctors were right, when they said that Max might not wake up. It was a horrible thought, but after two months, things were looking dire. Two months was an awfully long time.

Eleven frowned, looking around the hospital room. When Max was first admitted to the hospital, her room had been stark. But over the last few weeks, they’d been trying to make it more personalized. There were a few photos of Max on the wall near her bed – some of them with her mother, and Billy. A picture of Max with Lucas. A few group shots of all the kids hanging out together, and a picture of Eleven and Max that they’d taken at the mall the summer before Eleven had moved away.

Max’s room had teddy bears, and flowers on the table, and ‘Get Well Soon’ cards from her friends. Her mother had brought Max’s blanket from home, as well as some of her personal belongings that she’d salvaged from their wrecked trailer. Her skateboard sat in the corner of the room, propped up against the wall. Almost like if Max could just wake up, she could feel comforted by being surrounded by all her favourite things and feel safe. Like everything was going to be okay. The truth was, even if Max did wake up, she might never be able to skateboard again. Her broken legs might never fully heal properly. But it was one of Max’s most cherished items, and having it in her room felt like holding onto hope.

Eleven watched as Will picked up the Walkman from the nightstand, and rewound the tape. He placed the silver headphones on Max’s ears, and pressed play. From where she sat, Eleven could hear the quiet tinny sounds of the Kate Bush cassette playing – the same cassette that had saved Max from Vecna. They often played the tape for her, in hopes that she might hear the music – and respond to it. If anyone could draw her out of the coma, it would be Kate Bush. They had a large quantity of batteries for her Walkman in her room, so they could play Max’s cassettes for her on repeat for hours.

Will went over to the stack of paperbacks by Max’s bed. He flipped through them, picking up one of the books. When he sat down, Eleven glanced over at his book. She read the title. ‘Doors of the Mind’, by Dr. Avery Mack.

“What’s that?” Eleven asked. She glanced at the title. “What’s ‘Doors of the Mind’ mean?”

“It’s a hypnosis book,” Will said. “Hypnosis, and meditation, and stuff like that.”

“Hypnosis?”

“Yeah.” Will nodded. “It says on the back that the author created this type of therapy that helps her patients work though their personal issues – dealing with trauma, and bad memories, and stuff like that. Dr. Mack wrote about how you’ve got to visualize this hallway of doors inside your head. And then, you have to go inside, and see what’s behind each door. It’s important to face what’s behind the doors, to work through the issues. I thought maybe there’d be something useful in here, about helping Max.”

“And is there?” Eleven asked, interested. “Anything helpful?”

“I’m not sure, yet.” Will shrugged. “I haven’t read it all the way through. It’s kind of dry.”

Eleven thought that the book sounded interesting. She thought that anything that could potentially help Max was worth reading, even if the book was dry and boring. The notion of visualizing the hallway of doors was a curious idea, but it was something worth looking into.

“Is it a library book, or something?” Eleven asked. A lot of the Hawkins library books had been destroyed, but the town had been slowly building their collection again. The library books that had been pulled from the wreckage had ended up temporarily stored at the school, the hospital, and other places. “Where did you get it?”

“I found it in the lobby downstairs,” Will told her. “Someone dropped off a box of books. Most of them were pretty boring. A lot of therapy books, a few bibles, stuff like that. I needed something new to read.”

“Can I read it when you’re done?” Eleven asked, laying her head on his shoulder.

“Yeah.”

For the next few minutes, Eleven read a few paragraphs over his shoulder. She was just starting to get into it, when Will closed the book.

“I’m starving,” Will said. “I’m going down to the cafeteria to grab something to eat. Do you want anything? Juice? A sandwich?”

Eleven shook her head. She wasn’t hungry. “No, I’m okay. I want to stay here for a bit longer.”

“Okay. Here, you can read the book while I’m gone, if you want,” Will said, handing the book to her. “Mom’s coming to pick us up at eight. Do you want to meet us in the lobby? Or I can come up and get you.”

“Can you come up and get me?” Eleven asked. “I’m going into Max’s mind before I go.”

“Okay.”

Eleven waited until Will left the room, before going into Max’s mind. She could have easily done it with Will in the same room as her, as he always stayed quiet, and left her undisturbed. But it was easier to focus when she was alone. She took the bandana out of her pocket, and carefully folded it on the creases until it was the exact shape that she needed. She kept a bandana in her pocket at all times for this very purpose. El could go inside Max’s mind without it, but it was definitely easier to concentrate with the bandana blocking out all the light. Eleven had been going into Max’s mind regularly since she’d arrived in Hawkins, to see if she could find any trace of her. She leaned over, and turned down the music slightly on Max’s Walkman. El pressed the folded bandana against her eyes, making sure that not a single sliver of light would get through. She deftly tied it behind her head, in a tight knot.

Eleven reached out for Max’s hand, squeezing it. She hoped and prayed, that one day Max would squeeze her hand back, that she would open her eyes, and sit up. El would do anything to see her friend’s face light up in a smile, hear her laugh again. Max’s pulse was strong, and when Eleven had asked, Max’s doctors stated that her body was healing. Physically, she was improving. Her casts would soon come off. But she had yet to wake. Eleven squeezed her eyes shut, focusing on Max. She took a deep breath, waiting to see if she would find any trace of her friend.

Chapter Text

When Eleven opened her eyes, she found herself standing in the void. She was alone in the expansive obsidian room. The endless large black room spread out all around her, dark and ominous, and infinite. Eleven walked through the thin layer of water on the floor, looking around her. Eleven turned in a slow circle, looking for any sign of life, any movement whatsoever. But she was alone. Max’s mind was empty, blank.

“Max?” she called out. “Max!”

Her friend was nowhere to be seen. Max’s mind was empty. Just the reflective pool of water, and the obsidian walls and floors. She could hear Kate Bush singing away, the music surrounding her on all sides. The music was comforting. Kate Bush’s voice had almost a haunting quality to it, with a familiar repetitive beat. The song echoed in the large room. The music was constant, but not overwhelmingly loud. Eleven started to hum along to the familiar tune. She had bought her own copy of the cassette weeks ago, and she listened to it often.

Often late at night, when El couldn’t sleep, she’d slip on her headphones, and let the music fill her ears. Eleven would listen to Max’s favourite Kate Bush album. Each time that she listened to ‘Running Up That Hill’, it was like Max was right there by her side. Like she was lying beside her on the bed, sharing the moment with her. El thought that she could cling to a small part of her friend, keep her close. The lyrics resonated deeply with her. El would do anything to get Max back. The music had saved Max once, and Eleven hoped that it could save her again.

“Max?” Eleven called out. She waited for a response, but the room was painfully silent, save for the music. “Max? Can you hear me?”

She heard the soft click as the song ended, the hiss of the cassette tape. And then, the void was painfully quiet. Eleven instantly missed the comforting presence of the music, but she didn’t want to get out of the void to put on another cassette. She wanted to stay there, determined to find Max.

It had been two months, and El had not caught a glimpse of anything in Max’s mind. Despite this, she refused to give up hope. Somewhere, deep in her mind, she knew that there must be a small flicker of life. She was determined to find it, to coax it to life. Max had to be okay; she couldn’t just let her friend wither and die. Max had to be okay. Eleven picked a random direction, and started walking. She hoped that one day, she would stumble across some sort of evidence that Max was still here, in some way. She walked and walked, greeted only by the never-ending water splashing under her sneakers, the black room, the unnerving emptiness. The void stretched endlessly in front of her. Eleven felt loneliness, and hopelessness creep into her, and she fought against the dark feelings. Being in here had frightened her as a young child, when she was ill-prepared to deal with the big emotions that came with using her powers. El had been doing this for so long, that she was now able to keep better control of her emotions. But there were still times that it was all just too much for her.

“Max!” She called out, desperate for an answer. “It’s me, Eleven! Please, I need you!”

Eleven was jerked out of her trance, when someone touched her on her shoulder. She ripped off the bandana, startled. El looked up to see who it was, squinting in the sudden bright light, her eyes trying to adjust. Will was standing in front of her, a worried expression fixed on his face. He handed her a tissue, and El began wiping the thin line of blood from under her nose.

“Will.” El reached out to him, her hand brushing against his sleeve. “Is it time to go?”

“Just about. Did you find Max?” Will asked, studying her face. He glanced over at Max. “Did you see anything?”

“No.” Eleven shook her head, disappointed in herself. She squeezed Max’s hand. There must be something more she could be doing for her friend. El felt helpless, not knowing how to help her. “Nothing.”

Eleven glanced over and saw that Susan Mayfield was standing by her daughter’s bed. Eleven hadn’t even heard her arrive. Maybe she’d come in with Will. Susan had removed Max’s headphones, setting the Walkman aside. She gently brushed the thin wispy hair out of her daughter’s eyes, looking down at Max with a sad look. Susan looked exhausted. She had large bags under eyes, and her face was lined with worry. Susan had lost some weight since Max had been hospitalized, and she looked gaunt. Susan Mayfield had been injured in the earthquake, when part of her trailer had caved in. She had a few small scars on her face, and hands, and her arm was still in a sling. Though Susan had been injured, she had fared much better than her daughter. She visited Max frequently, waiting for her daughter to regain consciousness – never wanting to give up on her.

“Hey, El,” Susan said, tiredly. “Were you in Max’s head again?”

“Yes. It’s just an empty room, same as always,” Eleven said, standing up. She folded the bandana, and quickly tucked it into her pocket. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Mayfield. I just wish there was more I could do for her.”

“She’s lucky to have such good friends, El,” Susan said. “You’ve done everything you can. Just being here, sitting with her, it’s enough.”

Eleven didn’t think that she was doing enough for Max. She was convinced that there must be something more she could be doing, to bring her home. El was so burnt out from trying to fix the town, trying to be with her friends, trying to figure out how to bring Max back. She was exhausted. But she knew that Susan had meant well by saying what she did.

“She’s going to be okay, El,” Will said. “The doctors are doing everything they can for her. You’re doing your best.”

“Yeah,” Eleven said, dissatisfied. She got up, and grabbed her sweatshirt off the back of her chair. Slipping it on, she picked up her bag. “It’s just frustrating.”

“Mom’s downstairs,” Will said. “C’mon, El. She said we have to go.”

Eleven watched as Susan leaned down and whispered something quietly in her daughter’s ear, then kissed her on the forehead. Her eyes were damp, as she blinked back tears. Will went to Susan, hugging her. Eleven hung back, unsure what to do. She didn’t know Max’s mother as well as Will did. When they’d been taking shifts at her bedside, El often paired up with Mike, Dustin, or Will. She liked Susan, though. The woman was extremely kind. Susan held out her arm towards Eleven, and waited as she crossed the room. Susan hugged Eleven, pulling her against her side for a few seconds, before letting go.

“You kids are both so sweet.” Susan smiled tiredly at them.

“If you need anything, just call my mom, okay?” Will told her.

“I know. Thank you, guys.”

“Bye, Mrs. Mayfield,” Eleven said. “We’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Bye El, and Will,” Susan said, nodding at them. “Thank you for sitting with my daughter.”

They walked out of Max’s hospital room, making their way down to the lobby. Joyce was waiting for them, talking to one of the nurses. When she saw them, Joyce’s face lit up.

“Will, El,” Joyce said, pulling them into a warm hug. “Are you guys hungry? I made meatloaf for dinner.”

“Yeah,” Will said. “I’m starving.”

Eleven got into the car, and quickly buckled up her seatbelt. She stared out across the parking lot, listening to the car radio. Meatloaf sounded good. She had barely eaten anything for lunch earlier. El shivered a little, despite the heat.

“How was Max?” Joyce asked, turning to look at her. “Any improvement?”

Eleven shook her head. “She’s still in a coma. No change.”

“I’m sorry, El,” Joyce said, sympathetically. “I’m sure that she’ll wake up one of these days.”

As they drove through Hawkins, Eleven continued to stare out the car window. Traffic was light; they would be home soon. She always felt drained after visiting Max. El half-listened to Mom and Will talking in the front seat, about how she’d been helping out downtown that day, clearing out debris from the ruined shoe store. During the day, everyone in Hawkins had to help out, pitching in for the different tasks that needed doing. Eleven couldn’t wait to get home. As soon as supper was over, she knew that she’d need to sleep for the rest of the night.

Chapter Text

Eddie Munson was dreaming that he was curled up in bed, buried under his comfortable nest of blankets. It was morning, the sunlight pouring into his bedroom window. It was a good dream. Eddie could hear his uncle singing along to the country song playing on the radio. Wayne had just come home from work, and he was making breakfast. Bacon, eggs, and toast. It all smelled absolutely amazing. His uncle normally only cooked a big breakfast like that on the weekends, or on their birthdays. On schooldays, Eddie usually just ran out of the house with a quick low-effort snack that didn’t require cooking – like a pop tart, or a granola bar.

Eddie was looking forward to getting out of bed, and sharing the big breakfast with his uncle. His stomach was grumbling loudly. But when he slowly woke up, he realized straight away that he wasn’t at home, or in his bedroom. And Uncle Wayne was nowhere in sight. Eddie was lying on the cold, hard pavement, his hands folded over his chest. His whole body was stiff, sore all over. And Eddie’s nostrils were filled with the pungent scent of decay.

Eddie knew straight away that something was wrong. He wanted to open his eyes and look around, but his eyelids were cemented shut. It took a great deal of effort, but finally, Eddie was able to slowly crack them open. He looked around, disoriented. The sky above him was a deep rich blue, and he could see red forked lightning sweep across the sky above him, flashing an angry shade of red. Eddie frowned, taking in his surroundings.

Some of Eddie’s memories were hazy. School had let out for Spring Break, that much he remembered. Hellfire Club had gotten together on Friday night, and they’d spent hours together finishing up his campaign. The game, it had gone perfectly. Brutal, and sadistic, the perfect challenge for his younger friends. And they had been joined by their newest member, young Erica Sinclair – Lady Applejack. He could remember just how much fun they’d had, how thrilled he’d been that they’d managed to beat his campaign.

Chrissy! Oh, right. Eddie’s eyebrows shot up as he remembered that Chrissy Cunningham, the Queen of Hawkins High, had asked him to sell her drugs. She’d gone with him to his trailer after the basketball game. That was when things had gotten really unusual. Eddie recalled how the young cheerleader had begun acting weird, like she was in a trance. She had begun floating, lifting right in the air. And then – Eddie grimaced. The grotesque image of Chrissy’s twisted body pinned to the ceiling flashed through his head, something which he never thought he’d ever get out of his mind. He was immediately revulsed by the memory, blinking hard as he tried to forget what he’d seen that night. Christ, that poor girl.

Eddie thought about the group of kids that he’d befriended, his classmates that he’d had to rely on when he’d been forced to go on the run. Dustin, Erica, Robin, Steve – and all the others. They had helped him, when he’d stayed hidden in the boathouse. His friends had filled him in on what was going on around Hawkins while he was hiding. Which was how he’d learned about the other murdered kids. The town thought that he’d been behind their murders, too – but that just wasn’t true. Eddie was no murderer. And thankfully, his friends believed that he was innocent.

Eddie lay there, thinking things over. His mind was filled with memories. It had been the longest spring break in his life; he had been so stressed and anxious the entire time. Jesus H. Christ. Everything had gone to shit. He’d had big plans for his time off school, but he didn’t get to do any of them.

It was only when Eddie slowly turned his head to the side, that he saw the pile of demobat corpses lying a few feet away from him. Demobats. Oh. At the sight of the horrifying creatures, Eddie knew without a shadow of a doubt that he was still in the Upside Down. Eddie’s heart skipped a beat, and his breathing hitched in fear. He recalled that he’d been playing his guitar, up on the roof of the trailer. He was the distraction – a vital part of his friends’ plan, to take down Vecna, to stop that asshole from hurting his little redhead neighbour. Eddie had played his heart out, and it’d been the best goddamned guitar solo of his entire life. Lightning had flashed across the sky, the bats had swirled around him – and it was the most metal guitar solo that Eddie had ever performed. The stuff of legends.

And then, him and Dustin had rushed into the fortified trailer, fighting off the demobats. The creatures were so much bigger and scarier than the bats that Eddie had ever seen before. These were great big devils, the same ones that had gone after Steve at Lover’s Lake. Eddie recalled how the bats had been fighting to get into the trailer, and this had put him and Dustin in extreme danger. Fearing that the bats would get in, and that they’d wreak havoc on them, Eddie had had to make a decision on the spot, one that had changed everything. He’d gone off-script, deviated from the plan. He’d cut the rope. Pushing the mattress out of the way to keep Dustin from leaping in after him, Eddie had run outside into the monster-filled Upside Down.

He'd been filled with bravado, determined to take on the monsters and not run away like he’d done in the past. Face the problem head on. Eddie winced at the memory of being attacked by the bats, the demobats pecking at his face, his neck. He couldn’t get rid of the terrible memory of the bats attacking him, gnawing on him. They’d choked him, tore into his flesh. He had taken them on, and lost to the bats. They had shredded him. Those wounds had been horrific. Eddie remembered choking on his own blood; the damage had been significant – and he knew that he’d been a goner. As he’d laid there on the pavement, Eddie knew that he’d made a grave mistake.

Eddie slowly reached one hand down, tentatively touching his Hellfire Club shirt, feeling the dried and cracked blood around the torn edges of his shirt. He was too afraid to look down at his torso, terrified by what he’d see. He winced in pain, as he gingerly touched the wounds on his chest. To Eddie’s surprise, his wounds were partially healed. Most of them were scabbed over already, in various stages of healing.

The last thing that Eddie remembered, was lying on the pavement, talking to Dustin. When the demobats had fallen around him, Dustin had rushed to his side. Despite the fact that Eddie had cut the rope, and moved the mattress, Dustin had managed to get through the portal, determined to save him.

He remembered dying in the kid’s arms, after he’d managed to say his goodbyes. Eddie hadn’t had enough time to say everything he wanted to say. It had hurt to speak, his mouth filled with blood. So many things left unsaid, never enough time. His heart had ached, seeing Dustin sob like that. Eddie had wanted to protect the kid, protect everyone in their stupid little Midwest town. He couldn’t even protect himself. As he’d been dying, Eddie had been in a great deal of pain, though he’d tried his hardest to hide it from Dustin. He’d tried to keep smiling, not wanting Dustin to be afraid. Eddie’s whole body had been on fire. He’d felt the exact moment when he’d slipped away. Eddie’s vision had faded, and he could hear Dustin’s voice, his tears. And then, nothing. Just the jet-black nothingness of death. He hadn’t been in pain anymore. Eddie had embraced it. He’d known then, that his death was inevitable. And just like that, Eddie Munson was no more.

But here he was. Somehow, he was alive. Nothing made sense to him in the slightest. How could he be alive? Eddie frowned, trying to work it out in his mind. How long had he been lying there on the pavement, that his wounds had already begun to heal? Eddie was disoriented. If it weren’t for the partially healed wounds, and the intense pain he felt throughout his body, Eddie would’ve thought that he was a ghost. But he knew that he was well and truly alive. Dead boys didn’t feel pain. And they didn’t get hunger pangs, or get thirsty. Somehow, even though it was deeply impossible, Eddie Munson was somehow still alive.

Chapter Text

Eddie could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his breathing ragged. If he was still down in this freaky monster-filled land, did that mean that Dustin was still down here as well? The thought frightened him. Eddie didn’t want to be down here – and he especially didn’t want Dustin down here with the monsters, either. Fearing for his friend’s safety, Eddie knew that he needed to get up.

With considerable effort, Eddie slowly managed to get to a sitting position. He winced, the skin around his injuries tightening, giving him trouble. He bit back the bile rising in his throat, as he looked around. Eddie tried to see if anyone else was around, but he quickly realized that he was very much alone – and there was no sign of Dustin anywhere. He only had the company of the dead demobats, still scattered on the pavement around him.

“Dustin?” Eddie shouted out. He looked around. “Dustin?”

Being down here in the Upside Down, was hell, there was no two ways about it. It was a diabolical, unforgivable place – and Eddie wanted no part of it. He watched the sky light up in bright, unnatural colours, illuminating the trailer park around him. He had never been particularly fond of lightning; it made him uncomfortable. Eddie felt a deep uneasiness of his surroundings, and scared of the fact that he was alone in the Upside Down. As much as he would love to have his friends by his side, Eddie didn’t want Dustin to get caught down here with him, because of the terrifying creatures. It was too dangerous for a kid like him.

High above him, Eddie saw something unusual. There was a dark, jagged line that cut across the sky. It was about a mile above him. Eddie frowned. He didn’t recall seeing anything like that when he had been in the Upside Down with his friends earlier. He didn’t know what to make of it. It was definitely strange.

Eddie knew that he needed to get someplace safe. Even though the demobats were dead, he feared that there could be other monsters out there. He shivered, feeling vulnerable – especially since he was injured. Eddie knew that he was in no position to fight anything. He thought that it would be best if he went home, to the Upside Down version of his own trailer. It wouldn’t be the same as his real trailer topside, but at least it was fortified. The building would provide him with some amount of safety.

Eddie and Uncle Wayne had shared their one-bedroom trailer for more than a decade, and it had always been their safe place – a refuge from the harsh outside world. It was small, sure. But the Forest Hills trailer park was his home. But now, this place didn’t feel safe in the slightest. Everything about the Upside Down was wrong, unnatural. It had turned his trailer into a twisted-up darker version of the home that he knew. Now, it was spooky, and terrifying, and Eddie wished desperately that he was on the Rightside Up.

It was time to move. Eddie struggled to get to his feet. His whole body ached and protested, and he had to go at a snail’s pace. Eddie kept looking around, fearing that a monster would come skulking out of the shadows, heading towards him. But all he could see, were the dead demobats. Eddie’s weakened body protested, and he was wracked with pain as he took small steps. Eddie wavered, barely able to walk. It just wasn’t safe out there; he needed to seek shelter. Find someplace to hide out for a while, so he could heal up. And then, he could try and figure out what to do next.

Eddie stumbled, his legs giving out from under him. He fell to the ground, landing hard on his back. For a few minutes, Eddie stayed where he’d fallen, splayed out on the ground. He was out of breath, and though he knew that it wasn’t safe to remain there on the ground, Eddie knew that he needed to allow himself to take a short break. He stared up at the lightning forking across the sky above him, studying the unusual dark crack jutting across the sky. He wondered idly what it was, how it had gotten there. It wasn’t like the hole that they’d crawled through in the ceiling of the Munson trailer; this was much larger, much higher. It was something else.

When he finally felt ready to continue, Eddie stretched out his arm, and grabbed the spear lying beside him on the pavement. He used it to slowly get upright again, concentrating intently. Eddie took things much slower this time around. He used the spear as a makeshift walking stick, as he started walking back to his trailer. It took him ages. The entire time, Eddie was breathing heavily from the exertion, as he kept an eye out for monsters. They could be out there, ready to strike. He feared that they would rush at him, clawing and biting him, further injuring him. Eddie knew that he wasn’t strong enough to defend himself. They’d take him out, finish him off. Eddie had to stop often, leaning heavily on his spear. But though he was exhausted, Eddie urged himself forward, determined to make it to safety.

The Munson trailer was the closest thing that he had to a home in the Upside Down. Even if it was full of vines, and freaky shit, it was still so similar to his real home that he knew he would be staying there until he could figure out a way to get back to the surface. Home. Christ – that was all he wanted. Eddie’s heart yearned, to be on the Rightside Up. All his friends, his uncle, everyone he knew – they were all on the other side. Eddie wondered if his friends had managed to defeat Vecna, if his sacrifice had meant anything. Dustin wasn’t here. So, either he had found a way to safety, or he had been killed by one of the monsters down here. He hoped desperately that the kid had made it out of this place, that he was safe.

Eddie was glad that he and Dustin had fortified the trailer. It had taken a great deal of work, but it had been worth it. Now that he was stuck down here, at least he had someplace safe to hide out, until he could figure out a way to get back home. Eddie leaned heavily on the spear, walking the rest of the way to his trailer. And finally, he made it to the front door.

Once he was safely inside, and the door was locked up tight, Eddie felt a thousand times better. He looked around. He wanted to be safe at home, but although this place resembled the Munson trailer, it wasn’t completely safe. The living room was filled with thick vines, and there were plenty of dust spores floating in the air. There were plenty of dangers in a place like this, and the Munson trailer had a very creepy, nightmarish atmosphere. But it would have to do. Four walls, and a locked door. Safe enough.

Eddie was exhausted. His temple throbbed with a massive headache, and he was hurting all over. He could barely stay on his feet. Eddie leaned against the kitchen counter, eyes squeezed shut as he tried not to throw up. Everything hurt. Breathing, walking, everything. Just the act of walking to the trailer had worn him out completely. He wanted to go to his room, and crawl into bed. But the distance from the front door to his bedroom, which was normally just a short walk, looked like a thousand miles away. And before he could even fall into bed, he’d have to drag his mattress back into his room, and set up his bedding. And get rid of all those vines. That was too much work. He knew that he couldn’t manage that right now. Eddie stumbled into to the living room on shaky legs, and collapsed on the living room couch. He grabbed one of the throw pillows, tucking it under his head as he lay on his side.

Eddie struggled to find a comfortable position on the vine-covered couch. The living room smelled rank. But then, so did he. The vines pressed into him. It was by no means comfortable, but it would have to do. Eddie closed his eyes, curling his hands against his cheek. Eddie thought about the dream that he’d been having earlier, the one where everything had felt like regular life. He had been looking forward to getting out of bed, to enjoying a large breakfast with Wayne. But that wasn’t going to happen any time soon. This was a terrible day.

Half-asleep, Eddie hummed a Dio song, trying to self-soothe. He reached into the front of his shirt, automatically moving to fish out his guitar pick necklace. To his surprise, it wasn’t there. Weird. He’d been wearing it earlier, when he’d been up on the roof. And he was fairly certain that he’d had it on him when he’d fought the demobats. Maybe it had fallen off. Eddie made a mental note to look for it later. He felt weird, and bare without it. Eddie checked his hands, and saw that he was still wearing his mood ring, and his large, clunky skull ring. The pig, and cross ring were both gone, as well. Damn. He’d really liked them.

Eddie hoped that he’d get out of this hellhole eventually. He let himself hold onto the hope that his friends would come looking for him. They’d pull off a daring rescue, and bring him back to the surface. Eddie would just have to wait it out, as he had no idea how long that would take. Dustin would come back for him. Steve and Robin, they wouldn’t just leave him here to fend for himself. They would fight to get him back; he was sure of that. And surely, Uncle Wayne would raise hell to get him home. But right now, the most pressing matter at hand, was his desperate need for sleep. Eddie closed his eyes, tried to allow himself to relax.

Eddie had been nearly asleep, when he felt something slowly slide against his healing torso, the material of his torn shirt lifting a few inches. Eddie’s eyes shot open, and he stared up at the ceiling. He lay there frozen, as he tried to figure out what was touching him. When he looked down, Eddie realized that one of the vines had slithered towards him, and it had begun brushing against his still-healing wounds. Eddie nearly gagged, and he sucked in a pained breath. The vine’s texture was equal parts rough, and slimy.

His friends had warned him that he shouldn’t touch the vines, that they were a hive mind in direct contact with Vecna. Eddie had laid down on the couch, knowing that he’d be in close contact with them. But there didn’t seem to be anyplace in the trailer that wasn’t covered in vines. Eddie stayed perfectly still, afraid to move or breathe, fearful that he might summon Vecna. The vine continued slowly slithering, sliding across his exposed skin. It felt gross, but he forced himself to stay perfectly still. Eddie didn’t want Vecna showing up, attacking him. He couldn’t imagine dying in the same horrific way that Chrissy and the others had been murdered.

But as he lay there, Eddie sensed that the vine didn’t seem to want to hurt him; it moved cautiously, almost like it was simply investigating. The vine didn’t injure him in any way; it simply slithered across his torso and along his arms, before finally retreating. Eddie waited, thinking that Vecna would appear. His location had been compromised; Vecna was going to come for him. But nothing happened. The trailer was silent, nobody came to bang down the door. Eddie sighed, and closed his eyes. If Vecna was going to come for him, then he’d have to deal with that consequence when it happened. He let sleep take over.

Chapter Text

Eddie had an extreme difficulty telling day from night in his new environment. It was so dark out with constant night sky, save for the flashes of disconcerting red lightning. Time seemed to move different, like it was moving at its own speed. His body was tired and weak, and Eddie stayed horizontal for the most part, only getting up the rare time to make himself walk to the bathroom, before heading back to bed. He didn’t know how long he had been asleep for, but it felt like ages. Days, and days.

As he lay on the couch, Eddie stared up at the living room ceiling – at the same spot where Chrissy had died. The same spot where the kids had poked and prodded a hole in the trailer ceiling – allowing Eddie, Steve, Robin, and Nancy to safely get back to the Rightside Up. The same spot where Nancy Wheeler had nearly been Vecna’s next victim, almost enduring the same fate as Chrissy.

Eddie was still healing. But as he lay there, he was planning all the ways that he would try to get out of the Upside down, once he’d managed to muster up enough energy. As Eddie kept staring up at the trailer ceiling, he kept thinking about the way that his friends had made a hole big enough for them to break through to the other side. That was what he wanted to do. Pierce a hole from this hellscape, and use it to get home. Oh, to be safe and sound on the other side again. That was all he wanted. But the hole in the ceiling had closed up, and it now resembled a regular ceiling instead of a gaping hole. He didn’t think that his plan would work, but he had to try.

The day that he was able to finally move around with minimal pain, Eddie celebrated it by getting out of bed and walking around the apartment. He grabbed a glass out of the cupboard, and drank greedily, even though the water tasted horrendous. Today was the day that he was going to get back home, he just knew it. But he didn’t want to show up stinking to high heaven. Eddie stripped out of his filthy clothes, and washed himself at the kitchen sink with frigid tap water. There wasn’t much he could do about his dirty clothes, but at least he started to smell better.

Eddie decided that it was time to break a hole through the ceiling, and get home. He used the tip of his spear, roughly poking and prodding at the ceiling – to no avail. When that didn’t work, Eddie tried using a broom. Again, no such luck. Nothing he tried had worked. The ceiling remained solid, which was extremely disheartening. Eddie didn’t know how he was going to get back home again – or if it was even possible, but going through the hole in the ceiling didn’t appear to be an option anymore. He would have to figure out another solution, because he was currently stuck in the Upside Down.

It felt like days had gone by since he’d begun laying low in the trailer. A week, maybe. Or two. He wasn’t sure. Slowly, Eddie began to heal. His wounds were still twinging with pain, but they were mostly healed over. The pain had mainly subsided, though his body hurt if he moved wrong. Eddie was gradually able to walk around the trailer with more ease, though his legs were weak and wobbly like Bambi. Eddie had to hold onto the wall for support when he walked down the hallway to his bedroom, and the bathroom. It was slow going. But he was starting to get some amount of energy back, so he was glad of that. He was making progress.

Ever since he’d holed himself up in his trailer, Eddie had yet to leave. He felt safe there, protected by the four walls from the horrors of the Upside Down. He was terrified of the monsters, of being attacked. But he was also terrified with the knowledge that he was completely alone. Eddie had no idea how long he would be stuck down in this hellscape. He had never liked being alone. Every day that he was down there, Eddie hoped that his friends would make a surprise appearance, and take him home. But they didn’t show up. It was just him, in the dark, desolate wasteland of a trailer.

Boredom quickly set in, as there wasn’t much to do. Eddie tried to distract himself, using his flashlight in the dark trailer to read a few books. He read some of Wayne’s gardening magazines, and tried one of his uncle’s crossword books. But mostly, he just lay there, finding solace in daydreams that allowed him to mentally slip away from his hellish surroundings for a while. He let his mind wander, taking him far from this place. Imagining he was topside with his friends, imagining that things were normal – that he had never been accused of murder, or on the run for his supposed crimes.

One of the things that bothered Eddie, was his lack of food. When he’d first holed up inside the trailer, the pain had been so intense that Eddie hadn’t even cared about eating. Though his stomach had growled, eating was the last thing on his mind. But once the pain had begun to abate, Eddie had started digging around in the fridge looking for something to eat. The food that he’d found was all rotten, and inedible. He’d tried taking a few small tentative bites of food, but it had made him immediately sick to his stomach.

Out of desperation, Eddie had cracked open the cans of beans, and pears from the cupboard. He'd tried them, but they weren’t edible, either. His stomach had been growling endlessly since he’d woken up on the pavement outside. Everything in the Upside Down tasted foul. Decayed, and horrifying, leaving a putrid taste in his mouth. He didn’t know how long he could last down there on his own without food. Eddie knew that he needed to eat something substantial soon, but he had no idea how he was going to do that. At least he had water. The tap water had a weird, sulphurous taste, and though it tasted bad, he had managed to keep it down. That was something.

Since he’d holed himself up in the trailer, Eddie had heard monsters growling outside of the trailer quite often, though he had yet to venture outside to see what kind of monsters were out there. One night, something large had thrown itself against the front door. The whole trailer had begun to shake, which had petrified him. Eddie had been so certain that the monster would manage to force its way inside, and finish him off. But thankfully, the monster had not been able to get in. Still, Eddie had clutched his shield and spear, keeping it close by at all times.

Eddie tried to figure out what his next move was going to be. He kept going over the plan that they’d all made. As part of their plan Steve, Robin, and Nancy had gone to the Creel House to take out Vecna. Eddie wished that he could travel across the Upside Down, and meet up with them there. But that had been days, or weeks ago – so he knew that too much time had passed, and they wouldn’t even be at the Creel House anymore. Besides, it was a treacherous journey. Eddie knew he’d never make it that far on his own.

Even when the four of them had been traversing across the Upside Down, they had barely managed to get around safely, as they had been attacked. Even if he’d been healthy, and not injured the way he currently was, he knew he just wouldn’t get far. Staying in the Munson trailer made the most logical sense. It was his home, after all. At least, it was the alternate version of his home. But also, it was important to stay close to where Dustin had last seen him. If Dustin and the others were going to look for him, they’d likely come here first. But he knew that he couldn’t stay in the trailer forever. Eventually, he’d have to figure out a way to get back home again. Back to the real Hawkins, to his uncle, and his friends. But for now, Eddie stayed locked inside the fortress, trying to stay safe.

As time went on, and Eddie still had yet to eat anything, his stomach gurgled non-stop. God, he was so achingly hungry. Eddie was struggling with the lack of food. He was trembling, lightheaded. Eddie wouldn’t last long without eating anything. He had been drinking the foul-tasting water to sustain himself – and it helped, but it wasn’t enough. But Eddie knew that eventually, he’d have to go outside and hunt to sustain himself. Eddie was glad that he had the handmade spear, and the shield as they’d come in handy to protect himself.

Starvation had set in, and he was getting desperate. Finally, Eddie relented. He knew that it was time to leave the trailer. By then, it seemed clear that nobody was coming for him, and that he was well and truly on his own. There were all kinds of monsters out there, so Eddie figured that he’d be able to hunt something down so he could eat. Just so long as the monsters didn’t get him first.

And so, Eddie had used his spear, and gone hunting. It had been pretty scary at first, stepping foot outside of the trailer. He felt like he was on the verge of a panic attack the entire time, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds, because he didn’t want anything sneaking up on him. His eyes kept darting around, petrified. But the trailer park was relatively quiet. He walked around the trailer park, patrolling the area, looking for something to eat.

After about an hour, Eddie had been able to hunt down two weird little rat-like creatures that he’d seen scurrying past his trailer. The little grey wrinkly rats had been on the small side, and they’d let out shrill squeaks when he killed them. He felt bad for spearing them, but it was desperate times. Eddie wasn’t sure what to call them. He knew about demogorgons, and demodogs. So, what? Demorats? That sounded strange. It didn’t quite roll off the tongue as easily. Maybe he’d just stick with calling them rats. Eddie stared down at the bloodied rats. They were partially covered with fur, with beady little eyes, and long tails. The rats were grotesque looking things – truly ugly little beasts. Not like the cute kind of rats he’d seen at pet stores. No, these were just plain ugly. When he’d speared them, Eddie realized that he didn’t have any way of cooking them. He had no way of making a fire. He didn’t have his lighter on him, and he hadn’t found any matches, or had any dry firewood with him.

Eddie didn’t want to eat them raw. That sounded really gross. He hesitated, then lifted one of the rats, and took a closer look at it. The thought of what he was about to do disgusted him, as he stared at the dead rat. Eddie thought about how many potential diseases the rat carried. He didn’t want to get like, the plague, or anything. But he needed to eat something. But he was hungry, and the rat meat would sustain him, if only for a short while. Eddie gave it a tentative sniff. The rat was dripping with blood, the strong iron scent filling his nostrils. As soon as Eddie smelled the blood, it felt like something shifted in him. He smiled.

Deep down, Eddie had known that something was very different about him since he’d woken up on the pavement outside. Though he didn’t fully understand fully what was going on with him, Eddie knew that he was modified from his original form, changed. He didn’t think that he was fully human anymore. And smelling the blood had only verified this fact. It was something that he didn’t want to think about too much, being nonhuman. He was still Eddie – just . . . a bit different.

For a second, Eddie hesitated. Then, he brought the rat to his mouth. Closing his eyes, he tore into it with his teeth, tearing it open. It was so wrong, but he couldn’t help himself. Eddie started to drain off the blood, greedily sucking it back. A thin trickle of blood ran down his chin, and he quickly used his thumb to swipe at it. When he was done, and his thirst was quenched, Eddie sat down at the picnic table. He continued to eat the raw rat, using his knife to cut the meat away from the bones. The rat meat didn’t taste very good. It was oily, and had a horrible aftertaste. But meat was meat. It was enough to temporarily sustain him. He continued eating, until all that was left, was a pile of tiny bones. He disdainfully swept those off the table, onto the ground below. And then, Eddie went ahead and ate the second rat.

After his successful hunting trip, Eddie felt stronger, his energy level raised. Eating something had done him good. It felt good to know that he had been able to leave the fortified trailer, and successfully procure his own dinner. And now that he knew that he could survive on rat meat, Eddie figured he’d be able to endure living in the Upside Down for some time. Survive long enough until he could find a way out, or rescue arrived. He could do this.

As he began spending more time outside of the trailer, Eddie realized that there were a great deal of small rats running around the trailer park. They scurried around in packs, scrabbling under the trailers, and in the nearby woods. The rats squeaked, high-pitched. Maybe one day, he could catch something bigger, but for now, these would do. Eddie wondered what demodog meat would taste like. He figured that one demodog would be able to last him a while, on account of their size – if he was able to successfully hunt one without getting hurt, or killed.

As time went on, Eddie went hunting a half dozen more times. He usually only caught one or two rats each time he went outside, though he sometimes caught a few more. Eddie was still hesitant about straying too far from his home, hated the idea of leaving the comfort of his trailer. There were larger monsters that roamed the trailer park at night-time (or at least, what he believed was night, as it was often hard to tell). Sometimes, the sky seemed just a tad bit darker, and the lightning came at faster intervals. Eddie could hear the monsters rush about the trailer park when he tried to sleep. They’d try to get inside, clawing at the walls, throwing themselves against the door. He’d seen paw prints in the dirt outside his trailer, had found a few rats gnawed to pieces. Something was definitely out there.

One morning, Eddie woke up with the sharp, metallic taste of blood on his tongue. The blood was surprising, as he hadn’t hunted for a few days. It didn’t feel safe to go outside, because there was a pack of demodogs roaming around the trailer park. Eddie thought it’d be prudent to stay indoors, and wait them out. As he lay there, Eddie used his tongue to poke around in his mouth, trying to find the source of the blood. Maybe he’d bitten his tongue. He did that sometimes. Eddie curiously prodded at his teeth. Some of his teeth felt different, with surprisingly sharper edges. Almost like fangs. Two of his upper teeth protruded down, hanging slightly over his lower lip. Weird. He’d had no idea that he was going to grow a pair of fangs.

Eddie realized that when his fangs had grown in, he must’ve bitten his lip in his sleep. That was the source of the blood in his mouth. Normally, if he’d woken up and discovered that he’d grown a pair of fangs, he’d have been completely freaked out. But after everything he’d been through, finding out that he’d grown a set of fangs was the least of his problems. He supposed that it wasn’t too much of a shock. For days beforehand, Eddie’s gums had been tender. They hadn’t been just a little bit sore, but intensely painful. And he’d been drooling, which was just plain embarrassing. Even if he’d had food, he probably wouldn’t have been able to eat much of anything. Eddie had suspected that he’d just had a toothache. Or maybe it was sore gums from malnutrition. He hadn’t been eating properly – just drinking the foul water, and eating rats. He thought that it might’ve been scurvy, or something like that. But no. It wasn’t any of those things. The pain and tenderness had just been from his weird vampire fangs growing in. They were sharp as hell.

His new fangs weren’t the only new change that he had to contend with. As time went on, Eddie started to try and keep track of any other changes that he was experiencing. He’d begun marking his height off in his bedroom doorway, trying to see if he was getting any taller. So far, he was the same height he’d always been. He normally slouched. When he’d check his height, Eddie would stand up to his full height, then mark it off with a little pencil. But so far, he wasn’t any taller. Damn. It would’ve been nice to grow a few inches.

Though he seemed to be unfortunately staying the same height, Eddie noticed that his weight fluctuated. He wasn’t really sure if it was related to the whole vampire thing, though. When he was able to hunt properly, Eddie noticed that he was able to put on a few extra pounds. But when the food was scarce, he would drop the extra weight, and he could easily count his ribs, and his pants would sag. The rats weren’t really a great food source, but they were keeping him alive. Eddie just wished he had better options.

At one point, Eddie had managed to find a lighter and he’d made a fire outside to cook his dinners. This helped considerably with the rat meat’s taste, and texture. Eddie tried to pretend that he was eating steak, or chicken – tried to trick his brain that he was eating regular meat. But Eddie noticed that although he’d started cooking the rats over the fire, he often found himself still craving fresh blood. It was disgusting, to be constantly thirsting for blood. Those kinds of cravings didn’t seem normal. But every time he went hunting, he couldn’t resist draining the animal’s blood, before cooking the meat on the fire. Now that he had fangs, Eddie realized that it was even easier to pierce holes into the side of the animal’s hide. It was like drinking from a juice box, quenching his thirst.

There was another change that Eddie had noticed, and that was his temperature. When he was on the Rightside Up, Eddie had always been freezing cold. He’d always struggled to keep warm, even when standing in direct sunlight on the warmest of days. His fingers and toes were always little ice cubes, and he had to wear multiple layers – like his vest, and leather jacket. And at first, when he’d become trapped in the Upside Down, Eddie had been frigid. He’d had to huddle under multiple blankets to try and keep warm. But he was starting to become acclimated to the cold, sunless climate.

Since he had gotten stuck in the Upside Down, Eddie still had to bundle up on the coldest of nights, huddling under his blankets. But he wasn’t freezing cold all the time. Not like before. His fingers and toes weren’t ice cubes anymore, which was kind of nice. His body tolerated the colder temperatures. He could walk around in just his Hellfire shirt, or with his jacket over top. Eddie thought that maybe it was a vampire thing. Because he was pretty sure that that was what he was becoming. Eddie thought that it must be because of the demobats. He had been bitten by them, the bats tearing into him. And now, he was changing into something less human, and more feral, animalistic.

Chapter Text

It was night-time, and as usual, there were creepy sounds coming from outside his trailer. Probably more demodogs. They ran in packs through the trailer park quite often. Growling, snarling dogs, deeply aggressive in nature. Whenever he saw them outside, Eddie refused to leave the trailer. Those were the bad days. He only liked going out there when it was just the small rats. Eddie pulled the curtain back, and peered outside, trying to see if the coast was clear. He couldn’t see much, but he could hear the dogs growling.

Tonight, something was different. As he’d stood at the window, Eddie could’ve sworn that he’d seen a brief flash of light outside, which had been quickly extinguished. He peered through the slim gap between the pieces of plywood nailed to the window, quickly scanning the area. He’d seen something, he knew it.

Maybe he had just been so hopeful to see the light – a sign that someone else was down here with him – that his mind had been playing tricks on him. Eddie sighed, disappointed. He’d hoped that it would be one of his friends, coming to his rescue, but sadly, that was not the case. Eddie was about to shut the heavy curtain, and go back into his bedroom for the rest of the night, when he saw another flash of light. Eddie’s breath caught in his throat. This time, he knew that it was very real. And even better, he was able to identify where it was coming from – the Mayfield trailer across the way. Eddie squinted a little, trying to get a better look. It must be a reflection, or something. He didn’t want to get his hopes up. But then, it flashed again. This time, there was no denying it. There was someone out there.

Three fast flashes, three slow ones, three fast again. S. O. S. It was the only morse code that he knew, and it was something that had helped save him, and his friends in the past when they had been trapped. Eddie raised his eyebrows in disbelief. He hadn’t seen anyone in Max’s trailer the entire time he’d been down here. Or any of the other trailers, either. He’d gone around, knocking on doors, letting himself into some of the surrounding trailers. Looking for people, looking for food – and resources. But they were all empty. Sure, he’d seen monsters wandering around the area. Demodogs, and other such creatures. And plenty of those ugly little rats. But not a single person.

Could it just be his mind playing tricks on him? Eddie chewed on his lip, frozen in place. He had done everything he could to stay safe in the creepy Upside Down hellscape. But what if someone else was trapped in this place? Could it be Dustin, or Steve, or someone else? Had they been down here the entire time, and he just hadn’t known? How could he have missed something has important as this?

Whoever was over there, had used morse code. S.O.S. No demodog was behind that. Eddie knew that someone was over there, though he had no idea who. But he knew without a doubt that whoever had flashed the light was a person, not a monster. And S.O.S meant that they needed help.

Eddie was too scared to go outside, because the dogs were still roaming freely around the park. He was determined to go to the Mayfield trailer and find out who’d signalled S.O.S, but he couldn’t leave just yet. It was night-time, or, as close as he could tell. The sky was darker, and that’s when the demodogs tended to come out. So, he knew that he still had to wait a few more hours until they finally decided to leave. As soon as they vacated the area, Eddie was going to go over there.

But Eddie didn’t think he could wait for hours, until he got answers. That was forever. He was filled with hope, and anticipation, determined to get answers. But Eddie knew that although he couldn’t venture outside just yet, there was still something that he could do. Eddie jumped to his feet, and scrounged around until he found his flashlight. He switched it on, pointing it at the window. Eddie copied the morse code pattern, then waited impatiently for a response. S.O.S. Nothing happened. Eddie did it again, then quickly switched off his flashlight. Eddie wished he had learned something else in morse code. Like, ‘hello’, or ‘who are you?’. Something that he could use to communicate with the other person. But he didn’t know any of those things, so he just kept repeating the singular phrase that he did know.

And then, whoever was in the other trailer, flashed their light again. The same pattern. S.O.S. Eddie grinned. There was no denying it this time. There was definitely someone over there. He saw the curtain pulled back, and a flash of movement. Signs of life, but not enough to see who it was. First thing tomorrow morning, Eddie was going to go over to the Mayfield trailer, and find out who it was.

Eddie barely slept that night. He sat by the window, continually pulling back the curtains to get a glimpse of the outside world. The person in the other trailer flashed S.O.S once more, but then, they stopped. He kept a vigil at the window, hoping to catch another glimpse of them, but the trailer park was dark, and quiet.

Eddie eventually fell asleep on the couch, clutching one of the throw pillows against his chest. He kept dreaming that he’d run into his friends, that they’d come back to save him. A joyful reunion, and then, a safe return topside. When he woke up a while later, the demodogs had left. He knew that it was finally time to head over.

Though the dogs had vacated the area, Eddie knew he still needed to be cautious. He put on his green vest over his leather jacket, zipping them both up. Eddie grabbed his spear and shield, mentally preparing to go outside. He hadn’t ventured outside in days. Not since the last time he’d gone hunting. He went to the caged entrance of the trailer, peering outside. Eddie scanned the area as best as he could, making sure that it was safe. The coast was clear. Eddie breathed a sigh of relief, as he went outside.

Eddie ran across the road, cautiously stepping over the thick, slithering vines in his path. Even though Vecna had not made an appearance yet, he didn’t want to risk it. The vines continued to move slowly, but they hadn’t hurt him, yet. Still, he needed to be cautious around them. They were gross, and unnerving. Eddie arrived, breathless, at the Mayfield door. This was the moment of truth, when he would find out who was inside. His heart was thumping in his chest, filled with anticipation.

He tried the door, finding it locked. Eddie called out, and got no response. Eddie was about to slam his shoulder against the door, when someone opened it from the other side. He fell forward, catching himself on the doorframe at the last second. Eddie’s eyes widened. Max Mayfield stood there, staring up at him.

It took him a second to process the new information. Eddie stared at her, speechless. Was this a trick? It certainly looked like Max. Same braided red hair, same brown corduroy jacket. It had felt like ages since he’d seen anyone else down here. His eyes were wide, hoping that this wasn’t some sort of illusion or trick. She was real, right? She had to be.

“Max?” Eddie finally said, shocked. “What are you doing here?”

“I could ask you the same thing,” Max said, irritated. She grabbed a fistful of his jacket and pulled him inside. “What the hell, Eddie?”

Eddie stood in the entrance of her trailer, watching as Max closed the door behind them. She quickly slammed her hand down on the lock, then grabbed the nearby kitchen chair. Max propped it against the door, for an extra safety measure. She wasn’t taking any chances.

Eddie didn’t know Max very well. They’d gone to school together, and she was Dustin’s friend. They had only been neighbours for a brief time, since Max and her mother had moved in their trailer just before the schoolyear started. Before Spring Break, they hadn’t really interacted much. But from what he could tell, Max Mayfield was the only other person in the Upside Down. So, that must mean something. It was important. Eddie gently poked Max on the arm – just to make sure that she was actually real. Max frowned, giving him a confused look. She certainly felt real. Oh, thank God for that. Definitely not an illusion.

“I’m so glad to see you!” Eddie said. He reached down, and pulled her into a firm hug – lifting her right off her feet. “I’ve been alone this whole time, and it’s been terrible!”

Max let out a surprised yelp when he’d hugged her, but she didn’t say anything. For a second or two, Max stayed stiff in his arms. But then, he felt her relax against him as she melted into his hug. They finally broke apart, and Eddie shoved his fists into his vest pockets, grinning at her. He was giddy, relieved that he wasn’t alone anymore.

“I’m just so glad to see you!” Eddie said, excitedly waving his hands in the air. He crouched down, opening his mouth wide in a silent scream, unable to contain his excitement. “Max, this is incredible. I mean, it’s terrible – us being down here. But now, I’m not the only one!”

“No more hugs,” Max said, putting out a hand to stop him, in case he was going to do it again. “I’m not into hugs.”

“I’m not normally, either!” Eddie said, giving her a broad grin. He stood back up to his full height, wrapping his arms around himself. “I’m just so happy to see someone else. I’ve been down here for ages, Red. Is it just you here, or did you bring the others? Is this a rescue mission? How are you here, anyway? You and the Sinclairs were at the Creel House, on the Rightside Up. Did you guys stop Vecna? Is everything okay in Hawkins?”

“I-“ Max frowned, overwhelmed by his questions. “I don’t know. That’s a lot of questions.”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?” Eddie asked, impatiently. “C’mon, tell me everything I’ve missed.”

“Eddie –“

“Have you been down here the entire time?” he demanded.

“The entire time?” Max echoed, confused. “I just got here a few hours ago.”

“That was you, flashing the SOS light in the window, right?” Eddie said. “It was you?”

“Yeah.” Max nodded. “I was trying to figure out if anyone else was down here. And then I saw you flash your light back, so I knew I wasn’t alone.”

“It was the first time I’d seen anyone else down here this entire time.”

“Wait, how long have you been down here?” Max asked, giving him a shrewd look.

“I don’t know. It’s hard to tell the days here. Weeks, maybe? I’m really not sure,” Eddie said. He hadn’t been counting the days, or anything. He just knew that it had been a really long time. “Is everyone down here? Henderson? Wheeler? Is Steve down here, too?”

Max shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. I thought I was the only one here, until I saw you at the window last night.”

“I don’t know how long I’ve been down here, but it’s been a real long time – I can tell you that much. I’ve been waiting for a rescue, trying to figure out how to go back home.” Eddie looked around. Her trailer was in as poor a shape as his own. Slithering vines clung to the walls, the air thick with dust particles. The only real difference between the Munson and Mayfield trailers, was the fact that his place was fortified – and hers wasn’t. “When I saw your light, I realized I wasn’t alone anymore. But I couldn’t go out there right away, because of the demodogs, Max. They were prowling around. They do that at nighttime.”

“Yeah, I saw them.” Max went and sat down on the couch. “You said you’ve been down here for weeks on your own? That’s rough.”

“It was, yeah. How’s Hawkins?” Eddie asked. “Everyone’s doing okay?”

“How should I know?” Max asked, confused.

“You’ve been home for weeks. Tell me what’s been going on. Is Dustin okay?” Eddie asked. “He made it back safe, right? I keep thinking about it. He must’ve crawled back through the hole in the ceiling before it closed back up. ‘Cause the hole’s not there anymore, and there’s been no sign of Dustin anywhere, so I figured he must’ve gotten out.”

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on any more than you do. I was at the Creel House, with Lucas, but things didn’t go as planned. I don’t really remember everything that happened, it’s all kind of a blur. Vecna was trying to kill me. I remember being in a lot of pain. But then I was here, in my trailer. I don’t remember how I got here, or anything. I kind of just . . . found myself here,” Max said. “And from what I can tell, it’s just us. We have to find a way home.”

“Yeah, still working on that,” Eddie said, frowning. “I don’t know how to get back. Otherwise, I’d be home already.”

“But we are going to get back home at some point,” Max said, quietly. “Right?”

“Sure, yeah.” Eddie nodded. “Of course we are. I just don’t know how, yet.”

“You promise?”

“That we’ll get home safe?” Eddie said. “Yeah. I promise. We’re in this together, now. I promise you, Red, that we’ll both get out of here at some point. Though, it may take a while for me to figure out the logistics.”

“Okay.” She seemed satisfied by his answer, giving him a relieved look. “Thanks.”

Max went into her room for awhile. Eddie still wasn’t used to having another person around, so he awkwardly followed after her, watching from the doorway as she looked at all her stuff. Max studied the vines covering her bed, her dresser, all of her belongings. It was always pretty surreal to see how everything was copied from the real world above them, the details meticulous. But this wasn’t home. Not really. It would have to do. Max looked around at everything, then gingerly sat on her bed.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Eddie said, giving her a sympathetic smile. “Seeing how different everything is here.”

“Yeah.” Max nodded. “I miss my regular room. This is just – it’s not the same. It’s creepy as hell.”

“Can’t argue with you there,” Eddie said. “You’ll get used to it over time.”

“Anything to eat around here?” Max asked. “I’m starving. There isn’t anything edible in the fridge. I checked already, but it’s all spoiled.”

“Yeah, there aren’t really too many food options down here, unfortunately. All the food at my trailer is bad, too. The water’s okay, I guess. I’ve been hunting rats,” Eddie said. When Max shot him a disgusted look, Eddie frowned. “I know, it sounds disgusting. But it’s kept me alive so far. It’s something to eat.”

“I’m not eating rat. No way in hell.”

“I know how gross it sounds. Trust me, it wasn’t my go-to meal, either. But they’re actually not so bad,” Eddie said, with a shrug. “I didn’t have a fire at first, so I had to umm, eat them raw. But when I started cooking them, it really helped with the taste.”

“Raw?” Max stared at him. “Jesus, Eddie. That’s disgusting.”

“Oh, uh – so, there’s something I should probably tell you,” Eddie said. He lifted his upper lip, and leaned forward so that Max could see his fangs. “I think I’m like, a vampire, or something? I grew fangs. And I’ve been craving blood like, all the time. So, yeah . . . raw meat’s been okay for me.”

She frowned, confused. Then a flicker of fear, and apprehension flashed across Max’s face. “Eddie – “

“Not human blood, don’t worry,” Eddie said, quickly. “Animal blood only. I’ve been feeding on the rats. Takes the cravings away. For a while, at least.”

“You’re not going to like, hurt me, right?” Max asked, hesitant.

“Of course not.” Eddie would never dream of hurting her, or any of his friends. “I’m no threat to you. You’re safe with me, I swear.”

“Good.” Max gave him a tentative smile. “I’m starving. So, if you want to show me how to hunt some rats, we could do that. I’ll try it, I guess.”

“Sounds good!” Eddie grinned at her. “’Cause I’m starving.”

Between the two of them, they only had one spear. Eddie and Max went outside, and he started to show her what to do. The rats were fast, but they weren’t very bright. They scurried around in small groups, rushing up and down between the trailers – on the grass, and on the road. And they were running underneath some of the trailers, as well. The rats were fairly easy to chase down, so long as you were quick about it. Eddie and Max were easily able to corner them.

Eddie killed the first rat, showing Max how it was done. It only took one or two sharp jabs with his spear to take it down. He killed a second one for himself. Then, he gave her a chance to kill her own dinner. The first attempt was a fail, as was the second. She had been so close, stabbing at the rat, but it scurried away. But although Max was frustrated, she was determined to try again. Eventually, she managed to kill two small rats. They didn’t have a lot of meat on them, but they would do.

When they were done hunting, Eddie started a fire in the yard outside of Max’s trailer, and he cooked her rats over the flames. It smelled really good, and Max eagerly watched the flickering orange flames. They warmed themselves by the fire, standing close. He could tell that she was starving, and though she was turned off by the prospect of eating rat meat, Max was going to try it.

“It looks like your dinner’s almost ready,” Eddie said. “I know that rat meat’s not the greatest dinner option. Rodents are pretty nasty, and it’s definitely an acquired taste. But trust me, you’ll get used to it over time.”

“Are you really going to drink their blood?” Max asked, staring at the two rats in Eddie’s hands. She gave him a wide-eyed, horrified look.

“Yeah. But you don’t have to watch,” Eddie warned her. “I’ll turn away, in case you’re squeamish.”

“Thanks.”

Eddie put his back to her, and tore into the first rat. He let out a contented sigh, as he drank. After days of being indoors with nothing to eat, it felt so good to have a fresh kill. He could feel Max’s eyes on him, but he didn’t want her to watch. He knew how gross it looked when he ate. Eddie drained the first rat of its blood, then began working on the second one. He wiped his mouth, trying to hide the blood from Max, before he turned back to the fire.

Eddie set the two rats over the flames, waiting for them to cook. It didn’t take too long. By the time Eddie’s rats were ready to eat, Max had already finished eating. She had stripped the meat from the bones, tossing the remains into the fire. Max crouched down by the fire, staying warm. She’d grimaced a few times, but had otherwise stayed quiet.

“You’re right,” Max told him. “It’s an acquired taste. And maybe I’ll get used to it one day, but honestly, those rats tasted pretty bad.”

“Yeah.” Eddie laughed. “I wish we had better options. But at least we won’t starve to death.”

“I have a question for you, Eddie,” Max said. She glanced up at the sky, pointing at the weird, black line cutting across the sky. “What is that?”

“That?” Eddie repeated, glancing up at the anomaly. He shrugged. “I’m actually not sure. But it was there when I woke up. Someone stitched up the sky.”

“They . . . stitched up the sky?” Max said, giving him a look of disbelief. She squinted at him, trying to work out if he was being serious, or messing with her.

“Yeah, Max.”

The whole time that he’d been in the Upside Down, Eddie had wondered about the unusual line cutting across the sky. It didn’t appear to be dangerous, or anything. But it was definitely weird, and something that he just didn’t understand. It looked like someone had taken a needle and thread, and stitched up a large hole in the sky – trying to fix it. Eddie had done his fair share of sewing over the years, from darning his own socks, fixing small holes in his jeans to make them last longer, to sewing on patches on his denim vest. And that was what it looked like to him. Crude stitches, trying to close up a tear, or hole in the sky. It didn’t make sense, but that was the best sort of explanation that he could come up with. He’d studied it often, but Eddie still didn’t know anything about it.

Max was still looking at him like he was nuts for saying something like that. His explanation made no sense to him. Eddie mimed pulling a needle and thread, and ‘sewing’ up the area above them.

“Like that,” Eddie said. “Someone’s stitched up the sky.”

“That is stupid.” Max was frowning at him. “It doesn’t even make sense.”

“Fine, smarty pants.” Eddie crossed his arms defensively. He tilted his head sarcastically, staring down at her. “You tell me what it is, then. ‘Cause you’ve got all the answers.”

“I don’t know.” Max shrugged, staring up at it. “Fine. Let’s just say that someone stitched up the sky, until we know more.”

“Yeah, alright.”

Later on that evening, when it was starting to get dark, Eddie and Max doused the fire and went into the Mayfield trailer. They made sure that the doors and windows were locked. Eddie wanted to spend the night at his trailer, but Max insisted that they stay at her place. He thought that maybe Max was feeling disoriented, and homesick. Just like he’d been, when he’d first woken up on the pavement. And so, they stayed at the Mayfield trailer that night.

Eddie and Max peered out the window, watching the demodogs running in a large pack through the trailer park. They were patrolling the area, sniffing around the trailers. One of the dogs stopped at their firepit, and started pawing at the ground. It caught the scent of cooked rat meat. The demodog pawed at the ashes, and burnt bones. Then, the demodog lifted its head abruptly, staring up at the Mayfield trailer, at them. Shit, the dogs knew where they were. And this trailer wasn’t fortified.

Max quickly shrank back, taking a step back. Eddie knew that it wasn’t safe out there. He glanced over at Max, seeing the fear flash across her face. He could tell that she was just as terrified of the monsters as he was. The demobats had been frightening enough. But they were small enough that he could fight them. But the demodogs were ferocious, and much larger. He had seen them attack other creatures in the trailer park, chasing them down, tearing the smaller creatures apart. Eddie was sure that they’d do the same to him, or Max if given the chance.

“Aren’t they freaky looking?” Eddie said, as one of the demodogs ran up onto the grass near Max’s trailer. He shuddered, seeing the creature up close. “That’s a demodog. They’re ugly as hell.”

“I’ve seen demodogs before, you know,” Max told him. “I know what they are.”

“Really? When?” Eddie asked, curious.

“When I first moved to Hawkins. That was when I had just met Lucas, and the others. We were out in the junkyard, and Steve took on a demodog.”

Eddie raised her eyebrows at Max. “Wait, Steve? He took on a demodog? Tell me more.”

“Two, actually.” She smiled. “You’d have liked it. He had this bat, with a bunch of nails hammered into it. Steve went out there to face it, while we were all hiding out in this abandoned school bus. He was goading the dogs, coaxing them out of hiding. And he fought them. It was really exciting. But it was also kind of scary.”

“You’re right, I would have truly loved to have seen that.” Eddie smiled broadly at her. He pictured the scene in his head. Steve, slick with sweat, twirling his bat, as he took down a monster. Protecting his kids. Steve, his beautiful hair –

Max snapped her fingers in Eddie’s face. “Hey! You’re practically salivating.”

“Sorry.” Eddie gave her an apologetic look. “Steve’s just really hot.”

“Yeah.”

“Those demodogs, they’re out there every night,” Eddie said, pointing with his pinky finger at the creatures still roaming the trailer park. “That’s why I’ve been staying in my trailer, because I don’t want to get attacked by them. They’re out here every night, like clockwork. Annoying bastards, really.”

“You know what we have to do, then,” Max said, crossing her arms over her chest. She stared up at Eddie, giving him an expectant look. Eddie blankly stared at her, waiting for an explanation. Max sighed. “Do I have to spell it out for you? We have to clear out all the monsters from our trailer park. Make it a safe place again.”

Our trailer park. Eddie smiled faintly at that. Max was right, of course. His heart ached for his home, on the Rightside Up. Even if it was going to take considerable effort, they’d have to kill all the demodogs that ran wild in this hellscape. Clear ‘em all out of the park, so it’d be safe at night. This wasn’t something that he was looking forward to at all, but it seemed necessary.

That wasn’t the only thing that needed clearing. Eddie thought about how if they could just get home, he could clear his name. Make sure that people in town knew that he hadn’t murdered anyone. It had been weeks since Chrissy and Patrick, and the others had died. Things had likely calmed down since then. He hoped that his friends had stopped Vecna, so life could go back to normal. Eddie wanted to go home, see his uncle, hang out with his friends again. He missed his DnD games, missed having hot showers, and band practise. Hell, he even missed going to school. Eddie would do just about anything to be sitting in Mrs. Click’s class right now, trying to focus on her monotone voice as she droned on about the boring lesson. But he was stuck down in the Upside Down, and Eddie didn’t think that he was going to get out anytime soon. Death would have been better than being stuck in this place for the rest of his life. Shuffling off his mortal coil, and all. But he was trapped in the monster-filled purgatory. At least he had company, now.

“Are we really the right people for the job?” Eddie asked, with some degree of uncertainty. “I want those suckers gone just as much as you do. But they’re freaky as hell. And they’re big.”

“Look around, Eddie. We’re the only people for the job,” Max reminded him. “We’re going to make the park safer, by taking out the demodogs. That way, when they’re gone, we can go out at night if we need to.”

“I don’t know,” Eddie said, mulling it over. He wasn’t sold on the idea. They only had one spear between them. And neither of them were seasoned monster-hunters. If Steve and Nancy were here, Eddie was sure they’d stand a chance against the demodogs. But it was just him, and Max. And there was at least a half dozen demodogs. Even Steve hadn’t taken on that many. “It’s easier if we just stay indoors at night. We stay out of their way, and we’ll be fine.”

“You told me you’ve been down here for weeks,” Max said. “But what have you actually been doing? Just sitting around in your trailer, waiting for a rescue?”

“Pretty much, yeah,” Eddie nodded. He didn’t like the way she said it, even if it was the truth. He hadn’t done much, just focused on his own survival. “I mean, I was in pretty rough shape at first. I took on the demobats, and lost. When I woke up, I was lying on the pavement, surrounded by dead demobats. Like, they tore me up really bad, and I was bleeding really heavily. I was still healing. See these scars on my face, and neck? They’re gnarly. I got more of them under all these layers. My wounds were already half-healed, but it was still really rough. There wasn’t much that I could do at first, while I recovered.”

“That really sucks, and I’m sorry that that happened to you. But you’re healed up now,” Max said. “So, we’ve got to take matters in our own hands. And I want this place to be safer.”

“And what, you want to fight demodogs right now?” Eddie asked. “Like, tonight?”

“Not right this second. I’ll need a weapon, first. And a shield,” Max said. “But yeah, I want to do this as soon as we can.”

“Okay.” Eddie didn’t feel so confident about this, but he nodded. “Sure, I guess so.”

Chapter Text

Eleven came into Max’s hospital room, and sat down heavily in the chair by her bed. She was alone this time, because Will was still volunteering at the school. She’d run into Lucas and Erica in the lobby, just as they were leaving. They’d wanted to stay longer, but their mother had insisted on taking them home for dinner. So today, she was flying solo. Max’s hospital room was quiet, save for the various machines that she was hooked up to. The machines emitted small beeping noises. She had a cannula in her nostrils, to help her breathe.

“Hey, Max,” Eleven said, tiredly. “How are you?”

Max didn’t answer, of course. El slouched down in her chair. She’d had a long day, and she was worn out. Eleven had gotten up early, and she’d been working at the school all morning with Will, and Jonathan. They’d been setting up classrooms into temporary housing, so that more of the displaced people could move in.

The high school classrooms were being outfitted with cots, microwaves, and mini fridges for the displaced residents. They were partitioning each classroom into smaller living quarters, sectioning them off for people to live there temporarily until the government could bring in enough trailers. There were still quite a few houses in Hawkins that had structural damage, which would take a while to fix up. Some of the classrooms were being used for families with kids, but a lot of the classrooms were separated into much smaller sections for couples, or single adults.

So much had happened in Hawkins over the past two months, and the town needed a great deal of rebuilding. Because the middle school, and high school buildings were currently in use, the town had decided to pause the school year until September. They were hoping that the town would be mostly rebuilt by then. This announcement had angered some residents, especially the students that had been set to graduate. Nancy and Robin were two of the students who were disappointed with the announcement, as they’d only been a few months away from getting their diploma. Nancy had been deadset on going to University, but she was now forced to retake the year. All that hard work for nothing.

Another reason why the town had decided to delay the school year, was because the town needed the manpower to get all the renovations done in the destroyed town. Everyone had to volunteer in some capacity. Most of the kids and teens in town were put to work rebuilding the town in various ways. They worked alongside their parents, and neighbours in various projects. Hawkins needed all hands on deck. The teens were given crash course lessons in construction, painting, drywalling, that sort of thing. Some of the younger kids were given easier tasks, like making soup and sandwiches at the canteen, or babysitting the younger kids at the school’s temporary daycare.

El and her friends were set to retake ninth grade in September. For the most part, she was excited about retaking her freshman year. It meant that she could go to school with Mike, and Dustin, and the others. It would be nice – hopefully better than how ninth grade in California had gone. And she would have both her brothers at the high school again, which was nice. She liked that she could sit with them at lunch, or go to Jonathan, and Argyle if she needed anything. Angela or her friends wouldn’t be able to mess with her this time. Especially now that she had her powers back. El wasn’t going to let any mean girls like her humiliate her the way they’d done ever again.

Eleven had a lot on her plate. Every day, she went out there, and helped out around Hawkins. She volunteered at the school, or would help take down the monsters scattered around Hawkins. El also spent a great deal of energy trying to stitch up the hellish crevices shut around town. She wanted them closed, needing to keep her town safe. Now that Hopper was back, her whole family was reunited. She was glad that they were all together again. Having her family at her side really helped, because times were tough. And some days, Eleven felt completely drained. She visited Max as often as she could, while also spending time with her parents, and brothers. She was spread thin.

That morning, Eleven hadn’t gone straightaway to the school with her brothers. Instead, she’d biked around downtown Hawkins. El did this frequently, checking to make sure that the deep Upside Down crevices cutting through the town stayed sealed. Since Vecna had been defeated, she’d been working on closing all the gaping chasms leading to the Upside Down – though it took considerable effort. It was a long, slow process that took a lot out of her mentally and physically, but she knew how necessary it was.

Occasionally, there were still occasionally sections that stubbornly refused to stay closed. They were like open sores, never fully healing over. And each time they opened up again, they were a potential danger. The monsters would come crawling through to their side, and the spores would begin infecting the Rightside Up again. Eleven kept an eye on them, needing to keep the town safe.

Joyce had gone with her that morning, keeping her company. Eleven liked having her mom go with her, so they could talk about stuff while they biked around. Joyce asked her a lot of questions about what El was up to with her friends now that school was out, checking in with her to make sure her daughter was alright. Joyce asked about how Max was doing at the hospital. And Eleven told her about how she’d recently started playing DnD with the party. Dustin and Erica had started playing a few weeks back, as a welcome distraction from the chaos around them. They were sharing the role of DM, working on their campaign together. Eleven had met the Hellfire Club kids from school, who were friends of Dustin, Mike, and Lucas. Eleven thought that it was a good game, even if there were a lot of rules to remember. She’d only played twice so far, but it was something she wanted to get better at. Eleven liked making her own character, and rolling the dice to see what would happen in the story. It was fun.

That morning, Eleven had found a five-foot section on Main Street that had begun to reopen. The ground had split open in the middle of the intersection, emitting bright red light. El had been worried that the monsters would get in, and wreak havoc on the busy downtown area, so she’d immediately set to work fixing things. Luckily, El had found the damage fairly quickly, and it was early in the morning so there weren’t a lot of people, or pedestrians in the area. When she was done, Eleven’s nose had been dripping blood non-stop down her shirtfront from the strain. She’d sat down on the curb, her head in her hands, feeling faint, and dizzy. El was glad that Joyce had been there with her. Her mother had packed tissues to mop up the blood, as well as a few snacks to bring Eleven’s energy back up. They’d sat together for about half an hour, until she’d felt well enough to bike to the school.

Hawkins had been ravaged by the monsters, when the town had been split from the earthquake. Vecna, and the Upside Down monsters had slipped through when the two dimensions had collided. It had been an epic battle, one with a great deal of losses on both sides. But Hawkins wasn’t going to go down without a fight. The town’s residents fought back, and they’d prevailed. They’d used whatever weapons they could get their hands on – guns, homemade shields, Molotov cocktails, bats, pipes, whatever was available. And they had succeeded. Vecna was defeated, and the town was slowly healing from the trauma of being attacked, infected by the Upside Down spores and monsters. Everyone had done their part to keep the town safe, and Eleven knew that she needed to do everything in her power to maintain that safety for as long as she could – no matter how much it took out of her. Because it did take a huge toll on her to keep stitching up the cracks. El knew that she would continue doing so, because it meant doing her part to keep Hawkins safe.

And now, Eleven was sitting vigil at Max’s bedside. Keeping a close eye on her best friend, hoping that she might one day wake up. El glanced up when one of the nurses had come in to check on her friend. The nurse studied her chart, then puttered around the room for a few minutes, caring for her patient. The nurse nodded at Eleven, as she left the room. The staff were quite used to Max’s many visitors.

Eleven saw Will’s book sitting on the table, and she picked it up. She started to flip through the hypnosis book. Will was right, it did look a bit dry. She didn’t really understand all of it, but parts of it sounded interesting. She curled up in the chair, pulling her legs up under her. Eleven had never tried doing hypnosis, or meditation before. But parts of the book reminded her of the void, where she would go to look in on her friends, and when Dr. Brenner used to make her spy on Russians. The concept of the book didn’t seem much different than what she did already. It was all about visualization, and focusing her attention inwards, clearing the mind. These were things that Eleven could do.

Eleven got comfortable in her seat, and she started to read the first chapter out loud to Max. The book talked about a lot of things. Retrieving old memories, being able to guide someone else through their journey, etc. The author kept circling back to the idea that the reader must imagine a door. Focus on the door, keep it in your mind’s eye. This would guide her to a hallway full of doors, each of them leading to a different memory, or an issue the person would need to work through. As the hypnosis session continued, the person who was under was supposed to continually focus on the door, as that would be the way to get back. It would be their guiding light through their journey.

After reading the first two chapters to Max, Eleven closed the book. It was a lot of information to take in. She reached out to brush her fingers against Max’s. Eleven knew she needed to go home soon. When Hopper had dropped her off earlier, he’d told her that he’d be back by six to pick her up. That meant that she had about an hour left. She would go into Max’s mind, just for a short while. See if she could find anything.

El slipped on her bandana, and closed her eyes. She focused intently. She found herself in Max’s mind, inside the dark and lonesome obsidian room with the water pooling on the floor. There was no music today; Eleven had not set up the Walkman during this visit, because she’d been reading to her. It was eerily calm, and quiet. The void was so quiet, that all Eleven could hear, was her own ragged breathing, and the sloshing water underneath her feet as she started to walk forward.

Eleven called out Max’s name as she always did. As she walked, she kept thinking about what she’d read in the book. Dr. Mack’s theory had been interesting. Create a doorway in the mind, and allow the person to focus on it. They could then go through the door, entering a compartmentalized section of one’s own mind. These doors could hold memories, and such. El hoped that this was something that Max could do. Create her own doorway, and use it to potentially break out of her coma – if that was even possible. It was an interesting concept, and worth a shot. Eleven had never really used that method before, creating doors in the void. She didn’t really need to, as she could easily jump into the void to find people, and spy on them when needed. Eleven had had a great deal of training, due to her years spent in the lab with Papa. But Max, she had not had any of the same training that she’d had. Maybe that was what Max would need. A door in her mind, so she could use it to get out of her coma. Give her a door to focus on, like the book said. Maybe Will was right, that she was hiding, tucked away safely.

Eleven still wasn’t sure if Max could even hear anything going on around her. But she figured that if she read the book out loud to Max, then maybe Max could learn about Dr. Mack’s door ideas, at the same time that Eleven did. And supposing that Max could hear her, then she could imagine her own door.

Eleven squeezed her eyes shut. Imagine a door. That’s what the book had said. Okay, she could do that. Eleven thought about all the doors she could recall throughout her life. The door to the Rainbow Room, the door in the lab with ‘11’ on it, where she would curl up in bed with her tiger stuffed animal. The doors to her friend’s houses - the Byers house, Mike’s house, Max’s house. Eleven thought about her bedroom door in Hopper’s cabin, and her bedroom door in Lenora Hills. The doors of her brothers’ rooms, and her mother’s room. These doors were ones that she knew very well, and she could picture them in her head with such clarity. Imagine a door. Yes, she could this.

When she opened her eyes, Eleven had been expecting to see a door in front of her – one of the many that she had pictured in her mind. But there was nothing. Just the endless void, depressingly empty. Eleven sighed. Okay, well, maybe Will’s book wasn’t going to help her wake Max up. Eleven thought that she was taking this whole door thing too literally. Maybe it wasn’t supposed to be a tangible door, the kind you could physically open. Maybe it was something else entirely, like some kind of metaphor. El thought that she’d try to focus on the memories instead. Think about all her closest happy memories that she shared with her friends, her family.

She was about to get out of the void, and go see if Hopper had arrived yet, when Eleven saw something in the distance. She froze up, shocked by its sudden appearance. El squinted, trying to see what it was. It was a tiny speck far off in the distance, too small to clearly tell what it was. This was the first time that she’d seen anything in Max’s mind in the two months since her friend had ended up hospitalized. Eleven’s breath caught in her throat. This was what she had wanted. A sign that Max might wake up, that there was still a part of her still there.

“Max!” Eleven called out. She was filled with hope. The thing in the distance was so far away, that El couldn’t make out any of its details. She didn’t know if it was a door, or something else entirely. But she took it as a sign that Max was waking up, that she was still alive. And if that were the case, maybe El could find a way to help her. Find a way to bring Max home, safe and sound.

Eleven started jogging towards it, eager to learn what the object was. Her heart raced, as she started running full tilt towards the tiny speck. Her arms were pumping, chest heaving from the exertion. She ran for what felt like ages, determined to reach her destination. The tiny speck in the distance didn’t seem to be getting much closer at first. But it slowly grew in size as she ran towards it. As she approached it, Eleven saw that the tiny speck was a small blue rectangle. It stood out in the dark room, like a bright beacon of hope. Eleven cautiously walked over to it, out of breath. She broke out into a wide grin, when she saw that it was a door.

As Eleven walked curiously around the blue door, carefully inspecting it, she noted that it was a heavy wooden door, painted sky blue, with little hand-painted yellow flowers, and green vines. It was pretty, with a glass doorknob. The frame around it was bolted down to the floor, and it sat in the middle of the room, not connected to anything else. She closely inspected it, seeing that the door had the same design on both sides. Eleven wondered if she had conjured up this door, like the exercise in the hypnosis book. She had been thinking about creating a door in her mind, and had tried to envision all the different doors from her life. And here it was, a door in the void. But this door wasn’t any of the ones that she had pictured. Eleven didn’t think that she had ever seen this pretty door before. She didn’t recognize it in the slightest. It was entirely unfamiliar to her.

El reached out, and touched the wooden door. She frowned. It felt so very real under her fingertips. A few flakes of blue paint chipped off, dropping onto the watery floor below. Underneath, El saw that the original paint had been pale pink. She began to suspect that this door wasn’t intended for her. It must be Max’s. Maybe, when she had read the book to her, Max had created her own door. And if that was the case, then that meant that Max had been listening, after all.

Eleven thought that maybe her friend was on the other side of the door. That idea filled her heart with hope. She wanted desperately to bring Max home, so her friend could wake up. If she was just on the other side of the door, then all she had to do was open it and let her out. And as soon as Max was back in her own mind again, then everything would be okay again. She’d wake up.

“Max?” Eleven called out. “Can you hear me?”

She tentatively reached out, and knocked on the door. Nothing happened. She grasped the doorknob, and twisted it. She had been expecting it to be open, and that she’d find Max on the other side. But unfortunately, the door was locked. Eleven frowned, staring at the door. Why would she be able to conjure up a door, if she was unable to gain access to its contents? Eleven tried to open it, using all her strength against the stubborn door, but it was stuck fast.

“Max!” Eleven called out.

Eleven tried again and again, throwing herself against the door, twisting the knob. She banged on it, calling Max’s name repeatedly. This was the first time that she had discovered anything in Max’s mind. The idea that her friend could be right behind that door – mere inches of blue wood between them – was intensely frustrating. Eleven spent up her energy trying to gain access, determined to break the door down. She needed to see her again. All El wanted to do, was pull her friend into a tight hug, and never let go. Out of breath, Eleven pressed her ear to the door. She squeezed her eyes shut, listening intently for anything on the other side. Voices, maybe. Shouting, or music, or anything. But she was met with the same cloying silence that shrouded the entire void. Even when she tried to peer into the large keyhole, she was met with only darkness.

“Max?” Eleven called out. “Please! Open the door! Please, just let me in.”

She threw out both hands, screaming, as she focused all her energy on the door. The same power that could close gates to the Upside Down, could move train cars, kill monsters. She had been spending two months closing up the crevices around town, and doing heavy lifting at the construction sites. With her powers, she could do so much. But this blue door remained steadfast, unmoving. It was still locked up tight – taunting her with its insane durability.

Eleven started to cry. She slid down the door, until she was sitting on the cold, wet floor. She pressed her back against the wood, her hands over her face. She didn’t know what to do. All that time in California, she had wanted desperately to be with Max. She’d missed her friend with every fiber of her being. She’d wanted to reconnect with her again. But when she’d got back to Hawkins, it had been under the direst of circumstances. Max had been through so much trauma. And that monster, Vecna, had preyed on her friend’s trauma. He’d gone after her, and other kids in Hawkins who were going through their own private struggles. And he’d decimated them.

When Eleven was finally able to stop crying, she started to think about what to do next. The door was locked, and she didn’t think there was anything she could do to physically open it. And her powers were useless against it. It seemed futile. If Max was on the other side, she’d have to open the door and let her in because it didn’t seem like El was going to get in anytime soon.

She frowned, closely studying the old brass plate, taking in the large keyhole. If she could create a door, maybe she could create a key. There was nothing so far in the book about creating a key, as the book only referenced doors that could easily open on their own. But she had to try.

Eleven focused on the keyhole, imagining a key that would fit the small hole. Eleven stuck her pinky finger into the keyhole, trying to get a feel for what the shape of the key would be. It was an old door, and she thought that it would need one of those big old skeleton keys. Eleven squeezed her eyes shut, trying to imagine a key on her outstretched hand. She imagined the weight of it, the cool metal against her skin. She saw the key in her mind’s eye, as real as anything. But when Eleven opened her eyes, nothing had happened. There was no key in her outstretched hand. She shouted out in frustration. She needed to try again. Try a thousand times if she had to, until she could open that door. But her hand remained empty, and the door was still frustratingly locked.

“Eleven!”

She frowned, as she heard Hopper calling out her name. Had it already been an hour? Time sometimes moved differently in the void; often feeling too fast, or too slow. El could hear her dad repeatedly calling her name. Eleven wanted to try one more time to conjure up a key, but her concentration was broken.

Eleven was abruptly pulled out of Max’s mind, as Hopper lifted the bandana. She stared up at him, disoriented. He had his hand cupped on her cheek, staring at her with a concerned look. Blood was dripping down over her mouth and chin, onto the hem of her t-shirt. She reached up her hand to her face, seeing the blood smeared on her fingertips. Her face was wet from tears, as well.

“Jesus, kid,” Hopper said, kneeling in front of El. He looked around, seeing the box of Kleenex on the nightstand. Hopper grabbed a few tissues, and pressed them to her face. “Are you okay? You’re bleeding.”

“Yeah.” Eleven was used to the sight of her own blood. It was something that she’d always had to deal with. Lately, she’d been bleeding a lot more when she used her powers – and Eleven thought that it might be because she was so burnt out. The stress was getting to her. “I’m okay, Dad.”

“Were you in Max’s mind again?” Hopper asked, glancing briefly over his shoulder at the redhaired girl lying on the hospital bed behind him.

“Yeah.” El nodded. She pressed the tissues to her nostril, tilting her head back slightly. Eleven’s eyes stung with tears, and she swiped at them with the sleeve of her pink flowered undershirt.

“Are you okay?” Hopper asked, concerned.

“Yeah,” Eleven said, quietly. “I’m okay.”

“You sure?” Hopper frowned at her, giving his daughter a worried look. “You don’t look okay, El. You look like you’re about to collapse.”

“I’m just tired,” Eleven said. “It’s been a really long day.”

“Joyce told me about this morning, how you patched up that hole downtown.” He sat down in the seat beside her. “I’m worried about you. I think you might be overdoing it, and you might be taking on too much.”

“I’ve got to fix everything.”

Hopper raised his eyebrows. “No, El. You don’t have to fix everything. This isn’t on you. The whole town’s pitching in. We’re rebuilding our town. It’ll be even better when we’re done.”

“I don’t mean construction. I mean, keeping the Upside Down away from Hawkins,” Eleven said, sniffling. “And I’ve got to fix Max, bring her back.”

“That sounds like you’re putting a lot on your shoulders,” Hopper said. “I know you want to use your powers to fix everything, but you’re still a kid. You’re my kid. And I’m worried about you.”

She shrugged. It was a lot, sure. But Eleven was the only one in town who could do what she did. And that meant that she had a responsibility to do whatever she could to protect everyone. She needed to make sure the town was safe. That was all that mattered. Even if she was burning the candle at both ends. And it would all be worth it, if she could just bring Max back.

Hopper pulled her into a one-armed hug, careful to not get any blood on his work uniform. Eleven hugged her father tightly, as Hopper rubbed her back with small circles. She was crying a little, as they sat there.

“What’s happened?” Hopper asked softly, as they broke apart. He grabbed a few more Kleenex, and handed them to her. He reached out, and took her hand. “You can talk to me about anything, kid. You know that.”

“I know. Dad, I-I-“ El said, struggled to regain her composure. “I’m okay. I’m just worried about Max. She might not ever wake up.”

“There’s still hope for her.” Hopper squeezed her hand. “The doctors haven’t given up on Max, so neither should we.”

“Yeah.” Eleven looked over at Max for a few seconds, then glanced up at her father. “It’s just, something weird happened. When I went into Max’s mind today, something was different.”

“Different, how exactly?” he asked, concerned. “Vecna, or something?”

“No. Nothing like that. I finally saw something in Max’s mind,” Eleven told him. “Um . . . there was a door.”

“A door?” Hopper stared down at his daughter’s face, bemused. He waited for her to explain further.

“Yeah. There was this blue door. It was locked. I couldn’t open it.”

“El, I don’t understand.”

Eleven reached down, and picked up the hypnosis book from the floor. She flipped through it, until she found one of the passages that she’d read aloud to Max about imagining doors of the mind. Eleven held the book out for Hopper to read. He stared down at it, curious.

“Look,” she said, earnestly, gesturing to the passage. “This is what I was reading to Max before I went into her head. The doors of the mind. And when I went inside Max’s mind, I tried to picture all the doors that I knew. From our cabin, from my bedroom in California, doors from the lab. I didn’t think anything had happened, so I thought that the doorway thing from Will’s book must be made-up. But then, this blue door just appeared. I’ve never seen it there before. It just showed up.”

“Did Max put the door there, or did you?” Hopper asked. “Sorry, I don’t know anything about hypnosis, or about how all of this stuff works.”

“I’m not sure.” Eleven pulled up her legs, her knees to her chest. She rested her cheek on the rough denim. “I don’t understand what happened. I was thinking about my own doors, so I might’ve put that door in there. But it’s not one that I’ve ever seen before. I didn’t recognize it. The lady that wrote this book, Dr. Avery Mack, she believes that someone can open the door, and there’s a hallway of doors behind it. And they all lead to different parts of the subconscious mind. Like, memories and stuff.”

“Okay, so there’s a door.” Hopper frowned. “What does it mean? Is it a sign that Max will wake up?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t.” Eleven frowned, looking over at Max. She hadn’t moved. “I tried knocking on the door, but nothing happened. It was locked up. Nothing I did made any difference. I couldn’t get it open. I guess I’ll just keep an eye on it, so I can see if anything new happens. But I feel like it must mean something. It has to.”

“Okay.” Hopper nodded. “Keep me informed. But I really think it’s best if you take things slow for a bit. Max will still be here, so there’s no rush if you get some rest for a few days. Sleep in, go easy on using your powers. You’re pushing yourself too hard, and I’m worried about you.”

Eleven nodded. She understood that her father meant well, but she knew that each time she visited, she would still check on Max. Just in case something happened. She didn’t want to take a few days off, and miss something important. Especially now, when there was finally a new development. Max needed her. And she needed Max.

“I’ll slow it down,” El told him. “Not stop all the way, but I’ll slow down. I’ll take more breaks.”

“Okay.” Hopper nodded. “Well, I guess that’s better than nothing. You’ve gotta take care of yourself first, before you can help others. Let’s go home, okay? I’m starving.”

They walked out of the hospital, and got into Hopper’s police car. It was a hot sunny day, and they drove through town. Eleven was drowsy, and she fell asleep in the passenger seat. Hopper didn’t go home straightaway, he had to run a few errands on his way home. As she slept, El kept dreaming about the door, dreaming that she was able to open it and see what was on the other side.

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Max had arrived, and they had still not hunted down the demodogs roaming the trailer park. Max had pushing him to go out there with her at night and fight them, but he was giving her every excuse in the book to stay indoors. He was still intensely uncomfortable with the idea. Hiding was the safer option. But Max was convinced that killing the dogs would benefit them. The park would be safer. Besides, she reasoned, they could try to cook the meat afterwards and see if demodog tasted better than eating rats. He was in agreement that this was a definite upside, but Eddie was still hesitant. Two of them against six dogs – their odds just weren’t that great.

During Max’s first week there, they had scrounged around the trailer park, looking for supplies. They’d been able to make her a homemade spear, and shield – similar to the Eddie’s. Max had been practising during the day, spearing rats, pretending they were demodogs. She felt like she was ready, but Eddie was not prepared in the slightest. The thought of going out there kept spiking his anxiety, and he wished that the dogs would just go away on their own. But they kept coming back.

On the night that they were finally supposed to go out there, Eddie slept on Max’s couch. Not that he really did much sleeping. He stared up at the vine-covered ceiling, listening to the dogs barking and baying, as they knocked over garbage cans, causing their regular nightly ruckus. They were loud as always. Most nights, Eddie had insisted that they sleep over at the Munson trailer, because it felt safer there. Eddie had rolled out his uncle’s cot for Max, and she had the whole living room to herself. But that night, Eddie had gone over and stayed the night at Max’s place. Her couch was a bit more comfortable than his own, as there were less vines. Eddie pulled the blanket up to his chin, and closed his eyes.

“Don’t you dare fall asleep, Eddie.”

Eddie reluctantly opened his eyes. Max was standing over him, giving him an indignant look. She was wearing a thick jacket over her regular clothes, and she had her spear and shield in hand.

“Don’t you dare fall asleep, Eddie,” Max repeated, annoyed. “You know full well that tonight, we’re going outside to take down the demodogs. I’ve been here a week already. We’re doing this.”

“No, we aren’t.” Eddie rolled his eyes, and got more comfortable on the couch. “Not tonight, we aren’t.”

“What’s your excuse this time?”

“No excuse. I just don’t want to go out there, and risk getting torn apart by those monsters,” Eddie said. He already had enough scars to last him a lifetime. “The dogs only come out at night. So, we stay out of their way, and everything will be fine.”

“You know what?” Max said, irritated. “If you’re so dead set on staying in here where it’s safe, then fine. I’m going out there on my own.”

That got Eddie’s attention. He scrambled to a sitting position, tossing the blanket aside. Oh, hell no. There was no way Max was going outside on her own, to try and take down a pack of wild demodogs. No way. She would get mauled, or eaten, or something. She was just one kid, against six dogs. He got to his feet, following after her.

“Max, stop,” Eddie said, rushing forward. “C’mon, hey. Stop for a second.”

“If you’re too chicken to go out there, then I have to do it myself,” Max told him. “So, either come with me, or stay here. But this is happening tonight.”

Eddie was terrified of going outside, of facing the monsters. But he was even more terrified of Max going out there alone. He felt extremely protective of her. She was younger than him. And because he was older, Eddie knew that he had to act responsibly. And that meant making sure that the kid didn’t get herself killed. Eddie knew that if Max went out there, it would end poorly. If she was going to go out there and fight the demodogs, then so was he. She was forcing his hand, but someone had to make sure that she didn’t get herself killed.

“You’re not really going to go out there, are you?” Eddie asked.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Fine,” Eddie grumbled, rolling his eyes. “Fine, okay? You want to go outside, and fight the demodogs? You win. I guess that’s what we’re doing.”

“Thank you.” Max flashed him a brilliant smile, as she watched him grab his vest, and jacket from the armchair. “Let’s get out there.”

Eddie went to the front door, and opened it up a crack. He peered outside, watching the demodogs. There were four of them out there tonight. Three smaller ones, and one large one that seemed to be their leader. They were running around on the grass near Max’s trailer, about thirty feet away. Only four of them, not the regular six that he was used to seeing. Four wasn’t nearly as bad. Eddie wondered what had happened to the other two.

Eddie went outside first. He started walking across the grass towards them. Shoulders squared back, trying to look more confident than he felt. Eddie started banging his spear against his shield, making all kinds of loud noises. He wanted to make enough noise to scare them, in hopes that they would decide to stay away. Max was right; it would be nice to clear the monsters from the trailer park. The demodogs backed up a few steps, watching Eddie with cautious expressions.

“Hey, you!” Eddie shouted out. “I’m so sick of you ugly little dogs taking over our trailer park! You need to get out of here! I mean it, scram!”

“Yeah,” Max agreed, rushing forward until she had caught up to him. They stood side-by-side. “You’re not welcome here anymore. Get out of here, you ugly demodogs! This is our park!”

The three smaller dogs stayed back, uncertain. But the larger dog pawed at the ground, ducking its head down low to the dirt. Eddie could tell that the demodog was going to go after them. Oh, this was going to suck. He braced himself, holding the shield in front of him, gripping it tight.

The demodog bounded towards him, and it threw himself against Eddie’s shield. He grunted, bracing himself against the impact, trying not to fall over. The dog snarled at him, backing up to throw himself against Eddie’s shield again. As soon as the dog was within reach, Eddie jumped to his feet and stabbed at the dog with his spear. He struck it in the shoulder. The creature let out a sharp yowl of pain. It didn’t retreat like Eddie hoped that it would. Instead, the dog continued forward, its flower-petal face opening up. The dog snarled, spittle flying. It veered away from him, and dove towards Max.

She let out a frightened scream, jabbing her spear at the dog. But she missed, stumbling forward. The demodog launched himself on top of her, trying to bite her. Max was hiding behind her shield, as the dog scrabbled at the metal, trying to get to her. Eddie quickly leapt into the fight, stabbing at the demodog repeatedly, plunging his spear into the dog’s ribs. The dog cried out in pain, turning his attention back to Eddie. They fought. The dog snarled, snapping at him, trying to bite him through his vest and jacket, but Eddie was able to strike him with his shield, pushing him off. When Eddie struck him again, the demodog flopped down on the ground, and it stopped moving. One down, three more to go.

“A-Are you okay?” Eddie asked, breathing hard. He helped Max to her feet, checking her over for injuries.

“Yeah.” Max stared at him with wide eyes. “Thanks for killing him.”

“We’re not done yet.” Eddie glanced over, seeing the three smaller demodogs starting to approach.

They watched the three demodogs sniff at their dead friend, pawing at him. Once they realized that he was dead, they lifted their heads, staring at Eddie and Max. One of them let out a mournful sound, grieving his loss. The two teens started shouting at the dogs, trying to scare them off. But the dogs didn’t run away as intended. Instead, they continued to approach. The middle one surged forward, while one swerved to the left, and the other one swerved to the right. They were trying to form a circle around Eddie and Max, attacking on all sides. Eddie felt a red-hot rage build up inside him, as he tried to keep track of all three creatures. He hated the demodogs, the way they kept coming into his trailer park, and wreaking havoc every night. It was time for them to leave the area for good. Eddie let out a loud growl at the three remaining demodogs. They cowered at the sound. And then, to Eddie’s surprise, the dogs turned, and fled. They ran down the road, past the trailers, and disappeared into the woods.

“How did you do that?” Max asked, staring up at him.

“All I did was growl at them,” Eddie said, with a shrug. “I guess they got scared off.”

“Yeah, I don’t think it was your growl that scared them,” Max said. “Your eyes, they turned red. Like, bright red.”

“They did?” Eddie frowned at her. Maybe it was something to do with being a vampire? He didn’t know. That would explain why the dogs had run off like that. “Are they still red?”

“No. It was only for like, a second.”

“Oh, I didn’t know.” Eddie hesitated. “Did it look cool?”

“Yeah,” Max said, with a smile. “It was pretty cool.”

“Nice.” Eddie smiled back, flicking his tongue against the sharp edges of his fangs. “I’ve never had red eyes before, but that’s really cool. I guess if the demodogs decide to come back tonight, then I can scare them off again.”

“Yeah.” Max nodded. “Your new skill will come in handy. And thanks, for coming out here tonight. I know that you didn’t want to.”

“Someone had to save your ass,” Eddie said. “I’m your protector.”

“Are you, now?” Max smirked at him. “I don’t need one.”

“You’re younger than me. And if I had let you run out here tonight, and fight the demodogs on your own, you would’ve died,” Eddie said. “So, I think I’m your protector. That’s my job. Until we get you out of here, I’ll have to look after you.”

Max hesitated, then nodded. “Okay. You can be my self-appointed protector, if it makes you feel better about being in this shitty place. But we’re going to look after each other.”

“Deal.”

The demodogs stayed away from the trailer park for the rest of that night. Eddie was glad that they decided to keep their distance. After the three smaller ones had run off, the trailer park was quiet, which made for a nice change.

Eddie and Max dragged the demodog carcass back to the firepit, so they could cook it. It was a significant amount of meat – way more than the tiny rats he’d been eating since his arrival. With the demodog, they would both able to eat their fill. And there was plenty of meat left over afterwards. Eddie drained some of the blood, but then he let the rest of it drain off into the dirt. They each cooked a small piece of meat over the fire, and tasted it. It was surprisingly not so bad. Better than demorat meat for sure, but nowhere near as good as a decent burger from back home.

They spent the rest of the night stripping the meat from the bones, and cooking it over the fire. Eddie could tell that the demodog meat would last them awhile. Once the meat had cooled off, Eddie put it into Tupperware containers. He gave half of the containers to Max, so she could store them in her trailer.

“Look!” Max said, excitedly pointing up at the sky.

Eddie quickly looked up, on high alert. But thankfully, there was no immediate threat. High above them, was the black jagged line across the sky. It was the weird section that looked like the sky had been stitched up. But tonight, it looked different. The dark line across the sky had grown in size, and the stitches had split open in a small section. Eddie could see that a small patch of dark sky was visible, and he could see stars above them. He stared up at the surprising sight, awestruck.

“Stars,” Eddie murmured. His eyes welled up, and he started to cry a little at the sight. Eddie had never been so happy to see stars in his life. He had become so used to the Upside Down’s permanent night sky, that the stars were a refreshing sight. “Holy shit.”

Eddie tilted his head slightly to the side, listening intently. Distantly, he could hear the sounds of civilization. Someone was playing music, and he could hear the rumble of a loud vehicle followed by someone honking repeatedly. He figured that if their alternate dimension, and the Rightside Up were perfectly lined up, then that meant that they were looking up at the real trailer park. High above them, there were cars on the road, and people.

“Listen,” Eddie said. “Can you hear that? There’s people topside. And cars, and stuff.”

Up there, that was their real home. It’s where they should be right now. The sounds of people and cars made Eddie so much more homesick. His eyes blurred with hot tears, as he listened intently. They were so close to home, and yet, so deeply far away at the same time. His heart ached, knowing that they were unable to reach the tear across the sky, that they were still trapped down there.

Max glanced over at him. She was crying a little, too. “That’s our home up there, the Rightside Up. We just have to find a way to get high enough, and then we can go back home.”

“Yeah.” Eddie had no idea how they’d be able to do that. The stars were so high up. But the small flicker of hope in his chest grew in size, as he thought about it. “We’ll get home one day, the both of us.”

“Let’s scream as loud as we can, at the top of our voices,” Max suggested. “Someone will hear us, and they’ll come save us.”

Eddie nodded. It was worth a shot. They both started screaming as loud as they could. Eddie also banged his spear against his shield, trying to be as loud as possible. They were both hoping desperately that someone from the trailer park would hear them, and they’d come outside to see what was going on. If they went to go check it out, they’d see that Eddie and Max needed help. And then they could get back home.

Distantly, Eddie heard someone shout out an angry retort. “It’s four o’clock in the morning, assholes! Shut the fuck up!”

Eddie and Max turned to look at each other. Someone had heard them! They needed to scream louder, make more noise. But although they continued screaming even louder this time, nobody came to check on them. They screamed until their throats were raw, and Eddie’s voice was hoarse. And he knew that nobody was coming to rescue them that night, that it had all been for naught. They were never getting out of there.

Chapter Text

Max had been unusually quiet all day. She was normally pretty chatty, and they would often talk to pass the time. But not today. Something was clearly on her mind. Eddie didn’t like that she was so quiet. He thought that maybe she was feeling homesick, or something. Eddie knew that he certainly was. All he could think about was getting topside, and that was his driving force that kept him going most days. Eddie had tried a few times to engage Max in conversation, but she only gave clipped monosyllabic answers, until he’d eventually given up. Eddie wondered if maybe she was mad at him about something – though he had no idea what she was mad about. So, he’d mostly just left her alone to her own thoughts.

They had been in the Upside Down together for a few weeks. Eddie wasn’t sure exactly how long, and he wasn’t so good at remembering to mark off the days. But it had been awhile. Long enough that they were both becoming more comfortable with each other. Eddie found that Max was pretty sarcastic, and kind of mouthy. But he liked her. She was funny, smart, and sometimes kind of annoying. Eddie had begun to think of her as his weird little sister. Which was why it seemed so weird that she was suddenly freezing him out, and refusing to talk to him. He couldn’t think of anything that he’d done to warrant the silent treatment.

Early that morning, they’d gone rat hunting. They’d long since eaten through their demodog meat stash, emptying out the containers. Which was kind of sad, because the meat tasted significantly better than the rats Eddie had been eating before Max’s arrival. Demodog meat was oily, but it had a better taste overall, and a better texture. And so, they were back to hunting down the beady-eyed rats.

Eddie and Max had managed to capture four rats, so they had two apiece. It was a fair amount of meat, and they began cooking them over the fire, staying close to the orange flames as they always did. But even when they had been hunting, and then eating their breakfast, Max still barely said anything to him.

Eddie sat on the green and white vinyl lawn chair, keeping an eye on his food. He had gutted the rats, and was slowly turning them on a rotisserie. Max had cooked hers already, spearing them on a wooden stick, and holding them in the flames. The way Max cooked her dinner always reminded him of cooking marshmallows over a campfire. She would stick them right into the flames, until the outside was quite charred. Eddie figured that he’d been in the Upside Down for too long, because the cooking demorat meat didn’t even turn his stomach anymore. It just smelled like meat. His mouth salivated at the thought of eating them.

Eddie removed his meat from the fire, quickly plating it. It smelled really good, and the meat looked really crispy. It was still too hot to eat, though. He would burn his fingers, and his mouth if he tried. Eddie started to blow on his food, trying to cool it off. Soon, it would be ready to eat.

“I’m leaving the trailer park,” Max said, staring down at her sneakers. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

Eddie nearly dropped the meat chunk in the dirt. He raised his eyebrows at her in surprise, processing what Max had just said. She was still staring down at her sneakers. Max finally looked up at him, a dark expression on her face.

“What?” he asked. Hot grease dripped down onto his fingers, and he quickly set the meat back down on his plate.

“You heard me. I’m leaving.” Max scowled at him. “I can’t just sit here, and wait for help to arrive. We’ve been down here for ages, and nobody’s shown up. So, I’m leaving.”

“They’ll come.” Eddie frowned. “Our friends would never abandon us. They’ll show up, and they’ll get us home.”

“Stop saying that!” Max shouted, tossing her stick down onto the dirt. “We both know it’s not true. So, stop saying it! Nobody’s coming. If they were coming to save us, they would’ve done so already. We’ve been here forever.”

“Steve and Dustin would never just abandon us like this,” Eddie said. “Henderson is one of the most stubborn kids I’ve ever met. And he cares so goddamned much. You’ve known them longer than I have, you know they’d never just abandon us to rot down here. Dustin will find us a way out. Like you kids did last time. We just have to be patient.”

“Well, where is he, then?” Max said, irritated. “Huh? Look around, Eddie. It’s just the two of us. I don’t see Steve, or Nancy. And I certainly don’t see Dustin anywhere.”

“He’ll come.” Eddie slouched down in his seat, and stared out at the trailer park. Max was right, it was just the two of them. Them, and the rats, and the monsters. But their friends would come.

“We can’t just sit in this stupid trailer park forever.” Max stared up at the sky, at the closed off seam high above them. After that night when they had seen the stars, Max and Eddie had spent the entire night plotting up ways to get up there. They’d sat on the grass, staring up at the stars, enchanted by the sight. They’d tried screaming again, yearning to be heard. But when they woke up in the morning, the hole in the sky had been sealed up tight. There was no more sign of the stars, or blue sky. No sounds of traffic, or people from the surface. They were depressingly trapped down here. “There must be another way home. And I’ve been thinking about how we’re going to get out of here.”

“Well, go on,” Eddie said. “Tell me what you’ve worked out. What’s the big plan?”

“This stitched-up seam above us, it’s not just directly above this small section of the trailer park. Look, you can see how far that black line goes. It keeps going, right through the rest of the park,” Max said. “And I bet it goes all the way to downtown Hawkins. If we follow the seam, I’m sure that we could find another entrance to our own world. There could be another open section, the stitches undone like they were here. We’ve seen the stars, so we both know that that’s our world up there.”

“It’s pretty high up, though,” Eddie said. “So, we find a rip in the seam. Then what?”

“I know it’s really high up. Obviously, that makes things trickier,” Max said, rolling her eyes. “But if we go downtown, we could climb up onto one of the buildings, and try to get home. Climb onto the town hall, or the library, or something. We could try and scream, and get someone’s attention. If we’re loud enough, someone from town could help us. They could use a helicopter, or drop a rope, or something, and pull us to safety. I don’t know. But we need to find our own way out of this hellhole. Because nobody’s coming to save us, Eddie. And I don’t want to sit down here, and eat rat meat for the rest of my life. I want to get out, and so do you.”

“Red, we’ve gone through this before. If our friends show up, I think that they’ll look here first,” Eddie said. “The last time that I saw Dustin and the others, I was here, at my trailer. That means we have to stick close to home. Besides, Dustin and I fortified the trailer, so it’s safest here. Those four walls will protect us from the monsters.”

“But they’re not coming!” Max said, glaring at him. “If they were going to save us and bring us home, they’d have done it already. We need to find our own way out of here. I’m going downtown. Are you coming with me, or not?”

“I know I’m normally a pessimist, but I need to hold onto this small hope, okay? I know they’ll come for us,” Eddie said, standing up. “No, I’m not leaving. This is my home.”

“Fine. Screw it, I’ll go alone.”

“Absolutely not.” Eddie crossed his arms over his chest, and glared at her. “You’re not running off alone in the Upside Down. You’ll die. There are monsters out there, as you know full well. You wouldn’t last a day.”

“I wasn’t asking for your permission, because I don’t need it.” Max gave him a dark look. “I’ll go find my own way out of this place. Don’t worry, I’ll tell them that you’re down here, that you’re waiting at your trailer for a rescue, like some damsel in distress.”

“I’m no damsel.” Eddie went back to eating his food. “If anything, I’m the knight in shining armour.”

Max smirked at him. “Oh, really.”

Eddie wasn’t sure if she was serious about striking it out on her own, or if she was calling his bluff. Trying to force his hand, like Max had done when he didn’t want to fight the demodogs. But Eddie knew that Max would die if she went out there alone like that. And he was supposed to be her protector. Some protector he’d be, if he stayed at the trailer, while she ran off into danger. Maybe they were both too stubborn for their own good.

Eddie had no intention of leaving, when they didn’t even have a plan in place. This was his home, and he was perfectly comfortable staying right here, until help showed up. He’d been trying to make it more comfortable, setting up a permanent firepit, with camping chairs, and the picnic table. The place was really starting to come together. Eddie and Max were supposed to stick together. That was the rule. Eddie knew that if Max did decide to leave, he’d have no choice but to follow after her – and he was pretty sure that she was relying on that information to get him to leave the trailer park.

“Well, it looks like you’ve made up your mind.” Eddie gave her a sarcastic look, then sat back in the vinyl lawn chair. He watched as Max started to wrap the cooling meat in a strip of material, storing it into her bag. “Bye. Have fun.”

“You’re really not coming with me?” Max asked.

“No.”

Max rolled her eyes at him, then stormed off. She went into the Munson trailer, the door slamming behind her. She returned a few minutes later, with one of their blankets. Max rolled it up into a small bundle, and tied it to the top of her backpack.

“There’s monsters out there,” Eddie reminded her, with a snarky tone. He twisted sideways in his chair, draping his long legs over the side of the armrest. “Big ones.”

“I’m aware, thanks.”

“Bring a weapon with you. And some matches. You’ll need to do your own hunting, and you’ll have to cook your own meat.”

“I got it, Ed.” Max shot him an irritated look. “I can handle my own, thanks.”

“Cool. Good luck,” Eddie said, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile. “You’ll need it.”

Eddie watched as Max put on her heavy backpack, and pulled her hood over her hair. She adjusted the straps, tightening them. She gave a long look around her surroundings, staring at the Munson trailer, then glancing back at her own home. She had a fiercely determined look on her face.

“Okay, I’m leaving now,” Max said, staring at Eddie. “Last chance to come with me.”

“Bye, kid.” Eddie smirked at her. “Try not to get eaten.”

Max sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes at him. “Have fun on your own, Edward Munson.”

Eddie laughed when she used his full name like that. Nobody ever called him Edward – except his uncle, sometimes, when he’d get annoyed at his antics. And even then, Wayne did it sparingly. It sounded funny, coming from the angry kid standing in front of him.

“Ditto, Maxine Mayfield,” Eddie said, using Red’s full name. “This was fun while it lasted, us hanging out together. Have fun striking it out on your own.”

“It’s Max!” she shouted, annoyed, before turning on her heel. Max stormed off.

Eddie expected that she’d walk to the end of the driveway, then turn around and come back home once she realized how dire and foolish it was to go out on her own. She would come back, and that would be the end of it. But to his surprise, Max made it to the end of the driveway, walking about twenty feet away, then thirty. She continued marching down the road, refusing to turn back.

Eddie frowned, watching her leave. He hadn’t realized that she was actually serious about leaving. He began to feel a slight amount of anxiety rise in his chest, at the thought of her actually leaving. He took a small bite of the rat meat, wincing slightly at the taste. It was still piping hot, but he was starving. Eddie glanced up, and realized that Max had stopped in her tracks.

“Aren’t you going to head on your big adventure?” Eddie called out, taking a bite from his dinner. “Or have you realized that you should stay here?”

“Whatever you’re doing, stop it right now!” Max shouted at him. She glared at him over her shoulder. “I’m serious, Eddie.”

“Stop what?” Eddie asked, confused. “I’m literally just sitting here.”

“Stop keeping me here.” She turned around, glaring at him. “I told you, I want to leave.”

“You know that I think we ought to stick together,” Eddie said. “But I’m not stopping you. If you really feel that you need to go, then by all means – leave. You know where to find me.”

He watched as Max turned away from him, and tried to walk off. She stopped in her tracks again. “You need to let me go, Eddie Munson!”

“Then go!” Eddie said, annoyed. “Christ, Max. Just go! It’s what you want.”

“I can’t!” Max let out a yell of frustration, turning to face him again. She stamped her feet on the ground, her face screwed up with anger. “Because whatever you’re doing, you’re preventing me from leaving!”

“What the hell, Max? I’m not doing shit.” Eddie frowned. “I swear, I’m not doing anything.”

“For the record, I don’t want to be stuck here with you!”

“Ouch!” Eddie said, throwing his hand to his chest in mock pain. He frowned at her. “Mad Max, your words sting. I am wounded.”

“It’s not personal, okay? You’re a nice enough guy. It’s just – I want to go home. I don’t want to be in this freaking place any more!” Max said, her voice raised. “I have to find a way out of here. And if that means walking through hell until I find a way home, then so be it.”

Eddie knew that he was not preventing Max from leaving. It hurt that she would rather be on her own with the monsters, than with him. This place was scary as anything, and he could do with her company. It was best to stick together. But Eddie wasn’t physically making her stay against her own will. So, if it wasn’t him that was preventing Max from leaving, it must be something else. He got to his feet, and slowly took a step back. He watched as Max was yanked backwards, her sneakers leaving slide marks in the dirt.

“Eddie!” Max let out a terrible shout, cursing loudly. “What the fuck?”

“Sorry!” Eddie took two steps forward this time. “Okay, start walking.”

Max gave him a funny look, but then she was able to move two steps in front of her. On the third step, she struggled to move forward. She was moving her body, but it was like she’d started glitching. Max swore loudly, fighting against it. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t take a third step forward. She was stuck in place.

“I swear, I’m not doing anything to stop you from moving forward. It’s like we’re tethered,” Eddie said, raising his voice so Max could hear him. “I think we’re like, attached, or something. Connected in some way. I don’t know. You’re only able to move forward a certain amount.”

“Are you saying I’m on an invisible leash?” Max asked. “Rude.”

“Yeah, I think that’s what’s going on.”

“Why the fuck –“

“You think I haven an answer for that? I’d say we’re about a hundred feet apart right now, give or take.” Eddie rested his elbows on his knees, watching her pace back and forth. “Like it’s my fault that we’re tethered. I didn’t ask for this.”

“Well, neither did I!” Max shouted.

Eddie frowned. As far as he knew, they were the only two people in the Upside Down, and they were connected, roped into this adventure together. If he’d had to choose anyone, he’d have chosen Dustin, Robin, or Steve for the company. Nancy would be nice company too – especially if she had her gun. Red wasn’t his top choice. And that wasn’t personal, it was just that he barely even knew her. And Max had made it clear that he was definitely not her first choice, either. But here they were, stuck together, while all their friends were topside. It wasn’t ideal, but there was nothing he could do to change their circumstances.

“It could be worse,” Eddie joked. “We could have ended up being conjoined twins, or sharing a body, or something. Some kind of hive mind thing.”

Max grimaced. “Ew.”

“Yeah, ew. A hundred feet is a fair enough distance.”

“A hundred feet is nothing. You need to let me go.” Max frowned. “If you’re staying at your own trailer, then I can’t even go to my own place. I don’t want to be tethered to you – or anyone.”

“Max, I told you – I’m not doing this to you. The only reason why I don’t want you to go out there on your own, is because I’m worried that you’ll get hurt, or killed. This place is terrifying, and it’s full of dangerous monsters,” Eddie said. “But I’m not doing this to you, I swear. I’m not physically stopping you. I want you to be able to go as far as you want to.”

“We weren’t tethered before.” Max crossed her arms. “When I first got here, I was in my trailer, and you were in yours. But the second I try to leave on my own, we’re suddenly stuck together. This isn’t right, Eddie. If you’re behind this –“

“I’m not.”

Max took off her backpack, and dumped it on the ground. She sat down, burying her head in her hands. She started sobbing, shoulders shaking. Eddie immediately felt bad for being so snarky with her. It was clear that she was upset about everything that was going on.

“Hey.” Eddie approached slowly, keeping his voice low. He crouched down beside her. “Max, hey. It’s going to be okay.”

“Nothing’s okay!” Max said, her voice slightly muffled. She was quiet for about a minute, then she finally lowered her hands. “You don’t seem to realize just how difficult this has been for me. Not to mention confusing as hell. I was supposed to help defeat Vecna. We all were. We stick to the plan, and we defeat the monster. What went wrong? Were we even successful? Instead of waking up at the Creel House with Lucas, and Erica, I ended up here. Stuck in this shitty little hellhole. I want to go home!”

“I don’t have those answers for you, unfortunately. I mean, what are we even doing here?” Eddie asked. “I’ve been asking myself that question every day. Why just us? Why are we trapped in this stupid place? It’s so frustrating, to not have any answers.”

Max had turned her face towards him, resting her cheek on her arm. She was listening, but she didn’t say anything. Eddie gave her a sympathetic look, seeing that she was still crying.

“I’m going to tell you something, that I probably should’ve told you earlier. I died, Max. I remember dying, okay? Can you imagine how agonizing that was, to get eaten alive by demobats? I fucking died. And then I woke up on the ground, alone, in this shithole.” Eddie defensively crossed his arms over his chest, and stared at the ground. “I don’t understand it at all, but that’s what happened. And even though I remembered dying, my wounds were partially healed. I was in a lot of pain. Maybe this is purgatory, and our souls are trapped forever. Or maybe we’re both dead. That’s my theory, anyway.”

“I’m not dead. I refuse to believe that.” Max stared at him, with a hurt expression. “I refuse to believe that we’re dead.”

“Even if it might be true?”

“It’s not. We’re not dead, okay?” Max said, quickly. “I’m here, you’re here. And we’re going to get the hell out of this place, right? We both get out alive, that’s what you said. Both of us.”

“I did say that.” Eddie nodded. “I made a promise to you, that I’d protect you. And I meant it. We’re both going to get out of here together. I’m going to make sure you get home.”

“I’ve got something to tell you, too. I keep having this weird dream.” Max was hugged her knees to her chest. She still looked really upset. “I’ve dreamt over and over that I’m dying. Lucas is there, and he’s holding me in his arms. And I’m so scared, because I know I’m about to die. And I can’t see anything. I’m blind, and terrified. And I can just hear his voice. Lucas is terrified, too. He’s so scared. And then, I die.”

Eddie frowned. So, he wasn’t the only one that remembered his own death. Max recalled the same thing. They both had similar experiences. Dying, or the memory of it, and then finding themselves here. Eddie didn’t want it to be true, that they were both dead. But what other explanation could there be? He hesitated, then reached out to put his hand on Max’s shoulder.

“Do you think it’s a memory?” Eddie asked, thinking about his own memory of dying. They had both died, and yet, were still inexplicably there. It still didn’t really make much sense to him.

“Maybe it’s just a bad dream?”

“I don’t know. But the dream always felt so real,” Max said. “And it’s not like I’ve had the dream just once. I’ve had it almost every night since I got here. Again and again, I have to hear Lucas crying, telling me to hold on. His arms around my broken body.

“I didn’t know. Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It’s just a nightmare.” Max shrugged. “You’ve had nightmares pretty much every night, too. You talk in your sleep. And you get a bit twitchy. So, I know I’m not the only one that’s been having them. Why didn’t you say anything to me about your nightmares, Eddie?”

“Didn’t want to alarm you. I thought I was doing a pretty good job of hiding them from you,” Eddie said, with a shrug. “Sorry.”

“Eddie, I don’t want to stay here anymore. Please, just come with me,” Max pleaded. “Let’s just follow the seam, and see if we can find a way home. We already know that that crack in the sky sometimes opens up, because we’ve seen the stars. The stitches come undone sometimes. And I can’t go alone, not if we’re tethered, or whatever. I want to go, but we both have to do this together. I swear – if we don’t find anything, we can come back home to the trailer park. But I have to see this through.”

Eddie’s heart pounded in his chest at the thought of leaving. The trailer park was the only home he’d known for the past decade. Being at the trailer, surrounded by the other-dimension version of his things, his uncle’s hats and mugs proudly displayed on the walls, his metal posters on his bedroom walls, all his personal belongings – this was home. Until he could get to his actual trailer on the Rightside Up, this place was home base. He didn’t want to leave the safety of the trailer behind, for dangers unknown.

Leaving was stressful. When he had followed the girls down into the Watergate at the bottom of Lover’s Lake, it had been one of most nerve-racking times of his life. The constant threat of getting mauled by monsters, seeing Steve get attacked, the earthquakes, the lightning – it was all too much. He had been certain that he would die at any second. And being trapped down here again was just as torturous. Every day felt like it could be his last.

“I don’t want to go.”

“Please, Eddie.”

“Fine.” Eddie sighed, and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Just this once. We follow the line, and try to find an exit. But then we need to come back to the trailer. You’ve got yourself one day, then we come back.”

“One day? That’s nothing. We’ll never get anything done in just a day.” Max scowled at him. “Three days. Bare minimum.”

Eddie scrunched up his face at her. Three days? Jesus. That was an awfully long time. “Two.”

“Two days.” Max held out her hand, and Eddie shook it. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Eddie was already regretting his decision. This was going to be the longest two days of his life. But he was a man of his word, and he could tell that this was important to Max. They would go out there, and see what was out there. Two days, as promised.

Chapter Text

Once they got home, Hopper quickly started to make dinner. Eleven could hear him talking to Joyce in the kitchen, as they caught each other up on how their day went. Eleven went into the bedroom she shared with Will, and saw that he was sitting at his desk, working on a drawing.

“Will, can I use your art supplies?” Eleven asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Will said, glancing up at her. He watched her for a moment as she dug through the large box of pencil crayons, pulling out the colours that she wanted. El grabbed a few sheets of paper, and sprawled out on her bottom bunk. She started to draw.

At first, the room was silent as both siblings worked on their respective art projects. Will glanced over at her a few times, curious about what El was working on. She was frowning, colouring as fast as she could.

“What are you working on?” Will finally asked, setting his pencil down. He turned in his seat, resting his elbow on the back of his chair, facing her. Will watched Eleven draw. “Can I see?”

“Something happened earlier, when I was with Max at the hospital,” Eleven said, glancing up at him. “I was in Max’s mind, and I saw something weird. I’m drawing it, so that I can show you what it looked like.”

“What?” Will’s interest was piqued. He raised his eyebrows. “You saw something? What is it? Is Max going to wake up?”

“I don’t know. I read her a few chapters of that hypnosis book you found, about the doors of the mind. Then I went into Max’s mind, and I tried to picture a door. And at first, nothing happened. But then, a door actually appeared.” Eleven glanced up at him. “It was just standing there, in the middle of the void. It was locked up tight, and I tried everything, but I couldn’t open it.”

“Wait, a door actually appeared?” Will asked. He glanced over at their brown wooden bedroom door. “Like our bedroom door? Or like, a front door of a house?”

“A bedroom door. This is what I saw,” Eleven said. She finished up working on her drawing for a few more seconds, then showed it to him. “This is just a quick sketch, but it’s what I saw. Okay, so this black room, it’s the void. This is Max’s mind. It’s where I go when I look for people. It’s where I found you when you were missing. And I’ve been able to go in there, and find other people when I need to. Like when I saw all our friends in Max’s trailer, making plans against Vecna. Since Max got hurt by Vecna, it’s been empty. But tonight at the hospital, I saw something. A door. This blue door. I’ve never seen it before. That must mean something, right?”

Will stared down at her drawing. “You’ve ever seen this door before in real life?”

“No. Never.” El shook her head. “It’s hand painted. There was pale pink paint underneath. This kind of door, I’d remember if I’d seen it before. It’s really distinct. I was reading part of your hypnotism book, and they were talking about picturing a door in your mind. So, I tried it.”

“Do you think this door belongs to Max?” Will asked. “Maybe it’s the doorway to part of her mind, or something.”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

“I know one way that we can find out,” Will said. “Mrs. Mayfield’s staying at the school. I know which classroom she’s staying in; I saw her this afternoon. We can go and talk to her, and ask her if she recognizes this door as Max’s.”

“Yeah, we should go ask her!” Eleven said, folding up her sketch. “I can show her my drawing.”

Will and Eleven went to check if Jonathan was home, hoping that he could give them a ride to the school. But Jonathan and Argyle’s room was empty. They quickly checked the rest of the house, then looked outside. Argyle’s pizza van was not in the driveway.

“Let’s just go ask Mom,” Will said. “She’ll know where they are.”

“Okay.”

“Mom, where’s Jonathan?” Will asked, leaning on the counter. He watched as she chopped the tomatoes for their salad. “I need to ask him something.”

Joyce glanced up at him. “Oh, he won’t be back for a few more hours. Jonathan and Argyle went to the movies. I’m not sure when they’re coming back. Late tonight, I think.”

“Oh.” Will sighed.

Joyce looked at the disappointed faces of her two youngest children. “Is everything okay? What do you need to ask him?”

“El and I need a ride into town. Can either of you drive us?” Will asked, giving her a hopeful look.

“Honey, it’s nearly suppertime,” Joyce aid. “Can this wait until later?”

“This is important.” Will gave her a pleading look. “We need to talk to Max’s mom, so we can ask her something.”

“Why do you want to do that right now?” Joyce asked. “I’m sure that she’s about to eat dinner, as well. You could talk to her tomorrow, when you see her at the school.”

“It’s really important.” Eleven glanced over at Hopper. “We wanted to tell her about the door that I saw. I drew a picture of it, so I wanted to talk to Mrs. Mayfield about it.”

“Kids, I don’t think it’s such a good idea,” Hopper said, glancing from Will, to El, at their expectant faces. “I think it’s really interesting that you saw the door earlier, but I feel like we need to know more about exactly what it is before we go talk to Susan about it. I don’t want to give her false hope about her daughter’s potential recovery. That poor woman, she’s gone through so much. This could really break her.”

“She needs to know.”

“If one of us was in a coma, wouldn’t you want to know?” Will asked.

“That’s a very interesting question,” Hopper said. “But right now, we need to eat dinner.”

“Hopper’s right,” Joyce said, glancing at her two children. “Supper’s almost ready. I think this can wait. If you want, I can go to the school with you tomorrow morning. It might help, if she hears it from a parent. I’ve gone through the pain of losing a child when you went missing, Will. I can relate to what she’s going through.”

“Mom!” Will said, frustrated. “It’s really important!”

“Yeah,” El said. “I’m really worried about Max.”

“I am too, honey,” Joyce said. She glanced up at Hopper for a few seconds, and he raised her eyebrows at her. Joyce turned back to the kids, and sighed. “Okay. When we’re done supper, you guys can bike down to the school. But don’t take too long.”

“Yeah.” Hopper nodded. “Your mom and I are going to have a date night tonight. We’re going to watch a movie, drink some wine.”

Eleven knew that if they went out to the school after dinner, they would have to be quick about it. The soldiers patrolling the town were really strict about the nightly curfew. Jonathan and Argyle were older, so they could be out later. But El and Will were only fifteen, so they couldn’t be out past a certain hour. They’d have to hustle.

“Well, since we’re already going to the school tonight,” Will said, his eyes lighting up, “Couldn’t we just stay at Dustin’s for a sleepover? As soon as we’re done at the school, we could just go to his place. Then you two can have your date night, and have the cabin to yourselves, and we won’t get in trouble for breaking curfew.”

“Yeah, can we?” Eleven asked. “We can just stay at Dustin’s.”

“You’re pushing it.” Hopper frowned at him. “We agreed to letting you bike to the school, not a sleepover.”

“They’ve got a point, though. It would be nice, having some alone time,” Joyce said, smiling up at him. “Jonathan and Argyle won’t be back for a while.”

“Fine.” Hopper nodded, giving Joyce a quick peck on the cheek. “But call us from his house, so we know you got in safe.”

“Deal!” Will said, grinning at her. “Thanks, Mom.”

As soon as dinner was ready, the kids ate as fast as they could. Joyce laughed, and told them to slow down a few times. Will and El were practically shovelling the food into their mouths.

They were determined to get out of there before Joyce changed her mind. Joyce and Hopper said goodbye to the kids, watching them rush outside. Eleven grabbed a few things, shoving them into her backpack along with the drawing of the door she’d done earlier. She was eager to leave straight away, and she quickly buckled up her helmet, and grabbed her bike.

“What are we even going to tell Mrs. Mayfield?” Will asked, as they started to bike down the driveway. He glanced over at Eleven. “How exactly are we going to word this?”

“I don’t know.”

“Do you think Mom’s right?” Will asked. “Maybe we should wait until tomorrow, to talk to her.”

“No, we should tell her tonight.”

Eleven and Will biked down to Hawkins High, where a great deal of the displaced people were still living. So many of the buildings had been damaged in Hawkins, that the town was still struggling to find homes for everyone. The town had been slowly relocating some residents into empty motel rooms, or apartments. The military were bringing in trailers, but it wasn’t enough housing for everyone. People were staying in their neighbour’s spare rooms, families opened their homes to their relatives, or were letting strangers live with them. Others had chosen to leave town altogether, moving to the city, or to nearby towns. Once Hawkins was rebuilt, people could move back into their homes again, and things would return to normal. Susan Mayfield was staying in one of the classrooms, her cot set up against one of the walls. There were soundproof partitions set up, to separate her living quarters from the others that shared her classroom. The partitions divided the living spaces moderately well, creating small ‘rooms’. They were modest, but adequate. Everyone shared the washrooms, and the cafeteria was well stocked.

The classroom where Susan lived, was home to another single individual, as well as two families with children. Will and El walked past the two families. There were children running about, laughing and talking in the makeshift hallway running down the center of the classroom. It was nearly the kids’ bedtime, and they were burning off their energy beforehand. Each family had hung a blanket across their doorway for privacy. Will and Eleven could hear muffled voices from the first family’s living area. The family right beside Susan’s living area, had a crying baby. Eleven covered her ears, as they walked past. The sound was loud, and irritating.

“Here we are,” Will said, as they stopped in front of the last section. “This is Susan’s place.”

“Mrs. Mayfield?” Eleven called out.

Susan had nailed a floral bedsheet to the partition, as a makeshift door. It wasn’t much, but it gave the woman some privacy. There was a small sign hanging by the entrance, with her name written on it. The kids stood awkwardly in front of her curtained entrance, waiting for her to respond. They heard the bed creak, and Susan pulled back the curtain to see who was there. Susan Mayfield’s living area was small, but she tried to make the best of the space provided to her. She had a cot, a small fridge, a hot plate, and a small clothesline set up across one section. There were pictures of her and Max tacked to the wall beside her bed, and a few small cardboard boxes of belongings – everything she had managed to salvage from her destroyed trailer. Susan had a little radio on the windowsill, and purple curtains on the window. She’d made the place her own, as best as she could.

“Hello, Mrs. Mayfield,” Will said, smiling at her. “We wanted to talk to you about something. Is this a good time?”

“Will, El,” Susan greeted them, her eyebrows raised. She gave them a curious look. “What are you doing here? You’re not still working at this hour? I thought the volunteers had already gone home.”

“We were volunteering here earlier,” Will said, “but we finished hours ago. We came back, because we wanted to talk to you.”

“Sorry, I know it’s late.” Eleven toyed with the strap of her bike helmet. “We just need to talk to you for a few minutes, Mrs. Mayfield. If that’s okay.”

Susan Mayfield was a tall, thin woman. She looked a great deal like her daughter, with the same wispy red hair, the same kind eyes. She gave them a tired look, setting her paperback down on the windowsill beside her.

“You both know you can call me Susan,” she said, looking from Will, to El. “How are you two doing?”

“We’re doing okay.” Eleven smiled.

“Come in, both of you.” Susan swept her hand out to her small living area. “Have a seat.”

Will went and sat down at the school desk, and Eleven sat down beside Susan on the bed. She toyed with the strap of her bike helmet, thinking about what to say to her friend’s mother. She didn’t want to give the woman false hope, as Joyce had feared. But she wanted to be upfront and honest about her recent experience.

Susan had been a wreck after her daughter had ended up in the hospital. She had been injured when her trailer was destroyed, and she’d ended up in the hospital for a while as she recovered. She’d stayed at her daughter’s bedside for weeks, sitting with Max’s many friends and members of the party. They normally only saw her at the hospital, or in the cafeteria, so it felt like they were sort of intruding, by being in her personal living quarters.

Eleven felt bad for her. The pain of losing her daughter like that must be unimaginable, especially since she’d lost Billy not too long ago. When El had lost her father, there were days when she didn’t think she could go on. But at least she’d had her mother and brothers at her side. Susan had been through so much, and she was alone. She’d had to move from her house, to the trailer park after her husband had decided to leave her. And now, she’d lost the trailer as well. One kid dead, another in a coma. It just wasn’t fair. Eleven thought that it must be difficult to live in the cramped, loud classroom with the other families, sharing the space with a dozen others. That amount of loss and grief would be extremely difficult to deal with.

Joyce had offered Susan a place at their cabin, even though it was already quite crowded. It was quite small, with four teens, and two parents living there. Susan had considered their offer, but she’d declined when she’d realized that there just wouldn’t be enough room. Even when they’d had the new addition built to accommodate their growing family, the place was just too small. Eleven knew that Susan had been staying at the Wheelers’ house at first, along with some other residents who’d needed a place to stay, but then Susan had recently decided to move into the school, where she would get her own room.

“I went to see Max today, and there’s something important that you need to know.”

“Is Max okay?” Susan asked, worried. “Did something happen?”

“She’s still in a coma,” Eleven told her. “Nothing’s changed.”

“Okay.” Susan nodded. “So, what is this about?”

“We just wanted to show you something,” Will said. He took Eleven’s drawing out of the bag, and handed it to Susan. “Do you recognize this?”

Susan stared down at the crude sketch, confused. She glanced up at the kids. “I’m sorry, but what is this?”

“Please, do you recognize it?” El asked. “We’ll explain after, I promise. But does this drawing mean anything to you?”

“We were hoping you could help us identify it,” Will said. He glanced over at Eleven, then looked back to Susan. “El drew it. Does this door look familiar to you?”

Susan squinted down at the drawing, eyebrows etched together. For a second, Eleven thought that they had made a mistake. Maybe this wasn’t Max’s door after all – and it had been mere coincidence that the door had appeared in Max’s mind. Just a random door, and nothing else. Mom was right; they should’ve waited until they had more information. But then, Susan looked up at Will, and Eleven. She gave them a funny look.

“Yeah, I know this door,” Susan said. “It looks like my daughter’s old bedroom door, from when we were living in California. When she was about five or six, we rented this older rundown house. Max had a blue door just like this.”

Eleven and Will exchanged a look. So, it was Max’s door after all. Well, that was reassuring. Eleven breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Susan recognized the door. That was something.

“Did it used to be pink?” El blurted out, giving her an earnest look. “The door, was it light pink at some point?”

“Yeah.” Susan gave her another odd look, frowning at her slightly. “Yeah, it was. But how’d you know that? Max hated the colour. She said there was no way she was going to have a pink bedroom door. It was too girly. So, I took her to the hardware store. Max picked out some sky-blue paint, ‘cause she said it was her favourite colour. We painted the door together, and then we added some flowers to make it extra nice. She loved that door. Max was devastated when we had to move, and we didn’t take the door with us.”

“Mrs. Mayfield, I need to tell you something.” Eleven glanced up at Will for a second, unsure how to explain. “You know how I’ve been going into Max’s mind, trying to find her?”

Susan nodded. “Yeah, I know.”

“Well, something happened this afternoon.” Eleven paused. “I was in Max’s mind, and I saw this door. The one in the picture, with the flowers.”

Susan was frowning at her. “You saw this?”

“Yeah. And this is the first time that I’ve seen anything in her mind since she was in a coma. I tried to open the door, but I couldn’t do it.” Eleven clasped her hands in her lap. “When I touched it, the door felt very real. It was blue, with pink paint underneath. Just like the picture. But the door was locked. I tried everything, but I couldn’t open it.”

“I don’t understand.” Susan stood up, walking to the other side of the small area. She reached out, and unpinned one of Max’s school photos from the wall, holding it in her trembling hands. She stared down at the photo of Max for a few seconds, before glancing over at Will. “This door, what does it mean?”

“We don’t know yet,” Will said, quietly. He gave Susan a worried look. “That’s why we came to you. Maybe you could help shed some light on this. We think it’s a sign that Max might be waking up – but we don’t have proof or anything. All we know, is that the door appeared, when nothing has before. I’m hopeful that it’s a good sign, that she’s going to be okay. Max could be waking up, even just a little bit. That’s our theory for now, anyway.”

“She might actually wake up?” Susan Mayfield took a step back, the back of her knees hitting the edge of the cot. She promptly sat down, her eyes wide. Susan studied the pictures of Max by her bed. One of them was of Max when she’d dressed up nice for the snowball. Susan reached out to touch the photo for a second, then dropped her hand to her lap. “How sure are you about this?”

“That’s the thing, we’re not sure about any of this. Not yet. But we think that this is a sign.” Will gave Susan an uncertain smile. “El’s been checking on Max every chance she gets, and this is the first time that she’s seen anything. We wanted you to know about it. And we needed to verify that the door belonged to Max – which you just did. So far, all we know is that the door appeared.”

“Kids, I know you mean well. It’s just, I don’t know if Max is ever going to wake up,” she said, quietly. “It’s been months, and she’s still in a coma. The doctors, they’re not sure if she’ll ever regain consciousness. I’m starting to lose hope.”

“No, don’t!” Eleven said, alarmed. “Don’t say that! We can’t give up on her.”

“It’s been two months, El.”

“I know how long it’s been.” Eleven sat down beside her on the cot. “Susan, I know this has been really hard on you. On all of us. But don’t give up on Max. Please – I need her to pull through.”

“I know you’ve lost so much,” Will said. “But she’s not dead. I think Max is still in there. And we’re going to do everything we can, to get her back.”

Eleven took out the hypnosis book, and flipped through to one of the pages that she’d dog-eared. There were entire chapters dedicated to visualizing your door, and sections about how to better focus on the image in your mind. Eleven had underlined a few important sentences with her coloured pencil, a passage which described seeing the door in your mind. Eleven held it out to Susan, and watched as the woman took the book from her. Susan read the underlined sections, frowning.

“That’s what I was reading to Max just before I went into her mind. I was reading about the doorways of the mind, and how you’re supposed to picture a door. So, I did.” Eleven watched as Susan flipped through the book, then looked at the back to read the description. “When I was in there, I was picturing all the different doors from my memories. I thought maybe I could visualize my own door. And that’s when this door showed up. Only, it wasn’t my door.”

“The door that you drew, that’s definitely my daughter’s childhood bedroom door,” Susan said. “I’d like to believe that she created the door herself, seeing as how neither of you had ever seen it before. I don’t think we even have a picture with that door in it; I don’t have a lot of photos from that time. We moved around a lot.”

“Yeah.” Eleven nodded. “I think that Max made that door in her mind. It explains why I couldn’t open it. I tried everything, but it stayed shut.”

“Can you bring her back?” Susan asked, giving Eleven a hopeful look. “I don’t know how this stuff works. If you can get that door open, you can . . . bring her back?”

Eleven hesitated. She didn’t want to give Susan any false hope. She wanted to be honest and truthful about her intentions. Eleven wanted desperately to bring her friend back, if it was at all possible. She would do whatever it took to open that door, and bring Max home safe. But El was hesitant to make such a big promise, if she wasn’t entirely sure that she could do it. It was a tricky situation. That was a big promise to make to a grieving parent.

“Susan, I want you to know that I’m going to do everything I can to bring Max back,” Eleven finally said, reaching for the woman’s hand. “I miss her so much. But so far, all I know is that this door appeared – and I haven’t been able to open it yet. I’ll do my best.”

“She’s going to keep trying,” Will said. He glanced over at his sister. “El’s been going into Max’s mind as much as she can these past two months. She’s doing everything she can.”

“It’s safe, right?” Susan asked. “I’ve never really asked you too many questions about what you do. I don’t understand any of it, I only know that you’re trying to help my daughter. But is it safe for the people that you look for in the void? There’s no chance that you going into my daughter’s mind could hurt her, or anything, right? No weird side effects, or anything?”

Will and El shared a look. Eleven wasn’t sure how to answer, so she stayed quiet at first. It wasn’t really a question that she’d ever really considered. Was it safe for Max, for El to go into her friend’s mind so frequently? El had saved people by going in; it was how she’d saved Will. She’d spied on others. El had restarted Max’s heart, saved her life as well as she could. As far as she knew, none of the people that El had seen in the void had been hurt by the fact that she’d seen them in there.

“Is it safe for Max? Yeah.” Eleven nodded. “I’m just trying my best to help her.”

“And for you?” Susan asked. “Is it safe for you, El?”

Eleven hesitated. She didn’t want to admit how much it was affecting her, going into the void so often. But she knew that her frequent trips were taking a toll on her. El subconsciously swiping her hand under her nostril. The bleeding had stopped ages ago. Will saw what she had done, and he quickly jumped in.

“It . . . can be draining for her, going in there to look for Max,” Will said. “El gets tired, and she gets nosebleeds from it. But she’s going to keep trying, because El cares about Max. We all do.”

Susan eyed Eleven for a few seconds, contemplating Will’s answer. “I’ve seen you get nosebleeds before, but I didn’t know that it was because you were using your powers.”

Eleven nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay, well – I think you need to take a break, then,” Susan said. “At least, until we can figure out what’s going on.”

Eleven thought that it would be incredibly difficult to stop going into Max’s mind, especially now that the door had appeared. Hopper had stated that she should take it easy for awhile, and now, Susan was saying the same thing. Eleven frowned. She didn’t want to take their advice. “That’s what my Dad said, too. But this is the first time that –“

“The first time you saw anything. I understand that,” Susan said. “As much as I appreciate everything you’ve done for my girl, you need to take care of yourself first. Max isn’t going anywhere, Eleven. You look exhausted, honey.”

“My dad said I should take things slow,” Eleven said. “He said if I keep going, I’m going to get burnt out.”

“I think he’s right.” Susan squeezed her hand. “I want you to know that I appreciate everything you’ve done for Max.”

Eleven held out the drawing to Susan. “Do you want to keep it? You can hang it up with your pictures.”

Susan smiled at her. “Sure. It’ll give me some hope.”

Eleven hugged Susan, then stood up. She watched as the woman hung the drawing up beside Max’s snowball photo. The sketch wasn’t great, but it was enough to identify the door. Susan smiled at the drawing, with a sad, wistful smile.

“Take care of yourself, kids,” Susan said. “Remember, you’ve got to put on your own oxygen mask first, before you can help others.”

For a second, Eleven glanced over at Will because she didn’t understand what Susan was saying. But then, she realized that Susan was talking about being burnt out. If she spread herself too thin, then how would she have enough energy to care and protect for her family? She needed to take care of herself first, then she could care for Max, and everyone else in her life that she cared about. Eleven nodded.

“It’s getting late,” Will reminded his sister. “Nearly curfew.”

“Yeah.” El nodded. “We’ll see you later, Susan. We’ll keep you updated.”

Chapter Text

After Will and Eleven finished talking to Susan, they went out to the parking lot and grabbed their bikes. It was getting dark out, and they knew they’d need to hurry up and get to Dustin’s before curfew started. Will and El biked over to Dustin’s house. Claudia was working at the hospital that night, and her car wasn’t in the driveway. But they knew that Dustin was likely home. The lights were on inside, and they could hear loud music coming from inside the house.

They dropped their bikes in the front lawn, and rushed to the front door. Will rang the bell a few times. After about a minute, they heard the music abruptly stop. Dustin answered the door, slightly out of breath.

“Hi guys!” Dustin said, his eyes lighting up when he saw them.

“Hi.” Eleven said, as they went inside. “We told Mom we’d be staying at your place tonight for a sleepover. Is that okay?”

“Yeah, of course!” Dustin nodded enthusiastically. “I’d really love the company. This house is too quiet when Mom’s at work. She’s been taking a lot of night shifts lately.”

Before the earthquakes, the Henderson household comprised of just two people – Dustin, and Claudia. But since the earthquake, they’d taken in a couple – Johnny, and Dorothy Miller. They’d sectioned off their dining room, and the couple had temporarily taken over that space. Eleven thought Dot and Johnny were nice, but they were extremely reserved. Whenever she went to Dustin’s house, she rarely ever saw them. They were usually in their room, or out in the backyard.

“What were you listening to?” Will asked.

“Dio. It was one of Eddie’s favourites.” Dustin’s smile faltered, when he said Eddie’s name, and his eyes quickly slid away from Will’s face. “I’ve been trying out some of Eddie’s favourite albums, to see what I like.”

“And Dio?” Will asked. “Do you like him?”

“I do, yeah.” Dustin nodded, his smile returning slightly. “He’s a really great musician.”

Eleven could tell that he was upset, when he mentioned Eddie. She thought that Dustin was probably listening to Eddie’s music as a way of keeping a part of him close. This was something that she definitely understood. It was exactly what she’d been doing, whenever she listened to Max’s Kate Bush cassette, so she could feel like a part of Max was close to her. Music had been such an instrumental part of taking down Vecna. Music was lifesaving. It had only been two months since Eddie’s death, and Dustin was still struggling with the loss of his friend. Eddie had been an older brother to him, in the same way that Steve was.

“I have a lot of new tapes. Metallica, Dio, Iron Maiden, and some mix tapes,” Dustin told them, as they set their bike helmets down. “When Eddie’s uncle salvaged some of his tapes from their trailer, he asked me if I wanted them. He gave me a few of Eddie’s things. Mr. Munson said he figured I could get more use out of them than he would. And so far, I like all of the albums.”

“Are you going to learn guitar, too?” Eleven asked. Dustin had told them about Eddie’s epic guitar solo on the trailer roof. At one point, Dustin had let her listen to the ‘Master of Puppets’ song, so El could hear what Eddie had played that night. And the Hellfire Club members had told her about how their band used to play at the bar.

“Yeah, I’m going to learn guitar.” Dustin nodded. “I’m saving up for one, but it’s going to take awhile. I want a Warlock like Eddie had, but it’s way too expensive. I’ll probably just get a cheap guitar to start off with.”

“How much d’you have saved up so far?”

“Fifty bucks, from my birthday.” Dustin shrugged. “It’ll take me awhile. I asked mom to get me an electric guitar for Christmas, and she said she’d consider it. I know she’s not really into Eddie’s music, but she knows how much this means to me.”

“Good.” Eleven smiled.

They stopped in the kitchen for a few minutes to grab some snacks, then headed over to Dustin’s bedroom. Dustin and El sat on his bed, and watched as Will paced back and forth in his bedroom. Dustin watched him, noticing Will’s movements.

“So, what brings you guys here?” Dustin asked. “I love surprise sleepovers. But you both look really anxious. What’s going on?”

“Dustin, we’ve got something important to tell you.” Will gave him an earnest look. “It’s about Max.”

“Oh, my God. Did she wake up?” Dustin asked, giving them a wide-eyed look. “Oh, shit. I knew I should’ve visited her today. Mom wanted me to stay home, to help clean up the house. I knew I should’ve gone to the hospital –“

“No, she’s still in a coma.” Eleven tore open the bag of chips, and started to eat a few. “I went over there before supper. Kept her company.”

“What happened?”

Will quickly filled Dustin in about how Eleven saw the door in Max’s mind, and how she’d drawn the door. He told Dustin how they went to the school, and talked to Susan – and she confirmed that it was Max’s bedroom door, from back in California. They told Dustin about how the door was locked, but that Eleven was pretty sure that Max had conjured up the door, not her.

“Can I see the drawing?” Dustin asked.

“I gave it to Susan.”

“Can you draw another one for me?” Dustin asked. “I wanna see what the door looks like.”

“Okay.” Eleven nodded. “Give me a few minutes.”

Dustin went and grabbed a notepad, and a pack of pencil crayons off his desk. He watched as Eleven quickly drew the door, colouring it in blue, then adding a few vines and flowers. It was a quick sketch, not quite as detailed as the drawing she’d given to Susan – but it was enough for Dustin to get an idea of what she’d seen.

“It looked like this.” Eleven held out the drawing for him to see. “The door was in the middle of the room, and there was nothing else around it. I was able to walk around the door – and it was the same on both sides. And the door had a keyhole, and a glass doorknob.”

Dustin studied the drawing for a few seconds, then glanced up at her. “So, she’s waking up?” he asked. “She’ll be okay, right?”

Eleven shrugged. “I’m not sure. I really, really hope this door is a sign that she’s starting to wake up.”

“Yeah.”

“I’ve lost too many friends this year,” Dustin said, quickly averting his eyes. “I mean, first you guys moved away. Starting high school was really hard without all of you guys there. I had Mike, and Max – but Lucas ended up joining the basketball team. So, we didn’t really get to hang out with him as much. And then I lost Eddie, and Max nearly died – it’s been really rough.”

She could see that Dustin was tearing up. Eleven reached for him, and pulled him into a hug. She had never met Eddie, had only seen him in the void that one time. But she knew full well how upsetting it was to lose someone, to see a loved one die in front of you. She knew how much Eddie’s death had affected Dustin. It had only been two months, and he could barely talk about what had happened. The fact that he was even saying Eddie’s name today felt like a pretty big deal. He usually got quiet, and closed off whenever his older friend was mentioned.

“It’s okay, Dustin,” Eleven told him. “We’re here with you. And Max is going to be okay one day.”

“Yeah, Dustin,” Will said, sitting down beside him. “I know it’s been hard. But we’ll get through this.”

It took a minute for Dustin to regain his composure, and he wiped away his tears. Dustin laid down on his bed, drumming his fingers against his ribcage. He was frowning a little bit, staring up at the ceiling. Eleven glanced down at him, wondering what was going through his head. He was uncharacteristically quiet.

“Dustin?” Will finally asked.

“I’m just going over everything that you guys told me,” Dustin said. “The fact that the door appeared, that’s a really good sign. I really hope that it means Max is going to wake up. I want her to be okay. I guess I just don’t fully understand this whole door thing.”

“I don’t really understand it, either,” Will said. “This is something new for all of us.”

“Do you want to read the book?” Eleven asked. “Then you could understand more about how it works?”

“Okay.”

“Here, read it.” Eleven handed Dustin the book. “So far, I’ve only read the first two chapters.”

Eleven watched as Dustin started at the very beginning of the book. He was a fast reader, and it didn’t take him long to catch up to the end of chapter two where Eleven had left off at the hospital. When he was done, Dustin closed the book, and tapped his finger against the cover, deep in thought.

“So, let’s presume that everything you read from the first two chapters, Max knows as well,” Dustin finally said, as he stared up at the ceiling. “And if she knows all this stuff in those two chapters, then that makes sense why she was able to conjure up her own door.”

“Yeah.” Will nodded. “She must’ve heard El.”

“I wish you could take us into Max’s mind. I want to see this door for myself,” Dustin said. “If there was only a way that we could all go in there together, and see it.” “I don’t think it’s possible.” Will glanced over at him. “How are we all supposed to get into Max’s mind? El’s the only one who can do that.”

“What if Max is on the other side of that door? What if she’s trapped, and can’t get out?” Dustin said. “When we were in the cemetery, and Max lifted up in the air, it was horrifying. I thought she was going to die right in front of us. But thankfully, she managed to get away from Vecna, and she ran to safety. So, maybe this is something similar? Max could be trapped behind that door, unable to get out on her own. Maybe she’s trying to get out, so she can run to safety, but she’s stuck.”

“I can go into the void,” Eleven said. “But I don’t know how to bring you guys in with me.”

“We should try.” Dustin sat up, and stared at them. “We’ll use some of the techniques in your hypnosis book. Try to envision our own doors. It can be our own experiment, to see what happens. We all imagine a door.”

“Yeah. We can try,” Eleven said, glancing from Dustin, to Will. “You want to try?”

“Yeah.”

The three of them sat in a circle on the carpet. Dustin grabbed his radio, and set it in the middle of the circle. He switched it from the local station, to radio static. Eleven hoped that the static from his radio would help her focus. She slipped on her bandana, tying it snugly over the top half of her face.

“Okay, you ready?” Will asked.

Eleven nodded. “Yes.”

Eleven held out her hands. Dustin took one, and Will took the other. The bandana was blocking out all the light, and she focused her attention on the physical connection between her, and the two boys. Dustin’s room was hot, and their hands were sweaty in her tight grip. Their knees were touching, as they all sat criss-cross in a small circle on the carpet. She frowned, taking in a deep, calming breath. El imagined that an energy was flowing from her palms, into theirs. Encircling them, protecting the three of them that made up their small circle. Eleven imagined the energy as a bright golden yellow colour, like her favourite flowers. It was a safe, warm colour.

Eleven took a deep breath, calming her nerves. She had no idea if this was going to work, but she was willing to try. It would be nice if she could show Will and Dustin the blue door, instead of just being able to show them a simplistic drawing. Bring them into the void with her, show them the door. Earlier at the hospital, she hadn’t been able to open the door, but maybe one of them could. Or all three of them together. The chances seemed really slim, but El hoped that this would work.

And then, she found herself in the void. Eleven quickly looked around the large room, hoping that Dustin and Will were able to join her. But she was alone. Eleven could still hear the radio static, could still feel their hands in hers. She focused with all her energy, trying to imagine them standing beside her. For a second, she saw a flicker beside her, and she thought she saw a shadow in her peripheral vision. But when she turned her head, neither Will, nor Dustin were standing beside her.

They had all agreed to focus on the same door, so that hopefully between the three of them, they could see the door in the void. They’d picked Dustin’s sliding bedroom door. All three of them at the same time, focused on that image in their minds. Hoping to bring it into the void, as a way to bring the boys in there with her. Then, Dustin could open it – as it would be his door. But as El looked around, she couldn’t see it.

“Eleven?” Dustin said, loudly. “Do you see the door?”

Dustin’s bedroom door had not appeared as they’d hoped. But as El stood there, she saw Max’s door off in the distance. It stood about a hundred feet away. Same as before, Max’s door stood in the center of the large room. Blue, with painted vines and flowers.

“Dustin, your bedroom door isn’t here,” El said. “But I see Max’s. Her door is here.”

“Okay. Can you open try and open it?” Will asked.

Eleven went towards the door, and tried to open it. Just like before, it wouldn’t budge. She tried again, twisting the lock with no success. “No. It’s locked.”

“El,” Dustin said. “Can you try to bring us in?”

“I’ll try again.”

Eleven focused on Dustin’s bedroom door as hard as she could, seeing it in her mind. She tried to bring it into the void. El wanted her friends to appear at her side, so they could all take a look at the door together. El hated that she was the only one who could go in the void. If Dustin and Will were able to access the void the way that she could, then they could all take turns going in and checking in on Max when they visited her at the hospital. And if they all had her powers, they could all take turns dealing with the crevices around town, and doing the heavy lifting. It would be such a relief, knowing that she wasn’t the only one with powers in their small friend group. El could do with a break, knowing that all the hard work that needed doing would be in good hands. But no matter how hard she concentrated, El couldn’t bring either of them into the void with her. It just wasn’t happening.

Eleven finally pulled off the blindfold, and gave a defeated look to the two boys. She’d tried repeatedly to bring them into the void, with no success. Eleven had a massive headache, and her nose was bleeding.

“I’m sorry,” Eleven said, quietly. “I tried, I really did.”

“Hey,” Will said. “El, it’s okay. We didn’t even know if it would work. It was a longshot.”

“Yeah, El,” Dustin said. “You did your best. Are you alright?”

“Yeah.” She staunched the blood flow with a tissue, her head tilted back. She was really tired, her eyes half-lidded. Being in the void was always draining. But trying that hard to bring her friends in with her, was absolutely exhausting. “I’m alright. Just tired.”

“What did you see?” Will asked.

“I saw Max’s door,” El said. “It was locked, same as before. I couldn’t get in.”

Eleven reached for the bag of chips, and ate a few handfuls. The food helped. She chugged a can of Dr. Pepper, listening to Will and Dustin talk. For about half an hour, El laid down on the floor, a pillow under her head. She was feeling really dizzy, and sick to her stomach. Dustin and Will continued talking, trying to figure out a new plan.

“I want to try again,” El finally said, pushing herself to a sitting position. “Just once more, to see if we can all go in.”

“Is that a good idea?” Dustin asked. He frowned at her. “You’re really pale.”

“Yeah,” Will said. “You don’t look so good.”

“Just once more, and then if it doesn’t work, I’ll stop for the night.”

“Okay.”

Eleven held their hands again, and took a deep breath. She could do this. She could bring them in. But when she went back into the void, El was disappointed to find herself alone yet again. She focused on Dustin’s door, trying to bring it into existence in the void – but it just wouldn’t appear. Eleven saw Max’s blue door up ahead, and she started walking. She hoped that this time, she would be able to open it. El desperately wanted this to work.

“Okay, I’m walking towards the door,” Eleven said. “It might take a few minutes. The door is pretty far away.”

“Can you bring us in?” Will asked.

Eleven tried. She wanted them to show up, to appear beside her in the void. This large, expansive room was always much too empty. If she were able to bring Will and Dustin in with her, then she would. The void was too lonely. Eleven still felt weak and shaky. “I’m trying, but I can’t.”

“Okay,” Dustin said. “It’s okay, El. Just get to the door.”

Eleven continued walking. She was exhausted, her body was feeling the toll of what she had been trying to achieve. Each plodding step through the shallow water, was slowly closing the gap between her, and the door. She would get there, and she would open the door. And then, everything would be okay – because Max was on the other side.

The radio crackled to life beside him, and in the static, Dustin thought he heard a voice. It was so faint, that at first, he thought nothing of it. They were probably just picking up some weak radio signal. Dustin was about to turn the knob and change the frequency to a different channel, but something stayed his hand. He heard the voice again, and Dustin realized that the voice was familiar.

Dustin abruptly let go of Will’s hand, breaking the circle. He quickly reached over, twisting the volume knob way up, until the sound filled the room.

‘. . . All I’m saying, is that I think we need to get out of the trailer park. This place has way too many monsters.’

‘. . . Max. Ma-a-a-a-x! Jesus Christ, we’ve been through this. We’re staying at the trailer, because it’s safer here. This is our home.’

The lights overhead flickered, and Will glanced up, immediately on edge. He sucked in his breath. The lights went back to normal again. Dustin and Will exchanged a worried look.

“Dustin!” the woman shouted out from the hallway. “You better not be doing one of your weird experiments again!”

“Sorry, Dorothy!” Dustin called out, breathless. He waited a few seconds, listening to her retreating footsteps. “She’s going to throttle me one day, I swear.”

Will laughed weakly, but his attention was focused on the radio. Dustin’s attention was immediately drawn back to the radio, determined to hear the voices again.

‘. . . Eddie, I swear to god, you are the most annoying person I’ve ever met.’

‘. . . Right back at you, Red.’

“Eddie? Eddie!” Dustin said, loudly. He grabbed Will’s arm, his eyes widening as he listened to them talk. That was definitely Max, and Eddie. But how? It was impossible. This must be some sort of trick. Dustin looked up at Will, frowning deeply.

“That’s Eddie’s voice?” Will asked. “The guy talking to Max, that’s Eddie Munson?”

“Yes.” Dustin nodded, as he listened to Max and Eddie bicker on the radio. He didn’t know how it was possible. One was dead, the other in a coma. And yet, they sounded so very much alive. He leaned closer to the radio, trying to hear everything they were saying. God, he missed them so much.

Will scrambled to his feet, and returned with Dustin’s walkie talky. He started flipping through the channels, trying to see if he could hear them on the walkie. He pressed his ear close to the walkie, determined to hear what they were saying.

“Max, do you copy?” Will asked, as he flipped through the channels. “Eddie? Do you copy?”

They listened to the voices on the radio, to hear if the two teens would respond at all. But they kept arguing, unaware that anyone could hear them. Will and Dustin couldn’t quite make out everything they were saying, because the radio was crackly, the signal weaker. Dustin reached out and touched the radio, listening to Eddie’s loud laughter.

They both looked over at Eleven, when she let out a whine of pain. Eleven was still squeezing Dustin’s hand with a death grip, her knuckles white. Eleven’s eyes were squeezed shut, and she was wavering back and forth, her face deathly pale.

“El?” Will said, instantly worried. “Are you okay?”

The lights overhead flickered again, going bright, then back to normal again. Dustin stared at Eleven, worried for his friend’s safety. They jumped when Dorothy walked back down the hallway, and banged her fist on the door.

“Dustin, I’m telling your mother!” She shouted out. “Enough with your experiments!”

“I’m not!’ Dustin said, annoyed. He wished that the woman would go away.

“I-I can’t hold on –“ El was bleeding down the front of her shirt. She was deathly pale, and sweaty. “I-I-“

Eleven abruptly loosened her grip on Dustin’s hand, and she fell backwards until she hit the floor. The voices on the radio instantly fell silent, and the room was filled with the hiss of static. Max and Eddie were gone, the connection lost.

“Shit. El, are you okay?” Dustin said, scrambling to check on her. “Eleven!”

Will and Dustin panicked, trying to rouse her. They pulled the blindfold off, and saw that she was unconscious. Both boys were terrified, as they tried to wake her up. Eleven was breathing, but she was out cold, and unresponsive for what felt like ages. Slowly, she started to wake up. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stared up at them, disoriented.

“El, are you okay?” Will asked.

“Y-Yeah.”

“You blacked out.”

“Yeah.” Eleven sat up, leaning against Dustin’s bed. She started to cry a little. “I heard them. Max, and Eddie. I heard them talking.”

“Yeah, we heard them, too.” Will glanced over at the radio. “They were arguing, on the radio.”

“It’s a trick. It must be.” Dustin frowned. “Eddie died. So, there’s no way we could’ve heard him on the radio. And Max is in a coma. How is it even possible?”

“I don’t know,” Eleven said, quietly. “I don’t.”

“It definitely sounded like Eddie,” Dustin said. “I know his voice. The way he was laughing – it’s definitely him. And he called her Red. It was definitely Eddie’s voice.”

“But . . . how?”

Dustin turned to look at Eleven. “What did you see in there?”

“Same as before. Empty void, and the blue door. Nothing changed. I heard them talking,” Eleven said. “Their voices were echoing in the void. But I didn’t see them. I could only hear them. I shouted, screamed as loud as I could – but they didn’t answer. I don’t think they could hear me.”

Dustin grabbed a blanket off his bed, and wrapped it around Eleven’s shoulders. He offered her some more snacks, but Eleven declined. They sat quietly together, as they watched Will flip through the channels on the walkie.

“Max, do you copy?” Will repeated, trying the different channels. “Max, do you- “

“Will?” Lucas’ voice said, over the walkie talky.

“Lucas!” Will said, excitedly. “I’m at Dustin’s.”

“I’m at Mike’s house. What’s going on?” Lucas asked. “Did I hear you say Max’s name?”

“Yeah. We were trying to talk to her.” Will looked up at Dustin, unsure what else to say. He held the walkie out to Dustin.

Dustin took the walkie from him. “Guys, something’s happened, and it’s really important.”

Dustin quickly filled in Mike and Lucas, explaining to them about the door that Eleven had seen, and how she’d tried to bring them into the void. He told his friends about how they’d heard Max and Eddie’s voices over the radio.

“I want to come over there and talk to you guys in person,” Lucas said, “but it’s already past curfew. We’re going to get in trouble if we go outside this late. We could sneak out, if we’re careful, but I’m worried about getting caught by the guards.”

“No, don’t do that. Stay at Mike’s place tonight. But you guys should come over to my house first thing tomorrow morning,” Dustin said. “You guys, and Erica. We’ve got a so much to talk about.”

“First thing tomorrow,” Lucas said. “We’ll be there.”

Eleven was feeling exhausted from going into the void so much that day, and she knew that she needed to get some sleep before her friends arrived. She was exhausted. Lucas, Mike, and Erica would likely have a thousand questions, and she didn’t have the energy to answer any of them. Eleven wanted to go back into the void, to try and hear Max and Eddie again, but it had taken a huge toll on her. Dustin offered up his bed, and Eleven piled on multiple blankets, trying to keep warm. She was shivering profusely. Sleep first, talk later. Eleven was soon fast asleep. Tomorrow, she would talk to her friends. And maybe, if she was up to it, she would get to hear Max’s voice again.

Chapter Text

Although Eddie had reluctantly agreed to give Max two days to go downtown, he was having a lot of doubts about their upcoming trip. He mostly had issues with their safety, worried about them striking it out on their own. Eddie knew that this trip meant a lot to her, so he didn’t want to cancel it entirely. But there were so many dangerous things that could happen to them. Monsters roamed the land, and there were earthquakes, and lightning. She wanted to go all the way downtown, which meant they’d have to travel for miles. It just didn’t sit right with him.

Being a vampire came with its advantages. Eddie could growl, and scare off the smaller creatures with his red eyes, or use his fangs against them if he had to. Eddie knew that he’d probably be fine out there. But mostly, he was worried about Max. She was smaller, weaker. And she didn’t have fangs, or red eyes like he did. He would have to keep a close eye out for the monsters, so nothing attacked her.

The night before they went on their trip, Eddie grabbed his acoustic guitar, and climbed up onto the roof of his trailer. He sat on the edge, his legs dangling over the side. Eddie began to play, quietly strumming a song, as he stared out at the trailer park. Eddie watched the lightning, staring up at the closed-off seam across the sky.

“Hey,” Max said, standing at the base of the ladder. “Can I join you?”

“Sure.” Eddie continued playing. It was an old folk song that Uncle Wayne had taught him when he was younger. He could play it with his eyes closed. Eddie liked to let his mind wander, as he played. “C’mon up. You don’t have to ask, this is your place, too.”

They sat together, side by side, staring out at the trailer park. Lightning forked across the sky, and everything was dark, and dismal as always. Eddie glanced over at Max a few times, seeing the deep frown on her face.

“You worried at all?” Eddie asked. “About going out there?”

“Not really,” Max said, but her expression said otherwise. “We got this.”

“So, we should get a good night’s sleep tonight,” Eddie said. “We’ll head out in the morning. That is, if you’re still dead set on going out there.”

“I am.” She glanced up at him. “We’re doing this, Eddie.”

“Okay.” Eddie kept playing. “Just making sure.”

“You want to go home, right?” Max said. “Back to our Hawkins, and out of this monster-filled place.”

“Yeah, of course I do.”

“Then that’s why we have to do this. We’ll head downtown. And once we get there, we’ll find a way to contact someone from home. There’s a lot of people topside that I need.” Max paused for a second. “Like my mom, for one. And I’m sure you’re missing your uncle.”

“Every day. Do you have a specific plan, or are we just going to wing it?” Eddie asked. He stopped playing the guitar for a second, watching her.

“We’re going to wing it.”

“Okay,” Eddie said. He still thought that a terrible idea to go out there without even a basic plan. Yeah, there were so many things that could go wrong. “Well, as long as we’re only out there for two days, like we agreed to.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Max said. “I know.”

As they sat there, Eddie could see that there were a few small demodogs near the edge of the woods. After they had killed the larger demodog, the others had stayed away from the trailer park. This was the first time that he’d seen them return at night. So far, they were staying close to the treeline, choosing not to venture too close to the Munson trailer. He didn’t want them feeling comfortable enough to repeatedly come back to the trailer park. Eddie wanted the dogs to stay scared, and cautious. He leaned forward a little, needing to keep a close eye on them.

“Can I play your guitar?” Max asked.

“Do you know how?” Eddie asked.

She shook her head. “Not really.”

Eddie didn’t normally like other people touching any of his guitars. But she was interested in learning, and it wasn’t like they had a lot of activities to do down here. This wasn’t his precious Sweetheart, but just his acoustic guitar. He had an emotional attachment to it, obviously, but not as strongly. As long as Max was careful, he didn’t mind so much that she played the guitar for a little bit.

Eddie gave her a short lesson, showing her the basics. Then, he carefully handed it off to her, and watched as Max started to play. She didn’t sound very good at first, and she was a tentative player. But that was okay; he had been uncertain at first, too.

“You’ll get the hang of it,” Eddie said, trying to sound encouraging. “Keep going.”

“I sound like shit.”

“Everyone starts out as a beginner,” he assured her. “It’s okay.”

“That sounds like a polite way of saying I sound terrible.” Max glanced up at him, with a smirk.

Eddie laughed. It was true; she did sound pretty terrible – but he thought it’d be rude to say it. Max continued to play for awhile longer, but eventually, she handed the guitar back to him.

“You’re welcome to play it whenever you want.”

“Thanks,” Max said. “We should get some sleep. We’re leaving first thing tomorrow morning.”

Eddie nodded, yawning. It was getting late. “Yeah, sure.”

Eddie climbed down the ladder, and went inside his trailer. He was really tired, so he went straight to bed. Max slept on Wayne’s cot. They both fell asleep fairly quickly. When Eddie woke up a few hours later, he could hear Max making a lot of noise in the living room. He changed into fresh clothes, then went out to check on her.

“What’s going on?” Eddie asked, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“Good, you’re awake. We’ve got to hit the road,” Max said. She’d dug through the cupboards, making a pile of things that she wanted to bring with her on the trip. “We’re going to leave in a few minutes.”

“Did you sleep at all?”

“Some, yeah.”

Eddie looked at the pile of items. There was a coil of rope, a pair of oven mitts, a roll of silver duct tape, some steak knives. He gave her a bemused look.

“What is all this stuff for?” Eddie asked.

“I think we can use some of it on our trip,” Max said. “The knives we can use as weapons, and we can use the rope to try and climb up one of the buildings. Duct tape is always good to have on hand. And I was going to bring the oven mitts, to protect my hands in case something attacks me.”

“Okay,” Eddie said, nodding. They all looked like things they could use. “Yeah, cool.” They took a few minutes to get ready. Eddie filled a water bottle for each of them from the tap, and they brought the small amount of meat with them from their last hunt. They each brought a backpack of items, as well as blankets. As soon as their bags were packed, Eddie and Max headed out.

They started going through the trailer park. Eddie was walking, while Max biked beside him. He was immediately on high alert, looking all over the place in case a monster might try to creep up on them. As it was now morning, the demodogs were nowhere in sight. But they lived someplace nearby. From what he could tell, the only monsters that were close by, were the rats that scurried around. But Eddie wasn’t worried about the rats. They were fairly harmless. Still, he needed to keep a close eye out for any threats.

The woods were dark, and quiet. Eddie walked carefully, stepping over the vines. The air was thick with dust spores. It would be a long walk to get to downtown. They hiked through the woods for a good hour, going slowly. Eddie kept an eye out for monsters the entire time, constantly scanning the woods around him. A few times, they heard low growls, but he didn’t see anything. Good. He wanted their trip to go as smoothly as possible.

“Eddie,” Max said, looking up at him. She watched his eyes darting around, scanning the area. “Do you really think we’ll run into some monsters out here?”

“I hope not,” Eddie said. “I don’t want to run into anything. This is nothing like when I play DnD with my friends. In the game, I get cool weapons, and spells, and stuff. And I can rely on my friends to have my back when we’re exploring creepy caves, and dungeons and stuff. Out here, if we get hurt, we can die for real. No potions, or anything will be able to bring us back.”

“What if we like, run into a troll?” Max joked. “Or a zombie, or something?”

“God, I hope not.” Eddie shuddered. “I don’t want that to happen. If we have to fight any monsters, I just wish that they’ll be small little creatures. Something easy enough to kill. I don’t want to fight trolls, or anything like that. It’d probably kick our asses.”

They cut through the woods until they reached the walking trail. So far, everything was going fairly easy. Maybe too easy. Up ahead, Eddie could see the small, narrow bridge that went across the stream. Eddie knew that if they stayed on the path, and crossed the bridge, it would cut down a great deal of their travel time. He figured that if they continued at this rate, and they didn’t run into any trouble, then they should be able to get downtown in an hour, or two. That would give them plenty of time to find a secure place to stay for the night, and to start figuring out what their next move would be.

Eddie hesitated, hearing a distant murmur of quiet voices. He frowned, trying to figure out where the voices were coming from. He couldn’t tell what they were saying – and he wasn’t even sure if they were speaking English. Max stepped forward, about to walk her bike across the bridge, but Eddie quickly reached out a hand to stop her. She looked up at him, seeing the worried look on Eddie’s face.

“Wait,” he murmured, quietly. Eddie lifted his hand, and pointed out into the dark. “D’you hear that?”

It was clear from Max’s expression that she couldn’t hear anything. She turned to look at the bridge, confused. Eddie felt a chill go down his spine, and he knew that something was very wrong. He didn’t know what it was, but Eddie knew that they couldn’t go across the bridge; it just wasn’t safe. When he saw a flash of movement, Eddie sucked in his breath.

“You seeing that?”

“See what?” Max stood stock still, staring out into the black night. At first, she couldn’t see anything. But then, she saw a small movement as something shifted closer to them. She switched on her flashlight, slowly sweeping it across the water. The light caught on a dozen pair of unblinking eyes, the glint unnatural.

“What the hell is that? Some kind of creature?” Max said, looking up at Eddie. She frowned, uncertain.

“Dunno. I’ve never seen them before.” Eddie frowned. “They’re frogs, I think.”

“Frogs?”

Eddie watched as the creatures emerged from the murky water, their large unblinking eyes fixated on Max and Eddie. She could see that they were not ordinary frogs. They were small, but Eddie and Max could see that they were wearing small brown robes, with helmets, and belts. The frogs were clutching spears, staring fiercely at them.

“No, not frogs.” Eddie stared upwards for a second, then clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth when he recalled what they were called. “Bullywugs.”

The word was unfamiliar to Max. It sounded almost like he’d said ‘pollywogs’ – and she knew that those were the gross slug-like things that eventually grew into demodogs, and then demogorgons. Dustin had had a pollywog as a pet once, called D’Artagnan (Dart for short).

“I think you mean pollywog,” Max said, giving him a look. “Like Dart?”

“No.” Eddie gave his head a shake. “Bullywugs. They’re these frog warriors from DnD. Highly territorial. We don’t want to mess with them. If we try to cross that bridge, things’ll get messy – and then we’ll have to fight them. And I know that they can be pretty brutal.”

“We’ll go around, then,” Max said, with a short nod. “No shortcut today. We’ll have to take the longer way, and keep walking through the woods.”

“Exactly.”

They continued to trudge through the area, leaving the bullywugs behind. Max glanced over her shoulder at them, shining the light on the small frog-like creatures. She saw that they stood stock-still, staring at her and Eddie. The bullywugs clutched their spears, prepared to attack. They had a dangerous, guarded look in their eyes. Max shivered, as she quickly followed after Eddie.

“I didn’t know that there were bullywugs in the Upside Down,” Max said. “I’ve never heard anyone in the party talk about them.”

“I didn’t know either,” Eddie shrugged. “When we were in the boathouse, you guys told me about the demogorgons, the demodogs, and Vecna. Stuff like that. But bullywugs? Yeah, I had no idea.”

As they continued to walk, Eddie tilted his head slightly, deep in thought. He thought about how careful he’d tried to be, listening for any noises, trying to make sure they weren’t being followed by any monsters. Had he not paid careful enough attention, and they’d tried to cross the bridge, it would’ve been disastrous. Eddie needed to be more careful, more aware of his surroundings.

“Did I conjure up the bullywugs?” Eddie mused. “Or were they always here?”

“I don’t know.” Max raised her eyebrows at him.

“When we were talking earlier, I said that I’d rather fight a bunch of smaller creatures, instead of a big one – like a troll. I was kidding. But then, we just happened to run into a bunch of bullywugs.” Eddie glanced over at her. “So, did I conjure up those bullywugs? Or did we just happen to stumble across them, in a miraculous stroke of luck?”

“I don’t know,” Max said. “I mean, a lot of this Upside Down stuff is a mystery to me. You told me before that when you were in Nancy’s room, everything was stuck on the day that Will Byers disappeared. You guys were in 1983, three years in the past.”

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded. “That’s what Nancy said. Somehow, the day that kid went missing, the Upside Down ended up getting stuck three years in the past.”

“It doesn’t really make logical sense that you guys were all three years in the past. And yet, it happened. And Vecna, he was able to create that creepy floating version of the Creel house. He’s able to hold some influence over the Upside Down. Maybe, somehow, you are doing the same?” Max suggested. “Maybe when you were talking about the smaller creatures, you held some influence on this place? What I’m saying, is that this place is strange. You could’ve conjured up those bullywugs. I just don’t know.”

“Like, I brought the bullywugs into existence, just by thinking about creatures from DnD?” Eddie gave her an apologetic look. “Well, if I did, then I’m sorry. It wasn’t intentional.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t hold it against you,” Max said, giving him a sarcastic look. “But if that is the case, maybe you also brought in other creatures from the game.”

“Dragons, and such?” Eddie’s eyes lit up at the possibility. “That’d be really cool.”

“Well, we were talking about trolls, and zombies, and stuff. So, let’s hope that’s not the case,” Max said. “I don’t want to run into one of those. I don’t want to fight a dragon, or a troll.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Eddie tilted his head slightly. “Okay, new theory. Maybe we’re not dead. I think we’re in a strange dream. If we’re lucid dreaming, that’s why we can change things around us – conjure up the bullywugs, and stuff. So, I think we’re in a dream.”

“Hm, maybe. But if that’s the case, then could you have at least conjured up something nice?” Max said, glancing up at him. “Like – oh, I don’t know – an Owlbear or something? They’re pretty cool.”

Eddie stopped walking. He stared at her in shock. “Wait, you know about owlbears?” Max shot him a look, then nodded. “I may not have played DnD very often, but I’ve been friends with Dustin, and the others for years. They all talk about that game for hours. And I’ve hung out with them, when they played a few sessions. I know about some of the creatures.”

Eddie was still staring at her. He didn’t say anything at first. Finally, he found his voice. “You never cease to amaze me, Mayfield.”

This made her smile. “Yeah, owlbears are really cool. Could you imagine, if we could bring one here?” Max grinned. “I’d love to have one as a pet, or a friend. The owlbear could be my protector.”

“Hey!” Eddie said, surprised. He gave her a slightly wounded look. “I’m your protector.”

“I know. But who says I can’t have two protectors?” Max asked. “Especially one as cute as an owlbear?”

“Owlbears aren’t tamed very easily,” Eddie said. “Sure, they’re cute. But they’re vicious as hell. I don’t think they’d make very good pets.”

“I bet I could tame it,” Max said, as she walked alongside him. She kept her eyes peeled for any movement around them, feeling a bit jumpy after the bullywug encounter earlier. “If Dustin can tame a baby demodog, then I could tame an owlbear.”

“I don’t think that’s the same sort of thing,” Eddie said. “He found Dart when it was just a tiny slug. Owlbears are massive.”

“I want to have an owlbear show up here,” Max said, her mouth curved upwards into a smile. “If you can influence this place, then maybe I can, too.”

“Alright, try and conjure one up.”

Max smiled, then squeezed her eyes shut, concentrating deeply on the image in her mind. She imagined a large owlbear, standing a good ten feet tall. Sharp beak, huge shaggy brown fur, large claws. A fierce creature, a strong protector – but one capable of love, and affection. The perfect pet for this terrifying journey, that could keep her and Eddie safe. Max opened her eyes, and looked around. She had been expecting to see the owlbear standing in front of her, but there was none. Max looked up at Eddie, disappointed.

“No owlbear,” Max said, with a sigh. “Damnit. I thought it would work.”

“I thought it might work,” Eddie said. Even though owlbears were big, and kind of vicious, he’d been kind of hoping that she could actually conjure one. “Sorry.”

“Not your fault. Let’s keep moving.”

“Well, it was worth a shot.” Eddie smiled at her, but he could tell that she was genuinely disappointed. Eddie closed his eyes. He wanted to try. “My turn. Hmm . . . I wish that we could have a plate of steaks. Giant ones, cooked with garlic, and spices, and everything. And a big bowl of the nicest, velvety mashed potatoes. Oh, and butter noodles! I could do with a whole table of food right now.”

“Wow, you must be really hungry.”

“Starving, yeah.”

When Eddie opened his eyes, he quickly looked around. There was no table full of steaks, or butter noodles. He sighed, disappointed. Eddie knew that it was all fantasy, but a small part of him had hoped that the feast might be there. He could see the gorgeous food in his mind, and it was mouthwatering.

“No feast,” Max said. “Sorry. We’ll have to keep surviving off rodent meat.”

“Yeah, unfortunately.”

The rest of their trip into town was fairly uneventful. They talked some more, but they were both feeling pretty anxious about running into other creatures. The bullywugs had been small, but intimidating. Max knew that she didn’t want to take them on in a fight. And then, before they knew it, Eddie and Max were standing in front of the library. The large brick building was heavily covered with vines, dark and ominous. Eddie had spent countless hours in the library as a kid, and the building had always been his refuge. But this version of the library was far from welcoming.

“This is where El found Will,” Max told him, looking up at Eddie. “He almost died here, when he was hiding in the Upside Down. Mrs. Byers, and Hopper went down in the Upside Down to find him.”

“Will’s lucky to have you guys.”

“Yeah, he’s a good guy,” Max said. “You would probably like him. He’s pretty obsessed with DnD, like you and Dustin.”

“Yeah?” Eddie said, smiling at her. “I’d like to play with him sometime. What’s his character’s name?”

“He’s Will the Wise.”

“Oh, nice.” Eddie glanced down at her, and smiled. “Alright, here’s the plan. We go in, we clear the building. This will be our temporary home, while we’re downtown. And during these two days, we’ll try to figure out a way to climb to the top of the building, and get through to our world.”

Max glanced up at the sky, seeing the heavy cloud coverage, and the sporadic lightning forking across the sky. Throughout their journey, they had followed the large black line across the sky, where the crevice had been stitched up on the Rightside Up. This was where they were hoping to find a way through. The seam traversed all the way from the trailer park, to downtown, branching out in other directions. It had been closed up the entire length.

They went into the library, and started to cautiously look around. They stayed quiet, using their flashlights to illuminate every dark corner, as they moved up and down the stacks. The library was full of thick vines, the dust spores thick in the air. Eddie didn’t think he could ever get used to being down in the Upside Down. It was way too creepy. But he knew that if they were going to get home at some point, they were going to have to figure something out quick.

“All clear,” Eddie said. “No monsters in the library.”

Though Eddie hadn’t found any monsters, he’d sure found a hell of a lot of vines. And in a few corners of the library, Eddie had found some unusual looking mushrooms, and an odd, green sticky substance pooling down the windowsill. But no monsters. He figured they could use one of the back offices as a temporary base, as the room had some office chairs, and a lock on the door. He thought it’d be nice to stay there, so that nothing could come in and try to get them while they were sleeping.

Max started to look through the shelves, and she picked out a few books that she wanted to take home with her when they went back to the trailer park. Eddie started to do the same, grabbing a few novels for himself. They didn’t have a lot of books back home, and he’d read through all of the ones in his bedroom – and all his uncle’s magazines.

Eddie went into the back office. He sat down in the comfortable office chair, and propped his feet up on the desk. He claimed the chair as his own. Eddie started to read one of the books, grateful that many of the library books weren’t too badly damaged.

“I think that this room will work for us,” Max said, as she set the books down on the desk. “We can stay here for a while.”

“Yeah.”

While Max went and dragged the office chair from the other room, Eddie started to pull out their water bottles, and meat from his bag. He quickly separated it into two piles. It really wasn’t much, barely enough for a single person. But they would have to make do. The hike had gone well enough. They’d made it safe and sound. But he was feeling kind of tired, so he knew that he’d need to take a break before they found a way home.

For the next few hours, Eddie and Max holed up in the back office of the library. It felt safe enough, with the door locked, and one of the wooden bookcases shoved up against the door as an extra measure. They’d shared their small meal, drinking about half of their water. And then, it was time to get some much-needed sleep. When they woke up, they’d have some time to explore downtown – and see what they would find. Eddie’s hearing was much sharper than Max’s, like when he had heard the bullywugs speaking quietly. He was Max’s protector, a role that he took quite seriously. Eddie wrapped his blanket tightly around himself, slouching down in the cushy office chair. He tried his best to get some sleep, though he kept one ear trained – certain that monsters would be prowling around outside of the library. He had to be ready, his spear close at hand.

Chapter Text

When they woke up from their nap, Eddie and Max packed up their belongings and hid them under the desk. He rolled up his blanket, shoving it on top. They would come back for their things later. Eddie and Max went and stood outside of the library, staring up at the building. It was quite a large building, with multiple floors, and a tall clock tower.

“Alright, so, how are we doing this?” Eddie asked.

Max wanted to climb all the way to the top of the library, even though it looked really dangerous. But she made it known that this was happening, no matter what. She was determined to get home. And if that plan didn’t work, they would climb to the top of the town hall – and every other building in downtown Hawkins, until they got home. Somehow, they would manage to do this.

The first part of their plan was easy enough. They went upstairs to the top floor of the library, and climbed through the window onto the roof. They walked warily, careful with the vines. From there, they would need to climb up onto the balcony railing, and then onto the clock tower. It was risky, as it was so high up. Eddie was not fond of this plan, but this was Max’s plan, so he did what she said.

“Alright, throw this like a lasso,” Max said, handing him the rope. “Then, we’ll need to climb up there. You go first, then you have to help me up.”

Eddie still had his doubts, but he did what Max said. He tied off the rope, and flung it. It took him a few tries, but the rope finally caught. Eddie climbed the rope, pulling himself up onto the railing. It was easier than he’d thought it would be. Similar to climbing up the bedsheets when he escaped the Upside Down last time. Then, it was Max’s turn. She started to climb the rope, and Eddie reached down and helped her up. He pulled her up over the railing.

“Okay, that was the easy part,” Max said. “Now, we’ve got to get all the way to the top of the clock tower.”

“It’s awfully high up here,” Eddie said, as he looked down at the ground. He turned, giving Max a hesitant look. “I think that this is high enough.”

“We keep climbing all the way to the top,” Max told him. “We have to do this.”

Eddie and Max pressed on, until they were both on the very top of the tower. She nearly fell once, and Eddie had to grab her wrist to pull her up. That terrified him. But in the end, they’d both made it. Max stared up at the crevice. It was sealed shut. No stars, no noise, nothing. Just a firm black, jagged line across the sky.

“Well, now what?” Eddie asked, turning to look at her for direction. This was her plan, after all. It was still much too high up in the sky, that there was no way they’d be able to reach it. This was the highest they could get, but it still just wasn’t enough.

“Now, we make enough noise to get someone’s attention,” Max said. “Someone’s got to hear us, eventually.”

“It’s sealed shut.”

“I know. But we’ve made it this far. We have to at least try. Maybe if we’re loud enough, then some sounds will break through to the other side.”

“Okay.”

“Hello?” Max shouted out, cupping her hands around her mouth. “Can anyone hear us?”

Eddie stared upwards. If only it were closer, within reach. Even as they stood on the roof, it was just too far away. They would never get out of here. But he would try, for Max’s sake. So, he started to scream and shout as loud as possible – hoping that someone might hear them.

They’d stayed up on the roof for a long time – screaming, shouting, and hollering as loud as they could, until their voices were hoarse. Eddie had screamed out all his frustration at the sky. He’d poured out all his anger, fear, and rage at being trapped in the Upside Down, unable to escape. But the line in the sky stayed close, and nobody heard them. Max had been putting all her faith into this plan, expecting that they’d be able to contact someone. It was a disappointing blow.

“I can’t believe I thought this would work,” Max said, irritated. “This was so stupid.”

“No, it wasn’t. We’ll try the town hall next,” Eddie said, as he helped her climb down safely onto the roof. “We’ll keep trying, until we get help.”

“What’s the point?” Max asked, giving him a dejected look. She glanced upwards, at the closed off seam. “It’s still closed up. Nobody will ever hear us. We’re trapped down here forever.”

“No, not forever. We’ll keep coming back,” Eddie said. “Eventually, we’ll get out of here. If not today, then soon. One day, someone will hear us. And the stitches will come undone again, and we’ll get through to the other side.”

“Do you really believe that?” Max asked. She looked mad, but Eddie didn’t think she was mad at him specifically. He thought that she was just upset that her plan had failed.

“Yeah. Course I do.” Eddie smiled at her. “We’re both going to get out of here. You and me.”

“Okay, let’s try again.”

They decided to try town hall next. Even though the sky was closed up tight, Eddie wanted to make sure that they made an effort. They had travelled all the way downtown for this, after all. And so, they climbed up onto the roof of the town hall. And just like they’d done at the library, they screamed, and shouted as loud as they could. But just like at the library, nobody could hear them. It was all for nothing.

By the time they went back to the library, Eddie and Max were exhausted. Climbing up to the top of the buildings had been a workout on its own, but then they had also screamed for ages, desperately hoping that someone might hear them. It had been draining, and Eddie was feeling worn out from it all. It was nighttime now, so they had to stay inside in case monsters roamed the area.

As soon as the door was barred, Eddie went and sat down once again in the comfy office chair, tilting it back slightly. He closed his eyes, lacing his hands behind his head. “This isn’t the end, you know.”

“It sure feels like it.”

“I promised you two days – and those two days aren’t up, yet,” Eddie said. “We’ll sleep for the night, and in the morning, we’ll go back out there.”

“We might as well head on home,” Max said. “My plan failed. We tried at the library, and at town hall. Nobody’s ever going to hear us. Which means we’re stuck down here forever.”

“No, we’re not. I know this didn’t go as planned today, but we’ll figure something out.” Eddie smiled at her, but she didn’t smile back. “And yeah, I get it. This is disappointing that we didn’t get rescued today. But that doesn’t mean anything. We’ll still figure out a way. We have another twenty-four hours until we go back to the trailer. We’ll figure something out.”

“You got any bright ideas?” Max asked.

“Not currently, no,” Eddie said. “But I’m pretty wiped out. Let’s sleep for a bit, and think it over. I’m sure I’ll think of something.”

Eddie was hungry, but they were all out of food. They’d have to do some hunting at some point, but first, he needed to sleep. He drank some water, then grabbed his blanket from under the desk, and tucked it around himself. Eddie and Max snoozed for awhile, trying to think about a way out. He thought that they could go up onto the roof every day, and scream at the sky until they lost their voices. But it wouldn’t do them any good, if nobody could hear them. He didn’t want to stay downtown permanently; he wanted to go back to the trailer park. Seeing the stars that night, way up above them, had given them hope. But Eddie knew that they’d need to figure something else out. He didn’t know what yet. Nothing was coming to mind, which was frustrating.

When Eddie woke up a while later, he opened his eyes and saw that Max was awake. He gave her a small smile. They were nearly at the end of their first day downtown, and they had yet to get rescued. But he was hoping to fix that. So far, Eddie’s ideas for rescue were limited to staying at the trailer, or going back up onto the library roof for another long screaming session. He thought that maybe they could try playing with the lights, sending out an S.O.S signal, in hopes that someone from home might see it. But other than that, he didn’t really know.

“I’m hungry,” Max said. “If we’re going to be here for another twenty-four hours, we’ll need to find something to eat. We have to get supplies.”

“You want to go hunting?” Eddie asked. They were all out of food, and they only had a few sips of water left. “We could try to hunt some rats, or something in the morning. I haven’t really seen too many downtown, though. And we have to make sure the coast is clear.”

“No, I’m not talking about hunting,” Max said. “I think we should scavenge some food from the nearby businesses. Stores, and stuff.”

It was difficult to find anything edible in the Upside Down. Most of the food was rotten, mouldy. They had been living off chunks of rat meat, and demodog meat, whenever they hunted the monsters down. There weren’t too many options in the trailer park. But downtown, they might have some better luck.

“Sure, okay,” Eddie agreed. “We can go look. I’m sure we could find something.”

In the morning, they walked down to the grocery store, keeping their eyes peeled in case there were monsters nearby. Max emptied out her bag and brought it with her. She was hoping they’d find plenty of useful items, enough to fill her bag to the brim. The front door to the grocery store was busted open, the slithering vines twisted all over the front of the building, along the windows. They entered the building, cautiously looking around. Max’s eyes darted around as she stood in the entrance of the grocery store. She glanced up at Eddie, and saw that his eyes were glowing red. She stuck close to him, knowing that Eddie’s vision was much better in the dark setting. Eddie had his head cocked to the side, listening carefully.

“Anything?” Max asked, her voice barely a whisper.

“I don’t hear anything,” Eddie said. “But I should do a quick sweep – just in case. Just wait here a second.”

Max anxiously waited near the entrance, as Eddie silently went up and down the aisles. She felt particularly vulnerable, fearing that a monster might attack her. But thankfully, she didn’t see anything. Eddie returned a few minutes later, giving her a big grin.

“We’re good, the coast is clear,” Eddie said. “I didn’t see any monsters. Let’s get shopping.”

Eddie grabbed a wire basket, and they started to wander through the aisles, picking up items, and inspecting them. Eddie grabbed a can opener, and peeled open a can of pineapples. He smiled, looking forward to eating the bright yellow chunks of fruit. He peered inside the can, sniffing its contents. Eddie immediately crinkled up his nose in disgust, then tossed the can back on the shelf. It certainly wasn’t yellow anymore, and it didn’t smell anything like pineapple. Inside, was a blackened sludge. That was a damned shame.

Eddie pried open a few more cans and inspected them – creamed corn, asparagus, tomato paste. But none of them looked safe to eat. From what he could tell, most of the food items in the grocery store were inedible. Damn. His stomach growled.

“Everything’s rotten,” Eddie said, downcast. “All this food is disgusting. I don’t know if we can eat any of it.”

“Yeah.” Max nodded. “It looks pretty horrifying.”

The store was super dark, and creepy, with vines everywhere. This shopping trip was nothing like the ones Max used to take with her mother, when they would pick out all the items they wanted, filling their wire baskets. Normally, the store was bright, with music playing over the speakers, with other shoppers meandering about – making small talk, as they chatted with their neighbours. This shopping trip was nothing like any of that. This was just sad.

Max headed over to one of the other aisles, using her flashlight to look at the items on the shelf. She picked up a large frying pan. Max looked at the cooking utensils, picking out a new spatula, and a wooden spoon. She grabbed a few boxes of matches. They would come in handy. Even if they couldn’t find anything edible here, then at least they’d be able to properly cook up the meat in a nice new pan, instead of mainly using wooden skewers. They had dishes at the trailer park, but a lot of the pans were hard to use over the fire, without burning themselves. This frying pan was pretty big; it would do them well. Max grabbed a few other items – some tongs, two bowls, some cutlery. Things that she knew they’d be able to use.

When Max went back to Eddie, she saw that he was staring at a tube of BBQ Pringles, a forlorn look on his face. Even the junk food, like the Pringles and the chocolate bars were all bad. Eddie desperately wished that they were in a regular grocery store, where everything was nice, normal food. He had been down here for so long, and there were so many items that he wanted to eat. Pretzels, and chips, Yoo Hoo, beer. When he got back to the surface, Eddie was going to eat so many amazing things. Juicy burgers on the BBQ, steaks, and potato salad. He’d throw a massive party at the trailer, and invite all his friends around. But for right now, he knew he wouldn’t be able to eat the items on the shelf.

“All this food is bad,” Max said. “But we can do some hunting. It’s not the end of the world.”

“Yeah.” Eddie was glum. “Rat meat’s still on the menu, I guess.”

They continued going up and down the aisles, picking up other useful items that they needed. Toothbrushes, toothpaste, a new hairbrush, some hairspray. The food was bad, but there were other things that they could use. Eddie found a few small bottles of dry shampoo, and some washcloths, and bars of soap. Oh, it would be so nice to be able to wash his hair, to clean off the grime of the Upside Down. He’d been washing his hair in the sink at the trailer a few times, but it was always so greasy. The dry shampoo would really help.

Max’s bag was nearly full. She crouched down, rearranging everything to try and make it fit better. She filled the side pockets with some of the smaller items to make room. Eddie thought that he ought to have brought his bag as well. They certainly had more than enough items to haul back to the library.

“You think we got everything we need?” Eddie asked, his arms full of new things. “We should head out soon.”

“Yeah,” Max said, as she started to zip up her bag. “We’ve got all kinds of useful shit. Let’s go back to the library.”

Eddie looked up sharply when he heard a noise just outside of the store. He stood stock still, his whole body tensed up, as he listened intently. Something was out there. He heard heavy footsteps, and a clattering sound nearby.

Max looked up at him, wondering what had made that noise. She could see the fearful expression on Eddie’s face, which put her on high alert. From where she was crouched down, Max didn’t have a clear view of what was going on out there. But she could see Eddie staring at the large storefront windows, and his eyes were extra wide with fear.

“Ed?” Max whispered.

“Max,” Eddie hissed, his eyes sliding down to look at her. “We’ve got company.”

Chapter Text

“Eddie?” Max asked, alarmed. “What’s going on?”

But Eddie didn’t answer. Instead, he carefully placed his armful of items onto one of the shelves beside him, and made a silent ‘follow me’ gesture. Max quickly finished zipping up her bag. Slipping one strap over her shoulder, she stood up, looking out the front window.

Max saw something standing in front of the store. It was large, brutish. The creature had greyish-green skin, with small black eyes that were too close together. He had a thick overhanging brow, and muscular arms that dragged down nearly to the ground. He looked like he was a statue, carved of stone. Max had never seen anything like it before, but if she had to venture a guess, she thought that the creature looked like an ogre, or a troll.

Her heart skipped a beat, as she stared at the monstrous creature for a few seconds, taking in the creature’s ugly appearance. The troll wasn’t moving. He was just standing there, completely still. Max thought that maybe her first impression, that he was carved out of stone, wasn’t too far off from the truth. His skin had a rough-hewn texture. But then, the monster blinked, and took a step towards the store. Max flinched, taking a step backwards. She gave Eddie an alarmed look, wondering what their game plan was. There was no way that they’d be able to fight this thing, not with the meagre weapons they had on hand. It would be suicide, to even try to take on such a creature.

“We have to hide!” Eddie said, frantic. He put a finger to his lips, and waved his hand to show her that they needed to move. “Switch off your light, I’ll guide you.”

Max nodded, quickly turning off her flashlight so the troll wouldn’t see its beam. She followed at Eddie’s heels. They walked gingerly through the dark grocery store, Max clutching a handful of Eddie’s jacket as he led them through the maze-like aisles filled with tripping hazards. Max was grateful that Eddie was using his vampire vision to guide them, because he could see much easier in the dark than she could. There was debris everywhere, and thick vines that snaked across the floor – obstacles that threatened to trip them up.

Max knew that they needed to move fast, because the troll had rushed after them. He smashed the front window, the glass shattering to pieces, skittering across the tiled floor. The monster stepped over the shards of glass still remaining in the frame. Ducking his head, he entered the grocery store. He scanned the dark room, searching for them. Eddie led her to the back of the store, where there were some offices, and storage rooms. He began trying a few of the doors, realizing that they were locked. Eddie found one that was open, and when they burst inside, he discovered that it was a small janitorial closet, filled with cleaning supplies. He roughly pushed Max inside to safety, then stepped in after her. Eddie tugged the door closed. There was a lock on the door, which he quickly twisted with shaking fingers.

They stood in silence in the dark broom closet, the cramped room filled with the sounds of their ragged breathing. The small room reeked of chemicals, and cleaning supplies, and it made Eddie crinkle his nose in disgust. Max pressed her ear against the door, listening for any sounds outside of the janitor’s closet, but she couldn’t hear anything.

“Oh, my God,” Max whispered, barely audible. She was shaking like a leaf, blinking rapidly. “What was that thing, a troll?”

“Shh.”

Max had a thousand questions, but she didn’t want to say too much out loud, in case it gave away their location. She reached out blindly, trying to find Eddie in the dark. Her hands made contact with his jacket, and she jumped back in surprise. Eddie had pressed his back against the wall, and there were only a few inches between them. She backed up, knocking into some mops behind her. She winced at the loud clattering sound. Eddie closed the distance between them, and his hand found hers in the dark. She squeezed it, feeling his cold metal ring against her skin.

“We’re going to die.” Max’s breath hitched, as she tried to stay calm.

“No, we’re not,” Eddie muttered, trying to be as quiet as possible. He needed to reassure her that everything was going to be okay, but he was petrified that the monster outside the door would hear them. He leaned down slightly, and cupped his hand against her ear, and whispered quietly. “Hey, it’s okay. That thing that I saw, it was no demodog, or demogorgon. It was huge, and freaky looking. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

“Yeah, Max whispered, nodding. It had been dark, but she’d had a clear enough view of that monster to know that it’d been no demogorgon. “Troll?”

“Yeah, I think so. I think it’s best that we stay here, and wait it out,” Eddie said. “It’s either that, or we try to outrun it. But that seems too risky. We have to stay deathly quiet. I don’t want it to hear us.”

“Yeah.” Max nodded.

She wanted to say more, but it was risky. Eddie was right; they needed to stay hidden, stay quiet. Max was hoping that so long as the monster couldn’t see them, then the troll would eventually get bored, and leave on his own. She wondered if the troll had a good sense of smell, whether he’d be able to sniff them out. The closet was filled with the cloying scent of cleaning supplies, so she hoped that it would cover their scent. As long as they stayed in the closet, out of sight, everything should be okay.

Max knew that Eddie could take on smaller creatures. Rats, and stuff. And he’d taken out that demodog the one time, though they were obviously trickier. But whatever this creature was – troll, or ogre, or whatever – it looked fearsome enough to destroy them both. As soon as Max had caught that first glimpse of the troll through the front window, the creature had immediately scared the hell out of her. Max had never seen anything like it before. It was like when she’d been in the junkyard with Dustin, Lucas, and Steve, seeing the demodogs for the first time. They had all insisted that the monsters were real. But it wasn’t until she’d laid eyes on the creatures for herself, that Max had actually truly believed them. Because there was no denying their existence, when the creature was right there in front of her eyes. Seeing the troll today felt like the same sort of thing. They could joke about monsters, and obviously she knew that the Upside Down was filled with terrifying creatures. But it was like a horrible dose of reality, actually seeing the damned thing in person.

They stayed hidden in the closet for hours, sitting in the dark. It was hardly comfortable, because the room was small and cramped. Eddie crouched down, low to the ground, and Max sat beside him, using a bucket as a stool. Eddie was tensed up, his red eyes the only thing visible in the dark room, save for the weak light coming from under the door. She kept her flashlight off, fearful that the troll might see it. Max and Eddie didn’t talk, as they listened to the loud growls, and noises coming from the other side of the door. She was terrified that the creature was going to get them, that the troll was going to come barging in, and find their hiding place.

Max squeezed Eddie’s hand as tight as she could, listening to the loud banging coming from the other side of the door. It sounded like the monster was throwing heavy objects around the store. It was a huge racket, and she hated hearing all that commotion. She squeezed Eddie’s hand tighter. Normally, Max would never have felt comfortable holding his hand for such an extended length of time – or anyone’s, really. Except for Lucas. But Max was terrified, and squeezing Eddie’s hand gave her something to focus on, to try and stop her from panicking. And she could tell that Eddie wasn’t doing too much better. He was breathing too fast, and he kept looking all over the room, listening to the noises outside.

The troll continued to ransack the building, and it went on for quite some time. The floor shook, the ground rumbled, they could hear the sound of breaking glass. Then at one point, the noises quieted down – finally stopping altogether. Max listened intently. It sounded like the troll had stopped trashing the place, and that he might’ve moved on. She glanced up at Eddie, and saw that he was awake, his eyes barely giving off any red. “Should we leave?” Max whispered. It was the first thing she’d said in a while, and her voice was all scratchy. “We can go?”

“Not yet,” Eddie said, pulling his hand out of her grasp. It was all sweaty from her holding it for so long, so he wiped it on his jeans. “We should stay a bit longer, until we’re sure he’s gone.”

Max nodded to let him know that she understood. If they went out there, and the creature was still in the store, it could attack them. They would stay just a bit longer. Now that the building was nice and quiet, Max let her guard down a little. She saw that Eddie had finally closed his eyes, and judging from his breathing, it sounded like he’d fallen asleep. The closet was stifling, and Max was feeling a bit drowsy. She rested her head against Eddie’s shoulder, closing her eyes as well. It had been a long day. Eddie’s shoulder wasn’t super comfortable; it was thin, and bony. But Max was worn out, so it would work as a pillow for now.

Max had only planned on taking a short nap, but she ended up falling deep asleep. She was dreaming that she was at home. Max was sitting at the breakfast table, arguing with Billy that because she was the youngest sibling, she was way more deserving of the stupid little prize in the bottom of the cereal box. Mom was drinking her coffee, trying to ignore their bickering. Warm sunlight poured into the kitchen window beside her, as Max made another grab at the cereal box. Billy was laughing, holding it just out of her reach. The dream felt so real.

Max woke up with a start, as the troll struck his fist against the closet door. She hadn’t even realized that the monster had returned, or that it’d approached the closet they were hiding in. The loud banging sound made her jump. She let out an involuntary yelp, and Eddie quickly put a hand over Max’s mouth to stifle any further noises. They sat as still as possible, hearing the doorknob rattle. The monster eventually moved on. A few minutes later, there was a huge crash, that shook the whole store. Max buried her face against Eddie’s vest, panicked. Fuck. All the loud noises, the constant threat of death, it felt like psychological torture. Finally, the growling, and loud shrieks stopped. They heard heavy footsteps retreating.

“It’s leaving,” Eddie said, breathing a sigh of relief. “It’s going.”

“Thank god,” Max said, shifting position. Her legs were cramped from sitting in the awkward position. She stood up, and started to stretch, listening for any sounds outside. “I need to get out of here.”

They stayed in the janitor’s closet for another five minutes, just to make sure that the coast was clear. Max was angry at herself because this whole trip downtown had been a massive failure. She wanted to go back to the trailer park. They hadn’t managed to get home, or alert anyone to their situation. They were still trapped down there. She was hungry and thirsty, and sore all over. Fear coursed through her, as Max thought about that stupid troll who’d gone after them.

As soon as they knew that the troll had gone for good, Eddie and Max booked it out of there. The only really good thing that had come out of their trip, was the bag of supplies Max had collected from the store, and the books she’d planned on bringing home with her. That made the trip worth it, she supposed. They ran back to the library, and picked up the rest of their belongings. Neither of them wanted to stick around any longer. There was no sign of the troll anywhere, and she was glad of that. They would hurry home, and figure out what to do after that.

“Sorry that we didn’t stay the full two days,” Eddie said, he rode the bike slowly beside her. “I was going to keep my promise. It’s just, after that troll, I really want to get home.”

“Yeah, I know. Me, too. D’you think there are a lot of trolls out here?” Max asked. Her backpack was extremely heavy, because of all the items she’d added to it. They were going fairly slowly. Max carried a half dozen books in her arms. She’d had to reluctantly leave the rest of them behind, but Max thought that if they ever went back downtown again at some point, she could bring them home, then. “Is it just the one troll, or are there a whole shitload of them?”

“I don’t know.” Eddie scanned the area, on high alert. The troll was nowhere to be seen, but still, he was feeling extremely on edge. He was prepared to grab Max, and bike as hard as he could out of there if he saw anything come towards them. But so far, the walk home was uneventful. “Let’s hope it’s just the one.”

“Yeah.” Max nodded. “Maybe I conjured up that stupid troll, the way you conjured up those bullywugs. I’m sorry, if I’m the reason why it showed up.”

“Don’t blame yourself, it’s fine,” Eddie said, with a shrug. “There are a lot of monsters down here. If the troll hadn’t attacked us, it could’ve been something else entirely.”

This time, instead of taking the trail through the woods, Eddie had decided that they’d take a different route. It was getting late, and he didn’t want to run into any packs of demodogs in the woods. Or trolls. Or anything else, for that matter. All he cared about, was getting them back home safe and sound. As long as they stayed on the residential streets, he thought they’d have a better chance of surviving. And there were a lot of houses to choose from, if they needed to take shelter. He wasn’t sure what time it was, but he figured they only had a few more hours until night fell.

At one point, Max saw something out of the corner of her eye, and she whipped around to see what it was. Max looked startled for a second, and she jumped when Eddie put a hand on her shoulder.

“Hey. What is it?” Eddie asked. “What’d you see?”

“I-I” Max frowned. “I thought I heard someone calling my name. And when I turned around, I thought I . . . saw a door.”

“A door?” Eddie looked around, bemused.

Max gave him an uncomfortable look, trying to laugh it off. “Sorry – I’m just really tired. There’s nothing out there.”

“What kind of door?”

“I dunno. Blue, I think. I only saw it for like, a second. It’s nothing, I’m just tired,” Max said. “The voice, though. It sounded like my friend, El.”

“The girl with the superpowers?” Eddie said, remembering what they had told him about her.

“Yeah. It couldn’t have been her, though,” Max said. “El doesn’t even live in Hawkins anymore – she moved to California months ago, before school started.”

Eddie frowned, focusing his attention to his surroundings, listening intently for any unusual sounds around them. Eddie hadn’t seen the door, or heard anyone calling Max’s name. Maybe she was just tired, or maybe it was something more. He kept himself on high alert, glancing over at her. But as Eddie stood there and listened, he didn’t hear any voices.

“Anything?” Max asked.

“No, sorry.”

“Yeah, I’m just tired. Let’s keep walking.”

Eddie and Max continued walking silently for a few minutes. The crunch of leaves underfoot sounded so extra loud in his ears, though they were trying to walk as quietly as possible. They had only been walking for a few blocks, when Eddie stopped in his tracks.

“Did you hear that?” Eddie asked, glancing sharply down at her.

Max stopped walking, and listened, but she didn’t hear anything. She shook her head. “No, I-“

“Shh.” Eddie screwed his eyes up tight, listening intently. After a good ten seconds, he opened his eyes, and looked down at her with a grim expression. “Someone’s following us.”

Max’s first thought, was that it had been El following after them in the woods – even if it didn’t make sense for it to be her friend. She stopped walking, as she looked up to Eddie.

“Who-“

“I can’t tell what it is, but they’ve got heavy footsteps,” Eddie said. “Not human. Definitely not your friend.”

“Another troll?” Max asked.

He gave his head a little shake. “I don’t know. Maybe?”

And then, they both saw movement as something large stepped out of the shadows. It was the troll. Oh, shit! The monster must’ve been following them since they’d left downtown.

Chapter Text

When the troll started to rush towards them, Max shouted out in fear – dropping her armful of books on the ground. Eddie grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her closer. He let out a warning growl, his eyes turning red. The troll stomped towards them, the ground shaking under his feet. He was about to reach them.

“Where are those knives?” Eddie asked. “The ones you packed?”

“In my backpack, the side left pocket,” Max said, her whole body frozen with fear. “We should just run. If we stay, he’ll kill us.”

“Yeah.”

They were about to turn around and get the hell out of dodge, when something wholly unexpected happened. Max heard a loud growl. This wasn’t Eddie’s low, quiet growl. This was something a hell of a lot bigger. The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she tried to will herself to turn her head and look behind her. Max needed to know what was growling in such a menacing way, but she was petrified. Max could see that the troll was staring above their heads, stopped completely in his tracks. He looked scared. And if a massive troll like him was scared, then Max knew that whatever was behind her, must be pretty terrifying.

She felt a rush of wind as something jumped over her head. Max let out an involuntary scream, dropping onto her stomach on the road. Max immediately glanced over at him to make sure he was okay, then quickly scanned the area to see what was going on. She was certain that she was about to be torn to pieces, but the monster didn’t lay a hand on her, or Eddie. It took her a second to process what she was seeing. An owlbear was bounding towards the troll, growling loudly.

Max’s eyes grew wide when she saw the owlbear. It was exactly like the one that she had wished for. All the fear that she had felt before quickly dissipated, as she realized that the owlbear had been trying to protect her and Eddie from the troll. She had been so disappointed earlier when she’d wished for an owlbear, and it hadn’t come true. But here it was, standing on its back legs, tall and handsome, and incredibly real. Max scrambled to her feet, and started to run towards the owlbear.

“Max, no!” Eddie shouted. Fearing that the creature would hurt her, he booked it, chasing after Max. Eddie hissed her name, trying to get Max to stop – but she refused to listen. Eddie kept an eye on the owlbear, fearful that it was going to turn on them. But the owlbear was not paying either of them any attention. He was walking towards the cornered troll, giving a low, menacing growl. The owlbear swiped its large claws at the troll, drawing blood.

“Max,” Eddie whispered, grabbing her arm. “C’mon. We need to leave.”

“That hurts!” Max said, her eyes widening.

“Shit, sorry,” Eddie said, quickly letting go. “Max, we gotta go.”

“No. I – “

Max and Eddie turned to watch the owlbear fight with the troll. They were throwing punches, trading kicks, hissing and growling, and making all kinds of horrible noises. The troll was trying to dodge the owlbear’s attack. But as the fight progressed, it was clear that the owlbear was the stronger opponent. He grabbed the troll, pulling it towards him, his paws encircling it into a hug. Max stared at it, trying to figure out what it was doing. It looked like the massive owlbear was hugging the creature against his chest. The troll struggled, but it had very little wiggle room.

Intrigued, Max started to walk closer to the owlbear. It was only hugging the creature, not harming it. She was curious about the owlbear. It was exactly like the one that she’d tried to conjure up. She thought that if it wanted to, the owlbear could easily finish off the troll. But it didn’t. She wondered if it was a friendly creature. She had wished for a protector, but also an owlbear that was kind, and friendly.

“We need to keep our distance!” Eddie said quietly. Max gave him a confused look, seeing how worried he was. “It’s not safe.”

“But why?”

Max wanted to get a better look at the owlbear. She was sure that he meant her no harm. But she saw the fear in Eddie’s eyes, so she decided to hold back and see what happened. She stayed at Eddie’s side, watching from a safe distance. She jerked back in surprise, when she saw the owlbear start to peck at the creature trapped in its embrace. His beak was razor sharp, and he jabbed at the troll’s tough skin repeatedly. The troll emitted a loud shriek of pain. The owlbear continued pecking at the creature, the tip of its beak stained red with blood.

Max clapped her hands over ears to block out the terrible sound of tearing flesh. Eddie grabbed her shoulder, and pulled her around so she couldn’t see the owlbear’s attack. She kept her eyes on Eddie’s face, waiting until the owlbear was done. When she finally turned back to look, Max saw the owlbear drop the troll’s carcass onto the pavement, its upper body covered in large, bleeding wounds from the owlbear’s beak. The troll was dead.

The owlbear turned around, letting out a low snuffling sound. It blinked rapidly, watching Eddie and Max. Then, it dropped down on all fours, and slowly started to approach the pair.

“Stay back!” Eddie shouted out. His eyes changed from his regular liquid brown eyes, and began glowing bright red in warning. The owlbear paused for a few seconds, staring at Eddie with a contemplative look. Then, it continued to press forward.

“Stay back!” Eddie called out. “I’m warning you!”

The owlbear ignored Eddie altogether, walking right past him. Eddie stared in shock, as the owlbear dropped down onto its stomach in front of Max, blinking at her. After a few seconds, the owlbear let out an unintelligible screeching sound. It was high-pitched, and Max quickly pressed her hands against her ears again. The owlbear dropped its voice to a lower volume, and stared at Max with an adoring look.

“Hello,” Max said, in a quiet voice. Hesitantly, she reached out her hand, palm up. “I’m Max.”

She heard Eddie protest, but Max ignored him. The owlbear’s beak was dripping with blood, from when he had pecked the troll to death. Seeing the owlbear viciously attack the troll had been horrifying, but deep down, Max knew that he would not hurt her. She knew that with absolute certainty, something that she couldn’t explain. But Max knew that it was the truth. This was the same owlbear that she had conjured up in her mind, when she had wished for him to appear. It was the same one that she had wanted as her protector. And the owlbear had done just that – protected her from the monster that had gone after her. He was her friend.

Max gently petted the owlbear’s beak, on the section that was unbloodied. She slowly touched the animal’s feathered head, patting the top of its ruffled head, taking in the dark, blinking eyes, and the owlbear’s long lashes. His feathers were downy, and soft. He was even prettier than she’d imagined in her mind.

“Hello,” she murmured quietly. Max smiled at the animal, her fingertips brushing against the soft feathers. “Owlbear.”

The owlbear let out a soft cooing sound, almost like it was purring. Max smiled, opening her arms wide. She hugged him around the neck, burying her face in his fur, hearing the owlbear make a few small sounds.

“Uh, Max?” Eddie said. “This doesn’t seem wise, getting too close to it. You saw what he can do.”

“It’s okay, Eddie,” Max said. “He’s my friend.”

Eddie took a step towards the owlbear, but stopped short when the large creature let out a warning growl. Owlbear got up on all four legs, clacking his beak at Eddie, his hairs raising. His gaze was fixated on Eddie, staring him down.

“Owlbear,” Max said, in a stern voice. “This is Eddie. He’s a vampire, and he’s my friend. We don’t hurt our friends. He’s also my protector, just like you.”

Eddie took a tentative step forward, watching the owlbear with wide eyes. The owlbear didn’t move, but he let out a low growl. He watched Eddie approach, giving him a stern look. The owlbear planted his feet on the ground, shouldering Max slightly out of the way. Eddie froze up, uncertain if he was allowed to approach.

“Don’t be jealous, owlbear,” Max said, giving him a firm look. The owlbear sunk down onto his belly again, and looked up at her. “Eddie is my friend. We don’t hurt our friends, do we, owlbear?”

“You saw what he did,” Eddie said. “And you trust him?”

“Absolutely. Owlbear’s not going to hurt us. Go ahead, pet him.” Max looked over at Eddie. “It’s okay. But just, uh – no fast movements.”

Eddie followed Max’s lead, holding out a hand to the enormous bear. He had the worrying thought that the owlbear might do something terrible to him. Grab him in a death hug, tearing and pecking at his flesh like he’d done with the troll, or rip his arm off or something. The owlbear was clearly strong enough to tear chunks out of his hand, or wrist. This could end disastrously; this could be one of the dumbest things that Eddie had ever done. Eddie hesitantly reached out, and touched the bear’s feathered cheek. But the owlbear submitted to his touch, staying crouched low to the ground. Owlbear watched Eddie with a curious expression, his eyes darting over to Max.

Eddie let out a sigh of relief that the owlbear hadn’t hurt him, and he smiled at Max. He could see how happy she was. She was thrilled that she’d been able to conjure up the owlbear. Max turned her attention back to the owlbear. She was stroking its fur, talking quietly to him. He responded in its own language, letting out a happy screech, then a series of quiet chitters. His eyes closed most of the way, gently rubbing his cheek against Max’s hand. It almost looked like he was smiling.

“This is the one you tried to conjure up, right?” Eddie asked. “When we saw the bullywugs?”

“Yeah, pretty sure. He’s so pretty. Exactly like I imagined in my head.” Max smiled. “Owlbear’s not going to hurt us.”

“What are you going to name him?” Eddie asked. “We can’t just keep calling him ‘Owlbear’.”

Max shrugged. She hadn’t given any thought about names for him. “I don’t know. You got any suggestions?”

Eddie clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth a few times, as he thought it over. “Well, he’s a bird. So, Big Bird? Tweety bird?”

“No. Hell no.” Max made a face. “That’s stupid.”

“Sir Owl?” Eddie suggested. “Archimedes?”

“No.”

“Well, if he’s your pet, then you need to name him,” Eddie said. “So, what d’you want to call him?”

“I can’t decide!” Max said. “I’ve never had a pet before, okay? I don’t know the first thing about naming a pet. This is a lot of pressure.”

Eddie frowned. Then his eyes lit up. “I got it. Hoo bear.”

“Pooh bear?” Max said. “Like the teddy bear?”

“No. Hoo Bear. Because he’s an owl, and a bear?” Eddie said. He glanced up at the owlbear, and did his best to imitate an owl’s sound. “Hoo Hoo!”

Max looked up at Owlbear. He was sitting on his butt, looking back and forth from Eddie, to Max as they talked. Owlbear tilted his head to the side, quietly clacking his beak open and closed.

“What do you think, owlbear?” Max asked, one hand on her hip. “Should we call you ‘Hoo Bear’? D’you like that name?”

“Hoo hoo!” Owlbear called out, in response. He clambered to his feet, and walked closer to Max. Hoo Bear ducked his head low, nuzzling his head against Max’s side. “Hoo hoo.”

“See?” Eddie said, smiling at her. “He likes it.”

“Yeah, he does.” Max grinned. “Let’s get home.”

Max went and picked up her books, dusting them off. Some of the covers were a bit grimy, but they were relatively okay. They continued walking back to the trailer park. They didn’t see any other monsters on the way home. Hoo Bear bounded alongside them, digging his sharp talons into the ground, excitedly waiting for Eddie and Max to catch up to him. The owlbear tore up a large piece of vine, and carried it around in his beak like a toy, batting it around. Eddie was slowly becoming more at ease with the large creature. He was like an oversized puppy – playful, and seemingly unaware of his own strength.

Chapter Text

It was a long walk back to the trailer park, and nighttime was quickly upon them. Eddie was getting pretty nervous the longer they were out there, because he kept hearing demodogs in the nearby woods and backyards as they walked back home. But there wasn’t much he could do about them. If they were attacked, he figured that Hoo Bear would have to help him deal with them. Eddie knew that he couldn’t take on a pack of demodogs. Maybe one dog, but not a whole pack.

By the time they finally got back, Eddie and Max were both exhausted. He was on autopilot, plodding alongside Max and Hoo Bear, trying to keep his eyes open. It was a good thing that they hadn’t run into any more monsters, because Eddie was pretty much asleep on his feet. He wouldn’t have been able to fight any sort of creature, even if he wanted to. But it was okay, he figured, because their third member of the group was more than capable of taking care of any threats. They’d already seen firsthand what the large owlbear was capable of.

They went straight to Max’s trailer, and dumped all their stuff in the living room. Eddie began stretching, his back sore from hauling his heavy bag home. He couldn’t wait to just crash for a while. Oh, to sleep in a bed again! It’d be so much nicer than sleeping in the office chair, or sitting in the small, cramped janitorial closet. Time to head off to bed!

Although Eddie had wanted to stay in his own safe fortified trailer, Max had been adamant that they stay at her place, because she was incredibly homesick. They’d had a big argument about it, because they were both exhausted. They had barely eaten anything, which really didn’t help matters any. Both of them were snippy, cranky. Max was mostly angry because he kept trying to get her to stay at his place, instead of the Mayfield trailer. It was distressing, being stuck down there. She argued that her home was right there, within sight of the Munson trailer – and it wasn’t fair, not being able to go home whenever she wanted to.

That first night when she’d arrived, Max had been able to sleep in her own trailer, and him in his. But now that they were tethered, Max could only go so far. She couldn’t go to the Mayfield trailer unless they both went. And so, Eddie had relented. Fine, if the kid wanted to stay in her own trailer for the night, so be it. But he wasn’t so fond of the fact that they were basically still stuck together.

That night, Max and Eddie slept in Max’s bedroom. He’d promised her that in the morning, they’d go hunting. But he was too tired for that right now, so they went to bed with empty, growling stomachs. And that sucked, it really did. But at least they’d made it back to the trailer park in one piece. It had been such a long day. Max curled up on her bed, the blankets pulled up to her chin. Eddie was lying on the floor beside her bed, his blanket pulled up around him.

Max had fallen asleep pretty much straight away after she’d gone to bed. She’d been wiped out from all the walking that they’d done earlier, and from hauling her books, and heavy bag home. But try as he might, Eddie couldn’t sleep. He wasn’t afforded the sleep that he so desperately craved. Eddie’s eyes were half-lidded, a small amount of red visible from his eyelids. He was keeping an eye on Max, making sure that she was safe. And he was keeping an eye out for any monsters, any possible threats. He was Max’s protector, which meant he couldn’t let anything happen to her. The Mayfield trailer didn’t feel very safe. Not like the Munson trailer did. As Eddie lay there, he thought about how thin the trailer walls were. Anything could come along and tear into the paper-thin walls, and kill them. He wished they’d fortified both trailers. It just didn’t feel safe.

Outside Max’s bedroom window, Eddie heard a sound. He pricked his ears, listening to the set of heavy footprints. Eddie immediately wondered if it was a monster, or something else. Christ, the last thing he needed, was another troll showing up. He couldn’t help but think about all the damage that the troll had done to the store downtown, smashing things, knocking over shelves of canned goods. He knew that if he and Max hadn’t hid in that closet, the troll would’ve killed them. It had been such a close call – too close. Especially since the troll had followed them afterwards, when they’d left downtown. Without the owlbear, they would’ve both been toast.

Eddie slowly got to his feet, and quietly crept to the window. He pulled the curtain back an inch – just enough to sneak a peek outside. He didn’t see any movement. It was dark, and quiet. No demodogs, no monsters rushing around. Just the blue-black darkness, lit up occasionally by the red lightning overhead. No monsters in sight. Eddie thought that maybe the noise that he’d heard, had simply been the owlbear creeping about. But then he saw their new friend off in the distance, by the woods. He was much too far to have made those footsteps outside the window. So, it wasn’t owlbear. Eddie doubted himself for a minute, thinking that the noise he’d thought he’d heard had simply been in his head. He was just being paranoid, jumping at even the slightest sounds. Time to go lie down, and force himself to get some sleep. He was just sore, and tired – and all the stress from the past little while was getting to him. Yeah, that must be it. Just his mind playing tricks on him. Eddie breathed a sigh of relief.

But then, Eddie heard a creak above him – a sound that he couldn’t dismiss. This wasn’t just in his head. No, not paranoia, then. Something real. He lifted his head, looking up at the ceiling. Something was up there, up on top of the trailer. Something small. Not a troll, or owlbear. But definitely something. Eddie hesitated, then glanced over at Max. She was still deep asleep, blissfully unaware. He started to take a few steps towards her, intending on quietly waking up Max. They needed to get out of there, but they would have to be very quiet. He didn’t want to alert whatever was out there to their location. Time to make a swift exit, run the short distance to his trailer – to safety. They could make it.

Something slammed down on top of the trailer, shaking the room with a jarring crash. Eddie tensed up. The front door was locked up tight; he’d triple-checked before they’d settled down for the night. So long as this place held, they ought to be okay. For a few seconds, there was nothing. But then, there was another loud bang. Shit. Eddie looked sharply over at the bed, and saw Max roll over, slowly beginning to wake up from the noises going on above her. Eddie flinched, looking up sharply. The trailer roof buckled under the creature’s assault, and he wasn’t sure if it would hold. He needed to wake her up, and go.

“Max,” Eddie said. He took a step towards her, needing to wake her up. “Hey, c’mon. We gotta go –“

Eddie shrieked in fear, when a section of the roof caved in. Debris rained down on him, as he fell back on his ass, staring up at the large hole in the ceiling. The demodog fell into Max’s bedroom, landing on the carpeted floor a few feet away from Eddie. Disoriented, the dog gave his head a little shake, then looked around the room. Max woke up with a start. As soon as she saw the demodog in front of her, she started screaming. Max sat upright in bed. She scrabbled backwards, pressing her back against the headboard. Max stared wide-eyed at the demodog. The creature had set his sights on Max, and it slowly started to approach.

Shit! No, no. This couldn’t be happening. Eddie’s eyes were wide with fright. This stupid dog was NOT going to eat Max, not on his watch. Eddie rushed to grab his spear, cursing loudly. He took a step forward, determined to fix the situation before things spiralled out of control.

“Hey, over here!” Eddie shouted out. “You stupid mutt!”

He banged his spear against the dresser, making as much noise as he could, trying to distract the demodog. Divert its attention away from Max, so she could get away from it. But the dog barely even glanced in Eddie’s direction. It was still focused on Max. As soon as the demodog tried to jump onto the bed to reach her, Eddie rushed forward. He used the spear to jab roughly at the creature. He forced it back a few feet, enough for Max to scramble off the bed, and get behind him.

“Kill it!” Max shrieked. “Kill it, Eddie!”

Her eyes were darting around the room, looking from the hole in her bedroom ceiling, to the debris on the carpet. Eddie made his eyes red, letting out a low growl. But that didn’t scare the creature away. The demodog stood on Max’s bed, pawing at the blankets. It inhaled her scent, then looked sharply up at the redhaired girl still standing behind Eddie. The dog started to move towards them again, relentless in his pursuit of Max. Eddie rushed at it again, jabbing the dog with his spear.

“Fuck off, demodog!” Eddie said, grimacing at the monster. He swung his spear, trying to knock it off the bed.

Max looked around her bedroom, looking for something to use as a weapon. She spotted her skateboard propped up against the wall, and she grabbed it. Max lunged at the demodog, wielding her board as a weapon. She started to bash the dog with the wooden board, striking it as hard as possible. The dog howled as Max continued hitting it, blood dripping down the side of the wooden board. Eddie quickly jumped in, striking it with his spear. The dog fought hard against the double assault, yelping in pain. But it wasn’t enough to take down the creature; the dog opened its flower petal face, snapping at Max.

“Die, you stupid asshole!” Max screamed out, hitting the dog in the face. It fell off the bed, landing on the carpet in a tangle of limbs. The dog let out a low whine, and for a second, Eddie thought that it would turn tail and run. Accept defeat, and scurry off into the night. But no. The dog got to his feet, and lunged at Max again, snapping at her legs. Eddie grabbed the dog, wrestling it away from her. He pinned it against the side of her dresser, stabbing it fatally with his spear. The dog collapsed on the floor in a heap, and Eddie knew that it was dead.

For a few seconds, neither Eddie nor Max said anything. Her bedroom was in shambles, made worse by the bloody demodog carcass lying in front of them. Max was breathing hard, white knuckling her bloody board. She glanced up at Eddie. He was staring down at the dog, a hungry look in his large, red eyes. The meagre amount of meat that he’d eaten the day before was a distant memory. He hadn’t fed in far too long. Eddie could smell the iron in the air, and his entire body was filled with the all-consuming thought of wanting to feed.

“At least take the dog outside before you drain its blood,” Max said, with a sigh. “I don’t want you dripping blood everywhere and making any more of a mess in my room than it already is.”

“Yeah.”

Eddie nodded at her. He slung the dead demodog over his shoulder, its opened flower-petalled head flopping lifelessly down. He would feed on it, and then, they would cook the meat. It would be a welcome dinner. A far cry better than the demorats he’d been planning on hunting later on that day.

“I’ll be right outside,” Eddie said. “Just give me a few minutes before you come out.” Max knew that Eddie would be busy for a while, so she started to clean up her room. Eddie brought the demodog outside, and sat down on the front steps. He took his time, slowly draining the monster’s blood. He didn’t stop until he was full and satiated, his body filled with renewed energy. He was still a bit tired, and sore, but no longer weary. Hoo Bear had ambled over, and sat on his haunches in front of Eddie, watching him eat with great interest. Eddie was glad to see the owlbear, but he would’ve preferred it if he’d shown up just a little bit sooner. He wished their new friend could’ve taken down that stupid demodog, before it broke into the trailer and scared the shit out of them. Eddie was glad that it appeared to be the only dog in the park that night – and not part of a larger pack.

When Eddie was done feeding, the owlbear approached. He snuffled at the carcass, giving Eddie a look. Owlbear was clearly hungry. He made a small sound, pleading.

“You’re hungry, boy?” Eddie said, nodding at him. “Go on, eat up. But save some for me, and Max.”

Hoo Bear tore off one of the dog’s hind legs, and began to gnaw on it. He began making small pleased cooing sounds, as he ate. And when he was done tearing the meat off the bone, the owlbear tore off another limb. But thankfully, Hoo Bear had left a large part of the carcass for him and Max. Eddie lit a fire, and set the meat over the flames so that it would start to cook. He stood by the flames, eagerly anticipating when he’d be able to eat the cooked meat.

He realized that Max had not come out of her trailer, and some time had passed. Eddie went back inside to check on her. He found Max digging through her belongings. She had tossed a great deal of her belongings onto the bed – clothes, a few books, some family photos.

“You’re packing up your stuff?” Eddie asked, frowning. He watched as Max took a backpack down from her closet, and started to shove everything inside.

“Yeah. I can’t stay here anymore.” Max picked up her Kate Bush cassette, and shoved it into her bag. “You were right. My trailer’s not safe. I’m taking what I need, and we’ll go back to yours.”

“You sure?” Eddie asked. “I can try to board up the hole in your ceiling. We can work on fortifying your trailer.”

“No. It would take too long, and besides – it wouldn’t matter,” Max said. “After what happened tonight, I’ve realized that it’s not safe at this trailer. Having a demodog try to kill me in my bedroom will do that to someone.”

“Okay.” Eddie reluctantly watched as Max grabbed up an armful of clothes from her dresser, and started to walk out the door. “I thought you hated my trailer.”

“I don’t hate it,” Max said, shooting him an annoyed look. “It’s just – it’s your home, not mine. But now, I guess – well, we’re just going to have to share your place, ‘cause it’s safer. If a demodog can break in, it’s really not secure at all. And that one dog did a lot of damage. Think about what a troll could do. We’d have died.”

“Yeah.”

“C’mon,” Max said. “Let’s go.”

“Yeah, we should clear out, before any other nasty creatures decide to drop in for a surprise visit.” Eddie smiled at her, trying to lighten the mood. “I put the food on the fire. Hoo Bear ate some of it already.”

They walked the short distance to Eddie’s trailer. He’d grabbed her mattress, and brought it with them. They left the food cooking over the fire, because Eddie knew that it would take awhile. Max’s owlbear was curled up near the fire, watching the grease begin to drip down onto the flames with a quiet hiss. His eyes were half-lidded, but Eddie could tell that the creature was wide awake.

When they got back to Eddie’s trailer, he helped Max set up camp. She didn’t want to sleep on Wayne’s cot, because it was too uncomfortable. Which was why she’d insisted that they bring her mattress over. Eddie laid her mattress down in the corner of his bedroom. He brought in the couch cushions from the living room, and set them up around her mattress, like a pillow fort. Eddie pinned up some spare bedsheets and blankets around her bed, to give her some privacy. That way, her sleeping area was blocked off. Like a secret hideout. He figured she’d like the privacy, and she could hide in there in case there was another monster attack. Eddie tried to make it comfortable for her, knowing that she’d rather be in her own bedroom, but that things didn’t always work out the way they were supposed to.

Eddie had given Max one of the dressers in his bedroom, and she’d started to unpack her belongings. There was some space in the closet for her, so she could hang things up if she needed to. Eddie laid out her blankets and pillows on her bed, then set out a bottle of water, and a flashlight for her in the pillow fort so that she’d be more comfortable in there. The fort wouldn’t offer her any protection from any monsters, but at least she’d be hidden from sight. Eddie and Hoo Bear would take care of any monsters.

Eddie thought that sharing his trailer wasn’t the most ideal situation, but it’d have to do. He’d never had a sibling, so Eddie had never had a roommate sleeping in his bedroom before. It’d take some getting used to. But he’d always had to make space for Wayne, as his uncle stored his things in Eddie’s room. So, he wasn’t completely unused to sharing his room with another person.

They’d recently been working on clearing away the vines, making the trailer more livable. It was slow progress. No matter how many vines they cut away, and tossed outside, the vines kept creeping and crawling all over the trailer. They were insistent, taking over the entire place.

“Look, I made you a place to sleep,” Eddie said, proudly. “Your own pillow fort.” Max tiredly nodded at him, staring down at the collection of blankets, and cushions. It had been a long day, and she was exhausted. They had gone into town like she’d planned, but it had all gone awry. They hadn’t managed to get home safe and sound – instead, they’d encountered bullywugs, and trolls, and even an owlbear. And then, the demodog attack. Today was just not her day. Not to mention the fact that she was starving, and the food wouldn’t be ready for some time. Her stomach growled loudly.

“Do you like it?” Eddie asked. “If you hate it, you can have the bed – and I’ll sleep in the fort.”

“It’s fine. Thanks.” Max scrubbed at her eyes. “I’ll try it out tonight, and see if I like it. Wake me up when dinner’s ready?”

“Yeah, sure.” Eddie nodded, then went to go lie down on his bed. “Goodnight, Max.”

“Goodnight, Eddie.”

Chapter Text

Max fell asleep first, because of how exhausted she was. Eddie was tired too, but he stayed awake for awhile, just staring up at the ceiling. Now that they were in the fortified Munson trailer, Eddie felt like he could let his guard down. Max liked the pillow fort, because the couch cushions were soft, and the fort was nice and dark. It felt like she was sleeping in her own private room, which she enjoyed. Max liked that she’d be able to read at night with her flashlight without keeping Eddie awake.

But eventually, Eddie did fall asleep. He’d been so deep asleep that he’d completely forgotten to check on the meat still cooking outside. He woke up with a start when something large began pounding against the side of the trailer. Half-asleep, Eddie reluctantly rolled out of bed, and went to go see what was going on. He’d convinced himself that it was another demodog trying to break into the trailer – but it turned out to be Hoo Bear, trying to let him know that the meat was ready. Some of it was a bit charred from the flames, because he’d left it on the fire for so long. Eddie went and woke up Max, to let her know that it was time to eat.

Although Eddie had made the pillow fort for Max, they ended up sharing it. Every few nights, they’d switch so that she could have a turn sleeping on the bed, and he would sleep in the fort. It was roomy enough that he could fit in it. Soon enough, the pillow fort turned into a hangout spot. Whenever Max or Eddie needed a nice dark place to hole up for a while, they would crawl inside, and hide away from the world.

Hoo Bear was a welcome addition to their group. Max was thoroughly enamoured with her new friend. Hoo Bear padded alongside them, as they walked through the Upside Down, keeping an eye for monsters. Over the next few weeks, all three of them had gone hunting in the woods. They’d also gone back downtown twice, to try and find their way home. The seam was still stitched up, though. They hadn’t run into any more trolls, but they had seen a few demogorgons from a distance – though they’d kept their distance.

Every time they went out on some mission, the owlbear stayed by Max’s side, often bumping his large shoulder against her as they walked. She felt safe with her owlbear by her side. Hoo Bear would communicate through a variety of shrieks, and sounds that Max would translate to Eddie. It took him a while, but he was starting to pick up on the owlbear’s language.

And Hoo Bear made for a soft mattress. When Max and her owlbear curled up together on the grass outside, he would pull Max close to his side, keeping her warm. Max seemed to like sleeping with her new feathered friend, more than curling up with her comforter in the pillow fort. The owlbear didn’t come into the trailer too often; he had to squeeze inside the front entrance with great difficulty. So, the owlbear mostly just slept outside on the grass, or on the trailer’s front porch. The trailer park had plenty of room for Hoo Bear to bound around on all fours, to work off his energy. He patrolled the area, catching small rats for Max, dropping them excitedly at her feet.

They were all learning to get along as a team. Hoo Bear seemed to tolerate Eddie most days, and was affectionate with him on good days – but he absolutely adored Max. With Hoo Bear helping them hunt, they had plenty of food. Rats, and demodogs, and other small creatures from the woods. There was plenty of meat to go around – and they had begun making jerky, so they could bring it with them on trips downtown. And Max had begun storing a container of jerky in the pillow fort, just in case.

“What do you think our friends are doing right now?” Max asked, as she watched Eddie place the long strips of meat over the fire. It was a question that they often asked each other. Sometimes, it was a serious question, other times, they would give out the dumbest answer on purpose, to make each other laugh.

“Oh, I don’t know,” Eddie said. He stared at her for a second, trying to figure out if she’d rather have a serious answer, or a silly one. He decided to give her a silly one. “I bet Sinclair is skydiving right now, flying through the air above Hawkins. And I bet that Henderson’s just won the lottery – and now he’s riding around town in a limousine, and drinking champagne.”

“I’m being serious this time,” Max said, side-eyeing him. “Serious answer, please.”

“Oh, sorry,” Eddie said, glancing over at her. He gave it some thought. “Well, I bet they’re probably at school. Boring answer, I know. I imagine they’re sitting in class, learning math, or science, or something. Probably watching the clock, waiting for lunch break.”

“Yeah?”

“And after school, they’re going to go home to their families. Dustin’s going to eat dinner with his mom, and Sinclair’s going to eat with his parents, and Erica. And they’ll probably watch TV, or something before going to bed. Like, ‘Wheel of Fortune’, or ‘Jeopardy’, or something like that.” Eddie grinned at her. “Probably doing homework, or something. Or maybe they’ll be reading a library book.”

“I wish I was with them,” Max said, wistfully. “What are they eating, do you think?”

“Oh, uh – “ Eddie tilted his head slightly, thinking it over. “Lasagna, extra cheesy. And garlic bread. I bet they probably have dessert, too. Homemade cookies, straight out of the oven.”

“That sounds fantastic.”

“Yeah.” Eddie smiled. “I know, right? Super envious of them right now.”

Eddie continued talking about what their friends were up to in the Rightside Up. Steve and Robin were probably working at Family Video, helping customers. Nancy was probably on the phone with Jonathan. His uncle was likely getting ready for work, nuking one of his TV dinners that he loved so much. Little stories like that, which gave them hope that they would see them again, and experience the regular, mundane life with their families again. Thinking about their loved ones helped.

But at one point, Eddie looked over and saw that Max had stopped listening. Her head was tilted slightly to the side, eyes narrowing as she concentrated. For a second, she could’ve sworn she’d heard Eleven’s voice, shouting her name. It definitely sounded like Eleven, but it was far away – barely audible.

“Eleven again?” Eddie asked, giving her a concerned look.

“Yeah.” Max nodded.

It had been happening more frequently over the past few days. Max would be talking to him, or they’d be out hunting, and then she’d hear that voice calling her name. It was kind of disconcerting, because as far as they knew, they were the only ones down here. Max would stop everything she was doing, and try to listen to that voice – the one that she swore was El’s.

“You sure you don’t hear it?” Max asked, strained.

“I don’t.”

“Is it all in my head?” Max asked, quietly. “I want to hear her so bad, that my mind’s playing tricks on me. I’m crazy, or something.”

Eddie slowly turned the long strips of meat, listening to them sizzle. He was quiet for a moment, watching the flames lick away at the meat. Finally, he glanced up at her. “I don’t think it’s all in your head,” Eddie said, his eyes fixed on the oily meat in front of him. “When we were stuck in the Upside Down, after going through the Watergate, Steve was certain that he could hear Dustin. Insisted on it. We all kind of thought he was nuts at first. Robin was terrified that Steve had rabies, from those freaking demobats. Or, like, a head injury or something. I mean, the rest of us couldn’t hear Henderson – so, something must be wrong with Steve. But it turned out that Steve was right – and we could eventually hear Dustin, too. It’s actually what saved us, got us out of that hellhole. We were able to communicate with Dustin through the lights. It’s how we were able to get home. He was so loud.”

Max laughed, hearing Dustin’s loud voice in her head distinctly. She had known him for years, knew how loud and excitable Dustin could be. Even when he tried to whisper, Dustin couldn’t regulate his voice very well.

“I don’t think you’re crazy for hearing Eleven’s voice,” Eddie said, dropping into the lawn chair. He squinted up at her. “Maybe it’s like Steve hearing Dustin. Maybe she’s topside, trying to reach out to you. But that’s doubtful, if she’s all the way in California. But remember when you told me how you were hiding from Vecna, in your snowball memory? This could be something like that. El’s voice could be in your head only, because she’s trying to communicate with you. That would explain why I can’t hear her, but you can.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s always a possibility. We’ve just been down here forever. I wish I could just wake up,” Max said. “I’m probably just lying in the hospital, or something. That’s my theory. I don’t think we’re dead, or in purgatory, or in a dream. I think Vecna got me that night – and that’s why I keep dreaming about my death. I think he actually got me for real.”

“You might be right. But if you were one of Vecna’s victims, and you were injured that night, then I bet everyone’s watching out for you,” Eddie said. He smiled at her. “They care about you so much. The whole party was willing to run into danger, to protect you from Vecna, to protect Hawkins.”

Max went around to him, and sat down on the lawn chair set up beside Eddie. She leaned forward, her chin cupped in her hand, as she watched the fire crackle.

“One day, we’re going to get home,” Max said. “I can’t live down here forever. I hope that El really is trying to communicate with me. Maybe one day, you’ll be able to hear her, too.”

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded. “I hope so.”

But unfortunately, Eddie never did hear El’s voice. That was something only she could do. Every time Eddie would see that distant look on Max’s face, he would try to listen as hard as he could – just in case. But he never heard El’s voice.

Chapter Text

Eddie tilted his head back, staring upwards. The long black line cutting across the night sky was easily visible; easily accentuated against the red and blue clouds. The stitched-up seam was high above them, taunting him – tantalizingly out of reach. He stared up at it, wishing desperately that there was a way he could reach it, could break through to the other side. He wanted to get him and Max home, just like he’d promised. There were some days where they could barely see the seam above them, because it would be hidden from sight, behind the heavy cloud coverage. But that night, it was highly visible.
They used it as a guide, following the seam in a straight line all the way into town.

Sometimes, as they walked beneath it, Eddie and Max could hear snippets of conversation from the surface. Cars would rumble past, music blaring, horns honking. He’d hear people shouting, stuff like that. Distant sounds of civilization. And though they’d try to scream and shout to get someone’s attention, they were never successful. But even just hearing the sounds of world above them, was enough to give him some amount of peace. At least the people up there were alive, they were okay. Faring much better than him and Max were.

That night, they were in for a treat. There was a small section of the stitched-up seam that had split open. It wasn’t much, but in the jagged opening, Eddie could see stars. Real honest-to-god stars, and a sliver of dark blue sky. Eddie and Max would sometimes manage to catch a glimpse of their home, and tonight was thankfully one of those nights. Eddie stared upwards, unblinking, not wanting to miss it. He could see grey, wispy clouds moving swiftly past. Eddie’s chin quivered, his eyes filling with tears. His vision blurred, so much that he couldn’t see the stars clearly. Eddie swiped at his eyes with his sleeve. That was their night sky from home. Christ, he missed their Hawkins so much.

“Wow.”

Eddie glanced over, and saw that Max had stepped forward. She stood in the little patch of moonlight, and he could see tear tracks on her upturned face. She was smiling, a wistful sort of smile. Homesick, just like him.

“It’s so beautiful.”

“Yeah, it is,” Eddie agreed, his arms wrapped around himself in a tight embrace. “I’ve always loved stargazing. It’s so good to see moonlight.”

Eddie sat on the pavement underneath the jagged opening, staring up at the sky. Even though it was too high up for them to get home, Eddie was glad that they could hear Hawkins. Up there, people were living their regular lives. There were voices, and music, and people driving around late at night in their cars. They were going to school, and work, and getting to regularly see their family and friends. That was all that he wanted. Eddie imagined himself finding a way up there to safety. Eddie imagined what it would be like, getting to surprise his uncle. Wayne would probably be shocked, and happy, to see him show up at the trailer. And Max could run across the way to her trailer, and hug her mother again. That was all that mattered, for them to see their folks again.

“We should start screaming,” Max said. “Someone might hear us this time, like last time. That guy, he definitely heard us. I just hope that they’ll come and check it out. They’ll find out we’re trapped, and they’ll save us.”

Eddie nodded. She was right. The stitches wouldn’t stay undone forever; they were usually sealed back up within a few hours. Eddie and Max had been in awe, staring up at the beautiful night sky. But they needed to start shouting. Every time they saw their chance, they’d scream until their voices were hoarse, needing to attract attention to their predicament. Someone would eventually hear them, and peer into the Upside Down. They could drop a rope down for them, haul them up to the surface. But though they were as loud as possible, nobody responded to their calls for help. Their screams went unanswered.

“I wish Hoo Bear could fly,” Max said, crossing her arms over her chest. She glanced over at her pet owlbear. “He’s too fat to fly.”

“Yeah. He eats too much.” Eddie saw the owlbear lift up his head, and stare at him. “Sorry, Hoo Bear, but it’s true. You’re too fat to fly.”

“If he could fly, we could ride on his back all the way up to the Rightside Up.” Max walked over to Hoo Bear, and patted him gently on the head. “And then, we could go home.”

It was fun, imagining that they could ride on the owlbear’s back all the way to safety. But it just wasn’t going to work. Even though owlbear was half bear, half owl, there was no way he’d ever be able to take flight. Hoo Bear was just too hefty.

“Maybe you should’ve wished for a Pegasus, or something. Or a pet dragon. We’d be home, by now.”

“Yeah.” Max smiled. “But Hoo Bear is so cute! He’s the pet I want.”

Eddie tried to figure out a way to get someone’s attention from above. He thought about throwing something through the small gap, like a message in a bottle sort of thing. But it was much too high. They’d tried throwing rocks, and small objects, but they weren’t able to throw anything near it. Maybe if they had a flare gun, or fireworks. Anything to alert the others.

Eddie stayed out there all night long. He sat on the pavement, staring up at the undone stitches. That was their ticket home, the unreachable gap in the dark line going across the sky. He didn’t want to leave. He sat there long enough to see the night sky above him begin to change colour. It slowly became dawn, and then, the hot morning sun poured down through the gap.

The sunlight was burning Eddie’s skin. As he sat in the warm patch of yellow sunlight, he could feel his skin get irritated, and start to turn red. He felt hot all over, itchy, and raw. It happened every time he sat in the sun, ever since he’d turned into a vampire. Eddie’s skin would react straight away, leaving him in a great deal of pain. But he refused to move out of the little patch of home.

“Eddie, stop,” Max said, frowning at him. “Get up. You’re just hurting yourself.”

“I’m fine, Max,” Eddie said, through gritted teeth. Despite the pain, he wanted to sit and bask in the warm, yellow sunlight. It was an intense comfort, amidst the Upside Down’s darker hues, and hellish landscape. “I’m okay. I just need to sunbathe. Get my vitamin D.”

“No, you’re not fine. I can see what the sun’s doing to you, Eddie.” Max frowned at him. “You’re hurting yourself.”

Eddie didn’t want to move away from the warm patch of sunlight. He’d missed it so much, craved it. The warm yellow light, hot on his face. But Eddie knew that Max was right, that he needed to stop. His skin was on fire. Finally, Eddie forced himself to get up, and slink back into the shadows where he belonged.

His face felt hot and tight, and Eddie stayed in the dark, wishing that he could sit in the sun for longer periods. It was so rare that they got to have sunlight like that. Usually, it was night sky, or overcast days. Eddie knew that now he was a vampire, he had to be more careful. But the sun had been so enticing.

Now, it was Max’s turn. She sat crisscross in the yellow light, her eyes shut. Max didn’t say anything, just raised her head up to the light, and silently sat there. She was like a cat sunbathing in the patch of sunlight. Max didn’t have to worry about her skin burning in the same way that he did. She was a redhead, and could only tolerate so much sun – but she was not a vampire, like Eddie. Max stayed in the sunlight for as long as she could, relishing its warmth. Eventually, she too, had to slink back into the shadows. And eventually, the sun slipped away, and it was nighttime again.

They had been up all day, so Eddie and Max finally decided to go inside. He was hoping that the tear in the seam would still be there when they woke up. But by the time they rushed outside a few hours later, it had already been patched up. He stared up at the section that had been torn open earlier, but it was all stitched up. The black line across the sky was now unbroken, and it resembled the neat row of tiny stitches that he’d do on his thrifted clothes over the years – grabbing a needle and thread from his little sewing kit, trying to make them last just a while longer. No more stars, no more sun.

“It’s gone,” Eddie said, disappointed. He glanced over at Max, and saw the glum expression on her face. “I miss the sun already. I thought it’d stay here for awhile longer. Another few hours, or a day, at least.”

“Yeah,” she said, moodily. “I’m really going to miss it.”

Eddie tried to pretend that everything was fine, but it was severely depressing, losing that little patch of sunlight. Even if it did make him itch something fierce, and his skin was all raw, and sunburnt. It had been a little beacon of hope. He wanted to sit in that light forever, to feel its warmth.

That night, Eddie couldn’t sleep. He kept thinking about home. His friends had never arrived, never rescued him. And Eddie and Max been unable to find a way out yet, despite their best efforts. He was all out of ideas, left only with the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, that they might never leave. Eddie tossed and turned for awhile, before finally dragging the ladder out of storage. He set it against the side of the trailer. Slinging his guitar over his back, Eddie clambered up onto the roof.

From where he sat, Eddie could see a great deal of the trailer park. There were no demodogs running rampant tonight; Hoo Bear had chased them off. The owlbear was silently padding around the park, keeping a close on things. Patrolling, making sure that they were safe.

Max couldn’t sleep, either. She climbed up onto the roof shortly after Eddie did. She sat down on the edge of the roof, dangling her legs over the side. Max watched owlbear creep along the grass near her trailer, his nose to the ground. He had caught a scent, and was following it carefully.

“I’ve been thinking,” Max said. “You said that you remembered dying, right?”

“Yeah.” Eddie winced at the memory, recalling how he’d been ripped to shreds by the demobats. He set his guitar down, and moved closer to her, until his legs were dangling over the side as well. “I remember dying. All too vividly.”

“Yeah, me too.” She stared down at her lap. “It bothers me, that we both remember dying. Because some days, I think that it might’ve actually happened. But here we are, alive. It’s confusing, I guess. I just wish I understood everything better. Is this purgatory? Are we dead? Dreaming? Are we truly just trapped in the Upside Down? Or is this something else altogether?”

“I wish I had all the answers.” Eddie frowned. “Maybe it’s some kind of mind trick? Something Vecna’s cooked up, just to toy with us? We haven’t seen him, but that doesn’t mean that creep’s done with us. He could be playing games with us.”

“I don’t know.” Max glanced over at him. “Maybe.”

Max fidgeted a little, watching Hoo Bear wander off into the woods. She glanced up at Eddie. “Why are we tethered? Specifically, why us? What’s causing it? How do we break it? I want to be able to go where I want, without being stuck to your side like Velcro. I mean, we can only go a short distance apart.”

“That’s a lot of important questions – and I don’t have the answers to any of them,” he said. “I really wish I did.”

Eddie was watching Max, taking in the way her hands were trembling, the way her shoulders were hunched. Max could barely maintain eye contact with him. He held his hand out towards her, palm up. He waited to see if Max would take it. She stared down at it for a second. Then, she reached out, and held his hand. He smiled at her.

“Look, I get that this isn’t ideal for either of us. And though I don’t really understand what’s been going on here any more than you do,” Eddie said, “I can promise you this – I am getting you out of here. It may take a while. But I’ll get you out.”

“Both of us,” Max corrected him. “We both get out of here together, or not at all. Not just me.”

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded. He let go of her hand, and reached over, grabbing the acoustic guitar beside him. “Both of us.”

Max shifted slightly, so that she could read the message that Eddie had painted in large white letters on the front of his acoustic guitar. ‘This machine slays dragons’. She watched him play for a few minutes, then Eddie handed the guitar to her. Max set the guitar in her lap, and began strumming it. She listened to the sound, looking down at the strings.

“You’re getting better.”

Max glanced up at Eddie, and realized that he was watching her play. “Yeah?”

“Definite improvement.” Eddie smiled at her. “Maybe if we ever get out of here, I might even let you play my electric guitar.”

“I thought nobody was allowed to touch your sweetheart.”

“You’re correct, Red.” He was still smiling. “It’s always been off-limits. But we’re friends, now. And hell, if I may be so bold – you’re like my little sister. That grants you special privileges.”

“Yeah?” Max smiled back. “Thanks.”

During spring break, Max hadn’t really felt particularly close to Eddie. They were neighbours, and went to the same school, but she hadn’t really known him all that well. Eddie was Dustin’s friend, and it was clear that Dustin worshipped the older metalhead. Mike, and Lucas had liked him as well. So, she’d trusted Dustin’s gut instinct when her friend had insisted that Eddie wasn’t some crazed killer. Eddie had kind of scared her at first, especially when she’d seen him go after Steve in the boathouse. Wild, and unpredictable. But she’d quickly realized that Eddie had just been scared. And then, after hearing his side of the story about Chrissy’s death, she knew that he was no threat. Just a scared teenager, who’d been forced to bear witness to a foul, brutal murder.

After Eddie had said what he did about them being friends – and that he considered her a younger sister – Max gave it some thought. She needed to figure out for herself what she was comfortable with in their relationship. Mere acquaintances, or friends, or family? As she listened to Eddie play the guitar, she thought it over. Max was somewhat hesitant to call Eddie a brother, because that had been Billy’s role. She’d already had a brother. But Billy was dead, and there was no way he was coming back. She figured that her and Eddie were going to be down in this hellhole for a long time. And seeing as how they were tethered together, they might as well get used to it. When she’d first arrived, Max had been annoyed that she was stuck with Eddie, but over time, she’d begun to warm up to him. He had been acting as her protector, but also her friend. Eddie was a pretty decent guy. Funny, even.

Maybe she felt extra close to him, because they were linked. Mentally, or psychically, or something like that. Whatever their connection was, she felt close to him. They were friends now, for sure. Max was glad that they at least had each other, even though she missed her friends and family. It was much better having a friend down here, than being alone. Yeah, they were definitely friends. And maybe the longer she was down here with him, she would even see him as family. Having a protective big brother looking out for her was always nice in a dangerous kind of place like this.

As she stared up at the red sky, Max wondered what her mother was doing on the surface. Lucas was probably frantic. She missed Eleven, and Dustin, and everyone. Thinking about her mother, and her friends put a huge damper on Max’s mood. She didn’t want to sit up here anymore, listening to Eddie play the guitar. Max wanted to go home. She stared out at the damaged Mayfield trailer, wishing that it was still intact. But there was still a massive hole in her bedroom ceiling, and it just wasn’t safe. Max abruptly stood up. “I’m going to bed.”

“Mm-kay,” Eddie said, still playing. He glanced up at her. “You good?”

“Yeah. Just tired.”

“’Kay. I want to play for a bit. I’ll probably go to bed in like, ten minutes.”

“Yeah.”

Max hurriedly crawled down the ladder, and went inside. She lay down in the pillow fort, curling up on her side. Max pressed her face against her blanket. She was crying, shoulders shaking. Max heard Eddie come in, the mattress shifting, as he lay down. She tried to stifle her tears, knowing that she was making too much noise. She didn’t want Eddie to hear her cry; she wanted to be alone. But it was a small bedroom, and he had already heard her.

“Red, hey,” Eddie said, quietly. “You know what I miss?”

Max swiped at her tear-filled eyes, trying to calm herself down. She took a few deep breaths, knowing that Eddie was waiting for a response.

“What?” Max finally asked. “What do you miss?”

“I miss my uncle, and my trailer. The real one, I mean. And I miss my friends,” Eddie said. “I’d give just about anything to be up top right now.”

“I miss my Mom,” Max said. “And I miss Lucas, and Dustin.”

Eddie nodded. “Great kids.”

“I want to go home. But my trailer’s not safe down here, and we’re stuck in the Upside Down forever.” Max took a shuddering breath. “This has just been really hard.”

“Yeah.”

After a few minutes, Max felt ready to come out of the pillow fort. She went and sat down on the bed beside Eddie. Max sulked, resting her chin in her hand.

“I hate this place. I just want to go home.”

“Being here isn’t all bad, is it?” Eddie said, trying to catch her eye. “Sure, there’s monsters everywhere, and it’s dark and gloomy – but we’ll be home one day. We’ve got this whole place to ourselves. And I know that it sucks, being stuck together like we are, but it’s not so bad.”

“Easy for you to say. You got to turn into a cool vampire,” Max said, bitterly. “I didn’t get any new powers when I came down here. My hearing, and vision just isn’t as sharp as yours. And I don’t get cool fangs, or anything. Besides, it’s always freezing. I always have to wear extra layers. But you don’t. You got used to the cold temperatures down here.”

“You want to be a vampire?” Eddie asked, surprised. “Even if it means drinking animal blood to feed?”

“That part isn’t so great.” Max made a face. “It’s still pretty gross whenever you do that. Drinking blood is gross. But I guess I just kind of envy the fact that you got to be the one with neat powers, and I’m still just myself.”

“Like that’s such a bad thing?” Eddie said, nudging her. “You’re a cool kid, Red. And being a vampire is alright, I guess. It’s got its perks. I mean, it’s helped me adapt to these new surroundings. But it’s not like, amazing, or anything.”

“Yeah.”

“You want me to turn you?” Eddie bared his fangs at her, then he laughed. “I’m kidding.”

“Yeah, don’t turn me,” Max said. “It’s just . . . every time we go out, I’m worried that I’m going to get eaten by those stupid demodogs, or a troll.”

“Nah, you don’t need to worry about the monsters getting you,” Eddie said, putting his arm around her. “They’re not going to lay a hand on you. I’m your protector, remember? I won’t let anything hurt you. And if anything tries to eat you, Hoo Bear will tear them limb to limb. We got you.”

“I just feel like I need to be able to protect myself better.” Max leaned against his side. She sighed. “I’ve been using your spear, and practising defending myself. I’ve been hunting the rats. But I feel like it’s not enough. I need a weapon to defend myself with, in case we run into something big again – like that troll. Or the demodogs.”

“What kind of weapon do you want?” Eddie asked, curious.

“A machine gun would be nice.” Max pretended to shoot up some monsters. Rat-a-tat-tat. “Like those old gangsters on TV. Or a sword. That would be nice.”

“Yeah. Swords are pretty awesome.”

They stayed up for awhile, chatting about stuff. Neither of them could sleep, so it was nice to just sit and talk. When she woke up in the morning, Max was going to grab the acoustic guitar and play it on the roof. But when she looked around the trailer, Max couldn’t find it. The guitar was gone.

“Where’d you put your guitar?” Max asked, frowning at Eddie.

“Uh,” Eddie tilted his head slightly, thinking it over. “Shit, I think I left it on the roof last night.”

Max went hurried outside, and climbed up the ladder to retrieve it. But to her surprise, the guitar was gone. In its place, there was a large, sheathed sword lying on the roof.

“Whoa,” Max murmured, staring down at the shiny weapon. “What the hell?”

Max knelt down, and picked up the sword. She unsheathed it, staring at the silver blade. It was heavy, the blade sharp. The hilt was sturdy. On one side, there was an inscription: ‘This sword slays demodogs.’ She curiously glanced at the other side, and saw ‘Mad Max’ written on it in beautiful cursive writing. Max glanced over, seeing that Eddie had followed her up the ladder.

“Wow, that’s beautiful,” Eddie said, studying it. “Where the hell did that come from?”

“I dunno. It just appeared.” Max raised her eyebrows at him. “I went to the roof to get your guitar, but it was gone. This sword was in its place.”

Eddie frowned. “What, a sword just appeared?”

“Yeah. I think . . . this was your guitar. Maybe I conjured it up, the same way that I did with Hoo Bear,” Max said, with a shrug. “I mean, we were talking about how I needed a weapon. And I joked that I’d like a sword. I guess I got my wish.”

“Yeah, I guess so.” Eddie took the sword from her, examining it closer. “Wow, this is really pretty.”

“It really is.” She looked over at Eddie, and smiled. “This is my weapon.”

“Yeah, definitely. It’s even got your name on it.” Eddie nodded at her. “You’ll definitely be able to protect yourself, now. Just like you wanted.”

That afternoon, they dug around in the trailers, looking for useful items. They found a few nice books, and some stubby candles, and another box of matches that would really help them. While they were at one of the trailers, Eddie found a motorcycle helmet, and some shoulder pads. He gave them Max, and she tried them on. The helmet, and the shoulder pads were way too big for her. She buckled the strap under her chin, looking up at him. Eddie laughed. With the sword, and the heavy helmet falling down into her eyes, Max looked like she was a kid playing dress-up, like she was trying to be an old-time knight. She attached the sword to her belt. Max practised sheathing and unsheathing the sword, again and again until she felt comfortable with it.

“Alright, if you’re going to go into battle to take down your opponents, you’ll need to put in a lot of practise with that sword of yours,” Eddie said. “Let’s start small, and work your way up.”

Eddie lined up a few small items along the fence, and stepped back to give Max some room. He sat back in his lawn chair, and watched as she began attacking the empty tin cans, and rat skulls. She swung at them, violently attacking them with a great deal of ferocity – pretending that they were demobats, or demodogs. Max continued swinging her sword all evening, until her arms were tired from exertion.

“I think I’m ready,” Max said, sheathing her sword. She lay down on the grass, staring up at the lightning. “I’m ready to go into battle.”

“After only one practise session?” Eddie asked, staring down at her. “No, that’s not right. You need a lot more practise than just that.”

“I’m ready.” Max pursed her lips into a thin line, determined to go out there, and start taking down some of the monsters. “I feel comfortable with the sword. I can do this.”

Eddie frowned, thinking that Max still needed a bit more practise. One afternoon was not enough. She needed a week, at least. But she seemed so sure of herself. And who was he to say no?

Chapter Text

“Hey, you know what we should do?” Max asked. She was lying on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. They had been up all night, unable to sleep properly, and there was nothing much to do. Max glanced over at him, watching as Eddie cleaned up his desk. “We should walk over to Dustin’s house. Or Steve’s.”

“Yeah?” Eddie said.

“Well, I’ve been thinking. You know how you guys were able to talk through the lights, or whatever? Like Will did with his mom,” Max said, rolling over onto her stomach. She propped her chin up in one hand. “I was thinking that maybe we could something like that. Get the lights to flicker, try and communicate with them. An SOS, so they know that we need saving.”

“Yeah, we could try doing that,” Eddie said, nodding. “Next time we go into town, we could go to either Steve or Dustin’s house. And we’ll scream as loud as we can, and flick the lights – do whatever it takes, until they hear us.”

“Can we go today?” Max asked, sitting up. She gave him a hopeful look. The idea of contacting their friends, and potentially getting out of there filled her with optimism. “I want to go today.”

“No, not today.” Eddie shook his head. “I’ve already got plans for us today. We need to keep clearing away the vines in the trailer. They’re taking up a lot of space, and they’re getting really annoying. It’s going to take a lot of work, though. So, I think we should go downtown tomorrow, or in a few days’ time. We gotta pace ourselves.”

“Okay.” Max studied him. “But we are going to go soon, though. Right?”

“Yeah. Of course.” Eddie nodded, bobbing his head enthusiastically. “Soon.”

It was Max that spotted the door first. After they’d had a quick bite to eat, they got to work cutting away at the vines – and burning them in a large bonfire outside on the road. Eddie was determined to make the Munson trailer as safe, and comfortable as they could, and that meant that they couldn’t have any more vines in their home. They had been hard at work for hours, working up a sweat, and they had barely made a dent.

“Hey, Eddie? Where does this door lead to?” Max called out, from the hallway.

Eddie frowned. He had been hacking away at a particularly thick vine, trying to pry it off the kitchen cupboard. The vines were thick, and difficult to remove, so it took quite a bit of work. And this vine was being extra stubborn, not wanting to be removed from its place. Eddie briefly wondered what door she was talking about. There were only a few doors in that section of the trailer – the one leading to his bedroom, the bathroom, the door leading out onto the porch. She knew all that already. It was pretty much the same layout as her own trailer, and pretty self-explanatory.

“Open it, and find out!” Eddie shouted over his shoulder.

Eddie waited for a response, but he didn’t get one. He shrugged, then continued working. When he was done in the kitchen, he’d go over there and help her clear the hallway. But first, he needed to get rid of this stupid vine.

“Eddie!” Max said, raising her voice. “I really need you to come see this!”

“Give me a second!” Eddie called out, irritated. When Max called out for him again, he set his knife down on the counter with a loud clatter. He walked over to see what she was going on about, cursing under his breath.

Max was standing in the hallway, one hand on her hip as she stared at the light blue door with a bemused expression. For the past hour, she’d been clearing away the vines that slithered over the back door. Hacking away at the thick vines with her new sword, chopping them up – ready to be reduced to ashes on the big bonfire outside. Max liked having the back door clear of vines, in case they’d ever need to make a hasty exit. But when she’d turned around, Max discovered that there was now another door right beside it. Its weathered wood was painted light blue, and it had a glass doorknob. There were little faded flowers painted on the front. The vines weren’t touching this new door; they slithered near it, then would immediately retreat – keeping their distance.

“Has this door always been here?” Max asked, gently tapping the door with the tip of her sword. She tilted her head slightly to the side, studying it. Max looked up at Eddie with a puzzled expression.

“Uhh . . . no.” Eddie shrugged. He’d never seen it before in his life.

“It’s weird, right?” Max said, nervously looking up at him. “This door just like, showing up here like that?”

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded. He knew his trailer like the back of his hand, and he knew for certain that this weird blue door had never been there before. But at a glance, it looked like it had always been there. Like it belonged. “Yeah, Red. It’s pretty freaking weird.”

“It kind of looks like my bedroom door from when I was a little kid. Mom helped me paint it.” Max was frowning, recalling the memory from when she was very young. “But what’s it doing here?”

The better question, Eddie thought to himself, was not what Max’s childhood bedroom door was doing in his trailer. The question that played on his mind, was how he had never noticed it before. Eddie and Max had been living in the Upside Down version of the trailer for ages – and he’d been living there for some time on his own before Max had arrived out of the blue. He’d made the trek from the living room, to his bedroom countless times. And yet, he’d never noticed something as important as a brand-new door.

Eddie glanced around him, wondering how the door could just appear like that. He’d never seen it before in the trailer, and he knew for a fact that there wasn’t room enough for it in the trailer’s layout. But there it sat, as if it had always been there. The door was a permanent fixture in the Munson trailer, and it appeared to have always been a part of the building. Had they been in someone else’s trailer – a stranger’s home – Eddie would have presumed it’d always been there. But he knew that it didn’t belong. Eddie studied the trailer hallway. Maybe it was just his imagination, but it seemed to have grown longer by a few feet to accommodate the new door. And that just didn’t sit right with him. “Yeah, this is weird,” Eddie said, unnerved. His mouth twitched nervously running his tongue over his teeth. “I don’t like it.”

Eddie reached out, and tentatively touched the doorknob. He jiggled the knob, trying to open it, but it was shut tight. He turned to look at Max with a bemused expression. They didn’t have a key or anything, so what was even the point of getting a new door, if it was locked? It’s not like it would even go anywhere important, anyway. It would just lead outside, like the door beside it. They didn’t need two doors leading to the same place, so it was redundant.

Eddie sighed, leaning against the wooden frame. “The damned thing’s locked.”

“I want to try.” Max had a resolute expression on her face. “Move.”

Eddie took a step back, and watched as Max sheathed her sword. She walked up to the door, and grabbed the doorknob. She twisted it, and to Eddie’s surprise, she was able to open the door without any effort. She creaked it open a few inches, just wide enough for them to see the yawning darkness on the other side. So, it didn’t lead to outside after all. Max went to open it further, but the door didn’t budge. It was stuck.

“I got it open a little bit,” Max said, annoyed. “But it won’t open all the way. And I can’t really see what’s in there.”

“Here, I got it.”

Eddie quickly stepped forward, shoving the wooden door with his shoulder, once, then twice. On the third time, he slammed against it with all his might, and it finally gave. He nearly fell, catching himself on the doorframe at the last second.

Max stepped forward, stepping across the threshold. She turned back to him, and they shared a quick worried look. Max reached out her hand to him. Eddie took it, and stepped across the threshold. They started to shuffle forward, Eddie sweeping his hand out in the darkness to try and feel his way around. There was a lot of space around them, but no obstacles so far. He glanced back over his shoulder. He saw the open blue door was still there – the comforting square of light, their way home illuminated in the dark. Eddie and Max took a few more tentative steps in the dark, still clutching hands. He didn’t want to let go for anything, in case they got separated in the dark abyss. Max and Eddie jumped a mile, when the lights flicked on overhead. They were both immediately on high alert, not sure what to expect. They found themselves standing in a wide hallway. It spread out in front of them, illuminated by long white LED flickering lights, evenly spaced out above their heads. The walls were stark white, smooth and unblemished. Eddie looked back again, making sure that the blue door was still there, that they could get back home again. It was. To their right, Eddie and Max saw that there was now another door, about four feet away from them. It was brown, with no markings or signage on it.

“What the fuck is this?” Max murmured, not moving forward. She stared at her new surroundings, uncertain. She had dropped Eddie’s hand, and it was now on the helm of her sword. Max’s eyes darted around, studying everything with a critical expression.

“No idea.” Eddie felt deeply uncomfortable. This just didn’t make sense. The door should lead to outside, not to some long hallway. He shuddered, intensely uncomfortable. “I don’t like this. We should go.”

“No, I want to stay. Just for a few minutes, until we can figure this out.” Max glanced up, giving Eddie a sharp look when he started to slink away towards the blue door. She grabbed his sleeve, stared him dead in the eye with a firm look that stayed his feet. “Eddie, don’t you dare leave.”

“Okay, I won’t go,” Eddie said, though he was still skittish. “I just – I really don’t like this place. I feel like I shouldn’t be in here. Like, I don’t belong in this place.”

“No, that can’t be right. As soon as I saw this door, I had this feeling – I knew I was supposed to open it. And once I went inside, I knew that this is exactly where I’m supposed to be,” Max said, glancing up at him. “I mean, I’m scared. And I don’t understand what the fuck all of this is. But I’m supposed to be here.”

“Yeah?”

“You don’t feel it?” Max asked. “Like, weird energy drawing us in?”

“No.” Eddie shivered. “This place is like a hospital hallway. Too bright, too white. I don’t like hospitals. And it even smells like a hospital. Like bleach, and antiseptic, or something. I don’t like it.”

“I don’t know, this place smells fine. We have to stay here awhile, and figure things out. Both of us – not just me. I need you to stay with me, Eddie. Please,” Max said. “You’re not chicken, are you?”

“No.” Eddie frowned. This wasn’t about him being too scared, or anything. She was, too. It was just that he’d felt an intense feeling of dread, and he knew that he wasn’t supposed to be in that hallway, or going into any of those doors. It just didn’t feel right. He didn’t belong in there. But he was no chicken. “Fine. I’ll stay. Just for a few minutes, though.”

Eddie hung back a little, watching as Max walked over to the brown door. He wanted to go back to the trailer, but Eddie could see how determined Max was. She wasn’t going to leave this place, not unless he dragged her out. Max tried the knob, and it turned. She smiled softly to herself, then glanced over her shoulder at him, and gestured for Eddie to come closer. He went towards her, and watched as Max opened the door. Eddie took her hand, and they stepped inside the pitch-black room.

As soon as she was inside, the room started to slowly brighten up – small amount of light appearing in increments, until they were standing in bright afternoon sunlight. Max squinted. Eddie looked around. They were standing on the lush green grass at Weathertop, the hot July sun beating down on them. He could hear the whine of mosquitoes in the air, the wind shifting the trees in the distance.

“What is this?” Eddie asked.

“A memory.” Max looked around her, watching as the scene started to unfold in front of them. Everything was blurry, but he could make out who was in front of him. Dustin was sitting on the grass, setting up some radio equipment. Max was with another girl – and he saw Mike, Lucas, and another boy. They were all clustered around Dustin, waiting impatiently as he gave them instructions for his homemade radio. Dustin was explaining everything to them in great detail. “This was right after Dustin came back from science camp. Summer ’85.”

“It’s one of your memories,” Eddie said. “You’re doing this? Bringing it to life like this?”

“I guess so.” Max frowned. “I mean, yeah – this is my memory. As soon as we came into the room, this memory sort of just . . . started to appear. So, yeah – I guess I’ve done this.”

“Huh. Cool.”

Eddie smiled, watching the memory take place. The kids were all hot and sweaty in the bright sun, and Max was arguing with Lucas about not having enough water. He watched Dustin continue to talk to his friends. Eddie stared at the kids, thinking about how long he’d been in the Upside Down – and how much he missed Henderson. Christ, it felt like he’d been ages since the last time he’d seen that kid.

“I remember this. It’s a good memory,” Max said, arms crossed as she took it all in. “We had a surprise party for Dustin at his house, when he came back from camp. See that radio he’s setting up? That’s Cerebro, and he built it at camp so he could talk to his long-distance girlfriend, in Utah. Most of us kinda thought that Dustin had made up his girlfriend. Turned out, Suzie was real.”

“Yeah?” Eddie said, with a smirk. He watched as Dustin picked up the radio receiver, and started to talk into it, calling for his girlfriend. “He told me about her. Salt Lake City, right?”

“Yeah.” Max looked around. “It’s too bad that everything’s so fuzzy. I can’t even really make out their faces – though I know who’s who, obviously. It needs to be clearer.”

“It’s your memory,” Eddie said. “You’re in control of it, right?”

“Yeah, I guess so.”

Max squeezed her eyes shut, focusing intently on the memory. Bringing it to life in front of their eyes, in sharper definition. A small trickle of blood dripped from her nostril, though Max had yet to notice it. Eddie thought about telling her to stop, worried that she was hurting herself. But he stayed silent. He silently watched her, squinting in the bright sunlight, as Max continued to focus on making the memory sharper, more defined.

It was a memory, but it felt very real. Not like watching a movie, or anything – but more like they were actually in the scene itself. The ground had more definition, now. Eddie crouched down, studying each blade of grass, each individual flower petal. He could feel each blade of grass, the flowers, the wind on his face. The yellow sunlight was warm enough to make him sweat in his leather jacket, and he tugged on the collar of his Hellfire Club shirt, pulling it away from his neck.

Eddie’s friends’ faces were no longer blurry. It was like putting on a pair of glasses, having everything come into focus. Like the scene in front of him was real. Real enough to touch. Eddie reached out for Dustin, but his hand went right through him. That was disappointing. But he knew that these weren’t really his friends; they were just a memory being played out in front of their eyes. A copy, pulled from Max’s mind.

When Max finally opened her eyes, she stared up at the scene, watching her memory self walk around the grassy clearing, talking and laughing with her friends. She smiled, touching the cuff of her sleeve to her nose, wiping the blood away.

“The sun feels so good,” Eddie said, lifting up his face. “Like, almost real. I feel like one of those lizards that sit under heat lamps.”

“Yeah.”

“This is a good memory,” Eddie said, leaning back. He smiled at her. “You guys all looked really happy.”

“Yeah, we were.” Max nodded at him. “This was just a few days before the mall fire on July Fourth, when Billy died. A lot of crazy shit happened that summer, but when we all hung out that day, we had a good time.”

Eddie nodded. “Yeah.”

“Okay, we need to go home, now.” Max turning to the brown door. She pulled it open, squinting in the too-bright hallway. “C’mon. I’m tired, and I want to go back to the trailer.”

“Don’t you want to learn more about all this?” Eddie asked, waving his hand at the memory still playing out in front of them. “I mean, how does this all work?”

“I don’t know how it works. It just does,” Max said, with a tired shrug. “Don’t ask me to explain it, because I don’t get it myself. But I do know that the memory will still be here later, so we can come back and see it again.”

“You sure?” Eddie asked. He hesitated, wanting to further understand everything better. “I mean, seeing your memory is cool, don’t get me wrong. But how do you know it’ll still be here?”

“I just do. This room’s not going anywhere,” Max said. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Max seemed to know what she was talking about, so Eddie just nodded. Okay, they could come back later on. Good. He reluctantly started to follow her out of the room, going back into the too-white hallway. They walked back to the blue door, and let themselves into the Munson trailer. They had to let their eyes adjust for a few seconds, as the trailer was bathed in its usual weak blue light.

Eddie kept thinking about how the door had appeared out of nowhere, leading to a strange hallway. And once they’d gone inside, they’d found another door in the mysterious hallway – which led to a room with a memory pulled from Max’s head. What he’d seen just didn’t make sense, and yet, that was what they’d experienced. Eddie frowned at her, his mind abuzz with questions. He needed to understand this better, needed answers. Did Max even get how this had happened, or why? The memory had appeared – fuzzy at first. But Max had focused on it, making it more defined, clearer. She’d done that.

Eddie had so many questions, but it was clear that Max was exhausted. Especially since they hadn’t really slept so well the night before. He followed after her, as she headed straight for the bed. She took off her sword, then flopped down on the mattress, closing her eyes.

“We’ll go back in later, I promise,” Max said. “I’m just tired, okay? I need to sleep.”

“Yeah.”

Chapter Text

After Max had gone to bed, Eddie crawled into the pillow fort. He was wide awake, and he knew that he needed to be quiet so Max could get some sleep. Eddie was a bit tired, but he knew he wasn’t going to sleep anytime soon. He switched on his flashlight, and picked up his library book, ‘Sons and Lovers’. But a few pages in, Eddie could tell that he wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on the story. He just kept staring blankly at the page, his mind elsewhere. All Eddie could think about, was the weird white hallway, and the strange blue door that had appeared in his trailer.

He couldn’t sleep any, and Eddie knew that he wouldn’t be able to focus on his book. He lay there awhile, tossing and turning, mulling things over. Eddie kept trying to figure out how Max had been able to put her memory in the room like that, and how she’d known that it’d still be there when they came back. Max seemed to sense quite a bit about the room, seemed more comfortable than he was in that place. She didn’t even seem to mind the too-white, sterile hallway, even though Eddie found it off-putting. He wanted to talk to Max about it, but she was exhausted, worn out from cutting the vines earlier, and then from conjuring up that memory in the room. She’d be out for some time, he knew that much. Eddie waited for hours and hours for Max to wake up, but she stayed asleep. Eddie finally got up, and went to check on Hoo Bear, and checked to see if there were any monsters they had to be worried about. Everything was quiet. Eddie did his best to stay quiet, as he paced back and forth in the living room. He was filled with restless energy.

Eddie was curious about the strange hallway, and even though it filled him with dread, a small part of him was determined to go back in there and figure out what the hell was going on. He needed to understand it better. If he could just understand how things worked, maybe he wouldn’t feel so afraid of it. Eddie paced back and forth, until he couldn’t bear it any longer. His curiosity getting the better of him, he went to the blue door. He would only go in for a few minutes, he told himself. Just long enough to get a glimpse of Max’s memory again. He knew that Max wanted him to wait, but he just couldn’t wait any longer. Technically, the door was in the trailer, so even as he was still tethered to Max, the hallway was in close proximity. It meant that he could see Dustin and the others at Weathertop again, sit on the green grass, feel the sunshine on his face. The sunlight in her memory hadn’t burned his skin, didn’t hurt him the way it did when the sunlight slipped down from the Rightside Up. It had just felt warm on his skin, nice and pleasant. Eddie thought that maybe he could see how far down the hallway he could get, if there were any other doors. He thought it’d be kind of cool if he could figure out the mystery of the strange hallway, by the time Max woke up. A nice surprise for her.

But when he went to go open it, the blue door was disappointingly locked up tight. Eddie twisted the doorknob, tried repeatedly ramming his shoulder against the door. He thought that it was just stuck at first, like before. Apply enough force, and he could gain entry. Eddie did his best to stay quiet so as not to wake Max. But he soon came to the conclusion that the blue door wasn’t just stuck – it was stubbornly impenetrable. The door held fast. Damnit, he wasn’t going to get that door open any time soon. Defeated, Eddie decided to leave it alone for now. He wouldn’t be going in there anytime soon. He went into the bedroom and checked on Max. She was still fast asleep, the blankets pulled up to her chin. He was beginning to feel kind of tired at that point, so Eddie crawled into the pillow fort, and closed his eyes. He tried to quiet his mind, thinking about the blue door, and the white hallway. And eventually, Eddie drifted off to sleep. He dreamed about the room that held Max’s memory – warm sunlight on his face, soft green grass underfoot. Only this time when he hugged Dustin, his friend was solid in his arms.

When he woke up a few hours later, he was feeling pretty well rested. Eddie peered outside of the pillow fort to check if Max was awake yet. To his surprise, she was gone. Eddie scrambled to go check on her, thinking that maybe Max had gone back into the hallway without him. But he found that the blue door was still locked. He did a quick search of the trailer, and discovered that she wasn’t there, either. Max had gone outside to hunt with Hoo Bear, and she’d cooked some of the meat over the fire.

“Hey,” Eddie said, watching as she took the meat off the fire, and plated it up for their breakfast. “That smells great.”

“It’s not ready, yet. The meat’s gotta cool.”

“Okay.” Eddie nodded. He watched as Hoo Bear tore into his own food. Eddie’s stomach growled, impatient to eat breakfast. “Oh, yeah – I have something to admit to you. Last night, I couldn’t sleep. I was going to go in the hallway on my own last night. I know, I should’ve waited for you – but I was getting curious about that place. Didn’t matter anyway, ‘cause the door was locked.”

“Really? It wasn’t locked when I woke up this morning. I checked,” Max said, frowning at him. Eddie trailed after her, as she went back inside the trailer and stood outside the blue door. Max grabbed the handle, and swung it open. Eddie saw the white hallway, and the brown door that led to Max’s memory. She turned to look at him. “See? It’s not locked.”

“No, I swear the door was locked,” Eddie insisted, annoyed. “It was. I couldn’t get back in, no matter how hard I tried.”

Max rolled her eyes. “Whatever. Let’s just eat breakfast, and then we can go back in there.”

“Sure, yeah.”

Eddie and Max waited for their meat to cool, then they quickly finished it off. He was eager to go back in, and check things out. As soon as they were done their breakfast, Eddie and Max went back into the hallway. Max rushed forward, opening the brown door. The Weathertop memory began to play out in front of them. It was on a loop, starting at the exact same moment that they’d seen yesterday. The shimmering heat, the whine of pesky mosquitoes, the group of friends hiking up the hill. A good memory, warm and comforting, playing out before their eyes. It wasn’t blurry; it was clear and concise, just like how they’d left it.

“It’s exactly the same,” Max said. “Starts off at the same place as it did yesterday.”

“It’s like, the memory is permanently trapped in this room.” Eddie’s gaze slid over to Max. “I think it’s like, keeping a hold of your good memory. Like, keeping it safe, or something. In a bubble, or something.”

“Yeah.” Max nodded. “I guess so. Wish I knew why, though.”

“Yeah, I have no idea.”

They stayed awhile, watching Dustin set up his radio on Weathertop. The memory reset a few times, always exactly the same. Eddie and Max sat on the floor, wistfully watching the memory play out. Eventually, they decided to leave the room. When they stepped out into the hallway, they realized that something had changed. Instead of just the brown door, there was now three doors. The brown one that led to Weathertop, and now, there was also a white door and a navy-blue door. Eddie excitedly jogged over, and tried to open them. They were locked up tight. It was only when Max turned the doorknob, that they were able to go in.

“Max, I think these different doors are for your memories,” Eddie said, glancing over at her. “I think that’s why you’re the only one who can open them. I couldn’t open any of them. They’re only for you, Max.”

“Yeah, I think you could be right.” Max nodded. She hesitated, then glanced up at him. “I think they’re the doors of the mind.”

“What?” Eddie asked, puzzled. “Uh, what is that?”

“I think that maybe . . . and I know this sounds kind of odd, but I think this hallway is somehow a part of my mind. Like, we’re inside my head?” Max said, wincing a little. “I know, it sounds weird as hell. But I’ve been having these dreams. Eleven’s reading this book to me, telling me all about these doors that I’m supposed to be seeing. Focus on the doors, imagine them in my head, and my memories will be safely stored behind each one. And I’m supposed to go in each door, and like, work through stuff? I dunno.”

“Tell me more about your dreams,” Eddie said. “I need to understand this better.”

“In my dreams, El’s sitting by my bed, and she’s reading a book to me,” Max told him. “I can tell that the book’s important to her, so I lie there and listen to her. She reads one chapter after another. But the thing is, I’m not able to talk to her, or move, or anything. And I can’t even see Eleven, but I know it’s her. I know her voice. So, I listen to her reading to me. El’s book is all about meditation, and hypnosis, and therapy stuff that I don’t really care about. But the stuff about the doors, and the memories, that really interested me.”

“Yeah?”

Max continued to talk to him about what she’d heard in her dreams. She summarized the book’s contents to him, explaining it as best as she could. Imagine the door, see it your mind’s eye. Eddie listened, asking a few clarifying questions, needing to understand it better. He could tell that this wasn’t just some strange dream that she’d had, hazy and surreal, full of bizarre storylines that didn’t make any sense once said out loud. No, this was different. Max’s dream about El reading to her was sharp in her mind, clear and concise. He believed that she had definitely experienced this interaction with her friend, the same way that he believed Eleven had spoken to her repeatedly, that Max could hear her friend’s voice. It might not make sense, but he knew it to be true.

Each time they went into one of the new doors that had appeared in the white hallway, Eddie and Max would be met with a new memory playing out in front of them. They would watch the memory unfold before their eyes. Fuzzy at first, lacking detail. But Max would concentrate as hard as she could, focusing on the memory, bringing it to life. And these core memories would blossom in front of her eyes, a replica of the real thing. So far, they were happier times in Max’s life, when she had spent time with her mother as a child, or hanging out with her friends. But Eddie figured that eventually, they’d have to dredge up some of the darker memories during the process – the death of Billy, her parent’s divorce, the Vecna stuff. Things that she might not be comfortable facing, but were important nonetheless.

It seemed that each time they completed a memory and went back into the hallway, there would be more doors. The one brown door had jumped to three. Then there were five doors, then ten. A dozen, then fifteen. All different looking doors, each of them leading to a darkened room – waiting for Max to fill them up with her memories. Max knew that she needed to open each door, entering the rooms and completing each individual memory. And only then, would that room be whole.

“One door down, a million more to go,” Eddie joked wryly, looking to Max. In total, they had done four doors that day. He reached for her hand, and they trudged down the hallway. “You good to do one more?”

“Yeah,” Max said, yawning. She was getting pretty tired, though. “I could do one more. And then we’ll call it quits for today.”

Chapter Text

For the past few days, Eddie and Max had been spending a lot of time in the hallway of doors. Each time they went in, Max would fill up a few more rooms. Some days, she could do half a dozen memories in a day, one after another. Happy memories, knocking them right out of the park. Good times that Max was all too happy to remember. But other days, she could only do one or two doors. It was exhausting work, fleshing them out, giving them definition. Some memories were more draining than others, heavy with emotion.

Eddie tried his best to support her. This was her journey, something that only Max could do. They were her doors, her memories. Eddie would keep a water bottle on hand, and give her strips of jerky to make sure that she was eating enough. Sometimes, her nose would start to drip blood. Other times, she’d get really bad headaches. But usually, Max would just get exhausted. She’d often need to lie down, shielding her eyes from the bright lights. And so, he would lie down beside her, waiting until she felt better.

He liked it better when she did the happier memories. Those rooms were light, comfortable to be in. They always felt relaxed in those memories, a weight off their chests. Like things were okay for just a little while. But some of the rooms – the ones with the darker, heavier memories – were harder to navigate. Max would get moody, and the darker memories would get to Eddie, as well. Like the memory was dripping with grief, and sadness, and anxiety – and it rolled off in waves. They would both leave those rooms feeling drained, and worn out. But the room would be complete – a successful memory tucked away. And once they were done that room, they could move on to the next.

They had put aside the majority of their other tasks, in favour of spending their time in the strange hallway that had appeared. They’d chosen to delegate all the hunting to Hoo Bear – and he was more than eager to chase down the few demodogs, and rats that dared to enter their trailer park. Their owlbear was determined to clear out all the monsters from the trailer park, keeping the monster population low, in an effort to protect his humans. Eddie and Max were both heavily interested in filling up all the doors with Max’s memories, even though it was a time-consuming task. They’d barely removed any more of the vines from the Munson trailer, because they were spending most of their time in the doors of the mind.

But that day, they hadn’t entered the blue door and put in more work like they’d initially planned. Eddie had been tired and lethargic earlier, and so he’d decided to call it a night. He just wasn’t feeling up to it. Eddie’s skin had been hot and tight, and he was running a fever. He was sure that he was coming down with something. And so, he’d slept for a few hours. A good night’s sleep was what he needed.

When he woke up ages later, Max was passed out on the bed beside him, buried under the blankets. Eddie hadn’t even heard her come in the room; she’d been hanging out with Hoo Bear when he’d gone to bed. She had her flashlight, and a book lying beside her. He figured that Max had been waiting for him to wake up, so they could work on some more memories.

Eddie was sore all over. Even though his mattress was usually quite comfortable, it hadn’t been a restful sleep in the slightest. He felt weird, plain and simple. Something just didn’t feel right with him. Eddie thought that maybe he’d just slept wrong. He did that sometimes. If he slept in a funny position, then he’d wake up in pain. So, he figured that that must be what had happened. Once he got up, and stretched, he knew that he’d probably start to feel better. Eddie got up slowly, trying not to wake Max. But even as he stretched, moving his body this way and that, it just didn’t seem to help any. He was still sore. Eddie shifted, twisting his arm behind his back, trying to reach between his shoulder blades. It felt like something was there, something that wasn’t supposed to be. A small growth, a protrusion.

“What are you doing?” Max asked, as she woke up. She watched him wriggle around for a few seconds. Eddie pulled off his jacket, dropping it on the bed.

“Something’s not right. There’s uh, something on my back,” Eddie said, turning to look over at her. “I need your help. Can you do me a favour, and take a look?”

“Gross, Eddie.” Max gave him a look. “What, d’you have acne, or something? If you’ve got some nasty zit, or something, I’m not popping it for you.”

“Could you please just look?” Eddie asked, blinking rapidly. He inhaled sharply, as a twinge of pain hit him. “It really hurts.”

“Fine, yeah.” Max sighed. She picked up the flashlight. “Let me take a look.” Max gingerly lifted up the back of his Hellfire Club shirt, high enough until she could see what was bothering him. She used her flashlight, getting a better look. There were two small growths on his shoulder blades.

“Okay, yeah – there’s something there. Don’t freak out –“ Max started to say, but it was too late. Eddie had already begun panicking.

“Oh, God. It’s serious, isn’t it?” Eddie put a hand to his chest, his heart racing. “Christ. It’s bad. Is it cancer? Do I have a tumour? What is it?”

“There’s something growing out of your shoulder blades.” Max hesitated. “Umm . . . I think you’re growing wings.”

“Wings? Ha!” Eddie let out a barking laugh. “I know we make bat jokes sometimes, but that’s going too far.”

“Yeah, except I’m not joking,” Max said. She went over to the dresser, and dug around until she found a handheld mirror. “Here, I’ll show you.”

Max held it out, trying to show him what was on his back. Eddie squinted into the mirror. Sure enough, there were two protrusions growing on his back. They were about the size of a nickel. It was kind of hard to get a good look at them, because they were so small. Eddie had Max describe them to him. She told him that they were miniature bat wings, with veiny leathery skin.

“Max Mayfield,” Eddie said, his face blanching. “this is very serious. I need you to get the scissors.”

“No way. You’re not cutting off your wings.”

“I can’t reach them. I need you to cut them off for me. You have to. Who even randomly grows a pair of wings?” Eddie said loudly, before burying his head in his hands. “Humans don’t have wings. This isn’t right. My back hurts so much right now. I just want them gone.”

“Well, you’re not exactly human, so the rules don’t apply.” Max set the mirror down. When Eddie gave her a hurt look, Max sighed. “You’re part bat, or something. Vampire? I don’t know. But you’re something . . . non-human.”

“Well, I don’t want any of this!” Eddie said, loudly. “And I definitely don’t want wings. Go get the scissors. We’re doing this.”

Max argued with him a bit longer, but when it was clear that he wasn’t going to be swayed, she reluctantly went into the kitchen, and found a pair of scissors. She brought them back, then sat down beside him on the bed. Max gave him a serious look, clutching the scissors.

“Are you sure about this?” she asked. “You sure you want me to cut them off?”

Eddie hesitated, then nodded. “Just do it, and make it quick.”

“It’ll hurt.”

“I know.” Eddie winced. “Do it anyway.”

Max grabbed the first wing, pulling it out and away from Eddie’s back. He squeezed his eyes shut, and waited for her to snip them off. He knew it was going to hurt, but this had to be done. Eddie couldn’t have wings; it just wasn’t right. He had contended with the fact that he would be a vampire from the bat bites. But wings? That was going too far. He grabbed his knees, bracing himself for the pain.

“I – I can’t do it,” Max said. She set the scissors down on the bed beside her. “I’m not going to cut them off.”

“Max-“

“No, I can’t. This is awful, and you can’t make me cut them off.” Max was pissed off, now. “You have to just accept that you’ve got wings, now. They could come in handy, you know. We could try and fly out of here. Once they’re bigger, we could fly right up through the tear in the sky. Straight back to the Rightside Up.”

“If you think wings are so cool, then you grow them,” Eddie growled at her, annoyed. “I’m in pain. I don’t want this. Now, are you going to cut them off, or not?”

“I’m not.”

They argued back and forth, but he was unable to persuade her to cut them off. Max absolutely refused. Finally, Eddie gave up. If she wasn’t going to do it, he’d cut them off himself. He pulled his shirt off the rest of the way, and grabbed the scissors. He reached back to snip them off. But despite his best efforts, Eddie couldn’t reach them. He just couldn’t quite get the angle right.

“It’s not the end of the world if you grow a pair of bat wings,” Max said. “They’re small, now. But they’ll grow. And just imagine how cool they’ll look. And once they’re big enough, you can fly us out of here, and we get back home.”

“Yeah.” Eddie wanted to go home, but not if he had to fly them out. That had never been part of the plan. Eddie set the scissors down on his dresser, then stared over his shoulder at his reflection. Bat wings. Jesus H. Christ. As if things weren’t bad enough already. He gave her a sarcastic look. “Yeah, Max. I’ll just fly us out of here.”

Over the next few weeks, Eddie’s bat wings continued to grow. They were no longer nickel-sized. They’d grown in small increments everyday. Max kept checking on them, and she seemed enthralled by how cute the wings were. But Eddie absolutely hated them. Growing a set of wings was terrible. They hurt all the time, especially when they accidentally rubbed against the material of his clothes. His new wings were ultra sensitive, and they hurt a great deal. The bigger they got, the worse Eddie’s back pain got.

They had continued working on the vines in his trailer, cutting and hacking away at them regularly, to try and clear them from his place. And they’d gone into the hallway of doors a few times. Tried to stay busy, stay occupied. But Eddie’s growing wings gave him a lot of grief, so he had to go at a slower pace.

As his wings continued to grow larger, Eddie was no longer able to keep them tucked away out of sight under his shirt. He had to snip holes in the back of his beloved Hellfire shirt, so that his wings could be pulled through. And it meant that he’d had to change his sleeping position, as he wasn’t able to comfortably sleep on his back anymore. His wings were more of a nuisance than anything else.

Over time, Eddie’s wings had slowly, and painfully grown in, and he was pretty sure that they were as big as they were going to get. What had started out as tiny nickel-sized protrusions from his shoulder blades, were now a wingspan of more than ten feet. They were thick, leathery, and folded up behind his back, taking up quite a bit of space. As they’d grown in, Eddie’s back and shoulders continued to ache non-stop. Eddie wasn’t used to the added weight on his back, and it threw off his balance. He had to be careful with his wings, because when he moved around the trailer, he often ended up knocking into things, or tripping, because of the added weight.

But although he’d decided to keep them, there was one thing that Eddie had refused to do – and that was learn how to fly. He had never really been one for heights, and though his wings could spread out quite significantly, he wasn’t certain that they’d hold his weight. Eddie had had numerous nightmares that he was flying in the Upside Down, wings spread, soaring up high above the trailer park. But then, something would go horrifically wrong, and he’d end up tumbling, crashing to the ground in a horrific way. And all that was left of him, was broken bones, and crushed bat wings. The nightmares always ended the same way – with his awful death. And so, he stayed on the ground, chose to keep his wings tucked away behind him. Kept them close to his body, folded up against his back. As far as flying, that just wasn’t going to happen.

“Okay, I’ve tried to be patient with you, Eddie. But I’ve waited long enough.” Max set her fork down, and stared at him with a fixed expression. “Today is the day.”

“For what?” Eddie asked. He glanced up from his bowl, filled with watery broth, and a few small pieces of meat. “Today’s the day for what?”

“Today, you’re going to learn how to fly,” Max said. “You’ve stalled long enough, and given me all sorts of excuses as to why you can’t possibly learn to fly. But enough is enough, Eddie. You’re doing this.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows at her, but didn’t say anything. He was not on board with this. Not in the slightest. He ate a piece of meat, and stared sullenly at the bonfire. Eddie pretended that she hadn’t said anything, as he continued chewing on the gristly meat. He was definitely not on board with her plan.

“I know you heard me. You have a full set of wings, Ed,” Max said, crossing her arms over her chest. She stared him down. “They’re not tiny little stubs anymore. Your wings are fully grown. And you’ve been putting this off long enough. You’re going to learn how to fly.”

“No.” Eddie couldn’t enjoy his meal anymore. Now, all he could think about, was crashing out of the sky to his death.

“You want to get home, right?” Max asked. “You want to see Wayne, and Dustin, and everyone?”

Yeah, of course he wanted to go home. Most days, it was all he thought about. Eddie continued to pout, his chin practically resting on his chest. Of course he wanted to see them again. But he didn’t want to learn how to fly.

“You want to see Steve again, right?” Max asked, giving him a knowing look.

Eddie’s head involuntarily shot up, and he quickly eyed her. “Yeah.”

“Well, then. We need to find a way out of this place. And you’ve got wings, Eddie. You’re our ticket out of here.”

“I wish you had them, instead.”

“So do I.” Max rolled her eyes. “You get all the cool stuff like fangs and wings, and all I get is a stupid door.”

“The door’s not stupid.” Eddie frowned. “It’s important.”

“I’d rather have wings.”

Eddie took his sweet time finishing his meal. He knew that as soon as he was done eating, Max was going to drag him outside and make him learn how to fly. But eventually, he ran out of broth to slowly sip, and his bowl was empty. When Eddie was done eating, he stood up, and stretched out his wings to their full wingspan.

“Okay, let’s do this, I guess. How do I learn to fly?” Eddie asked. He gave her a sarcastic little look, then jumped in place a few times, his wings flapping behind him.

“Like this?”

“Not like that,” Max said, annoyed. “You’ll need to get higher up. And then you have to jump off, and spread those wings as wide as you can.”

“I hate heights.”

“Just get on the roof, okay?” Max pointed at the trailer. “Go on, climb that ladder. Get up there.”

“Okay, bossy pants.” Eddie rolled his eyes, but he went and climbed up the ladder. He stood on the top of the Munson trailer, arms crossed defensively over his chest. He stared down at Max. “Now what?”

“Okay, now, jump!” Max demanded. She stared up at him, annoyed. “Jump, Eddie!” Eddie was reluctant to jump. His wings were folded up tight against his back, and there was no way that he was going to just jump off the roof. He tried to get his wings to unfurl, but they stubbornly stayed closed. This was a disaster waiting to happen.

“I-I can’t.”

“There’s nothing to be afraid of,” Max assured him. “You’re the one with the wings sticking out of your back, remember? I wish I was the one with wings. ‘Cause if I had them, I’d have learned how to fly ages ago. And I bet I would be really good at it, too.”

“Yeah, you would be. Y’know, I jumped off the roof of the trailer once, when I was a little kid,” Eddie said. He felt like he was stalling for time. “Broke my arm in two places. Worst summer of my life, ‘cause I couldn’t play guitar for ages. It still twinges sometimes.”

“That won’t happen this time.” Max stared up at him. “You’ll fly this time. You’ll be fine.”

“You’re sure about that?” Eddie asked, raising his eyebrows. The last thing he needed, was a broken bone, or two. He wouldn’t be much good monster-hunting, if he was lying shattered on the pavement. Max was a good fighter, but he wasn’t sure she could take of herself on her own if he was crushed to death. At least she’d have Hoo Bear.

“Christ, Eddie. Just jump already!” Max said, tilting up her chin. She stared him down. “You want me to come up there, and shove you off the edge?”

“No. I can do this on my own,” Eddie said, though he was still feeling indecisive. “I am.”

“Do it, then.” Max paused. “Unless you have performance issues.”

“Stop!” Eddie scrubbed a hand over his beet-red face. “Don’t call it that, Mayfield.”

“Well, what should I call it?” Max asked, with a laugh. “You’re too scared to jump. You’re frozen.”

Fine, okay! He was going to do it – if only to get Max off his back. Eddie took a deep breath, and stepped off the edge of the trailer. He expected to fall, to hit the ground in a jumble. He thought that he’d smash his ankles when he landed. But there was a whoosh of air, and his wings spread wide. They instinctively knew what to do. Eddie didn’t fly exactly, but he wasn’t falling either. He slowly coasted down to the ground, his sneakers hitting the pavement in front of Max.

“I didn’t break anything!” Eddie said, quickly patting down his body to make sure he was alright. He let out a relieved gasp, mouth wide open. “Oh, thank god for that.”

Max smiled, nodding at him. “See? You got this.”

“Okay, are we done?” Eddie asked. “I flew.”

“Not a chance.” Max walked towards him, and reached out to touch his wings, tapping one of the sharp horns protruding from the bottom of his wing. “Do it again. But this time, spread those wings even bigger, and fly. No coasting. You have to learn how to fly, Eddie. Properly, this time.”

“Really?” Eddie sighed. “But I did it already. You saw me.”

“No, you coasted. Barely.” Max gave him an earnest look. “You’ve got to master this skill, Eddie. Not just coasting, but actual flying. Because one day, you’re going to be able to fly us out of here. Stop procrastinating, and go back up on the roof.”

Eddie climbed back up the ladder, and stood on the edge. He stared down at her. “This is ridiculous. You know that, right?”

Max stared up at him. She had her skateboard out, gently rolling back and forth on the pavement. Max grinned. “You’ve got this, Munson.”

Eddie sighed, and dramatically flopped back. He took a few minutes’ break, watching the deep red and blue clouds shift and move across the sky. He had gotten used to the constant blue lighting, the forked lightning flashing across the sky. When he was ready, Eddie clambered to his feet, and stood at the edge of the trailer. He would do it this time. He would fly. Max was right; he had to learn sometime. He might as well face his fears, and get this over with.

Frowning in determination, Eddie backed up a few feet. Then, he launched himself forward, arms outstretched. He let out a wild roar, as he flew off the edge of the trailer. This time, he didn’t just coast downwards. Eddie flew. It wasn’t for very long. Just for a few seconds. But his wings flapped, the sound filling the air. And he soared through the air, landing a few feet away from Max.

Eddie felt breathless from the flight, his heart pounding in his chest. His eyes were huge, as he looked over at Max. “I flew. Holy shit, Red. I flew!”

“See? You got this.” Max stepped off her skateboard, and walked over to him. She grinned, watching as Eddie started jumping and down, his eyes bright with excitement.

Flying was easier than Eddie had been thought it’d be. Though he was still feeling some trepidation, Eddie knew that he could do this. He had managed to fly once, and he knew deep down that he could do it again. They spent the whole afternoon practising. Max kept him on task, when Eddie would get distracted by stuff, or try to quit. He wasn’t so keen on flying, but he was getting better at it. Or at least, he was getting more comfortable with stepping off the roof of his trailer. The flying part was still pretty hit and miss.

When he was done that night, Eddie had large bruises all over his body, from when he’d fallen on the ground, instead of landing properly. But he felt a rush of adrenaline, knowing that he was finally able to use his wings. Maybe Max was right. Maybe he’d actually be able to fly them out of there. Eddie smiled, one arm bent behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling.

“I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t cut these bad boys off, after all,” Eddie said, reaching back to touch his wings. “They’re actually somewhat useful.”

“Yeah. You were crazy for even suggesting that I remove them, just so you know.”

“Yeah.”

Chapter Text

In the past few days since her sleepover at Dustin’s house, Eleven kept thinking about how she’d heard Max and Eddie’s voices over the radio. She’d been volunteering around town somewhat, but El had been taking it slow. She was exhausted, burnt out. But hearing Max’s voice over the radio had filled her with hope that they might one day be reunited. That this was not all for nothing.

El still wasn’t entirely certain that the voices she’d heard that day had actually been Max and Eddie, but she certainly hoped that it was them. Because it would mean that Eddie was alive, and Max was okay. She kept thinking about how it might be a trick. Something from the Upside Down playing a cruel trick on them, trying to convince them that their friends were alive and well, when they actually weren’t. El knew without a shadow of a doubt that Eddie Munson had died in Dustin’s arms – which had devastated him. He had definitely died. So, how could Eddie be alive, and dead at the same time? It was like Schrodinger’s cat, simultaneously alive and dead, until observed. Will had explained it to her, that it was some experiment from a long time ago. Eddie was that cat.

When Lucas and Erica had come over to Dustin’s house the morning after their sleepover, they’d both had a lot of questions. They’d wanted to know absolutely everything that had been going on. Dustin and Will were more than willing to explain everything to them, telling the Sinclairs all about how they’d heard Eddie and Max over the radio, and how Eleven had tried to bring them into the void to see the door. El had tried to recreate the scene, with Lucas and Erica joining their circle. She knew how much it would mean to Lucas to hear Max’s voice, to know that she was okay. But try as she might, El wasn’t able to do it. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to hear Eddie or Max that morning. The radio had simply been static. And she’d tried once again to bring her friends into the void with her, so they could see the door for themselves. That too, was a failure. El had been disappointed in herself that she couldn’t show them the door, or get their friends’ voices back on the radio. It’d been a long shot, of course. But she’d just ended up with another massive headache, and a nosebleed.

When her parents found out what Eleven had done at the sleepover, they were equal parts intrigued, and alarmed. It was quite interesting to hear about the door, and the voices on the radio. But upon hearing how much of a toll it was taking on her health, they both insisted that El take a few days off from stitching up the crevices around town, and from going into the void. El was instructed that she had to be on light duties. She could still volunteer around town a few hours a day, but otherwise, El needed to take it easy. And so, she did.

Eleven read a few chapters of the ‘Doors of the Mind’ book, hoping to get a better grasp on the author’s teachings. She needed to get Max back. El knew that the next time she went to the hospital, she’d read her friend the chapters, ensuring that Max would be able to learn the material as well.

She wanted to know more about the author of the book. El thought that if only she could speak in person with Dr. Avery Mack, then she could ask her as many questions as she could, to better understand how to bring Max home. El had looked at the back of the book, and seen that there was only limited information about the author. A small photograph, and a brief paragraph about Dr. Mack. It said that she was a scientist from Indianapolis. But that wasn’t a lot to go on.

“Dad,” El said, as she ate her waffles. “Can we go to Indy?”

“We’re pretty busy today,” Hopper said. “Maybe some other time.”

“Do you want to do some shopping, or something?” Joyce asked her daughter. “If you need new clothes, we could make a day of it, and buy you a few outfits.”

“No, I don’t want to go shopping,” Eleven said. She liked going to the city sometimes with her family, because there were a lot of stores there. Malls were fun. But that’s not what she was interested in, this time. “Dr. Mack is from Indianapolis. I want to go find her, and talk to her about her ‘Doors of the Mind’ book.”

“You want to talk to that author?” Hopper said, surprised.

“Yeah.” El frowned, as she poured a generous amount of syrup over her waffles. She glanced up at him. “Her book’s been really helpful. Max was able to conjure up a door, so that means that Dr. Mack’s ideas work. Her book is important. And I think that maybe if she wrote other books, they could be helpful, too. I want to meet her, and talk to her about the doors of the mind.”

“You should go to the library, and ask them if they have any other books by that author,” Joyce suggested. The library building was still in complete disarray, but a great deal of the books were being held in a small storefront on Main Street. “I’m sure the librarian would be able to help you out with this.”

“Yeah,” Eleven said. “I could go over there today. But I don’t know if they’ll have any of her other books. Our library is so small.”

“Well, it wouldn’t hurt to ask.” Joyce smiled at her.

“Yeah, I can go ask.”

Eleven’s morning was fairly busy. Now that she was off light duties, El wanted to make the most of her time. She went with Joyce to one of the houses that had been damaged in the earthquake, and they spent a few hours fixing it up with the team of volunteers. At lunch, El biked over to the library. She was hoping that they would have more of Dr. Mack’s books, but she knew to keep her expectations low.

“Excuse me,” Eleven said, as she went to the front desk. She set the ‘Doors of the Mind’ book down, and gently pushed it towards the librarian. “Do you have any other books by this author?”

“Oh! I read this book a few years ago. It’s pretty good.” The librarian picked up the book, and studied it for a second. “Dr. Avery Mack – that’s that scientist that got jailed for her weird experiments.”

“What?” Eleven stared at her.

“Yeah, she was in the news a few years ago,” the librarian said. “She wrote a few books about hypnosis, and interdimensional travel, and time-skipping, and everything. That lady had a lot of really wild theories. Back in the late seventies, her books were fairly popular. It was all kind of new-Agey, if you ask me. But we had a few of her books in our collection, and people would often check them out. But then it came out that she was doing these illegal experiments on teens, using them as lab rats.”

“Oh.” Eleven’s heart sunk. She’d had no idea that the woman had been doing experiments on children. El frowned. Dr. Mack wasn’t a good person, then. She was just like Papa. “I didn’t know she experimented on kids.”

“Yeah.” The woman smiled at her, leaning in towards El as he lowered her voice. The librarian gave her a conspiratorial smile, as she continued gossiping about the author. “There was a huge uproar about it at the time. Dr. Mack was potentially facing a ten-year jail sentence. But during the trial, she had a mental breakdown. They sent her to Pennhurst – y’know, that mental asylum? I heard a rumour that she was writing these really weird equations all over her cell walls. Like, batshit crazy stuff. She’s been in there ever since.”

“Pennhurst,” Eleven repeated. “Where is that?”

“Oh, it’s in Kerley County,” she said. “It’s the mental asylum, where they put the criminally insane. The ones who have truly lost their minds.”

“Oh.”

“I don’t think we have any of her other books, though,” the librarian said. “A lot of our collection was destroyed in the earthquake. Where’d you find this? I thought it was out of print.”

“My brother found it at the hospital,” Eleven told her. “Someone brought it a box of donations.”

“Oh, okay. Well, you hold onto it,” she said. “I figure it’s the only copy in Hawkins.” When Eleven went home that evening, she kept thinking about what the librarian had told her. Even though she now knew that Dr. Mack had been experimenting on kids, and that she had been jailed for her crimes, Eleven was still interested in speaking to the woman. This could be her only chance to save Max.

“Dad, can we go to Pennhurst?” Eleven asked, as she scooped a generous amount of mashed potatoes onto her plate.

Hopper nearly choked on his food. He gave her a surprised look. “Why do you want to go to Pennhurst?”

“I want to talk to someone who lives there,” Eleven said. “I went to the library today, and they said that the writer of my book lives there now. She had a mental breakdown.”

“I don’t know, El,” Hopper said, frowning at her. “That’s not really the kind of place for kids. The people there, they’re dangerous.”

“Dr. Mack wrote the book about the doors,” Eleven told him. “I need to talk to her about it.”

“Let me think about it, okay?” Hopper said. “Let me talk to Joyce about this.”

Sometimes, when Hopper or Joyce said they needed to ‘think about it’, that was just their way of saying no. Eleven hoped that her father would actually give the idea some consideration, because it meant a lot to her to be able to go and talk to the writer. She needed to learn more about the doors of the mind, and what better way to learn about them, than from the woman who had written the book about the subject? It made sense to El, that the best solution was to go down to Pennhurst, and just talk to Dr. Mack in person. She wanted to see what the author had to say.

Eleven waited a few days, before she broached the subject again. She had been hoping that Hopper would consider it, and decide that it was a good idea to let her go. But Hopper hadn’t mentioned it again, which she found frustrating. She supposed that she could ask Jonathan, or Steve to drive her to Pennhurst, and she could try to talk to Avery Mack on her own. But Eleven didn’t know if they would even let her in on her own. She figured that it’d be better if her dad took her - especially since he was the chief of police. They wouldn’t say no to Hopper.

That afternoon, Hopper and Eleven were going to volunteer at the school. He’d signed them both up to work in the kitchen, making casseroles to feed the residents that lived at the school. They were driving over in his squad car, the windows rolled down. It was a nice afternoon.

“Dad,” Eleven said, her arm out the window. She glanced over at him. “Did you think about if I could go to Pennhurst? Have you decided?”

Hopper was quiet for a few seconds, as he glanced over at her. “Yeah, I’m still not sure about that.”

“Would it help if you went in with me?” Eleven asked.

“Oh, there’s no way you’re going to Pennhurst without either me, or Joyce present,” Hopper told her. “It’s not really the kind of place where I want any of you kids spending any time. The people are there because they have severe mental health issues.”

“I just want to talk to her. She’s not a murderer, or anything,” Eleven said. She didn’t want to mention the child experimentation to her father, in case he decided that it was a bad idea to take her there. “I just want to ask her about the doors. This is important to me.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Hopper said. “But you’ve learned about the doors from the book. You could just leave it at that.”

“Please, Dad!” Eleven clasped her hands, giving him a pleading look.

“Let me think about it, okay?” Hopper said, with a smile. “I’ll let you know at dinner.”

For the next few hours, Eleven chopped onions and carrots, and cooked batches of ground beef on the stove. El, Hopper, and the other volunteers made dozens of casseroles, as well as garlic bread, and pasta. They handed out trays of food, making sure that everyone was fed – with some of them coming back for seconds.

And finally, when they were done, Hopper and El grabbed their trays and sat down to eat. El was tired, but she was satisfied that they’d been able to feed everyone who needed it. It was good to see their friends, neighbours in their community. They were now done volunteering for the day, and they could go back home afterwards.

“Okay. I’ve decided,” Hopper said, as he twirled his pasta. “I’ll take you to Pennhurst tomorrow.”

Eleven beamed at him from across the table. She set her fork down on her tray. “You will?”

“Yeah. But if things get weird, or if that lady is psychotic, I’m immediately taking you out of there.”

“Okay.” El couldn’t stop smiling at her father. “Can Will come, too?”

“Yeah, I’ll take both of you. Maybe you should write up a list of questions that you want to ask her,” Hopper suggested. “I don’t know how much time we’ll have with her – or if we’re even allowed to visit this woman. We’ll have to see how it goes.”

That night, Eleven could barely sleep. All she could think about, was that she was finally getting the chance to speak to Dr. Mack in person. She was determined to talk to the author, needing to understand everything she could about the doors of the mind. El wanted to make a great impression. Will and El worked on making a list of questions she could ask the author. Eleven wasn’t sure how long they’d be able to talk to her for. A few minutes? An hour? She had no idea.

That morning, Eleven’s stomach was so fluttery that she could barely eat her waffles. She wasn’t sure what to expect. Eleven had stayed up most of the night, reading Dr. Mack’s book. She’d underlined a bunch of important sections, and had dog-eared multiple pages that she wanted to read again in the future. She’d tucked a list of questions in the front, and she was all ready to meet the woman.

After breakfast, Hopper drove them to Pennhurst. The asylum was a huge, sprawling building. It was kind of intimidating, and El was glad that she’d gone with Hopper, and Will. There were guards, and some mental patients walking around on the property. Had she gone on her own, El thought that she might’ve become intimidated, and backed out. But with her brother and father at her side, El bravely walked into the building.

Hopper had called ahead and arranged for a meeting with the warden, Anthony Hatch. Hopper asked if they could meet Dr. Mack, explaining that Will and El were both intrigued with meeting the scientist. Hatch asked them some questions about why they wanted to meet with the woman, so he could understand their intentions. Eleven explained that she’d read the author’s book – and that she wanted to meet Avery Mack in person. Eleven showed him the book, and her list of questions, and the man agreed to let them meet with her.

They were led into a small room, with a table and chairs bolted to the floor. El was feeling extremely nervous, as they waited for the guards to bring Dr. Mack in. Will was pacing back and forth beside her chair, his hand to his mouth. El’s stomach twisted in anticipation, and she looked to her father for reassurance. A few minutes later, the guard ushered Dr. Mack into the room. She was a tall woman with dark hair pulled into a loose ponytail. Avery was wearing a fuzzy robe over her pyjamas, and she looked like she had just woken up.

Avery Mack sat down across from them. She glanced at the young girl in front of her with a bemused expression, then looked at Hopper. “Sorry. Who are you?”

“Hi. My name’s Jane, but I go by El.” Eleven smiled tentatively at the woman. “It’s so good to finally meet you. This is my brother, Will. And that’s my dad. His name’s Hopper. He’s the chief of police, in Hawkins.”

“It’s not often that I get visitors. In the past few years since I’ve been a patient here, I’ve mostly been visited by reporters. They love to do a piece about a disgraced scientist like me. And I’ve been visited by a few of my old colleagues, especially when they’re looking for advice on a project they’re working on,” Avery said. “But I’m guessing that you’re not here for a media interview, and you’re too young to be a prestigious member of the scientific community. Which begs the question, what brings you here?”

“I’ve read your book,” El explained. “I came here today, because I wanted to talk to you about ‘the Doors of the Mind’.”

“You read my book?” Dr. Mack said, raising her eyebrows in surprise. Her expression quickly shifted, and she gave El a cynical look. “What, you want an autograph, or something?”

“That’s not why we’re here,” El said. “I’m not here for an autograph. I’m interested in your door theory, and I wanted to ask you more about it.”

Avery tilted her head slightly, studying El’s face intently. “Go on.”

“My brother and I made a list of questions, because we need to understand your theory better,” El said. “Did you make up the theory about the doors, or did someone else teach it to you? Where did it come from?”

“I didn’t make it up. I can’t take full credit for the doors theory.” Avery gave her a cautious smile. “It’s based on a great deal of different mythologies, and folklore from around the world – going back to the dawn of civilization. So, in that respect, I didn’t make up the doors of the minds, but my theory was inspired by other cultures.”

“So, you borrowed the idea from other cultures?” Will said.

“Yeah. The Romans, the Celts, plenty of Asian cultures all have different beliefs about doors, and what they represent. It’s truly a fascinating subject,” Dr. Mack said, giving El an easy smile as she started to feel more comfortable. “I wrote about some of these beliefs in my other books, if you’re interested in learning about it further. But during my extensive research, I started to think about what would happen if someone were to mix hypnosis, and meditation – and the mythologies about the doors. What would happen, in theory, if someone were able to conjure up a door, and potentially open it to see what was on the other side. The ‘Doors of the Mind’ book is actually based off a dream that I had one night, when I’d been studying. I saw a door. And I ended up writing about it, turning it into the ‘Doors of the Mind’ book.”

Eleven’s interest was piqued. She thought that it was interesting that Avery Mack had seen a door in her dream. El wanted to hear more about what the woman had seen, and she was especially interested in hearing what Avery’s door looked like. Was it the same blue door that El had seen – the one that they believed was Max’s? Or was it a different door? El and Will shared a quick look.

“So, all of this is based off of some dream you had?” Hopper said, with a judgy expression. He looked wholly unimpressed. “You had a weird dream, and you wrote about it? That’s it?”

“My best work often comes to me in dreams,” Avery said, eyeing him for a second with disdain, before turning her attention back to Will and El. “I’ve spoken about all of this in interviews over the years, but I don’t mind telling my story again.”

“Can you tell me more about your dream?” El asked.

“Sure. One night, I fell asleep at my typewriter, and I had a vivid dream about a door. It was standing in the middle of a gorgeous flower field, on a sunny day. There were wildflowers as far as the eye can see.” Avery smiled at El, shifting slightly in her seat. “The door was light purple, and I recognized it from my childhood. I didn’t understand why the door appeared like that, in a place where it didn’t belong. But it felt so real. All I knew, was that my dream told me it was important that I open the door, because I needed to see what was on the other side. So, I tried. But the door was locked. I woke up too soon, disappointed that I couldn’t get it open.”

“A purple door? Not blue?” El blurted out.

“Blue?” Avery gave her a bemused look. “No, my door’s definitely purple.”

“Your door was locked?” Will said, slightly disappointed. “Did you ever manage to open it?”

“Not that first time, no. The purple door was disappointingly locked.” Avery frowned. “But I didn’t just have the one dream about the purple door – I actually kept having the same dream time and again, for months. My door kept showing up, pretty much every night. I didn’t know what to make of my dreams at first, but I figured that it was influenced by all the research I was doing on the different cultures at the time. So, I started reading books about dream symbolism. Everything that appears in a dream holds meaning, you know. They’re not just random. And I learned that doors in dreams can mean a great deal of things. They can be about transitions in life, but can also represent mystery, as well as repressed feelings, or emotions. And I thought that this was all quite interesting. Each time that I saw the purple door, the dream would reveal more to me. I knew that I had to open it, and see what was on the other side.”

“I started getting into lucid dreaming, which really helped me eventually get into that door.” Avery paused, glancing from Will, to El. “A few months in, I was finally able to see what was on the other side. I remember how excited I was, when I first saw the hallway of doors in my dream. Gosh, it was such a rush. The hallway went on endlessly, and there were so many doors – each of them leading to different rooms. And they contained things that I needed to work on, memories both good and bad, and stuff that had haunted me throughout my life. Going into the different rooms was cathartic. I eventually decided to write about what I saw, and experienced in the hallway of doors. I saw my dreams about my door as a sign that I was on the right track – and I just knew that this could help others. My dreams became the basis for my book, but also for my experiments later on. Every time I dreamt about the door, I would wake up and quickly write down everything in my notebook, so I wouldn’t forget. The doors of the mind theory had taken hold in my mind, and I became obsessed. I started to speak to some of my colleagues about it. Some of them liked my theory – a lot. They encouraged me to dig deeper. So, I wrote the book about it. I sold quite a few copies when the book first came out, and it was quite popular. That is, until news broke about the children I was using in my experiments. That completely tanked my sales, and I ended up losing my funding.”

“You were experimenting on children?” Hopper’s eyebrows raised in surprise. He glanced over at El, alarmed. “Did you know about this?”

Eleven winced a little, then nodded. Yeah, she knew. It was bad, she knew that. But El knew that she still needed to learn what she could, to help Max. Will was looking at her, too, with an equally horrified expression.

“Yeah,” El said, glancing over at Will, then at Hopper. “The librarian told me, when I asked about Dr. Mack’s books.”

“What kind of child experiments?” Hopper asked, hotly. He stared daggers at the scientist, demanding an answer.

“It was a long time ago,” Avery said, shrugging. “Does that really matter? It’s in the past.”

“It matters a great deal. What kind of experiments?” Hopper repeated, his eyes narrowing. He gave Dr. Mack an intense look. “Tell me what kind of shady shit you were up to.”

“I was just trying to learn more about the doors of the mind. I knew that opening my purple door had helped me a great deal, and I was certain that I could guide others through their personal journey. Help others conjure up their own door, and work through their own hallway of doors. The project meant a great deal to me.” Avery defensively crossed her arms, looking away. “I was able to get funding, especially following the book’s success. I had five test subjects, and yes – they were all children. I prefer using children as test subjects in the lab, because their minds are more . . . elastic, compared to adults.”

“Did you kidnap those children?” Eleven asked.

Dr. Mack was silent for a few seconds, as she pondered Eleven’s question. Then, she finally answered. “No, I didn’t kidnap them. I had permission for them to be used in the lab for my work. It was all above board. Look, I know that there are a lot of rumours about the work I did in the lab. Believe me, I’ve heard people talk. They say that I abducted those kids, coerced them into being my test subjects. Some people claimed that those five kids were in danger under my care. I’ve even heard rumours that I would force my minor test subjects to take psychedelic drugs to fry their brains to get the results I wanted. But just because they’re saying these things, doesn’t make it true. I treated them well. They were invaluable to my work.”

Eleven wondered about Dr. Mack’s five test subjects. She knew that sometimes, people would spread rumours about things even though they were unsubstantiated. However, she couldn’t help but consider that there may have been some truth to the accusations. Had Avery kidnapped children to use as test subjects, in the same way that Papa – Dr. Brenner – had chosen to use children in his lab? She thought about her own upbringing as a test subject, and El shuddered at the thought. She was far happier, now that she lived with her parents, and brothers.

“Dr. Mack, I grew up in a lab. When I was a kid, I was a test subject – a lab rat for someone’s experiments,” El said. “That’s why my dad is so upset. The doctor, and the staff, that did those experiments didn’t treat me like a human. They didn’t treat me, or the other kids like actual children. We were just lab rats to them. I wasn’t allowed to leave the lab, as I was their prisoner. I was taken from my mother as a baby, kept from my family. Papa – Dr. Brenner – took away my name, my identity. I was no longer ‘Jane’. Me, and the other children in the lab, we were given assigned numbers. I was ‘Eleven’ for years.” She held out her wrist, pulling back her bracelet so that Dr. Mack could see the small number tattooed onto her wrist. 011. A painful reminder of the years spent as Brenner’s test subject, being viewed as the lab’s property, and not her own person. “I know what it’s like, being experimented on as a child, against my consent. I need to know if that is something you did. What is the truth?”

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” Avery said, giving her a sympathetic look. “I had five test subjects that I used in my experiments. And no, I didn’t harm them or abuse them in any way. My assistant and I refused to use their real names in the lab, because we thought it’d be easier to keep a professional distance from our subjects. We needed to focus on our experiments, and our results. For that reason, we labelled them as ‘Alpha’, ‘Bravo’, ‘Charlie’, ‘Delta’, and ‘Echo’. They were children, but they were also a means to an end. We didn’t kidnap them. The children were wards of the state. They didn’t have parents to sign their consent forms, but I had signatures from their legal guardians. So, in some people’s eyes, this was an abuse of power. But I treated them well.”

“Can you tell me about the experiments?” Eleven asked. “What did you do?”

“Well, we were trying to test our test subjects’ ability to go under hypnosis, and teach them to go deep into their minds,” Avery said. “I wanted them to be able to visualize their door, and go inside. We used a variety of different methods, some more unorthodox than others. The children were unharmed by these methods. I would play them recordings of my own design, to help the process along. Mindfulness exercises, lucid dreaming, anything that we thought might help them open their door.”

“And where are those children now?” Hopper asked. “The five kids used as test subjects – what happened to them?”

“I don’t know.” Avery shrugged. “They’re alive, if that’s what you mean. I told you – I didn’t harm them. When I got shut down, the kids were returned to the foster system. I wanted to keep in touch with them, but the courts said I wasn’t allowed to contact them. I don’t know what happened to them, or where they ended up. I hope they’re okay, though.”

“My friend’s been in a coma for months. I’m trying to help wake her up.” Eleven stared at Dr. Mack. “I’m reading your book to her, because I want her to open her door. I think she can hear me.”

“She’s in a coma?” Avery said, bemused.

“I think that she’s going to open her door soon, and then she’ll be able to wake up,” El said. “That’s why I wanted to come here and talk to you today. I need to understand how all of this works as best as I can.”

“We’re just trying to help our friend,” Will said. “We’re really worried about her.”

“I’m not that kind of doctor.” Avery hesitated, looking from Will to El. “I’m sorry if you came all this way to get help for your comatose friend. My research was specialized on the doors of the mind, not comatose patients.”

“That’s why I came to you,” El said. “Because you’re the one who’d be able to help me the most. You know about those doors, and how they work. I just need your help. Please.”

Eleven had a lot of questions on her list that she still wanted to ask Dr. Mack. But one of the staff members came in, and told the woman that it was time to wrap it up. Avery nodded, then stood up. Eleven knew that time was running out, and she might never get the chance to speak to her again.

“Wait, before we go,” Eleven said, still clutching her list. “I just have a few more questions. How do you know if the door that you visualize is your door?”

Dr. Mack frowned at her question, giving Eleven a bemused expression. “What do you mean?”

“Well, what happens if I’ve conjured up a door, but I’m not sure if it belongs to me? What if . . .” El paused, scrunching up her face for a second. “What if the door that appeared belongs to someone else?”

“No. That’s not possible.” Avery slowly shook her head. “You can’t conjure up someone else’s door. Only your own.”

“How do you know?” Eleven asked, earnestly. “Because I can’t get the door open. And I’m pretty sure that it belongs to my friend, Max. It’s her childhood bedroom door. It’s blue, with a glass doorknob. Max’s mother confirmed it. And I just need to get the door open, to help her wake up.”

“It’s your friend’s blue door?”

“Yeah.” El nodded. “I’ve been reading your book, trying to learn everything I can. And when I’ve been going into my friend’s mind, I saw her blue door. But if it’s true that I can only conjure up my own door, then it must be mine, right? But then how come I can’t open it? The door’s locked.”

“C’mon, Avery. Let’s take you back to your room,” the guard said, stepping towards her. “Time to go.”

“Wait – wait. You went into your friend’s mind?” Avery asked, intrigued. She pointedly ignored the guard’s instructions, focused entirely on El. The woman’s eyes lit up with excitement. “You saw her door? But . . . how?”

“I can do a lot of interesting things.” El’s mouth quirked up in a slight smile. She set the ‘Doors of the Mind’ book down on the table, and focused on it for a second. The book began to slowly spin around in lazy circles, before El lifted it up in the air with her mind. Avery stared at her in surprise, her mouth dropping open.

“H-How did you do that?” Avery asked, in awe. “Tell me more about your friend’s door.”

“Can I see you again?” Eleven asked. “I want to come back.”

“Yes, of course!” Avery said. The guard had taken hold of the woman, and was pulling her out of the room. Avery was twisting around, still staring at El with awe. “Please, tell me how you did that. I need to know more about you!”

“I’ll come back!” El said loudly, as she watched the guard pull Avery out of the room. And then, Avery was gone.

“Dad, I can come back and see her again, right?” El said. When her father didn’t answer, she gave him a pointed look. “Right?”

“I don’t like it that you lied to me.” Hopper gave his daughter a sharp look. “Child experiments, El? Really? After everything you’ve been through, I don’t think that this is the right kind of person you want in your life.”

“I need to come back here. She’s the only one who can help me rescue Max.” Eleven could tell that her father was upset with her for not being completely forthcoming about the woman’s science experiments. She shrugged her shoulders. “I think we can trust her, Dad. I need to believe that she’ll be able to help us.”

“So, can we come back?” Will asked.

“I don’t know about that.” Hopper sighed. “Let’s go home. I need to discuss this with Joyce, before I decide if you two can come back and visit this woman again.”

“Okay.” El nodded. But now that she had met Avery, she wasn’t going to let this go. “I understand.”

Chapter Text

The demodog was doomed, and he knew it. He was beginning to panic, his paws frantically scrabbling along the pavement as he pushed himself hard. Eddie watched him from above, keeping tabs on the dog, making sure that it didn’t go after Max. The dog was breathing hard, heaving from exertion. Eddie and Max had been tracking the dog for some time, determined to take it down. They wanted to clear out all the monsters from the Upside Down, in an effort to try and make the place safer.

Eddie’s keen eyes were easily able to track the demodog, as the creature dashed down the darkened street, trying his best to evade them. Max was coasting along on her skateboard, her trusty sword attached to her belt. She was prepared for battle, wearing her helmet and shoulder pads. Even in the low light, Eddie could see the determined look on her face. She was going to kill the demodog.

Eddie’s huge leathery wings flapped rapidly behind him, strong and powerful. He had been practising flying for weeks. That first flight lesson (when Max had convinced him to jump off the trailer roof) felt like ages ago. Since he had gotten over his initial fear, Eddie had been practising taking flight – and landing. Now that he knew he could fly without crashing and dying, Eddie was getting more comfortable in the air. He could travel short distances now, always mindful to keep within a hundred feet of Max. He’d circle above her and Hoo Bear, keeping an eye on things. There were times when he would still stumble on the landing, but he was doing his best. Their survival depended on it. Eddie’s flapping wings disturbing a great deal of dust, and spores would fly up in the air. He was glad for his goggles, and the bandana wrapped around his lower half of his face.

And today, as he flew downtown, Eddie could see the dog bounding forward, occasionally glancing over his shoulder up at the flying teen. The dog was panting, barely able to stay ahead of them. He was tiring himself out. Eddie watched as the dog ran into the alley. The dog stopped in its tracks when he realized that he was cornered. He backed up against the vine-covered brick wall, letting out a few barks, whining pitifully. Eddie dove down to the ground, landing lightly beside Max. He glanced down, and watched her unsheathe her sword. ‘This sword slays demodogs’. It was an accurate inscription; Max had already killed two smaller ones these past few weeks. The dog watched them approach, cowering down, pawing at the ground.

Eddie almost felt bad for hunting down the demodog. Almost. But then he thought about all the people in Hawkins that had been terrorized by the monsters. Max had told him about the demodogs that had killed the workers at the lab, and how they’d killed Bob Newby. Max said that the man had been dating Joyce Byers, and Bob had been Will’s father figure at the time. He’d been the kind of stepfather that Max would’ve preferred having instead of Neil. Bob had been a decent guy, tragically torn apart by those stupid demodogs – right in front of everyone. Max also told him about her and her friends had gone down into the tunnels with Steve, and they’d seen the demodogs up close and personal. Steve had gotten most of the kids out of danger, but him and Dustin had still been down there, in danger. Luckily, they’d both survived.

Max told Eddie about how distraught the Byers family had been at losing Bob, and then at losing Hopper shortly afterwards. The Byers had moved out of town after the mall fire that had claimed so many lives. Max talked a lot about her friends, telling him about El, the girl that Joyce had adopted after her father had died. El had lost her father, lost her powers. All that loss had really affected them. Eddie now knew a lot more about Max’s friends, and what they’d all been through. She liked talking about her friends, and he liked listening.

Eddie and Max talked a lot about the stuff that had happened in town, things that she’d either experienced firsthand, or had learned from the others. There had been incidents in which creatures had gone after Hawkins residents – hurting them, killing them. Like when that demogorgon had gone into the middle school, and tried to attack Henderson, Sinclair, Wheeler, and El in Mr. Clarke’s classroom. That happened before Max had moved to town, but she told Eddie all about the incident. Eddie couldn’t imagine having to go through some of the stuff those kids had experienced over the years. They had been children. Horrifying to think about, really.

Those stupid monsters had terrorized Hawkins for far too long, and they were running rampant in the Upside Down. There were way too many monsters running wild. And today, the demodog was their target. Now that Eddie was able to fly mostly without crashing, he wanted to clear out as many of the monsters as he could. Not just in the trailer park, but in the whole Upside Down version of their town. If the party ever needed to come down here again, they would find it’d have a much sparser monster population. Safer for Eddie and Max, and safer for everyone else. He didn’t want Dustin, Steve, or the others to get attacked, or killed.

Eddie knew that in order to protect Max, and everyone in Hawkins, he needed to eradicate as many of the vile creatures as he could. Take them out when they were young, when he stood a chance at actually being able to defeat them. The pollywogs, and demodogs may be somewhat small, and not so threatening at their young stage – but if left to their own devices, they would grow up to be demogorgons. And Eddie hated them with a passion. They were brutal, scary monsters that would kill without a moment’s hesitation.

This dog was Max’s kill. Ever since she’d gotten the demodog-slaying sword, she’d been determined to take down as many as she could. She’d been practising a great deal, and had already managed to take down a few of them. Max pulled her sword out of its sheath, slowly walking towards the creature.

The dog let out a warning growl. Eddie was ready to step in, as the dog took a small step towards her. The way it moved, it looked like it was preparing to pounce, to attack Max. A small shiver of fear went down his spine, as Eddie stood at the end of the alley, watching everything unfold. But he needn’t have worried. Max let out a shout, moving towards the creature. Eddie watched with pride as Max swung the sword, its blade striking the dog’s side.

The demodog was all teeth, and claws, letting out a loud roar. Loud enough that it would attract the attention of nearby dogs to their location. Eddie stiffened, hoping that this was the only one they’d have to fight today. They could handle multiple dogs, taking them down one after another – but he’d rather be on the cautious side.

Max continued to attack the demodog. Her armour, and thick gloves protected her well, as she struck the creature with her sword again, slicing the dog’s upper leg. She landed another blow – this time, plunging her sword into his side. The dog fell to the pavement in a heap, choking on his own blood.

“Good job, Red,” Eddie said, as he walked towards her. “You handled that well.”

Eddie grabbed the dying dog with both clawed hands, and quickly wrung its neck. There, it was out of its misery. Another successful kill. Now, it was just a dead thing – meat to be consumed. Eddie brought the dog’s flesh up to his mouth, then sank his fangs into its neck. He drank greedily, closing his eyes, sucking back on the demodog’s blood. He slowly drained it, feeling the warmth spread throughout his body, his belly full. When he was done, Eddie slung its carcass over his shoulder.

“It’s disgusting, how much you seem to enjoy that,” Max said, crinkling her nose at him. “Like, it’s really gross.”

Eddie shrugged. “I gotta eat.”

They stayed in town for awhile. Max was pretty happy that she’d managed to kill the demodog, and she was raring to go after a few smaller creatures. They continued hunting for awhile, but eventually, it was time to head back home. They made a quick pit stop at the library, and Max filled her backpack with a few new library books. Then, they hit the road.

It was a long trip back to the trailer park. Eddie would usually offer to carry her part of the way home, because he was practising carrying Max for short distances while he flew. But his arms were full of dead demodog. He’d taken the larger one that they’d killed, leaving the other smaller carcasses behind. This larger demodog was enough meat to sustain themselves for awhile, and to feed Hoo Bear. Eventually, Eddie hoped that he could carry Max all the way up to the black line in the sky and get them through to the other side. Soon, he hoped, they would make it back to the Rightside Up. But although the stitches had come undone here and there on occasion, Eddie wasn’t able to carry Max and fly high enough to reach it. Not yet. He still needed a lot of practice. They were still tethered, so he could only fly a short distance away from her.

Eddie walked alongside Max, as she skateboarded down the road. His wings were folded up behind his back, his arms full of dead demodog. Because they weren’t able to fly home, it took them a great deal longer to walk all the way back to the trailer park. He was getting kind of tired. Eddie was looking forward to going home and relaxing for the rest of the night while the meat cooked.

Eddie had been hypervigilant on the walk home, looking to every dark shadow, every dark corner, expecting more monsters to come running out at them. But they’d made it back home in one piece, thankfully. He was bone tired, and all he wanted to do was let himself into the trailer, and collapse into bed for awhile. His shoulders were aching from flying, his arms sore from carrying their meat home. But first, he’d need to cut up the demodog, and lay it out on the fire so it’d cook while they slept.

“What the hell, Ed?” Max said, striking him in the arm.

Eddie stopped walking, quickly pulled from his thoughts. He gave her a slightly wounded look, then looked over to where Max was looking. She was staring at the Munson trailer, a deep frown on her face. For a second, Eddie didn’t realize what was wrong. But then, he realized that the trailer was not the same as how they’d left it. Something had attacked it. There was a huge gaping hole in the ceiling, and the place had sustained a great deal of damage.

“No!” Eddie shouted out, staring at the destroyed trailer. He stood there, horrified. Tears streamed down his face, as he stared at the trailer. His home was ruined forever. They never should’ve left. They should’ve stayed at the trailer, so they could protect it from whatever creature had done this. “Shit.”

Eddie immediately wondered where Hoo Bear was. He hoped that the owlbear was okay, that he hadn’t gotten hurt by the monster that had damaged the trailer. Eddie furtively looked around, but he didn’t see any sign of Hoo Bear anywhere near their trailer, or in the trailer park. The place was empty. He set the demodog down on the ground.

“What are we going to do?” Max asked, glancing up at him. “Eddie?”

“I don’t know!” This was all too much. Eddie dropped to a crouch near the ground, hugging his arms tightly around his knees. He unfurled his wings, wrapping them around himself, so he was shielded from sight. He stayed that way, cocooned behind his wings, hidden from the world. Max waited for a few minutes, trying to give him space.

“Eddie?” Max said, reaching out to touch the sharp point on the knuckle of his wing. He flinched a little, but didn’t respond. She brushed her fingers against the thick leather, waiting for him to lower his wings. “Can you come out, please?”

After a very long minute, Eddie responded. “No.”

“Don’t shut me out, okay?” Max pleaded. “Come out.”

Eddie finally pulled back his wings, enough that she could see him. He was crying, wiping his runny nose on his shirt sleeve. His head was bowed, hair falling into his face like a shield. He looked as miserable as he felt. Eddie wanted to stay hidden away forever, but he knew that Max needed him to be there for her.

“Eddie, what are we going to do?” Max asked, an urgency in her tone.

“We’ve already lost your trailer, Max. It got wrecked when that stupid demodog broke into your room,” Eddie said, bitterly. “And now something’s gone ahead and destroyed my trailer, too. That was supposed to be our safe place from all of this nonsense. Our home. And now, we’re fucked.”

“Couldn’t we fix the damage?” Max asked. “We’ll board up the hole, make sure nothing else gets in. We could fix it, couldn’t we?”

“I guess so,” Eddie said, his heart sinking. But he didn’t sound convinced. Everything was wrong. This wasn’t supposed to happen; the trailer was their home, their sanctuary. “Something’s already gone ahead and destroyed the place. We’re fucked.”

“Yeah.” Max nodded at him, knowing how upset he was about this. “But it can be fixed. We’ll make this place safe again.”

Eddie sighed. He started to pull his wings back around himself, blocking out the world, but Max quickly slipped inside the cocoon with him, crouching on the ground across from Eddie. She was determined to not get shut out again. They needed to talk, to figure things out as a team. Eddie adjusted his wings, making the space a bit bigger to accommodate them both.

“We’ll get through this,” Max said, giving him a fierce look. “We’ll figure this out.”

“Yeah?” Eddie winced, staring back at her with damp eyes.

“Yeah.” She nodded. “We will.”

It was mostly dark inside the wing cocoon, as only a small amount of blue light filtered through Eddie’s wings. But there was just enough light that they could still see each other. As they crouched together in the small space, Max started to see the appeal of why Eddie had hidden himself away like that. With most of the light blocked out, and the way they were surrounded by his thick leathery wings, it was like everything else disappeared for a bit. She could see through the partially translucent skin, see the veins and everything – like staring through a leaf. It was pretty. And it was warm inside the cocoon; Eddie’s wings trapped their body heat. Max tried to catch his eye, and smile at him, but Eddie had his head bowed.

“We’re going to be okay,” Max said. “We will be.”

“Yeah,” Eddie finally said, lifting his head to look at her. He had calmed down considerably, and he was no longer crying. Max watched as he pulled his hair out of his face, tying it back into a loose ponytail. “I think that we can fix the roof. I’ll need your help, though.”

“Yeah. Of course.” Max nodded. “We can do this.”

When they finally got out of the wing cocoon, Eddie grabbed the demodog he’d brought home with him, and started to butcher it. He was starving, and if they were going to work on the trailer roof, they’d need to eat something substantial. And whenever he figured out where Hoo Bear was, Eddie figured the owlbear would be hungry, too. Max lit the fire, and they laid out strips of meat. Soon, they’d be able to eat. The roof would get fixed, and then everything would be okay again. This wasn’t the end of the world; it was just a minor setback.

Max picked up her bag full of library books, and they headed inside the Munson trailer to assess the damage. Eddie went first, so he could make sure that there were no demodogs, or other nasty creatures overstaying their welcome. But thankfully, a quick search showed that the trailer was monster-free. Whatever monster had broken through the trailer roof, was long gone.

The damage was not as bad as he’d originally thought. Eddie had been imagining the worst, thinking that the entire trailer would be devastated – in complete and utter ruins. But they quickly saw that there was a gaping hole in the kitchen ceiling that needed patching up. Eddie and Max stared up at the hole in the ceiling, seeing the lightning flash above them. Eddie thought that this was something they could fix. Which was good, because he really didn’t want to move into one of the other trailers. And he didn’t want to move into Max’s place either, because the damage there was much more extensive. They could fix this, make it right. The trailer wasn’t a lost cause after all, but it would take time to patch it up.

Max stared up at the kitchen ceiling. “We can fix this, right?” she asked.

“Yeah. Tomorrow.”

Tomorrow, they’d get to work on the repairs. But right now, he needed to get some sleep. Eddie was exhausted. The hole in the ceiling would take some work, and they’d need to scout out the supplies they’d need to complete a carpentry task such as that. Eddie didn’t like the idea of sleeping in the damaged trailer, but it would be just for one night. He’d keep his spear by his side, and hope that they weren’t attacked in the night. First thing tomorrow morning, they’d patch it up.

They went into the bedroom, and Eddie dragged his dresser across the carpet, barring the door. It wouldn’t offer much protection, but he figured it’d be enough of a deterrence. If something tried to break in, they’d have enough time to grab their weapons and defend themselves. Tonight, they would stay locked in the bedroom, where they’d be safe. Eddie collapsed on the bed, groaning. He pulled the blanket up over his head.

“So, what’s the plan?” Max asked, setting her sword down. She peeled off her armour, tossing it into a messy pile.

“We’re going to fix the roof tomorrow,” Eddie promised her, keeping his eyes closed. He was already half asleep. “I’m sorry that I freaked out earlier. But we got this. Right now, we sleep.”

“D’you think Hoo Bear’s okay?” Max asked.

“Yeah, I’m sure that he’s just fine,” Eddie said. “We’ll find him in the morning.”

“Okay.” Max nodded, then crawled into her blanket fort. “Goodnight, Eddie.”

“Night, Red.”

Chapter Text

It took Eddie and Max a few days to patch up the hole in the ceiling. Once they’d slept for a few good hours, they got to work on the first part of their plan – securing enough resources to patch up the ceiling. They’d scavenged some building materials from the Mayfield trailer, and from the trailers nearby. It took a lot of work, but when they were done, the hole in the kitchen ceiling was sealed off. They’d rebuilt as sturdy as they could with what they had on hand – sturdy enough that Eddie didn’t think any monsters were going to slip through. This was his home, and he was not going to give up on it so easily.

“Eddie, you promised that we’d leave the trailer park,” Max said. “We’re going to leave soon, right? You promised.”

Max was right; Eddie had promised her that they’d leave the trailer park. Even though they had fixed up the damaged roof, she had been feeling extremely uneasy. Something had attacked the trailer, torn a massive hole in the ceiling. They still didn’t know what had caused it, or if the monster would come back to try and finish them off. At least their owlbear had come back. When they’d woken up in the morning, Hoo Bear had slunk out of the woods, a large rat dangling from his mouth. He’d offered no explanation, but had simply dropped the dead rat at Max’s feet, then quickly nuzzled his face against her side.

“Soon.” Eddie glanced up at her. “We’ll leave soon, Max.”

“Yeah?” Max tilted her head, giving him a sharp look. “When exactly?”

Eddie was confident in the repairs that he’d done, but he knew that Max no longer felt comfortable there. Her place had been attacked already, and now, his place had been damaged as well. Max wanted to leave, and find someplace more secure. Downtown would be preferable, where the buildings were sturdier. They could move into the library, or one of the stores. And they could work on clearing the monsters downtown, keep the place safe.

Eddie wasn’t so sure about when they’d be leaving. He’d promised her that they’d leave, and he’d meant it. But so far, he hadn’t packed anything or made any concrete plans. Eddie knew that he was procrastinating. Max had made it clear that they’d need to go at some point, and he knew that they would. Soon. But Eddie was feeling reluctant. He still felt that the fortified trailer was about the safest place in this hellscape, and leaving it made him feel vulnerable. They’d been downtown enough times to know that it was full of all sorts of monsters, and that all those creatures would easily kill him or Max without any hesitation. Eddie kept thinking about them leaving the trailer park, only to be killed by a troll, or demogorgon.

He wanted to stick around because this was his home. And one of the main reasons why he wanted to stay, was because he was certain that this was where their friends would look first. That, and the blue door that had magically appeared in his trailer. But right after they’d fixed up the hole in the roof, the door had disappeared. The hallway was its regular length again. It was like the door had never even been there at all, though both Max and Eddie remembered it. Now, it was just a regular hallway.

Eddie thought that it’d been an interesting experience, going in the blue door and helping Max fill up the different rooms with memories. Not fun exactly, but satisfying, he supposed. The more doors that Max opened, the more memories that she put into the rooms, the happier she seemed. Lighter, for sure. Smiling a great deal more. And they’d been planning on going back in every day, filling up more rooms. But once the door had disappeared, that was no longer a possibility. When the door disappeared, Max had decided that she no longer wanted to stay at the trailer park. It was time to go.

“I’m tired of us just waiting around here,” Max said, as she flopped back on the couch. She groaned in frustration. “Both of our trailers have been attacked already. It’s not safe here. Can we just go downtown already, and find a new place to stay? Someplace that we can both decide on. I don’t like that you’re making the decisions. The party’s supposed to be a democracy. That’s what Dustin, and Mike, and the others always say. And we’re our own party, so my vote counts as fifty-percent of what we do.”

“Your vote definitely counts,” Eddie said. “And we will leave soon. One of these days, we’ll head out.”

“No, not one of these days!” Max grimaced at him. “Let’s leave today.”

Eddie could see just how determined she was to leave. Max stared at him, frowning. He knew that she wanted to leave straightaway, but he just didn’t want to go. Eddie wanted to procrastinate a few days longer, maybe a week if he could draw it out that long. They were just fine right here. Things were good here. But Eddie figured that he couldn’t put this off much longer. Max wanted to leave, and she wasn’t going to drop this until they relocated.

“Fine,” Eddie said, slapping his knees. He stood up with a slight groan. “You want to move? Let’s do it. Today, like you said.”

“Really?” Max said, her eyes widening.

“Yeah.” Eddie nodded. “Let’s pack a bag, and go downtown. If that’s what you really want to do, then let’s ditch this place, and find a new place to live.”

Max’s face lit up. This was what she wanted. She scrambled to her feet, before Eddie could change his mind. Max grabbed her backpack, and dumped everything out. She started to sort through her belongings, choosing what she would bring, and what she’d leave behind.

Eddie dug around in his bedroom, picking out a few outfits, and some personal belongings that he wanted to bring with him. And then, just before they were about to leave, he ran back and grabbed one more item. In the back of one of his dresser drawers, Eddie found the small drawstring pouch. He shook out its contents into his hand, and smiled down at the dark blue dice set, with the silver numbers. It was one of his favourite dice sets – Uncle Wayne had purchased it for him when he had first started playing the game. They were his lucky dice, which he only used for special occasions. Eddie was extremely superstitious about his dice. Nobody was allowed to touch them. Not Gareth, or Jeff, or Henderson. Nobody but him. Eddie figured they’d need all the luck they could get, as they headed out on their mission to find new housing.

“That’s what you came back for?” Max asked, surprised. “For your dice?”

Eddie glanced up, seeing her in the doorway. She was watching him with a funny expression. Eddie nodded, clutching the drawstring bag protectively against his chest. They were important to him.

“My uncle gave them to me. They were my very first dice set,” Eddie explained. “I want to bring them with me. I think that they’ll come in handy.”

“I don’t see how they could.” Max watched as Eddie dug around in his closet, pulling out an old pair of ratty sneakers. They didn’t fit him so well anymore, and the soles were all worn out. With a few large tugs, Eddie pulled out the white shoestring, and tied it around the small cloth bag. He slipped the bag around his neck. The dice set were now secure against his chest, tucked away from sight underneath his Hellfire Club shirt. It made him feel safe.

As they headed towards downtown, Eddie kept an eye out for danger. He couldn’t hear any nearby monsters, which was a vast relief. Hoo Bear walked alongside them, and he was also keeping a close eye on their surroundings.

“Well, which direction should we head in?” Eddie asked, looking left, then right. He felt uncertain. Both residential streets were ominous looking, with thick vines, and desecrated properties. He thought that they could just pick a direction at random. It didn’t really matter which way they went; there were likely monsters either left, or right. “We’ll go left, I think.”

“You sure? Why don’t you consult your dice?” Max said. “I’m sure they’ll tell you which way to go.”

Eddie glanced sharply at her. She simply stared up at him, arms crossed over her chest. He could tell that she was being sarcastic, and that pissed him off. This wasn’t something that Max should be joking about.

“Fine, I will.” Eddie undid the small pouch around his neck, and shook the small dice into his hand. He picked out the D20, and cupped it in his hand. He closed his eyes, thinking about whether they should go left, or right. He would let the die decide their fate. “High number, and we go left. Low number, we head right.”

“Got it.” Max watched as Eddie rolled the die. It rolled and bounced along the ground a few times, then slowly stopped at 17. Eddie grinned. Seventeen was a nice high number. “Left it is.”

“Are we going to consult your dice every time you have to make a decision?” Max asked.

“No.” Eddie slipped the dice back into their pouch, and they went down the left street. He gripped his spear, his eyes darting around. “Not every decision. But for the important ones, sure. I think for some things, the dice will help.”

As they walked, Eddie started to narrate what they were doing, pretending that they were in a campaign. It was partially out of sheer boredom, but also, to try and alleviate his fears about their surroundings. Talking helped. Turn it into a game, pretend they were just two characters playing DnD.

“You find yourself walking down a long, empty street. There are houses on both sides of you – but it is clear that this is no regular residential area. There are large vines covering the houses, and – “

“Are you going to do that the whole time we’re in the Upside Down?” Max asked, annoyed. “You don’t have to narrate everything, you know.”

“I know. But it calms me down.” Eddie frowned at her, then continued. “Everything in the Upside Down is a rich blue, and the sky is crimson red, lit up by large forked lightning. The landscape is treacherous, littered with demodogs, and the occasional demogorgon. Mad Max, you find yourself with a sole companion – Eddie the Banished. The two of you have been separated from the remainder of your party.”

“Three,” Max corrected. “Me, you, and Hoo Bear.”

“Sorry, yes.” Eddie glanced up at the owlbear. “I stand corrected. Three of us in our party. Mad Max, you must tread carefully in the desolate wasteland and keep an eye out for monsters. You are on a special quest, to find a new place to live. Mad Max, what do you want to do?”

“What do I want to do?” Max thought it over, glancing up at him. “I just want to find someplace safe to live, where we won’t get eaten by monsters.”

“Yeah.”

They continued walking for awhile, talking back and forth. Eddie kept narrating everything, and Max joined in a little bit. When it was time to call it a night, Max and Eddie chose one of the neighbouring houses as their new home. It wouldn’t be their permanent home, but rather, a temporary pitstop for the night until they could find something better. They quickly cleared the house room by room to make sure that there were no monsters. The place was empty. Eddie and Max quickly made sure all the windows and doors were secure, propping chairs against them in case anything tried to break in during the night. The house was fine enough for the night, but Eddie knew that he wouldn’t stay here long-term. In the morning, they’d keep moving. Eddie locked Hoo Bear in the garage overnight, to make sure that the owlbear wouldn’t get attacked overnight by monsters. They’d left some water out for him, and a few strips of jerky. Hoo Bear settled down on the blanket nest, and fell fast asleep.

That morning, Hoo Bear was scratching at the garage door, begging to be let out. Eddie reluctantly crawled out of bed, and went to go let him out. He was half-asleep, still rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Eddie pulled the garage door open for him, watching as Hoo Bear rushed outside to do his business. As Eddie stood in the garage, yawning profusely, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. The blue door. It was set into the wall, and just like at the trailer, it looked like it had always been there, like the door had always been a part of the garage. Only, Eddie knew for certain that the blue door had definitely not been there the night before.

“Max?” Eddie shouted out. “You’d better come out here, and see this!”

It took Max a few minutes to come out to the garage. When she finally showed up, she was wrapped up a thick wool blanket. Max’s hair was disheveled. She looked around, seeing Hoo Bear out on the driveway. And then, Max saw the blue door.

“What the hell?” Max said quietly, as she stared at it. “What’s it doing here?”

“The blue door, it just showed up out of nowhere,” Eddie said. “I think the door’s following us. When it disappeared from my trailer, I thought we’d never see the door again. I was worried that it might never come back, that it might be gone for good. But here it is. It’s followed us. Somehow, the blue door knew where we’d be.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. The door’s followed us here.” Max nodded, giving him a serious look. “I was pretty pissed when the door disappeared on us like that. I need it. I’ve got so much more work to do. But I’m glad that it came back.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said. “I’m glad the door’s back.”

“We need to go back in the blue door,” Max said. “Who knows how long it’ll be here? It could disappear at any point, so we might not get a chance again. I say we go in, and keep working on the memories. But this time, let’s take Hoo Bear in with us. I want to show him the hallway of doors.”

“Yeah, I want to go in,” Eddie said. “It’s been a while.”

Eddie turned to look over at Hoo Bear. The owlbear had returned to the garage, and he was curled up on the floor of the garage, staring at the blue door. Eddie stood up, and signaled to Hoo Bear to follow him. The owlbear stayed put. He shook his head, staying curled up on the floor.

“I hate that he doesn’t listen to me,” Eddie said, glancing over at Max. “You try.”

“Hoo Bear,” Max said, waving him over. “C’mon. I want to show you something really cool. You’ll really like it, I swear.”

When Max called out to him, the owlbear perked up a little. He slowly got to his feet, and followed her to the door. Max opened it, swinging it open. She stepped inside, and then Eddie followed after her. They waited for Hoo Bear to follow them, but the owlbear refused to step foot inside the door. He stayed very still, staring at the door with trepidation. He let out a low growl, eyes narrowing.

“Hoo Bear, c’mon!” Max said, urging him forward. “Come here.”

Hoo Bear reluctantly took a step forward, trying to obey Max’s commands. But then, he stopped inches from the door. Again, he shook his head. No, he would not be joining them. The owlbear sat down, giving her a sad look.

“Okay, fine. You wait here,” Max said. “We’ll be gone awhile, okay?”

“Bye, Hoo Bear.”

The owlbear let out a soft sound, then dropped down on the ground in front of the door. He waited, watching while Eddie and Max continued on into the hallway of doors.

Chapter Text

Eddie and Max stayed in the hallway of doors for a few hours, going into a few different doors. Max filled the rooms with happier memories that day – of her learning how to skateboard in California when she was very young, and another memory of Max on her first day of kindergarten. Memories of her father holding her hand as they watched Fourth of July fireworks, and a memory of Max playing on the playground with her mother. Good times, that filled both of them with golden warmth, and contentment.

“Let’s do another door,” Max said. “We’ve been able to do quite a few doors today. We’re on a roll.”

“Yeah.” Eddie smiled at her, as they walked down the long hallway.

Max picked out the next door that she wanted to fill up. She went to open it, hesitating for a second, before stepping inside. There was always the uncertainty, not knowing what sort of memory they’d be stepping into. A good one, or a painful memory. They wouldn’t know, until the memory had begun to take shape in front of them.

“Why does the sun keep on shining? Why does the sea rush to shore? Don't they know it's the end of the world? 'Cause you don't love me anymore”

As they’d entered the room, the song was the first thing that they’d heard. The room was dark at first, though it quickly started to light up as the memory took hold. Eddie stayed still, listening to the song. He glanced over at Max, and saw her eyes lighting up. She smiled, the softest of smiles, the tension in her shoulders fading. A good memory, he thought. Her smile said it all.

“This song, I remember it,” Max quietly murmured. “It’s by Skeeter Davis.”

“Why do the birds go on singing? Why do the stars glow above? Don’t they know, it’s the end of the world? It ended when I lost your love.”

Eddie tilted his head slightly, listening to the music. It was pretty. Max sat down crisscross in the middle of the room. The memory had taken shape, unfolding in front of them. Max watched as her mother, Susan, danced to the song as she held her young daughter’s hands. In the memory, little Max was about four or five years old, her hair pulled back into two little ponytails. She grinned up at her mother with an adoring look. Max was standing on her mother’s feet, as they danced slowly around the room.

“Don’t they know, it’s the end of the world?” Max’s mom sang along with the record. She smiled at her daughter. “It ended when I lost your love.”

“This was such a good day.” Max smiled.

Eddie crouched down beside Max, his hair falling into his eyes. He tilted his head, watching the younger girl focus on the scene playing out in front of her. Max was concentrating hard, small beads of sweat appearing on her forehead. Eddie stayed quiet, fidgeting with his mood ring, twisting it around his finger. He didn’t want to distract Max, because he knew how important this was to her. She had to get all the details just right, to make the memory a perfect replica. Eddie studied the memory, seeing it become fully formed in front of his eyes. At first, everything had been muted, fuzzy. Now, it was highly detailed, a clear memory almost as clear as the real physical world around him. Susan and Max’s faces in the memory were distinct, easily recognizable. The music continued playing, echoing around the room.

As Eddie watched the scene play out, he could feel tinges of emotion seeping into him from Max’s memory. Love, and adoration. The feeling of being comforted, of feeling safe. The warmth and joy, the happiness Max had felt being with her mom on that cold, January morning. It was another successful implanted memory. Max loved her mother, and Susan loved Max – and it showed. Eddie looked over at her, giving her a fond look. This was definitely a good memory.

They stayed there, watching while the record continued spinning on the turntable, as little Max danced with her mother. Susan and Max were laughing, the sun pouring in through the white lacy curtains. Max had her hands in her lap, watching the memory. When Eddie glanced over at her again, he saw that Max had tears in her eyes. He knew how much this was affecting her, seeing her mother. And Eddie felt bad, knowing that they were still trapped down in the Upside Down. This was likely going to be one of the memories they’d visit repeatedly, and bask in its golden light.

“You’ll see your mom again,” Eddie promised. “You will.”

“Yeah, I sure hope so.” Max wiped away her tears, still watching the memory. She finally stood up. “This memory is complete. We need to go.”

They stepped out of the door, closing it firmly behind them. Another completed room. The hallway was lined with completed memories. And still, the hallway stretched on, with so many more doors to fill. Eddie glanced down at Max, wondering if she was up to doing another memory. The process was difficult, draining. He understood the upmost importance of self-care during a highly stressful situation such as this. They hadn’t even brought any food or water with them this time, so he figured that she was feeling extra drained.

Eddie hated being trapped in the Upside Down, and he wanted to get the hell out of there and go back to the Rightside Up. Max was certain that once she was able to fill all the doors with her memories, they’d be able to get out. This was their ticket home. But Eddie knew that he couldn’t push Max into forming these memories all at once, just so they could get home faster. When it came to filling those rooms, they had to remember that moderation was key. Max needed to take it slow. They would get home, eventually. For now, they had to focus on tackling one door at a time.

“Hey, uh, you good?” Eddie asked, as he watched Max with concern. They had been walking side by side down the long hallway, but Max had put her hand against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

“I’m tired,” Max said, quietly. She was blinking rapidly. “Long day.”

“Yeah, you need a break. Let’s sit down for a minute,” Eddie said. “C’mon, sit down.”

Max sat down, her back pressed against the wall. She tiredly rested her chin on her knee, eyes half-lidded. She was exhausted, and Eddie wasn’t sure if she’d be able to do any more memories. If it were up to him, they’d be done for the day. But Max was insistent that she do at least one more memory before she called it quits.

“You hungry?” Eddie asked. “’Cause I know I am. Stay here, I’ll go get us some food.”

“Thanks.”

Eddie rushed out of the hallway of doors, back into the house. He grabbed his bag, and dug through it, looking for something to eat. Eddie pulled out the small container of jerky, and his water bottle. He smiled. This would be enough to get her energy back up. Eddie rushed back to the blue door in the garage, glad that he’d propped it open so he could get back inside.

Hoo Bear was watching him with a quizzical expression. Eddie reached out, and gave him a quick pat on the head. He popped open the container, and tossed him a strip of jerky. “We’re not done yet. Max and I will be out soon enough.”

And then, Eddie ran back inside the blue door. He jogged down the long brightly lit corridor, until he got back to where Max was sitting. She hadn’t moved. Eddie quickly sat down beside her, and held out the container of jerky strips. She took one, biting off a huge chunk. He took a piece for himself, leaving the rest for Max. Eddie studied Max’s face as she continued working her way through their stash. Some colour had returned to her cheeks, and she was starting to look better.

“Thanks.”

“No problem,” Eddie said, smiling at her. “Let’s just sit here awhile.”

“Okay, I think I’m ready for another door,” Max finally said. “One more, and then I’m done for the day.”

Eddie stood up, then helped her to her feet. “Alright. Let’s do this.”

Chapter Text

As Eddie flew above Max’s head, he could see the demodog sprinting along the pavement below. They had been following the creature, keeping tabs on it. The dog was going as fast as it could, but Eddie had the advantage of flight. He soared over the dog’s head, wings outstretched. Eddie’s red eyes were clearly able to see the dog in the low light.

Eddie was keeping a close eye on the demodog – but also on Max, so that nothing happened to her. She was wearing her armour, her helmet. And of course, she had her trusty sword. Max was battle-ready. But still, he was always fearful that something might happen to her. As he flew, Eddie could see that the demodog was running out of steam fairly quickly. He was beginning to tire himself out, all out of breath. The dog finally slowed to a stop. He glanced up at Eddie, seeing that he was still hovering above him. Then, the demodog looked over at Max. He let out a snarl, as he slowly began to approach her.

“Need any help?” Eddie called out.

It was just a small demodog. Barely on the cusp of adulthood, having recently moulted its skin. He was fairly certain that she would be okay; Max had taken down dogs this size before. But still, he wanted to check in on her instead of just swooping down and taking out the dog without her permission. She was the demodog slayer, after all. That was a nickname that Max had jokingly called herself once, which Eddie had thought was hilarious. Little Red, the demodog slayer. But the name was apt, as she had actually managed to kill a few of them already.

“No. I got this one!” Max shouted out, glancing up at him for a second. She had planted her feet, sword raised. “Stay up there, Eddie.”

The demodog growled, pawing at the ground in front of him. Eddie chewed on his thumbnail, watching Max. The dog let out another low growl, approaching her. Every atom in Eddie’s body wanted to just rush down, and save her from danger. The dog lunged at Max. His breath caught in his throat, and he automatically swooped lower to the ground by a few feet before stopping himself. Max had said that she got this, and she could handle her own. Eddie stayed put, though he was petrified for her safety.

Max scowled, gripping her sword tight. Eddie watched with pride as she swung her sword at the creature. Red was a fearless kid. The dog backed up a few steps, studying the teen. It let out a loud sound, trying to intimidate her. Max glowered at the dog, raising her sword again. She let out a warning shout, rushing forward. The dog put up a big fight, but he ultimately fell to her sword. Another demodog had bit the dust, and they were one step closer to clearing the Upside Down of its monster population.

“Good job!” Eddie called out. He watched as Max leaned down, wiping her bloody blade on the grass.

He was about to land on the pavement beside her, when Eddie saw some movement up ahead. Just up the road, there was something lurking there, a dark form. Eddie squinted, staring at the dark shadows. He was trying to get a better look. Oh, shit. A demogorgon. Eddie’s heart skipped a beat. This wasn’t good. No – no. There was absolutely no way they were going to take down a demogorgon. Those things were brutal.

“Eddie?” Max said, staring up at him. “What’s going on?”

“We got incoming!” Eddie shouted out, alarmed. “There’s a demogorgon coming our way.”

“Oh, shit.” Max gave him a panicked look.

“I’ll get us out of here!” Eddie shouted out. He glanced down at Max, and saw the determined look on her face. “You ready?”

“Let’s do this!” Max gave him a thumbs up. She sheathed her sword, nodding at him. Eddie swooped down close to the ground, his arms open wide. Just like they’d practised, Eddie scooped up Max in his arms. She clung to him, arms wrapped tightly around his neck as they flew through the air. Eddie tilted his head, trying to see where he was going. He could see the demogorgon below, as the monster ran towards them. The demogorgon screamed out, launching himself up to grab at Eddie’s legs, trying to pull them down to the ground. Eddie shot upwards, and thankfully, he was able to keep just out of its range. They had taken flight just in time, keeping out of harm’s way.

Eddie flew a few blocks, keeping an eye out for any monsters. He held on tight to Max, fearing that he may drop her. This was the longest flight they’d ever done. The demogorgon had followed them for a short while, but it eventually gave up and continued on his way. The creature looked for other smaller, easier prey. As Eddie surveyed the area, he thought that it looked like a good place to touch down. There were vines everywhere, but no dogs or demogorgons in sight. As Eddie landed softly on the pavement, Max lessened her tight grip around his neck, stepping away from him.

“Thanks for the ride,” Max said, taking off her helmet. She ran a hand through her sweaty hair. “The last thing I want to do today, is fight a demogorgon.”

“Yeah,” Eddie said, nodding. “Same. Smaller demodogs, sure. Not a big deal. But not one of those guys.”

They’d been practising flying a fair amount, and Eddie could now carry Max for short distances. But he still found it draining. Eddie was out of breath, and his arms burned, even though they’d only flown a small amount. But he knew that over time, he’d improve his stamina. And one day, he hoped they’d be able to fly up to the tear in the sky. But that felt like a million miles away. Baby steps. They would work their way up, until he was able to carry her that high.

As they leaned against the brick building, Eddie and Max continued talking. He praised Max for hunting down the smaller dog, smiling at her. She’d done good. Eddie was glad that Max had that sword; she was putting it to good use. He missed his acoustic guitar, but he knew that the sword was better in the long run. They needed to protect themselves.

Eddie flinched when he heard a soft clatter coming from the alley. He was immediately on high alert, pushing off from the brick wall. Eddie grabbed his spear, his eyes darting around. He looked around, but he didn’t see anything.

“What was that?” Max asked, guarded.

“I don’t know.” Eddie frowned.

They both flinched when a garbage can toppled over, spilling its contents onto the pavement. There was something hiding behind the dumpster. Christ. He hoped that it wasn’t the demogorgon. He was too tired to fly right now. They’d have to stand their ground, and fight. Eddie watched as a demodog lifted his head, staring at them. It was bigger than the one that Max had killed. A lot bigger.

“Shit.”

The demodog started to rush towards them. Eddie immediately stepped in front of Max, so she was protected. He heard her draw her sword, preparing for battle. Eddie picked up Max’s shield, and held it in front of him. He’d been hoping that they wouldn’t have a round two, but the dog had set his sights on them. Eddie gripped the metal shield tightly, bracing himself for the dog’s attack.

“C’mon!” Eddie shouted out, clanging the tip of his spear against the metal shield. His eyes turned bright red, and he let out a menacing growl. “Come and get me, you freaky little monster!”

The dog launched himself at him, clanging against the shield. The impact was jarring, nearly knocking Eddie to the ground. He shouted out, jabbing at the demodog with his spear. The demodog quickly recovered, prepared to strike again. Eddie’s eyes were wide, and his heart was thumping in his chest.

Eddie heard Max let out a yell, and then she rushed past him. Max swung her sharp sword, slicing the dog’s shoulder. The creature let out a whimper of pain, backing off temporarily. Then, he launched himself at Max. Eddie felt a spike of fear course through him, and he rushed forward to try and block her from getting attacked. The dog’s face opened up, and he tried to go after Max. She raised her sword over her head, bringing it down on the demodog’s neck. After a brief scream, the dog lay dead at her feet, blood pooling on the soil beneath it.

“You killed it!” Eddie said, his voice rising an octave. He stared at Max with admiration. “Red!”

Max grinned at him, with a proud look. “Yeah, I got this.”

“Jesus, I thought that thing was going to get us,” Eddie admitted. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve done enough fighting for one day.”

They walked side by side, Eddie carrying the bloodied demodog in his arms. Hoo Bear was going to eat well tonight. Eddie kept glancing around, fearful that another monster might step out of the shadows. But thankfully, they didn’t run into any more creatures. The sky was lit up with lightning, forked red, bold against the sky, as they made their way back to the library where they were temporarily staying.

Chapter Text

Eddie and Max were surrounded on all sides by the demodogs. The dogs’ flower petal faces were opened up wide, prepared to attack. They were outnumbered. Eddie’s breath caught in his throat, and he glanced down at Max. She had her sword drawn, prepared for battle. Max and Eddie stood shoulder-to-shoulder. God, there were so many of them!
For the past five years, Eddie and Max had been diligently clearing out the monsters from downtown Hawkins. They’d taken out a great deal of the smaller creatures – rats, and demodogs, and all the others. And Hoo Bear had helped them take out the larger monsters – demogorgons, and trolls, and even a large ogre. The downtown area was much safer, and they were able to get around with greater ease.

When they’d first chosen their new base camp, they’d decided to take up residence in the library. They’d holed themselves up in the back office as they’d done before, keeping themselves safe. Having access to the library books had been great, as they both loved to read. But the library wasn’t really the most secure building. As time went on, they’d decided to move their base camp to a different building. After careful consideration, they’d chosen the police station as their permanent home. They’d each claimed one of the jail cells as their new room, as it had a bed, and small desk. They liked that they could lock themselves in at night, just in case any monsters tried to attack them. The police station gave them some security, and they’d made it their own. They’d filled it with books from the library, as well as other scavenged items from the nearby stores. They’d set up everything they needed, cutting away the vines from their new home. The building was secure, and it was a good place to call home. Eddie still missed his trailer, but in the past few years, no monsters had broken into their new home.

For the past few years, Eddie had been practising flying as much as he could. Over time, he’d mastered flying, and landing with ease – but carrying Max that high was too much. He just couldn’t get them high enough to safety. Eddie thought that he could probably fly up there on his own, but that just wasn’t an option. They were still tethered. No matter how much he tried, Eddie just couldn’t reach the tear in the sky. They’d seen it open up a few times at first, but only briefly. It happened less and less frequently, and Eddie was dismayed the longer time went on without a way home. And no amount of screaming or shouting seemed to do anything to attract attention to their plight. Eddie wasn’t going to give up anytime soon. He’d promised Max that he’d get them out of there, and he meant it.

Max looked up sharply, as the ground shook under her feet. She feared for a second that perhaps it was a large troll, but then she saw the familiar dark brown and beige shape of Hoo Bear lumbering towards them. He let out a wild shriek that made her wince, pawing at the demodogs with his large claws. The owlbear worked his way through the crowd of demodogs, tossing some of them into the air, and catching the demodog in his beak. Eddie winced, hearing the crunch of bones, and then the dog went limp in his grasp.

Eddie glanced over at Max, seeing the resolute look on her face. Even with Hoo Bear helping them out, they were overwhelmed. And even though over the past few years, Eddie had grown a good six inches, and his fangs were longer, he knew that the monsters were just too much. They weren’t going to win this fight; they had been ambushed by the pack of dogs, taken by surprise.

But their one saving grace, was that Max’s door was in sight. The blue door, which would appear sporadically, allowing them to go inside and continue filling it with memories. That was their saving grace. Set against the brick wall, Max’s door stood at the end of the alley. All they had to do, was run to the door and get inside. And then, they’d be safe from all the monsters. They could hide out in there, hunker down for some time until the monsters eventually tired themselves out, and left. Eddie glanced down at Max, seeing the resolute look on her face. They were going to make it. Both of them. They were a duo, after all. They got this.

But the pack of demodogs stood in their way. And as the ground shook again, Eddie saw that a large troll had approached, hauling his large club in one hand. He dragged it on the ground for a few seconds, squinting at Eddie and Max. Neither of them wanted to fight the troll, but it seemed inevitable. The creature began trudging towards them, wielding his weapon.

Hoo Bear stood up on his hind legs, letting out a screech. He lumbered forward, rushing towards the troll with wicked speed. Eddie was certain that Hoo Bear was going to take the troll down. Their owlbear had taken down all sorts of creatures for them. But Eddie watched with horror, as the troll swung his wooden bat, striking the owlbear. Hoo shrieked in pain, and stumbled to the side. The troll attacked the owlbear, striking it with the bat again. Hoo Bear got to his feet, and put up a hell of a fight, but Eddie could see that he was weakened from his injuries.

Eddie wanted to run to the owlbear’s side, but he had his own issues to deal with. Namely, the pack of demodogs rushing him from all sides. Max was using her sword, trying to cut them down. She was cutting down as many as she could, blood spraying on her armour, on the pavement. Eddie tried to fly up in the air, but one of the dogs had latched onto his wing, and was clinging to it. He flapped his wings, unable to get more than a few feet off the ground. Eddie fought against the dog, fearful that it’d tear his wing clean off. He grunted in pain, kicking at the dog, fighting him off.

And then, he heard a horrifying scream. Eddie stopped flapping his wings, and he dropped down to the dirt on all fours. He looked up, just in time to see Hoo Bear slump over, and hit the ground.

“Hoo!” Max screamed out. She lowered her sword, and started to run to the fallen owlbear. “No!”

Eddie knew straightaway that the owlbear was dead. Blood seeped out of his numerous wounds, and Hoo’s eyes were wide open, vacant. The troll stood over the owlbear, clutching his bloodied bat. Eddie rushed forward, and grabbed Max around her waist, as she tried to run towards Hoo Bear.

“Stop! He’s gone, Max,” Eddie said, grabbing a handful of her jacket, and holding on as she struggled to break free. “Max, he-“

“Shut up, he’s not dead! Hoo!” Max screamed out.

Max was strong, and she fought against him, but Eddie refused to lessen his grip. He dragged her towards the door, his heart breaking as he heard Max cry. Hoo Bear had been more than just an animal, a mere pet. He had been a friend, their protector. And Max had loved him dearly. He did, too. But not in the full heart way that Max had embraced her conjured animal. For five long years, Hoo Bear had done his job well. Protecting them to the end.

The dogs were still coming after them, approaching the pair. Eddie had managed to get them to the door, and they were pressed against it as the dogs continued to approach. Max quickly opened the door and rushed inside, then Eddie hurried in after her. Eddie slammed the door shut after them, the demodogs snarling and clawing at the other side of the door. They were trying to break it down, trying to gain access.

“We have to go back!” Max pleaded with him.

“No, Max.” Eddie stood against the wooden door, blocking her from going back out there. He shook his head. “We can’t.”

“Move, Eddie. Open the door right this goddamned minute!”

“No!” Eddie could feel the door shake behind him, as the dogs continued to slam against it.

“Open the door! Hoo Bear, he’s –“

“He’s gone.” Eddie refused to move. “Max, you know he’s gone. We both saw him die.”

“He can’t have died!” Max was hysterical. Tears were falling hard and fast, her shoulders shaking. She gave him a distressed look. “Ed, we have to go back!”

“We can’t. Owlbear sacrificed himself for us. He died, so we could get to the door.”

“I-I know!” Max slid down to the floor, pulling her knees up to her chest. She made herself small, still crying. “Y-You think I don’t know that?”

“Then you know why I can’t let you go back out there. The dogs – the troll – they’ll tear you to shreds.” Eddie was crying, too. His lower lip quivered, trying to get it together. Pull yourself together, Munson. C’mon, he told himself. But he couldn’t stop crying. “We can’t go back. I’m sorry.”

Eddie slid down the door, until he was seated beside Max. He held out one hand to her, giving her the option to take it if she needed to. He watched as Max wiped her tears on her sleeve, still trembling. After a few seconds, she reached out, taking his hand. They sat in silence for a moment, Max’s knees tucked up against her chest. She took a shuddering breath, trying to regain her composure.

“Are you okay?” Eddie asked, quietly. The light was dim in the narrow hallway, but there was enough light to see the tear tracks on her cheeks. She was still crying.

“I miss Hoo Bear,” Max said, her voice no louder than a whisper. “I miss him.”

“I know.” Eddie turned to her. “I miss him, too.”

He hated seeing Max cry. Hated seeing the tear tracks on her face, the tremble in her hands as she clutched his hand. They had been through so much together these past few years. Been through hell. But the main thing getting them through this, was that they’d been together. Eddie, and Max, and Hoo Bear. But now, he was gone.

“I’m really sorry,” Eddie said. He wasn’t responsible for the owlbear’s death. He had done everything he could to get all three of them to safety. The owlbear would’ve never have fit through the narrow doorway, not unless the door had widened to let Hoo fit inside. And he knew that the owlbear probably would’ve resisted going in the blue door, because they’d never been able to convince Hoo Bear to go inside the hallway of doors. It wasn’t his fault, but he still felt horrible about the whole thing.

He thought that the worst part, was that they wouldn’t even get to bury Hoo Bear. The demodogs were still pounding on the door, trying to get in. They couldn’t go out there, they just couldn’t. Hoo Bear deserved a proper burial. But they just couldn’t go out there. And by the time they could finally go out there, he wasn’t even sure if the owlbear’s body would be intact – or if the dogs would’ve torn him apart.

They sat there for a long time. Shoulder to shoulder, the lights above them flickering obnoxiously. Eddie waited until Max was ready to continue on their long journey. Here in the hallway, they were safe. Just so long as the dogs didn’t break the door down, they’d be safe.

And when they were finally ready to keep moving, Eddie helped Max to her feet. They shouldered their bags, and Max sheathed her sword. She walked silently alongside him, not singing, or humming, or playing any sort of word games with him like they’d done in the past. Max was tense, wrapping her arms around herself. Eddie didn’t know what to say to her, so they walked along in silence.

Chapter Text

It had been a week since Eleven and Will had slept over at Dustin’s house, when they’d heard their friends’ voices over the radio. Eleven still didn’t have any explanation as to how they’d managed to hear Max and Eddie over the radio like that. It just didn’t make any sense. El had been extremely disappointed in herself that she had been unable to bring her friends into the void so they could see Max’s blue door for themselves. It had been an extreme longshot, but it was still disappointing.

When Mike, Lucas and Erica had arrived the next morning, Dustin had filled them in on what was going on. Their friends had been intrigued to find out about the door, and about how they’d heard Max and Eddie’s voices. They wanted more of an explanation so they could understand what was going on, but Eleven couldn’t really explain everything to them. She barely understood it herself. She tried her best to tell them what she’d seen, and experienced.

They all wanted to hear Max and Eddie again, so El had them sit in a circle. With the radio set to static again, the group held hands, trying to recreate what they’d done the night before. Eleven was feeling a bit tired and woozy, but she went back into the void again. This time, they didn’t hear Max or Eddie’s voices. She could hear the radio static, and her friends as they quietly talked to her. But not Max, or Eddie. El saw the blue door again, but she was unable to bring in any of her friends. The door stayed locked as always. When El finally got out of the void, she could immediately tell that they were disappointed that they weren’t able to hear Eddie or Max. Lucas had been especially interested in hearing Max’s voice again. They all knew that El had tried her best, but the radio was just static that morning.

El had to take a short break, and she got something to eat. She lied down for a while until her headache began to pass. As she lay there, she listened to Dustin and Will talk to the Sinclairs about Eddie and Max’s conversation that they’d overheard the night before, going into great detail. Somehow, they’d heard Eddie and Max. And they wanted to hear them again. Dustin was still shaken from hearing their friends’ voices. After taking a short break, Eleven tried again. But there was still nothing. Just radio static. No voices.

El was completely wiped out, and so she decided to take Susan and Hopper’s advice to go easy on herself for a few days. They were right; it was important to take breaks, to take care of herself first before she could look after others. For a few days, Eleven took it easy. She slept often, making sure to eat a decent amount. El kept herself busy in other ways, trying not to think about Max, or the door, or anything like that. She tried to distract herself as best as she could, giving herself the rest that she needed.

Once Eleven began to feel better, she started to patrol the long crevices downtown – walking along them to make sure everything stayed completely sealed up. And she’d begun volunteering again during the day – helping Will, and Joyce make repairs at Melvald’s. They were hoping to reopen the store in the next few weeks, but there was so much work that needed doing. Eleven helped with repainting the store, and hauling boxes from the truck to the back room. It was a nice change from helping out at the school, and she liked spending time in the store where her mom used to work. Melvald’s was just one of the many buildings that had been heavily damaged, and she was glad that it would soon be up and running.

Eleven had stayed at the store with Joyce and her brother until late in the afternoon. The owner had brought in a few pizzas, and some Cokes, when they stopped for a break. It felt good to work, to get her mind off things. She knew that she’d have to figure out why they’d heard Eddie and Max on the radio. But for now, she had things to do. Since the night of the sleepover, Eleven had gone into Max’s mind twice more, but only for a few minutes each time. The door remained locked, its contents unknown to her. She hadn’t heard Max or Eddie’s voices again. Eleven had brought the small radio with her to the hospital, and she’d kept it tuned to static, just in case she could hear them again. Both Lucas and Dustin asked her if she’d heard their friends again – but El hadn’t heard anything new. She was beginning to think that it was some kind of fluke, or a trick. But for the most part, she stayed out of Max’s mind when she visited her at the hospital. She’d even temporarily set aside the ‘Doors of the Mind’ book. Instead, Eleven had read her a few chapters of a Stephen King book that Lucas had left in Max’s room. Eleven had spoken to Max, trying to keep conversation lighthearted. But it was difficult, because she kept thinking about the door. She dreamed about it, dreamed that she was sitting in front of the door, and that she could hear Max calling her name on the other side. Eleven imagined herself being able to open it, pulling her friend to safety.

That night when they came home from Melvald’s, Hopper made lasagna, and Caesar salad for dinner. Hopper had been doing his own construction project that day, working on the cabin addition with Argyle, and Jonathan. They were adding another bedroom, though progress was slow. It would definitely make the cabin roomier. Once Jonathan and Argyle graduated next year, the place would be much emptier. She knew that she’d miss them. But it had the upside, that she’d get her own bedroom again. For now, she would share with Will.

Normally, Eleven loved her dad’s lasagna, but that night, she picked at her food. It had been a long day, and all she could think about was Max. She wondered if the door was still there, and where it led to. Eleven wasn’t visiting Max at the hospital until tomorrow. She contemplated the idea of going into Max’s mind again. She took a few small bites, thinking everything over. There had to be a way to get her friend back.

“How’s the store coming along?” Hopper asked. “You guys put in a lot of work?”

“Oh, I think it’s going well,” Joyce said, taking a bite of her food. “We’ve made quite a bit of progress today.”

“Yeah? That’s really good.”

“The kids were a big help.” Joyce smiled at him. “They worked hard all day.”

“That’s good.”

Eleven listened to her parents talk. They were laughing about something, their forks clinking on the plates. Argyle and Jonathan were having their own private conversation, whispering back and forth. She glanced over at Will, and saw that he was silently eating, deep in thought.

“Sorry, but can I just have some waffles?” Eleven asked, glancing up at them.

Hopper paused midsentence, then nodded at her. “Sure, yeah.”

Eleven put two waffles in the toaster, and waited for them to pop up. Her favourite food in the whole world, was waffles. And though she loved her father’s lasagna, Eleven knew that she couldn’t eat any of it that night. But it was the perfect night for a plate of golden browned waffles, with a generous amount of syrup. She loved the way the syrup filled all the little squares, soaking into them. It was her comfort food. Eleven thought that she could eat waffles every single day, and never get bored of them.

It had been an extremely long week, and although El had made sure to get a lot of rest, she was still feeling worn out. When the waffles were done, Eleven brought them to the table. Her parents were still talking, as they worked on their meal. El slowly ate her waffles, and once she’d finished them off, she went to her bedroom. She grabbed a spare blanket out of the closet, then tucked it around the frame of her bottom bunk, creating a small enclosure. It was like a tent, blocking out the light from the rest of the room, giving herself some privacy. El crawled inside, and used her flashlight to read a few comic books. She had a small collection – mostly X-Men, and Wonder Woman. Those were her favourites.

El started to read her comics for awhile, though she was drowsy. She was half asleep when she heard Will come in the room. He went to bed straight away. She set the comics aside, and switched off her flashlight. As she lay there in the dark, El thought about how a week was more than long enough for a resting period. Eleven had gotten enough sleep each night, and had spent time volunteering, and doing other things. She felt less burnt out, and drained. She knew that she needed to check in on Max. She had to see if anything had changed.

Initially, Eleven was going to wait until she got to Max’s hospital room, before going back into her mind. But instead, she thought about going in that night. She’d rested long enough. The rest of the household was quiet, as everyone had already gone to bed. Eleven listened to the slight creak of the mattress above her, as Will shifted in his sleep. It was late, past midnight. She welcomed the silence.

Eleven sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed, clutching her bandana in her hand. She wrapped it around her head, swiftly tying it. She took a few deep breaths, clearing her head. The material was thick enough that she couldn’t see any light from her flashlight. Breathe in, breathe out. The cabin was quiet. From her open bedroom window, she could hear the slight rustle of the wind in the trees, and the distant hooting of an owl.

Eleven focused on Max, and waited until she found herself in the black expansive room. El took a moment to look around the void. The blue door was there – only this time, it was much closer. She was glad that she didn’t have to run for ages before she could reach the door. It was only a short walk away. Within a minute, she was standing in front of Max’s door. Eleven knocked, but didn’t get a response. She grasped the glass doorknob, and tried to turn it. It was locked, as always.

“Max?” Eleven shouted out, banging on the door as hard as she could. She was met with silence. She continued shouting, until her voice was hoarse. El pounded her fist on the wooden door. “Max? Can you hear me? Please, Max. Let me in. I just want to help you.”

When she took a step back, Eleven saw to her surprise that there was now a second door. It had appeared out of nowhere, and this second door was painted black, with skulls, and dark red roses painted on the front. The two doors stood side-by-side in the void. El hesitated, then walked up to it. She knocked on the new door, then waited. Nothing happened. She tried opening it, but the new door was locked up tight. Both doors were solid, were very real – and sealed up tight. Eleven stayed in front of the doors for awhile, trying to figure out how to open them. But the doors remained frustratingly closed.

Eleven traced her finger along the door, brushing her hand along the painted roses, and skulls, trying to memorize every detail. It was very beautiful. El wondered whose door it was. Max’s? Or someone else’s? She thought that it was quite pretty. El thought about how they’d heard Eddie’s voice over the radio. She didn’t know him personally, didn’t know if this door could be his. But it might be. She wanted to draw the door, and try to figure out who it belonged to.

As soon as she’d left the void, El grabbed her pencil crayon case, and dug around in the bag of pencil crayons. She found the black, and red pencils, which were similar to colours she’d seen on the door. El started to draw a sketch of the new door, trying to capture every detail – the bronze doorknob, the tiny keyhole, the painted skulls and roses. She quickly coloured it in, trying to get it down on the page exactly like she’d seen it in the void.

When she was done, Eleven hung up the drawing of the black and red door beside her bed. After she had given the drawing of the blue door to Max’s mother, Eleven had drawn another one for herself. There – a matching set. Two doors, both a mystery. One day, she would understand what was going on. And she would get her friend back.

“Will, hey. Are you awake?” Eleven whispered, as she took down the blanket surrounding her bunk. She lay sideways on her bunk, hanging her head off the side. Eleven stared up at the ceiling, waiting to see if her brother would appear. “Are you awake?”

“Yeah.” Will peered over the side of the bunkbed at her, half-asleep. “I’m up.”

“I was in Max’s mind.”

“Oh,” Will said, surprised. “I thought you were taking a break.”

“I was. It’s been a week,” Eleven said. “Guess what? There’s two doors, now.”

“Wait, two doors?” Will said, surprised. He was more awake now.

“Yeah. At first, it was just Max’s door. But then, a second one appeared. It was black, with skulls and roses on it. They were side by side.”

“Was it locked?”

“Yeah, they both were,” El said. “I drew a picture of it. I can show you in the morning.”

“I wish you could open them.” Will yawned. “We should tell Dustin about it tomorrow. And Max’s mom. She told us to keep her updated.”

“Yeah. We’ll tell her when we go to the school.” Eleven frowned. “Whose door do you think it is?”

“Maybe it’s Eddie’s?” Will suggested. “Or someone else entirely? I don’t know.”

“Yeah, I don’t know.” Eleven clicked off her flashlight, and crawled under her blankets. She didn’t know much about Eddie, so she couldn’t tell if that door was supposed to be his, or not. But she figured that Dustin might know. El fell asleep thinking about the two doors.

Chapter Text

“How long do you think we’ll be trapped in here?” Max asked, as they continued walking down the hallway.

It had been about two hours since Hoo Bear had died, and she’d been mostly silent during that time. Eddie had been worried about her. He kept checking on Max, but he could tell that she wasn’t ready for conversation. Eddie glanced down at her, seeing that she’d stopped crying. She still really upset, her eyes red. Max avoided eye contact with him.

“I dunno.” Eddie shrugged. “A while, I guess.”

Max was about to say something, when she winced. Blinking hard, she grabbed Eddie’s arm for support. He stared down at her, trying to figure out what was wrong.

“Hey, Red?” Eddie said, concerned. “What’s going on?”

He thought that maybe she was hearing El’s voice again. That happened often enough. She’d hear El talking to her, or sometimes hear other sounds or voices that Eddie couldn’t. He thought that maybe this was one of those times. Eddie waited to see what she was going to say.

“Something’s wrong,” Max muttered. She looked up at him, eyebrows pushed together as she grimaced again. She was in pain, gripping Eddie’s arm with an iron grip. “The dogs – I think they broke in.”

“Yeah?” Eddie twisted his head to look behind them. The hallway was clear of monsters. He couldn’t even see the blue door anymore; they had been walking for so long, up and down different corridors, past thousands of doors. The doors were all filled, and they were heading to a new section, to fill new doors. Max had not relented her grip on his arm, her fingers gripping him tight enough to hurt. “Shit.”

“We have to stop them from getting in the doors,” Max said. “They’ll destroy my memories.”

“Yeah, or they could kill us.”

“Yeah.” Max nodded. “We’re going back. We have to kill the dogs, before they destroy everything we’ve worked for. We’re so close to completing all the doors, I can feel it. Just a few more memories to go.”

It would be a long walk back. But Eddie knew that she was right. They turned back, heading to the entrance again. Take out the dogs roaming free in the hallway of doors, and then, they’d be able to complete their mission. As they started to walk back, Eddie could see that Max was trembling. Her face was drained of colour, and she stumbled a few times. Eddie reached out, and put his arm around her.

“We got this,” Eddie assured her. “I’ve got you. I’ll protect you.”

It didn’t take long until they heard the demodogs baying, their sharp claws scratching on the floor as they rounded the corner. There were four of them. The large dogs approached, rushing at them.

Max had drawn her sword, but she could barely hold onto it. Her hands were trembling too hard to hold on properly, and she nearly dropped the sword. Eddie knew that she wasn’t going to be able to slay the dogs. He took the sword from her, and stepped forward.

“I got this.”

Eddie braced himself for their attack, standing protectively in front of Max. She was in no condition to fight, he knew that. Eddie knew that protecting her was his mission, just like he knew that Max’s mission was to fill the doors. He could do this.

The first dog charged at him, and Eddie swung the sword with all his might. He struck it, drawing blood. The demodog yelped out in pain, but he wouldn’t be deterred. Eddie thought about everything him and Max had been through, and he thought about Hoo Bear’s death. He channeled all his anger into the fight, hacking away at the dog until it collapsed at his feet. One down, three more to go.

___________________________

Eddie was exhausted. He sprawled out on the floor beside Max, watching the memory unfold in front of them. He ate a small piece of jerky, trying to get his strength back. They had locked themselves away in one of Max’s memory rooms, needing to feel safe behind the door. They had been fighting side by side for years, and this was the biggest battle they’d ever had to face. He had bruises all over his body, and every part of him ached. He could barely move. Staying in her memory was a welcome reprieve.

For hours, Eddie had fought the demodogs non-stop, trying to drive them out of the hallway of doors. He’d managed to finally take down all four of the dogs that had infiltrated the area, slaying them with Max’s sword. But they hadn’t been safe. Before Max had been able to bar the blue door, more monsters had breached it. The demodogs had advanced upon them, forcing Eddie and Max to continue fighting, despite their exhaustion. It was the fight of their life. Max had done her best to help take down the monsters, using Eddie’s spear. She threw projectiles at the dogs to slow them down, fighting with every ounce of energy she cold muster. But most of the fighting had landed on Eddie’s shoulders, because she was weakened. They’d taken the dogs down, one at a time. Eddie was glad that the demogorgon, and the troll that had killed Hoo Bear had not decided to crash the party.

One thing was clear – the longer the monsters stayed in the hallway of doors, the worse Max’s condition became. She shivered uncontrollably, her body wracked with a high fever. Even now, as they lay in the memory room, Max was still trembling. She’d broken out into a cold sweat, her eyes half-lidded. Things were not looking good for her. Her appetite was completely gone, and she had to force herself to eat a few bites. Eddie was just relieved that they’d managed to barricade the door, keeping out the rest of the monsters from the Upside Down. As far as he knew, the hallway of doors was monster-free, as it ought to be. They’d successfully cleared all the monsters, leaving only piles of bloody carcasses in the hallway.

“Make sure you drink some water, okay?” Eddie said, watching her. “You gotta stay hydrated.”

“Yeah.” Max took a few sips. She struggled to keep it down; her stomach protested, and she nearly threw up. “I’m trying.”

Eddie had been able to feed on one of the demodogs after they’d finished the battle – and that had given him a slight energy boost. But he was still exhausted, and sore all over. Eddie knew that he’d likely be that way for some time. He had the advantage of being able to feed, while Max could not. She would take much longer to recover.

“We’re going to stay in here for a few hours,” Eddie said. He grabbed his bag, putting it behind his head as a pillow. He closed his eyes, his body screaming in pain.

“We both need to rest. And as soon as we get up, we’ll go recover Hoo Bear’s body. We’ll give him a proper burial. But right now, we sleep.”

“Yeah.” Max pulled her blanket tight around her shoulders, pressing against his side. She was still shivering.

He knew that she was sick, but Eddie didn’t know what else he could do to help her. Just make sure she was eating their rations, and drinking enough water. Keep an eye on her, and hope that a few hours’ sleep would do her good. They both needed it.

“We’ll get through this,” Eddie said, quietly. “Just get some sleep.”

Chapter Text

Eleven sat at Max’s hospital bed, holding her hand. Although she’d brought the ‘Doors of the Mind’ book with her, she didn’t read any chapters to her like she’d initially planned. When she’d arrived at the hospital, the nurse informed El that Max was sick. She was fighting some sort of infection, and she had an elevated temperature. The nurse was concerned about her, and the staff were checking on Max more frequently than normal.

Lucas was there with Max that afternoon, sitting across from El on the other side of her hospital bed. He’d brought a book from home, and a new cassette tape, but they were both sitting unopened on the side table. Lucas kept checking Max’s temperature, touching the back of his hand to her forehead. El could tell that he was really worried about her. The staff were keeping a close eye on Max’s condition, coming into the room frequently to check on her. They’d given her some medication to help her fight the infection, and it seemed to be helping a little bit. But the staff thought that Max would be in for a long night.

“Have you been here all day?” El asked.

“Yeah.” Lucas nodded. “When I came in this morning to see her, I found out that Max was sick. The nurses don’t know what’s going on with her. I skipped out on volunteering, so I could stay with her.”

“Did you eat anything?” El asked, concerned.

“I had a sandwich earlier.”

“Okay, good.”

They continued talking for awhile, but eventually, their conversation petered out. Lucas was distracted; all he could think about was Max. He was worried that she wouldn’t be able to fight off the infection, that she’d continue getting sicker. The silence between them stretched on for some time, but it was comfortable enough. El watched as Lucas paced around for awhile, before going to the window.

As El sat there, she felt Max’s finger twitch in her hand. It was the slightest of movements. El’s breath caught in her throat, and she stayed absolutely still. For a second, she thought that she’d imagined it. But then, Max’s finger twitched again, tightening her grip against El’s hand.

“Lucas!” Eleven said, looking up sharply.

Lucas was curled up in the seat by the window, using his balled-up sweater as a pillow. When El called out to him, his eyes snapped open in surprise. He sat up, looking at her with alarm, then his gaze quickly going to his girlfriend. Max was still lying in the bed with her eyes shut.

“El, what is it?” he asked, fearful. “Is she okay?”

“Max’s finger, it twitched!”

Lucas ran to the bed, grabbing Max’s free hand in his own. He squeezed it, his thumb gently rubbing against the side of her hand. “Max? Can you hear us?”

“Go get the nurse!” Lucas said, looking over his shoulder at Eleven. He watched her slip out of the room, running down to the nurse’s station.

“Max’s hand moved! Her finger twitched!” Eleven said, as she splayed her hands on the counter, staring at the nurse with an insistent look. “Please, you have to go check on her. She could be waking up!”

“That’s quite common with coma patients,” the nurse said, glancing up at her. “Quite often, they will have small movements, but it doesn’t mean that she’s going to wake up just yet.”

“Come check on her,” El begged. “Please.”

The nurse followed her to Max’s hospital room. El and Lucas stood off to the side, anxiously watching while she started to take a look at Max. Checking her temperature, her reflexes, trying to determine if she was improving. El wrapped her arms around herself, as she watched the nurse take a look at Max.

“She’s still in a coma,” the nurse finally said. “She’s not waking up just yet.”

“Will she be okay?” Lucas asked. “I’m really worried about her.”

“Well, Max is fighting a really nasty infection, and she’s going to be in for a rough night,” the nurse said. “But I’ll up her meds, keep a close eye on her. I’m sure she’ll be fine.”

Chapter Text

Hours had gone by; Eddie wasn’t sure how long it’d been exactly. But he felt well rested when he’d finally woken up. Max’s memory had played out in front of them time and again. He could hear it in his dreams, hear Max and her friends as she celebrated her eighth birthday around a homemade cherry vanilla cake. She ripped into her presents with glee, revealing her brand-new skateboard. It was kind of a loud memory, but not in a bad way. He was just glad that they were tucked away behind the door, hidden from sight in case any other monsters had broken into the hallway of doors.

Max looked better, too. She’d woken up slowly, disoriented. Eddie made sure that she drank some more water, and finished off the rest of their food. Max’s fever had broken, and she was no longer trembling. There was some colour in her cheeks, and she was even smiling a little as they talked. But the memories of yesterday’s battle was overwhelming for both of them. Eddie knew that she was missing Hoo Bear an awful lot. And they’d had such a huge fight on their hands with all the demodogs. Eddie was still sore, and he knew he would be for some time.

They went out into the hallway, armed with their spear and sword, carefully looking around to see if the coast was clear. The dogs were still lying on the floor where they’d left them. Eddie couldn’t see any new monsters as he looked first left, then right, down the expansive hallway. Good. He was in no shape to fight anything right now.

“We’re good,” Eddie assured her. “C’mon, let’s go.”

Eddie and Max walked all the way back to the blue door. They wanted to bury Hoo Bear, and make sure that the rest of the monsters had left the area. And once that was done, they would be able to rest up in the police station for awhile. Max was certain that she was nearly done filling up all the rooms with her memories, and that she would be done soon. This was their ticket home; she just knew it. Just a few more doors to go. But when they went all the way back to the blue door, Max was surprised to find that it was locked. She tried repeatedly, as did Eddie – but the door stayed shut. They were trapped in the hallway of doors.

“That’s never happened before,” Max said. She glanced sharply up at Eddie, alarmed. “I don’t like this.”

“Me either.” Eddie was starting to feel a tightness in his chest, as panic began to set in. He didn’t want to be trapped in the hallway of doors. Jesus H. Christ. He doubled over, his hands on his knees. “This is bad.”

“I just want to go home,” Max said, leaning against the wall. She was feeling a lot better, no longer shaky and feverish. Sleep had done them good. But now, they were trapped. “What the hell do we do now?”

They started to brainstorm ideas, trying to figure out a solution. And as they stood there, Max saw a pale shimmering light on the wall beside them. She quickly pointed it out to Eddie, and they watched with interest as a new corridor slowly appeared. It was much shorter than the expansive hallways that they’d walked up and down, filled with hundreds of doors. This corridor had six doors in total; three on each side.

“That’s the last few memories we have to fill out,” Max said. “Six more memories, and then we’re done.”

“Yeah?” Eddie said. He could tell that Max was absolutely certain about this. “Six more memories, that’s manageable.”

“Yeah.” Max gave him a determined look. “We got this.”

It took them the entire day to fill out the last remaining doors. Six more memories, and then they were done. Eddie and Max were filled with hope that they could potentially go home soon. Five years was a long time, to be trapped down in the Upside Down. It had changed them. They were older, battle-weary. But they had managed to clear away a great deal of the vines, and take down a lot of the monsters. Max couldn’t wait to see her mother again, and Eddie was looking forward to seeing his uncle. Home was so damned close.

When they were done completing their sixth and final memory, Eddie and Max went back to the blue door. But they found that it was still disappointingly locked. They were both pretty drained. Six doors was a lot. Eddie sat down on the floor with his back to the wall. He closed his eyes for a few minutes.

“Eddie!” Max said, sharply. “Look! A new door. That’s the way out.”

When Eddie opened his eyes, he saw that a seventh door had appeared in the new corridor. This door was different. For one thing, it was much smaller, only standing at chest height – like something out of ‘Alice in Wonderland’. The door was painted sky blue, similar to Max’s bedroom door with the painted flowers. Only, the colours were different. Its painted flowers were red, and the vines were black. It was locked up tight, with large metal chains strapped across it. The small door was set against the far wall, with a small metal slide latch. Just like Max’s blue door, this one had appeared out of thin air – though it appeared like it’d been there for decades. There was even a small layer of greyish dust on the top of the doorframe.

“That’s new, right?” Eddie said, looking to Max. “This door’s new?”

“Yeah, it’s new,” she said, nodding. “It just appeared.”

“This feels like a weird dream,” Eddie muttered. “I’m not imagining this, am I? I’ve fallen asleep, and dreamt up this tiny door.”

“No, this is no dream. I’m seeing it, too.”

“And that’s really our way home?”

They glanced up sharply, when a flashing neon ‘EXIT’ sign appeared over the small door. Eddie raised his eyebrows. Okay, that was a sure sign that this was their way out. That was all the confirmation that he needed.

Max studied the small door for a few seconds, before stepping forward. She traced her finger along the painted flowers. “It’s real, all right. After five years of doing these memories, we’ve finally reached the end. We’ve earned this, Ed.”

“What do you feel?” Eddie asked, glancing down at her. Each of those memory rooms were filled with a range of emotions that were associated with Max’s memories. Fear, happiness, anger, grief. And coming into close proximity to those memories would affect their mood. Being in the hallway of doors had always filled him with a certain amount of uneasiness, but some of the rooms were quite fun to be in. This door filled him with apprehension, his stomach unsettled. “What does this door give off for you?”

Max didn’t feel anything from the door. Not fear, or despair, or joy. It was just a door. A tiny, odd little door. But she knew that it was the exit, and that was all that mattered. She stepped forward, setting her backpack and sword on the floor. Max started pulling off the long chains, setting them down on the floor in a pile – like a coiled metal snake. Max lifted the small metal latch, hesitating for a second, as she glanced up at Eddie. This was it, the moment they’d been waiting for. As Max pulled the door open, she was met with a waft of fresh air. Not the acrid, dust-particle Upside Down air that reeked of death and decay. This was real, honest-to-god fresh air, deeply reminiscent of home. It smelled like flowers. That alone was nearly enough to set off her tears.

The doorway opened up to a narrow tunnel. The sides looked like it was dug out by hand, shovel marks visible in the hard-packed soil. It spread out in front of her for a good ten feet, at which point it started to slope upwards. At the very top, there was a very tiny visible patch of blue sky, the palest robin’s egg blue.

“Shit, is that the sky?” Eddie asked. He wondered if it was a horrible trick. Blue sky. Jesus, it had been so long.

“Yeah, that’s the sky. This door, it takes us home,” Max said, knowing that it was a hundred percent true. If they crawled through the narrow, claustrophobic tunnel, they would end up on the other side – home. Eddie and Max shared a look. This was what they had been waiting for. Finally, they could get home.

Eddie set down his shield and spear, knowing that he wouldn’t need them anymore. Their battle was over. No more fighting, no more monsters. He thought about getting back to his old life. Eddie missed his uncle, his friends. He even missed his shitty old trailer, and going to Hawkins High. Eddie smiled broadly, thinking about seeing Dustin, and Steve again. He could go home and see his uncle. He could finally get his diploma. For once, things were looking up for him.

“Ladies first,” Eddie said, holding the door open for her. He watched as Max slipped off her sheath, laying her sword down.

They both looked up sharply, hearing something heavy bang against the blue door. They looked down the corridor, staring at it with horror. The monsters were back, and they were trying to break down the door. The blue door was being forced inwards on one section, held in place by the sturdy lock. Shit. Eddie could hear the baying of the demodog pack on the other side, and he knew that they’d force their way into the hallway at any point. They were running out of time.

“We have to go,” Eddie said, his voice strained. He glanced sharply at Max. “You need to get out of here, Red.”

“We stand together.” Max glanced over at the door for a second, hesitating. Home was so close. But they had made a promise, and she would stick by it. They stand together in battle, and they both get out together in one piece. They were a team, that’s how they’d survived so long. “They want to come for us? We’ll fight those bastards, take ‘em down. And then, we go home.”

“You go on.”

Eddie wanted to go home with her, he truly did. But he also knew that if only one of them was going to get out of there, it would be the kid every time. He would accomplish his goal, bringing Max home. He could fight the dogs, giving her a chance to leave. Eddie glanced over, and saw that Max was still standing there.

“Max, what are you waiting for?” Eddie said, trying to hide his irritation. “You’ve got to leave. I got this.”

They both jumped in alarm, as the dogs smashed through the blue door. Wood slivers skittered across the floor. Eddie stared at the monsters, who were slowly advancing on them. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing that the little wooden door was starting to shrink. It was only about waist high now, and decreasing fast.

“Go, Red!” Eddie shouted. “Now!”

Max hesitated, her eyes on the dogs. “Will you be right after me?”

“Yeah, just go.”

She ran to the small doorway. Max crouched down, and stared into the narrow tunnel. On the other side, she could see the Rightside up, a sliver of blue sky, smell the waft of fresh air. The tunnel was shrinking in size, too. She glanced over her shoulder at Eddie, and he gave her a reassuring nod. Max started to crawl on her hands and knees, determined to get to safety.

Eddie stood alone in the hallway, the overhead lights flickering above him. He picked up Max’s sword, watching the oncoming slew of demodogs that were heading into the dead-end corridor. He was trapped, cornered. And he was the only thing standing between the dogs, and Max’s small door.

Eddie’s eyes turned bright red, as he stared down the approaching dogs with an intense glare. He clutched Max’s sword handle, prepared to take out as many of the monsters as he could. He was internally freaking out, but Eddie tried to quell his panic. He knew he couldn’t allow the dogs to know how scared he was. Eddie hoped that Max would get to the end of the tunnel as fast as possible. He’d take down these stupid dogs, and then go in after her.

The demodog pack stuck close together in a tight-knit pack, their sharp nails clawing at the tiled floor. The dogs growled, sniffing the air, braying out their call as they advanced up on him, hunting him down. They launched themselves at him, their flower-petal faces opening up. Eddie braced himself for the morbid death that he was certain was about to transpire.

Eddie swung, striking the nearest dog right in the face. Another strike, and the dog was lying on the floor, crawling slowly away. He focused on the next demodog, pinning it to the floor under his sneaker, using the sword to slice off its head. He pulled the blade out with some difficulty, then went after the rest of the dogs. Eddie was sore, and exhausted – but he poured all his remaining energy into the fight. One after another, the dogs fell.

When he was done, the corridor floor was covered with puddles of fresh blood, and the demodog corpses were scattered at his feet. Time was running out. Eddie dropped the sword with a clatter, and hurried to the small wooden door. It was so small now, that he knew that it would be a tight squeeze. But he had to do this.

“Eddie, hurry!” Max called out. “C’mon!”

He looked inside the tunnel, and saw with surprise that Max had not yet reached the end of the tunnel like he thought she would. Max had turned back, reaching out her hand to him. Eddie crawled into the tunnel after her, determined to get to safety before more dogs showed up. They had to get out of there. This was their one chance at freedom, and he didn’t want to squander it.

Even before he’d gotten his wings, Eddie knew that the tunnel would’ve been a pretty tight squeeze. Max was lucky that she was smaller. His broader shoulders were pressing uncomfortably against sides of the narrow tunnel, and his wings scraped painfully as he pushed himself forward. Eddie’s head ducked low, hair falling into his eyes, he continued forward in the pitch-black tunnel.

As he continued crawling forward, the tunnel shook, and they heard another monster starting to approach. It was something big, a troll, or ogre, or something. Christ, they were so screwed. Eddie kept moving forward, though it felt like the tunnel walls were closing in around him. He was feeling extremely claustrophobic. Soon, they would be out of this hellscape, and they could go home to their friends.

“Max –“

“Keep going, we’re so close!” Max said, her voice higher than normal in her panic. “C’mon, Eddie, just keep going.”

It was getting harder and harder to move. Eddie let out a frustrated yell. The tunnel was squeezing him on all sides, the hardpacked ground pressing in on him. His wings felt like they’d get torn off if he continued. Eddie realized with despair that there was no way he would make it. It was too late for him; he was doomed. But Max was ahead of him, and she was smaller. She could still make it. She could get out.

Eddie stopped moving. His wings were scraping painfully on the walls of the tunnel at even his slightest movements. He took a deep breath, staring up at Max with damp eyes.

“Max, you have to go on without me,” Eddie said. “Go, Red. Tell them I’m still alive. But just get out.”

Max stopped crawling. With some difficulty, she managed to turn around in the tunnel, facing him. “What?”

“The tunnel, it’s too narrow.” Eddie stared at her, with his large chocolate eyes. He was trying not to cry, but it was too late. Home was so close, all that was left of their journey was this stupid tunnel. Eddie realized that the door and the tunnel leading to the Rightside Up was meant for Max. That was why it was so small. It fit her exactly, never meant for someone larger like him. This was Max’s exit door, and no one else’s. “You have to go. Tell the others I’m still alive. Tell Uncle Wayne I love him. You can do that for me.”

“We’ll dig out the sides of the tunnel,” Max said. She started to claw desperately at the hardpacked soil around him. “We’ll expand the sides, so you’ll fit. C’mon, we got this. We’re so close.”

Eddie started to help her dig out the dirt around him, though it felt futile. The ground was too hard. Max grimaced as she broke one of her nails in the dirt. She continued scrabbling at the dirt, determined to free him.

“It’s not working,” Eddie said. “Just go.”

“Eddie, c’mon!” Max said, with a pleading tone. “We have to go!”

She reached down and grabbed a handful of his leather jacket. Max tried to pull him forward, bracing herself against the wall for leverage. But her rescue attempt only worsened the pain on his wings, and Eddie cried out in pain. He grimaced, as he pried her hand off his jacket. He knew that there wasn’t much time left. She would need to go on without him.

“Go, Max.”

“We promised – we’d both get out of here together!” She said, eyes tearing up. “Eddie –“

He knew what he’d promised. They both get out in one piece. But Eddie hadn’t known that they’d had to squeeze though this tiny tunnel to safety. The pain was getting too great, the tunnel walls squeezing him even tighter. She had to go, while she still could. He’d promised she would get home safe, and that part still could be true.

“Red, stop. Just listen to me for a second. There’s not much time.” Eddie slipped off his mood ring, and pressed it into her outstretched hand. She stared at it, uncomprehending. She frowned at him, with a bemused expression. “Give my ring to Dustin. Go, Red. Now!”

Max slipped his ring onto her own finger. She reached for him, cupping his cheek for a second, tears falling down her cheeks. As bad as he felt for her, Eddie knew there was no time for goodbyes. No sentimentalities. Using all of his remaining strength, Eddie shoved her back as hard as he could. Max fell back, surprised. She struggled to regain her balance, her hand desperately clawing at him. Max managed to grab his black bandana, the material tearing. She clutched the ragged piece of cloth in her hand, stumbling back until she reached the edge. Max’s eyes widened with fear, as she teetered on the edge. The entrance to their world shimmered gold and silver behind her, and he watched with some amount of satisfaction as Max fell backwards. He watched as she disappeared into the void, gone from sight.

Eddie closed his eyes, and rested his cheek against his arm. Max was safe. She would get to go home to her mom, to Lucas. And hopefully, she’d tell everyone that he was still alive. He hoped they would come back for him, bring him home. But even if they couldn’t come for him, at least the kid was safe. He’d done what he’d set out to do – protect Max, get her home safe. Whatever happened from then on, he’d have to deal with on his own.

As soon as Max had fallen through the portal, he felt their tether immediately snap. They were no longer connected. A part of him felt empty, like he’d lost a piece of himself. As he lay there, Eddie felt intensely dizzy, and light-headed. He was trapped – couldn’t reach the patch of blue sky, couldn’t back up and go back into the hallway of doors. The tunnel was closing up so fast around him, that he struggled to breathe. Everything started to shake. The vibrations physically hurt, and he clenched his hands into fists, trying to cover his face to protect himself. The tunnel was collapsing around him. Breathing raggedly, Eddie squeezed his eyes shut, fearful of what would happen next.

The tunnel broke apart in chunks, raining soil and rocks down on him. He heard sharp cracks, as it disintegrated around him. Eddie coughed, the air thick with dust. He lifted his head for one last look at his unattainable freedom. The portal to the Rightside Up was lost from his sight, the patch of blue sky permanently made inaccessible. His one chance at getting home was gone forever. Eddie gasped in pain as a large rock fell on him, striking him in the head. Everything went black.

When Eddie finally came to, he was lying on the pavement. His ears were ringing, a high-pitched whine. Eddie slowly blinked, trying to get his bearings. He stared up at the red lightning, and he knew without a doubt that he was still in the Upside Down. He’d become quite accustomed to its night sky. Eddie tentatively put a hand to his head, and felt a lump under his fingertips. His body was bruised even worse than before; he felt black and blue all over. Eddie had been violently ejected from the hallway of doors and the tunnel, thrown back into the hellish world. And now, he was alone.

This had not ended the way he wanted. Feeling the fresh air on his face, and seeing the little patch of blue sky had sparked so much hope in him. And then it had been torn away from him just like that. Max’s sword, and his spear lay beside him on the ground. So were their bags.

Eddie lay there for another minute, keeping an ear out for any demodogs or other monsters. He was glad that he couldn’t hear any monsters nearby. That was something. As he slowly sat up, Eddie could see Hoo Bear’s body still lying on the ground. He knew he’d need to bury their owlbear at some point. But for right now, all he could think about was getting back to the police station so he could rest up. Eddie managed to get to his feet. He grabbed the two bags and weapons, and carried them back to the police station. Not like Max need them anymore.

Chapter Text

Once Eddie got back to the police station, the first thing that he did was make sure that all the doors were barred. He gingerly took his jacket off, then collapsed facedown on his bed with a loud groan. He didn’t even bother taking off his shoes, as that was too much effort. As Eddie tightly clutched his pillow, he slowly and carefully unfurled his wings. They’d gone through the wringer, and they hurt a great deal. But he could fully unfold them, and from what he could tell, they weren’t broken. That was good. He’d been so scared that the tunnel walls had caused permanent damage, when they’d forcibly squeezed him so tightly as they closed in on him.

Eddie slept like the dead, his head throbbing. For a few solid hours, everything melted away. When he woke up ages later, Eddie felt a lot better. Still sore, but more alert. His mouth was bone dry, and he was starving. Eddie drank from his water bottle, eating a few pieces of jerky, before going to the sink. He took his sweet time washing away all the dirt, and grime from being in the collapsed tunnel and the demodog fight. He felt a lot better once he’d cleaned up. Eddie could see his reflection in the small grimy bathroom mirror. He was paler than normal, and he looked exhausted. Eddie knew that he’d need to feed at some point. He craved fresh blood, a gnawing hunger in the pit of his stomach that wouldn’t go away from just eating jerky.

The worst part wasn’t the bruises. He could push through all that physical pain, knew that they’d fade over time. Hunger and thirst could be satiated. Eddie was a skilled enough hunter at that point, that food wouldn’t be an issue for him. He was exhausted, but he had a safe place to sleep. He’d survived down here for this many years, he could keep going for just a while longer. The worst part was the crushing loneliness.

For five long years, Eddie had been with friends. Max, and Hoo Bear, and Eddie. There was safety in numbers. The three of them had made a great team. But now, the others were gone – and it was just him remaining. Eddie was on his own, just like when he’d first woken up in the trailer park all those years ago. Alone, just trying to survive in this place.

He missed Max. And of course, Eddie was glad that she’d made it home safe and sound, but he still missed her. They’d been tethered; they’d had a connection. Eddie was so used to doing everything for two, that it came naturally to him. Before, it had been Eddie and Wayne. Then, it was Eddie and Max. He’d cook for two, hunt for two, fill both of their water bottles, wait for his turn to use the bathroom. Their home was a shared space. And though Eddie and Max hadn’t always gotten along, she’d still been his little sister through thick and thin. Most nights, they’d say their goodnights from their separate cells before going to bed. He was used to hearing her mattress creak as Max shifted and rolled in her sleep from just a few feet from him, used to hearing her get up and pace around the station when she couldn’t sleep. Eddie knew how to cook Max’s dinner just the way she liked it. They would kill monsters together, clear the vines, spend hours reading on their downtime. They’d talk, and laugh, and roll his dice to figure out big decisions. Eddie had liked being with her. But everything was different now. Their home was too empty, too quiet. He didn’t like that it was just him.

Eddie tried his best to continue on without Max, but it just wasn’t the same. He had food, water, a bed – the things he’d need to survive on his own. But he was still filled with intense aching loneliness, knowing that he was the only one down there. Just him and the monsters. Eddie laid low at the station for the first few days, conserving his energy. He slept for the most part, giving his body time to stitch itself back together. He was no good in his current condition. Eddie knew he couldn’t hunt, or fight monsters the way he was.

Eddie gave himself four days to recover, before going back for Hoo Bear’s body. He knew that that was too long, that Hoo Bear deserved to be buried immediately after his death – and he felt guilty about waiting so long. But that was just how things had to be, now that he was the only one there. Eddie would have to choose more wisely which tasks to take on, knowing he didn’t have a second person backing him up. By the time Eddie went back for Hoo Bear, he saw that monsters had scavenged from the owlbear’s remains as he lay on the pavement. And the vines had begun overtaking the area again. Slowly creeping along the pavement, slithering up the sides of buildings, and along the cars and buildings. Retaking what was theirs.

Eddie had been planning on dragging Hoo Bear to a nearby location, and burying him in a grave. But though he tried his best, he just couldn’t move the owlbear’s body. Instead, Eddie ended up burning the owlbear in a large bonfire right there on the street where he’d fallen. It wasn’t the burial that he’d promised Max, but that was the best he could do. He stood and watched the fire consume Hoo Bear’s remains, trying unsuccessfully to hold back his tears. Eddie kept a few of Hoo Bear’s feathers, setting them in his room as a memorial for his fallen friend.

Time went on, and Eddie did his best to survive. He still had his spear, and Max’s sword, and he continued hunting his own food. Eddie was glad that they’d stockpiled so many library books, because reading helped keep him sane. As did keeping a journal of his private thoughts. He would also draw a lot of pictures, using the office stationery. Eddie tried to keep track of how long it’d been since Max had left, but the days blended together.

And one day, while Eddie was eating his breakfast in the station’s break room, he saw a shimmer of light from the corner of his eye. Eddie turned in his seat, and saw that a door had begun to materialize beside him. This was not Max’s pretty blue door, with the painted vines. It was different. The door was painted black, and it was decorated with skulls, and red roses. Eddie stared at it in shock, setting his food down.

Eddie was immediately drawn to the door. There was just something about it. Though he’d never seen it before, the door gave off waves of familiarity, like greeting an old friend after an extended break. He felt safe around it, and he knew deep down that this was his door. He just knew it. Eddie’s door. His own door, just like what Max had. Eddie stood up and walked towards it, his food abandoned. He reached out, touching the door to make sure that it was real. The door had finished materializing at that point, and it was solid wood under his fingertips. It was so very real. Eddie smiled, thinking about how he could do what Max had done. Fill the hallway of doors with his memories, until it was complete. And then, he could get home, too. It was such a lengthy process. Max had taken about five years, before she’d managed to fill up all the memory rooms. Five years was a long time, but it’d be so very worth it if it meant getting home afterwards. This would be his journey, and he’d have to do it alone.

Eddie grasped the bronze doorknob, pulling his door open. It was pitch-black inside, just like Max’s hallway of doors had been at first. But as the darkness started to fade, Eddie watched as his own hallway of doors began to appear in front of him. His was different than Max’s. The lighting was softer. That was the first thing he noticed. Unlike Max’s hallway, filled with harsh flickering lights, his hallway had burnished wall sconces that gave off warm yellow light. The hallway looked like something out of one of his DnD books, with the occasional woven tapestry hanging on the rough-hewn stone walls that stretched on in front of him. The hallway smelled pleasantly like melted beeswax, beef roast, and fresh-baked bread. Eddie could hear distant lute music beckoning him further into the hallway. It was a warm, welcoming environment, and he wanted to spend all his time in there. It was a far cry from the dark, terrifying Upside Down where he always felt on edge. This place felt like home. Eddie smiled.

Already, the door leading to his first memory room had appeared on the right-hand side. It was a cheap hollow-core bedroom door, with a few large dents. The lower half was covered with stickers of zoo animals, dinosaurs, and spaceships. Eddie smiled fondly at the door, instantly recognizing it as his childhood bedroom door. So many years had gone by, but Eddie could still recall patiently peeling each individual sticker, and choosing its permanent placement. He’d had a blast decorating his door, though his parents were less than pleased with his handiwork.

Eddie stepped further into the hallway of doors, a lightness in his step. Having his own hallway of doors would give him something to do, keep him occupied. This would be better than reading by flashlight in his prison cell room, or constantly keeping an ear out for monsters – fearful that they might break in and get him. He’d seen Max fill each door with her own memories, so he knew the process. And he also knew just how draining it was to work through his memories, how he had to pace himself. Take it one door at a time. Don’t try to do too many doors in one day, or he might get burned out. Eddie was certain that he could do this. He’d have to do this solo, though he’d rather do this journey with some company.

Eddie opened his first memory door, and stepped inside. The room slowly started to fill with light, and when it was bright enough, he could make out certain details of his room, but some parts of the room were fuzzy, the colours muted. It was like looking at an old, faded Polaroid. Eddie stared at his childhood bedroom, taking in his little stars and moon bedspread on his unmade bed, his stuffed animals lined up in a row, the stack of fantasy books by his bed.

Eddie stayed perfectly still, hearing the quiet music playing on the radio. He was filled with a sense of wonder, and delight, as the details began to fill in around him. Slowly, piece by piece, his childhood bedroom was recreated in front of his eyes. He focused on each small detail – the Tolkien books on his bookshelf, his chipped mug full of pencil crayons on his desk, the stack of drawings he’d done. There were little action heroes, and toy animals lining his desk. And sitting in the corner of the room, was the kid-sized guitar his mother had bought for him. It was his first guitar, the one that had started his life-long obsession. His memory room was becoming so real, so tangible. And as Eddie stood there, he saw his childhood self appear. He was lying on his stomach on the carpet, playing with the box of toys dumped out in front of him. Little Eddie. God, seeing himself like that was so trippy. Had he actually ever been that small? Eddie felt like a giant compared to that kid. Eddie crouched down, watching as his younger self lined up his toy cars on the carpet, humming along to the Beatles song playing on the radio.

Eddie smiled, watching his memory self happily play with his toys. He’d been so carefree back then, so full of optimism about his future. Eddie fondly remembered how much he’d loved that bedroom. It had been his sanctuary. That was the house in Indianapolis, the little white and green house at the end of the road. Him, Mom, and Dad had lived there for a year. That had been before Mom got sick, before Eddie’s whole life had crumbled under his feet. Back when his father had still been mostly interested in being a parent to his son. This had been his old life, before he’d ended up living in Hawkins with Uncle Wayne.

Eddie nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw the bedroom door open, and his mother came into the room. She stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame as she watched him play with his toys. Eddie’s breath caught in his throat. Helen Munson was someone that he hadn’t laid eyes on in far too long. His eyes filled with tears, as he watched her. Mom’s hair was long, nearly down to her waist. She had thick curls, wavy tendrils like ocean waves – longer even than his own. She had the sweetest smile, eyes like honey. Helen had been so pretty, so kind. Eddie studied all the tiny details, taking in the way his mom’s freckles were spattered across the bridge of her nose, her cheeks. The way her mouth curled upwards, her eyes sparkling. God, he missed her so much.

Eddie’s mom died when he was ten, and he hadn’t seen her in years. His heart ached as he watched her talk to her son, walking further into the room to study the toys that Eddie was playing with. He knew that this was just a memory he was conjuring from his own mind, that she wasn’t real. Just an image. Eddie was simply placing a memory inside a box, tucked away behind the cheap wooden door. This memory of Little Eddie, and his mother were a copy to be stored safely away. She wasn’t really there. But still, Eddie yearned to get to his feet, to pull her into his arms just one more time.

As he sat there, Eddie wrapped his arms around himself. He cried a little bit, unable to hold back his emotions. Losing his mother at such a young age had been extremely difficult to deal with. Dad had become distant, and bitter after she’d died. He’d started drinking more, spending more time at the bar with his friends. Trying to find solace at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. And Eddie had been left to his own devices. A child, trying to fend for himself in the big city. He’d had nobody to lean on. Eddie missed his mother every single day. He was always kind of envious of his classmates and his friends, when they talked about their moms. They took it for granted, having their mothers in their lives. And seeing her in front of him like this, it damned near broke Eddie’s heart.

“Ed, honey,” Helen said, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder. “It’s lunch time. Time to wrap up your game, okay?”

“I’m almost done,” Eddie said, looking up at her. He gave her a sweet smile, eyes crinkling. “There’s a massive traffic jam. All these people, they’re trying to get home from work. But they’re stuck in their cars, waiting for the traffic to clear.”

“Okay, well,” Helen said. “Don’t wait too long, okay? Your soup’s getting cold. I made your favourite. You can always come back to your toys when lunch is done.”

“I’ll be right down, Mom.”

Eddie knew that the memory was complete. He’d completed his first door. All of the details of the short memory were highly detailed, everything was in crisp focus. This had been an easy memory, one that filled him with warmth. Eddie could see that it had played out to the end, and that it was restarting from the beginning, on a loop. The song started up on the radio again, and little Eddie was lining up his cars methodically, carefully arranging them in the way that he wanted. Making sense of the chaotic world around him, safe in his bedroom. And as his mother walked into the bedroom again, Eddie knew that this was a memory he would revisit time and again.

Chapter Text

Will and Eleven were both sitting together by Max’s bed that afternoon. It had been two days since El had felt Max’s hand twitch, and her friend was still in a coma. She had been so certain that Max was going to wake up, convinced that she would open her eyes. But the nurse had been right when she’d said that Max was still in a coma. No matter how much El had prayed that her friend would wake up, Max stayed unconscious. She was still fighting the infection, though her high fever had eventually lessened. The staff were checking up on her, giving Max all kinds of antibiotics, and medications. She would get better, they assured El.

El and Will had decided to skip out on volunteering that day, so they could sit with Max. Just in case she woke up. Yesterday, Mike and Lucas had kept vigil at her bedside, keeping a close eye on her. El and Will had shown up right after breakfast, and she’d gone into Max’s head straight away, scouring it for any sign of her friend. The blue door was there, but it was locked as always. No change. El stayed in there for some time, calling out for her friend, never getting a response. And when she’d finally gotten out of Max’s mind, El had been exhausted. She’d nodded off in the chair for a short while, her chin dropped to her chest.

Will had his sketchbook out, and he was drawing Max. When the lights overhead flickered, he quickly glanced up, instantly alert. That was never a good sign. The flickering lights always set him on edge. Vecna was gone, so he knew it couldn’t be that. For a second, the lights flickered again, and Will sat back in his chair, his drawing abandoned.

“El,” he said quietly, glancing over at his sister. She was still fast asleep, a spot of dried blood on her nostril. Will watched as El slowly woke, yawning. She glanced groggily up at him, rubbing at her eyes.

“Mm?” Eleven said, trying to stay awake.

“El, the lights. They keep flickering,” Will said, giving her a concerned look. “Hey, wake up.”

Will glanced up as the lights flickered again. He’d noticed that the lights didn’t do that in other areas of the hospital, like the lobby, or the cafeteria. He’d never seen the lights flicker in the hallways, or the other rooms. Just Max’s. A small part of him wanted to believe that the flickering lights meant something important. Maybe it was Max, trying to communicate with them, or something. Will had brought it up to the nurses a few times, but they never seemed too concerned about the lights. Just some faulty wiring. They’d had it checked out, and there was no cause for concern. But the flickering lights didn’t feel like nothing.

And this time, it was different. Instead of briefly flickering, and then returning back to normal, the lights went extra bright for a second or two. Will squinted, nearly blinded. And then, they were plunged into darkness. El screamed out in surprise, grabbing Will’s hand in the dark. Will had been about to ask Eleven if she was behind the flickering lights, but he knew by her scream that she was just as scared as he was. This was not her doing.

Will clutched his sister’s hand in the dark. It felt like lights were off for ages. Long enough that he was about to get up and start to feel his way out of the room, to go and alert the nurses about the power outage. But just as suddenly as the lights went out, they turned back on again. El and Will stared at Max’s hospital bed in shock. Max was sitting upright in bed, her eyes wide open. Her hands were clenched into fists. She was breathing hard, gasping for air.

“Max?” El said softly.

Max turned her head in El’s direction, her greyish, clouded eyes still wide open. They were filled with tears. Max blindly reached out with one hand, trying to locate her friend. El quickly moved forward, closing the distance between them. She sat down on the bed beside her friend. Max touched her fingertips against El’s face.

“Oh, my God,” Will murmured. “She’s really awake.”

“Max, it’s me. It’s Eleven.” Tears formed in her eyes, as she thought about how long she had been waiting for this day. Max was finally awake. “Hey, you’re safe.”

Max used both hands to examine El’s face, comforted by the familiarity of its outline. As Max cupped her hand against her cheek, El felt something cold glint against her skin. She looked down at Max’s hand, surprised to see that her friend was wearing a small silver mood ring. Eleven frowned. She had never seen that ring before, and she’d been visiting Max almost daily. She wondered who’d put the ring on her hand. She didn’t recall Max wearing it earlier that day, but maybe she just hadn’t been paying attention. She also noticed that Max’s fingernails were dirt encrusted.

“Max, you’ve been in a coma for months,” El said, studying her friend. She looked older, and there were a few healed scars on her face – ones that El didn’t recognize. El reached out to Max, gently touching her face. Max flinched for a second, then leaned into her touch. “I’ve been going into your head, to try and wake you up. I tried to save you. I’ve missed you so much. But you’re safe now, okay? We stopped Vecna. You’re safe, Max. You’re safe, okay?”

Max was still silent. Her head was tilted, listening to El’s voice, and all the other sounds around her. She looked confused by what El was saying to her. When Max reached up and touched Eleven’s shaved hair, she recoiled, surprised at her friend’s buzzcut.

“El had her head shaved,” Will explained. “Max, it’s me. Will. We’re in the hospital, in Hawkins.”

Max opened her mouth and tried to speak, but no sound came out. She finally managed to croak out an unintelligible sound. Eleven reached out and clutched Max’s hand, bringing it to her chest. Will noticed that Max had something dark clutched tightly in her hand – what looked like a scrap of fabric. He wondered what it was. El pulled Max into a tight hug, gently rocking her back and forth.

“Max, I’m so glad you’re awake,” El murmured, as she continued to hug Max. She turned her head to the side slightly, and saw that Will had stood up. He wrapped his arms around both of them, and the three of them stayed that way for a few good seconds. “Everything’s going to be okay, Max. We got you.”

“I’ll go get the nurse,” Will said, stepping back from the two girls. “I’ll be right back. I just – I can’t believe you’re finally awake, Max.”

El kept hugging Max, but when she finally broke apart from her, she gently took Max’s hand and tried to get a closer look at the mood ring. Eleven studied it, frowning. The ring was a tad too big for Max’s finger. It had smudges of dirt on it, and a few small scratches.

“Your ring –“El said. “Where did you get this?”

Max’s mouth was moving, but her words were too croaky to understand. El leaned forward, trying to hear what Max had to say. Her friend’s voice was rough, scratchy. El could tell that it was taking a great deal of effort for her to try and speak. Max slipped the ring off her finger, then held it out to Eleven. She took the ring from her.

“Dus-“ Max tried to say. “Dust-“

“Dustin?” Eleven asked.

Max nodded vehemently. A small tear formed, rolling down her cheek. Eleven carefully pried the black cloth from Max’s clenched fist, unfolding it for a closer look. It was a thin, tattered black cotton strip of material, with some kind of faded design on it. It looked old, the edges ratty and torn. El studied the material, wondering where Max had got it from. She tucked the strip of torn bandana into her pocket, along with the mood ring.

Max tried to speak again, as she started to get out of bed. Alarmed, El reached for her friend’s arm, trying to ease her back against the pillows. But Max fought against her, trying to shake off her hand. Max put both feet on the floor and stood up. She took a small step forward, on shaky legs. El quickly got off the bed. Max had only just gotten her casts off recently, and her legs were extremely weakened. She shouldn’t be on her feet just yet. Especially since she’d only just woken up from her coma.

“You should get back in bed,” El said, giving her a worried look. “Max, lie down.”

“No.” Max was determined, still trying to walk forward. She waved her free hand, feeling around her surroundings. “I-I need-“

“You should be in bed,” El repeated. But she could tell from Max’s expression, that she wasn’t going to listen. El held onto Max’s arm to try and support her, as they took a step forward. “At least let me help you, then.”

Max took another small step, her mouth moving but no words were coming out. She was frowning intently, deep in concentration as her legs buckled under each small step. El knew for certain that the only thing keeping Max upright, was her arms around her friend’s slight frame. El looked up sharply, when the nurse came running into the room. The woman’s eyebrows raised when she saw that Max was standing up, and the woman immediately rushed over.

“What are you doing? She needs to get back in bed!”

The nurse took Max by the arm, and had her sit back down on the bed. Max recoiled away from the nurse, on alert. El backed up to give them space. The nurse started talking quietly to Max, assuring her that she was safe, that everything would be alright. But Max was still on edge, finding no comfort in the woman’s words. The nurse insistently manoeuvred Max, until she was sitting back against her pillows again. And then, there were other nurses and doctors streaming into the room, eager to check up on Max. And they quickly cleared El out of the room, instructing her to wait out in the hallway for the meantime.

El and Will sat on the floor outside of Max’s hospital room. They wanted to stay as close to her room as possible, waiting for the moment they could rush in and see her again. They didn’t know how long it was going to be, but they were both scared and anxious about Max. Staff members were rushing in and out of Max’s room, and they weren’t giving much information to either of them about Max’s condition. El knew she had to be patient, but it was really difficult to just sit and wait.

They’d made a few hurried phone calls at the payphone, to let their friends know what was going on. They’d called Lucas and Erica, but nobody was home. Their father, Charles, said the kids were volunteering. He promised he’d pass on the message. They’d called the school and left a message for Susan, so that she’d know her daughter was awake. And they’d called Steve’s house, and let him know what was going on.

El glanced up, seeing Dustin, Steve, and Robin hurry down the hallway. They were the first of their friends to arrive. She got to her feet, eager to talk to them about what had happened. Dustin ran over, pulling El, and Will into a tight embrace. She hugged him, not wanting to let go.

“Is Max okay?” Dustin asked, his voice muffled. “She’s really awake?”

“Yeah.” Will nodded. “She finally woke up.”

“What happened?” Steve asked, reaching out and putting a hand on Eleven’s shoulder.

“The lights kept flickering, then the power went out,” El said. “And when the lights turned back on, Max was sitting up in bed. She was just . . . awake.”

“Jesus.”

“The nurses were concerned, because she tried to get out of bed.” Will wiped his tears away with the sleeve of his plaid shirt. “They’re checking Max over right now, but they sounded worried.”

“She tried to get out of bed?” Robin said, surprised. She shared a shocked look with Steve. “But her legs – they’re barely healed, after she broke them. Didn’t they just take the casts off?”

“Yeah,” El said, nodding. “I tried to make her stay in bed, but Max kept trying to get out of bed and walk.”

“That must’ve hurt so much,” Steve said. “Christ.”

“Max is going to be okay, right?” Robin said, looking over at Steve, seeing how upset he was getting. “She’ll pull through?”

“I hope so,” Will said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Steve and Robin went and looked in Max’s room every few minutes, although there really wasn’t much to see. None of them were allowed in her hospital room at that point. Max was sitting up in bed, but she was barely visible as she was surrounded by the hospital staff. When El peered in the window, she could see that Max was listening to the nurses, and she nodded occasionally in response to their questions. El couldn’t hear what they were saying, but she knew that it was going to be a long wait before they could go in and see Max again. Steve and Robin sat down on the floor, listening to Will talk to Dustin.

Eventually, Steve and Robin went down to the cafeteria to buy some coffees and sandwiches for the group. They were hoping that they could go in and see Max by the time they came back, but there was just no telling how long it’d be. They said they’d make some more phone calls, to let everyone else know that Max was awake. They wanted to make sure that Susan had been notified, that she knew that Max was awake, so they would call the school to try and get a hold of her.

Chapter Text

One of the nurses finally came out and told them that they could go in and visit Max again, though only have one person could go in at a time. The nurse said that Max was disoriented, and she was still confused. They didn’t want to overwhelm her, so the visits needed to be brief. Dustin, Will, and El did ‘rock, paper, scissors’, and Dustin won. He’d go in first, and then the other two would decide who’d go in next.

“Hi Max,” Dustin said, as he walked into her hospital room. “I-“

“Eddie,” Max said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. She was moving her head around, as if trying to scan the room. But she couldn’t see anything. Max reached out, moving her hands around. “Eddie?”

“No, it’s not Eddie,” Dustin said, involuntarily flinching at the sound of his friend’s name. He couldn’t help but think about Eddie dying in his arms two months ago, the memory still too painful. Dustin stepped forward, and brought Max’s cold hand up to his cheek. “Max, it’s me. It’s Dustin.”

“Dustin,” Max said. She turned towards his voice, showing recognition on her face. She paused, her voice scratchy. She pointed to the floor. “Eddie’s still down there.”

“I know he’s still down there. His body’s in the Upside Down. I couldn’t bring him home,” Dustin said, flatly. “Eddie’s dead, Max.”

“No.” Max looked confused. “Eddie saved me.”

“Max, you’ve been in a coma for months. I know everything must be confusing for you right now,” Dustin said. “Remember how we had that plan to stop Vecna? Well, it went to shit. Eddie died, and you were technically dead. Vecna did a lot of damage, but we were able to stop him.”

“Dustin,” Max said. “Eddie – he needs help. You have to believe me.”

“Eddie is dead, I saw him die.” Dustin wanted so much for his friend – his brother – to still be alive. He’d love to learn that somehow Eddie had made it. But Dustin couldn’t shake the image from his mind. Eddie, bloodied, smiling through the intense pain. Eddie, the light fading from his eyes. His lax hand falling from Dustin’s sleeve, his body a heavy weight in Dustin’s lap. Eddie – dead – dead – dead. The image refused to leave him. Dustin saw his dead friend in his nightmares way too many times. And despite the fact that he’d heard him over the radio, Dustin still thought that his friend was dead. Hearing his voice had been a cruel trick. Tears sprung to his eyes, as he clutched Max’s hand. He swallowed, trying to keep his voice from quavering. “Max, I-I saw Eddie die.”

“Alive.” She gave him a fierce look. “He’s alive.”

Max continued talking to him. Even though she could only speak a little bit, she was trying her hardest to communicate with him. Max squeezed his hand so tightly, that Dustin winced. Her head was turned towards him, her eyes unseeing. Her voice sounded so rough, and he knew that it must hurt her to speak. But Max sounded coherent. Just confused about some things. She was adamant that Eddie was alive, that he needed their help. He was alive, she insisted.

“I have to find my door.”

“What?” Dustin said. “No. The nurse said you have to stay in bed.”

“Look around. Can you see a blue door?”

“Blue door?” Dustin broke out into goosebumps, as he leaned forward. “Do you mean the one with the vines, and flowers?”

“You can see it?” Max said loudly, reaching out to grab a handful of his shirt. She pulled him closer, with a grim look on her face. “Take me to it.”

“No, Max – the door’s not here. El saw that blue door in your head,” Dustin said. “I haven’t seen it in person. El drew a picture of it. Your mom said that it was your childhood door, that you guys painted it together.”

“I need to go back into the hallway of doors.”

“What is that?”

“Eddie’s my brother,” Max tried to explain. “He protected me. Now, I need to protect him.”

“You need to stay in bed,” Dustin said. “I can only be with you for a few minutes. Then Will, and El are going to visit you. Your mom’s not here yet, but she’s going to come see you too. And Steve and Robin are here. We’ve all been visiting you as much as we can when you were comatose. Just stay in bed, and everything’s going to be okay.”

“We have to save Eddie!” Max shouted, blindly reaching around her. She became distraught, as she started to get out of bed. Max was determined to go back into the hallway of doors, and bring Eddie home. “Help me find my door!”

Her legs were extremely wobbly, and she struggled to take more than a few steps. Max had reached the hospital wall across from her bed, and started desperately sweeping her hand against it, searching for the blue door. Dustin tried his best to bring her back to the hospital bed, but he wasn’t having much luck. He put his hand on her arm, trying to coax her back to bed.

“Max, c’mon.” Dustin was trying to be as gentle as possible with her, not wanting to hurt her. But the nurse said she had to stay in bed. “Your legs are still healing. You need to lie down, okay?”

“I need to find Eddie!” She said, wrenching his hand off her arm. “Eddie!”

Dustin was panicked, watching Max screaming out Eddie’s name, pounding her fist on the wall. She had to go back in, and bring him to the Rightside Up. They’d promised each other they’d both make it. And after working together on the memory doors for five years, only one of them had made it back. She’d already lost Hoo Bear; she didn’t want to lose Eddie, too. Max ignored the dull throb in her legs, as she continued calling out for him. Dustin looked over and saw Will and El in the doorway. One of the nurses went to Max, grabbing her arm. She cried out in pain, as the nurse wrenched her away from the wall.

“That’s enough, young lady,” she said. “Get back in bed.”

“Don’t hurt her!” Dustin protested.

He watched, horrified, as the nurse forced Max back into bed. She pulled out a restraint, and attached it to Max’s wrist. One of the other nurses quickly went and did the same on the other side. Max thrashed on the bed, fighting against them.

“Let her go!” Dustin said, trying to reach his friend. “What are you doing? Stop!”

“It’s for her own good.” The nurse glanced over at him. “She needs to stay in bed so she can recover. If she keeps moving around, her legs will never heal properly. This is for her own good.”

One of the nurses grabbed Dustin, and forced him out of the room. The nurse stood in front of the door, barring Dustin from going back in. As Dustin stood in the hallway, he could hear Max still shouting loudly. Dustin tried to get back in, but he was unsuccessful. He finally went and sat down beside El, putting his head in his hands.

“Son of a bitch,” Dustin said. “That was really bad.”

“What happened?” El asked.

“Is Max okay?” Will asked. “We saw her get out of bed again. What happened?”

“They restrained her wrists, tied her to the bed so Max can’t keep getting out of bed. And I heard one of the nurses say they might have to sedate her.” Dustin lifted his head, and looked up at Will, his eyes welling with tears. He wiped the tears away, trying to compose himself. Dustin looked over at El. “She keeps shouting about Eddie. And she was talking about the blue door – the one you saw in her mind.”

“She said that?” El said. “Max talked about the blue door?”

“Yeah.”

“What did she say?” Will asked, leaning forward. “Tell us exactly what Max said.”

Dustin took a deep breath, and started to tell them everything that had happened, trying to make sure that he didn’t leave out any details. Max had talked about Eddie being stuck in the Upside Down. She’d mentioned the blue door, talked about going back in. He told them about how Max had said Eddie had saved her, that he’d protected her – and that she needed to do the same for him. They sat there and discussed it for awhile. None of them were allowed back in her room for the time being, because of how agitated Max had gotten.

“Oh, Dustin. I forgot – I have something for you,” El said, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out the mood ring, and held it out to him. “It’s yours, right?”

Dustin frowned, glancing over at her. “It’s not mine. I’ve got all my rings on.”

“Oh.” She tilted her head slightly, bemused. When El looked at Dustin’s hands, she realized that he was right. All his rings were accounted for. “When Max woke up, she was wearing this ring. I could’ve sworn she wasn’t wearing it earlier today. And when I asked her about it, Max said your name. I thought it was yours, that you’d put your ring on her finger at some point.”

“No, I didn’t. She said my name?” Dustin said, raising his eyebrows. He took the ring from her outstretched hand. “Here, let me take a look.”

El watched as Dustin held up the mood ring for a closer look. He held it up to the light. When Dustin read the initials ‘H.M’ on the inside of the ring, his face blanched. Dustin looked up at Eleven with a haunted sort of look. “W-Where did you say you found this?”

“Max was wearing it.”

“No – that can’t be.”

“What?” Will asked. He watched Dustin with a concerned look, seeing that his friend had begun crying. “Dustin, what is it? Are you okay?”

“This is Eddie’s ring,” Dustin said, handing it to Will so he could take a look. His lower lip was quivering. “It’s Eddie’s mood ring.”

“Are you sure?” Will asked.

“A hundred percent.”

“Max was wearing it.” Eleven stared at him. “Did you put it on her finger?”

“No, I never gave it to her,” Dustin frowned. “The last time I saw this ring, Eddie was wearing it uh, when he died in the Upside Down.”

“Max said your name, when I asked her about the ring,” Eleven said. “That’s why I thought you gave it to her. I don’t know how she got it.”

Dustin swiped at his eyes. He looked from Eleven, to Will. “Guys, d’you see the inscription on the inside of the ring? ‘H.M’ – that was his mother’s initials – Helen Munson. He told me once that no matter what, he would never ever take this ring off. It’s the only piece of jewelry of his Mom that he had. It meant a lot to him.”

Will was frowning, looking at Dustin. “Well, how did Max get it? Maybe it fell off Eddie’s finger at some point, and someone found it?”

“No, that can’t be.”

“Maybe someone went into his trailer, and took it?” Will suggested. “Someone might’ve been looking for a souvenir, or something. A lot of people in Hawkins still think he’s some crazy serial killer.”

“No.” Dustin stared at Will, with a defiant look. He hated that anyone would think that of Eddie. His friend had been an amazing person, and there was no way he could do something like that. But he knew Will was right, that people in town still did think poorly of Eddie. “Before they razed the destroyed trailers, I went and helped Eddie’s uncle salvage as much as he could. Not like there was much left, just a few small boxes of stuff. I know that Eddie was wearing his mood ring when he died, I swear to you. There’s no way someone would’ve just stumbled across this ring somewhere in town. Not unless they took it off his body in the Upside Down. And thanks to El, the Upside Down’s been closed off for some time.”

“Maybe it just looks like Eddie’s ring,” Will said. “I’m sure there are hundreds just like it in Indiana. It’s kind of generic.”

“Yeah, it is kind of generic,” Dustin said. “But how many of those rings would have his mother’s initials on them? This can only mean one thing – this is definitely Eddie’s ring.”

“Did you take the ring with you when you left the Upside Down?” Will asked.

“No.” Dustin shook his head. “After Eddie died, I’d started taking his rings off him, so I could give them to his uncle. That way, Mr. Munson would have something of his nephew to remember him by. I’d taken Eddie’s guitar pick necklace, and had pulled two of his rings off, when the crevices started opening up around me. I knew I had to get out of there, or I might get hurt, or trapped. It was so chaotic. I was forced to leave Eddie’s body behind. It all happened so fast. I didn’t even take Eddie’s mood ring off his finger. Not sure if I would’ve anyway, because I doubt he’d ever want to part with it. I know how important his mom was to him. But he definitely was wearing it that night.”

“But then how would Max have gotten the ring?” El asked, looking over at Dustin. But he didn’t hear her. Dustin had gotten a thoughtful look on his face, his eyes wide as he stared off into space. She thought about taking out the strip of black material to show him, but Dustin was deep in thought. She stayed quiet, waiting to see what he’d say.

Dustin thought about the mood ring that El had found on Max’s finger. He was certain that it was Eddie’s. But he was mystified as to how Max could’ve possibly gotten a hold of it. Was it possible that Eddie had been to the hospital at some point? Had he gone into Max’s room to visit her, and had put his ring on her finger? Dustin frowned. If that were true, and Eddie had been to the hospital, that meant that his friend was alive and well. But that would mean that Eddie had chosen not to reach out to his friends, and let them know that he was alive. Dustin mulled over everything that Max had said to him earlier. She’d said that Eddie was alive, that he was still in the Upside Down. Could that possibly be true? He wanted to believe that Eddie was in the Upside Down, and he needed their help. It was better than his friend being dead, and better than him being topside and choosing not to reach out to anyone.

“Holy shit. Guys, do you know what this means?” Dustin finally said, leaning back against the wall. “This is proof. Real, tangible proof.”

“Proof of what?” Will asked.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s proof that Eddie’s alive!” Dustin said, turning to look at Will with a gleam in his eyes. “Remember how we heard Max and Eddie on the radio? I thought it was a trick. I mean, I saw Eddie die. I wanted to believe that he’s alive, but I saw him die. The fact that Eddie’s ring is here, it means that he’s not in the Upside Down anymore. And he’s alive. He’s got to be. That’s how the ring ended up on her finger. Eddie must’ve put it there himself.”

“So, Eddie was here at some point, in Max’s hospital room?” Will asked. “That’s how the ring got on Max’s finger? He came to the hospital, and visited Max?”

“Yeah.” Dustin shrugged. “He must’ve.”

“If he was here, why didn’t he reach out to anyone?” Will asked. “Eddie should’ve told someone that he’s alive. Especially you, or his uncle. But nobody’s seen him in town, as far as I know. And there’s pretty much always someone here with Max. None of us saw Eddie, though.”

“Well, I don’t know.” Dustin gave him an impatient look. “Do you have a better explanation?”

“No.”

“Well, then. Eddie’s alive. And now, we’ve got proof.”

Over the next few hours, Lucas and Erica came to the hospital. So did Mike and Nancy, and Jonathan and Argyle. They all sat vigil outside of Max’s hospital room, waiting to see if they might be able to see her. But none of them were allowed in. Lucas kept looking in the window, trying to see if Max was alright. It killed him, not being able to go to her. Max was heavily sedated, and kept under constant surveillance by the hospital staff. And by the time someone had finally given Susan the message about her daughter, she raced to the hospital. One of the nurses let her in the room, and she sat with Max for awhile. They could see her through the window, as Susan held Max’s hand, talking quietly to her. d

By the end of the day, neither Will nor El had the chance to go back in and sit with Max. It was frustrating, knowing that her friend was finally awake, but El was unable to talk to her. She wanted answers. Especially since Max had talked about the blue door, the one that she’d seen in her friend’s head.

As they’d sat in the hallway, El had tried going into Max’s head. El didn’t see the blue door like she had before. Max was there; she was present. But the sedation was messing with her mind, and everything had been a muddled, blurry mess, with overlapping voices. El had felt anxiety and fear overtake her, seeping into every pore. And Max’s mind had been filled with an intense grief. She could hear Max’s loud thoughts bouncing around in her head, like a dull roar. El had heard Max call out for her friends, shouting for her mother. It was all too much, and she’d quickly gotten out of Max’s head.

Joyce met them in the lobby of the hospital, as she was supposed to pick them up that evening in time for supper. Will had tried to call his mother earlier, but she hadn’t been at the house, or cleaning up at Melvald’s. As soon as Joyce saw the distraught expressions on her kids’ faces, she was instantly on edge.

“What’s happened?” Joyce asked, looking from Will to El. She glanced curiously over at Dustin, concerned. “Are you guys okay?”

“It’s Max.” Eleven took a deep breath. “She’s woken up.”

Joyce blinked, processing what they were saying. Then, she grinned. “Oh, my God! That’s wonderful news!”

“Not exactly. They had to sedate her,” Dustin said. “She was freaking out, kept calling out Eddie’s name. Shouting that we needed to save him from the Upside Down. She got out of bed, and started pounding on the walls.”

Joyce raised her eyebrows. “Max did that? Our Max?”

“Yeah. Dustin went in to visit with her, but Max got really upset. Her mom’s up there with her now, but the rest of us aren’t allowed in. And when Max woke up, she had a ring on her finger,” Eleven said, then turned to Dustin. “Show her, Dustin.”

Dustin took the ring out of his pocket, and gave it to Joyce. “This ring belonged to Eddie. It was his mother’s. He had it on him when he died in the Upside Down.” Joyce studied the mood ring, looking at the small stone. She glanced up at Dustin with a concerned look. “Are you sure, honey? These mood rings are pretty common. I think I have a similar one in my jewelry box at home.”

“That’s what I told him,” Will said. “But he’s a hundred percent certain that it’s Eddie’s.”

“Look at the initials on the inside – ‘H. M’. That stands for ‘Helen Munson’.” Dustin watched as Joyce studied the ring. “Helen was Eddie’s mother. He showed it to me once, at school. Eddie told me that he never takes the ring off. It’s like, one of the only things he had of his mother’s belongings, when he’d moved in with Wayne.”

“And you’re sure Eddie was wearing it when –“ Joyce paused, trying to think about how to word it without upsetting him.

“When he died,” Dustin said, flatly. The details of Eddie’s death was forever imprinted on his mind. “Yeah, I’m a hundred percent sure.”

Joyce handed the ring back to Dustin. “What does this mean?”

“I think that the ring points to one thing – Eddie’s still alive.” Dustin stared at Joyce. “I know how that sounds, but I think it’s the truth. Max – she kept saying that we had to save Eddie, that he was trapped in the Upside Down. He needs our help. And I think she’s right.”

“She was in a coma for weeks. Could it have just been something she dreamed while in her coma? Or like, a trauma response from everything she’s been through lately?” Joyce sked, frowning.

“No way.” Dustin shook his head. “Guys, if Max says that Eddie is still alive, I believe her. This isn’t some delusion. Eddie’s still alive. And I need to bring him home.”

“But . . . you saw him die.”

Dustin raised his eyebrows at Joyce. “We all once thought that Hopper was dead, too. You saw him die. But Hopper’s still alive. You got him back. And I want to get Eddie back.”

“There’s something else.” Eleven took the scrap of black cloth from her pocket. “Max was also holding this in her hand when she woke up. I had to pry it out of her hand, because she refused to let go of it.”

Dustin took the scrap of torn cloth from her, recognizing it instantly. “It’s a piece of Eddie’s bandana.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, it is. We need to go in the Upside Down,” Dustin said. “We have to bring him back.”

Chapter Text

“Am I hearing you correctly?” Steve raised his eyebrows at Dustin. “You want to go in the Upside Down?”

They were all clustered together in the Wheeler’s living room. Dustin was pacing back and forth, running everything through in his mind. He’d had his doubts before, but now, Dustin was certain. Eddie was alive. He needed their help to get back home. And Dustin was willing to go down into the monster-filled Upside Down to get him back. He’d do whatever it took, no matter the cost.

“Yeah, I do,” Dustin said, nodding. “I need to go to the Upside Down, and get answers. I think Max is right – Eddie’s down there, and he needs our help.”

“But how do you know Max is right about this?” Steve asked. “From what I’ve heard so far, Max thinks that she was in the Upside Down with Eddie all this time. Like, wasn’t she saying something about him protecting her? And like, Eddie being her brother? But we know that’s not true – Billy’s her brother. And he’s gone. We know Max wasn’t in the Upside Down with Eddie, she was comatose in the hospital this whole time. So, how can we be sure that Max is right about Eddie needing our help? She’s wrong about other facts.”

“I trust her. Besides, we heard Eddie and Max on the radio. Not just Max – but both of them,” Dustin said. “She was with him. They were talking, laughing. Now, there are two potential outcomes to this situation. Either Eddie’s body is still in the trailer park where I left him, and we can take him home so Wayne can bury him properly. Or, we find out that he’s somehow alive. Either way, we’re bringing him home. I can’t have him stay down there another day. I just can’t.”

“Dustin -“ Joyce said, putting a hand on his shoulder. She gave him a determined look. “We’ll go in, and find your friend. We’ll bring him home.”

“Yeah, we’ll go in,” Steve said, giving him a stern look. “But I’m benching you, Dustin. You stay here, and wait for an update on Max.”

“Hell, no.” Dustin stared at Steve, his eyebrows raised nearly to his hairline. He was silent for a few seconds, a defiant look in his eyes. “You’re not benching me. I’m not thirteen anymore, you can’t bench me. I’m going down there, and that’s final. Eddie needs my help.”

“No, you’re not.”

“This is my plan!” Dustin said loudly. “Max said my name, when she gave El the ring. She clearly wanted me to have it. And she told me about Eddie being stuck down there. I’m the only one who was with him when he died, Steve. I need to do this.”

“Maybe Steve’s right,” Joyce said. “Why don’t you let us handle this, Dustin?”

“I have to do this,” Dustin said. “I have to.”

“You sure you want to go down there?” Steve asked. “Seeing Eddie’s corpse – that’s something you can’t unsee, Henderson.”

“Don’t say that. I believe that Eddie’s still alive. He has to be. We’re going down there to check,” Dustin said, looking up at Steve. He’d already seen Eddie die right in front of his eyes; it was true, that it was something he could never unsee. But even if there was just the slightest chance that Eddie was still alive, then that was enough for him. “I’m bringing Eddie home, Steve.”

Steve thought about arguing with him, but he saw the defiant look on Dustin’s face, and he knew that his friend was never going to back down. Steve slowly nodded. “Alright. Well, you’re not going alone. I’ll be going with you.”

“Hopper and I are coming, too,” Joyce said. “You’ll need all the backup you can get, in case things get ugly.”

“And I’m coming with you, too,” Eleven said. She leaned against Dustin’s shoulder, giving him a supportive look. “I can get you all into the Upside Down.”

“There’s someone else who should be coming with us,” Dustin said. “Wayne Munson. We need to tell him what’s been going on.”

Since Dustin had broken the news to Wayne Munson about his nephew’s death, Wayne had stopped hanging up Eddie’s poster on the wall with the other missing persons posters. Wayne had become completely dejected, depressed at losing his nephew. His only family, gone.

Dustin had been with Wayne at the school, when the sky had opened up and let the monsters into Hawkins, and the fields had started turning into dust, and spores. Despite the fact that Dustin had injured his leg when he’d gone after Eddie into the Upside Down, he’d done his best to protect everyone. As soon as he’d seen what was descending upon the town, Dustin knew that things were going to get dire. Dustin, Wayne, and a few others had immediately started rounding everyone up, making them retreat back inside the school. The group at the school had comprised of all sorts of people who’d needed their help – kids, teens, the elderly, the ones who couldn’t defend themselves. Dustin and Wayne had fought side-by-side that day, both still grieving their recent loss.

And in the past two months since then, Dustin felt extra protective of Wayne, fearful that one of the monsters that were roaming around town might attack the older Munson. Dustin had already lost Eddie; it would absolutely devastate him to know that Eddie’s Uncle was in danger in any way. He’d tried his best to look out for him. He’d checked in on him when he could, knowing how rough it was to lose someone close to him. Dustin had only known Eddie for a few months during his freshman year; Wayne had known him his entire life.

And now, there was the slimmest of chances that Eddie might still be alive. It was mostly just a feeling, one that he couldn’t shake. The torn bandana, the dirt under Max’s fingernails, the mood ring – it all meant something. It had to. The very fact that Max was alive, and conscious meant that they had to get answers. Even if Max was confused about Eddie being alive, and trapped in the Upside Down, they needed to know for sure. The party would do the same for him, Dustin knew that. They couldn’t just abandon one of their own. Even if he didn’t have all the answers, and Dustin didn’t understand it all, he knew that he needed to venture down there and see how things were with his own two eyes.

“Dustin, what exactly have you told him?” Joyce asked. “How much does Wayne know about all of this?”

“What, about the Upside Down, and everything? I haven’t told him much,” Dustin said. “I had to break the news to him about Eddie dying, which he didn’t take well at all. But I kinda lied to him about some of the details. I said that Eddie died in the earthquake, that he was a hero for protecting me. I didn’t mention the demobats, or anything like that. Or the Upside Down. How was I supposed to explain the whole story to him? So, I left out a few crucial details. But he knows about the monsters in Hawkins – everyone does, now. Mr. Munson saw them with his own eyes that day at the school. But that’s about it, as far as I know. I haven’t talked to him recently, and I definitely haven’t told him anything about Max waking up from her coma, as that just happened. Or about Eddie possibly being alive.”

“Let’s keep it that way,” Hopper said. “At least for now. We should keep him in the dark, until we figure out what’s going on.”

Dustin didn’t know how he’d be able to tell Wayne Munson about his theory that Eddie might still be potentially alive. He thought about how that conversation would go, picturing it in his mind. Dustin knew that he’d have to have definitive proof first, before he said anything. That was crucial, so he didn’t give Wayne false hope. Dustin knew he couldn’t do that to him. Not after everything that man had been through. Dustin had already had to break the news to Wayne Munson that his nephew was dead – which was just about the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. Wayne had a right to know if his nephew was alive. But what if they were wrong? If he went and told Wayne that Eddie was alive, and it turned out that Eddie was still dead and gone, then Dustin knew that it wouldn’t just break Wayne’s heart – it would fucking shatter it. He knew that he needed absolute proof before he could say anything to the man. Hopper was right about keeping this to themselves for now.

But one thing that Dustin knew, was that even if he wasn’t ready to tell Wayne about Eddie, he still needed to check up on him. Wayne didn’t have any other family in Hawkins. He was alone. And that was only making the last few months harder on him, especially since Wayne had lost his trailer. He had nothing left. Dustin felt like it was his responsibility to keep checking on him, and he felt guilty that he hadn’t seen him in some time.

“I think one of us should tell Wayne,” Joyce said, looking over at Karen, and Hopper. “It’d probably be best to leave that conversation to the adults. Dustin, leave that to us.”

“Yeah,” Dustin said. “I get it. I won’t tell him anything about my theory about Eddie.”

“Where is he staying these days?” Karen asked. “I haven’t seen Wayne for some time.”

“Me neither.” Joyce glanced curiously over at Dustin. “Do you know where he is?”

Wayne had been staying at the school at first, sleeping on one of the temporary cots. He’d later moved into one of the classrooms that had been partitioned off. But the last few times that Dustin had gone to the school to talk to Wayne, he’d been unable to find him. The man was quiet and unassuming, and he usually went unnoticed – keeping a low profile. Dustin wasn’t sure where Wayne was staying these days.

“I’m not sure.” Dustin shrugged. “I’m not even sure if he’s still in town. I haven’t seen him for a while. But I think we should check up on him. I won’t tell him anything about Eddie – I just need to make sure he’s okay.”

“Well, why don’t we go to the school and start asking around?” Joyce asked. “I’d like to see him, too.”

“Yeah.”

They continued with their meeting for a while longer, and they made plans for some of them to go into the Upside Down first thing in the morning. The rest of them would be taking turns staying at the hospital for Max. When the group split up, Joyce and Dustin went to the school to find Wayne, while the rest of them went home.

Dustin and Joyce started walking around the school trying to track down Wayne. Dustin wished that they could ask Susan if she’d seen him recently, but she was still at the hospital with her daughter. The school was busy, as usual. There were people all over the crowded building. Joyce started asking some of the volunteers at the school if they’d seen Wayne recently. Dustin knew that some of the town’s residents were still giving Wayne flak for being Eddie’s uncle, and they were treating him poorly about it. Dustin was worried that someone might’ve messed with him. But though they asked around, nobody really seemed to know where Wayne was staying.

But Dustin wasn’t going to give up just yet. He split off from Joyce, and kept prodding, talking to some of Wayne’s older friends – the coffee guys he’d usually hang out with at the diner after his shifts. And finally, one of them – Earl – said that he’d seen Wayne smoking behind the school. Dustin thanked him, then sped off behind the school to see if Wayne was still there. And thankfully, he was.

Wayne Munson had his back against the brick building, a dying cigarette between his fingers. He was staring off into the distance, not noticing the people walking around him, or the kids playing basketball on the court nearby. Wayne barely even glanced up when Dustin sat down beside him.

“Hi Mr. Munson,” Dustin said. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m fine.” Wayne glanced over at him. “Been better, kid.”

It had been a while since he’d seen Wayne. As much as he wanted to make sure that Wayne was safe and sound, it pained Dustin every time he saw him because it was such a stark reminder of how they’d both lost Eddie. The man looked tired, and worn out. And the worst part, was that after all the grief and sadness had taken its toll on the older man, his nephew might still be alive. And if that were the case, they could’ve been reunited months ago.

Dustin had the scrap of black bandana, and the mood ring in his pocket. He thought about pulling them out, and showing the items to Wayne, but he held back. Joyce and Hopper were right, they needed to know more first. Proof that Eddie was still alive. And tomorrow after they went into the Upside Down, he would know the truth. As soon as he knew for certain, Dustin was going to tell Wayne everything. Wayne might hate the fact that Dustin had lied to him about what had really happened to his nephew two months ago, but at least he’d have closure.

“How’s your friend?” Wayne asked, taking a drag from his cigarette. “The girl in the hospital. She doing any better?”

“Max? She’s still in the hospital,” Dustin said. “She finally woke up, but she’s still in a bad way.”

Dustin inwardly winced as soon as the words came out of his mouth. He wasn’t sure how much he was supposed to reveal about Max waking up – or if he was supposed to talk about it in any way. Not until they’d gone into the Upside Down. He didn’t want to go into detail about what had happened earlier that day with Max. But the mood ring, the bandana, what Max had said about Eddie – it was all on his mind. Dustin frowned, keeping his mouth shut. He didn’t want to lie to Wayne, but it’d be worse to give him false hope.

“I’m really sorry to hear that.” Wayne’s eyes slid over to him for a second. “I knew her and her mom a little bit, before everything went to shit. Used to see Max skateboarding around the trailer park sometimes. She’s a good kid.”

“Yeah,” Dustin said. “She is. Susan’s with her now.”

“Good.” Wayne nodded.

“You know Joyce Byers, right?” Dustin said. “She works at Melvald’s. Joyce drove me here today, so we could see how you’re doing. She’s worried about you.”

“Nothing for her to worry about. I’m fine,” Wayne said, though he looked far from it. “But thank you for looking on me.”

“Yeah, any time,” Dustin said. “Mr. Munson, if you need anything, just let me know.”

“There’s something you ought to know,” Wayne said. “I’ve dipped into my savings, and I’m buying a headstone for Eddie. I thought you’d want to know. You, and the rest of Eddie’s friends. That way, you guys could pay your respects, and all.”

“Yeah?” Dustin said. “Here in town?”

“Yeah, at the Roane Hill Cemetery,” Wayne said. “Don’t have a body to bury or nothing, so I’m not going to spring for a coffin – just the headstone. It costs a pretty penny, but I wanted to get a real nice one for him.”

“Yeah.” Dustin nodded. He thought about what Max had said. Eddie, alive. Not dead, just trapped down there – in need of rescue. God, please let it be true. Hopefully, they’d be able to bring him home, and then Wayne could get a refund on that headstone. Dustin wanted so much to have Eddie reunite with his uncle. The Munsons needed each other. “I’ll tell my friends. It’s nice, that you can do something for him.”

“There’s something else,” Wayne said, taking another drag from his cigarette. He paused, not looking at Dustin. “I’m leaving town soon.”

Dustin’s head shot up, and he stared at Wayne in surprise. “You are?” he asked, his voice rising. “You’re leaving Hawkins? Like, for good?”

“Yeah. I got a sister in Arkansas. She said she’d put me up in her guest room for awhile until I could get my own place.” Wayne frowned. “It ain’t ideal, ‘cause she’s already got a full house. But I need to go home for a while, see my nieces again. With Eddie gone, there’s nothing here for me anymore.”

“Oh.” Dustin couldn’t help but feel dismayed at the man’s news. It made sense, he supposed, that Wayne would want to leave this cursed town behind. The way everyone was still hating on Eddie, it probably soured the man’s view of his friends and neighbours. Dustin hadn’t known that Wayne had other relatives, but he supposed that it was a good thing that he’d get to be with them. Family was important in times like these. Dustin didn’t know what he’d do if he didn’t have his Mom, or his close friends to lean on. But still, it made him sad to think that he might never see Eddie’s uncle again. “When are you leaving?”

As Dustin waited for Wayne’s answer, he reached into his pocket. His hand circled around the mood ring, rubbing his thumb along the cool metal. Dustin thought about what he could possibly say, how to word things precisely. Joyce had said to hold off on telling Wayne anything, and he knew that was the right choice. He wanted to tell him about Eddie; the words were right there on the tip of his tongue. Dustin’s heart sank at the thought of Wayne leaving town, especially with the possibility that he might never know the truth about his nephew.

“I won’t be leaving quite yet. Sometime in the next few days,” Wayne said. “A week at most. My sister wants me to move in for the summer, to look after the kids when they’re on break.”

“My friend Steve – you remember Steve, right?” Dustin said. Wayne nodded, waiting for him to continue. “Anyway, he’s got a few people staying with him, but I can ask him if you can move into one of his spare rooms. He’s got a really big house.”

“That’s a mighty generous offer,” Wayne said, “but I’m okay here at the school. I’ve got a bed here, some storage space. Most nights, I sleep in my truck, though. I think I just need a change of scenery. I might come back to Hawkins one day, but for now, I just need to leave.”

“Yeah.”

Chapter Text

Early the next morning, Dustin met up with Steve, Joyce, El, and Hopper. He had barely slept all night, as he kept tossing and turning. Dustin was anxious about going into the Upside Down, but he was even more anxious about what he might find. He needed to believe that they’d find Eddie safe and sound, that they’d be able to bring him home. He’d packed his bag with snacks for the trip, as he wasn’t sure how long they’d be gone for. Dustin was wearing the same outfit he’d worn when he’d gone up on the roof of the Munson trailer with Eddie, when they’d been the distraction. The bandana tied around his forehead kept his hair out of his eyes, and the many layers would keep him warm.

“Alright, we don’t know how bad things are going to be in the Upside Down, so we all need to stick together,” Hopper said, looking around at their small group. He gave Dustin a pointed look. “No running off.”

“No running off,” Dustin repeated, impatient to go down there and find Eddie. He fought the urge to roll his eyes at the man’s instruction, as he didn’t want Hopper to leave him behind. “Got it. We’ll stick together.”

The group went over a few more things, then made sure that each of them had a weapon. Armed with his spear, and a knife on his belt, Dustin was ready for battle. Dustin didn’t want to run into any of the bats that had attacked Eddie, or a demogorgon, or anything. He was going to stick by Steve’s side, no matter what.

They drove out to the trailer park, and got out. Dustin looked around at the dozen trailers that remained, and the few RVs parked along the grassy area. The trailer park looked a lot different than it did in spring break. Some of the trailers had been demolished, others were damaged. Max’s trailer was one of the trailers that had been heavily damaged, and though it was still standing, her trailer was unlivable. It was truly a damned shame, that Max and Susan’s home had been wrecked like that. Dustin couldn’t help but look over at the spot where Eddie’s trailer had once stood. His trailer had been way too heavily damaged, and had been torn down completely.

Dustin could still see where the ground had been torn open, beginning at the spot where Chrissy had been murdered. Two months ago, the ground had been ripped open, and the gaping wound had decimated the area. But now, it was healing. Dustin could still see the remaining scar tissue, which El consistently worked on keeping closed.

They kept their distance, as El worked on opening up a gate into the Upside Down. She’d chosen a place near where the Munson trailer had once stood, so that they’d be able to go check if Eddie’s body was still there. The gate entrance was small at first – too small for any of them to enter. El quickly increased its size until they were able to walk into the Upside Down. El went first, then Hopper. They looked around, making sure that the coast was clear. No monsters in sight. The rest of the group cautiously followed after them.

As Dustin stepped into the Upside Down, he immediately tensed up. He didn’t know what to expect. Dust particles swirled around him, and he squinted in the dark blue lighting. Dustin immediately looked upwards, quickly scanning the area for demobats. He’d seen first-hand what they could do to Eddie, and he’d seen the damage they’d inflicted on Steve. They were brutal little bastards. But thankfully, there weren’t any bats flying around. He didn’t see any monsters in the area, of which he was glad.

Dustin led them to the spot where Eddie had died. It was a short walk from the Munson trailer. He was filled with dread, hoping that he wouldn’t find Eddie’s body lying on the pavement where he’d left him. Dustin didn’t want to find his friend’s rotted corpse, exposed to the elements, picked apart by scavenger monsters. That was not how he wanted to remember Eddie. But as they approached the area, Dustin saw that Eddie’s body wasn’t there. There were vines, and some debris – and Dustin could see that there were some faint bloodstains on the spot where Eddie had been slain. But no body. Dustin winced at the painful memory of Eddie’s death, remembering everything that had happened that horrible night. He hugged his arms around himself, looking up at Steve, then at the rest of his friends.

“This is where I left him,” Dustin said. “Eddie died here. Right here, on this very spot. But look – no body. So, that means he could still be alive.”

“We still don’t know that he’s alive. I mean, I hope he is. But maybe something just dragged his body away,” Steve said. “We should look around, see if we can find him.”

“Yeah.”

They fanned out, as they started to search the trailer park. Dustin shouted out Eddie’s name, hoping to see him appear. Eddie was probably hiding; he was good at staying low. Dustin couldn’t help but think about how Will had done the same thing – he’d hidden himself away from danger, when he’d been trapped in the Upside Down. If only Eddie could just hear them calling for him, then he’d realize that his friends had come for him – and they could take him home. Dustin noticed that Eddie’s trailer was still standing in the Upside Down, that it was still fortified the way they’d left it. It was good to see that it wasn’t destroyed like the one on the Rightside Up.

Dustin tried to put himself in Eddie’s shoes, thinking about what he’d do if he suddenly found himself alone in the Upside Down. Christ, that would be terrifying. Dustin wished for the thousandth time that he’d somehow been able to bring Eddie’s body topside with him. But it had been impossible at the time, given the damage the area had sustained. He scanned the dark trailer park, looking around – trying to see it from Eddie’s perspective. If it were him, Dustin knew that he’d go home. Especially since the Munson trailer was in such close proximity, it seemed like the most logical place to start. And so, that was where Dustin headed.

Dustin ran to the Munson trailer, hoping that Eddie had taken shelter there. It was near the last place that Dustin had seen him, when he’d left his body on the pavement. The trailer was as close to his home as Eddie would find down here – and it was fortified. He had to be inside; it was the only thing that made sense. Dustin banged on the trailer door a few times, loudly shouting out Eddie’s name. Dustin knew that he was being too loud, that it risked bringing the monsters down on their heads. But he didn’t do anything to lower his voice; he was desperate to bring him home.

Dustin realized that the trailer door was unlocked, so he barged inside. Steve was hot on his heels, wielding his axe. They scanned the area, looking for monsters. Apart from a few vines, the Munson trailer appeared to be empty.

“Eddie?” Dustin called out.

As they looked around, Dustin and Steve saw there were definitely some changes in the trailer since the last time that they’d been in there. They noticed that the roof had been damaged at some point – although it’d been patched up since then. The trailer had a lot of library books stacked up in the living room. Most of the vines had been cleared out of the trailer, and it looked pretty nice inside compared to how it’d been before.

“This place used to look pretty rough,” Steve said, looking around. “It looks almost livable. Like how it was on the Rightside Up.”

“Yeah.” Dustin nodded. “Looks like someone put a lot of work into it.”

Dustin went into Eddie’s room, and started to poke around. Eddie’s bedroom was quite a bit messier. There were clothes strewn on the floor, bed unmade. Like Eddie had been there recently, but he’d left for whatever reason. Dustin saw that were a bunch of Max’s things in his room. Her clothes were in the dresser, a few of her shirts hanging up in the closet. Dustin saw some of her cassettes were sitting on the desk. She’d clearly been there at some point. Or at least, someone had brought Max’s things over from her trailer. Dustin saw the blanket fort in the corner of the room, and he peered inside. It was empty.

“This is Max’s, isn’t it?” Steve said, picking up one of the sweaters off the floor.

“Yeah. She was here. I think her and Eddie were living here,” Dustin said. “Max was right. Everything she said, about them being together in the Upside Down, she was right about all of it.”

“But where the hell is Eddie?” Steve asked, frowning.

When Steve and Dustin went outside, they saw that Joyce and Hopper were inspecting the firepit that Eddie had built on the grass outside his trailer. There were two lawn chairs beside it. Dustin walked over, to take a closer look. Two chairs – one for Eddie, one for Max. When he investigated the firepit further, Dustin found a pile of small animal bones in the ashes. It looked like the firepit hadn’t been used in some time, but it was clear that someone had been there at some point since they’d last seen Eddie.

“Someone’s been here,” Steve said, glancing over at Joyce and Hopper. “Two people, judging by those chairs.”

“Eddie and Max. It must be.” Dustin stared at his friends. “Max was right. Eddie’s down here, and he needs our help. We heard them on the radio. He’s got to be down here somewhere.”

“Yeah,” Steve said, nodding. “Let’s just hope we can find him before a monster gets him first.”

“I don’t think that Eddie’s been here recently,” Hopper said, kicking at the firepit. “He might’ve been here for a while, but my guess is that he moved on.”

Dustin was deeply disappointed that he wasn’t able to bring Eddie home safe. He’d been sure that they’d find him, and that they could bring him back through the gate. At least they hadn’t found his dead body lying on the pavement. But it was so infuriating to see all the proof that Eddie had been at his trailer, though they weren’t able to find him.

“Can’t you find him with your mind, or something?” Steve asked, looking to El. “You can do that, right?”

“I’ve been trying, but I can’t find him,” El said. “I don’t know where Eddie is.”

“Maybe he’s blocking you from finding him?” Dustin suggested.

“Yeah, maybe,” El said, nodding. “All I know, is that every time I try, I can’t find Eddie anywhere. It’s just like how I kept going into Max’s mind, and she wasn’t there. Eddie’s not there, either.”

“Does that mean he’s dead?” Joyce asked, nervously. “If you can’t find him, it might be because Eddie’s dead.”

Dustin scowled at her. “No.”

“I don’t think Eddie’s dead,” El said. “I think that Dustin’s right – he’s blocking me somehow.”

“Well, if you can’t find him with your powers,” Hopper said, “then we’ll just have to search the area on foot. If he’s here, we’ll find him.”

For the next few hours, they split off into two groups. They walked all over the trailer park, looking for him. They went into the other trailers in case Eddie was hiding in one of them, but they couldn’t find him anywhere. Steve and Dustin walked around in the nearby woods, calling out for Eddie. The whole time they were down there, they didn’t see any monsters. Just a few small rats had scurried past at one point, but nothing else. It was surprisingly empty. Eventually, Hopper called it quits. He assured Dustin that they’d keep coming back to the Upside Down, and they’d keep looking for Eddie.

Chapter Text

That afternoon after they left the Upside Down, Hopper and Joyce went to the hospital. After a lengthy conversation with the staff, they’d managed to convince them that Max should no longer be sedated. The nurses had been reluctant at first to take Max off the sedation, because every time she woke up, Max kept getting extremely agitated. She kept trying to get out of bed, shouting about Eddie, and about her blue door. But Hopper insisted that it was important that she stay off the sedation, because they needed to talk to her. And he had another request – that Max should be allowed to have visitors. Not just one at a time, but the entire group. The hospital staff agreed.

By the time that the group met up with Joyce and Hopper at Max’s hospital room, they saw that she was awake. Susan was sitting at her bedside, staying close to her daughter. Max was still a bit groggy from the sedation, but she was sitting up in bed. Max was eating diced pears, and Jello from her tray, and she looked up as her friends came into the room. Susan quietly whispered to Max who had arrived, and she smiled.

El rushed to her friend’s side, pulling her into a hug. They all wanted answers, needing to better understand everything. El and Hopper tried asking her about Eddie, and the Upside Down, and everything, but Max wasn’t able to talk much. She tried answering them, but her words came out stilted. She struggled to say more than a few words, and they could tell that she was tired, worn out from even just that much effort.

Eleven wanted to talk to her at great length, so she asked Max permission to go into her mind. She figured it’d be the easiest way. Once Max had agreed, El took out her black bandana and started to fold it into a blindfold. She tied it around her head, blocking out the light. El squeezed Max’s hand, focusing on the task. Max squeezed her hand back in a firm grip. She was ready.

El found herself in Max’s mind. This time, it was no longer the empty, void-like expansive black room that she’d been visiting for months. This time, Max was sitting on her hospital bed, smiling broadly at her. She was wearing her blue and yellow jacket, Max’s hair pulled back in two braids. El ran to her, pulling Max into a hug. She buried her face into the crook of Max’s neck.

“Max!” Eleven said loudly. She never wanted to let go. “I missed you so much. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay.” Max nodded, as she finally pulled away from her. “I’m glad that you came in here, so we can talk. I know I’ve been having some troubles with that.”

“Yeah,” El said. “In here, we can talk as much as we want to. Everyone’s been so worried about you. We’re all just happy that you finally woke up. This morning, I went down into the Upside Down this morning with Dustin, Steve, and my parents. We went looking for Eddie.”

“Did you find him?” Max asked, her eyes wide. “Did you bring him home?”

“No,” El said. “We looked all over the trailer park, but we couldn’t find him. But we did find proof that Eddie was there at some point. And proof that you were, too. I believe you, Max. We all do.”

“I’m glad that I can see you again,” Max said, reaching out to her. “I thought you’d look older, but you look pretty much the same. Your hair’s different, though. I was surprised, when you’d buzzed it off. I’m not blind in here, like I am in real life. It’s just so good to see your face. I think that it’s going to take some getting used to, being blind. I wasn’t blind in the Upside Down. I could see everything just fine.”

“The doctors said there’s nothing they can do to fix your eyes,” El said. “You’re going to be permanently blind. But at least you can see when you’re in here.”

“Yeah. But my concern, is that Eddie’s still stuck down there. You have to find him,” Max said, earnestly. “I know that Dustin said Eddie died, but that’s not true. I mean, not exactly. Dustin isn’t lying, it’s just – it’s more complicated than that. Eddie told me that he remembered dying in Dustin’s arms – but then he woke up alone in the Upside Down, and Dustin was already gone. And then, Eddie was alone, stuck down there.”

“With you.”

“No, not at first. He said he was alone for a long time before I got there. I showed up one night, and was in my own trailer. I signalled to him with my flashlight, and in the morning when it was safe, he came over to my trailer to see me.” Max sat criss-cross on the bed, holding El’s hand in her own. “Please, El. You have to find a way to bring him home. I’ve been so worried about him. Eddie and I, we made a promise to each other that we’d both get out. We were both supposed to get home. Eddie swore to be my protector, and he did a great job. He’s my brother. But now, it’s up to me to get him home.”

“Your brother?” El repeated.

“Yeah. I mean, not biologically or anything – obviously. But after everything we went through together, we became close,” Max explained. “We didn’t even know about my blue door at first. We were just trying to survive, shouting at the sky in hopes that we might get rescued. Eddie insisted on staying at the trailer park at first, so you’d all know where to find him. We eventually moved on, though. I insisted that we move on. I guess if we’d stayed, you would have found him easily at the trailer park this morning. But I told him we had to find someplace new. It doesn’t really matter. I mean, that was ages ago. Y’know, sometimes I heard your voice when I was down there.”

“You could hear me?” El said.

“Sometimes, yeah.” Max nodded. “In my dreams, you were reading this book to me about doors, and everything. I had a lot of dreams, and some of them were pretty confusing. Memories of dying in Lucas’ arms, stuff like that. But I liked the ones when you were reading to me, and talking to me. I felt safe, happy. But the thing was, I didn’t just hear you in my dreams. It started happening when I was awake, too. I’d hear your voice, like a quiet whisper. Calling out to me. I thought I was going crazy or something. And then, I started seeing this weird blue door in the corner of my eye. When my door finally showed up in the trailer, Eddie and I both went in, and –“

“Eddie went in your door?” El said, surprised. She couldn’t help but feel slightly envious, thinking of all those times she’d tried and failed to get inside the blue door, trying to bring Max to safety. “He could get in?”

“Not on his own, no. I had to let him into the hallway of doors. He couldn’t open the blue door on his own,” Max clarified. “Eddie didn’t always feel comfortable in there, ‘cause he said it was like he was trespassing. And I guess Eddie kind of was trespassing, in a way. The blue door was meant for me only, but I wanted him to be in there with me. Eddie was helping me fill up all the memory rooms. It took us ages. But when we finally got to the end of our mission, things didn’t go as planned. We were under attack, and we both tried to crawl out of the tunnel to safety. See, there was this little door that appeared – and we could see blue sky. It was our way home. But he was having a hard time getting to the end of the tunnel because he’s bigger than me, and I got scared that we might not make it. That’s when Eddie gave me his mood ring, and told me to give it to Dustin. I begged him to come with me, but he just wouldn’t fit through the narrow tunnel. Eddie pushed me through the gap, and when I fell through, I ended up on the Rightside Up. And then I was in my hospital room. The whole thing was really disorienting. Especially when I woke up. I was blind, and Eddie was gone, and I couldn’t find my way back to him.”

“That’s how you got home?” El said. “You found an exit behind the blue door?”

“Yeah.” Max nodded. “There’s this hallway of doors, that goes on forever. It’s full of these different memory rooms. I go inside, and fill up each room with a personal memory. The room like, extracts a copy of the memory from my mind, and recreates it in the room. A copy. It’s kind of like watching a movie, only it’s in 3D. I could walk around in the memory, and look at all the people in there – but I couldn’t touch any of the people, or take anything out of the rooms. It was just a memory. Slowly, over time, we were able to fill up each room. It’s a pretty tedious process, which is why it took me and Eddie more than five years to finish all the rooms.”

“Five years?” Eleven said, her eyes wide with shock. “What do you mean?”

“Five years, and then some. I kind of lost track of the exact amount of time we were down there, but it was about five years,” Max said. “That’s how long me and Eddie were down there, because we needed to fill up all the rooms. It took us years, El. I tried to get back as soon as I could – I really did. But I could only do so many memories at a time. It was really draining. Eddie and I were tethered together, so I didn’t really have a choice but to stick by his side. I literally couldn’t go more than a hundred feet from him, which kind of pissed me off at first. We had some kind of connection; I can’t really explain it. But we realized that we’d have to rely on each other to survive. It wasn’t all bad. Eddie saved my life countless times. We spent all that time together, fighting monsters side-by-side. Eddie’s kind of annoying sometimes, but he’s a good guy. I think you’ll really like him.”

“Five years?” El said again, still processing everything that her friend was saying. No, that was impossible. El tried to picture what Max was telling her. Eddie and Max, fighting monsters together in the Upside Down. Tethered together, the two of them relying on each other for survival. “But . . . that can’t be right. It hasn’t been five years for the rest of us. You’ve only been in a coma for two months. It’s the beginning of June – and it’s still 1986. It hasn’t been five years, it’s only been about two months.”

“Two months?” Max stared at her in confusion. “No, you’re wrong. It’s been years. At least five years.”

Eleven shook her head. “Max-“

“It’s been years, El. We were down there forever – and I was beginning to think that we might never get out. Eddie and I, we fought all kinds of monsters. We were trying to clear out the Upside Down, to make it a safe place. We killed monsters, and cut away the vines. And I had this Owlbear for a while. His name was Hoo Bear, but he died protecting me. I had a sword, and I fought demodogs. A-And we saw trolls. And bullywugs. They’re these little frogs with spears. There were demogorgons, too – but we refused to fight them. Hoo Bear did that for us.”

“You did all that?” El stared at her. All of the things that Max was saying, the adventures she’d had, it sounded like they’d done so many things together. Max seemed convinced that her and Eddie had spent years together, and she was giving El an earnest look, needing her friend to believe her.

“Y-Yeah, we did.” Max nodded. “Eddie and I, we became friends. We did all sorts of things together. Fighting, hunting, exploring. I mean, we were the only ones down there. Except for the monsters, of course. We had a lot of free time on our hands, so we’d read books from the library, and just hang out. Sometimes, it was boring as hell. But mostly, it was okay. I held onto hope that we’d make it out one day, that I’d see you, and Lucas, and Mom again. And now, I get to see you guys again. I made it home – but it came at a cost. Eddie couldn’t get to the exit – so I was the only one who made it home. And I feel so guilty about that. When he pushed me to safety, our tether snapped. We lost that connection immediately, I felt it. Like, I wasn’t whole anymore. Eddie and I, we spent years going into battle together. And he always had my back. So now, I need to get him home. But for me, it wasn’t two months; it was five years. I swear.”

Eleven slowly nodded. “I believe you.”

“Eddie said that time moved funny down there, so maybe that’s why it feels like I was down there for so long,” Max said, with a shrug. “But it sure felt real. We have to get Eddie out of there. He needs to come home.”

“Yeah, he does,” El said, nodding. “And I’m going to do everything I can to find him. We went to the trailer park, and we looked for him, but Eddie wasn’t there. Where else would he be? Do you know where else he would go?”

“He’s probably downtown,” Max said. “Eddie and I were staying at the trailer park at first. Sometimes my trailer, sometimes his. But my trailer got messed up one night, when a demodog broke in and wrecked the place. After that, we stayed at Eddie’s trailer. It was safer there. That’s what he always said. We ended up moving downtown after something broke into his place. He fixed the damage, but I insisted that we find somewhere else to live. We stayed at the library at first. There was this little office in the back, and we locked ourselves in there to keep the monsters out. But it was just temporary. Eddie’s probably still at the police station. We were living in the jail cells for a long time. I don’t know if he’s still there, or if he’s moved on. But you should definitely check there.”

“Okay.” El nodded. “Thanks. I’ll tell Hopper, and we can go downtown to look for him. I promise you that we’re going to keep looking, until we find him.”

Max glanced over her shoulder, and smiled when she saw that the blue door had appeared. It was off in the distance, but not too far of a walk. She slid off the hospital bed, then glanced back at El.

“That’s my door, there. Do you want to go inside, and see it for yourself?” Max asked. “I could show you the hallway of doors, if you want. That way, you know what it looks like. I could show you some of my memories.”

“Yeah?” El perked up. “I would love to go in with you.”

As soon as El had gotten out of Max’s mind, she’d begun filling in the group on everything that Max had told her. El assured them that Max was doing okay, but that she was just really tired. She’d been in her mind for nearly two hours, and it had exhausted both girls. Max had immediately fallen deep asleep, needing to rest. And though El was exhausted as well, she’d stayed awake long enough to tell her friends what had happened. El ate some trail mix, and a large coffee, trying to get her energy back. Being able to talk to Max in the void was such a relief to El, as she’d spent so many times going in there and finding it empty.

But although it had been tiring, El was glad that Max had confirmed that Eddie was definitely alive. They’d just been looking in the wrong place, that was the problem. El told her friends that Eddie was probably hiding out downtown, likely at the police station. He’d moved from the trailer park a long time ago, which was why they hadn’t found him there.

El told them about how Max had shown her the blue door, and how they’d gone inside. Max had shown her a few of the memory rooms, giving her a quick tour. And then, Max had filled a few new rooms, showing El how it was done. El had seen a few memories of Max and Eddie when they’d been living in the Upside Down. She’d seen them fight monsters together, Eddie flying above her. Max, wielding her sword, taking down the demodogs. And El had seen a memory of Eddie reading to Max late at night by flashlight, and another memory or them arguing over something petty – resulting in Eddie consulting his dice set to figure out what to do. El had described everything to her friends as best as she could.

Chapter Text

The next day, Dustin spent a few hours volunteering at the school. He helped to transform one of the classrooms into a daycare. Will, and Mike had started painting a mural on the wall. Dustin had hauled boxes of toys, and kid’s books into the classroom with a few of the other volunteers, setting everything up. Dustin tried his best to focus on his work, but he kept thinking about Max, and Eddie. Dustin was going over everything in his head, thinking about what Max had told El yesterday at the hospital.

As soon as he was done volunteering, Dustin grabbed his stuff and hurried outside. Steve had said that he’d pick him up when he was done, so they could drive straight to the hospital afterwards. They would get to spend some time with Max, and fill her in what she’d missed. Dustin smiled when he saw Steve’s car in the parking lot. He got in, tossing his bag in the backseat. He sighed loudly, ducking his head down to his chest as he buckled up his seatbelt.

“Long day?” Steve asked, as he pulled out of the parking lot.

“Yeah.” Dustin gave him a weary look. “The work wasn’t that hard, but I haven’t been sleeping too well these days.”

“Nightmares?”

“A few, yeah.” Dustin shrugged. “I just can’t wait to go see Max.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Where’s Robin?” Dustin asked. “I thought she was coming to the hospital with us.”

“Not today. Robin’s parents wanted her to stay home today, so they can have some family time. It’ll just be us.” Steve glanced over at him. “You want to grab something to eat? I’m going to buy some lunch before we go to the hospital. I’m starving.”

“Yeah, sounds good.”

Steve stopped at the corner store, and bought them bags of chips, and some sandwiches. They sat on the hood of Steve’s car in the parking lot, and started to eat their lunch. As they ate, Steve gave him a quick update. Early that morning, Steve had gone with El and Hopper into the Upside Down to look for Eddie. This time, instead of focusing their attention on the trailer park, they’d gone downtown. Steve told Dustin that they’d found some of Eddie’s things in the police station just like Max had said, but it looked like he’d already moved on. He was still down there, somewhere.

“But he was there,” Steve assured him. “Just like Max said he’d be. I don’t think he could’ve gotten far. We’ll just have to keep looking.”

“Yeah.” Dustin took a bite of his sandwich. “I want to go with you guys on the next trip. We’ve got to find him before something happens to him.”

“Yeah.” Steve nodded. “But remember what El said, about how she saw Eddie in Max’s memories? He’s a vampire, now. With wings, and everything. I mean, obviously I’m still worried about him. But I think Eddie can fend for himself, given his new abilities.”

Dustin was silent, as he continued eating his sandwich. He tried to imagine what Eddie would look like as a vampire. El had told them about his wings, and fangs. But she’d been too tired to draw them a picture. It was interesting, though, to think of his friend flying around with big bat wings. That was pretty cool, but just different.

“You know when Joyce and I went to the school to try and find Eddie’s uncle?” Dustin said, looking over at Steve. “Well, we tracked him down. He was still at the school, though Wayne said that he’s been sleeping in his truck most nights. That’s why some of the volunteers weren’t sure if he was still staying at the school. He told me that he bought a headstone for Eddie. And Wayne said that he’s leaving Hawkins soon.”

“Oh.” Steve frowned. “I didn’t realize he was leaving town.”

“Yeah, me neither.” Dustin cupped his chin with a glum expression, staring out at the parking lot. “He’s moving to Arkansas, Steve! That’s so far away. We’ll never see him again. And that sucks. I mean, I don’t really know him too well, or anything. But I liked being able to go and talk to him sometimes. Wayne’s nice. He said he might be leaving in a few days.”

“Wait, what’s in Arkansas?”

“His sister lives there, with her kids.” Dustin watched the cars come and go, his heart heavy. “I wonder what Eddie’s relatives are like. His aunt, his cousins. Are they like him?”

“I dunno.”

“You think they play DnD, too?” Dustin asked. “Do you think they like metal?”

“I don’t know, Henderson,” Steve said, with a touch of irritation. “You’d have to ask Wayne.”

“I miss Eddie.” Dustin stared down at his lap. The pain was still so raw. “I want him back.”

“Yeah, I know.” Steve leaned slightly against Dustin, so their shoulders were touching. “We’re going to find him.”

Dustin thought about Eddie’s mood ring in his pocket. Its presence felt heavy, like the One Ring. Ever since Max had woken up with the ring on her finger, and had given it to El, Dustin couldn’t stop thinking about it. Having it in his pocket helped ease some of his anxiety. It was all he had of Eddie.

For two agonizingly long months, Dustin had grieved Eddie. Losing a friend was always difficult, but losing Eddie in the way that he had – it still gave him nightmares. He’d see Eddie in his dreams. Usually, the older teen was choking on his own blood, covered in bat bites, struggling to talk to him. Sometimes, it was nicer dreams. They would be playing DnD at the school, or hanging out in the cafeteria. Talking, and laughing, and just being comfortable together. But it was usually nightmares, which would wake him up in a cold sweat.

Ever since he’d learned that Eddie was alive in the Upside Down, Dustin was determined to get him back. He’d wanted to go to the police station, and the library that morning with Hopper and El, but they’d told him that he should volunteer instead. Dustin had been pissed off that he couldn’t come, but he knew that he couldn’t go with them every time. He just had to put his trust in El and Hopper, that they’d do whatever it took to get Eddie back.

“If Mr. Munson leaves Hawkins in the next few days, he might never find out that Eddie’s still alive,” Dustin said, feeling a spike of anxiety. “I know Joyce said that we should wait to tell him, but what if we wait too long? He might move to Arkansas, never realizing that Eddie’s still alive. And I don’t have his address in Arkansas. We’d never find him.”

“She said we should be absolutely sure,” Steve said, taking a bite of his sandwich. “We have to have proof. Right now, all we have is that mood ring, and a piece of ripped up bandana that may or may not actually belong to him. We’ve found his stuff at the police station, and the trailer – but we haven’t seen Eddie yet with our own eyes.”

“The ring, the strip of bandana – it’s definitely his.” Dustin took a steadying breath. “It’s his, Steve. And we have Max’s word. She wouldn’t lie about something like this.”

“No, I don’t think she’s lying. It’s just . . . she was in a coma. Her mind – it uh, might be a bit scrambled.” Steve shrugged, giving him an apologetic look. “I believe her, but I think she might have some of the details wrong. I mean, didn’t Max tell Eleven she was down there for like, five years? We know that’s clearly wrong. So, what else did she get wrong?”

“I believe her,” Dustin said, earnestly. “Max is telling the truth, Steve. El said that she went into the memory rooms, and she saw Max’s memories. Her and Eddie, in the Upside Down. Do you think she made up those memories?”

“No.” Steve quietly ate his lunch, watching as Dustin took the ring, and the small strip of bandana out of his pocket. He unwrapped it, clutching the ring in his fist. “I don’t think she made it up. I think she might be a bit confused, that’s all.”

“I know that Joyce told us to wait, but it’s killing me that I can’t tell Eddie’s uncle what’s happened,” Dustin said. “We’ve got to get this whole thing sorted out before Wayne leaves, okay? I can’t have him running off to Arkansas, only for us to find out that Eddie’s actually alive after he’s left. It’ll be too late, then. I just can’t, okay? Wayne Munson has a right to know. So, we need to find Eddie as fast as we can, before his uncle leaves town.”

“That only gives us a few days to find Eddie, and bring him home.”

“Yeah, I know.” Dustin nodded, with a serious expression. “I guess we’ll just have to work faster, ‘cause this is really important.”

“I know it is.” Steve smiled grimly at him. “We’ll do everything we can to bring Eddie home. This will mean everything to Wayne, I get that. But we can’t tell Wayne anything, not until we can find Eddie. The minute we’ve seen Eddie with our own two eyes, then I’ll go with you and explain everything to his uncle. But we’ve got to find Eddie first.”

“Okay.” Dustin nodded. “Got it.”

Chapter Text

Over the next few days, Dustin and his friends and his friends went into the Upside Down a few more times to look for Eddie. They’d focused on the downtown area, looking inside stores and businesses, calling out for him. Eddie wasn’t at the library, or the police station. They’d run into a few small creatures, nothing they couldn’t handle. But they couldn’t find Eddie anywhere. Dustin was getting agitated, because he was scared that they wouldn’t be able to find Eddie in time before Wayne left Hawkins. Time was running out, and there was still no sign of him.

That afternoon, as they ate lunch at Steve’s house, El took the drawing of Eddie’s door out of her backpack. She put it on the table, showing it to Dustin, and Steve. El asked them if they’d seen Eddie’s door in the Upside Down. Dustin eagerly studied the drawing, hoping that he’d seen the door somewhere – that this would be the answer to their problem. Find the door, find Eddie. But he was disappointed that the door didn’t look familiar to him at all. Dustin figured that if he had seen it he’d definitely remember, because Eddie’s door was quite memorable. Max’s door, with the vines and flowers, was less flashy then Eddie’s roses and skulls. Steve, and Hopper hadn’t seen the door either. None of them had.

“You’re sure that’s what Eddie’s door looks like?” Hopper asked his daughter.

“Yes.” El nodded. “I saw it. The door appeared in the void, and it looked just like this drawing.”

“Okay.” Hopper nodded. “We’ll keep an eye out for it.”

“The door would look old,” El said, looking from her father, to Steve. “It will look like it’s always been there, blending in like it belongs. That’s what Max said. When her blue door showed up in Eddie’s trailer, it looked like it had always been there. Old, and dusty. The hallway got a bit bigger, to make room for it. And later, the door disappeared. It can move around on its own. That’s why it might be hard to find it, if it moves to a different location.”

“So, it could be anywhere,” Steve said. “We’d have to check every house, look in every room in Hawkins down there until we found it. And even when we do find it, the door might not stick around for very long.”

“Yeah.”

“We definitely have our work cut out for us,” Dustin said. “It’ll take ages before we ever find him.”

“The vines in the Upside Down don’t like Max’s door,” El said. “They didn’t want to touch it. So when you look for his door, look for one that the vines won’t touch.”

“Okay, that might help.”

“Yeah.” Dustin took a bite of his grilled cheese sandwich. “Maybe we can’t find him, because he’s been hiding behind his door. So, all we have to do is find it – and we’ll find him. We can coax him out. But we have a lot of ground to cover, though. It’ll be like looking for a needle in a haystack.”

As soon as Dustin was done his lunch, he took another look at El’s drawing. All they had to do was find Eddie’s door, and they’d find him. Simple, right? Just find one door, in the Upside Down – while also evading all the monsters – and they’d find their missing friend. They wouldn’t be able to get inside Eddie’s door on their own, but at least they’d know they were in the right place. And Eddie would hopefully be nearby. Then, they could take him home. Dustin held onto hope that they would succeed. They had to.

Dustin stared down at the map of Hawkins spread out on Steve’s dining room table. They’d circled all the places where they’d already looked for Eddie, but had come up empty. Each place that they knew where Eddie had set up camp was marked off on the map. His trailer, Max’s trailer, the library, the police station. The house where the blue door had appeared in the garage. Max had been telling El about some of the places her and Eddie had stayed at, the things they’d done. She wanted to help them as much as she could to find Eddie, but she was unable to leave the hospital bed. As much as Max wanted to go into the Upside Down with El, she just wasn’t allowed. But Eddie wasn’t currently at any of those places. There was no evidence to suggest that he’d been at those places recently. He could be anywhere.

“Hurry up, Dustin,” Steve said, annoyed. “We’ve got to go soon.”

“Don’t rush me. I’m thinking.” Dustin squinted at the map.

“It’s not that hard. Just pick an area on the map, so we can get out there and look for him.”

“One second!” Dustin lifted a finger, giving Steve a sharp look before consulting the map again. He’d been trying to figure out where Eddie would be hiding out. It had to be someplace secure, where he’d feel safe. He tried to put himself into Eddie’s shoes, imagining him being alone in the Upside Down. Where would he go? Dustin couldn’t decide, so he closed his eyes, and waved his hand at the map. Dustin pointed at random, then opened his eyes. “The high school.”

“You think he’s there?” Eleven asked.

“I dunno. I picked it at random.” Dustin shrugged. “Let’s go check it out. If he’s not there, then at least we can cross it off our list.”

They went to the high school, and Steve parked his car in the busy lot. Volunteers were hard at work, and the temporary residents living at the school were coming and going. Dustin stared at the building, wondering if Eddie would actually go there. It was a big building, and they’d have to search it methodically, room by room, to see if either Eddie or his door was in there. While they were looking for him, Dustin figured they might as well look in the Junior High building, as well.

“Alright, let’s do this.” Steve got out of the car, and grabbed his bat from the trunk. “C’mon.”

El quickly opened up a small gate for them, and they went into the high school. They spent the next few hours searching the building, going room to room. It was tedious work, and Dustin was feeling antsy, worried that they might run into a demogorgon, or something. He was on edge, sticking close to his friends. So far, there was no sign of Eddie, or the door. They had cleared the basement, and the majority of the classrooms in the high school.

“This is a bust,” Dustin said, bitterly. “Sorry – I didn’t know where to look. I figured if I just picked a location at random, it might work. But I don’t think he’s here.”

“Yeah, well,” Steve shrugged. “I mean, you tried. We’ll find him soon enough. I –“

Steve stopped talking, and his eyes went wide for a second. He turned his head to the side slightly, listening. When Dustin started to talk, Steve quickly held up his hand to shush him. Dustin fell silent for a few seconds, listening intently. He didn’t hear anything.

“Steve-“ Dustin whispered, trying to be as quiet as possible. “What is it?”

“Shh – I heard something. I-“

Steve screamed out, as a giant spider dropped down from the ceiling onto his head. The spider was as large as his fist, and it made a loud chittering sound. Its pedipalps clicked and clacked loudly, and the spider let out a loud hissing sound. Steve dropped his bat, his hands flying to his head to try and dislodge the spider from his hair.

“Get it off me!” Steve screamed out, doubled over. “Henderson!”

Dustin rushed forward. He grabbed a textbook off one of the desks, and struck the spider as hard as he could. The spider released its hold on Steve. It hissed loudly, crawling down Steve’s back, his fangs glistening as he tried to take a large bite out of him. Steve was writhing, and moving, trying to get the spider off him. He screamed out again. Dustin struck the spider again, wounding it. But it was still clinging to him, gnawing a hole through his jacket. Dustin lifted the textbook again, determined to squash the spider.

El threw out her hands, and flung the spider against the chalkboard on the far wall. They watched as the spider’s legs curled up against its body, and it lay dead on the dusty floor.

Steve stared at the large spider, relieved that it was dead. He glanced over at El. “Thanks.”

El nodded at him. “We should keep looking. Let’s finish clearing the high school – and if we have time, we’ll also look in the junior high.”

They kept searching all the rest of the rooms in the high school, looking in custodian closets, and offices, and storage cupboards. But no sign of the door, or of Eddie. As they started to walk to the junior high building, Dustin heard an odd sound. He glanced up, seeing something large off in the distance. Whatever was flying through the air was definitely not a bird. Whatever this was, the dark shape was quite large. Dustin would estimate it to be about six or seven feet tall, with a much larger wingspan. He couldn’t make out too many details; it was too dark to see it properly.

“That’s Eddie!” Dustin shouted out, elated. He was certain that it was Eddie. Dustin started immediately waving his hands, trying to get his friend’s attention. “Hey!”

Steve and El were staring up at the dark figure flying overhead, trying to get a better look at it. Dustin tried shouting again, waving his hands, making as much noise as possible. But the creature flying high above them didn’t stop. He had been so certain that it was Eddie, but the dark figure didn’t slow down, and he didn’t land on the ground at their feet. There was no big reunion. Eddie, if that was truly what it was flying over them, kept going. Flying over the trees, heading towards the hospital.

“That was Eddie,” Dustin said, watching the receding figure. He stared at it, tears forming in his eyes, until the dark figure was out of sight. “That was him.”

Steve looked to El. “I think Dustin’s right. I think that might’ve been Eddie.”

“Yeah.” Eleven nodded.

“Is that proof enough for you?” Dustin asked, staring at his friends. “Can we tell Wayne, now?”

“Yeah,” Steve nodded. “That’s proof enough.”

Chapter Text

Dustin was trembling from nervous energy, as he walked alongside El, and Steve. He couldn’t wait to tell Wayne Munson that his nephew was alive and well. Dustin had seen Eddie with his own two eyes, and that was enough evidence. That was what Steve had said – that as long as they had seen Eddie with their own eyes, it would be enough. Even if he’d see Eddie from a distance, Dustin was convinced that it’d been Eddie flying high above them. El and Steve were convinced as well.

They went back into the Rightside Up, stashing their weapons in the trunk of Steve’s car. It felt good to be topside again; Dustin hated the dust floating everywhere, the constant threat of being attacked by monsters. It was always relief to be on the Rightside Up, with the sunlight on their faces. Dustin looked around the parking lot, but he didn’t see Wayne’s truck anywhere. Fear filled him, as he thought about the possibility of Wayne having already left town.

“Wayne’s truck isn’t in the lot.” Dustin glanced up at Steve.

“We’ll find him.”

Dustin went around to the side of the building, checking to see if Wayne was smoking at the back of the building. But he wasn’t there. Neither were any of Wayne’s friends. It wasn’t looking good. Dustin had been so eager to tell Wayne the good news, but now it looked like that might never happen. The three of them hurried into the high school building. Steve quickly scanned the room, trying to see if he could see the older man. No sign of him.

“Robin, hey!” Steve said, jogging towards her. She was sitting at one of the tables with Vickie, playing a card game. Steve sat down beside them, leaning his elbow on the table. “We gotta talk.”

“Hey, Steve,” Robin said, surprised. “You’re working here today?”

“No.” Steve watched as Vickie tossed down a pair of eights. “I was just in the Upside Down with El, and Dustin. Have either of you two seen Wayne Munson anywhere?”

“Not recently, no.” Robin shook her head, glancing at El and Dustin’s grim expressions. “What’s going on?”

“We’re trying to find him, so Dustin can tell Wayne about his nephew.”

“You’re telling him about Eddie?” Robin said, surprised. She raised her eyebrows. “I thought we were going to wait a bit.”

“Tell him what?” Vickie asked.

Robin and Steve exchanged a quick look, before she turned to Vickie. “You know Eddie Munson, right? From band?”

“Yeah,” Vickie said, nodding. “I mean, not well or anything. But we went to school together for years. It really sucks that he killed all those kids. I didn’t know Patrick, but Chrissy was my friend. I always thought he was nice. Never thought he’d turn out to be a killer.”

“He’s not!” Dustin said loudly. He shot Vickie a dirty look. “Eddie’s –“

“Eddie’s innocent,” Robin quickly said, cutting Dustin off. She took a deep breath. “Eddie was our friend.”

“You guys were all friends with him?” Vickie gave her a confused look. She looked from Dustin and El, to Steve, then back at Robin.

“Yeah.” Robin nodded. “He didn’t kill those kids, Vickie. It was Vecna. Eddie was innocent. He saw Chrissy, and Patrick get killed, but he’s innocent. And we thought that Eddie died a few months ago, on the night of the big earthquake. But we found out recently that he’s been alive this whole time – only, he’s been stuck in the Upside Down. It’s complicated. Wayne Munson is Eddie’s uncle – and he doesn’t know it, yet. We’ve been waiting to tell him.”

“He doesn’t know his nephew’s alive?” Vickie asked, her face scrunching up.

“Not yet.” Steve hesitated. “Dustin and I were going to tell him the good news. When we were just down there, we saw Eddie. Proof that he’s alive. Only, we can’t find Wayne anywhere. He was staying here, in one of the classrooms. But Wayne had told Dustin recently that he’d been sleeping in his truck – and that he was planning on leaving Hawkins soon. We’re trying to find him before he leaves.”

“Maybe he already skipped town?” Robin suggested.

“I hope not. Wayne’s going to Arkansas, to live with his sister,” Steve said. “He wasn’t supposed to leave for a few days. I thought we’d have more time.”

“Maybe he left early?” Vickie suggested.

“I don’t know.” Steve shifted his seat. “I hope not. I don’t have an address for him in Arkansas. I have no way of contacting him.”

“I can try and find him,” El said. “Do you have a picture of him?”

“No, I don’t.” Dustin glanced over at her. “I only have a picture of Eddie, but that won’t do any good.”

El gave him a disappointed look. She had thought she could go into the void, and try to find Wayne for them. But she didn’t even know what the man looked like. And though she’d tried, El couldn’t find Eddie at all.

“El, why don’t you and I start looking around for him?” Robin suggested.

“We’ll take the classrooms,” Steve said, getting up. “He’s gotta be here somewhere.”

Steve and Dustin started to go around to the different classrooms, and asking around. Nobody had seen or heard from Wayne Munson in a few days. Someone thought that they’d seen him load up his stuff onto his pickup truck the day before. One of Wayne’s friends, Carl, said that Wayne had filled up his tank so he could hit the road. Steve had initially been planning on breaking the news to Wayne with Dustin, and then dropping his friend off at his house. But Dustin had no interest in going home, and Steve knew that he’d be in for a long night. They met up with Robin and El in the front lobby.

“Any sign of him?” Steve asked, giving her an expectant look.

“No, nothing.” Robin put her hand on Steve’s arm. “I called Nancy, and asked her to start looking into Wayne’s whereabouts. She’s trying to track down his sister in Arkansas. If he’s already headed out that way, we’ll get in touch with him soon enough.”

“Thanks, Robin,” Dustin said, giving her a grateful look. “We’ve gotta find him.”

“We waited too long. This is on us.” Steve glanced over at Dustin. “I’m sorry. We should’ve told him sooner.”

“I told you so.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Steve reached out, and affectionately tousled Dustin’s hair.

“So, how was Eddie?” Robin asked. “What’d he say? Did you find his door?”

“We didn’t talk to him. But we did see him fly above us,” Dustin said, his eyes lighting up. “We were looking at the school, and we saw Eddie fly in the direction of the hospital. I think that’s where he’s been.”

“D’you think that’s where his door is?” Robin asked. “Has he been at the hospital this entire time – right under our noses?”

“I dunno.” Steve leaned against his car, his heart sinking. “We’re going to have to search the entire hospital? That’s a lot of ground to cover.”

That evening, Steve drove around town with Dustin and El for a few hours, keeping an eye out for Wayne’s truck. They asked around, but they couldn’t find him. Steve stopped by the police station, and told Hopper about what was going on. He promised to try and track Wayne down for them.

Chapter Text

The group had still not managed to get a hold of Wayne Munson, despite their best efforts. It looked like he’d left Hawkins already, and was likely halfway to Arkansas. Nancy had continued making phone calls, determined to locate him. But so far, no such luck.
Steve, Robin, El, and Dustin were all planning on searching the entire hospital to look for Eddie’s door. It would take them ages, and so they were going to get a lot of their friends to help them out. They’d take it floor by floor, clearing all the rooms. But as they were sitting in Max’s room, Will pointed out that the lights in her hospital room had been flickering all morning – and that had given Dustin the idea that Eddie might be behind it. The lights had been acting up for some time. And so, they decided to search that floor first.

Max was going to be out of her room for some time, as they had to run some tests on her. Steve went and closed her hospital room door, barring it with a chair. They didn’t want any one to walk in and see what they were doing. El opened up a gate in Max’s hospital room, and she stepped through. They followed her into the Upside Down, looking around. And sure enough, they found evidence that Eddie had been there recently.

In the corner of Max’s hospital room, they found a pile of blankets and pillows on the floor, like a nest. Eddie had stacked some books, and personal belongings beside his bed, and he’d posted a few drawings on the wall. They found an acoustic guitar propped up against the wall, and some handwritten sheet music. There was a small container of jerky, which Dustin curiously sniffed, wondering what sort of meat it was made out of. And most importantly, set against the wall, was Eddie’s door.

As soon as Dustin and El saw it, they rushed to the door. She immediately tried to open it, but the door was locked. It was exactly like she’d seen in the void – down to the last detail. The skulls, the roses – it was very beautiful. Eddie’s door, at last they’d found it.

“You can see it too, right?” El said, turning to her friends. “It’s Eddie’s door.”

“Yeah,” Dustin said, nodding. “I can see it.”

“So can I,” Steve said. “The door’s real.”

They were relieved to finally find Eddie’s door. He had been right there the whole time, so close. They had been searching at the trailer park, the school, all over town. It had never occurred to them that he might be right there in Max’s hospital room the entire time. Dustin reached out, and touched the door. It was very real. And El was right – the vines refused to go near it. They slithered away, giving it space.

“Do you think Eddie could hear us?” Steve asked. “When he was in this room, do you think he could hear us talking, and stuff? Like the way I could hear Dustin, when we were trapped in the Upside Down?”

“Maybe,” El said. “If he went looking for her room at the hospital, maybe he followed her voice. They have a connection. They were tethered.”

Steve slowly nodded. El had already explained how Max and Eddie were tethered, but their connection was broken when she’d managed to get back home. As far as they knew, that connection was completely severed, but maybe, a small part of it still remained. Five years was a long time. Eddie and Max had been close. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that he’d come looking for her, that he’d figured out which room Max was in. El thought that it was highly likely that Eddie had been searching the Upside Down for Max, the way they’d been looking for him. And he’d found her, though they were still separated by the two mirrored worlds.

They couldn’t get into Eddie’s door, no matter how hard they tried. El had hoped that because it was a physical door, instead of just in the void, she might have some luck breaking in. But the door held fast, keeping them out. No matter what they did, they couldn’t get in. And though they’d searched the floor where Max’s hospital room was, they couldn’t find Eddie. They knew that they were running out of time, as the nurses would be bringing Max back to her room soon enough. El didn’t want them to find the gate to the Upside Down, so they would need to leave soon enough. Before they left, El, Steve and Dustin wrote a note for Eddie, and they taped it to his door so he’d read it when he came back. The note said that they had found his current location, that they would come back for him. They now knew where he was, so they could come back to try and talk to him. Now, there was a chance that they might be able to bring him home.

Later on, when they told Max that they had found Eddie’s door, she was really excited to learn that they’d finally managed to locate him. But Max was also annoyed that they’d gone in without her. She wanted to go into the Upside Down with El, and go to his door. Max was determined to bring him home.

That evening as she sat with Max, El opened up a small gate into the Upside Down. This time, Max would be going in with her. Although she wanted to walk to Eddie’s door, Max’s legs were still weakened, and so she used crutches. Max and El went into the Upside Down version of her hospital room, and they walked over to Eddie’s door. But when El tried to open it, the door was locked. El noticed that the note they’d left for Eddie was gone. Some of his belongings were moved around, and the small container of jerky had been emptied out. He had definitely been there in the past few hours.

“I wish I could open his door,” Max said, wistfully, as she leaned against Eddie’s door. She’d tried to open it, but the door stayed disappointingly locked for her as well. “I want to go inside, and find him. And I just wish that I could see his door with my own eyes. You’ve described it to me, what you saw in the void – but that’s not really the same thing, is it?”

“I tried to bring Dustin, Will, and the others into the void with me,” El said. “I wanted to show them your blue door. But even though I tried, I couldn’t bring them in with me.”

“Okay.” Max frowned.

“I tried again and again, but it just made me really tired,” El said. “I only saw a flicker of them in the void, but they couldn’t join me. Not all the way. I could hear them talking, but that was it. I want to try with you. We’re not going to get into his door from here, but we could try doing it in the void.”

“I’d like to try,” Max said. “I want to go in the void with you.”

“Okay.” El nodded. “I want to try with you, and see if we can go into the void together. If we can get Eddie’s door open, then we can find him.”

El and Max left another note for Eddie, to let him know that they’d come back for him. Max dictated what she wanted to say, and El wrote it down for her. And once they had gone back to the Rightside Up, they sat down on Max’s hospital bed. They held hands. El had the bandana around her eyes, and she focused intently. She found herself in the void, but she was alone. El clutched Max’s hands, craving her friend’s physical contact. Ahead of her, she could see Max’s blue door, and Eddie’s. Side by side, just like before. El was glad that both doors were there.

“Can you hear me in the void?” Max asked, softly.

“Yes, I can hear you.” El started walking towards the two doors. “I see both doors – yours, and Eddie’s. I’m trying to bring you into the void with me.”

Eleven tried as hard as she could, determined to bring Max into the void with her. It took a great deal of effort, and El knew that she shouldn’t push herself too hard. She had been opening and closing small gates all over Hawkins, trying to find Eddie. It was tiring work, but El knew she could muster up just enough energy to bring Max in with her. This had to work.

She tried again and again, but Max didn’t show up. El tried one more time, putting all her energy into it. And then, El saw a flicker of movement in her peripheral vision. She turned slightly, and saw Max standing beside her. Max grinned at her. She could see El; Max wasn’t blind in the void. She looked different – healthier, more like her old self. Not the pale, weakened Max that El had become accustomed to visiting in the hospital. This Max, here in the void, was happier, healthier. She was thriving.

“You did it,” Max said, pulling her into a hug. “You brought me into the void with you!”

El had been hoping that it would be possible, but it had been so disappointing when she couldn’t bring Dustin or the others in with her. But Max was here, by her side. El hugged her tightly. She was so glad that it had worked.

Max looked around, taking in her new surroundings. The void was so dark and expansive. She could see her familiar blue door, and Eddie’s door up ahead. They both started walking towards them. She was glad that they would be able to reach Eddie’s door, and hopefully go in. Max wanted to study Eddie’s door up close, take in all the details.

“This place, it’s so big,” Max marveled at the void. “It’s always like this? It goes on forever.”

“Yeah.” El smiled, glad that she could share it with her friend. “It’s how I see things, how I find people. I came in here looking for you. I would come in here so many times, trying to get you back. This was where I saw your blue door, and Eddie’s door for the first time.”

“I really like it.” Max smiled. “It’s nice in here.”

As soon as Max was close enough to touch Eddie’s door, she reached out and pressed her hand against the wood. It was nicely painted, just like hers – though his wasn’t flowers and vines. The skulls, the roses, it fit him well. Max instinctually knew deep down, that she’d be able to open Eddie’s door. She hadn’t been able to open the physical door in the Upside Down. But this one, in the void, would grant her access, and she would be able to bring Eleven in with her. Max smiled. El started to reach for the doorknob, but Max beat her to it. Her hand shot out, and she grabbed the doorknob, easily pulling it open.

“You ready?” Max said, glancing over at Eleven. She took her friend’s hand. “We’re going to find him. We’ll find Eddie, and bring him home.”

“Yeah.”

Hand in hand, the two girls walked into Eddie’s hallway of doors.

Chapter Text

Max stared at the endless hallway, with the long row of doors on either side. Eddie’s hallway of doors was so much different than her own. It wasn’t bad, just different. Max’s hallway behind her blue door felt like herself, in the same way that Eddie’s hallway felt like an extension of him. His hallway was warmly lit, and it looked like something out of a fantasy movie. Tapestries, and flickering lights that cast shadows, pleasant smells, and woven carpets underfoot. It was comfortable, giving off a sense of warmth, and safety. She was immediately at ease. It was like he was right there with her, his presence known.

They started to walk down the hallway. El was looking at everything with a sense of wonder. She had seen Max’s memory rooms, seen her hallway. But although this was the same concept, it was still new territory. And El knew that they would have to methodically search each of the rooms in the expansive hallway until they found him, in the same way that they had searched the upside Down for him. Each of his memory rooms held a specific memory, some good, some bad. Just like Max’s rooms. And though a part of El felt that she was intruding on Eddie’s most private world by being in there, she knew that she would venture forward until he was found safe and sound. The door had allowed Max to come inside his hallway of doors, so El was reassured by the idea that they were both allowed inside.

“How will we know which door Eddie’s hiding behind?” Eleven asked, giving her a worried expression. “There are so many.”

“I don’t know,” Max answered, honestly. “We could just open up each door and look inside, until we find him. Which will take forever. But I guess I’ll just feel when I’m close to him.”

“Even if you two aren’t tethered anymore?” El asked.

“Being in here, it feels like Eddie’s walking beside us. Like, his presence is right here. It feels safe, in the same way that being with Eddie is safe.” Max gave her a wistful smile. “I just miss him, okay? Five years was a long time, ‘cause I was glad I wasn’t alone. I think that even though our connection was severed, part of it must still be there. It’s faint, but I can still feel it. It’s a fraction of what it used to be, just a faint glimmer. But it’s still there. Let’s start going through these rooms, and see if we can find him.”

Max was tense, as she walked over to the first door. She had no idea what to expect. These weren’t her memories, weren’t her strong emotions. She knew what to expect in her own doors, as the memories were pulled from her mind. But these rooms, their contents were a complete mystery to her. The first door was a cheap hollow-core door, that was dented in places, and covered with bright, children’s stickers. Animals, and spaceships, and stuff. Max smiled. As soon as she’d approached it, the door had lit up the glimmery connection inside of her – bright like a string of Christmas lights. Max opened the door, and they stepped inside.

The scene in front of them began to unfold. Inside, was a child’s bedroom. Max glanced around, taking in the posters on the wall, the stuffed animals on the bed, toy cars and small figurines scattered along the round carpet. Max could hear music playing on the radio. It was a cute room, bright and sunny.

There was a little boy sitting on the floor, intently playing with his toy cars. The boy had dark curly hair framed around his face, and large brown eyes. He was sticking the tip of his tongue between his teeth, as he focused on his toys. Max smiled, instantly recognizing her friend, her brother.

“That’s him,” Max said, with absolute certainty. “It’s Eddie.”

Eleven crouched down on the floor, studying the small child. She had heard about Eddie Munson from her friends, and Dustin had shown her a grainy photo in the yearbook, as well as the missing persons photo Wayne Munson had distributed around Hawkins. But El had only seen him just the one time, when she had spied on her friends when they’d been in Max’s trailer.

Eleven watched the young boy, taking in the way he smiled, the way he lined up his toys. He seemed perfectly content, focused on his task. Eddie was humming a little, the sunlight coming through the Sesame Street curtains illuminating his face. He looked perfectly content, in his own little world. Happy, and carefree.

“Eddie,” Eleven murmured quietly. She reached out, wanting to touch the boy’s face. He was not solid. Her hand passed through him, like he was a ghost. “Oh!”

“Yeah, it’s just a memory,” Max said. “Can’t touch the people in them, can’t take anything physical out of the rooms. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

Eleven glanced up at her friend, hearing the emotional tone in her voice. She wondered briefly what Max meant, but then she understood. For those five long years, Max had seen memories of her loved ones. Her friends, her mother – people that she cared about. But some of them, like Billy, would only ever exist in memory form. She could visit her brother in her memory rooms, but she couldn’t save him. And other loved ones – like her grandparents, former friends, people that Max had lost over the years. Gone, save for their existence in the hallway of doors.

And then, they saw Eddie’s mother walk into the room. Max knew that Eddie’s mother had died, they’d talked about it briefly. But she didn’t know much about the woman. Max and El watched as Eddie spoke to his mother, smiling at her. She could see why it was such an important memory for him. The love between them had been so strong.

“We should go. There are so many more doors to get through,” Max said, a slight waver in her voice. She turned away from Eleven. “Come on.”

They left Eddie’s childhood memory behind, and continued on down the hallway. Eddie’s hallway seemed to stretch on nearly as long as Max’s, its own liminal space. Max and El knew that they were going to be there for a very long time.

“How many doors are there?” Eleven raised her eyebrows. “This is going to take us forever.”

“Hundreds, maybe thousands.” Max looked around. “Eddie’s put in a lot of work. He’s been busy, since I woke up.”

“Yeah.”

While Max’s doors had been neatly lined up in one long, continuous stretch of hallway, with only the occasional section splitting off into a new direction, Eddie’s doors were much more complicated than that. His doors were set up in a labyrinthian pattern, with many of the walls curving and branching off into two, or three different directions. There were many sections that were dead ends. Some of the walls shifted around them, ever changing.

And then there was also the constant thrum of distant music, seemingly coming from different directions. Eleven tilted her head, and closed her eyes. She could hear sections of various heavy metal songs playing loudly – along with the occasional rock song, or classical tune. As they walked, the girls could hear snippets of conversations that Eddie had had with various people in the past, the sound echoing, and bouncing around in the hallway, and the sound of laughter.

“Eddie’s mind is very messy,” Eleven said. She glanced over at Max. “It’s a lot.”

“Does that surprise you?” Max asked sarcastically, raising an eyebrow at El, before remembering that her friend had never met Eddie. El didn’t know the kind of energy that Eddie had, the way he was always moving, his mind racing with a thousand thoughts at once.

“Yes, it does. Your mind is very organized,” El said. “I like the way your memories are neatly lined up. His hallway is very different.”

“Eddie’s a chaotic person,” Max said, with a shrug. “Not in a bad way. He’s just wired different.”

Eleven smiled tentatively at her. “You and Eddie spent a lot of time together. You know him really well.”

“Yeah. Well enough, I guess.” Max nodded, her eyes sliding away from Eleven’s. “I know that it was only a few months for you, but for Eddie and I, it was years. Five years is forever. We became sort-of friends at first, mainly out of necessity. But then, he became like my brother. I miss him, and I just – I need to find him.”

“We will.” Eleven reached down, and grasped Max’s hand. She entwined their fingers, trying to give her some comfort. “We’ll find him together, Max.”

They walked through the maze-like corridors, stopping to open each of the doors scattered through the area. Max opened door after door. Each time she stepped inside, she’d have this hopeful look on her face, hoping that this door would be the one. Eddie would be there, safe and sound. Hiding in his memory. But each door was just a memory playing out on a loop, and nothing more. It was a painful blow, to have looked through so many doors, and still see no sight of him. Max’s feet ached, but she pressed on.

The next time that she felt the glimmer feeling light up, it was in front of a dark blue door, with yellow stars painted on it. Eddie’s presence felt so powerful behind the starry door. Max confidently walked in, thinking that this door would be the one. She studied the memory playing out in front of her. It was a darkened planetarium, showing the cosmos on its large screen. Eddie was sitting in one of the rows, shyly holding hands with a boy. They were young, about nine or ten. Eddie was blushing, looking more at the blond boy, than at the starry night onscreen. Max glanced over at El, and smiled at her. A childhood crush, a fun date. This was a good memory, one that Max could tell that Eddie held dear. She could feel Eddie’s love and admiration for the boy, his first-date jitters, heart hammering in his chest as they held hands in the dark. It was a private moment, and Max was reminded of the movie dates she’d had with Lucas, holding hands in the dark. It was the same warmth filling her ribcage, the same flutter in her stomach.

Max and Eleven stayed in the starry planetarium room for awhile, watching the show. But then, they eventually moved on. They continued going door to door, pulling them open, determined to find Eddie. Searching for him was exhausting work. Each memory that she visited, Max was filled with a great deal of emotions that were tied to the memories. Fear, anger, love, sadness. She was emotionally drained by the process, but Max continued on. She had to find Eddie. Searching the rooms was much less draining than filling up the rooms. Eddie had had to fill his memory rooms on his own, which she reckoned must’ve taken him a great deal of time. He’d managed to do so many of them. Max wondered how long it had been for him, since she’d woken up from her coma. Time moved different. Two months for them, had stretched on until it felt like five years.

They looked inside at least a hundred doors, but eventually, they had to call it a day. Both Max and El were worn out. They finally got out of his hallway of doors, and were back in Max’s hospital room. The two girls lay back against the pillows. El held a tissue against her nose, trying to staunch the blood. That was all they could manage for the time being. Once they had rested up, they could go back in.

Throughout the week, El and Max would continually go inside Eddie’s hallway of doors, and search the rooms. They’d seen so many of Eddie’s memories, seen the world through his eyes. Eleven and Max saw birthdays – Eddie blowing out the tiny candles on his cake. They saw Christmases, with Eddie gleefully tearing off the bright wrapping paper from his gifts under the silver artificial tree. Eddie playing tag with his childhood friends, and pickup baseball games in his former neighbourhood. Eddie learning to play the guitar, concentrating intently on the guitar in his lap, his small fingers trying to reach all the different chords. Eddie up on stage at the middle school talent show, proudly playing guitar with his band, his uncle in the front row seat. There were so many memories – DnD campaigns, Eddie playing poker with his Uncle Wayne, the two Munsons drinking beer in the summer. Wayne teaching Eddie how to sew, his uncle sitting front and center at the Hangout to watch his nephew perform on Tuesdays. Eleven noticed that there were hardly any rooms that had memories of Eddie with his father, but then, it appeared that Wayne had been raising him from a young age. He was definitely his father figure.

In Eddie’s memory doors, Max and Eleven saw firsthand the memories that Eddie had planted in his hallway of doors – core memories that showed his happy side, his sadness, his anger, his joy. The girls had watched memories of Eddie with his parents, his friends, his uncle. And Eddie had been there in so many different ages – baby, child, teen. But not the real Eddie, the one they were looking for. Days and days went by, with no sign of him. Through his memories, Eleven felt like she had begun to know just who Eddie Munson was. She saw and experienced his life, saw the memories that formed him into the man that he’d become, and the people who had a heavy influence on his life. His family – Wayne Munson, his mother Helen, Eddie’s former teachers, his Hellfire club friends, Eddie’s bandmates in Corroded Coffin. And the party – people like Steve, and Dustin, Max, Mike, and Lucas. Eleven saw the many familiar faces in these memories, the people that she herself considered both friends and family. In a few of the memories, Eddie had even had brief interactions with Hopper, and Joyce. They had these Hawkins people in common, which only made Eleven feel even more connected to Eddie. He didn’t feel like a stranger anymore.

Though she felt a stronger connection with a few of Eddie’s memories – and these ones lit up Max’s faint glimmer feeling – she still didn’t know where Eddie was. These specific memories held a great deal of emotion, which washed over her in waves. She wished she was still tethered to him, just for a short while, long enough to bring him home. Max was convinced that Eddie was in the hallway of doors someplace. The note that they’d left for him on the door was still there, untouched. He was in one of those rooms, and they were going to find him, no matter how long it took.

“So, what do we do now?” Eleven asked, as she sat down on the soft carpeted hallway floor. Eleven had made a promise to Max that they would find Eddie, but as the hours droned on, she’d begun to think that they might never find him. She didn’t want to lose hope, but she was tired. “I think that maybe Eddie’s not here.”

“He’s here,” Max insisted. “Someplace in this hallway of doors, he’s here.”

Max looked around, trying to figure out what to do next. They had been through so many of the doors with no sign of him. Eddie was supposed to be here. Max didn’t want to come home empty-handed. She knew that Nancy and the others were still trying to locate Wayne Munson. They’d contacted his sister, and he hadn’t gone to her place. She’d said that he was planning on visiting one of his friends in Chicago, before heading to her house – though she didn’t know which friend. Max knew with absolute certainty that Eddie was here, somewhere. She just didn’t know exactly which door they’d find him behind.

Max frowned, trying to figure out where to go next. They were at a crossroads, the hallway splitting off into different directions. Max stood in the center of the crossroads, trying to sense where he might be. She stayed perfectly still, studying everything with a critical eye. Four hallways. The first one was where they had just come from – the doors her and El had already searched. The second hallway was filled with sun yellow doors, bright and cheery. As cheerful as it looked, Max knew that she wasn’t going to find Eddie there. They were filled with good memories, the best kind. But she knew that he wasn’t in that area. The third hallway had a few doors of different sizes and colours.

The fourth hallway, was a poorly-lit cul-de-sac, that gave off an intense sadness that Max felt deep in the pit of her stomach. There was bright yellow police tape (‘Crime Scene – Do Not Cross’) secured across the entrance to the hallway, in bold yellow, and black colours.

Eleven tilted her head slightly, staring at the dim hallway. It looked kind of imposing. She took a step towards it, studying the hallway. She was met with a gust of cold air, and a sudden chill. As she approached, El was suddenly overwhelmed with an intense sadness, and something more. Grief, and despair, and misery. She realized that she had started crying, though she didn’t understand why. The sorrow seeped into her, and she clutched her arms around herself to try and self-soothe.

“What is this place?” Eleven asked, turning to look over at Max. She saw that Max was crying as well.

“I don’t think we’re supposed to go in there,” Max said. “Let’s leave that hallway alone. If we don’t find him, we can come back and check here, but I don’t think this hallway was meant for us.”

“Yeah.” Eleven was in absolute agreement. There was something so horrifying about that hallway, and she inherently sensed that the area was off-limits. Something bad had happened there. The memories were flooded with only negative emotions. “We’ll stay out.”

“I like the hallway with the yellow doors,” El said, wiping away her tears. “They’re pretty, and yellow’s my favourite colour. Let’s go there.”

“No. He’s not there.” Max shook her head. “He’s not in those doors.”

“Where, then?” El asked. She waited for Max to figure out their next move.

“Option four – the hallway with the mismatched doors,” Max said. “That’s where he’ll be.”

Max and El walked down the hallway filled with mismatched doors. They were nearing the end of Eddie’s doors. Just a few more corridors, and they’d be finished. Max slowly walked past a few of the doors, trailing her fingers along the wall. She was beginning to get that feeling again, the glimmer that felt like it was trying to guide her to Eddie. She was certain that it was what was left over from being tethered to him for so long. Max walked past a few of the doors, then stopped short in front of a dark green door. This door didn’t give off any sadness or grief like that hallway. This door felt just right.

“This door, it’s the right one. He’s in there.” Max looked over at El. She could hear a quiet humming sound, from nearby. “Do you hear that? Someone’s humming a song.”

“No.” El shook her head.

Max tilted her head slightly, and began to smile. She recognized it as a Metallica song, one that she’d heard Eddie hum dozens of times. “I can hear Eddie.”

“You honed in on his location. You found him.”

“Yeah. I just wish I could’ve found him sooner.”

Max reached for the doorknob, and gave it a twist. It opened easily, and she was met with warm yellow light. As they stepped inside the memory room, the girls saw that Eddie was lying on his back on the grass, his headphones blasting Metallica. He had his leather jacket off, folded in a square under his head. Eddie was picking at the grass, pulling it out in tufts, his eyes closed. In the distance, a group of guys were playing hoops on the basketball court by the high school, their shirts off, running up and down the small concrete area.

Max squinted, seeing that two of the players were familiar. One of them was Billy, the other one was Steve. She quickly pointed them out to Eleven, and they watched for a minute as the two older teens played basketball. Max could hear them laughing and talking with their classmates, and their gym teacher’s shrill whistle.

“This is a happy memory,” Eleven said. “A safe place.”

Max nodded in agreement. It was a happy place; she could tell that straight away – and it wasn’t even her memory. The warm sunlight, the distant shouts of the basketball players, the green grass, the patches of flowers. Distantly, she could hear the cheerleaders practising their routine. Max wondered if one of them was Chrissy. This must’ve been during Billy’s senior year. Eddie must’ve liked coming up here, to get some space. This grassy little knoll had a good view of the basketball court, but was also far enough away from the school that Eddie could sit undisturbed. Here, Eddie could be himself.

“Is it weird, that Billy’s over there?” Eleven asked.

“Kinda.” Max hunched her shoulders slightly. “I guess so – but it’s not really him. Just a memory.”

Max heard Eddie humming along to the Metallica tape playing on his Walkman, and she turned around to get a closer look at him. Eddie was gently tapping his fingers on his knee, smiling serenely as he listened to the thrash metal loudly playing. He looked so happy.

“Eddie?” Max said, tentatively stepping towards him. She crouched down beside Eddie, and gently touched Eddie’s sleeve. Max let out an involuntary gasp when she made contact with him. This was the real Eddie, not the memory of him playing on a loop. It was really him.

Eddie’s eyes snapped open, and he stared at Max as if he’d seen a ghost. The music continued playing, but Eddie had immediately stopped humming. As he slowly sat up, Max realized that he had been lying in the exact spot where the memory version of Eddie had been. That version of him was still lying on the grass, still listening to his Walkman.

“Max?” Eddie said, confused. He glanced over at Eleven for a second, then fixed his gaze back on Max. “Is it really you?”

“Yeah, Ed. It’s me.” Max opened her arms, and pulled him into a tight hug. “We finally found you.”

Once she pulled away from him, Max could see that Eddie had his fangs out, and he was gently pressing them against his lower lip. He looked older. Eddie’s face had a few new small scars, and a large yellowed bruise on the side of his neck. And Max saw that he had two small horns sticking out of his messy, tangled hair. Those were definitely new, since the last time she’d seen him. Eddie pushed his hair out of his face, and stared wide-eyed at her, like he still couldn’t quite believe that she was truly real.

“You’re both real, right?” Eddie asked. His eyes darted back and forth from the two girls. “You’re really here?”

“Yeah, Eddie. We’re real.” Now that he was standing up, Max could see that Eddie was taller by a few more inches. She stood on tiptoe, and pulled him into another hug. He pulled her against him, resting his chin on the top of Max’s head. “Eddie, we’ve been looking for you. We opened a lot of doors until we found the right one.”

“We left you a note,” Eleven said. “We said that we’d come back for you, to take you home. We taped it to your door. Didn’t you see it?”

“I . . . yeah. But that was like, a year ago!” Eddie said, his voice rising. “I saw the note you left, and I waited for you. But you never came for me. Then, ages later – there was a second note on my door. Again, I waited. But you never came for me. So, I thought that you guys weren’t coming. I’ve been trying my best to fill up all the rooms as fast as I can, so I can get home on my own. I thought you weren’t coming back for me, ‘cause I waited so long. I thought . . . that you forgot about me.”

“No, never!” Max said. “We both get out, remember? That was our promise. I told you I’d come back for you, and I did. How long has it been since I’ve left?”

“I dunno. Years.” Eddie shrugged. “I lost count.”

“Oh.”

Eddie took in her appearance, studying her. The Max that he had known in the Upside Down had been older, with several scars on her face ands hands from the monster attacks that they’d fought over the years. This Max looked like the young teen girl he’d first met in March Break all those years ago. This was not the Max that he’d sent back through the tunnel. But she had the same endearing smile, her voice was the same. Eddie knew that this was definitely Max. Maybe just not quite the same girl that he’d gone through hell with.

“Red, you’re a kid again.” He marvelled at her. “You look so good. No scars, or anything.”

“Yeah.” She shrugged. “When I came back to the Rightside Up, I woke up from my coma. And I was fourteen again. I’m not scarred, but there’s something you need to know. I’m blind, in real life. My broken bones healed, and I can walk a little bit. But I’m blind. I’m actually in my hospital room right now. El brought me into the void with her, because I could open the door.”

“You’re actually blind?” Eddie raised his eyebrows. “From Vecna?”

“Yeah.” Max nodded, then glanced over at El. “Eddie, I want you to meet my friend. This is Eleven. She’s the girl we told you about – the one with superhero powers, who moved to California. She was trying to bring me home. And once I came back and told them that you were stuck in the Upside Down, she tried to bring you home, too.”

Eddie had heard so much about Eleven through other people. Steve, and Dustin, they had talked about their friend with the superhero powers. And Max, she had talked extensively about the girl who had moved away, her friend that she missed so dearly. It felt like he already knew Eleven, through all their stories. Eddie quickly ran a hand through his messy hair, realizing just how unkempt he was. He wanted to make a good impression on her. He slipped his hands into his pockets, unsure what to say.

“Hi,” El said, shyly. She stared up at Eddie, taking in his appearance. He was wearing his black leather jacket over his stained Hellfire Club shirt, his hair wild and long past his shoulders. Eddie’s wings were folded up against his back, under his leather jacket. It was bulky, and somewhat uncomfortable.

Eddie had an intense stare, with the same large chocolate eyes that Eleven had seen on the young boy, and the teen in his memories. He was wearing a large silver ring on one hand, but his other hand was bare – and that was where he used to wear his mood ring. The one that Dustin now had.

“We came here to get you out,” Max said. “We were inside your memories.”

“Yeah?” Eddie was still staring at Eleven, studying her. “Only the good ones, I hope.”

“Do you mean the blocked-off hallway?” Max asked, sucking in her breath. She shook her head. “We didn’t set foot.”

“Good.” Eddie shifted from one foot to the other, his gaze sliding away. He winced slightly. “That’s the hallway of melancholy.”

“Yeah, that.” Max frowned at the name, but didn’t ask any questions. It was clear from Eddie’s expression, that he didn’t want to talk about it. Some things were best kept private. “We didn’t go in there. Not one foot.”

“How long were you in the hospital?” El asked. “We were looking for you all over town.”

“Oh, not long after Max made it out, I started looking for a new place to stay. I liked the police station, but there were too many monsters. I kept thinking about what would be the best spot, and I ended up going to the hospital. I could hear your voice, Max. You, and some of the others. I found your room, but I couldn’t get home.”

“Were you messing with the lights?” Max asked. “Will said they kept flickering.”

“A bit, yeah. I was trying to send you guys an SOS. Didn’t work, though. So, I just focused on filling up the hallway of doors.”

“I wish I knew you were there,” El said. “I would have brought you home sooner.”

“You’re really taking me home?” Eddie said. “I get to get out of this place?”

“Yeah.” El nodded. “We’ve been looking for you for a long time. We need you to come home.”

“Okay, so how are we doing this?” Eddie asked, glancing from Max, to El. “How are we all getting home?”

Max looked over at El. “Yeah. About that – we’ve all got to find a way out of here. How are we doing this?”

“Max and I are in her hospital room, but we have to go back,” El said. “I’m really tired, and we’ve been in here for a long time already. I’ll need to rest up before I do anything else. But then, I’m going to open up a gate for you to come through. We’ll meet you at your door, and you can walk through to the Rightside Up. And then, you’ll be home.”

“And uh, how long will that take?” Eddie asked. “Will this happen today?”

“As soon as we can, yeah.” Max smiled at him. “You’re coming home, Eddie. For real.” The three of them spent another hour together, sitting on the grass in Eddie’s memory. Eddie hadn’t seen another person in years, so he was really glad to be reunited with Max again. He had a lot of questions, and they asked him all about what he’d been through since he’d ended up alone. But eventually, El and Max had to say their goodbyes. She was exhausted, and they needed to go back. The girls promised Eddie that they’d come back for him, making plans to meet up with him at his door so they could bring him back.

When El was back in Max’s hospital room, she ripped the black bandana off her eyes. She reached out, squeezing Max’s hand. Max was lying in the bed, her eyes closed. Slowly, she opened them, staring vacantly up at the hospital ceiling.

“Did it work?” Max asked, tiredly. “We’re home?”

“We’re in your hospital room,” Eleven said. “It’s me, and you – and Dustin’s sleeping in the chair beside your bed.”

“We’ll come back for Eddie,” Max said, tiredly. She yawned. “Jut as soon as we can.”

“Yeah.”

Chapter Text

El and Max slept for hours. Being inside the void for that long had drained them. But when El finally woke up, she was feeling a lot better. Dustin, Will, Lucas, and Mike were all in Max’s hospital room, along with Nancy, and Jonathan. She smiled at them, glad to see her friends.

Max was still sleeping, so the group of kids went down to the cafeteria, and bought some sandwiches, and chocolate milk. While they ate, El filled them in on what had happened while they were inside Eddie’s door. She told them about some of the good memories they’d seen behind the doors, and how they’d finally found Eddie. El explained how she planned on bringing him back.

“He was okay, though, right?” Dustin asked, worried. “I mean, he’s stuck down there, with all the monsters. I just need to make sure that he’s alright.”

“Yeah, Eddie’s okay,” El assured him. “He’s been hiding from the monsters, for the most part. He’s been trying to fill all the memory rooms, so Eddie’s been spending a lot of time in his hallway of doors, instead of in the Upside Down.”

“So, that’s good, right?” Dustin said. “He’s safer there.”

“Yeah.” El nodded. “Eddie’s safe. We’re going to get him out of there, Dustin.”

“How’s the search going for Wayne?” Dustin asked, looking to Nancy and Jonathan. “Did you find him yet?”

“I found him.” Nancy smiled at him. “Took awhile, but I was able to track him down. I called him this morning, and left a message for him. I asked him to drop by the hospital before he goes to Arkansas. I didn’t tell him it was about Eddie – but I said that it was extremely important.”

“But you couldn’t get him on the phone?” Mike said.

“No. But in my message, I asked him to be here by seven o’clock. That’s in just a few hours. We’ll break the news to him in person – and hopefully, we can get Eddie out of there by then.”

“I can do it.” El gave her a confident look. “Tonight, Eddie will come home.”

Nancy and the others spread the word, and everyone knew that they should meet up at Max’s hospital room at seven. Eleven was going to get Eddie home, no matter how much energy she had to expend. At six thirty, their friends started to arrive. Steve and Robin showed up first with Dustin. Erica and Lucas came with their parents, Max’s mother showed up with Joyce and Hopper. People were trickling in, in small groups, and her room was so full that the group was spilling out into the hallway.

“Alright,” Eleven said, facing the group. “I’m going to open a gate, and bring Eddie home. I need everyone to stand back, and give me some space.”

The lights were flickering, and Eleven looked over uneasily at the room full of people. They were excited to see Eddie again, looking at her with anticipation. El just hoped that everything would go according to plan, and that she had enough energy to complete her task.

Eleven took a steadying breath, then held out both hands as she started to open the gate. Lucas sat on the bed with Max, his arm around her, as they watched her tear open a gate into the Upside Down. It was small, only a few inches wide. Slowly, surely, she kept on the pressure, watching the narrow hole widen. It wasn’t big enough for anyone to pass through. Not yet. El was tired, and she wished she’d had more time to rest before doing this. But she wanted to get Eddie home as soon as she could.

There was a huge power surge, and Eleven was certain that it would fry the hospital power grid – maybe even take out power in all of Hawkins. Despite this, she kept going. Eleven let out a feral scream, her fingers outstretched. The lights went on, plunging them into darkness. As she continued working, the gate was finally the right dimensions. It was now big enough for Eddie to walk through. El could see the dust particles flying around in the Upside Down, and Eddie’s door on the other side. And there he was, waiting for her – just like they’d planned.

The lights came back on, the tube lights above them buzzing. The group saw a large, dark form crouched down in front of the gate. He stood up to his full height. Eddie cut an imposing figure, his long, tangled black hair falling in front of his face. His eyes were red, and his lips were pulled back enough that his fangs protruding from his gums were visible.

Susan stared at the figure standing in front of her. Ever since her daughter had woken up, Max had been fixated on the Munson boy. She kept insisting that she was close friends with him, siblings even. Susan was terrified of the figure. When she thought about Wayne’s nephew, all she could think about was the troubled older teen who’d come roaring into the trailer park in his beat-up van, reeking of pot smoke. He was always playing his damned music too loud. And she’d seen him brought home in the back of a police car on multiple occasions. Eddie Munson was nothing but trouble. The figure standing in front of her didn’t look anything like her twenty-year-old neighbour, who’d tried and failed thrice to don his cap and gown. This was a monster, not the kid who’d smile sweetly at her as he went through her till at Bradley’s Big Buy, even though they both knew he’d just crammed his pockets full of candy bars when the manager wasn’t looking. She’d always turned a blind eye to his shoplifting, mostly because it was too much of a hassle to keep turning him in. But whoever had just come through the gate, it wasn’t Eddie. Max’s friend, Eleven, must’ve made a mistake. She’d brought back something terrifying. Oh, no. What had El done?

Susan took a step forward, fists raised. She glared at the dark form, fear raging in her heart. She was going to do everything she could to protect her daughter from whatever monster had just arrived from the Upside Down. The creature let out a low growl, his face hidden, obscured.

Eddie was disoriented, especially since he could hardly see anything. The bright hospital lighting was too much, blinding him. He’d become so accustomed to the dim blue lighting of the Upside Down, with its occasional red forked lightning, that the sudden burst of white overhead lights mixed with the yellow sunlight pouring in through the open window blinds was horrifying. Eddie’s eyesight was blurry, and he blinked rapidly, trying to see.

He'd waited years to get back home. It was all he’d wanted. But though he knew he was in Max’s hospital room, everything was so blurry that he couldn’t see properly – couldn’t make out their faces. But he could hear a sea of voices all talking at the same time.

“Who is that?” Holly asked, looking up to her father for answers.

“I don’t know, Hols,” Ted Wheeler said, holding her close. “It’s some kind of monster.”

A monster, that’s what the man had said. Alarmed, Eddie turned his head, trying to look around his surroundings. Had something else come through with him, from the Upside Down? A monster might’ve gotten through, reaching the Rightside Up. And if that was the case, everyone in the room was in danger. Eddie’s eyes went an even brighter shade of red, and his fangs protruded further down. Eddie let out a low growl, prepared to strike.

Wait – a monster. Did they mean him? Was he the monster? No, that couldn’t be right. El and Max had said that they’d bring him back, that they were glad to have him back home again. But the man had called him a monster. He froze, realizing that they were scared of him. He’d spent years being on his own, fighting off the monsters, fending for himself. But now that he was home, they saw him as a monster. They feared him, and that made Eddie’s heart heavy.

As he stood there, unsure what to do next, Eddie saw a shadowy figure start to approach him. He couldn’t make out their features. Eddie let out another growl, ready to fight whoever was approaching him. His wings shot out, to their full wingspan, Eddie bared his sharp fangs – a warning to the predator. Stay your distance, Eddie thought to himself. Whoever you are, if you get too close, I’ll strike. He was about to blindly lash out, when he heard a small voice in front of him.

“Eddie?”

Eddie froze in his tracks. He knew that voice. Max. He tilted his head slightly, listening to the sound of approaching footsteps. Max’s footsteps – he knew them anywhere.

“Max, what are you doing?” Lucas hissed, grabbing her arm. “Stay close.”

“It’s okay. Trust me.”

Eddie listened to the sudden flurry of voices, as they started to protest. He stayed perfectly still, chest heaving, as he listened intensely to everyone shouting loudly.

“I don’t know who that is, but it’s not Eddie!” Susan said, loudly. “Get away from him, Max!”

“Max, stop!”

Max ignored her friends’ pleas. She held out one hand, and gave them a firm look. “Let me do this. I know it’s him. I can feel our connection, okay? Just let me talk to Eddie.”

Max turned back to him, and continued to close the distance between them. Eddie stayed very still, squinting in the bright light, as he watched her blurry outline approach. Max stopped about a foot away from him, reaching out until one of her hands brushed against his shirt. Her hand pressed against his chest, feeling his rapid heartbeat.

“Eddie,” she said, calmly. “I know you’re scared, but you need to relax. It’s me, Max.”

Eddie was breathing harshly, still blinded by the sunlight. His skin was burning, tingling from the sunlight exposure. He was disoriented by all the voices around him. Some of them were familiar, while others were not. Everything was too loud. He let out a low growl, his wings brushing against the walls of the hospital room. The room was claustrophobic with all the people clustered inside, and he felt cornered, trapped. Eddie’s shoulders hunched, and he stared down at her.

“Am I really home?” Eddie whispered, his voice rough.

“Yes, you’re back in Hawkins now. In the Rightside Up.”

“And it’s safe?” Eddie asked, anxiously. “There’s so many people here.”

“It’s safe,” Max said, firmly. “These are our friends. You saved me, and now, El’s brought you home. Just like we promised. We both get out. I told you I’d get help, and I did. You’re safe, Eddie.”

Eddie’s vision was filled with black dots, and everything was still blurry. But it was starting to clear up. He was beginning to see. Max had had her hair braided back into two French braids. Her eyes were wide open, but they weren’t the same pale blue that he was accustomed to. They were opaque. He knew that she was blind, just like Max had said. It was so strange, to know that Max wouldn’t be able to see anymore. And just like when he’d seen her in his hallway of doors, Max didn’t have the same scars on her face from the Upside Down. She looked young. A kid again. But Eddie knew with certainty that she was the Max he’d spent protecting for five years. This was his sister, his friend. And that was enough to let his guard down, despite the fact that he was still deeply uncomfortable with all the strangers in the room with them.

Max smiled, and she reached up one hand, looking for his face. Eddie was taller now, so he bent down slightly, leaning into her touch. Her hand touched his angular cheekbones, brushing against his mouth, his large fangs protruding over his bottom lip. She cupped his cheek, smiling up at him.

“We made it.”

“Yeah, Ed. We made it.”

And then, Max was pulling Eddie into a tight hug. She pressed her cheek against his chest, and smiled. For a few seconds, the room fell silent. They watched Max and Eddie hug. Some of Max’s friends knew how important Eddie had become to her. But some people hadn’t been fully briefed on the situation, and were surprised. Not everyone had even been informed that he’d become a vampire, so it was all quite a shock to them. Eddie hugged her back, his wings folding up, tucking up against his back. His eyes turned from deep red, back to his regular chocolate colour. And his fangs retreated, his claws slipping back.

He looked like their Eddie again, though he was older, gaunter. But there was no denying that he was the same Eddie that Eleven had been trying to pull from the doors of the mind. He was home, safe and sound.

“Eddie!” Dustin shouted, the first to break away from the group.

Dustin launched himself at Eddie, joining in the hug. Eddie smiled, swaying him back and forth, his eyes spilling over with tears. He’d missed that kid so much. He felt like he was dreaming. He’d had this sort of dream a thousand times – returning home, being reunited with his friends. It was all so surreal.

“Henderson.” Eddie smiled. It had been so long. He brushed his fingers through Dustin’s long curls. “Hey.”

And then the others joined in the hug. Lucas and Erica surged forward together. Then Mike, then Steve, and Robin. It was all so overwhelming, to be surrounded by so many people, after being alone for so long. Eddie smiled, as he listened to his friends shout out questions.

Once everything had calmed down, Eddie hurried over to Eleven. She was sitting on the bed, her nose bleeding. She was worn out, but El was happy that Eddie had gotten home safe.

“You’re hurt,” Eddie said, gesturing to her nosebleed. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. It happens, when I use my powers.” Eleven was watching him carefully, taking in his torn, bloodied clothes, and his long, tangled hair. She could see that he had a great deal of scar tissue on his face and chest, from the demobat attack years before. They were pitted, faded. Like Steve’s scars, from being attacked in the Upside Down. “It took a lot out of me, trying to bring you home.”

“Thank you, El.” Eddie crouched down in front of her, so they were more at eye level. He smiled broadly at her. “I’d have never made it home without your help.”

“I’m just glad you’re home.” Eleven nodded at him, giving Eddie a weary smile. “I’m sorry that your uncle couldn’t be here. We had a hard time tracking him down, and we called him to tell him to come tonight. He didn’t come.”

Eddie’s heart ached at the thought that Uncle Wayne hadn’t come. He thought that maybe his uncle had found out that he’d become a vampire, that he’d decided he wouldn’t come. “Because of what I became? A monster.”

“No. You’re not a monster.” El reached up, and touched one of Eddie’s horns. She smiled. “He doesn’t know about any of this. Maybe he’s just late, or he’s still on his way. Your uncle thought you were dead. He bought you a headstone.”

“He did?” Eddie wondered if anyone had visited his grave, what his funeral would’ve been like. “Does he think I’m dead?”

“Dustin told him that you were dead.”

“Oh.” Eddie looked away. “Maybe he’ll still come.”

“I hope so.”

Chapter Text

That night after Eddie came back to the Rightside Up, he’d sat with his friends and talked to them for hours. They all had so many questions for him, needing to know what he’d been through. It was such a relief to be back home. Eddie had tried to explain everything to them, even though he was overwhelmed by being surrounded by so many people.
Steve and Robin had gone down to the cafeteria, and brought him up a few burgers, and some fries. Eddie picked at them. He was starving, but the rich food hurt his stomach. He ate slowly, unused to eating anything other than demodog jerky. Eddie ended up giving most of his food to his friends.

And by three in the morning, Eddie had been too exhausted to keep talking with them. One of the nurses had brought in a cot for him, but he refused to use it. Instead, he’d made a nest from the blankets on the floor beside Max’s bed, and curled up behind his wings. He fell deep asleep.

When he’d woken up around noon, the blinds had been closed up tight in Max’s room, keeping out most of the bright sunlight. Eddie felt well rested, feeling at ease knowing that he didn’t need to keep an ear out for any nearby monsters. It was safe here, and that was all that mattered. He was able to let his guard down.

And when Nancy came in to let him know that Uncle Wayne was on the way, Eddie had been a mixture of excited, and nervous. His uncle hadn’t received Nancy’s phone message straightaway, but as soon as he heard it, he’d immediately called her back to let Nancy know he was on his way.

Eddie paced back and forth in the hospital room, fearful about what would happen when his uncle saw him like this. Maybe they were right about him, maybe he was just a monster. Wayne would take one look at him, and hate what he saw. Eddie felt like an abomination, a freak of nature.

He’d seen his reflection in the mirror, when he’d gone and taken a long shower. Eddie was grungy as hell, and it felt really good to strip out of his ragged clothes, and step foot under the hot water. He took his sweet time, enjoying every second. And when he was done, Eddie definitely looked better, though his hair was a frizzy mess. Afterwards, Steve had come in, and given Eddie’s hair a much-needed trim, combing it out until he looked more like his regular self. Steve had gotten some new clothes for him – a pair of loose-fitting sweatpants, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt from the gift shop, and a pair of new sneakers. Eddie had had to cut away the back of his shirts to accommodate his wings, but once he’d changed into his new clothes, Eddie felt more like his regular self. Like he actually belonged in this world, and wasn’t merely a monster from the Upside Down like he felt.

Eddie’s head jerked up suddenly, as he heard the elevator ding. Two sets of footsteps started to walk down the hallway towards them. One of them sounded possibly like Nancy. A small person, light on their feet. The other set of footsteps was definitely his uncle. He’d know those footsteps anywhere.

Eddie ran a hand through his hair, nervously tugging his clothes, trying to make himself look as presentable as he could. They weren’t quite his size; he’d shed some weight, and gained a few inches. But it was better than his old, ragged clothes. Eddie was filled with anxious energy, queasy from the cafeteria food he’d had earlier. Christ, he was so nervous. Eddie listened to the approaching footsteps, uncertain about how things would go. And then, his uncle was standing in the doorway. Eddie raised his eyebrows, giving him a tentative smile, hyper aware of his horns and wings, and his fangs sticking out over his lip.

“Uncle Wayne-“ Eddie said.

Wayne closed the distance between them, grabbing a handful of his nephew’s sweatshirt. His eyes were already filling with tears, and he pulled Eddie into a hug. Wayne clutched him tight, not wanting to let go. They stayed there for a few good minutes, Wayne reaching up to brush his fingers against Eddie’s long hair. Both of them were crying.

“I didn’t believe them when they said you were alive,” Wayne said, his voice muffled. “It’s been so long.”

“I’m here.” Eddie assured him, holding him tight. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Finally, Wayne released him. He leaned in for a closer look. Wayne studied his fangs, his paler-than-normal skin, the slight reddish tint in his eyes.

“So, it’s true,” Wayne murmured to himself. “Ed, you’re a vampire.”

“Yeah.” Eddie held his breath, waiting for Wayne to process the information. “Uh, I was attacked by demobats. There’s uh, this thing called umm, it’s called the Upside Down-“

“I know about it.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows in surprise. “You do?”

“After you . . . died,” Wayne said, the word bitter on his tongue, “Hawkins was attacked by monsters. Your friend, Dustin Henderson, he was the one to break the news to me. I was with him, when everything went to shit.”

“You were with him?” Eddie said, and then he nodded. He was glad that two of his favourite people were together when everything had happened. The fact that his uncle was still standing, after the town had been attacked by monsters, that meant that Dustin had likely done everything in his power to protect the older Munson.

Wayne reached into the collar of his plaid shirt, and pulled out a slim metal chain necklace. Dangling from the end of it, was a small red guitar pick. “I haven’t taken it off since Dustin Henderson gave it to me. I wanted to keep you close in the only way I could.” He held it out to Eddie with trembling fingers, and watched as his nephew unclasped the thin chain, slipping it around his neck. God, it had been so long since he’d seen the necklace. It almost felt foreign around his neck.

“Thank you,” Eddie said. “I’m glad to have it back.”

“We lost the trailer,” Wayne told him. “Pretty much everything was destroyed.”

Eddie raised his eyebrows in surprise. He stared at Wayne, uncomprehending for a few seconds. The trailer was gone? He thought about the Upside Down version of the Munson trailer that he had been living out of for years, the one that he had fortified against the demobats. All that time that he’d spent there, he’d kept wishing and dreaming that one day he would get to return to the unspoiled version – the Munson trailer that existed on the surface. He couldn’t fathom that it was gone, just like that. “What happened?” Eddie asked, sitting down on the edge of the hospital room bed. He brought up his legs, sitting crisscross. “When did this happen?”

“Vecna destroyed it, along with a great deal of other trailers in the park. In the middle of the night, there was what everyone was called the earthquake, when Hawkins was ripped apart in four different directions. That was months ago, back in March. The Mayfields lost their place, too.”

“Oh.” Eddie winced. That meant that Max was homeless, too. Jesus. He thought about the seam going through the trailer park, the one they had followed through town, to the library, the store, the town hall. Like someone had stitched it closed. That was probably what Wayne meant. Eddie blinked hard.

“Umm . . . and Mrs. Mayfield?” Eddie asked, fearful of the answer. “Max’s mom, is s-she –“

He couldn’t bring himself to finish his sentence. Max would be devastated if her mom didn’t make it. After everything they had been through, she couldn’t lose her mother, too. Eddie didn’t really know Susan Mayfield. The few times they’d interacted, he’d thought that she’d seemed nice, though a bit guarded. Max didn’t need to go through the loss of her mother. Eddie had gone through that as a kid, and it had been absolute hell.

“She was injured, but she survived.” Wayne sat down on the chair across from Eddie. He studied his nephew’s face, seeing the grief and pain. “When Vecna tore his way through the town, he splintered it in four different directions. The news said it was an earthquake, but that was just the cover story. A lot of people were missing, or dead. I thought you were missing, until your friend said otherwise.”

“Eddie, Susan was here last night when you came out of the gate,” Nancy said, glancing over at him. “She’s okay.”

“Was she?” Eddie frowned. There had been so many people in the room, coming and going, that it was hard to keep track. Susan Mayfield could’ve easily been there, and he didn’t even notice. “Oh.”

“She’s okay.” Nancy smiled at him. “I explained everything to her. She was frightened, but once I told her about what you’d been through, she understood.”

“Thanks.”

“Son, you look so different,” Wayne said. Eddie tensed up for a second, fearful that his uncle meant that he was monstrous. But Wayne reached out, and gently touched Eddie’s cheek. “You’ve got so many scars, now. And you look older.”

“I’m like, in my late twenties now. Maybe even thirty? I’m not actually sure,” Eddie said, smiling faintly. “I lost count. But I’m catching up to you in years.”

“Max told us what you did,” Wayne said. “The promise that you made, to get her to safety. She said you protected her. And that you’d promised each other that you’d both make it home, but that you pushed her through to safety.”

“Max wasn’t going to leave without me,” Eddie said, looking down at his hands. He didn’t want to look up at Wayne, worried that his uncle would be upset with him for not coming home sooner. “I tried to get home, but it took forever.”

Eddie heard a slight creak as Wayne got out of the chair. He walked over to him, reaching out to him. Eddie leaned into his touch, as his uncle put his arm around him. The gentle touch grounded him. His uncle smelled like sandalwood, and cigarette smoke, a familiar scent that he had missed dearly.

“I’m proud of you, son.” Wayne’s southern accent was comforting. “Always have been.”

Eddie’s eyes filled with tears at his uncle’s words. He lifted his gaze, and stared at him, taking in the soft look in Wayne’s eyes. Those words meant everything to him. “Even if I’m . . . changed?”

“Don’t care none about that,” Wayne said, with a shrug. His eyes crinkled. “You’re still my boy.”

“Yeah.” Eddie returned the smile.

Chapter Text

Eddie tried his best to reintegrate into regular society. He did. But it was a difficult transition. Hawkins was not ready to welcome Eddie back with open arms. The murders alone were enough to make Hawkins residents fearful of Eddie. But now that his appearance was so vastly different, so unhuman, so monstrous, he was shunned even further. People were scared of him.

Eddie still had the large wings folded up behind him, with claws, and red eyes, and everything. He tried to keep his wings hidden, tucked underneath his new leather jacket – though it was lumpy and uncomfortable. His new jacket was longer, and they covered nearly all of his wings, keeping them hidden for the most part. When he’d go outside, Eddie would wear a dark pair of sunglasses to keep his eyes protected from the sun. But he knew that he didn’t normal, especially with his large horns. He refused to shave them down, though he knew that it’d help him blend in better. Eddie didn’t go outside much anyway. The blue sky, the bright yellow sunlight, it was much too overwhelming.

That first week, everything felt surreal, and dreamlike. His friends were all there, crowding him, glad that he was alive. Eddie spent time in the hospital, with Max, Wayne, and Dustin by his side. He hadn’t fed properly since he’d left the Upside Down, and as time went on, Eddie was feeling tired, lethargic. There was plenty of food in the cafeteria, and the vending machines – but he was craving blood. Burgers and fries from the cafeteria were just not hitting the spot. His cravings got so bad, that he was plotting on stealing a blood bag or two from the hospital. But when he finally told Steve and Robin what he was planning, they went out and bought him some steaks from the grocery store. And that helped, even if it wasn’t nearly as good as a freshly caught rat, or demodog. But he appreciated the gesture. The steaks really did help.

Wayne had been ecstatic to get his nephew back. Those months had been so difficult, when he’d believed that Eddie was dead. Wayne had lost everything – his nephew, his trailer, his personal belongings, it was a dreadful loss. But things could be replaced. Losing Eddie had ripped his heart in two. Wayne had been planning on moving to Arkansas, trying to start his life over. That was, until he’d learned that Eddie was still alive. Their reunion had meant everything to both Eddie, and Wayne. Now that Wayne knew his nephew was alive, he’d chosen to stay in Hawkins, instead of going to Arkansas. This town was their home.

And now that he had his nephew back, Wayne was trying his best to help Eddie acclimate to being back home. With their trailer destroyed, Wayne and Eddie were now homeless. But it wasn’t just their living situation that had changed. Hawkins was different. Buildings and houses had been damaged, some torn down. With so many people losing their houses, and the monsters showing up with the earthquakes, a lot of people had decided it was time to move on. Some of Eddie’s friends had left Hawkins for good. Things just didn’t feel the same as they once had. People were suspicious, scared. And someone like Eddie didn’t immediately fit into the town, because a lot of people still saw him as something to be feared.

One of the problems that Eddie faced, was that he felt a thousand years older than all of his friends. Physically, he only looked a few years older than them, but after being in the Upside Down for so long, he felt like he’d lived lifetimes. He knew that it would take some getting used to, acclimating to living in the Rightside Up. It was what he wanted, to return to his old life. And of course, Eddie was eternally grateful to Eleven for managing to track him down, and pulling him out of that hellscape. But once he’d come back home, things were different. Being in the Upside Down for so long had changed him. His friends were all still so young. They’d all had their fair share of trauma, but Eddie felt like his scars ran deep, down to the bone. He wasn’t the same, and he felt like they all sensed it, too. Eddie could talk to Max about it, and some of his friends understood to a certain degree – but Eddie felt isolated from most of them. They were such young kids, and Eddie felt as old as Wayne.

Eddie was glad that he was home. He liked being with his friends and family again. He liked having hot showers, and food he didn’t have to hunt for, and fresh water. Everything was so much easier, now that he didn’t have to scrounge around for every resource. Eddie was relieved that he no longer had to look over his shoulder, fearful that monsters like demodogs, demogorgons, or trolls would come after him. Things were better here. But still, Eddie was struggling to reintegrate back into society.

Once Max was released from the hospital, her and her mother moved into Steve’s house. They moved into the ground floor, in what had once been Mr. Harrington’s home office. He wouldn’t need it anymore, as the Harringtons had informed their son that they wouldn’t be returning to Hawkins again. The house had been transferred into Steve’s name. And they weren’t the only new additions to the Harrington residence. Eddie and Wayne moved into Steve’s empty guest room. The Munsons and the Mayfields had both applied for housing, hoping to get a place of their own at some point. But for now, Eddie was just fine with living in Steve’s house.

Eddie still considered himself Max’s protector. Even though there was only the slimmest of chances that a monster would slip back into Hawkins, he took his protector role quite seriously. After everything him and Max had been through in the Upside Down, he still felt extremely protective of the redheaded girl that he’d befriended. Being trapped in a hellscape for years with only one other person had definitely changed him. So, it was nice, having Max and her mother living nearby, knowing that she was safe.

On nights when he couldn’t sleep, Eddie would pace around the house making sure that everyone was safe. Doors locked, windows secured. He’d keep an eye on Wayne, then look in on Steve. And once he was satisfied that they were both okay, Eddie would go down to the ground floor to check up on Max and Susan. And that morning, when Max groggily woke up, Eddie was lying on the floor of her room. His wings were curled up around him like a thin blanket, as he lay on the carpeted floor by her bed. Eddie preferred sleeping with his bat wings pulled taut around his thin frame, protecting him, keeping him safe. The thick leather was comforting.

He'd fallen asleep listening to Max’s heartbeat - steady, and comforting. And very much alive. Max sat up in bed, and was about to swing her legs over the side, when Susan put out a hand to stop her.

“Wait,” Susan said. “Watch out. Eddie’s right under your feet.”

“Oh, I didn’t know he was there.” Max sat crisscross on the bed, pulling the blanket around her. “I guess he couldn’t sleep again.”

“Yeah.” Susan reached out a hand to her, and touched Max gently on the shoulder to let her know where she was. Max turned her face toward her mother. “I don’t really like it when he does that. I’m here with you. I can protect you.”

The first time that Eddie had gone into the Mayfields’ room, he’d nearly given Susan a heart attack. Even though she was becoming more accustomed to having a vampire in the household, there were still times when Eddie would give her quite the shock. He was uncomfortable with bright lights, or sunlight. He liked sitting in the dark shadows. But it had been more than a month since they’d moved into Steve’s house, and Susan was trying her best to get used to him.

“It’s a hard habit to break,” Max said. “I didn’t even hear him come in last night. He must’ve snuck in after I’d fallen asleep.”

“He came in around midnight,” Susan said. “I imagine he’d be more comfortable sleeping in his own bed, instead of on the floor. Don’t see why he keeps doing it.”

“He’s my protector,” Max explained. “When we were both down there, we had to face a hell of a lot of dangers. Monsters, and stuff. He said he’d be my protector. Keep me safe, and get us both the hell out of there. Old habits die hard. I think it’ll pass, eventually. But he’s just looking out for me. Eddie’s used to sleeping near me. Mom, I know it was only a few months for you, but for me and Eddie, it was years. We went through so much.”

“You’re safe now, though,” Susan said. “You don’t need a protector in the same way you did down there.”

“Yeah. But this hyper-vigilance, it’s pretty common with trauma victims. And he’s been through hell. After I got through, Eddie was alone.” Max hesitated. “I don’t know how long he was alone for. Two months of your time, it was about five years for us. And after I got back, Eddie was still down there for a few more years. He didn’t have anyone to keep him company. Not me, not our pet owlbear, nothing. I think he went a bit feral without anyone else.”

“I think it’d be really hard, being alone like that. I can’t begin to understand what you went through, Max.”

“I wasn’t fully alone. I had Eddie, of course. And Hoo Bear,” she said. “But I could hear you guys on the Rightside Up. Bits of conversation, like you guys reading to me in the hospital room, stuff like that. Some of it leaked through.”

“Yeah?” Susan said.

“I could hear you talking to me sometimes.” Max reached out, touched her mother’s wrist. She could feel Susan’s steady pulse under her fingertips. Her mother closed her hand into a fist around Max’s fingers. “Your voice gave me comfort. I was glad to hear you, and El, and everyone.”

“Thanks. I wasn’t sure if you could hear me.” Susan smiled at her.

“I’m glad you guys never gave up on me. You, Will, El – you guys all kept me company every day, even when you weren’t sure that I’d wake up.”

“Well, of course.” Susan smiled. “We all love you. It broke my heart when you were hospitalized. I was scared you might never wake up.”

About an hour later, when Wayne came in to check on his nephew, Eddie was still fast asleep. He had barely shifted position. He was lying on his side, his knees drawn up to his chest. Eddie’s hair was in his face, his wings still protectively wrapped around him.

“Sorry ‘bout him.” Wayne said. “How long he’s been asleep for?”

“He came in at midnight, and fell asleep pretty quickly afterwards.”

“I should wake him.” Wayne said, crouching down beside his nephew. He was about to reach out to touch Eddie’s shoulder, but Susan frowned.

“Careful,” she told him. “He startles awake. He’s nearly bitten me once. It was an accident, of course. It’s best to leave him, wait until he wakes up on his own.”

Wayne stood up, taking a step back from his nephew. “I guess there’s a lot I’ll have to learn about him, now that he’s a vampire.”

“Yeah.”

Chapter Text

After a few months, the Munsons were given one of the new trailers. They were back at the trailer park again, only this time, their place was a lot nicer. Eddie and Wayne each had their own bedroom this time, which was nice. They were both glad to have their own place, again. They had bought a few new pieces of furniture – mattresses, bedding, a new couch. Some items were donated from the community. Wayne had lost most of his mugs, and ballcaps from their last place, so it didn’t quite feel the same. But Eddie and Wayne were determined to add to his collection until it felt more like home. Soon, their home would be perfectly comfortable.

Eddie stayed inside the trailer most days. He was particularly sensitive to the sunlight, so he only went outside at night, or during extremely overcast days. And even then, he had to wear a lot of layers, and his large sunglasses to protect his eyes. It was a hassle. But that was the price he had to pay, for being a vampire living topside. Wayne tried to understand his nephew’s predicament. He tried to understand how different things were, now that Eddie was a vampire. But it took quite a bit of getting used to, wrapping his head around everything. He would buy Eddie bottles of sunscreen, and dark curtains for his room, hoping that these things would make a difference.

Eddie would take iron pills, hoping that it’d help with his blood cravings. And he’d buy fresh steaks from the butcher shop, eating them raw. But it never felt like enough. And so, he’d go into the woods and hunt small prey like he used to do in the Upside Down. He’d feed on the small animals, and it would help temporarily.

When summer ended, the school year started up again. The kids went back to class. Eddie was supposed to finish up his last year of high school – the fourth time! Jesus! After everything he’d been through, the last thing he wanted to do was go back to high school. But seeing as how he was only a few credits shy, the principal had allowed Eddie to do the class at home instead, given his circumstances. And he found that it was much easier doing the schoolwork at home, when he could blast his music as loud as he wanted, and work at his own speed. He could hang out in his pyjamas, and wake up at noon. Eddie knew that he would graduate this time. He’d do this.

Being at home was a mainly isolating experience. His friends dropped by when they could, but the kids had school, and basketball practise, and everything. Steve and Robin worked full-time at the newly re-opened Family Video, and the town was moving on. Eddie hated the loneliness. He called his friends often, and even hosted DnD games at the trailer. But it was difficult, not being able to just leave the trailer whenever he wanted to. It was difficult being nocturnal in a town like Hawkins, because most everything shut down early, so there just wasn’t much for him to do when he did go out.

Eddie had used some of his money to buy himself a new guitar, and an amp for his bedroom. He tried to replace some of his old things – band posters, and cassettes, a new dresser full of clothes. He’d tried his best to make things look how they were before. But it would never be completely the same.

Eddie had blackout curtains on his windows, to keep the sunlight at bay. The curtains threw his bedroom into darkness, which made it difficult to differentiate between day and night – which was something Eddie had become used to when he’d lived in the Upside Down. The Munson trailer had other accommodations, such as UV screens in the kitchen and living room, to help him. Stuff like that.

The sunlight issues that came with being a vampire, and the eye issues he had, were annoying – but he could deal with them. The worst part, he discovered, was the depression. Being so isolated, it hurt. At least before, when he’d had Max at his constant side, he’d had someone to talk to. He’d had her company, through thick and thin. But Max and her mother were placed in a small house near downtown, and that was miles away from the trailer park. Wayne worked long hours, so it was mainly just him at the trailer. And that was hard.

That morning, Max had woken up with a deep sense of dread. She couldn’t remember the details of her dream – only that she had been talking to Eddie about something important, and that he’d been upset. As she lay there, Max realized that she hadn’t gone to see Eddie in nearly a week. She had been busy with school, and yesterday, her mother had taken her into the city to do some clothing shopping after her medical appointment. Max had been trying to visit Eddie as often as she could, but sometimes, time got away from her. It was different, now that they were no longer tethered – and she lived across town from him, instead of staying at Steve’s house.

It was Sunday morning, and Max had slept over at El’s place. The Byers had a four-bedroom house on Cornwallis St. Max patted the bed beside her, and realized that she was alone. Eleven must’ve already gotten up. She listened intently, trying to figure out where everyone was. Max heard some voices downstairs, and it sounded like Will and El. She got up, and grabbed her forearm crutches from the side of the bed. Max headed downstairs. It was slow going, since she was on her crutches. Her mobility had improved a great deal over the past few months.

“Hey, Max,” Will said. “Did you sleep well?”

“Mostly.” Max hesitated. She leaned on her forearm crutches. “I had a nightmare. It was about Eddie. We were talking, and he was really upset about something. I can’t remember what. But he was really sad. I can’t shake the feeling that something’s wrong.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure he’s okay.” Will tried to sound reassuring.

“I know it was just a nightmare, but it felt so real. I haven’t seen him all week.” “We haven’t seen him either,” Will said. “I meant to drop by a few days ago, but I had to work on a project for class, and I never made it over there.”

“I need to make sure he’s alright,” Max said. “I’m really worried about him.” Max went over to the kitchen counter, and picked up the phone. She dialled Eddie’s trailer, and waited for him to pick up. It rang and rang, but nobody answered. She swore under her breath, and hung up.

“We have to go see him,” Max said. “I-I need to see him in person. I need to talk to him.”

“Okay.”

El and Will grabbed their bikes, and they headed over to Eddie’s new trailer. Max rode on the back of Will’s bike, holding on tightly. When they got to the Munson trailer, Wayne’s pickup truck wasn’t parked in the front, so they figured that he probably wasn’t home. The lights were all off, and the trailer was dark and quiet. When nobody answered the front door, Eleven forced open the lock. They walked around the house, calling out Wayne and Eddie’s names, but they didn’t get a response.

The kids found Eddie in his bedroom. Though he had a new mattress, he hardly ever used it. He’d made his own nest of blankets, and beanbag chairs in the corner of the room. Eddie was sprawled out, his weighted blanket draped over his lap. His eyes were closed, and at first, El thought that maybe he was sleeping. But then, she heard the tinny metal music. Upon closer inspection, she realized that he had his headphones on, and he was listening to a Slayer song on his Walkman.

As soon as Eleven nudged him, Eddie’s eyes flew open. He stared up at them, frozen for a second. His eyes immediately turned red, alarmed. Eddie ripped off his headphones, and quickly clicked off his Walkman. He stared at them with wide, brown eyes, his heart racing.

“Hey,” Eddie finally said. He nodded at Eleven, then brushed his fingers against Max’s arm, to let her know where he was. “Hey, Max. You guys scared the shit out of me. I thought I was alone.”

“We tried calling, but nobody answered the phone,” Eleven said. “And we knocked on the front door.”

Eddie glanced down at his Walkman. “Yeah. I didn’t hear it. Not with my headphones on. Sorry about that.”

“Is everything alright?” Max demanded. “Are you okay, Eddie?”

Eddie stared at her for a second, raising his eyebrows. “Am I okay?” he repeated. “I mean, yeah. I guess so.”

“I don’t think you are.”

“Red –“

“You’ve been acting weird lately. The last few times I visited you, you were moodier than normal. You were hardly talking, or laughing. You’re too quiet. And I know that we aren’t tethered anymore, but I can still sense that something’s wrong with you. You’re acting funny.”

“I’m just homesick, I guess.” Eddie shrugged. “You don’t need to worry about me.”

“Yes, I do.”

Max walked closer to him, and grabbed the weighted blanket off of him. She felt around with her crutch, then dropped down so she was lying on the bean bags beside him. She pulled the blanket over both of them, turning to stare blankly at him.

“You are home. This is the Rightside up,” Max told him. “It’s what we wanted, to get home.”

“It’s different than before.” Eddie stared at Max for a second, then glanced up at Eleven. “I’m home, and I’m eternally grateful for you guys for getting me back. But it’s . . . I just – I don’t know. Different.”

“We all live in different homes, now. The whole town’s changed, I get that. We’ve lost good people, and we’ve been through hell and back. I get that things feel . . . wrong.” Max sighed, leaning against him until her head fell against his shoulder, feeling the comfortable feeling of his leather jacket against her cheek. “You’ve got your own trailer now. And Wayne’s staying in Hawkins. Things are better, now.”

“Yeah.”

“Do you miss the Upside Down?” Eleven asked. “Tell me what’s going on. I want to help you, Eddie.”

Eddie’s gaze slid over to El’s face. He paused for a second, trying to sort out his thoughts. Did he miss it? Sometimes, yeah. He had been able to fly whenever he wanted. And there was always demodogs to hunt, and bullywugs, and owlbears, and everything. And magic existed there. But it had been dark, and gloomy, and full of monsters. He had mixed feelings about that hellscape. It had felt like he’d had some sort of purpose. Max’s protector – although she didn’t really need one anymore. She had the whole party looking out for her. Lucas was super protective, and Steve was always checking in with her. And she had her mom back. Even when he had been clearing the Upside Down from all its monsters, he had felt like he’d had a goal in mind. Something to fill his time, like filling his hallway of doors – which he hardly even went into anymore.

Eddie had wanted to get home so damned badly. But when he got back, everything was different. Max was blind, and could barely walk. She was changed, too. His trailer was gone, destroyed months before. And Max’s trailer was unlivable. Some of his friends were gone. And the town where he was raised, it was so different, now. He didn’t feel like he belonged anywhere.

“Sometimes,” Eddie said, softly. “I miss parts of it, I guess.”

Max burrowed deeper into the blanket nest. She listened, as Eddie tried to explain it to them. He tried to collect his thoughts, tried to explain it in a way that made sense – even though he didn’t fully understand it all himself. Eddie told Max and El about how he’d lost so much, and how things were not how they were supposed to be. Coming home, to the Rightside Up, it was supposed to fix everything. But a lot of Hawkins residents still hated him, still feared him. It wasn’t the sort of homecoming he’d wanted, and it was especially difficult, because he was a vampire now. People just didn’t know what to make of him. He looked more physically intimidating than before. Eddie just wanted his old life back, before Chrissy had been murdered, before Vecna. Before, well, everything.

The girls listened to him without judgement. Max toyed with his Walkman, running her fingers along the cool metal, touching her fingertips against the buttons. She, too, had felt a lot of the same things that he was. Her life was permanently changed, and she could never go back to how things were before. But she didn’t want to go back to the Upside Down. That would be way worse, than staying in Hawkins with her friends, her mother.

“Coming back, it hasn’t been easy on anyone. Hopper was presumed dead, but he was actually in Russia. He was tortured, in his own personal hell. Hopper lost everything,” Max said. “And Will, he was thought to be dead once. But he was hiding in the Upside Down. Spent a whole week down there. And he was just a kid. They called him ‘Zombie Boy’ when he came back. It was hard for him, getting back to his regular life. But he went back to school, had his friends with him. And he’s okay, now.”

Eddie glanced up at Eleven, and she nodded. He pulled the blanket tighter around himself, thinking things over. He remembered when Will Byers had gone missing. The whole town had been looking for the missing kid. It been a really big deal, ending in tragedy when they pulled the poor kid’s remains out of the quarry. Eddie remembered feeling sad that Will had died. It had been surprising when the kid turned up alive a few days later. He’d chalked it up to one of those weird Hawkins things. At the time, he hadn’t known Will. He’d known Jonathan from school, a little bit. And he’d seen Mrs. Byers in town, because she worked at the store. Eddie thought that it was interesting, how Will and El had become a big part of his life in the past few months. The siblings had helped him in so many ways, getting him back home.

“I can make you a door to the Upside Down,” Eleven said, “if you want.”

“A door?” Eddie said, thinking about the countless doors he’d gone through. His, and Max’s. He thought about how Max’s door had appeared in his trailer, granting them access to the hallway of doors. He didn’t need to revisit that mind place any more. They were both firmly in their own dimension, in their own bodies. But it was interesting idea, to have a door that could lead to the Upside Down, a door made just for him.

“How would that work, exactly?” Eddie asked, staring at Eleven.

“It’d be just for you, and no one else. I could make it so you have a key, so it’d be secure,” Eleven said. “A door just for you. So you could come and go whenever you want to. Would you like that?”

“No monsters could get in, right?” Eddie asked. “I don’t want to bring any nasty monsters back with me.”

“It’d be only for you.”

Eddie thought it over, then nodded. “As long as I could come and go whenever I wanted, then uh, yeah. I think that sounds good.”

The idea of having his own permanent door interested him. He watched as Eleven set to work. First, she had him draw a sketch of what he wanted the door to look like. He tried out a few drawings, and ended up with a large black door, with silver bat wings painted on the front. It had a large nameplate with ‘Eddie’ on the top. He’d made it bigger than a regular door, to make sure that he could get through if his wings weren’t secured.

Eleven got to work on making the door. It took her a few tries, until she got it right. She put the door in his bedroom, so he could come and go whenever he wanted. Eddie had the key on a metal chain around his neck, so he wouldn’t lose it. He was equal parts excited, and nervous to be stepping back inside the other dimension again. Eddie barely hunted since he’d got back. He’d eaten bloody steaks, taken his iron pills, but mostly he’d just eaten regular meals with his uncle every night. It wasn’t like before, when he could just go out and kill a few rats, or a demodog. Now, he could go in and feed whenever he wanted to.

“Just so we’re clear, I’m not going back in there,” Max told him, as she stood in front of the new door. She reached out, and touched it, feeling the paint, the wooden door, the metal knob. “I’m staying here, where it’s safe. I’ve had enough of the Upside Down.”

“Duly noted.” Eddie smiled, then reached down and pulled her into a side hug. “I’d never ask you to return to that hell, don’t worry. This is something I have to do on my own.”

Eddie unlocked the door with his key, and stared at the creepy other dimension. His door led out to the grassy area beside his new trailer, and Eddie could see the familiar dark blue sky, with its constant lightning forking across the sky. The air smelled rank, filled with decay. He glanced over his shoulder at El and Max, and smiled at them.

“Don’t worry,” Eddie said, his eyes going red. “I won’t be gone long. I just need to feed.”

Eddie stepped inside the Upside Down, closing the door after him. He unfurled his large bat wings, and flew up into the sky. He would come home soon, when he had had his fill. As Eddie flew, the air filled with the constant flap of wings, he thought about how this was the best sort of arrangement. He got to be with Uncle Wayne, and all his friends again, but could also hunt when he needed to. The door Eleven had made was sturdy, and permanent – and it was all his. He was filled with a great sense of relief, knowing that he could go home whenever he needed to, that he was no longer trapped in the Upside Down like before.  

Chapter Text

It had been months since Eleven had visited Avery Mack. So much had happened since then. She’d brought Hopper, and Max with her. Max had insisted that she come to Pennhurst, because she wanted to meet the woman that had written ‘The Doors of the Mind’ book, as it had saved her, bringing her out of her coma. Max had asked Eddie if he wanted to come with them too, but he turned them down. The last thing he wanted to do, was go out into the sunlight for the long drive. Eddie said that Max could fill him in on what happened, when they got back.

That afternoon, Max and El took turns telling Avery Mack about the door, and how they were able to get Max back. Avery listened intently to their story, as Max told her about how her and Eddie had been tethered together in the Upside Down for years, and how they’d filled each room with different core memories, until there were enough rooms filled that Max was ready to leave. She told her about the tunnel that had appeared, and how they had been able to use it to escape. Max even told her about Hoo Bear, and some of the other creatures that they had encountered over the years.

Max had a lot of questions for Dr. Mack, and they spent hours sitting with the woman. But eventually, it was time to go home. Dr. Mack begged El and Max to come back and visit her a few times. She wanted to ask them more questions, and she’d even offered to give them some free meditation classes. But El knew that they weren’t going to go back. Max was home, and there was no need to return to Pennhurst. They declined her offer, even though they could tell that Dr. Mack was severely disappointed in their decision.

A month after their visit, El saw on the news that Dr. Avery Mack was on the run from Pennhurst. She had escaped from the facilities after one of the patients had set a fire in the cafeteria one morning. The police were looking for her, but they were unsure if she was still in Roane County, or if she’d left the area. When Hopper called Pennhurst, he found out that Dr. Mack had been furiously writing in her notebooks all that month – ever since El’s visit. She’d become convinced that she needed to pick up her research where she left off. Dr. Mack had talked to some of the other patients, trying to convince them to be her test subjects, but she couldn’t find anyone who was interested.

They suspected that she had fled Pennhurst, so she could find test subjects – as she was heavily interested in how Max and Eddie had been able to conjure up their own doors.