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usetheeauthor · 1 year

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Love, Papa 2

Virgin!Henry Creel|One|Peter Ballard x SexWorker!Reader

Summary: After family game night takes a turn for the worse, One is angry with you for ruining his opportunity to go “outside”. You try to get back in his graces in hopes that he’ll help you escape.

Warnings/TW: graphic language, attempted suicide by drowning, violence, infantilization, Brenner being weird, enemies to lovers, tsundere!Peter, hair pulling, crying, force feeding, reader nicknamed “belle” (by Brenner) and “bunny” (by One), slow burn relationship

word count: 5.3k+

series masterlist

Chapter 2: Dumb Bunny

You grow impatient as the “family” continues to eat and converse knowing you’re desperate to win this silly game and go outside. The psychotic man’s eyes constantly flicker back to you when he notices that you haven’t partaken in the meal.

“Belle, you’ve hardly tasted your food. Your brother’s been trying to feed you the entire time and you continue to resist,” Papa begins. “That just won’t do.”

“I don’t eat meat.” You spat through clenched teeth.

“Meat is protein. For your bones and for that beautiful brain of yours, my dear. I want all of my children to grow up big and strong. So you will eat the meat.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?! Grow up? I’m an adult! You fucking psychopathic bastard.”

He shoves the table from himself as he stands. The table along with his chair launches a few feet away. He towers over you as you stare up with a defiant snarl.

Papa grips your face in his large hand, your lips protruding out. “What did I say about that kind of language under my roof? And in front of your younger sister! How would you feel if she were to repeat that kind of behavior? You’re on your 1st strike for the night. Don’t accumulate any more unless you know what’s good for you.”

His fingers began to dig into your cheeks the tighter he squeezed, tight enough that you were convince he’d draw blood or even choke you out this way.

“Papa,” One chimes in. “She didn’t mean to say those things. She’s scared and the rules are still very new to her. She’s learning.”

“Yes, Papa,” Eleven says, terrified for you. “She’ll be good.”

The viscous man glares into your eyes for a few moments before he lets out a sigh and releases you. You gasp for air, unable to rub the sting away from your cheeks due to your hands being bound.

“I’m sorry for my behavior, children. All of you. Especially you, belle. I’ve been much too hasty with you but only because I know you can be my good girl,” He caresses a hand down your tear-stained cheek and you shiver in fear and disgust. “Will you forgive me?”

You frantically look in One’s direction and he gives you a secret nod. Swallowing your pride, you whisper your acceptance. Papa kisses the top of your head before taking his seat and adjusting the table.

He lets out a breath of relief. “Now, One…please feed Belle her meal.”

“No, please.” You whimper.

One holds the spoon up your lips, you turn your head away. He follows your movements until Papa has to once again stand from his seat. He restrains your head, widening your mouth forcefully.

You whine and cry, struggling under his grasp. For the first time, One seems to break his emotionless persona and you could actually see him being reluctant to follow his father’s commands. But then Papa growls for him to do so and Peter shoves a spoonful of ground beef into your mouth.

“More!” Papa yells.

He shovels more into your mouth until your forced to swallow. You could feel you body having a visceral reaction to the meat. It rejects the taste and, not a moment after, you’re vomiting over yourself.

“Looks like Belle made a mess.” Papa says in an endearing tone.

You couldn’t even stare at him in anger for his sick ways. You felt defeated and weak, looking up at him with tears swelling in your eyes and saliva on your chin.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Let’s run you a bath and get you all cleaned up,” He runs a hand through your hair. “Maybe next time for dinner you won’t give a hard time. I beg not to…unless you wish to be punished. Eleven, would please draw Belle a bath? And, One, if you could please clean this mess and then take her to her bath?”

“Yes, Papa.” They say in unison.

Eleven rushes out of the kitchen and One tends to the mess all over you, wiping away with a moist towelette.

“If you’ll excuse me, I will be in my office to tend to my work. Please have lights out and everyone in bed by 8 sharp. We will have to reschedule the family game night for another time?”

“But Papa,” One shoots up from his seat in protest. “I was hoping I’d get to go outside. You said if we played then there’s a chance that I—”

“Are you being defiant?” Papa’s voice grows dark, staring the young blonde-haired man down.

The young man swallows his pride, jaw clenching. “No, I’m sorry for speaking out of turn.”

Papa nods, wordlessly accepting his apology before exiting the kitchen. One slowly lowers back down into his seat, staring in Papa’s direction angrily before turning to you.

“This is your fault.” He hisses but you couldn’t even care to reply. You already felt so broken. There was no way you could escape this place. Even if you could, you were much too afraid of what could happen should you get caught.

After cleaning you up enough, he carries you to the bathroom in his arms. Eleven awaits by the bathroom door, concern in her eyes for you. You felt genuinely terrible for her. She’s just a young girl witnessing all of this happening before her. Yet despite all the violence she must’ve endured, she was still kind and caring.

“You can go clean up in the kitchen, sister. I’ll be there with you soon.” One says to the young girl.

She nods, looking at you once more then closing the bathroom door behind her. One pulls off the large shirt he’d given you and you don’t attempt to resist. Even when his fingers curled around the waistband of your underwear, you remained an empty shell.

He doesn’t lower your panties. Instead, he pulls his hands away from you, letting out a shaky exhale.

“That’s as far as I will go. You can remove them on your own,” He reaches for the doorknob to exit but then ends up speaking over his shoulder for his last message. “You must know you’ve earned an enemy in me. I had plans to go outside for reasons that I don’t feel the need to disclose with you. If you weren’t such a brat, we could’ve been out there.”

You shudder a cry before breaking down completely, head falling into your hands. “I don’t care anymore. Just leave me alone.”

One almost feels bad for you. You weren’t built for a situation like this. But was anyone really? Something about you was different, though. Why had you given up so soon?

He exits the bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar and he could hear you sobbing to yourself all the way until the end of the hall.

————————

You can hear the chimes again. When you close your eyes, they sound a lot closer. You let your mind drift away again.

This time you’re even younger in your memories. Your dress the color of sky, flowing daintily in the strong winds as you frolicked in a field of daisies and dandelions.

You can see someone in the distance. A boy some years older than you. He calls you over to him with a smile and you want nothing more than to reach out to him. But every time you felt like you were getting closer, he seemed further and further away. Oh, if only you could see his face.

But he felt so familiar. You know him. Possibly all your life. So you pick up your speed to reach him, giggling and smiling. You were almost there. So close. But then you see a tall, dark figure towering over him from behind. The boy is oblivious to it, simply waving and smiling at you.

You stop in your tracks, screaming. Or at least you’re trying to scream but your vocals felt as if they’d been constricted by your fear. You knew his name, it was on the tip of your tongue. You’ve got to say it or that thing will take him! Just say his name!

You open your mouth the first syllable of his name ready to be spoken when the figure consumes the boy whole. You watch in horror, tears streaming down your face. Paralyzed with fear, you couldn’t run. All you could do is watch as the figure slithered your way.

It rears itself back as if it’s gaining the momentum to pounce and—

—————

You’re coughing up water, gasping for air. One and Eleven over you, staring down at you with a mix of terror and relief in their eyes. You have a fluffy pink towel wrapped around your body as you recognize that you were resting on the cold tile of the bathroom floor.

You were drowning, submerged yourself in water for nearly 3 minutes. One was able to revive you with CPR. His hands wet as he caresses his hands over your face to check if you were responsive.

“Why?” Was all he said.

But you don’t answer. You just blink up at him wanting to study his features, know who he is. Maybe he might have been the boy in the dream that you saw.

Eleven gets on her knees beside you, tears in her eyes. She goes in for a tight hug, surprising you. You don’t hug back at first, too dazed and confused. But then you suddenly had the urge to comfort her, curling your arms around her tight as well and whispering your apologies to her.

After the incident, you were placed back into ‘your room’. You’d been given another large shirt to wear. You knew he’d be coming in to tie you up to the bed and you wished you could savor the moments of your freedom, stretching your hands and legs. But all you could do was hug your knees to your chest.

You feel someone enter the room, not bothering to look behind you.

“Belle?”

It’s the little girl. You turn to look at her standing in the doorframe, scared to come in.

“It’s okay,” You say. “You can enter.”

She nods, walking over to your bedside. You gesture for her to have a seat and she does so as well. The silence is deafening for a moment until she speaks up.

“I’m sorry.” She whispers.

“Why?”

“Because you’re here.”

You let her reply sit for a moment then sigh. “It’s not your fault.”

“But I wish I could have said something to help you get away.”

“Then he would’ve hurt you,” You know it was brutal to say but the Eleven knew that it was exactly what he would have done if she interfered. “I think maybe I’m supposed to be here.”

Eleven blinks in surprise. “Really?”

“Yeah. I think it’s fate for me to have met you. Because it means I get to save you. Wouldn’t you want to be free?”

Eleven blinks rapidly, putting her hands over her ears. “No, no. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. I’m sorry. No escaping. No!”

The picture frames on the walls began to clatter against the wall.

“Eleven?” You stare at her in horror as she continues to plea and beg for you to stay.

You don’t know what to do so you simply wrap your arms around her, holding her tight until she begins to stop crying. She ceases her cries, going limp in your arms as you cradle her.

When you felt a presence coming towards your room, you worried it was Papa and you expected him to question Eleven’s distraught state. But One enters the room, concern on his face when he scans the room to see the picture frames slowing their movements then looks over at you and Eleven hugging.

“What’s going on?” He asks.

“It’s nothing,” You say. “I just scared her. That’s all.”

“Eleven, it’s time to go to bed. Papa will come around to tuck you into bed soon so please say goodnight to Belle.”

She reluctantly pulls away from you, whispering a soft goodnight then exits the room. One stands in the middle of the room stiff and proper, staring daggers at you.

“Are you aware of what you’d just done?”

“Are you always this stoic?” You mutter.

“I’m only doing what I have to do. You should do the same,” He strides over to you, taking a seat at the edge of the bed. “I told you if you’re going to survive, you need to adapt. Killing yourself isn’t going to help this situation.”

“And how so? If I’m dead, I wouldn’t have to deal with you or that insane man.”

“You don’t realize what you’ll leave behind once you do,” For the first time, you can see fear in his blue eyes. The moonlight shining in them enhances his emotions. He looks strikingly beautiful, face chiseled despite the light being so dim. You’re enamored by him. “You don’t just die and that’s it. Eleven and I will face the wrath of Papa if you do so. I won’t let you die. Call me ‘selfish’ but I’ve been good enough to not be punished and I don’t need you ruining that for me.”

“You have no control over me. None of you do. I rather die than live in this nightmare. I can’t do this!”

“Do you know that it was Eleven who’d found you submerged underwater? She couldn’t see you through the milk & rose water, not until she reached in to drain the tub and felt a foot. She would have screamed at the top of her lungs but she knew what Papa would’ve done to us all.” Your facial expression softens, feeling truly horrible that she had to see such a thing. He continues. “If you don’t adapt, you don’t survive. But if you choose not to get along, that’s fine. I don’t mind whatever happens to you as long as I don’t have to get punished for it.”

“Maybe you’re okay with being a bitch boy and all because you don’t want to get hurt but at least I’ve got the balls to do something about it. So…Fuck. You.”

“I’m going to give you such a hard time.”

“I’d like to see you try.”

His face twists into a furious snarl, getting on his feet to leave when your hand reaches for his on their own accord.

He’s caught by surprise, frozen in position as he looks down at the contact. You pull him down to be seated once more and he does so without hesitation.

One studies your face for an answer.

“What’s your name?” You ask, dropping the hostilities.

“One.” He says.

“Your real name.”

“That’s my real name.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It’s the only name I could recall.”

“What about your life before this?”

“I can’t remember that either,” He sighs. “What does it matter anyway?”

“Because,” You scoot closer to him. “I feel like maybe we’ve met before.”

“You’re mistaken.” He tries to stand again but you place your hands on his shoulders, seating him.

“I dreamt of a boy in a field of daisies and dandelions. I couldn’t make out his face. He was only a silhouette but I knew he was smiling at me. And he was happy to see me. If I could just find some connection to all of this in my life—”

“You have to let go of those fantasies. They’ll only give you false hope and drive you mad.”

You grew upset, turning your head away from his gaze. “I am mistaken. The boy in my fantasy actually smiled at me. You don’t even have the decency to tell me you’re sorry.”

“For what?”

“For being okay with this! For doing everything he says.”

“You’re as daft as you look,” He growls. “You think I want to play these silly games. We don’t have a choice! So again…if you want to survive, you have to adapt. Unless you’d like to end up like the others.”

“T-there were o-others?”

“Of course, there were others. He’ll stop at nothing for the perfect family. I’m a permanent member of this family. So is Eleven. But you… ‘Belle’… are expendable,” He whispers darkly, eyes wide with innocence despite his chilling words. “Papa dreams of a perfect family to be in his image that he’s dreamt for years. And losing another new addition will mean nothing more to him than a piece of torn paper.”

You swallow hard, chest rising and falling heavily. “How many were there…before me?”

He opens his mouth to speak only to be cut of by the sound of a door shutting. One’s eyes bug out in horror.

“That’s Papa. He’s just left his study. I must go before he sees us like this,” He picks up the rope tied to the bars of the bed frame. “I have to tie you up.”

“No,” You plead. “You can’t please. It hurts.”

“Until you gain his trust, it’ll be this way. I already told you that you’re expendable. Don’t do anything stupid and risk losing your life. If you want to survive…

“I have to adapt,” You finish with a groan of annoyances. “I know. I know. Just tied me up already. I don’t care to fight anymore.”

Peter slowly loops the rope around your limps and you could actually feel him holding back on tightening the rope.

Leans down to whisper in your ear. “Don’t give up fighting just yet. If you still have a shred of something to live for then you must hang on to it.”

He lifts his head to stare into your eyes and you see that he genuinely meant what he said. You were surprised but nodded nonetheless. He quietly slips from your room leaving you in the chilly, eerily quiet space alone.

Every footstep you heard outside your door terrified you knowing that it was Papa. Any moment and he’d be walking through the door just to harass you in some way. You couldn’t bear to have him touch you but you knew it was only inevitable.

To reduce the surprise of his presence, you counted each thud of his foot in order to determine how far he was from reaching your door. It did little to lower your anxiety as each footstep grew closer and closer in sound until you heard him halt right out your door.

You tremble against the mattress as the door slowly creaks ajar. Then, you see him. The tall, lanky silhouette of your captor standing in the door frame. He steps up and the moonlight washes over his features. He has a soft smile.

“Hello, Belle.”

You don’t speak anticipating his next move. What was he planning to do? You were already tied up. He could do whatever he pleased in his bound state and with each footstep, you began to cower even more at this very fact.

He takes a seat beside you, shushing you as you whimper and tremble. He brings a large hand to your head, smoothing your hair down.

“I didn’t come to hurt you, my dear. I only want to comfort you. You’ve disobeyed me plenty today and yet I can’t help it. I must ease your nerves,” He whispers, fingers now caressing your tear-stained cheek. “Tell me what must I do to make you love me.”

You shake your head. “I could never love you.”

“That’s not something I can believe, Belle. You wouldn’t be selling your body on the street if you weren’t craving for someone to love you. And I love you, Belle. With time, you’ll love me, too,” He leans over you as you press your head back against your pillow. “Until then, I will be patient. I will wait for you to come around. Then, we’ll begin our journey as a happy family.”

He places a gentle kiss on your forehead and you do everything in your power to keep from rubbing at it in defiance and disgust. He moves his lips to your bound wrist, sliding the rope down enough to place another kiss on the deep indentation of the rope against your skin. He takes a thumb to rub at it before bringing the rope over it again.

“Do I get a kiss goodnight?” He asks, bringing his face over yours again and turning his face to the side. “On the cheek, of course.”

You face away, snapping your head to the side to face the antique wallpaper. He looks down at you and sighs, hands on either side of your head. He inches them closer to your hair sprawled out around you, weaving his fingers in the strands of your hair and gripping hard. You gasp in pain, staring up at him with widened eyes.

“You need to sleep off this rebellious attitude. I say by morning you’ll be more well-behaved,” His lips are inches away from yours, tone icy. “Have a good night…Belle.”

He pulls away from you leaving you struggling between holding your breath and hyperventilating as he exits ‘your room’.

You coil your body in fetal position, crying softly into the night. You couldn’t see yourself falling asleep anytime soon. Not when he was around possibly waiting for a moment to take advantage of your sleeping state.

You let your mind drift again, far away from here and back to the field of daisies with the boy who made you feel safe. Slowly your eyes begin to blink close allowing yourself to hold the image of him holding out his hand to you.

—————

The next day, you were discouraged to realize that the torment that you were experiencing had not been a dream. You were awoken by the blonde haired man who still carried resentment towards you for your little stunt last night.

While he helped you out of bed, you couldn’t help staring into his face. It was no surprise he carried no emotions. He was likely desensitized to everything around him. He probably was once like the little girl Eleven, bright-eyed and innocent, until he was not.

You pitied him. And maybe that was displayed on your face because he had a few choice words for you.

“Why are you staring at me like this?”

“Like how?”

“Like you feel sorry for me. Like I’m weak.”

“I do feel sorry for you,” You admit. “You have no recollection of your life before this. You have no name other than a number. And you’re treated as if you are a child.”

“I don’t need your pity,” One scoffs. You take his hand and he’s taken aback once again at the sudden contact. “You’re always touching me. Don’t you know the basic rules of keeping your hands to yourself.”

“No one has ever followed that rule for me. Why should I be the only one to follow it? I think you want me to touch you,” You said, intertwining your fingers with his. “I think…you still have a heart and you’re seeking compassion and companionship. You want me to convince you to fight. You and I are both victims of our situation. But we shouldn’t let it drive our complacency. We could escape. The three of us.”

His ocean eyes shine with shock as if you’d read what was on his mind. He quickly snaps back to reality, pulling his hand away. “You’re a foolish woman. Your bravado will be your downfall.”

“You can try and pretend like you don’t want to run! But I know the truth and I’ve seen it in your eyes. I won’t waste my energy fighting to stay alive here like you want me to,” You say while staring up in his eyes with a newfound courageous spirit. “I know what I’m fighting for now and it doesn’t end with me being here.”

The two of you keep up your heated gazes until the door pushes open and Eleven enters the room giddily.

“Brother! Sister!” Eleven squeals giddily. “Papa says that he’ll allow us to go outside after breakfast! He says that he felt truly awful for ending family game night the way it did and so as an apology, we can play out in the field.”

“That’s splendid, El! Sister and I will be expressing our gratitude to Papa very soon. Could you please let him know that we’ll be there soon?” One says.

“Yes!” She says with a bright smile before scurrying out the room.

One brings his lips to your ears for a raspy, threatening whisper. “I’ll see to it that you’ll be on your best behavior unless you wish to be punished for real this time.”

He pulls away and gives you that famous eerie yet innocent smile. “Don’t be too late for breakfast.” And with that, he leaves you in the room alone as you seethe quietly at his unwavering demeanor.

————

Breakfast felt surprisingly normal. Papa read his newspapers, Eleven colored away in her coloring book, you and One were consistently staring dagger at one another. It creeped you out but that didn’t matter at all to you.

You’ll finally get to go out there and make a run for it. You even ate all your breakfast hoping that it’d give you the necessary energy to run for your life.

Papa looks away from his newspaper to watch you in astonishment. “Wow, look at you, Belle. It seems you’ve developed quite the appetite. And Eleven, it’s not good to color at the table. We’re meant to be eating breakfast, remember?”

“Sorry, papa.”

“You’re very much excused, love. I understand that you’re eager to hurry outside. I guess I could just let you three catch the rays of the sun right now. Is that what you’d like?”

“Yes!” One and Eleven say in unison.

“And you, Belle?” Papa says, focusing his attention on you.

You smile brightly and nod. “Y-yes.”

“Wonderful,” He beams. “Alright, let’s go outside.”

You could almost cry tears of joy. Freedom was only within a reach away. He stands to his feet and you all follow after him as he heads over to the door padded with locks upon locks.

He pulls out a keychain filled with various keys from his pocket and begins unlocking the door. When he gets to the last lock, your smile widens as the door swings open and the sun pours in.

It was in the middle of nowhere, a house in the middle of the woods. There’s a chance you could get lost but that mattered not. As long as you can get away, you’ll figure out a way home after.

The house was also surrounded by tall metal fences, fences laced with barbed wire at the top. It was intimidating and deterring but not enough to scare you.

The field’s quite beautiful. He has his own garden and crops to grow. Possibly to reduce the amount of trips to the grocery store. You could see an apple tree with a tire swing hanging from the thick branch.

Eleven is the first to exit the home, barefoot with her frilly blue and white dress blowing in the wind as she twirled and jumped around.

One is next, his excitement a lot more contained as he heads straight for the garden. He begins to tend to the crops.

Lastly, you take a barefooted step onto the creaky porch, antsy at the startling sound which causes you to bump into Papa. He chuckles, amused by your anxious state.

“Run along, Belle. Enjoy your time outside. I’ll be in my study but we’ll see each other very soon.”

You blink up at him then back at the picturesque field. He was wrong. He wouldn’t be seeing you. But if there’s one command from him that you’ll find yourself listening to…you will very well ‘run along’.

————

You need to figure out just how you will get to the other side of this fence without being shocked to death.

“Don’t even think about,” One says, bumping your shoulder with his as he follows your eyes to the barbed wire fence. “You’ll have yourself killed.”

“I thought you didn’t care what happened to me.” You mutter.

“I don’t long as I’m not in the middle of it.”

“Then, you don’t need to worry about it.”

“Whatever. It’s your funeral.” He huffs, retreating back to his garden. You should be ignoring him and focusing on more pressing matters but you watch him as he cups his hands carefully around the leaf of a plant.

You zero in only to find that he held a small tarantula in his hands. You squeak your horror.

“Why do you have that?”

“Why do you care?” He counters.

“You’re more of a child than I thought.” You say, rolling your eyes.

He gives in. “I like spiders. Everyone looks down on them because they’re ‘creepy’. Much like me, I, too, couldn’t appease the masses. I’ve been told that I’m strange. Unnerving like my eight-legged comrades. I was never normal. But why would I want to be, anyway? All humans care for is fulfilling their own selfish desires. Sex…money…violence…anything of the flesh. But what I desire…not many are willing to admit. I desire power.”

“You’re right about that,” You say much to his surprise. “Everyone I’ve met has only ever wanted those things from me. The men who used my body, the man who sells my body for profit, the violence that follows me where I go. I want power, too. If I had the power, just this once, I’d get my revenge on them all. Including your Papa.”

He’s moved by this, smirking with pride. “You’re not the dumb bunny I thought you were.”

The corner of your lips twitch in a vicious sneer. “I’d hurt you, too. I’d hurt anyone who hurt me.”

He nods, slinking the hairy spider back and forth in his hands and between his fingers. “You’re entitled to those feelings, bunny.”

“Bunny? Is that what you’ll be calling me from now on?”

“I think so. It suits you well. Hopping around dangerously and frantically only to be swallowed whole by the cunning fox. You’re only prey here. That’s all you’ll ever be. Power isn’t reserved for prey. That’s just wasteful.”

“I’ll prove you wrong.” You hiss, stomping away from him.

You pace back and forth, hands in your hair and thinking hard when you feel a small hand tug at your white nightgown.

You looked down to see Eleven with a smile on her face, waving for you to come along with her. “I have something to show you.”

“Not now, dear. I—-“

“Oh, it’ll be so quick. I promise.” She says, grabbing your hand and tugging you along to come around the back.

She halts in her tracks at a distance, then points forward and you look in her pointed direction. There’s a brown wild bunny hopping away in the cunning fox’s cage.

Eleven gets on her knees and gestures for you to follow her as the two of you crawl as close as possible to the bunny. She pulls out an apple from her small pocket, taking a bite so that she has a piece of apple to feed to the bunny. She hands the apple over to you, wanting you to do the same.

“That way the bunny will get to decide who she feels comfortable going to.” Eleven explains.

You repeat the process of biting into the apple for a chunk to provide to the bunny. Then, you hear it. The chimes gently sounding off in the winds. The bunny hops towards you and you and Eleven stare in awe at the creature as it makes its way to your offering.

It nibbles for a moment, your eyes staring into its own like you’ve formed a connection. Eleven sneezes and it startles the bunny, causing it to scamper off and under the barbed wire fence.

“I’m sorry.” Eleven says, disappointed.

But you had a revelation. It wasn’t that you needed to go over the fence. It was under the entire time.

Score: 1 for the ‘dumb bunny’.

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curiousity-cell · 4 months

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GLITCH / FLASH WARNING

the crackship continues

song: can you feel my heart - bring me the horizon

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notnahberrie · 2 years

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Will Byers reshaped the Upside Down from a hellscape into Hawkins

I know this has probably been mentioned before, but I need to get this out because right now I’m—

Theory that in S1 when Will was taken, he reshaped the Upside Down the moment he arrived. Not created, but reshaped. He was so afraid and desperate for home that — using the powers he didn’t know he possessed — he turned the Upside Down into Hawkins, but a diseased version of it due to the emotions he felt. Distress, fear, loneliness, depression, and of course, feeling like he was on the brink of death. ST4 has fleshed out that El’s powers are affected by her emotions. So why not Will, and other super-powered individuals?

Recall when El forced 001 into the portal the ‘Upside Down’ looked very different from how it does now. Red skies, no grey. Lightning flashing everywhere, destructive, and no chance of non-powered beings actually surviving it. 001 barely did… he got hurt by it even and turned into a giant grey raisin. So something had to have happened before we saw UD!Hawkins for the first time in season 1. And this lines up with how Will was the first since Vecna to enter the UD, before the other victims.

+ Also where did all the organic life in UD!Hawkins come from? Were they unintentional manifestations of a horrified child’s imagination? Or did Vecna have a role in this, after Will changed the scape of the UD? This links to other theories I’ve read about Vecna being the one stalking Will at first— not the Demogorgon… perhaps it did not exist yet, at least not in that form? And Will had a hand in shaping the monsters as well, could be influenced by the monsters and creatures he is familiar with in D&D.

I’m sure Will shaping the UD is pretty much a given by now actually— since Nancy realized the date in the Upside Down in S4 Vol. 1! The day Will disappeared. She noted it verbally. Doesn’t that strike as odd? Nancy, not a direct friend of Will’s— remembers the exact date he disappeared?? This is debatable (maybe she wrote an entry/or NOT cause she was probably writing all about Steve at that time in her life) but I still think they had her character say this for a reason. Namely, they might reveal that UD!Hawkins all formed because of a frightened, super-powered child longing for home. That discovery was a part of the build up for the audience.

Vecna may or may not have known about Will’s powers when he decided to kidnap him (I’m guessing he did). And that relates why Will managed to survive so long without dying, and not being instantly eaten by the Demogorgon when it found him— as fleshed out in many excellent theories I’ve read.

Adding on that there is no Sun in the UD, which is why everything is so dark. But there is one anomaly, that we saw after S4. Vecna remained in the very centre of the dimension, the one he himself inhabits— which remains closer to the original version of the UD, with the red skies. He chose that lair and perhaps moved his old house towards it (how? Idk, powers maybe) / perhaps it really was where his house was located at after Will reshaped the dimension… but the skies remained red because it’s where his own powers are most prominent and therefore unaffected by Will’s. The house got messed up by the lightning there, which is why everything, furniture, walls, etc. is scattered. The death of his family gives him a stronger connection to the real world + he uses the Mind Flayer’s power via the vines to kill people in our dimension.

And an even scarier thought that links to the above and has probably been mentioned somewhere else online (I’m so late I KNOW) Will created the Mind Flayer??? And that is why Vecna will possibly take him in Vol. 2? Basically, Vecna has been using a part of Will’s power all this time… (wild I KNOW but consider the guilt Will would feel from this? Enough to turn him dark/fall under Vecna’s control even???) Did the Mind Flayer even exist before season 1? Or was it just a manifestation of Will’s powers working against him due to his trauma and fear, then twisted and controlled by Vecna?

In short, Will has a different kind of power from El. Not really a stretch since Kali had a wildly different ability, right? She can create illusions, El can move matter with her mind, has telekinetic abilities. Meanwhile, Will not only has the power of True Sight, but also the ability to build things according to how he perceives them and his current emotional state, but unconsciously for now as he hasn’t realized he has powers.

Remember, it’s been stressed many many times in the show that Will is an artist, more so than the other characters and their hobbies. He creates. And perhaps that’s why Vecna was trying so hard to possess him. What is big bad raisin’s goal again…? Oh yeah. Vecna doesn’t like how the world is and he wants to reshape it.

+ Consider a bad ending where Vecna’ed Will creating a sort of bubble to hide in/imprisons him (like Bill Cipher did to Mabel in Gravity Falls), where he can construct whatever he wants— and Will replays all the happy days with Mike and his friends, on loop, while Vecna draws his power to break through to our dimension. (Byler could play into this, I do ship Byler but I’m still doubtful about a scenario where Mike actually returns Will’s feelings so a bad ending like this might be plausible?? Mike is Will’s weakness.)

And if the Mind Flayer wasn’t created by Will, then the reason it chased him even after he escaped the dimension (and not Nancy, Jonathan or even El), was because it wanted him back. Will Byers has way more power than he realizes and he could be the key to either Vecna winning/losing.

#stranger things theory #will byers has powers #stranger things spoilers #MAJOR SPOILERS #spoilers #I’m typing on my phone I will flesh this out further when I have time and energy #but in the meantime #yeah this lol #vecna #will byers #stranger things 4 #st4 #Byler #henry creel #001 #stranger things #one stranger things

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periprose · 2 years

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okay the Duffer Brothers knew what they were doing when they let 001 bite down on his belt while El was taking out the tracker-

#no comment #001 stranger things #001 #peter ballard #henry creel #stranger things #vecna #st vecna #one stranger things #vecna stranger things #001 x reader #001 x you #henry creel x reader #peter ballard x reader #vecna x reader #peter ballard fanfic #stranger things x reader

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bed-wed-behead-your-fave · 4 months

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orderly Henry Creel from Stranger Things 4

#bed wed behead #Henry creel #Stranger things #vecna #one stranger things

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sketci · 2 years

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I need to stop posting today.. but I'll be taking a break so...

Has this been done yet??

#eleven stranger things #stranger things #eleven hopper #jane hopper #vecna #henry creel #one stranger things #vecna/henry/one #she probably never understood what was happening.#she's so clueless to the point eleven even forgot who vecna was #i just keep thinking about it #stranger things crack #cursed image

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pinkeoni · 1 year

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“It’s weird knowing who it was all this time.”

How scared do you think it makes Will, now that he knows that a man has been after him this whole time?

Not some ancient eldtritch horror, a human man with human intelligence who has been watching him, stalking him.

He wasn’t just in the wrong place at the wrong time, and encountered a demogorgon when it was hungry and needed food. Someone sought after him for a reason and kidnapped him.

#man this has been sitting in my drafts forever #but seems relevant #will byers #stranger things #vecna stranger things #one stranger things #henry creel #byler #<- target audience #not byler related

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peppersldr · 2 years

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Living without you is like TV in black and white 🖤🤍

#henry creel #jamie bower #jamie bower x reader #jamie campbell bower #one stranger things #stranger things #stranger things 001 #peter ballard #peter ballard smut #henry creel smut #lana del rey

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langdonscult · 2 years

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this lives in my mind 24/7 HIS EYES IS INSANE HOLY SHIT

#jamie campbell bower #jamie bower #stranger things #stranger things 4 #001 #henry creel #peter ballard #vecna stranger things #001 stranger things #one stranger things

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sanasanakun · 3 months

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Going through my unfinished doodles and discovered I have at least five illustrations of Henry Creel looking extremely unsettling while standing by a bathroom sink. Clearly a concept not meant to be materialized and seen by the public eye given that I’ve not finished a single one of them. Also what-

#I don’t get it #I think it’s probably the weed #I’m blaming weed and somehow the Heathrow airport for this #cause it’s always that fucking airport’s fault for anything #anyway I think I’m just intrigued by him getting dressed to start the day or something #cause that’s what most of them are while he looks terrifying #a good concept #I think I will brew up number six and leave it equally unfinished now lmao #stranger things #Henry Creel #I’ve not talked about my mans in a while this is fun lol #if only I posted art online anymore but alas my brain immediately goes into content stress farming #so I must refrain #one stranger things #vecna

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loveu001 · 2 years

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What type of porn i think they watch:

What type of porn i think ADULT stranger things chars would be into.

nsfw

Hopper: he would be into them uhm brat taming/ daddy kink/ rough sex/ outdoor sex videos

001: he would be into the slow sex videos things. Very gentle videos i think. Also lingerie.. lace.

Eddie: now yall fucking know hed be into bondage. Light bondage though. HANDCUFFS. Hair pulling and kind of semi rough sex? Also edging haha-

Steve: vanilla king. Hed watch them cheesy pornos where the females are just exaggerating their moans and bust out laughing lmao. It would low-key ruin his mood.

Nancy: personally, i dont think she would watch it that often, but when she does, i'm guessing she would like to watch them solo - female videos. Where the girl fucks herself with a toy or something.

Robin: LESBIAN QUEEEEN. I feel like she secretly watches fem dom videos. Idk 💀 She like gets off on that lmao

billy: kind of vanilla?? also public sex maybe? sex on the kitchen table idk. semi rough sex???

#vecna stranger things #one stranger things #eddie stranger things #stranger things #stranger things s4 #001 smut #peter ballard #eddie munson #imagine #billy hargove smut #billy hargrove #nancy wheeler #the fruity four #eddie my beloved #robin buckley #fruity four #jim hopper #smut #henry creel smut

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nicxxx5 · 1 year

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will and el go to defeat vecna by themselves and mike waits for them to return:

it's only been a couple hours, but it felt like days to mike. he spent the first couple pacing back and forth until he got tired and decided to sit with his head in his hands, gripping at his hair threatening to pull strands out. he couldn't help it. he knew el and will logically were the only ones who could finally defeat vecna with their powers combined. that didn't mean he wasn't still stressed as fuck about something happening to them. after every thing they've been through, all the monsters they've face and all the people they've seen die, how could he not worry that the two people he cares about most more than anything walking straight into a life or death fight? still he sits and he waits.

lucas walks out from inside and joins him sitting on the porch of hopper's cabin. even though it was busted up from the fight with the mindflayer in 1985 it was still a common ground for all of them and a safe place after they fixed it up a little. mike turns his head a little to look at him but doesn't remove his head from his hands. lucas sighs and places a hand on mike's back in hopes of comfort.

"they're gonna be fine" lucas says to him. "they two of them are more than capable of taking that asshole down. you have to trust them"

"i do trust them" mike says without hesitation. "it's vecna i don't fucking trust. after everything they've been through with the upside down, all this fucking trauma, i just wish someone else could be the one to do it. i wish they weren't risking their lives for the rest of us" he gets more aggressive as he talks but by the time he's finished he sounds more distraught.

lucas sighs "i get it. trust me i do, and i don't want them to get hurt either. i don't want anyone else getting hurt because they risked their safety for the rest of us" he looks away from mike and stares ahead

mike makes a face as he remembers that another one of their party members is still technically in a coma from doing the same exact thing as will and el. he picks up his head and turns to look at one of his best friends "lucas-"

"it's okay mike" lucas looks at him and gives him a half-hearted smile. he turns and looks straight ahead again. "everything will hopefully go back to the way it was after that asshole's finally dead for good"

mike nods in agreement. he doesn't say anything else, mainly because he can't think of anything else to say and just let's his head hang.

they sit for maybe another 20 minutes before lucas places his hand on mike's shoulder suddenly as he scrambles to stand up, still staring straight ahead. "oh my god" he mumbles. mike looks at him confused and like he's insane before he looks straight ahead and scrambles to his feet himself. he gasps as he stares in front of them "holy shit"

up ahead two figures trudge toward them, silhouetted by the setting sun. exhausted, covered in dirt, blood and grime from the upside down, will and el smile at their friends as they stop about 30 feet from the cabin.

his heart's pounding as he stares straight ahead at the duo, because he's afraid if he looks away they'll disappear and he'll realize this was his mind playing tricks on him. but el continues to walk towards the cabin and now mike is sprinting at her. he envelopes her in a hug, pulling her tight to his chest as he feels that yes, she is real.

mike steps back from the hug and places his hands on her shoulders as he looks her up and down teary eyed, checking for injuries but also once again making sure that el really is standing right in front of him. he struggles to get the words out but eventually asks "you're okay?" el looks back at him with tears in her eyes as well but she's still smiling "i'm okay" she says. she takes a breath and still smiles as she says "and we did it. he's gone"

mike huffs out a breath of relief as she delivers that news to him. they did it. he smiles at her. they did it, vecna is dead and will and el-

mike snaps his head up to look past the girl in his arms to look at the boy who hasn't moved an inch since mike first noticed him when he was sitting back on the porch. his breath catches in his throat.

will is standing there. he's covered in dirt and upside down grime and there's a little bit of dried blood under his nose, but he's standing there and he's staring at mike.

mike drops his hands from el's shoulders as he shifts to the side to move around her. he stares at the boy in front of him for a moment before he walks over to him. he walks over quickly and determined as if he's going to disappear right in front of his eyes any second. he's about a foot away from him when he notices the glossy look in will's eyes as he gasps out "mike-". but mike doesn't let him finish. he doesn't say anything himself either as he grabs will and pulls him as close and as tight to him as he possibly can and buries his face in his neck and his shoulder.

he holds will as he takes a breath and smells the scent that has followed him since he was 5 years old. the smell of linen, pencil shavings, vanilla, home. from that breath, mike finally relaxes, and as he continues to hold on to will like he never plans on letting him go, and as he feels will's arms wrap around him as well and grip on to his shirt, he lets go and sobs.

he sobs in relief as the most important person in his life, the person who he knows like the back of his hand, better than himself, the person who has been by his side most of his entire life, the person who makes him feel wanted and needed, the person he cares about the most, the person he loves the most, is in his arms alive, breathing, and real. he feels neck get damp and will's body shake against his but honestly, he can't tell if that's the cause of his own sobs or will's. regardless he doesn't care because will is in his arms and he's okay, and he doesn't plan on letting go.

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creelimagines · 2 years

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I don’t think I’ve ever considered the fact that being practically locked in the facility for about 25 years, Henry wouldn’t know a shit and a half about all the new fashion and technology.

Just imagine this man, who hasn’t seen the sun in over two decades, coming out of the facility with the other two and suddenly people are wearing jeans, t-shirts, have mullets and listen to music out of tiny boxes they can keep in their pocket. Very far from the American dream-sickened 1940’s-1950 he grew up in.

He’d need time to get used to this relative freedom of expression, especially for the time.

#mine #read my main post to learn about the whole story!#stranger things #stranger things 4 au #stranger thing 4 #stranger thing au #henry creel #peter ballard #eleven #eleven stranger things #011 stranger things #001 #001 stranger things #001 x reader #henry creel x reader #peter ballard x reader #peter ballard x you #henry creel x you #one stranger things

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juiceicicles · 10 months

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Chapter 4: Code Orange

Max whips her head around as she watches all of the lamps in the trailer start to flicker and buzz. They come back on a few moments later, but that doesn’t stop the cold dread that’s settled in her stomach.

Max is always scared when the lights flicker. She remembers when every single light in Starcourt began to dim and brighten sporadically, remembers watching the faces of her friends pale, bright reds and neon yellows sparking in and out of terrified eyes.

The lights go out at the trailer frequently, the electricity isn’t well kept in Forest Hills, but the way the power seems to tremble bears a striking resemblance to a warning. Just like the many shop front signs at Starcourt once did.

She hears a scream and drifts over the window. She pulls the curtain back and she watches her neighbor Eddie slam the door open and rush to his van. There’s a second figure behind him, but they move too fast in the poor lighting for Max to get a good look at them. The dust kicks up behind the van as Eddie peels out of the trailer park with a horrified expression, mouth moving a mile a minute as he talks to whoever’s in the passenger seat.

It’s weird, and Max feels that cold dread spread out around her. It might be nothing, Eddie always drives like a maniac, Eddie’s loud and screams a lot, the power at the trailer park is shit. It might be nothing, but it might be something. Something very, very bad.

Max lets the curtains fall behind her as she rushes over to her room. She digs around in her closet until she pulls out a shiny new walkie talkie. She never uses it, she hasn’t felt like talking to the party in a while. They don’t really get her, and she’s wanted to be alone recently.

Billy wasn’t a good brother. He wasn’t nice, and he wasn’t even her real brother. Still, Max can’t help but feel like it was her fault that he died. If she just noticed earlier, believed El from the beginning, hadn’t wished that he was dead. He died to save her, and after many nights begging the universe that he would just disappear, her prayers were answered. Max doesn’t believe in god, but she can’t help but think that if she didn’t want so bad, maybe it never would’ve happened.

She pulls up the walkie’s antenna and presses down on the button. “Hello? Anybody there?” She says to the walkie, releasing the button to wait for a response.

Nothing.

“Hello? I need to talk to you guys!” She’d be yelling if it wouldn’t wake her mother, but it would so she settles for a very forceful tone.

Silence.

She tries a few more times before she gives up and sets the walkie on her nightstand. She’ll wait until she hears the stalkers talking, they use them frequently for nothing important, it’ll be the best indicator of when they’ll be there to listen.

A few minutes later she hears a voice that is distinctly not any of the younger members of the party, but still a recognizable voice.

“Hey! Is anybody there? We’ve got a code…orange? I don’t know!”

Steve sounds freaked out as he shouts through the speaker. A shake to his voice that’s different from the way he sounds when he’s worried the party’s going to do something stupid and more reminiscent of the panicked way he sounded in the back of Billy’s camaro, bleeding from his face and almost certainly concussed.

“Steve? What’s going on?”

“Max? What’re you- it doesn’t matter. Something Upside-Down related might be going on. I need to talk to Dustin. Do you think you guys could come see me tomorrow at Family Video?”

“Upside-Down related?” She feels her arms turn to lead and the way her breathing picks up. She can’t lose someone again, it can’t be happening again. “Should we come see you now?”

“I think it’s okay for now—“

“Dude! You—“

“—it’s okay for now, but we should talk soon.”

“…alright. I’ll grab the nerds and meet you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Max. See you soon.”

She sets the walkie back in the closet, but she leaves the antenna up and the door open in case Steve needs help. She doesn’t like the implications of what Steve said, and she doesn’t like waiting. Plus, she’s pretty sure she heard Eddie in the background, meaning whatever happened at the trailer was bad just like she thought it was. She can’t imagine an Upside-Down scenario that didn’t require immediate action, but if Steve said to wait, she could wait.

— — —

First thing in the morning after feeding her dog, she skates over to Lucas’s. She gets to Lucas’s and knocks on the door. Nobody opens it, so she knocks harder. She keeps knocking for a few more minutes before accepting that nobody’s home. The Wheeler’s is nearby so she tries them too. Nancy would be helpful, she’s got a lot more experience then she does. She gets an unhelpful response from Mr. Wheeler so she starts the trek to Dustin’s. It’s not far away, but it feels like eons to be just her and her thoughts.

Max wasn’t always an anxious person. She used to take things as they came and not worry about what she could and couldn’t change. If there’s nothing she can do to fix it, then there’s no point trying to find a way to. But that changed after Starcourt.

She feels constantly on edge. Like she needs to assess every possible outcome of every possible situation. Put her back to the walls so a demodog can’t sneak up behind her and surround her, note every exit so she knows where to run. There’s nothing she can do to stop it, but if she’s going to survive it she needs to be ready.

But there’s nothing to be ready for. The gate has been closed for months, there’s nothing lurking in the junkyard, or prowling in the woods. When the light flickers she just needs to check the lamps plugged in, when a plate breaks she just needs to clean it up. There’s no mind flayer to throw fireworks at, no bus to reinforce, and no Neil to sneak around.

She can’t help it though. Logically, she knows if the Upside-Down came back, she’d know. It always comes back loud, not always literally but it’s always noticeable. But there’s no more Will to sense it coming, no more El to push back against the monsters, no Joyce to notice the little things, and no Hopper to keep them in check. Just Max.

Which means if it’s back, if it’s really back, she has no idea what to do. The boys can figure out a plan, they always do, but they don’t have the tools they need anymore. Joyce packed their most valuable members up and left.

Max gets it, she really does, she’d give anything to go back to California with them. Sure she’d miss Lucas and Dustin, and she’d even miss Mike, but she’d be away from the ghosts and memories that haunt her nightmares. She’d be safe.

It feels selfish to want safety. She’s emotionally intelligent enough to know that that’s stupid. That safety and comfort are all things she deserves to have, that she’s wired to crave. But she’s supposed to be tough, she shouldn’t need a babysitter.

That’s why she likes Steve. He doesn’t ask her if she wants that, gives it to her anyways. He doesn’t push or prod like Lucas (she loves him, really does - though she doesn’t know that - but he has a need to make things better in ways he often just can’t) or needle her like Dustin. He’s just there. An adult to rely on, to take her to the arcade when her mom’s drunk and screaming, to bring her food that isn’t just microwaved hotdogs, and to stand between her and death whenever it comes for them.

She rolls up to Dustin’s house and knocks on the door. Ms. Henderson lets her in after a socially acceptable amount of small talk and an uncomfortable amount of motherly affection for someone who is not her child and informs Max that Dustin’s in his room.

She storms over to his door and pounds on it until he opens up with a glare and what’s probably a sarcastic remark on his tongue, but Max just shoves past him into his room.

“We need to talk for a second.”

“Nice to see you too, Max!” He spits at her, a venomous tone she has done nothing to deserve “long time no see! We haven’t seen you in weeks and now you’re barging into my house?”

She winces, she should’ve realized this conversation might be a bit difficult with her avoidance of the party recently. Honestly? She didn’t think Dustin would care. They aren’t super close, he’s not crushing on her anymore (thanks, Suzie) and they don’t always see eye-to-eye.

They don’t have time for this so she decides to simply ignore it. “Steve was on the walkie last night, something happened.”

She watched the anger fade from Dustin’s face as he registers her words, replaced by wide eyes and creased brows.

“What do you mean ‘something happened’? Is this a code red?” Dustin asks. He’s digging through a pile of clothes and pulls out a battered walkie talkie before he strides over to the other side of the room to grab a backpack.

“No, not a code red!” She rushes out before Dustin can compile a small armory in his backpack. That may have been a worrying statement, in retrospect, but she doesn’t really know how worried they should be so she thinks she deserves some slack, “Steve called it a code orange, whatever that means. Just said something potentially Upside-Down related happened and we need to talk. It didn’t seem like an emergency, but it sounded sort of urgent.”

Dustin relaxes a little bit, but his shoulders remain tense and his brow stays creased. He swears under his breath and drops his bag. He walks over to his bed and sits down, cupping his hands over his mouth and closing his eyes. “What do we know?”

“He just said to meet him at family video. But…I think I might’ve seen something.”

Dustin’s head snaps to her, focus overtaking his features. “What do you mean you saw something? Why were you near Steve’s?”

“I- it didn’t happen near Steve’s but…I saw the lights flicker,” Dustin inhales sharply, “and I saw Eddie speak away in his van—“

“Wait, Eddie? What does Eddie have to do with this?”

“Let me finish dumbass. Nothing that weird or anything. I mean...Eddie always drives like a maniac, and the power goes off at my place all the time. It's a piece of shit. But...I started to think back and I don’t know- the look on his face. He was scared, Dustin. He was really scared. Maybe he was scared because he saw a dead rat in his bed or something, but maybe…I don’t know…maybe something else happened.”

“Maybe something that caused the lights to flicker.” Dustin says softly, looking at the floor of his room. He’s got a sort of drawn expression, a resigned dread. Max feels that cold again. That feeling that tells her there’s nothing she can do now. That she just has to survive, and that’s all she can do.

“But- but that’s impossible, right? Something happening in two places at once?” She tries to rationalize. It’s a bad argument, she knows. Demodogs are pack animals, but that doesn’t mean they can’t separate. “And it was so quiet, monsters would’ve been louder, right?” There’s so much they don’t know. Anything could’ve happened there. Demodogs aren’t the only thing that lurks in the shadows.

“I don’t know,” he gets up and grabs his bag, determination radiating from him as he stuffs a lighter into the side pocket, “but there’s someone who knows what happened, and Eddie’s a problem for later.”

———

Tag List: @failedstarsandgoldenclouds @imyelenasexual @stxrcrossed186 @gregre369 @sweetwaterangel @sapphic-bats @starman-jpg

AO3 Link:

#Mean and Scary #Vecna Possessing Steve Harrington #steve gets vecna’d #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #stranger things 4 #stranger things fanfiction #max mayfield #maxine mayfield #vecna #one stranger things #henry creel #next chapter on Sunday

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