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033. 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗱
𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘁.
“𝐆𝐎! 𝐆𝐎!𝐋𝐄𝐓’𝐒 𝐆𝐎!” 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐕𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃. “𝐆𝐎!
An immediate flush of heat hit Lori in the face, burning past the bandanna mask and wafting through her goggles so that her eyes watered behind them. For a second, all she could see was the color orange. For a second, all she could see were the flames and all she could smell was fire and the sting of gasoline. The smell of the burning vines, the simmering slime brought to a boil. For a second, her entire body went numb as the hub caught fire, eyes stark-wide at the blazing inferno before them. She stared forward for that second, in complete awe and panic, staring at the flailing vines, the particles that fell like cinders and decayed around them like embers.
When she rose her arm up to cover her face, to block out the unbearable flash of heat, it was grabbed. A hand wrapped around the crevice of her elbow and pulled her to stand with urgency, causing her attention to be ripped from the inferno. Quickly, she ordered her legs to come to their senses and she scrambled to stand up, tripping over one of the ridges in the ground from the fast pace, her feet beginning to move with the others.
Steve’s hand let go of her elbow and absentmindedly placed itself on her back, as he ran a step behind her, making sure she was there and still running, too, as he checked behind them repeatedly. He was hollering for the kids to run faster, his voice echoing especially loud so they could hear over the screeching of the vines behind— so they could hear over the crackling fire and terrible squelches. The kids ran as fast as they could in the dimly-lit tunnel, hopping over the ridges in the ground and squishing their sneakers into the slimy dirt, flashlights glaring at every angle. Their chests heaved unstably, and panic was ridden on all of their faces to match the fright.
Lori, herself, could not keep up with her own thoughts as they raced faster than her feet. She was hot, scorching all of a sudden, her legs ached as her feet pounded on the sticky ground, she was exhausted, she was scared. The fire was behind them and they were headed for the exit now, but somehow, she still felt like they would never leave those tunnels. Her chest constricted with panic, that same panic that she’d been feeling the last few days about this entire monstrosity, and she found it hard to breathe as she ran. But Steve’s hand on her back, making sure she was keeping up, let some sense into her bloodstream and she plowed on behind her cousin.
Somewhere in all of that, her hand found the hook of Dustin’s backpack and it latched there for safe keeping. He was the slowest runner out of all of them, but she just kept pushing him on and somehow it worked. Max was at the front of the line, Lucas was behind him, followed by Mike. And somewhere in all of that— Lori suddenly realized that the kids had no idea where they were going.
Steve had the same realization, at the same time, as they turned a corner and begun a new path. His hand fell from clutching her jacket and quickly, he rushed past her and Dustin, past Mike and Lucas, and nudged Max out of the way as he tugged the crumpled map from his own pocket. The crinkled paper was newly gripped in his gloved-hand now that he was at the front of the line, and he didn’t stop running while he shined the light on it— his head nodding hastily between the tunnels and their makeshift map to keep a good direction.
“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” Dustin was panicking, from beside Lori. “Oh my god!”
They turned a corner, and Lori realized they were back in the smaller hub like before, where Dustin had been blasted in the face. Steve slowed down for a moment, making sure they were on the right track.
“Hey, this way!” Steve yelled from the front of the line, “This way!”
Lori hopped on her foot into a new jog, pulling Dustin with her. Her goggles were foggy and she could hardly see what was going on in the dark, but the light of her flashlight somewhat helped. She couldn’t help but glance up at the hole in the roof, the one that had discharged the nasty mess of particles into Dustin’s face, as they passed underneath it.
Looking back to where they were going, she realized that Mike wasn’t in front of them anymore. Frantically, she whipped her head around to see him slacking, his pace slowing— her and Dustin passing him.
“C’mon, Wheeler!” Lori called, waving her arm for him. “Hurry up— we’re almost there!”
Just as she was about to turn back around, naturally assuming he’d follow the order and pick up his pace— his foot caught on something and he tripped over. She gasped as he fell to the ground, immediately causing Dustin to stop and follow her gaze— both of them stopping in their tracks as Mike let out a scream.
“Help! Help! Help!” Mike hollered.
Lori’s eyes went wide as she looked to his leg, where a long, slimy vine wrapped around it. The vine pulled on him, and he spread his arms out on the ground to repel against its force, and to her horror, Lori then realized that the vine was trying to pull him, pull him down somewhere.
“Mike!” Dustin yelled in panic.
“Help! Help!” Mike screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking. His voice blended with Lori and Dustin’s as they yelled the same thing, rushing towards him frantically. “Help!”
“Hold on!” Steve’s voice neared, his volume rising. “We’re coming!”
Max and Lucas made it there before him, wasting no time in rushing up to Mike on the ground. “Pull him back!” Lucas screeched. “Get his arms!”
Lori and Dustin grabbed onto Mike’s left arm, and Max and Lucas on the other— pulling him back against the force of the grappling vine. Steve seemed to know what was going within a second of arriving, because he was already rushing up to Mike’s leg and yanking the bat of nails from his backpack.
“Everybody back! Back!” he yelled to them, as his arms rose up.
He arched backward as he prepared his swing, and then, with all of his might, the bat came down and collided with the vine. Everybody winced as the vine squealed from the impact of the nails, its grip loosening a bit. They pulled Mike’s arms. Steve stood up straight and rose his arms again, and then wasted no time in swinging the bat back down, with a loud grunt. The vine squealed again, loosening a bit more.
“Shit!” Lori called.
Mike was screaming, all four of them trying desperately to keep him within their grasp. Steve rose, swinging the bat over his shoulder for momentum, before giving it all his strength for one last hit. He swung the bat down with a grunt, the nails colliding with the vine one last time. The vine screeched and hissed as it broke into two pieces, and half of it scurried away into the darkness.
As soon as the vine let go of his leg, Lori and the kids pulled Mike up to stand.
“Shit,” they breathed out, all inhaling rapidly.
“Oh, my god,” Lori gaped, as she ran her gloved-hands over her hair in stress. “Mon dieu.”
“You good?” Lucas asked Mike, holding him tight.
“Holy shit,” Lori exhaled, rubbing her forehead. Slowly, she walked over to Steve who was catching his breath, panting from the strenuous swinging.
“Guys we gotta go,” Dustin said to all of them, “We gotta go now—”
He was cut off by a growl. A close one.
Lori’s body went cold.
They knew that growl, they knew what it came from. They’d heard it many times. It was that gut-wrenching growl that she’d heard in Dustin’s backyard that day in the shed, the same growls they heard in the junkyard, and the same one they’d heard outside the Byers’ house just hours ago. Wherever that roaring went, that thing followed it, that slimy, terrible, fearsome creature that destroyed everything in its path— those creatures who left nothing unscathed. Their sheer bloodlust. Their gaping mouths and rows of endless bloody teeth. Their mouth of flaps. Their slimy, gruesome bodies.
Her hand instantly latched onto Steve’s as if it were the fastest reflex her body housed. Just like in the Byers’ living room. Her first resort.
Everybody bounded back a few steps, and gasps were heard all around. Their chests immediately jumped into another panic, all breathing heavily in shock as they braced themselves.
“When does this end,” Lori winced, her voice cracking in the middle.
Steve placed a hand on Dustin’s shoulder.
The creature growled, its body humming out a squelching sound, gurgling.
Dustin swallowed. “Dart.” he said.
Lori’s eyes went wide as she stared at Dart. It was the same creature that she’d seen in Dustin’s room that very first time, the same one she’d hit into the cellar. It was right there, now, right in front of her.
Steve interlocked their gloved fingers.
Lori’s eyes went wide when she saw Dustin’s foot move, taking a small step. “Dustin, what are you—”
The rest of them broke out into outraged chatter, throwing worried sentences at the back of Dustin’s head as he took another careful step.
“Dustin, get back here!” Max called.
“Get back here man, get back—” Steve was saying.
Lori shoved her foot into the ground, her chest peaking with fright. “I swear to god, Dustin, if you don’t get back here right fuckin’ no—”
He took another small step.
“DUSTIN HENDERSON!” Lori whispered shouted as loud as she could.
Dustin put his arms out, “Shh!” he said over their voices.
Lori’s jaw was struck open in protest, but the rest of them went reluctantly quiet.
“Trust me,” Dustin told them, assuredly. Then his voice went quiet. “Please.”
He took another careful step, inching towards the creature slowly but surely. Lori winced when Dart rose his paw, taking a staggered step towards Dustin. She squeezed Steve’s hand. She could hear his heavy breathing beside her, matching her own.
“Hey,” Dustin said to Dart, in a friendly tone. Then he pulled down his mask, “It’s me, it’s me,” he pushed his goggles up. “It’s just your friend, it’s Dustin.”
Lori swallowed as Dart took another hunched step. Dustin slowly lowered onto one knee.
“It’s Dustin, all right?” he said with a small laugh, “You remember me?”
Dart growled lowly, angling his slimy head up to Dustin.
Dustin paused for a second before speaking. “Will you… will you let us pass?”
Dart’s mouth opened wide, the flaps separating to flare his endless rows of bloody teeth. He roared, the volume of it echoing on the walls, and sending a spike of fear right into Lori’s chest. The others stepped back, holding onto each other in fear.
“I’m gonna be sick,” Lori whispered with a swallow. Her voice was unbelievably shaky. She looked away.
“Okay,” Dustin said, his voice barely shaking. “Okay.” he said, calmly. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry about the storm cellar. That was a pretty douchey thing to do.” he laughed.
Lori couldn’t look at Dart, out of fear that somehow the creature might recognize her. She was the one that hit him into said-cellar, anyways. And none of them knew the intelligence level of a goddamn demogorgon— who knows if he could recognize her or not?
Dart hummed a low growl.
“You hungry?” Dustin said, and they could tell he was smiling. Dart took a tiny step towards him as an answer. “Yeah?”
As Dustin slid the strap of his backpack off his shoulder, Lucas shifted in the middle of the group.
“He’s insane,” Lucas whisper-scolded.
The rest of them shushed him urgently.
“I’ve got our favorite, see,” Dustin pulled a chocolate bar from his bag, and presented it in front of Dart. “Nougat!” he paused for a moment, and Lori felt Steve squeeze her hand. “Oh yeah, that’s Lori if you recognize her, she’s very sorry about what happened, too.”
Lori’s chest was still heaving with panic, but when she finally looked back to Dart, and watched Dustin unwrap the chocolate bar— the creature lifted its gaze off her and towards the food.
“Isn’t that right, Lor?” Dustin turned to look at her pleadingly. “Tell him you’re sorry too.”
“I’m not gonna talk to the goddamn thing.” she whispered back, scoldingly.
Dart inched closer as Dustin placed the bar on the slimy ground, whispering calm words to the animal. “Eat up, buddy, go on,” he said, encouragingly.
He was muttering something else when his arm rose up behind him, and he waved them forward— motioning for them to continue on down the pathway. Lori’s body washed with relief, but her eyes never left the creature in front of her cousin, even when Steve’s hand tugged her own and pulled her with him.
Lori’s heart skipped a beat when she passed Dart, coming within an inch of his body to get by. She didn’t know she’d been holding her breath until her and Steve were safe on the other side, where she let her lungs relax in a heavy exhale. She stood on the rim of the pathway, the kids behind her, watching as Dustin stood up and strapped his backpack back on his shoulders. Dart chomped on the chocolate bars, slurping everything up slowly, and Dustin carefully moved away, joining the rest on the other side.
Lori exhaled in relief when Dustin made it to her, her hands placing on the back of his shoulders as he turned to watch Dart. She let out a breathless “oh my god,” of relief. Dustin put his goggles back on and fixed his cap, staring down at Dart. Dart turned to look at him, growled harmlessly, and turned back to his chocolate.
“Goodbye, buddy.” Dustin said, sincerely.
And even though she was scared shitless, through her fear she could tell that somehow Dustin cared for that thing, and that thing cared back. In some weird, creepy, downright impossible way— she could tell that this took something out of Dustin. She patted his shoulders comfortingly, and when he turned towards them and put on his mask, she let them fall.
“Let’s go,” Steve whispered to the group.
Lori squeezed his hand twice, silently telling him that he needed to go to the front of the group again— as he was the leader— and that she was fine now.
And so, the group picked up into a small jog down the path, flashlights blaring. Steve made his way to the front, leading them down. Lori and Dustin walked side by side at the end, their paces still equally as fast.
“You had me scared half to death there, Hagar.” Lori exhaled sharply, speaking to Dustin.
He took a second to answer. He sniffled. “I had to say goodbye.” he said, glumly.
“Yeah, I know. I’m proud of you,” Lori brought herself to say. She really was proud of him, even though that was the stupidest decision literally ever— putting himself in danger like that. “I am.”
He didn’t say anything to that, but she knew he heard her. She let out a long breath of air, calming her chest. It was quiet for a few long moments as the group jogged down the path, turning another corner.
“We’re almost there, guys!” Steve called back, with a glance down at the map.
“Thank god,” Lori mumbled in relief. “This place reeks of gasoline and piss.” she spat.
“I think it’s kinda cool,” Dustin admitted, “I mean, if we weren’t on the brink of imminent interdimensional destruction, then I’d totally be nerding out about this entire thing,” he said, as he looked up and around the walls.
“Wouldn’t put it past you.” Lori mumbled, and shook her head. She couldn’t stop glancing behind them, to see if Dart was following. Or, because the demodogs usually traveled in pacts, if any of the other creatures were coming.
They fell into a silence as they quickened their pace, right behind Mike and the rest of the group. Nobody spoke as Steve navigated them down the path, rounding corners and walking quickly to reach the exit hole, where the rope was still dangling. She didn’t know how long they’d been down there for but it felt like hours now.
“Let’s go, let’s go!” Steve called from the front.
Relief washed over her once again, at the thought that they were almost near the exit, until that relief was squashed into debris.
Suddenly, a deep, rumbling growl rose from the ground of the tunnels and vibrated their feet. It wasn’t a growl from the creatures, it was more of a stomach-rumbling, jolting from within the tunnel walls themselves. And with that roar, came a jostling impact— and the entire tunnel shook violently.
Lori’s arms flew out to keep her balance, but the ground was shaking beneath her feet and it was hard to stand. Up ahead, Max stumbled on her own feet and fell into one of the ridges of the ground, Mike fell on his knees, Dustin fumbled into the wall with a hard thud, and Steve nearly lost his balance. Screams and yells of shock and sudden fear echoed throughout the tunnels over the rumbling.
“What the hell!” Lori yelled at the top of her lungs, both arms desperately gripping onto the slimy walls beside her to keep from falling.
And then, as if things couldn’t get any fucking worse, they heard the roaring of the demodogs.
Lori’s hands fell and her face twisted into an agonized expression. “Not again,” she told herself. “No, no, no, no, no,”
The roaring got louder, that same gut-wrenching growl. But it wasn’t just Dart. It was all of them. It sounded the same as when they’d been in the junkyard, when there’d been many of the creatures at once. They were close. And they were coming.
“What was that!?” Max shouted.
Everyone turned to look at where the growling was coming from. Lori didn’t need to look— she knew what it was. Nobody moved for a second as the roaring intensified, getting louder and louder.
“They’re coming,” Mike said, in painful realization. His eyes widened. “Run,” he said, and then his voice rose and he screamed at the very top of his lungs, “RUN!”
Lori’s chest jumped into that same panic she’d always felt— except this time it was worse, because she didn’t know how many creatures there were. But they’d killed everyone in the Lab. If they killed that many people, what could they do to a group of kids in a much smaller amount of space—
“DUSTIN GET UP!” Lori yelled, at Dustin who had fallen onto his knees. “GET UP— GODDAMMIT!” she pulled his arm.
Scrambling to stand, she yanked him with her as her feet moved faster than ever, barely watching the ridges in the ground. She ran as fast as she could, literally as fast as her feet could take her in those slippery tunnels, stumbling on the uneven ground. Her shoes were sticking to the slime and the gunk, but still, she plowed forward with Dustin on her arm— yanking him to move faster as her chest rose and fell at an unhealthy rate.
“Let’s go! Let’s go!” Steve hollered as he sprinted.
“Move, Mike!” Dustin yelled at Mike, as he stumbled in front of him. “Come on, Mike, MOVE!”
Flashlights were blaring everywhere as they ran down the path, rounding another corner.
“There! There!” Lucas screeched to everyone. He pointed his flashlight ahead, “Right there!”
Lori let out a sharp exhale as her eyes zeroed in on the rope, coming from outside. Their exit. The escape.
“Come on, let’s go! Let’s go!” Steve was screaming to them, “Go, go, go, go, go, let’s go!” his voice cracked. “Come on! Come on!”
He hopped over the last ridge in the ground and grabbed the rope to make sure it was in place, all in record speed. Quicker than ever, he crouched down as Max stopped in front of him, her hands placing on his shoulders as he hoisted her up. She grabbed the rope and he supported her from underneath as she pulled herself up, scrambling to reach the top. The kids shouted from the tunnels, hurrying her on as she crawled onto the dirt above, their voices cracking.
Lori pushed past the line of kids and joined Steve underneath the hole, her body jumping into survival mode as she yanked Lucas. Her and Steve hoisted him up as he grabbed the rope, and Max called for him up above. She pulled him out. Yelling words of panic and worry, they did the same for Mike, as quickly as they possibly could.
“Go on, Hagar,” Lori said to herself through heavy breaths, as she pulled Dustin towards her. She wrapped her arms around his torso and Steve pushed him up by his legs, lifting him up to the exit— the other kids reaching for his arms to pull him up too.
“Alright, Lori,” Steve announced hastily, and he wasted no time in wrapped both his arms around the back of her thighs— aiming to prop her up and push her out.
She realized right then, as he was about to hoist her up and make himself the last one out— that Steve was, probably, the most selfless person she knew. She didn’t have time to think of it, of course, but when she realized that he was willingly putting himself in danger by being the last one out— saving her instead— her heart sort of palpitated.
“Steve, wait!” Lori shouted, her hands wrapping around his forearms as the roaring suddenly intensified. “There’s no time!” she yelled.
They were coming. And they were close, just around the corner. And she realized, with painful certainty, that if Steve were to push her out the exit at this time— he wouldn’t make it out himself.
He let go of her at once, reaching down for his bat as he realized what was happening. She landed back on the ground, gulping hard as pounding footsteps were heard- the sound of a stampeded approaching.
“LORI! GRAB MY HAND!” Dustin yelled from atop, sounding on the verge of tears. “STEVE! PLEASE! LORI!”
The kids yelled for them at the top of their lungs, reaching inside in hopes that they would listen. But it was too late.
Lori winced hard as a shadow of demodogs covered the wall ahead, the stampede getting louder, the roaring increasing rapidly. She shut her eyes and braced herself for death when one of them drifted around the corner, running up to them. Steve held the bat strong. She covered her face and screamed.
But when the roaring hit its peak and she felt a gust of wind brush past her legs, she opened her eyes. To see the creatures scurrying past both of them as if they were merely an obstacle.
Her face flashed with confusion, suddenly losing her balance from the gusts of wind. Steve grabbed her by the waist, wrapping his arm around her tightly before she could fall— bringing her close so her body was pressed to his. Her arms found his torso, and she hugged him even tighter with her head buried in his jacket, and her eyes closed.
And there they were, wrapped together tightly, like the world depended on it— as the demodogs scurried past them down the tunnel and the world burned.
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