Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It's been a month since the last movie, and she was nervous. Well, not really nervous but... Okay, yeah. She was nervous, but she had no reason to be, right? She was probably just being paranoid. Was it paranoid if she knew it was going to happen? It happened to Steve and Mike, why wouldn't it happen to her?

Logically, she knew she's not the only one who would have a movie. El, Joyce, Will, Robin and Eddie all have a possibility of having the horrible experience of having their past shown. Hell, even Jonathan and Hopper realized they might have one. 

"I don't remember much, but I  went on a really weird trip with my foster dad when I was ten."

"I helped my dad when he was a mortician, I don't really remember much about what happened because had a really bad concussion, but something weird was definitely happening there."

She wanted to tell them, she didn't want them to find out over some stupid invasion of privacy, but she also wasn't ready. It was still something she was trying to process. It was part of the reason she shut herself off after Billy died. She just couldn't handle it.

Now, here she was, standing in Steve's living room with everyone except for Mike, he would be coming back to town tomorrow for Thanksgiving break. She could tell that no one knew what was going on, but they had an idea. Steve had called a code orange. Something upside down related but not threatening. It was obviously about the movies, what else would it be? This was why she was nervous.

"Okay," Steve came back into the living room with a medium box in his hands. He placed it on the table and ran his hands through his hair. "This is why I called you guys here." The room stood silent for a moment as everyone stared at him. 

"You called us for a box?" Dustin asked slowly, like he was speaking to Holly or some other small child. It was a strange looking box. A wooden cube with carvings on the sides that sort of looked like...

"Wait," Max scrunched her eyes and moved closer, "Is that us?" Her words caused everyone to get a closer look. on the front of the box was Steve and Mike carved into the top of the wood, her, Joyce and Will, Jonathan and Hopper, Robin and Eddie all along the sides. 

"This is why I fucking called you guys." Steve gestured widely to the box, "I found this on my bed." He placed his hand on it, almost like he wanted to open it, but he stopped. "I was going to wait until Mike got here tomorrow, but I knew someone," He gave a sharp, playful look to Dustin, "would be on my ass if I didn't tell you right away."

Max couldn't help but nod in agreement. As much as Dustin looked like he wanted to deny it, everyone knew it was true. Hell, even Nancy would have gotten on to him for not telling anyone and, if Mike were here right now, he would have too. 

"So, a box with our faces just appeared on your bed?" Hopper crossed his arms as he asked. If she didn't know him it'd sound like he didn't believe Steve, but she does know him, that's just the way he sounds. 

Steve quickly shook his head, "Honestly, the box doesn't bother me. It's actually pretty neat." He smiled softly at it before shaking his head, "It's what's in the box that concerns me the most." He opened the lid and pulled out two VHS tapes. "The Black Phone, my movie. IT, Mike's movie. They're in here."

"But there's something else," Nancy raised her eyebrow, "isn't there?" Nothing gets passed her, which, honestly, annoyed Max a little bit. 

"Yeah," He nodded, "There's more." He reached his hands back in the box and pulled out more tapes two at a time. "The Shining, Mama, Beetlejuice, Fear Street, Autopsy of Jane Doe, Evil Dead Rise, Journey to the Center of the Earth. This has to be your movies, right? This isn't just a coincidence?"

As much as she hated to admit it, Max couldn't help but agree. There was no way this was a coincidence. She wasn't even sure if she believed in coincidences anymore, everything about their lives have been thrown so far off balance that she wouldn't be surprised it batman suddenly popped out of Will's comic book. 

"Beetlejuice is mine." Joyce raised her hand slightly, "I know it is."

"The Autopsy one is mine, it has to be. It wouldn't make sense for you guys." Hopper pipes up next to her. 

Max knew that one of those was hers. No was no point in denying it. How were Mike and Steve okay with watching their life on a screen like that? Well, they weren't really okay with it seeing as how both of them broke down in tears at one point but still. 

"Are we going to watch one?" El spoke up from her spot next to Max. 

"I think we should," Dustin nodded excitedly, "Just like the last two, obviously something wants us to know what happened in all of your pasts. We definitely should watch these an-"

"Dusty-Bun," Eddie interrupted him, "First, you need to breathe. Second, we probably will watch them just wait a moment." 

Max could feel herself start to sweat. They all knew she had a movie, even if she never said anything. The way she acted and how she brushed it off, it was clear that she had an event. She just didn't want to talk about it. Not now and maybe not ever. This movie things were just fucking stupid. 

"We should watch them tomorrow when Mike gets here, yes?" The way Nancy spoke, she left no room for argument. Max wasn't even sure why she asked the question if she had already decided what they were going to do. 

"I think that would be best," Joyce nodded along, "Discuss it now and the order we want to watch them in and tomorrow night when Mike gets here, we'll have a sleep over," She raised an eyebrow at Steve asking if it was okay. He nodded. "And we'll watch the movies."

She wanted to pop in with her own opinion. They should get a say in whether the movies got watched or not, but she knew she was the only one against it. Yes, she was interested in watching Steve's and Mike's, she'd probably be interested in watching the others. She just didn't want to watch hers. She didn't want them to watch hers. Was that selfish of her? Probably, but Steve and Mike probably felt the same way about it too. 

"So, it's decided," Nancy nodded in agreement, "We'll all come back tomorrow and watch them." Everyone seemed to nod as well, as Max just stood there. This was going to suck; she just knew it.

Chapter Text

Everyone was sitting in Steve's living room. Mike had finally showed up around two-ish and Dustin had been the one the rush the small reunion of their friend saying that they need to watch the tapes. Mike, of course, was confused because no one had the chance to tell him before Dustin dumped it all out. 

"Wait, wait, wait." Mike looked around the room as he sat in his usually spot on the floor in the usual huddle of kids. Now, Mike was still working on forgiving them but at least on they would all sit together without trouble, "You guys found a whole box of tapes? Why did mine and Steve's show up randomly but the rest of you get a box?" He crossed his arms, "That doesn't seem fair." Max couldn't help but make a sound between a scoff and a chuckle. He was right, it wasn't fair, but that didn't really matter. 

After everyone settled down in their seats, they were pretty much assigned at this point, they watched Steve pop in one of the tapes. He didn't say which one it was, but it didn't matter to her, Max could already feel her hands start to shake. She shoved her hands into her lap so the people side of her, Lucas and El, wouldn't see them. She knew, she just knew, it was her turn.

"Everyone ready?" Steve asked as he sat in his spot in between Eddie and Robin. No, she wasn't but everyone else was and that's what made Steve press play. 

The screen showed a group of people standing on a football field holding candles.

Female Reporter: Shadyside, small-town America.

Well shit. There you go. That's all Max needed to know that it was hers. This was going to suck; she just knew it. 

The scene changed to a dark-skinned girl, then a brunette cheerleader, then a dark-skinned boy.

Female Reporter: But among Locals, a history of horror has earned it another nickname, 

Kids were now sitting on a bus. One boy was wearing a witch had with his face painted green. The screen then turned dark. 

Female Reporter: "Killer Captial USA."

"Oh, That's in Ohio." Nancy spoke up from her seat on the couch, "I read a little bit about it a couple of years ago. I don't remember much about it though." Max hated the fact that Nancy knew about Shadyside just by 'Killer Captial.'

A person wearing a skeleton sweater and mask was shown raising a knife over a struggling figure. Next a car was driving down the street. 

Female Reporter: And last night, 

The car swerved off the road. The car was shown crashed into a tree.  A blonde cheerleader crawled out of the passenger seat of the car.

Everyone sat in silence as they watched. Max was a little confused though, that girl didn't look familiar and there was no person with a skull mask trying to kill them.

Female Reporter: ...tragedy struck again.

The dark-skinned girl was shown looking out the window at the skeleton masked person.

Female Reporter: I'm here with Sheriff Nick Goode. 

A man appeared on the screen. 

Her eyes widened. Sheriff Nick Goode? Nick couldn't be a sheriff; he was only three years older than her. There was no way he made sheriff at nineteen-years-old. Could this be the future? It's possible, Steve and Mike's movies showed small clips of future events. 

Female Reporter: Sherriff, what can you tell us?

Change to Nick Goode walking to a crime scene. Two dead bodies lying on the hospital floor surrounded by blood.  Change to the reporter holding the microphone to Goode.

Goode: Um, there were seven victims.

A man in pink scrubs got stabbed in the throat. The brunette cheerleader screaming.

She could feel El flinch next to her at the image. No matter what they've all been through, Max knew that killing monsters and killing people were two different things that El was never going to like or get used to. Honestly, none of them should be used to it, but what can you do?

Josh: None of this... 

Change to a girl running away from Skeleton Mask before she got stabbed in the back. She tried crawling away. 

"Holy shit!"

"What the fuck?!"

"That girl looks just like me!" Robin sat up straighter in her seat, "I mean, yeah, her hair is a little darker, but other than that she could be my fucking twin." Max could feel herself getting a little stiff. She knew ninety-eight percent that what they were seeing now was from the future and she hoped that the girl dying on the screen wasn't Robin's daughter. They've been through too much already.

Josh:  is random.

A teen boy got stabbed from behind, the two girls in front of his gasping in horror. 

Deena: Oh my God!

The boy fell to the ground, revealing Skeleton Mask. 

Josh: These massacres are connected to Sarah Fier.

"I am so confused." Dustin had leaned forward from where he was sitting, his fingers to his temples as he stared at the screen. "Seriously, what is happening?"

A red hallway was shown. A man wearing a burlap sack over his head was swinging an ax at a door. 

Max flinched. She flinched so hard that Lucas stared at her weirdly. They still didn't know this was her movie and she wanted to keep it that way for a little bit. Just seeing him again, seeing Tommy... She'll never be over it; she knows she won't. Just like she'll never be over Bill or the upside-down shit. She just wasn't prepared to see him again. 

Josh: 1666, 

The blonde cheerleader and dark-skinned girl were sitting on the floor. 

Josh: Sarah Fier was hanged for witchcraft.

Dirty feet were shown handing in the air. 

Josh: Ever since,

The dark-skinned boy appeared on screen explaining his theory. 

Josh: She's been possessing people, turning them into killers, 

Change to a girl hugging her knees. She lifted her head to show cuts over her eyes. 

Josh: to take revenge on the town.

"Well then," Eddie's voice was filled with fake humor, "someone needs a new hobby." His joke startled a laugh out of, not only Max, but Will and Dustin as well. 

"Yeah, that is some grudge." Dustin chuckled causing more laughter. Max shouldn't be laughing; she should be traumatized or something. Well, she is traumatized but she's pretty sure she'll be okay. The upside-down has actually been a big help with trying to move passed things. 

The girl was now straddling a teen boy in the middle of the street, trying to cut his throat. Gunshots were heard, bullets hitting the girl. The dark-skinned girl was holding the gun, the two cheerleaders and the dark-skinned boy standing behind her. Change. Tire screeching was heard as the man with the burlap sack appeared behind an ambulance as it drove away. Change to the brunette cheerleader holding a can of hairspray and a lighter, creating a large burst of flame.

Kate: Go! Go!

"I've done that!" Eddie cheered, "The hairspray thing! It was so cool!" Steve turned to glare at him, hard. Eddie's smile fell and gave Steve a sheepish look, "Sorry, again, for using your hairspray." Steve didn't answer him, just crossed his arms and turned back to the movie. 

Change to a pile of goo, before an arm shot out of it. Change to the supermarket, the kids running down the aisles. Next, burlap sack walking down a school hall. 

Josh: But in 1984, there was one survivor, M. Mayfield.

Change to someone holding a piece of newspaper. 

Josh: She's the key.

The movie paused. No one spoke. No one moved. They all knew. There was no way to hide it. How could she? M. Mayfield, quite obvious between all of them who it was. 

"It's my movie." She whispered as she picked at her fingernails. "I knew as soon as it said Shadyside that it was mine." Again no one spoke, they just waited for her. "I think I'm okay, right now anyway. I'm sure I'll be a mess later."  She gave a dry chuckle, "This is gonna fucking suck."

Mike was the one who spoke first. "You're right." He nodded his head, "This is gonna suck, but you have something Steve and I didn't have." 

She gave him a weird look. "And what's that?"

"You had a little time to prepare." Max turned to Steve when he answered, "Mike and I didn't expect our movie, they just randomly appeared for movie night. You had a day to prepare yourself for the possibility of this happening, granted, that's not a lot of time but it probably helped a little." She nodded. Steve was right, of course he was right. She had time to mentally prepare for this, nineteen hours to be exact. The boys didn't have that, they were just thrown in the deep end. 

"Remember, sweetie, we can pause this at any time." Joyce leaned forward in her seat to look at Max better, "You control the pace here."

"You're right, you all are." She nodded her head. She took a deep breathe, one more preparation before looking back at the screen. "Let's get this over with."

A piece of paper was shown. 'It's happening again.'

Change to a boy getting axed in the head. Then the dark-skinned boy getting tackled by Skeleton Mask. Then a drawing of a skeleton with words surrounding it. The brunette cheerleader was laying on a table, being pushed through an electric bread cutter. 

"What the fuck just happened?" Lucas asked out loud. She knew that he wasn't asking her, he was just speaking, and she couldn't blame him. What they saw was pretty gruesome, but- Was is possible to get used to see people die and just see bad things happen? What that a thing?

Flashed were shown. A dirty girl, a flame, a cave. Change to the dark-skinned girl holding the blonde cheerleaders head underwater. 

Deena: It's over.

"Did she kill her friend?" El was starting at the screen with wide eyes as they watched the blonde girl go still. 

"I think so sweetie." Hopper's voice was sad, and everyone knows that he didn't want to tell her that, but he couldn't lie to her. 

The dark-skinned girl was now on the phone.

M. Mayfield: Over? It's never over.

The dark-skinned girl looked down. She was stabbed.

Whispering voice: Sam...

The blonde cheerleader was looking at the camera. 

El tilted her head at the screen. Max could tell she was even more confused seeing as though Hopper just told her that she died. 

Change to a stone with the name 'Samantha Fraser' carved into it. The dark-skinned girl fell to the ground. The blonde was chocking the other girl, who struggled.

Deena: Get off!

The blonde was pushed off and hit the cabinets. Change to the blonde tied to the ground with the phone cord as she growled. The dark-skinned girl leaned over her. 

Deena: I'm going to get you back.

The screen turned black.

"So," Dustin looked at Max with a smile, "still very confused. If you wish to explain please do so, if not I think I can wait." He couldn't wait, everyone knew that. She did appreciate that he was trying not to push her though. 

"That," Her voice was a little hollow as she answered, "was the curse of Sarah Fier."

Chapter Text

The camera showed going down a hallway.

Female Reporter: Killer Capital, USA. After a week of terror, Shadyside continues to live up to its twisted nickname. Clad in a Halloween skull mask, Shadyside high graduate Ryan Torres kicked off the days of terror with a massacre at the mall. 

They sat in silence as they watched the screen. Max took a deep breath. She was a little confused because there is no mall in Shadyside, or at least there wasn't a mall when she left. This was only helping her theory that this is the future.

The camera moved into the living room. 

Female Reporter: And now an already mourning community is plunged into horror yet again as the sheriff's department reports more carnage at East Union Medical. Police believe the murders were fueled by amphetamines.

A red headed woman was sitting on her couch petting her dog with a blank look on her face.

Max could feel her breath catch. That's her, there's no way that's not her. She looked a lot like her mom, and she could feel herself smile slightly. Her mom was one of the most beautiful people she knew, and it warmed her heart that she's gonna look a lot like her later in life. 

Female Reporter: Local teenagers Kate Schmidt and Simon Kalivoda are the primary suspects. 

The tv showed the brunette cheerleader and one of the boys.

"Do you know who they are?" Will turned and asked. Everyone else had apparently not caught on to what she had. 

"Well, no." She answered, "If I'm being completely honest, I think what we're seeing is the future." She was met with confused looks. Okay, that made her roll her eyes. They knew that seeing the future with these was possible. "You saw the woman, right?" 

"Yeah," Jonathan, as well as everyone else nodded their head, "You think that was you?"

"Maybe?" She nodded, "I mean, she looked almost like my mom. That has to be me, right?" 

Dustin gave a small hum before answering. "It's possible, but Steve and Mike's didn't show that far ahead. There's showed a couple of months at most. If that is you, you're in your early thirties at least."

Female Reporter: The scene of the final carnage was the local grocery store.

Back to the woman watching the screen.

Female Reporter: Sheriff Nick Goode found the Grab and Bag soaked in blood and broken dreams. 

The tv then showed an image of the sheriff. The woman continued to stare at the screen until the oven beeped. She stood from her seat and left the room. The camera moved to show items on the table. Cigarettes, a light, the remote, the note, and an ashtray. 

"Yeah. That's me all right." She nodded to herself. Not too long ago when her name was mentioned on screen, that same note appeared. There was no doubt in her mind now. 

The woman was in the kitchen taking dinner out of the oven and set in on the stove. She prepared her a plate of lasagna and a glass of whiskey. 

"Yeah, I'd be drinking too." Eddie mumbled, not as quietly as he thought he did because she's pretty sure everyone heard him. 

"Why do you think I started smoking weed." Steve whispered back, once again not so quietly. Everyone has their own way of coping with stuff that happened, she just hopes that she didn't turn into an alcoholic. She's seen what that does to a person, and she didn't want that for her at all. 

Once she finished eating, she made her way around the house making sure that all the doors and windows were locked. Her dog was barking, waiting on food. 

Max: Major, Jesus!

"Mayor?" Lucas raised his eyebrow. 

"How should I know?" Max shrugged her shoulders, smiling at her boyfriend. Lucas chuckled back and nudged his shoulder with hers. 

She complained as she went to check one last window. The dog still barking. She went to latch the lock on the window and groaned in annoyance at the barking. She walked away, not realizing the window wasn't latched all the way. 

Max: God damn it!

She walked out of the kitchen, the camera zooming in on the latch. 

Max could see Robin clutch Steve's shoulder, "I don't like that. I don't like that at all."

The dog was waiting by his bowl as the woman knelt down to give him food. 

Max: You're an impatient bastard, aren't you?

She then walked away, passing a calendar. 

Man on Tv: Sunnyvale is a city of hope.

Max couldn't help but scoff. Sunnyvale was just filled with pricks and liars. She thought Nick was one of the good ones, he was really nice to her but then he went and betrayed her trust. Made her seem like she was crazy. 

The tv was shown and a man in a suit was on the screen. 

Man on Tv: My family lived here for generations, cultivating the growth of our city. 

The camera switched to the couch, where the woman was sleeping. 

Man on Tv: And now, as I take the torch carried by my forefathers...

Rapid knocking was heard on the door causing the woman to startle awake.

It seemed like everyone started to hold their breaths. Max didn't want to admit it, but she was a little scared. She really didn't want to go through any of that again. Dealing with all this as a teenager was horrible, obviously, but dealing with it as an adult after you already thought it was done has got to be even worse.  

Man on Tv: I'm ready to bring my experience to City Hall for another two years. 

The camera moved from the couch to the door where the knocking grew more rapid, and someone even tried turned the knob.  The mail slot was lifted open, and someone shined their flashlight through. The camera followed the footsteps outside as they moved to the front window to shine the light in. The camera moved to the couch; the woman was no longer there. 

"Whoever it is seems like they really want to talk to you." Mike made a poor attempt of a joke to try and lighten the mood a little. It didn't really work. 

"Yeah, seems like they do." Max's voice felt like a whisper. She was really hoping that whoever it was wasn't possessed by the witch, she just doesn't know if she could do that again. She doesn't know if future her could do that again.

Switch to the woman in her room, her dog in her arms. 

Max (Whispering): It's okay. You stay here. I'm gonna keep us safe, okay?

The dog was whining as she placed him in the closet.

"Aw, the puppy." Max smiled at El's whisper. El always had a soft spot for animals, especially dogs. In fact, the kids were trying to convince Hopper and Joyce, mostly Hopper, to let her have a dog.  

The camera followed the woman as she reached under her bed and pulled out a small safe. Switch to another window as a flashlight shined through. Then another window. At the backdoor, the person tried the doorknob. The woman was hiding behind a wall with a pistol in her hands.

"Hell, yeah." Robin cheered at the screen, "whoever that is isn't getting passed you." 

Max crossed her arms with a smile, "I bet you Nancy taught me how to shoot." She turned and saw the older girl giving her a proud smile. She had actually brought it up to Nancy before, but she said she needed to wait until she was a little older. Of course, that aggravated her a little, but she understood what Nancy was saying. 

At the kitchen window, the person holding the flashlight lifted it open and started to crawl in. The woman rushed forward, grabbing the intruder and throwing them to the floor, her gun pointed at them. 

Max: Don't fucking move!

"Yes!"

"Go Max!"

"Don't mess with Mad Max!"

It was the dark-skinned girl.

Deena: Wait, wait! Stop, please! Don't shoot! We called you.

"Oh, it's her." Dustin placed his chin in his palm. "Who even is she?" 

The screen changed to the dark-skinned girl on the phone, speaking quickly. 

Deena: Hi, hello. My name is Deena Johnson. We need to know how you survived!

"Obviously, she'd Deena Johnson." Eddie spoke up, making sure to give Dustin a wide smile as he answered. Dustin gave a mocking smile back before turning back to the screen. Now, Max knows she's a little hard around the edges, but she really loved the way everyone interacted with each other without being sorry for it. That wasn't something she grew up with, but she was trying to get there, watching the others be unapologetic for it really helped. 

The dark-skinned boy took the phone. There was thumping noise behind them. 

Josh: Hey! We're being attacked, alright? There are killers here!

Switch to Max still holding the gun but she could still recall the message. 

Deena: Pick up! We need your help!

Josh: Please!

"I didn't answer them?" She had raised her eyebrow on at the screen. Why wouldn't she answer them? Like, yeah, she probably doesn't want to go through all that again, but she wouldn't let people hanging like that, would she?

She still had her gun raised as she looked at the window where the dark-skinned boy was.  Switch to a phone ringing that Deena answered. 

Deena: Hello?

Switch to the woman on the phone.

Max: You're still alive.

Back to Deena, a close up on her face. 

Deena: M. Mayfield...

"At least you called them back." She turned to glare at her boyfriend. Yeah, she called them back but that was after they went through everything. They could have already been fucking dead for all she knew. 

Back to the kitchen where Max gasped in realization. She lowered her gun and just looked at them shocked. 

Max: Why the hell would you come here?

Switch to outside. The three of them stood by the truck of a car as Deena opened it. In the trunk was the blonde cheerleader, still tied up and growling. 

Max: No!

"No!" She yelled at the same time her on screen self did. "I don't want to deal with that shit again, and I know she doesn't either." She pointed at herself on the screen. 

Max backed away and glared at the two kids. 

Max: No, no, no! You need to leave! Right now! You have no idea what you're doing! I'm not doing this shit again!

"See!" She gestured wildly to the screen. 

"Max," She quickly turned to Steve, a harsh glare on her face that, apparently, had no effect on him, "They're kids." She opened her mouth to reply but he held up his hand and gave her a small glare of his own. She let him continue, "They're kids, they're scared, and don't know what to do. You're their only option."

"I was a kid too." Her voice broke a little as she said this, but she just turned back to the screen to watch it all fall out. She understood what Steve was saying, really she did, but that still didn't really change her opinion on the matter. 

She turned and started to walk back to her front door. Deena jumped in front of her. 

Deena: Wait! Yeah, exactly. You are the only person who knows what we're dealing with.

Max glared harder.

Max: Which is why I don't want that thing near me. Get that car and 'it' off my property.

Deena: Her name is Sam. You could have watched us dead on the six o'clock news, but you didn't. You called us back.

Okay, she also saw Deena's point. Future her did call them back, so she must have wanted to help in some way. 

Max took a deep breath and shook her head. 

Max: I can't help you with this!

Deena: You are our last chance! The witch-

Max cut her off. 

Max: No, I'm sorry.

She tried to walk off again but Deena stopped her again. 

Deena: My girlfriend is possessed by her and tied up in a trunk, but you...

"Oh wow." Robin's eyes were wide at what the girl just said, "She just outed both herself and that girl to a stranger."

"Maybe things are different in the future." Eddie smiled, "Maybe we don't have hide anymore." Wouldn't that be nice. Max would love it if her friends could be able to go on dates with the people they want. Well, Eddie and Steve anyway, aswell as Mike and his boyfriend, Eddie. Is Mike dating his friend Eddie? Huh, they haven't really talked about that. She'd have to ask him later. 

Deena's eyes were filled with tears. 

Deena: You saw her, and you survived. What was different? Please. Maybe something happened to you, something that can help us stop her.

Max shook her head.

Max: There's not! You can't stop her. Run, far as you can, fast as you can! That is your only chance.

To be fair, Max did try to run and that didn't really work in her favor very well. 

She then started walking back to her door. Deena turned around. 

Deena: I can't just run!

Max stopped in her tracks but didn't turn around.

Deena: Look, Sam... I can't let her die. 

Max turned back slowly, an annoyed look on her face. 

Deena: I won't! I love her. Please! We drove three fucking hours, Ohio to Indiana! Please!

"Well, damn." Mike chuckled, "They really wanted to talk to you."

"They drove three hours with that girl in their trunk?" Hopper was pulling a weird face., "That doesn't seem safe at all." Well,nothing about this whole situation seems safe, driving three hours was probably the least of their troubles. 

Max stood there for a second before groaning in frustration. She marched up to Deena, a finger at her chest. The younger girl flinched but stood still. 

Max: You're just goddamn lucky that my kids are with their grandparents.

She turned to walk back to the door, stopping and turning her head. 

Max: And keep her away from Major Tom.

"You have kids?"

"You named your dog Major Tom?" Dustin then shook his head and pointed to be boy next to him, "No, Will's question was better." Will smiled at Dustin's words. 

"Well I can't answer either question," Her cheeks felt a little warm at the thought of having kids, "I don't know why I named my dog Major Tom and I don't know about any kids, but I'm not against the idea." She shrugged. She was telling the truth, she wasn't against the idea of kids but she would have like to have everything over with before that but oh well, I guess. 

She turned around again and started for her door. Deena turned excitedly to her brother, hope shining in her eyes. Switch to the bathroom where Deena and Josh were tying Sam to the radiator. Once Sam, struggling and growling, was tied the siblings left the room, closing the door behind them. 

"I hope that will hold." Max could hear Joyce mumble to Hop. Max had to agree, she hopes that will hold. 

They made their way to the living room, Deena clearing her throat. Max was standing by a shelf, an old book and framed photo in her hand. She looked up at the two, Josh smiling nervously, as they listened to the growling. 

Josh: It's completely fine. She's tied up in the bathroom, so she, like, totally can't leave now, we're cool. 

Sam roared causing Deena and Josh to quickly look behind them. 

Josh: Yep, cool.

The turned back, Josh giving another smile.

Josh: Cool, cool. 

"I like him." Mike smiled, "He's awkward and I respect that."

"Me too." Eddie agreed, throwing his arm around his boyfriend. "You gotta appreciate the awkward people, they're probably gonna be your boss one day."

Steve shoved Eddie's arms off and looked at the older male, "Are you trying to tell me something?" Max could almost laugh at the panicked look on Eddie's face as he shook his head. 

Max rolled her eyes and sat in a recliner, the framed photo in her hand. 

Max: Take a seat.

The siblings sat on the floor in front of her as Max opened the book. 

Max: In Shadyside, the past is never really past.

She took a breath, and placed the framed photo on top of the book so she could see it. 

Max: This was July 12th.

"I fucking hate July." Max shook her head as she stared sadly at the screen. July fucking sucked. Her sister died and then almost exactly a year later, her brother died. That's a scary coincidence. 

Switch to Deena sitting and listening intently. 

Max: The summer of 1984.

Switch to Max holding up the photo and smiling sadly at it. 

Max: The first day of camp.

She gently tossed the photo to the floor. 

Max: A week later, my sister was dead, and my brother hated me. 

"You had a sister?"

"She was Billy's sister, but that didn't really matter to us." Max answered El, "She was my sister." She smiled as she remembered the stupid things they used to do together. Like, sleepovers in each other's room or finding the dumbest movie they could, Billy joining them as they watched and made fun of it. "You know, he loved me at one point." She mumbled to the quiet room. "Billy. He loved me and I loved him. All three of us were pretty close." She sniffled and rubbed her nose, "But then Cindy tried to work hard on her future, she distanced herself from me and Billy. Then she died," a tear rolled down her cheek, "and Billy hated me. I don't know why. He just started being mean and I don't know why."

She could feel both Lucas and El wrapping their arms around her in comfort. She quickly wiped her eyes to try and rid the tears. 

"You're allowed to be upset," Robin smiled sadly at her, "You're allowed to cry."

Max nodded, "I know." She wiped her eyes once more. She leaned her head on Lucas' shoulder and placed her hand on El's knee to let them both know she was okay. 

The two siblings looked down at the photo. The camera moved to show the frame. In the photo there was a sign that said, 'Welcome to Nightwing.' Standing beside the sign, a young man with blonde hair had his arm around a girl with brown hair. The girl had a smile, and the boy had a smirk. His other arm holding up a small red-haired girl that was draped across his back, the same smirk on her face. 

Max smiled at the photo. She had to hide it once Cindy died because Neal started throwing all her stuff away when they moved to Hawkins. Now that Neal was gone, it sat proudly on her nightstand so she could see it every day. 

The camera moved closer before the screen went black. 'Fear Street 1984' appeared as a girl screamed. 

"Now we're getting into the past, right?" Dustin looked around as if he would get some sort of confirmation. 

"Maybe you just need to watch and find out, Dusty-bun." Eddie smirked as he answered. Everyone knew that Dustin hated it when they used Suzie's nickname for him. Dustin, of course, glared and turned back to the screen with arms crossed to see what happens next. This is the point where Max started to get a little more nervous. 

Chapter Text

The scene changed to wooded area, a small thirteen-year-old girl running through it. 

Ziggy: Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

Max groaned as she saw the screen. Why was this the first thing they were going to see? Steve was going to go all mother hen, which she really didn't see as a problem, but she really didn't want them to see this. 

As she ran, she looked behind her every so often to make sure she wasn't being followed. Into her run, an older boy appeared in front of her with his arm out causing the girl to run straight into it and fall to the ground. She laid on the ground, blood running from her nose as she coughed, catching her breath. 

"What the hell?!"

"Ouch!"

"Oooo!"

The people in the room winced as they saw Max get knocked to the ground. She groaned in embarrassment and planted her face into her palms. Why? Just why?

"Okay, so...." Eddie chuckled with no humor and looked at her, "Why the hell did those fuck heads do that to you?" Now, this is park of the reason she was a little embarrassed. She never told them about her rebellions faze. After Cindy died, she did her best to straighten up her act. 

"Well," Max scratched the back of her neck nervously, "I wasn't the most well-behaved kid-" She could hear snorts around the room, "so that's what's happening right now."

She lifted her hand to her nose, wincing at the pain before looking up. Above her stood a group of four kids about three years older than her. Three girl and a boy. 

Sheila: You're gonna hang, witch.

The younger girl sat up a little. 

Kids: Before the witch's final breath, 

A tree was now shown. 

Kids: She found a way to cheat her death. 

Ziggy: Oh, God!

Max could see Robin look around in horror. "Okay, what the hell? Why are they chanting like that?" 

"Better question," Steve gave his best friend a small glare, "what do they mean by hang," He then turned to Max, "And why did they call you a witch?"

Max sighed. This wasn't something she ever thought she'd talk about. She also knew that it would be a little difficult to explain because they wouldn't understand the curse or how Shadysider's took it very seriously. "I'm not sure how to explain it," She started scratching the back of her neck, "The curse of Sarah Fier was something Shadysider's took seriously but Sunnyvale's mocked it."  That was really the only explanation she could give; they would probably get more information by watching. 

Kids: By cutting off her wicked hand, she kept her grip upon our land. She reaches from beyond the grave, to make good men her evil slaves. She'll take your blood, she'll take your head, she'll follow you until your dead. 

The young girl was then thrown on the ground underneath the tree, her hands tied together. 

Sheila: String her up. 

The boy was tightening the rope around the tree causing the young girl's hands to go up. 

"What the hell?!"

"That's what they meant?!" 

"What the shit?!"

The room erupted in shouts at what they were seeing. She could fill her eyes get a little misty, but she wasn't gonna cry, not yet anyway. This scene wasn't going to be the one to break her, it wasn't. 

Ziggy: No, stop it! Stop it! Stop!

She gasped as she stood on her toes, her arms high above her head. 

Ziggy: Let me down, you shit! Let me down!

She fought against the rope and the first girl, Sheila, walked forward. She reached into Ziggy's pockets and pulled out some money.

"All that because you took some money?" Mike had a disgusted look on his face as the looked between the screen and her. Okay, she's a little offended because he assumes she took the money but not that much because she did steal it.  

"Yeah," She just shrugged. She was already pretty much over what had happened with Sheila, she had other issues that happened after that. "They didn't like me very much and I didn't really give them a reason to."

Sheila: Well, well. 

She made her way around Ziggy, in a circle. 

Sheila: What do we have here?

Boy: Goddamn thief!

Sheila: No, no. She's no thief. 

Sheila made her way back in front of Ziggy. 

Sheila: She's possessed by the witch. 

"Is she trying to defend you in some weird way?" Dustin raised his eyebrow as he stared at the screen in confusion. Now, sure it sounds like Sheila is sort of defending her, but she's just trying to make fun of Shadyside and Sarah Fier. Sunnyvaler's had made the connection that none of 'their' people ever became crazy killers. 

She leaned down so she was eye level with the younger girl. 

Sheila: The only way to explain her psycho behavior. 

Ziggy: Fuck you!

Ziggy quickly punched her elbow forward and hit the older girl in the nose. The other kids gasped as Sheila turned to look at Ziggy with a bloody nose. 

"Ooo!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Ouch!"

Max smirked. The feeling of satisfaction that filled her chest when she hit Sheila, she got that same feeling now. She was proud of herself in that moment and proud of herself now. It was actually Billy who taught her how to swing her elbow with that much force, to be able to hurt someone. 

Ziggy: I guess we're even now. 

Sheila: You do know what they did to Sarah Fier, right?

Ziggy didn't say anything, just looked at her. 

Sheila: They hanged her, from this very tree. 

"That's actually pretty cool." Will mumbled, "I mean, not that they're hanging you up, but the fact that the tree is still there. That's a cool piece of history." He rushed the second part of his sentence like he was afraid he was going to offend her with what he said. 

"It's okay, Will." She gave him a small smile, "It is cool. That tree is a very important part of Shadyside history." Now, that's also the tree of where she died but she's not gonna get into that part of it yet. 

Sheila made her circle around the younger girl again. 

Sheila: But she would have died forever if you did what you always do to witches...

She was back in front of Ziggy. 

Sheila: You burn them. 

She turned away from Ziggy and looked at the boy. 

Sheila: Give me your lighter!

"What the hell?"

"She's not gonna...?"

"Oh, please tell me this bitch isn't serious?"

All Max could do was cringe at what they were about to see. She wanted to hide away, just for a moment. This was very embarrassing, and she didn't want them to see her like that at all. They already saw her at her lowest when Billy died and when the whole Vecna thing happened. She didn't want them to see this. 

Boy: What?

She stalked over to him with an angered look. 

Sheila: Give it to me!

She grabbed the lighter from his hands to looked at the girls. 

Sheila: Now hold her legs.

They looked a little scared to do so. 

Girl 1: Seriously, Sheila?

Sheila: Do it!

They watched silently. She knew that they were probably shocked and just didn't know what to say.  She had planned on tell them about the curse at one point, but she did plan on leaving this part out of it. 

She flicked the lighter open as girl 1 and the boy walked over to hold her down. 

Ziggy: No, no, no! Stop it! Stop! Stop! Stop! Stop!

Ziggy struggled; her voice broke with fear, tears filled her eyes.  

Sheila: Shut up, you witch. 

Girl 2: Sheila! You made your point. 

Ziggy: Don't! Don't!

Boy: Sheila, it was only ten bucks. 

She flicked the lighter, the flame taking its place. 

"Did they get in trouble?" Max turned to Joyce who had a stern look as she watched the screen. "Did they get punished?"

She hated the fact that the answer she was looking for wasn't going to be the one Max was about to give her. "They didn't get punished by adults." Her words were a little whisper, but everyone was quiet, and it sounded like she was yelling. Technically she wasn't lying. They didn't get punished, but the adults didn't do it. 

Girl 1: Are we really gonna do this? Sheila!

She brought the lighter under the girl's arm. 

Ziggy: No, no!

Girl: Sheila!

The lighter started to burn the younger girl's skin causing her to scream. As whistle was then heard behind them. 

Sheila: Shit! Will, it's your brother.

Girl 1: Will's brother? It's her brother!

"Billy?!"

"Billy's there?"

She didn't know who said what. All Max did was smile sadly at the screen. This was the last time Billy was ever kind to her and helped her really in any way. After this horrible night, Billy never gave her the time of day anymore. The only time he helped her out after camp was the time he saved El from the flesh monster/mind flayer.

The girl looked scared.

Nick: The hell is this? Let her down!

Will: Nick, I can explain.

The two other boys, Nick and Billy, camp counselors ran forward. 

Nick: Let her down, Will! I swear to God I'll tell Mom!

Will went to the tree and untied the rope causing Ziggy to fall to the ground. She scene changed to a pile of rope on the ground. The five kids stood in a line as Billy paced in front of them, swinging his whistle. 

Sheila: I went back to my cabin; the door was open. The next thing I knew, all my money was gone, and Ziggy was just sprinting away. 

"Ziggy? Who the hell is Ziggy?" Dustin scrunched his face up, something he always did when he was thinking, while looking at the screen. 

"I am or was, anyway." Max half raised her hand, "I was a nickname Cindy came up with since I'm a real big fan of Davie Bowie," She paused for a second, "Huh, I guess that's why I named my dog Major Tom." That really did make sense, sort of. Major Tom wasn't her favorite song, but it was pretty good one.  

Sheila glared at the girl. 

Ziggy: Because you were chasing me. 

Billy: Ziggy. 

Billy looked at his sister. 

Billy: You talk when I tell you to talk.

Max could feel her eyes well with tears. She really missed her brother, and she missed the person he used to be. Sure, Neal was still a dick but the three of them got through it together. The three of them laughed, played games, and just simply had fun together. Billy didn't seem to mind hanging out with his younger sister, he thought it made him cooler than his friends. 

Ziggy rolled her eyes. 

Nick: Did you see her take it?

Will: Everyone did. 

Girls 1 & 2: Everyone. 

Max rolled her eyes. No one saw her take shit. 

Billy stopped his pacing and placed his whistle around his neck. 

Billy: Alright. 

He looked at the group of younger kids, his arms crossed. He looked at his sister with a raised eyebrow. 

Billy: Zig, what happened to the money I gave you?

The other kids looked confused as she stared at her older brother. 

Ziggy: What?

Billy rolled his eyes and gave her a stern look. 

Billy: The money I gave you. What happened to it?

"He didn't give me any money." She explained, "He knew I stole it. He also knew that if I got in trouble one more time, I would have been kicked out of camp."

"In trouble one more time?" Eddie leaned forward, almost like he was excited, "What did you do?" She probably shouldn't answer that, but she's going to anyway. 

"I set the camp flag on fire, I freed all the rabbits, and a bunch of other stuff that I really don't remember." She honestly doesn't remember much about camp except for the part that a bunch of people died, and she almost died herself. 

She seemed to be catching on to what he was saying. 

Ziggy: They took it from me. They thought I stole Sheila's money. 

Sheila scoffed and glared at her. 

Sheila: Oh, you lying freak!

"Hey!" Eddie yelled offendedly, "There's nothing wrong with being a freak!"

"Of course, there's not babe." Steve shook his head fondly and patted Eddie on the back. 

Billy quickly turned to the girl and glared.

Billy: Sheila! You talk when I tell you to talk. 

He turned back to his sister. 

Billy: What were you doing by her cabin?

Ziggy groaned and threw her arms up. 

Ziggy: I was taking a walk around camp. Trying to catch "soothing breaths" like mom taught me.

"That, actually, wasn't a lie." Max pointed at the screen with a playful look, "Mom always told me to take 'deep soothing breaths' when I'm mad. I had to do that a lot at camp." That part she did remember. 

El turned to her and tilted her head. "Did the soothing breaths work?" 

"Nope," She shook her head, her red hair swaying with the movement, "It actually just helped me figure out what I wanted to do next."

Billy then turned back to the other group of kids. 

Billy: How did everyone see her take money if all you saw was the door open and her running in the other direction?

No one seemed to have an answer for him as he stood there with crossed arms. 

Billy: Okay, Zig. Go back to camp. Try not to set another flag on fire or anything. 

Ziggy looked at her brother in disbelief. 

Ziggy: But they just tried to murder me!

Billy: Trust me...

The glared harshly at the four kids in front of him causing them to flinch with fear. 

Billy: I'll deal with them. 

"Ooo, that's not good."

"I've gotten that look before."

"No, thank you."

Max chuckled softly. Before Billy did a complete 180 on her, he was actually fiercely protective of her. He made sure bullies and unwanted boys stayed away. 

Sheila: Billy. She did do it, but it's not her fault. 

Everyone looked at her surprised. 

Sheila: She's possessed by Sarah Fier.

Ziggy: Oh, you...

Ziggy glared hard and leaped forward.  Nick raced forward and grabbed the girl. 

"I was not possessed by the witch, nor will I ever be possessed by the witch." Max groaned loudly. "I no longer live in Shadyside, so the curse doesn't affect me anymore." 

"Hey, about that," Max turned her attention to Nancy, "I thought you guys moved here for California, but Shadyside is in Ohio?" 

"Oh," She didn't realize she never told them about this, "We moved from California to Ohio because Neal got a really good job offer. We stayed there from the beginning of summer to around mid-October before moving here, right before Halloween. Neal wanted to get about from all the rumors and people talking about Cindy and all the other kids. So, we moved here." She shrugged as if it was the simplest thing in the world. "Neal and Billy didn't like it when I brought up Cindy or Ohio, so it was easier to tell people we just moved from California."

"Well," Hopper grunted as he spoke, "You do know you can talk about it with us, if you want." She nodded. She did know that. 

Billy: Hey! Hey! Hey!

Nick: Hey! Hey!

Nick looked at Billy as he held the struggling girl. 

Nick: Somebody's gonna ask about the burn on her arm. Then who's in trouble, huh?

"Take her too the nurse." Steve answer with a 'duh' tone. "That's not a hard thing to figure out."

Billy scoffed and gestured to Nick. 

Billy: Make sure she gets to the nurse, obviously. 

Nick nodded as Ziggy pulled away and stomped off, the older boy following. 

Billy: Okay. 

Billy turned to the other kids with a fake smile, the kids shifting uncomfortably.

Billy: First, I'm gonna need my sister's money. 

He held his hand out and waited. Sheila didn't move. 

Billy: Now!

"So, he stole the money you stole?" Lucas gave her a playful grin. 

"Yep," She nodded with a wide smile, "He gave it to me after dinner." She shouldn't have been proud of that, but she was. 

He shouted. Sheila filched at his tone and reached into her pocket, pulling out the money and giving it to Billy. 

Billy: Let's just make one thing clear. 

He glared at all of them and moved closer, bending down to their level.

Billy: You hurt my sister like that again, the lighter goes up your goddamn nose.

Max smiled proudly at the screen. That man was her brother, not the one that came with her to Indiana.

The scene changed to Ziggy walking back to camp. 

Nick: Hey.

Nick jogged up behind her. 

Nick: Have nurse Lane check that burn out. 

"Like that wasn't obvious." Max could hear the way Mike was rolling his eyes. Or was it Richie now? They really needed to talk about that. 

Ziggy rolled her eyes. 

Ziggy: I'm gonna let it get infected and die. 

Nick: What, I don't get a thank you?

Ziggy stopped walked at turn to the older boy in disbelief. 

"A thank you for what?" Jonathan scoffed, "He didn't do anything."

Ziggy: Oh. I'm sorry, I forgot!

She gestured to him mockingly. 

Ziggy: Thank you, King of Sunnyvale, future Police Chief Nick Goode, for rescuing poor helpless Shadysider me! How could I ever repay you? 

He just stared at her as she gave him a fake smile. 

Ziggy: Oh, I know. I'll just bat my eyes at you like all the other bumbass girls.

El giggled next to her, causing her to smile.

"So, sarcasm has always been there, huh?" She just shook her head fondly at Steve. She knew he was messing with her and that didn't bother her a bit. Yeah, the sarcasm has always been there. What would you expect? Her mom married Neal when she was eight, which meant Billy would have been eleven and already full of sarcasm fire. So, it was Billy's fault really. 

Her smile left as she glared at him.  

Ziggy: I'm thirteen, you creep!

Nick looked startled at her words.

Nick: I didn't-

She walked away, flipping him off as she did. 

Ziggy: And you didn't do shit! My brother did!

She walked through the arch of the camp.

"Well," Dustin clapped his hands together once, "In this short amount of time, I think we learned a lot about our dear friend Max." Well, they didn't learn a whole bunch, but he was right. They did learn a little more about her and she didn't really hate it. Sure, it made her feel uncomfortable, but it also made her feel a little lighter. Maybe this wasn't going to be a completely bad thing.

Chapter Text

A song started playing as the camera showed the campers. 

Music: Hot August night

A camper jumped off the dock and dived into the lake. A sigh was shown with the words 'No Diving Campers' in bold.

Max watched with a small smile. Yes, she didn't really like camp at the time and now she really hates it considering what had happened, but before all the arguing and all the terror, there was some good memories. 

Music: And the leaves hanging down. The grass on the ground smelling sweet. 

Campers were at the archery rang shooting targets. 

Music: Move up the road...

Campers in a building studying spiders, snakes, and bugs. 

"Blech!" Max shivered as the snake appeared on the screen. She hated snakes, more than hated. She despised snakes. It was mostly Bill's fault. His pet snake had gotten out of its habitat and found its way into her bed. Or at least that's what she assumes because Billy denied putting in there. Needless to say, she woke up with a snake on her chest and she wasn't very happy. 

A boy ran up behind the girls. 

Boy: Boo!

He ran away as the girls screamed. 

Music: And the sound of that good gospel beat. 

Outside, the campers were lounging in the sun, playing basketball or doing backbends. 

Music: Sits a ragged tent. 

Campers painting a red and blue cloths that said, 'color war'. Shirts were getting passed around. A counselor was holding a blue shirt, 'color war '84'. 

"What's color war?" Mike, or Richie, she still needed to ask him about that, asked as he munched on a handful of chips. She cringed as some of the chips fell out of his mouth. God, he was gross. 

"It's kind of like cops and robbers, I think." She thought about it a little more, "Cops and robbers, and capture the flag maybe." She shrugged, "I don't know, I never play. I mostly hid in my cabin or the nurse's cabin." She really didn't like that game, mostly because it took place at night. Billy used to tell her horror stories about what would happen after dark. Only that year, the nightmare was real.  

Gary: Color war begins tonight, guys! Line up and grab a shirt! Do you have a shirt?

A girl walked up to him as he asked and handed her the shirt. The camera moved to another counselor. 

Joan: Blue is for beautiful, if you live in Shadyside. Red is for radiance, if you live in Sunnyvale. Despite our differences, we're all perfect!

"Well, she'd cheery." Max could just laugh at the way Robin cringed at the girl. "That's quite creepy, actually."  Max had to agree, Joan was a little too cheerful. She always tried to make sure everyone was having a good time and felt equal, what she didn't realize was that she scared a bunch of kids. 

She threw a blue shirt at Ziggy who caught it in surprise. 

Joan: Even you, Ziggy Mayfield!

Ziggy rolled her eyes and walked away, shirt in hand. The music faded as she walked past the outhouse where two people were cleaning, their stereo playing in the background. The girl scrubbed the red moss that wouldn't go away. 

Cindy: What is this gunk? It just... It won't come off!

Max watched the screen silently. It's been a little over two years since she heard her sister's voice. She hadn't realized how much she missed it, hadn't realized how much she forgotten what it sounded like. She could feel her lip wobble, but she refused to cry. Not yet, she wouldn't cry yet.

The boy watched her with a smile. 

Tommy: That's been up there forever, babe. Just give that up. 

Cindy: Tommy!

Tommy was holding back his laughter. 

She wanted to glare at him, she wanted to hate him. Tommy was the one that killed her sister. He was the one that did it. But she couldn't, because she knows that that wasn't Tommy. Tommy love Cindy and would do anything he could for her. 

Tommy was gone and the person who killed her was Sarah Fier. 

Tommy: I'm sorry! I'm sorry! You're right. It's just, you know, color war is tonight. 

The girl got back to cleaning. 

Cindy: I'm well aware!

Tommy: We also have to get the Mess Hall ready.

"So," Eddie leaned forward in his seat, resting his chin in his palm, "Was color war a big deal or something?" 

"Yeah," Max just shrugged, "to the older kids, it was a way to see who was better, Shadyside or Sunnyvale. To the younger kids, it was a last night hurrah or something." It was a stupid thing, that was also one of the reasons why she didn't like to join in. 

Cindy: Oh my gosh. 

Tommy looked over at his girlfriend. She was looking down at her shirt that had gotten stained. 

Cindy: Oh my gosh. This gosh darn moss!

Dustin started to chuckle. "Gosh darn." He whispered as he continued to chuckle. Max couldn't help but let out a small chuckle herself. Cindy tried so hard to be something she wasn't. It hurt a little when Cindy tried to change herself and pushed her away, but Max doesn't blame her, she never did. 

They both stood up as she tried to rub the moss off her shirt. 

Cindy: It's... it's all over me!

Tommy: Oh, hey!

Tommy moved over to her and placed his hands on her hips in comfort. 

Tommy: It's okay! This isn't a big deal.

Cindy: What!

"She reminds me of Nancy." El tilted her head at the screen as she spoke. Max started to laugh at her words. 

"Oh, my God." She spoke through her laughter, "That's who you remind me of." She turned to Nancy with a smile, "I don't know why it took me so long to realize it." And she really didn't. They were both so similar. They were both smart, well into their studies, fiercely protective of the people they love. 

She looked at him as if he was crazy.

Cindy: No, it's not okay. It's... It's... it's stained!

He shook his head with a fond smile. 

Tommy: Only Cindy Hargrove would expect to clean the outhouse and not get dirty. 

"That's your sister?" El turned to look at her with sad eyes.

"Yeah," Max could feel her lip wobble again, "Yeah, that's her." Her eyes got misty again. She missed her so much it wasn't even funny. Her heart ache a little less every day, but still ached, nonetheless. 

Lucas leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, "Do you need Mama Steve yet?" That startled a laugh out of her. "It was an honest question." Lucas smiled at her, seemingly happy that her smile was back. The others looked at the two of them but said nothing, not wanting her smile to disappear again. 

"Not right now," She giggled, shaking her head. She pushed her shoulder against his playfully, "Maybe later though." She didn't want to go to Steve right now. Of course, she knew that he didn't mind, in fact, he loved that they all went to him when they need it. And it wasn't that she didn't want Steve's comfort, she just didn't see a need for it right now, but she knows she's gonna need it later.

She pushed him away playfully as he laughed. 

Cindy: It's not funny!

Tommy: It's kinda funny. 

They both leaned in slowly, smiles on both of their faces as they kissed. He moved his hand from her waist to her butt. She broke the kiss quickly and moved his hand. 

"Ew!" Max cringed at the sight. "Don't want to see that!" 

Cindy: Hey! What did we talk about?

He held his hand up in a mock defense as he laughed. 

Tommy: I'm sorry. I'm sorry. 

She poked him in the chest. 

Cindy: You better be.

"They look good together." Robin pointed out which caused a bittersweet feeling to fill Max's chest. 

"Yeah," She nodded in agreement, "They were." And she wasn't lying, they really were good together. Tommy always made sure to treat Cindy right, well with a little teasing as was shown. 

They leaned in again and kissed gently.  The stereo clicked and the background music shut off. Tommy pulled away as Cindy froze. 

Tommy: What is it?

Cindy moved to the other side of the outhouse and opened the stalls. She started breathing heavily in anger. 

Cindy: Where are they?

The scene changed to a girl moaning as Cherry Bomb played on the stereo. A girl was laying on a table, the stereo next to her head, moaning in pleasure as table rocked beneath her.

"Whoa!"

"Shit!" 

"What the hell?!"

"No! No! No!"

"Why the hell...?!"

Hopper and Joyce quickly jumped forward to cover Will and El's eyes. Steve moved to cover Robin's eyes, which she had already done herself, but that didn't stop him. Eddie turned around so he was looking at Steve. Nancy cover Jonathan's and Dustin, Max, Lucas, and Mike quickly buried themselves in the pillows and blankets that surrounded them.

Then it changed to the back of a naked guy, her legs wrapped around his waist, thrusting into her. 

Alice: Harder! 

"No!" Eddie moved to cover his ears, "Hearing it isn't any better!"

"Why is this a part of the story?!" Dustin's voice was mumbled since he was in the pillow, "What do we gain by witnessing this!?"

Max was just in shock. Alice was one of Cindy's best friends, or used to be anyway, so Alice was around quite a bit. That means that she knew Alice pretty well. She never wanted to see this part of her, this part of her private life. 

"I don't understand," El turned her head, her eyes still covered by Hop's hands, and looked in her father's direction, "What are they doing?" Oh, God. Of course, El wouldn't know. Hop and Joyce were trying to put of 'The Talk' with her for the longest time. Well, looks like that's out the window. 

"Um," Joyce looked very conflicted on what she wanted to say, "That's a conversation your father and I will have with you after this movie." 

The boy seemed to move quicker at her words. Cindy walked into the room, the anger on her face quickly turned to shock. 

Alice: Oh my God!

The girl was now no longer on the table. The boy was holding her up, thrusting fast, her hands tugging harshly at his hair. 

Cindy: Oh my...

She quickly looked away from the scene. 

Cindy: Oh my God!

Mike, a pillow covering his face, turned to his older sister, "Is it over?"

The two stopped moving as they both looked at her. 

Alice: Hey. 

She pushed her boyfriend away once he sat her down and they gathered their clothes. 

"Yeah," Nancy removed her hand from Jonathan's eyes, her face a bright red, "Yeah, I believe that it's over." 

Everyone started to slowly remove their eyes from their hiding spots and looked at the screen. Everyone was red faced and clearly in a little shock by what they had seen. 

"What the fuck was that?" Steve looked around the room, obviously that was a rhetorical question. "Why the fuck did we need to see that? Why did they need to see that?" He gestured to the teens sitting on the floor. 

"That's a good question," Hop ran his hand down his face, clearly he was also embarrassed by what he saw, "Why did the upside-down shit what us to see that?" 

Cindy: Uh...

 she was blocking her eyes as they got dressed. 

Cindy: What are you doing?

Alice: Three guesses.

Cindy looked back over, now that they were both decent. 

"I feel sick." Dustin was holding his stomach looking a little green. In fact, most of the younger teens did look a little green. 

Arnie: Careful.

He leaned in as he held his shirt in his hands. 

Arnie: You don't wanna corrupt her virgin ears. 

The girl laughed as he tried to lean in for a kiss. 

Cindy: We have to get everything ready for color war. And you guys...

"I miss the old Cindy," Trying to push past the uneasy feeling she got from watching that, Max tried to talk about something else, "She would have ripped them a new one, not stand there like an innocent ten-year-old."

"What do you mean?" 

Max turned to El and tried to explain it the best she could, "Well, Cindy was a lot like Nancy. She took shit from no one, but she was also like me too. She acted out a bit, not a lot just a little." She took a breath before continuing, "When me moved to Ohio, she decided to change her act. Started being a goody-two-shoes. Never breaking rules, narking who broke even the smallest rule." She shrugged as she finished. She still loved her sister, even when she started acting different but that didn't mean she didn't miss her. 

She was losing confidence in her words, still in shock at what she walked in on. 

Cindy: Uh... still have to finish cleaning the outhouse. 

The boy sat on the sofa as the girl leaned against the table they were just on.

Alice: We're doing shit jobs all summer, now we have to clean up actual shit? No. 

The boy shook his head, now wearing a cowboy hat. Cindy walked further into the room. 

Cindy: I'm sorry, but we don't have a choice.

Arnie: Shit. 

Cindy looked over at where he was sitting. He was holding a joint. 

Cindy: This is our last one, babe. 

"Looks like my kind of people," Eddie nodded at them with a small smile, "except for sex on the table. I'm not into that- Ow!" He was holding his shoulder as Steve glared at him with a bright red face, "It's true, I'm not!"

He flicked the lighter, the girl walking closer as he took a hit before handing it to her. 

Cindy: What are you doing?

Alice: Three guesses. 

She brought the joint to her lips and took a hit. They laughed as Cindy groaned and moved to turn the stereo off. 

Cindy: This isn't funny. We have a job to do. Alice, put that down.

"I don't even know what to say," Dustin was looking at all the people around the room, "I just still don't feel good." He then moved to lean his back against the armchair, "I'm so confused."

She gestured to the joint. 

Alice: Or what? What, are you gonna snitch on me again?

Alice chuckled. 

Alice: Ok. What if you go talk to your little friend Nurse Lane about getting us some yellow jackets. 

She looked over at her boyfriend who agreed. 

Arnie: Yes.

Alice looked back at Cindy. 

Alice: Or some red birds.

Max just gaped at the screen. Alice was trying to bribe Cindy into getting them drugs? Now, that didn't sound like the Alice she knew. What in the world happened before they went to that stupid camp?

Arnie: Both. 

He was scrolling through a magazine he had found. 

Alice: And then we'll scrub all the shit you want. 

She took another hit as Cindy looked confused. 

Cindy: Yellow jackets, red... What?

Arnie: Drugs, baby. Drugs. Just hook us up. 

Everyone watched in silence. Not know what to say or do. Max could assume that everyone was still a little shook up over seeing the two people she knew having sex. She's a little shook up too, to be honest. 

Cindy: No!

She looked between the two. 

Cindy: No, I won't do that!

Alice sighed, taking another hit as Cindy kept talking. 

Cindy: Some people want to do things with their lives. So, stop screwing with mine and just do your jobs, please!

Max flinched. That was one of Cindy's favorite things to say when she finally decided the was gonna do something and get out of Shadyside. She had said those words to Max multiple time before, and hearing it now hurt just as bad. 

Alice: Well, maybe you should have thought about that before blasting Captain and Tennille for two hours straight. Snitch. 

Alice laughed and jumped back on the table, playing the stereo as Arnie drank a beer. 

Cindy glared as she turned and stormed out of the room, the other two watching her go. 

Alice: Bye!

"I need a glass of Sprite," Dustin stood, "Do you have Sprite?" He looked at Steve with wide watery eyes. He really did look very sick over what he saw. Steve, being the unofficial parent he was, stood from his seat to took Dustin into the other room. 

"I think everyone could something to calm down a little bit." Jonathan stood from his seat and followed Steve, "I'll grab one of those fancy trays Steve's mom has." Max groaned and plopped her face back into her pillow. This was probably the worst start of the movie she could think of. 

Chapter Text

Dustin came back from the kitchen with a can of Sprite while Steve and Jonathan came back with armfuls of snacks and other canned soda. "Steve didn't let me grab a tray." Jonathan playfully groaned and the two of them set the snacks on the coffee table. 

Steve scoffed and smiled back at him, "You wanted a fancy tray, I don't have fancy trays." Jonanthan just rolled his eyes with a smile as everyone started to pick through what they brough. 

Cindy walked out of the building with an annoyed look. She walked down the steps and ran into her brother. 

Billy: Hey!

Cindy jumped slightly but calmed down once she saw who it was. 

Billy: Where the hell have you been? I've been looking all over for you. Your sister... 

"I thought you were both of their sister?" El looked confused and Max understood why.

"I was a thing they liked to do." She chuckled at the reminder, "Whenever I broke a rule, I was Cindy's sister, but if I did something good or rule following, I was Billy's sister. Which I know doesn't make much sense," She noticed the way Dustin's eyebrows scrunched up confused at her wording, "but that's what they did."

Billy froze and started to sniff the air. He gave her a look of playful disbelief. 

Billy: Cindy Hargrove, that smell better be skunk. 

"Oh, she smells like weed." Eddie gasped dramatically at what was just realized. Max just rolled her eyes with a smile. Cindy and Billy would always be trying to air out their rooms before Neil or her mom found out. She always thought it was sort of funny. 

Cindy rolled her eyes looking highly annoyed, causing Billy to just laugh at her. 

Billy: I thought you didn't smoke anymore. 

Cindy glared at him. 

Cindy: I don't.

Billy: Then why-

She cut him off and glared harshly. 

Cindy: I don't want to talk about it. Now, what did Ziggy do this time?

Max huffed and rolled her eyes. She was doing that a lot apparently. Ever since they moved to Ohio it was always 'What did Ziggy do now,' or 'What did Ziggy do this time?' It always hurt when Cindy said stuff like that, but she knew she was a pain and not making it easy with the move, Cindy pulling away, and Billy not spending as much time with her as he used to. She was coping in an unhealthy way at the time, and she wishes she could change it, but she can't. 

The scene changed to a door opening and hitting a bell. 

Ziggy: Nurse Lane! Hello!

Ziggy walked into the building, closing the door behind her. 

Ziggy: I'm in trouble again. Help.

Mike, or Richie, started chuckling and shaking his head. "You're so nonchalant about it, I love it."

"Hey Mike," He turned to her, his chuckle still on his lips, "I have a question for you." He nodded his head, signaling for her to go on. "Would you prefer us to call you Mike or Richie?" His smile fell, almost like he wasn't expecting her, or anyone really, to ask him that. "I just know that when we were watching your movie, the end of your movie, you asked Eddie and Steve to call you Richie so I just," She shrugged, "I just thought I'd ask."

"I uh-" he cleared his throat and nodded, "I appreciate that. And I what you guys to call me Mike, because I am Mike," He gestured to himself and looked at everyone around the room, "I am Mike and I like being Mike her in Hawkins but in Derry I am Richie and I like being Richie." He started to look unsure of himself, "Is any of this making sense?" 

Everyone was smiling at him while his sister answered, "Of course it makes sense, Mike." She reached forward and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, "And if that ever changes, you just let us know, okay?" He nodded and smiled before turning back to the T.V.

She placed her hands on her hips as she waited only to receive no response. 

Ziggy: Nurse Lane, come on! I could die any minute now.

"You're so dramatic." Steve chuckled as he looked at her fondly. She smiled back at him, but her heart hurt a little. That was the way Billy used to look at her, whenever he still liked her. She loves Steve, but she partly hates herself for seeing Steve as... A brother? A replacement? A better version of Billy? She doesn't know. 

She looked around and saw the door to the office was ajar. She moved to the door. 

Ziggy: Nurse Lane?

She looked through the cracked door before pushing it open. 

Ziggy: Nurse Lane?

She walked into the office and saw an open book on the desk. She turned the book to her to get a better look. She looked down at it confused. The book was opened to a page with a drawing on one side titled 'Witch's Mark' and on the other page was a newspaper clipping. 'Teenage Fillets Friends.' 

"Woah," Dustin whispered, placing his chin in his palm, "that is weird and creepy." Max had to agree, but at the time, she wasn't focused on the newspaper article, she was just focused on the drawing. Seeing it now, she knows why Nurse Lane brought up Ruby.

Nurse Lane: What are you doing?

Ziggy turned around quickly in fright. 

Ziggy: Oh my God! Nurse Lane, you scared the shit out of me. 

A woman was standing in the doorway looking confused. 

"She doesn't look good." Will mumbled as he shook his head. He was right, Nurse Lane didn't look good and at the time and she really wished she understood why, but the reasoning came too late. 

Ziggy: Are you okay?

The woman shook her head slight before nodding. 

Nurse Lane: I am. 

Ziggy ran her hand through her hair leaving her burn in clear view. 

Nurse Lane: Oh, my goodness. Ziggy, Ziggy, Ziggy. 

The young girl looked at her arm as the nurse spoke. 

Nurse Lane: What did we do now?

"How many times did you get sent to the nurse?" Joyce's question caused a huff of laughter out of Max. 

"Too many times to count," she said through her chuckles, "Sometimes I would go just to talk to her. She is really nice and a great listener."

The scene changed to Ziggy sitting on a bed and Nurse Lane sitting across from her. 

Nurse Lane: Ok, so you're going to apply this once a day for three days. Okay?

She showed Ziggy the jell container before opening it. 

Nurse Lane: It's gonna protect against infection. 

She got a little on her finger and started to rub it on and around Ziggy's burn. 

Ziggy: It's gross. 

"I never did that." Max chuckled while shoving a chip in her mouth, "Never got a chance to reapply that stupid jell." She's laughing about it now but at the time, she that wasn't the most important thing. 

The nurse let out a small laugh. 

Nurse Lane: You'll survive. 

Ziggy: So, um...

She looked around the room for a moment before turning back to the adult. 

Ziggy: What's the Witch's Mark?

"I was wondering that too." Nancy hummed in agreement, "I've never seen that mark before. Obviously, it's important in some way." Now, Max loved Nancy she was a great girl and a wonderful friend, but a part of her hated that Nancy was Nancy Drew all the time. It really put a damper on things sometimes. Don't get her wrong, there was nothing wrong with it in this moment, but when the group is just doing normal stuff, it got a little overwhelming. 

Nurse Lane stopped what she was doing and just stared at Ziggy. She took her hand away and put the lid back on the jell. 

Nurse Lane: You know about my daughter, right? Ruby Lane?

Ziggy seemed shocked by the question. 

Ziggy: Um... I don't-

Nurse Lane: Of course you do. Everybody talks, I know. Tell me, what do they say. 

"This is starting to get a little uncomfortable." Robin mumbled as she took of sip of her Root Beer. 

"Yeah," Eddie nodded in agreement, "Getting bad vibes right now." How were they able to do that? It didn't make any sense how they were just able to sniff out the weird stuff. 

Ziggy started to look a little startled by what the nurse wanted her to do. 

Ziggy: Um... They say she, uh... She killed people... at a party. 

The nurse just sat and listened to what she was saying. 

Ziggy: Seven, seven friends. 

Nurse Lane: Eight. She killed herself that night too. So, eight. Ruby was such a sweet girl.

The nurse didn't seem to be aware of where she was anymore as she spoke. 

"She's not acting right." Joyce sat up and was now on alert. That was one of the best things about Joyce. Everyone in this room was her child and she would protect them with every ounce in her body whether the incident happened past, present, or future. 

Nurse Lane: Oh, and she had such a sweet voice. She was in choir. She wanted to be a singer. 

In the background a faint singing was heard. 

Ruby: You always hurt the one you love.

"That's not creepy at all." Lucas mumble playfully and nudged Max's shoulder. 

Nurse Lane: I was so proud of her. 

She placed the jell down and picked up a wrapping bandage. 

Nurse Lane: So proud. 

Ziggy held out her arm and Nurse Lane started to wrap it. 

Nurse Lane: The doctors say it was a psychotic episode, that she just snapped, but the kids...

El switched her gaze between Max and the screen, "Is she okay?"

"Um..." Max brushed her hands through her hair, "At the time no," She shook her head, "No, she wasn't okay. I don't even know if she's okay now. I hope she will be, one day." It was a little hard to admit that one of the adults she was closest to turned out to be... Crazy wasn't the word she was looking for, but she couldn't find another one. 

Ziggy was look between her arm and the nurse. 

Nurse Lane: The kids say Sarah Fier made her do it. 

Ziggy: That's a little tight. 

The girl continued to switch her gaze between her arm and the nurse wrapping it. 

Nurse Lane: What do you think?

The nurse seemed to not have heard what Ziggy said and kept wrapping her arm. 

Ziggy: I don't- 

Nurse Lane: 'Cause I think you don't go from being a sweet girl with dreams to ripping someone's insides out with a switchblade. 

Everyone was watching this uncomfortably. It was an awkward thing to watch and with nothing to do, it was just strange. 

Ziggy: Nurse Lane!

Nurse Lane: People usually kill for a reason, and sometimes that reason is justified. Sometimes killing isn't murder. Sometimes it's necessary. 

"She's gonna do something." Hopper raised his eyebrow in realization, "She not in her right of mind and talking about someone murdering someone like that. She's not okay." So, she understood how Hop was able to get that weird feeling because he was an officer. It still weirded her out how Eddie was able to see stuff like that. 

Ziggy: That's kind of hurting me.

Nurse Lane: Sometimes it is good. 

Ziggy: Nurse Lane!

She seemed to snap out of whatever daze she was in and stopped. She then turned to pick up the container of jell. 

Nurse Lane: Once a day for three days, okay?

"She's acting like nothing happened?" Max just shrugged at Dustin, "But that's not okay. She totally just spaced out and hurt you."

"But she didn't mean too." She didn't know why she was defending her, what Nurse Lane did was wrong, yes, but she was going through a hard time. That deserved defending, right?

The door then opened, the belling ringing, causing both of them to turn and look. In the doorway stood Cindy with a smile. 

Cindy: Hi, Nurse Lane. 

Ziggy quickly stood from her spot on the bed. 

Nurse Lane: Hi, Cindy. 

The smile left Cindy's face as she looked at her sister. 

Cindy: Ziggy.

"Ooo," Eddie winced, "You're in trouble." Max chuckled and nodded her head. Yeah, she was in trouble. She missed getting in trouble with Cindy and with Billy. She didn't miss Billy yelling and screaming at her, that's not what she's saying. She just misses the way he would glare had her before busting out into laughter because everyone knew he had a hard time stay mad at her back then. She missed it a lot.

Chapter Text

The two girls leave the nurse's cabin. 

Cindy: You realize what happens if you get kicked out, right? How awful that would be for me?

"Wait, what?" Robin stared confused at what just happened, "How would you getting kicked out have any effect on her?"

"Well," It was a fair question and Max thought for a second to find the best way to answer that. "They knew that I was a bit of a troublemaker and so the camp director made a deal with my mom." She held up five fingers, "I had up to five strikes. If I got the fifth one then Me, Cindy, and Billy were to be sent back home." She honestly didn't find it fair that the other two would be kicked out with her, but what could she do?

The younger girl didn't seem to be listening. 

Ziggy: Did someone do something to Nurse Lane? Like make fun of her daughter or something?

Cindy seemed annoyed that her sister wasn't paying attention to what she was saying. 

Cindy: Ziggy, are you listening to me?

Ziggy: She was upset. 

Max watched as she didn't listen to her sister and as her sister didn't listen to her. She would give anything to have those small, petty arguments again. 

Cindy: I don't care! I... 

Cindy practically threw her hands in the air. 

Cindy: Do you hear what I'm saying to you?

Ziggy: Loud and clear, ma'am.

Cindy: Well, clearly you don't, because we had this conversation last week and the week before that.

"Why does she remind me so much of Nancy?" Max could hear Mike whisper to himself, telling her that he was mostly just talking to himself. Once again, Max snickered softly to herself. Nancy and Cindy did have a lot of similar qualities. 

The younger girl rolled her eyes. 

Ziggy: Yeah, and again, I'm not gonna get kicked out. 

Cindy: That's not what Billy thinks. 

Ziggy crossed her arms and look a little upset. 

Ziggy: Well, Billy's not gonna let that happen. 

Cindy: No!

Cindy grabbed Ziggy's arm and stopped the two of them from walking forward. 

Cindy: Ziggy, no! If you get kicked out, Billy and I do too. He doesn't get the final say.

Dustin turned to her with a confused look, "Why would they get kicked out with you?" 

"I don't know," Max shrugged her shoulders, "I didn't think it was fair that if I got in trouble then they would too." It still didn't make much sense to her, but if she was being honest, she hadn't thought about it much since the night Cindy died. It wasn't important at the time and, really, it still isn't. 

Ziggy looked annoyed by the point she brought up. 

Cindy: Dad can't work and take care of you, your mom, and Billy. Then how will I pay for college, huh?

"Now, that point was stupid to bring up because Billy did have a job and my mom was looking for a job." Max stated as she pointed at the screen, "The only person in the house who wasn't working or planning on working was me."

"I understand the struggle of saving for college," Nancy answered, "but why did she feel the need to bring that up if everyone was working or trying to work?" Max just shrugged. She truly didn't know why Cindy brought that up. 

The younger girl scoffed with laughter. 

Cindy: Oh, that's funny to you?

Ziggy shrugged and nodded. 

Ziggy: Yeah, kinda.

She then turned and walked away, Cindy following her while chuckling sarcastically. 

Cindy: Explain to me what's so funny.

Ziggy: How dumb you are. No one gets out of this town. Not even Miss Perfect. Bet on your way out you get run over by a bus.

Max groaned and shoved her face into her hands. Why did she have to say that? 

Cindy looked at her with more concern than anything. 

Cindy: For once in your life, could you just not be so... so mean?

Ziggy stopped walking and stood in front of her sister. 

Ziggy: Could once in your life you just stop pretending?

She picked up a blue shirt that was folding in a pile next to her and threw it at Cindy's chest. 

Ziggy: You're Shadyside, in case you forgot. 

"So," Eddie looked a little nervous to ask, "How long were you guys in Shadyside? Because it seems you guys were there a lot longer than that summer."

"Well," She took a breath before continuing, "Earlier when I said we moved from California to Ohio, that was true, but Cindy and Billy lived in Ohio, in Shadyside, before they left for California." It wasn't a difficult subject, just really weird. "They lived there for about a year and during that year Neil met my mom and they got married after a few months. I was about six, so Billy was about ten and Cindy was eleven." She started to fidget with her fingers nervously, "They would tell me stories about how awful Shadyside was, about the curse of Sarah Fier. Every summer we'd go to Shadyside so Neil could do... something, I don't know," She shrugged, "Billy and Cindy could get to see their friends again. Eventually Neil wanted to move back, and I was having difficulty fitting in, so Mom and Neil thought summer camp would be the best idea." Obviously, that didn't work out so very well. 

She turned and walked away, leaving Cindy standing with the shirt. The scene switched to Cindy scrubbing the floor with soapy water. 

Cindy: I swear to God, everyone just wants to ruin my life.  Alice just, like... She won't let it go. It's like we're still 12 years old and her whole goal in life is to... to punish me for something that wasn't even my fault. 

Tommy: I can't believe you guys used to be friends. 

Robin let out a choking like sound, "Her and that Alice girl used to be friends?" Her eyes were wide with disbelief. 

"Surprising, huh." Max huffed with a small smile, "They were best friends and," Max just shrugged, "I don't really know the whole story about what happened to them."

Tommy was scrubbing one of the tables in the Mess Hall. 

Cindy: And Ziggy...

She groaned and scrubbed at the floor harder. 

Cindy: It's only a matter of time before she ends up in jail or worse. And, of course, she can do no wrong in Billy's eyes. He just laughs and encourages her.

"In jail?" Will turned to her with wide eyes, "She thought you were going to go to jail?"

"No," Max shook her head, "She was just stressed. She actually said that a lot." When they moved to Ohio and Max started acting out and Cindy started trying to get better and clean up her act, they fought a lot and that was always her favorite thing to say. 

Tommy turned to look at her. 

Cindy: I'm just trying to be a good role model and make something of myself. But no, no, I'm the stuck-up priss who hates fun, which isn't even true at all. I like fun. I like fun! I just... I just want to get out of Shadyside. Is that so crazy?

She scrubbed so hard that the sponge in her hand ripped in half. 

Cindy: Shit!

Max laughed. She couldn't help it. She would give anything to hear her sister curse again. God, this was gonna be hard. She knew it would be, but it was gonna be harder than expected. 

She threw the sponges down. 

Cindy: Shit!

Tommy laughed and stood up for where he was bent over the table. 

Tommy: Did Cindy Hargrove just swear?

Cindy looked at him. 

Cindy: Not now, Tommy! Not in the mood!

"Wait, she didn't even curse?" Robin looked confused. Know, it wasn't a big deal, but Cindy had such a hard time trying to be good-two-shoes that when she did let some curses out, it was pretty funny. 

She sighed and stood up from the floor, stomping to the storeroom. 

Cindy: It's okay.

She spoke to herself as she grabbed a rag off the shelf to dry her hands. 

Cindy: You're okay. You're okay. Just... 

She took a deep breath. 

Cindy: Breathe. 

Subconsciously, Max started to breath in time with her sister. It was something they always did when one of them were feeling scared or anxious. 

She put the rag down and started looking for another rag. As she was looking, a figure walked past the camera, behind Cindy. The girl quickly looked up with a gasp. 

Cindy: Tommy, is that you?

"Ooo, nope." Lucas shook his head and grabbed Max's arm, "Creepy shadows are never a good thing." 

"You're telling me." Steve shook his head, "Once I got the hang of this ghost thing," He wiggled his fingers next to his eyes, "It's like I'm everything I'm seeing now is another ghost." He had gotten good at being able to 'turn on' and 'turn off' seeing ghosts around town and, at first, it freaked him out, but know he thinks it's cool. Or at least that's what he told them, anyway. 

She stood up and slowly walked to where the person was. 

Cindy: Tommy?

Now in the kitchen, she walked slowly to an open draw full of knifes. Pushing the draw closed, she started to breathe a little heavier. 

"Nope." Eddie chuckled nervously, "That's not okay. An open draw full of knifes is never a good sign."

"Especially, when a situation is as creepy as that one." Jonathan mumbled back. They were both right, it was starting to get really weird and creepy. Yes, she knew about what happened with Nurse Lane but just seeing it in action was most likely going to be worse. 

She quickly made her way out of the kitchen and back into the mess hall. Behind her, a shadow moved in the storeroom. 

Cindy: Tommy, what are you doing? You're really...

She froze. Tommy wasn't where he was when she left the room. 

Cindy: ...freaking me out. 

"I am not liking this." El leaned backwards and placed her hands on the pillows behind her. Everyone was watching the screen with a mixture of confusion and caution. Max didn't blame them really; she was probably looking at the screen the same way. 

Tommy appeared behind her. 

Tommy: What is it, babe?

Cindy gasped and quickly turned around. She sighed in relief but a creak in the floorboards got both of their attention. They both turned to the doorway and there was Nurse Lane. 

Tommy: Nurse Lane?

Nurse Lane: I'm sorry but I can't save you. 

"Why is she acting so weird?" Dustin leaned in so he could whisper to Max. Now, she didn't fully understand the whole situation, but she never really asked about it either. 

Nurse Lane walked further into the room, Cindy's eyes widening seeing a knife in her hand. 

Nurse Lane: I saw your name. 

"She's gonna try a kill him." Nancy sat up straighter in her seat, "Why would she be trying to kill him?" 

"That's what she was talking about earlier?" Steve was looking around with wide eyes, "About how sometimes killing is justified?" 

"I don't know one hundred percent what exactly happened, but I do know that she thought she was doing the right thing at the time." Max wasn't defending Nurse Lane, but she does know that the woman was going through a hard time. Her daughter was dead, people were talking about Lucy. It was pretty cool how she figured it all out, she just didn't go about it the right was. 

She was walking to Tommy who was looking scared. 

Nurse Lane: I saw it on the wall. One way or another, you're gonna die tonight. 

"What the fuck?" Eddie seemed to shuffle closer to his boyfriend as everyone watched the nurse stalk closer and closer to the teenage boy. 

Tommy: What ar- What are you talking about?

Nurse Lane rushed at him, pushing him into the table. Cindy gasped in fright as she watched the nurse try and stab Tommy. Tommy had his hand up and was using all his might to keep her away from him. 

"What the hell is she trying to do?" 

"What does it look like she's trying to do?" Mike turned and matched Dustin's shouting. They weren't very loud, just speaking at a higher volume than usual. 

He moved her hand, the force causing the knife to fly on the floor, in front of Cindy who was frozen in shock. Nurse Lane then threw on the floor, her hands around his neck. Tommy pushed Nurse Lane, causing her head to hit one of the table benches, knocking her out. Tommy sat up, gasping for his breath, as he stared at her in shock. He lifted his hand to the back of his head where he hit in on the floor. Bringing his hand back in front him, his finger covered in blood. He looked up at Cindy, who was looking back at him, tearlessly sobbing.

"Okay," Hopper looked at the screen weirdly, "obviously there's something going on, we know that," He gave Max a nervous smile, "but I think there's something more than what we think there is." 

"Yeah," Nancy nodded her head, "I agree." She crossed her arms as she leaned into Jonathan's arm, which he had around her shoulders. "I mean, we knew this was going to be weird and we're used to weird, but I can't shake the feeling off about all this." Well, she did have a point, it was all off and strange. 

Chapter Text

Paramedics wheeled Nurse Lane out of the Mess Hall on a gurney while an office stood in front of Cindy and Tommy, who were sitting on a cabin porch, answering questions. 

"Was she okay?" El turned to Max with wide eyes as they all watched her get wheeled away. 

"Yeah," Max nodded, "She's okay." Max had the same question a couple weeks after everything had happened, she asked about the nurse. Turns out, Nurse Lane spent about three days in the hospital, and about six weeks in a psych ward.  She wanted to call or write a letter, but she just couldn't do it. Not at the time. It wasn't until about a year ago until she got the courage to write to her and see how she was doing. She wrote back but that was pretty much it. Max tried to stay in touch, but the letters just got fewer and fewer.  It didn't hurt her feelings anything, she knew that an adult had better things to do than write a teenager.  

Officer: You got history with her? She had a grudge against you or something?

Tommy: No grudge? No, we barley ever talked. 

The camera zoomed in on the teenagers as Tommy spoke. Cindy looking lost in thought. 

Tommy: I... I go to get bug spray from her. That's it. It just doesn't... It doesn't make any sense.

Steve cringed at the word, "What kind of bug spray?" He started to rub his arm as if the liquid was on him. Everyone knows how feel his skin and what he puts on it. His skin care routine is probably more complicated than his hair routine.  "Because lemon eucalyptus oil would be much better and it's a skin soother." He smiled bright, proud of the information he shared with the group. 

"Really?" Joyce looked at him curiously, "It's a skin soother?" Steve nodded happily at her. "Huh, I'll have to remember that."

Cindy: Why... why would she do something like this?

The cop just shrugged and continued writing in his notebook. 

Officer: She was nuts, just like her kid.

Max glared at the screen. Nurse Lane wasn't crazy, and neither was Ruby. The curse of Sarah Fier was something really complex. It not only affected the person who the curse was on, but it also affected the family of said cursed person. Nurse Lane was never the same after her daughter died, especially since people wouldn't believe her when she said something was wrong and that her daughter wouldn't do that. 

Cindy: Nurse Lane, she never seemed crazy.

The two teen both looked at the officer, clearly confused and uncertain. 

Officer: That's what she said about her kid, but sane people don't chop up their friends. Now, tell me again what happened.

Hopper scoffed and shook his head. "He shouldn't be talking about her like that. That's not very professional. All he needed to do was ask his questions and make sure the kids were okay. He had no reason to put in his own two cents." 

"Hop does have a point," Nancy nodded her head, "He should have kept his comments to himself, it could have caused more problems than not."

Cindy's eyes caught something off camera. 

Tommy: Um.. Uh, she...

The camera switched to Ziggy and a bunch of other campers watching their nurse get put in the back of the ambulance. 

Tommy: She came into the kitchen...

Tommy's voice faded out as the camera zoomed in of the red headed girl. A hand touched her shoulder causing the young girl to jump. 

"Jesus." Dustin jumped slightly, "Why did I jump?" He whispered burying his face in his hands, "It wasn't even that scary." Chuckles were heard around the room as Dustin whispered to himself. It was funny, as much as the boy enjoyed horror movies, he always jumped at the smallest thing. 

Shelia: Hey, witch. So sorry.

Shelia and her two girl friends were standing there, glaring at the girl. 

Shelia: I know you and Nurse Psycho were close. I guess you can visit her in jail now. 

Ziggy: Fuck off, Shelia.

Shelia stepped closer, leaning down slightly to get in the younger girl's face. 

Shelia: By the way, you might want to check your stuff. I think there was an accident in cabin five. 

Max groaned at the reminder of what they did to her cabin. She had actually completely forgotten about it until just now. Sure, it upset her at the time but after the events that happened that night, it just wasn't important. 

Ziggy looked at all the girls, slightly confused, before taking off in the direction of her cabin leaving the older girls laughing behind her. 

Girl: Look at her. 

Ziggy took off at a faster pace, passing Nick, who watched concern. 

Shelia: Hurry, witch! Run!

The camera stayed on Nick. 

"Why is he watching you?" Robin raised her eyebrow as they watched the teen on screen, "Like, I don't know if it's just me, but that's a little creepy."

"I think he was just worried or something. Maybe he felt bad for me? I don't know." Max shrugged her shoulders. She really didn't know why Nick suddenly agreed to help her prank Shelia. She always assumed it was because he was looking out for her in some way. 

Kapinski: Hey, Nicky.

An officer walked up to him. 

Nick: Officer Kapinski.

Kapinski: Been meaning to say I'm sorry about your Pops. He was a good man. He was a great man. Taken too soon. 

Nick: Thank you. Yeah. We all miss him. Big boots to fill. 

The officer gave a curtesy chuckle before nodding. 

Kapinski: Well, he was at peace, knowing one day you'd be following in his footsteps. Sheriff Nick Goode's got a good ring to it. You just go easy on me when you're my boss, huh?

The officer playfully smacked Nick's arm and walked away. 

"At the beginning of the movie, didn't it say something about Sheriff Nick Goode?" Nancy was squinting at the screen, trying to figure it out. Max just rolled her eyes. There is nothing to figure out, not really. Sarah Fier curse Tommy and he killed people. There's not really any room for investigation. Well... I guess there was some room, but Max wasn't entirely sure what Nancy would find. 

It switched to the two police cars and ambulance leaving the camp, the campers watching them go. Cindy stood frozen in front of the sign hearing Nurse Lane's voice. 

Nurse Lane: I'm sorry. But I can't save you. 

She turned to look over at Tommy who was sitting on a small brick wall a couple of yards away. 

Nurse Lane: One way or another, you're gonna die tonight. 

"So, does that imply that someone else is going to try and kill him?" Mike glanced at Max, not so subtly looking for an answer.  

"To be honest, I'm not really sure what Nurse Lane's thought process was." As much as she wishes she did and as much as she wanted to ask her, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. A part of her thinks that knowing why she did it would be even worse. 

A bell started ringing causing everyone who was watching the vehicles go to jump. 

Billy: Hey, guys! Dinner time!

All the campers started cheering and running to the Mess Hall to eat. In the Mess Hall, everyone was wearing either a blue or red shirt and everyone was talking about Nurse Lane. 

Girl: Nurse Lane's daughter Killed seven people. 

Boy: Her daughter was Ruby Lane. 

Shelia walked over to her table and sat down. 

Shelia: She was clearly possessed, just like her crazy daughter.

Will: Sarah Fier strikes again. 

Some girls walked into the Mess Hall. 

Girl: How does the witch choose them? It's crazy. You think color war is gonna be canceled?

"Hey, I have a question." Will turned to Max, her nodding to him as a go ahead, "All the people saying this are wearing red, so they're Sunnyvalers?" Max nodded again, "Okay, I'll come back to that. How many people were said to be cursed by the witch?" Max froze for a second. That was actually hard question to answer, because there were a lot more than people think. 

"Around twenty, give or take?" She would give him an exact number, but she doesn't feel like naming them all and counting them right now. "It started with Pastor Miller, I think, in the 1600s." The group around them started to mumble to each other about all the cursed people but Will was nodding. 

"Okay, and how many of those killers were from Sunnyvale?" 

"None of them." Max shook her head, Sarah only possessed people from Shadyside. 

"Did anyone from Sunnyvale ever die in these murders?" She wasn't really understanding where Will was going with these questions. 

"No?" She shook her head again. "Not usually, maybe one or two but mostly it was Shadysiders who died. Because Shadyside hanged Sarah and she wants revenge. Sunnyvale didn't do anything to her." That was explained at the beginning. Or it sort of was, the snippets of clips were going by too fast. "Why?"

"I just find it weird is all." He shrugged his shoulders, "It's probably nothing." It was obviously something if he felt the need to bring it up, but she wasn't gonna push. 

The girls sat down at a table where a boy was talking. 

Boy: Psycho Shadysiders always fucking ruin everything!

The camera moved to the table where Tommy and Cindy were sitting with other counselors. 

Tommy: She said one way or another I was gonna die tonight. 

Gary: Spooky!

"So, who is that?" Jonathan nodded his to the screen at the guy next to Tommy. 

"Ugh!" Max rolled her eyes, "That's Gary. He was one of Billy and Tommy's friends." She rolled her eyes at the guy with a small smile. Sure, he was annoying and weird, but he always treated her kindly and always made her laugh when she was feeling down. Billy took the news of his death hard. He had been hoping for the comfort of a friend when he learned to news of Cindy, hoping to get high or maybe drunk. Obviously, that didn't happen. 

The boy next to Tommy raised his hands and wiggled his fingers at him. Billy, who was next to Cindy, was rolling a joint.

Billy: The little demons are right. That's total witch like behavior. 

Cindy: It's just, there must be some explanation. The witch isn't real.  

Tommy: Like what?

Nancy found Max's eyes as she asked her question. "Did you all believe in the witch?" Now, if they had watched this movie before Steve's, Nancy probably wouldn't believe in the possibility of possession. 

Max nodded her head, "Everyone in Shadyside believed it, Sunnyvale just mocked up and made fun of it, but it was the only explanation we could think of for why normal people would just randomly start murdering people." Well, Cindy believed there was another explanation but everyone else didn't.

Cindy hesitated; her eyes caught the paper in Billy's hand. 

Cindy: Maybe she was on something.

Billy scoffed and shook his head at his sister.  

Billy: Pretty sure this wouldn't cause that.

He held up the finished joint and placed it in a small baggie.

Eddie cringed, "As much as I dislike agreeing with him," He flicked his fingers at the screen, "I really have to agree." 

Cindy: I'm not talking about marijuana. 

Gary: Just admit your jealous the witch wanted your hubby all to herself!

He leaned over and gave Tommy a big hug as the other boy pushed him off. 

Tommy: Be serious, man! Why would Nurse Mary wanna do something like that? Why would she want me dead?

"Nurse Mary? I thought her name was Nurse Lane?" El squinted her eyes at the screen like it maybe lied to her. 

"Her first name is probably Mary," Steve smiled at her before turning to Max, "Right, Max?" The red head nodded her head at both Steve and El. It was a weird thing. Some people said Nurse Mary, others said Lane. It didn't really affect her, so she didn't care. 

Gary shook his head. 

Gary: Oh, no. She wouldn't. 

Gary and Billy leaned a little closer. 

Gary & Billy: But the witch might! 

They both started laughed, Tommy looking at his girlfriend with an exhausted look. 

Max smiled softly at the screen. She missed seeing her brother like that. He used to be so happy and goofy, he didn't a complete one-eighty when Cindy died, it was unreal. Max wasn't aware a person could just change their personality like that overnight, but somehow, he was able to do it. 

Cindy: Hey, they're just playing around. This was nothing, I promise. 

Tommy: Did you see her eyes? There was something in there, something wrong. 

The two stared at each other before Billy started clapping, getting everyone's attention as he stood up from his seat and made his way to the front of the Mess Hall. 

Billy: Alright!

Everyone turned to where Billy was standing, some people letting out small cheers. 

Billy: Chicks, dicks, listen up! 

"Oh, I am so stealing that!" Eddie cheered proudly while laughing. Max, and some others, couldn't help but laugh either. 

He stood up on one of the side tables at the front of the room so everyone could see him better. 

Billy: We had a scary situation earlier, but we cannot let that mess with the most important night of our summer. 

"He's so different." Steve whispered as they watched Billy talk to all the campers on the tv. Max could tell everyone was thinking the same thing. It was one of the biggest adjustments Max had to make, she had lost both her sister and her brother in just one night.  

He paused for dramatic effect. 

Billy: Tonight is Sunnyvale versus Shadyside.

The camera showed the kids wearing red and the kids wearing blue. 

Billy: It is red versus blue. It is good versus evil. Tonight, we commencicate Color War!

Max giggled softly at the mispronounced word. He always did that on purpose, because he found that it always made, at least, someone laugh. 

Everyone in the room cheered as Gary looked back at the people left at their table. 

Gary: It's 'commence.' My God.

Cindy: He might be dumb.

Cindy rolled her eyes at her brother as she shrugged. 

Cindy: But he does have a way to get all the kid hyped up. 

"I'm so confused," Dustin had his eyes narrowed at the screen, much like the other boys did, "Billy is actually showing signs of being a human?" The boys chuckled at his words but Max and El both rolled their eyes. El grew found of Billy because he saved her life, and that was all the proof she needed. Max had tried to explain to them that, after the night at the Byers, he tried to be better, but he had such a hard time. 

Back to Billy on the table. 

Billy: Tonight's first event is Capture the Flag, baby! 

He was holding up a blue flag in the air, a red leaning against the wall behind him. 

The room full of campers clapped and cheered. 

Billy: Now, now, now. Shadyside. 

He brought a hand up as if he was whispering. 

Billy: We have never, ever won a color war.

Max groaned. The only reason they always lost was because Sunnyvale always cheated. It was quite possibly one of the most frustrating things that happened at that stupid camp. 

He looked at the crowed with mock disappointment. The campers in the blue shirts booed as the one's in red rolled their eyes. 

Billy: So, tonight, let's put a stain in Sunnyvale's legacy. 

The kids in red booed loudly at his words at started chanting in retaliation. 

Sunnyvaler's: Sunnyvale! Sunnyvale! Sunnyvale!

"Boo!" Max cupped her hands around her mouth so she could amplify the noise. 

Billy: Now, let's go out there...

The camera was one Tommy, who was now looking all sweaty and exhausted. Cindy's eyes watched him with concern. 

"He doesn't look okay." Nancy mumbled but Max knew everyone was thinking it. Tommy truly didn't look good, and that probably should have been a sign that something was wrong, everyone was just too focused color war to even really notice.

Billy: And show them what the Shadyside witches can do!

The kids in blue started to cheer as the ones in red booed. Joan stood from her seat across the room and made her way to the front calmly. 

Joan: Uh, hi!

She giggled as the kids started to settle down. 

Joan: Thank you, Billy, for that neat-o-speech. 

She gave him a look as he rolled his eyes with a smirk. 

Joan: Oh, Sunnyvaler's, let's go out there and do our best, 

"She's pretty." Robin smiled and titled her head. 

Max nodded in agreement, "She is pretty," She smiled at Robin who smiled right back, "Pretty creepy." She mumbled as the turned back to the screen. Lucas, being the only one who heard her, started to snicker under his breath, covering his mouth to keep quiet. Max giggled with him and shook her head at him. 

Cindy stood up from her seat and started walking away. 

Joan: Because even if we lose, which we won't, 

She mumbled that second part. 

Joan: We're still winners in our hearts. 

She pointed to the middle of her chest as most of the kids in the room, both red and blue, booed at her. Even Billy booed at her while he shook his head. The kids in red shirts started their Sunnyvale chant as Tommy turned back in his seat noticing that Cindy wasn't there. 

"I don't know how I feel about what I just saw." Mike scratched his chin. Max could tell that a lot of people in the room felt that way. They were seeing another side to her brother and another side to her. Granted that she wasn't on the screen at the moment, this whole thing was just another obstacle to one of the worst nights of her life and now, she was starting to get a little antsy. 

Chapter Text

The scene changed to Ziggy opening a can of paint with a screwdriver. The door to the arts and crafts cabin opened and Cindy walked in. 

Cindy: What are you doing?

Ziggy rolled her eyes. 

Ziggy: Art project. 

"And what were you really doing?" Steve raised his eyebrow at her. She smiled at him and shook her head. Steve always had a way of just reading her, he just knew what she was thinking before she even knew it herself. It was actually a little concerning, but it didn't bother her too much. 

Cindy didn't pay any attention to the eye rolling as she walked forward. 

Cindy: I need to talk to you. 

Ziggy: Not in the mood. 

Cindy: Earlier, you said Mary was upset.

Mike scoffed, "Now she cares?" He glared softly at the screen, "She didn't care earlier." Yes, she didn't care before and that made Max super mad, in fact she's still upset about it because maybe if Cindy had listened to her in the first place, they could have tried to fix it before Tommy got cursed. Not sure what they could have done though, seeing as she was thirteen and Cindy was almost eighteen. 

The younger girl stopped what she was doing and turned around with a sarcastic laugh. 

Ziggy: Oh, so now you care!

Cindy: Ziggy, this is serious. 

Ziggy: Well, yeah, it was serious earlier, and you didn't give a shit. 

She grabbed her paint can and a bucket before starting to walk out, her sister following. 

Cindy: Come on, you were the last person to see her before she snapped.

Max was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. This was one of the last conversations she had with her sister, and it wasn't a very nice one. They both said some pretty mean things and she doesn't even remember if she apologized for it or not. 

The walked out of the building, Ziggy not talking as her sister continued. 

Cindy: What about drugs? Did you see any around?

Ziggy: She's a nurse, so yup. 

Cindy: Well, did she mention anything or-

Ziggy: Nope. 

"Why would she think that the nurse told you something?" Nancy was now leaning forward in her seat, trying to catch every detail she can about what happened. Or at least that's what Max assumes she's doing. It would make sense. 

Max just shrugged her shoulders, "I really don't know. She was kind of like you in that way." She gave a small chuckle, "Once she was in detective mode, it was hard to get her out of it."

Cindy: Ziggy, I'm just... 

She paused for a second as she took a breath. 

Cindy: I'm trying to understand what happened today. 

Ziggy: Who cares? It's over.

Cindy: Not for Tommy. He's still freaked out and acting weird and... It's just a big joke to everyone. "Mary was possessed by the witch."

Ziggy shrugged, not looking at her sister. 

Ziggy: Maybe it was the witch. 

Max frowned at the two girls on the screen. They were too busy fighting with each other that they couldn't stop to think about what might have really happened. Earlier, Nurse Lane said she saw Tommy's name on the wall. What wall? Why was his name on it? If they had just stopped and talked things thought, maybe this could have ended different.

Cindy: Ziggy...

Her voice held a 'no nonsense' tone as she spoke. 

Ziggy: What? That doesn't fit your carefully constructed bullshit view of the world?

Cindy glared at her younger sisters back. 

Cindy: First, watch your mouth. Second...

Max smiled, that was another thing that Steve did that reminded her of her siblings. Steve doesn't know that he makes her think of them but that's okay. He's like a mix of both Billy and Cindy and she couldn't ask for anything more. 

She sighed, glare dropping from her face. 

Cindy: Why are you being like this?

Ziggy: Oh, I don't know. Maybe because Nurse Lane was the only person, besides Billy, who was nice to me, and now her life is over because bad things always happen to Shadysiders. 

Cindy: Nothing just happens. There's always a reason. 

Ziggy: Not always a rational one. 

"I would like to point out that we were both right in this scenario." Max pointed at the screen, "There was always a reason for the bad things happening to Shadysiders and that reason was the witch, a nonrational reason."

The two girls stopped outside of a cabin. 

Ziggy: Deep down, you feel it, don't you? Shadyside, there's something here. It's just holding us down, cursing us.

The red head chuckled sarcastically. 

Ziggy: Hell, I'm not even from Shadyside and I can feel it. 

Max brought her hand to her chest and rubbed it, trying to ease the feeling that sat there many years ago. Lucas wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a small, comforting smile. 

Cindy: Ziggy, that's enough. 

Ziggy: You're too scared to admit it. So, when things go bad, you wanna explain it away. 

Cindy rolled her eyes. 

Cindy: I'm sorry. I'm not going to blame everything on some fairy tale. Life sucks sometimes. I get that. I mean, God knows it's been hard since...

Cindy trailed off, her eyes widening slightly when she realized where she was going with it. 

Ziggy: Since what? See, you can't even say it! Since your Uncle Charlie died. Since your dad started drinking. Since we're going to lose the house. And it's not gonna magically get better. And saving up all summer to buy a super cute polo shirt can't hide that. 

"Oh, yeah!" Max groaned in realization, "That's why were went back every summer. Neil's brother, Charlie, the two of them would do some sort of work that he needed help with." If Max was remembering correctly, Charlie was kind of odd, she was a little glad that she didn't see him much. 

She tugged at the bottom of her sister's shirt to help get her point across.

Ziggy: Trying to explain why nice old Nurse Lane almost lost it today can't either. We're all curse. For Mary, it was today. But someday, it'll be you. And this whole fake bullshit life of yours, it's gonna come crashing down.

Cindy looked at her sister with watery eyes. 

Cindy: That's a horrible thing to say.

Max could feel her eyes getting misty. That was a horrible thing to say, why did she say that? Was her goal to make her sister upset, because if it was then she had success. 

Ziggy shook her head. 

Ziggy: It's not horrible if it's true. 

Cindy: I don't know who you are anymore, but... 

She swallowed and shook her head slightly. 

Cindy: But you're not my sister. 

Max quickly and harshly wiped her tear away. She wasn't going to cry, not right now, not this earlier in the video. Her tears were going to wait until later. 

Ziggy: Then who am I?

Cindy: A monster.

Ziggy's lip gave a small wobble as she sarcastically smiled and moved to open the door of the cabin. 

Ziggy: That's what they say. 

Cindy walked forward so she was in view of the room. Ziggy's bed was all ripped to shreds and all the wall was painted 'Ziggy is a witch bitch' 'Suck it' 'Monster' 'Slut.' 

"Oh, Max." Joyce's voice was soft and full of comfort. She didn't want that right now. 

"I'm okay." Her voice didn't sound okay, but she wasn't going to change her answer, 
"I honestly forgot all about that. I don't care." She could tell that Joyce wanted to say more but didn't because Max didn't want to talk about it. 

The younger girl then slammed the door in her older sister's face. Inside the room, Ziggy stood with her back facing the door, a tear slowly fell down her cheek. The camera moved to Cindy, she stood staring at the door before turning to leave, wiping a tear that fell from her eye. 

Max felt her heart break. She made Cindy cry. They both stood within ten feet of each other and were crying. She doesn't know why she acted out so much and why she took it all out on Cindy, but she knows that she wasn't being fair to her big sister, but she can't change that now. 

Chapter Text

The camera changed to a close up of someone putting a tape in a stereo. The song 'Carry on Wayward Son' started playing as they put a rock on the loudspeaker microphone so it could be heard throughout camp. It changed again to outside, the campers wearing their colored shirts and painting their faces with the corresponding colors. It changed again to Joan wearing a red shirt holding the red flag. 

Joan: Do your hardest to not let them near this. 

She handed the flag off to one of the campers with a wide smile. 

Joan: Do you hear me?

The group cheered as you young boys ran by with a blue flag. The camera followed them as they ran. Tommy and Billy standing in front of the group, Billy leading a chant. 

Billy and Campers: Shadyside! Shadyside! Woo, woo, woo, woo!

"It's so weird seeing Billy like this." Steve put his elbows on his knees and rubbed his temples, "I really wish he was still like this when y'all moved here. He probably would have been friends." Max couldn't help but agree. If he stayed his weird, goofy self he wouldn't have been friends with Tommy H and Carol. To be honest, he probably would have man friends with Robin first. 

Tommy: Alright, alright, alright!

Billy turned to look at his fellow counselor as the campers quieted down.

Tommy: Now, remember, keep at least three defenders by this all the time. Alright? And who's the jailer?

A boy with glasses standing at the front of the group raised his hand. 

Tommy: Okay, Jermey, you may be the most important player in the, uh... in the

Tommy blinked slowly. He seemed to be a little disoriented as he heard a voice.

Whispering echo: Tommy... 

"Okay, no." Eddie shook his head, "Nope. I do not agree with that. It can stop now." 

"Does this have something to do with the nurse?" Will turned and looked at Max, "Is this what she meant?" Truth be told, Max didn't know the answer to that. Is this what Nurse Lane was talking about? Maybe. This is how the curse of Sarah Fier starts?

A hand gently landed on his shoulder, snapping him out of his daze. He quickly turned around to Cindy standing behind him. 

Cindy: Tommy.

Billy: You okay, man?

The two siblings were looking at him weirdly. Well, Billy was, Cindy looked worried. 

Jeremy: Yeah, are you okay, Mr. Slater?

Max could feel herself starting to tear up. Jeremy was one of the youngest kids in camp, he celebrated his twelve birthday just a week before coming to camp. It was also really upsetting because Jeremy really looked up to Tommy, he was really nervous on his first day and Tommy was right there to make him feel safe and secure. 

Tommy quickly turned around to the campers and tried to smile. 

Tommy: Yeah, I'm... I'm good. Um...

He held up the flag and handed it to the campers. 

Tommy: Why don't you guys get started? Go plant the flag, Billy will help you guys.

He nodded to his friend who nodded back, still looking concerned. 

Tommy: I'll be right behind you. Ok? Let's go, Shadyside! Come on!

He smiled widely as he clapped, sending the campers off with Billy. 

Billy and Campers: Shadyside! Shadyside! Move, move, move, move!

As the others left, Tommy turned to his girlfriend looking exhausted.

Tommy: Oh, man. 

He brought his hand to the back of his head. 

El, laying her head on Max's shoulder, whispered, "He does not look okay." 

"No." Max agreed, laying her head on top of the other girls, "He doesn't."

Tommy: My head is throbbing. She must have got me pretty good. Mary's stronger than she looks. 

Cindy: You need to lie down?

Tommy: No. No, I'm alright. I'm alright.

Cindy: Good.

She nodded at him. 

Cindy: I need your help. And the key to the infirmary. 

"Wait a minute?" Nancy tilted her head at the screen and squinted her eyes, "He's not feeling well, and she wants him to help her snoop?" 

"To be fair, he said he was fine." Jonathan defended the girl on the screen. "And she wants to find a logical explanation for what happened." He stopped, eyes widening, "Oh my God, I'm starting to sound like you." Nancy, of course, smacked him in the shoulder for saying that but she had a smile on her face while doing so. 

The scene changed to the camera panning over the camp with the sun setting. Finally, it landed on a fire pit, the fire going strongly as Tommy and Cindy walked to the building. Cindy unlocked the door, it creaking as it opened, and the two walked in. 

Tommy: So, what exactly are we looking for?

Cindy held out her hand to give the keys back. 

Cindy: Answers. 

Tommy: Come on, Cindy. It doesn't matter, alright?

Cindy: It matters. There's a reason Mary did what she did and said what she said. We're gonna figure it out. Right now.

"God, she really is like you, Nancy." Mike groaned which earned him a pillow to the back of the head, "Hey, I didn't say that was a bad thing!" He turned to his sister who glared at him. 

"Yeah, well you implied it."

"Did not!"

"Yes, you did!"

Everyone in the room rolled their eyes. This wasn't an unusual thing for them to do seeing as they are siblings. 

Tommy: Come on, Cindy. Please, I... 

He sighed as she walked away from him and into the nurse's office. Cindy opened the desk drawers and started combing through them, trying to find something. The last drawer, the found a small bottle. Picking it up, she chuckled. 

Cindy: No label, half-empty. 

"Wait, so she was on drugs?" Dustin scrunched his nose in confusion. "But then why would that Tommy guy be hearing his name all whispery? It doesn't make any sense."

Tommy stood in the doorway of the office. 

Cindy: Like I said, she was on drugs. We just have to get these to the cops, then they'll tell us what they...

She stopped talking as Tommy picked up a journal, the same journal that Ziggy found. 

Cindy: What is that?

Tommy: "A deal was made with the Devil."

Cindy stared at him as he read what was written. 

Tommy: "Sarah Fier cut off her wicked hand on Satan's stone in exchange for eternal life,"

Cindy frowned and rolled her eyes at the mention of the witch. 

Tommy: "scarring the soil beneath with the witch's mark, bringing Darkness upon the land."

"That's creepy." Lucas mumble, probably not meaning to be heard but with him sitting so close to Max, she heard it anyway. He was right, it really was creepy, but Sarah Fier was, in fact, creepy. 

The two stared at each other for a moment before the sound of glass breaking took their attention. 

Tommy: Did you hear that?

Cindy gave a slight nod as Tommy started making his way out of the room. The floorboards creaked beneath his feet as he made his way to the other room. 

Tommy: Hello?

"Why?" Eddie gently tugged at his hair, "Why would you go investigate? Why?" The room was feeling a lot thicker with fear now as they watched as Tommy walked into a different room. 

He walked further with no answer. 

Tommy: Hello, is somebody in there?

A person jumped up beside him, scaring him. It was Alice. 

Alice: Argh!

"Ahh!" Dustin jumped harshly as he screamed. "What the fuck?! Why would she do that?!" Max, and a few others, couldn't help but laugh at the boy. "What the shit?! That wasn't cool!" 

Tommy: Jeez!

Alice started laughing as she backed away. Cindy and Arnie walked into the room behind them. 

Tommy: Come on. That's not funny. 

Cindy: Alice? What are you doing here?

Alice scoffed and motioned to the bottle in Cindy's hand. 

Alice: Looks like we're both here for the same thing. Must really want me to scrub those toilets. 

"See, she seems like someone I would like to be friends with." Max smiled softly at Eddie. Yeah, Alice would have liked him. She would have liked him a lot and not just because they both like to get high. They had a lot of similar interests, or at least from what Max can remember they did. 

Cindy: This isn't for you. 

She quickly stuffed the bottle into her bag to keep the other two away from it. 

Arnie: Whoa, Hargrove. I didn't know you were into that kind of thing. 

He smiled at her as Cindy just looked at him annoyed. 

Cindy: They're not for me. I'm giving them to the cops. 

Alice: Oh, yeah. The cops. 

Alice moved away from the shelf she was looking through and nodded sarcastically. 

Alice: Yeah, right, of course. No, what are you talking about?

She was mad now, shaking her head frustratedly. 

Alice: What, now you're gonna snitch on Mary too?

"What happened between them." Robin looked at Max, hoping that the younger girl had an answer for her. 

"Honestly," Max shrugged, "I'm not one hundred percent sure. They got into a fight; I think." Neither Cindy nor Alice told her why they stopped being friend, or if they did, she doesn't remember it. It was just really weird because they used to be so close, two peas in a pod. Sisters separated at birth they used to say, and then it was all gone. 

Cindy looked conflicted. 

Cindy: No. That's... I'm trying to-

Arnie quickly grabbed the journal from Tommy's hand. 

Arnie: This for the cops too?

Tommy: Give that back!

As Tommy tried to reach for it, Arnie tossed it to Alice. The girl then opened it and started to look through it while laughing. 

Alice: "She emerged by the Meeting House, one hand severed, lost forever."

Alice was reading in a mockingly spooky voice. 

Alice: "We hanged the witch, body chained and buried but without her hand, her grip on the land holds firm." Ooh. 

"The more and more I'm hearing about Sarah Fier the more and more creeped out I'm getting." Steve shook his head and leaned back into his couch cushion, "Why did they hang her in the first place? What did she do? They wouldn't just hang her for no reason. She'd have to of done something, right?"

"There are actually many versions of this story." Max nodded, "Some say that she cursed their lands. Some say that she bewitched the daughter of the mayor. Another says that a man tried to take advantage of her, so she retaliated. There's also one that says her dog died and so in her grieving she cursed anyone who came near." She just shrugged, no one knew what the true story was. It might not have been any of those. 

She started laughing again as Cindy rolled her eyes. 

Alice: This is Sarah Fier shit!

Cindy: Alice, come on. 

She tried to take the journal, but Alice just turned the page and kept reading, moving to stand by her boyfriend. 

Alice: "When she is near, blood will fall, and the curse will last until body and hand unite."

Cindy: Alice, it's Mary's diary. Let's put it back. 

Alice turned to the next page. 

Alice: It's not just a diary. 

She turned to book around to show Cindy and Tommy the page she turned to. 

Alice: It's a map.

They all watched as the map was shown on the screen. Is that what Cindy was off doing, why Tommy went crazy? Following a map?

Cindy: What?

Alice turned the journal back around to look at it again. 

Alice: Crazy Nurse Lane made a crazy map. 

She moved over to one of the beds, Arnie following her, and kneeled on the ground resting her arms on the made bed. Arnie and Tommy both looking over her shoulder. 

Alice: It's camp but looks like she drew all over it. 

She pointed to a spot on the map as Cindy made her way over and kneeled on the other side of the bed, placing her bag next to the book. 

Alice: 1666 Union. 

Cindy: Union, that's Shadyside. 

Alice: What?

Cindy: I mean, the settlement before it was divided into Shadyside and Sunnyvale.

Alice: Really?

Cindy: If you went to class...

Tommy stopped her before she could continue. 

Tommy: So, the camp is built in the same place as the settlement?

"That actually pretty interesting." Nancy nodded, "It a part of the history of what their town used to be." 

Arnie: Woah, look, look, look!

He pointed to a spot on the map. 

Arnie: Sarah Fier!

Alice: You think that's her house?

Cindy rolled her eyes. 

Arnie: What are all the X's?

Alice: There's only one way to find out.

"Oooo, scavenger hunt!" Eddie smiled excitedly, "How fun?"

"Yeah," Steve nodded sarcastically to his boyfriend, "a hunt for the witch's house in the middle of the woods."

She quickly closed the book, grabbed Cindy's bag, and stood up.

Cindy: Hey! That's my bag!

Alice ignored her and started making her way out of the room. 

Alice: Arnie, flashlight. 

He grabbed the flashlight and the two made it out of the building. Alice pulled the bottle out of Cindy's purse. 

Alice: What is this shit?

Arnie: Let me see. 

Alice opened it and grabbed two pills. One for each of them. 

Arnie: L484. Sounds familiar. Ooh, Dex, maybe.

"Okay," Hopper spoke up from behind all the kids, "you all know never to do drugs. Don't follow the example of those two on the screen." The kids nodded their heads at his words. 

Alice: Know what sounds fun? Seeing a witch's house high on Dex. 

They both put the pills in their mouths. 

Arnie: oh yes, it does. 

Cindy: Alice!

Cindy and Tommy ran outside. 

Cindy: Bring that back! What are you doing?

Alice: It's called fun, Cindy Hargrove. You used to have it, remember?

Max smiled sadly at those words. Cindy did used to have fun, not just with drugs. In fact, Max is only aware of Cindy smoking weed, not anything to the extent of what Alice does. Did, of what Alice did.

She put Cindy's bag on her shoulder and took off running with Arnie. 

Alice: We're gonna find you, Sarah Fier!

Cindy went to go after them but noticed Tommy was dozed out. 

Cindy: Tommy!

Her boyfriend was staring at the firepit in another daze. 

Whispering Echo: Tommy...

"No," Dustin whined, "No more creepy whispers. I don't like it."

"Me either, Dusty-Bun. Me either." Eddie mumbled back in agreement.

Cindy: Tommy!

Her voice snapped him out of him as he quickly looked over to her. 

Cindy: Come on, they took everything!

The two then took off running, chasing the other couple. 

"Now, this is when everything is gonna go wrong." Joyce whispered softly as they watched the camera on the screen back out slightly. Max nodded her head absentmindedly. This is when things started to go bad, she could just feel it. 

Chapter Text

The screen now showed Ziggy sitting on her trashed bed, pouring red paint into a bucket. A knock sounded at her door. 

"Ooo," Eddie perked up slightly, "What are you planning on doing?" Max just chuckled and shook her head. She is a little upset that she didn't do the Carrie thing but watching Shelia's face with all the bugs made it worth it. 

Ziggy: Go away, Cindy!

Nick: It's me. It's Nick.

Ziggy stopped what she was doing and looked at the door confused. In the door window, Nick was shown. 

Ziggy: Go away, Nick!

Nick didn't listen and opened the door, walking in and getting a look at what the other girls had done. 

"Wow, just walking in without an okay." Max could just feel the glare Steve was giving the screen, giving Nick really. Anyone who knew Steve can tell you that he's very protective of his family, especially the younger ones, so Max isn't surprised that he immediately started to be wary of Nick, even though Nick didn't do anything. 

Nick: Whoa. 

He closed the door behind him. 

Nick: I like what you've done with the place. 

His tone was dry and sarcastic. 

Ziggy: This wasn't me.

Nick: I'm shocked. 

Everyone watched in silence as the two people on the screen interacted. Sure, at the time it was a little odd for Max seeing as the two of them never interacted before, but she wouldn't change a thing about it. Well, she'd change the fact that he lied and called her crazy after everything happened, but other than that. 

He had his hands on his hips as he walks further into the cabin. 

Nick: "Ziggy is a Witch Bitch." "Ziggy sucks cocks in Hell." Jeez. 

He stopped at one of the buck beds, Ziggy watching him carefully as she poured water into the bucket full of paint. 

Nick: Shelia?

Ziggy stopped mixing the paint and just looked at him. 

Ziggy: Colonel Mustard.

Max smiled as she heard the soft chuckles around her. Her attitude hadn't really changed much since then.  After everything and moving to Hawkins she had a hard time opening up to people, still does now really, but meeting the party and Steve and Nancy had really helped her with that. Especially now that Eddie, Robin, and Joyce where able to help her with talking.  Jonathan and Hopper weren't very good with being open about things. 

He leaned forward when she started mixing the paint again to get a better look at it. 

Nick: Oh, looks like blood. 

Ziggy: Yeah. I didn't have a pig, so...

"No!" Eddie sat up with a surprised gasp and a smile on his face. "You are not going to Carrie that bitch?" Max didn't answer him, just sent him a wide smile back. "You are! Yes! I hope that we get to see that!"

"Wait," Steve was frowning as he looked around the room, everyone seeming to understand what Eddie was talking about, "What does that mean? I don't get it." Of course, Steve wouldn't get it he wasn't really one to watch/read horror books. 

"It's a horror book, Steve." His eyebrows scrunched his face up in a grimace at Robin's words. He shook his head and turned back to the screen, clearly not wanting to hear any more about it.  

He nodded, impressed by her answer. 

Nick: Carrie. Cool. 

Ziggy looked up again, surprised. 

Ziggy: You've read Carrie?

Nick: Yeah. Second favorite after Salem's Lot. 

Ziggy scoffed as he raised his eyebrow at her. 

Nick: I think the real question is, 'You've read Carrie?'

"Honestly, I'm not really surprised that you read Carrie at thirteen." Hopper mumbled. 

"It was a good book." Billy had a lot of the Stephen King books and he would always let Max borrow one, even after Cindy died. It was one of the things that never changed between them. 

Ziggy rolled her eyes. 

Ziggy: My brother lets me borrow his books. 

Nick nodded his head with an understanding frown on his face. 

Nick: Makes sense. Still, I dunno, paint seems a little pedestrian. 

Ziggy: Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have a better idea

"I do have to admit, his idea was better." She was a little upset with herself that she didn't come up with it, but the Carrie thing also seemed like a good idea. 

Nick nodded. 

Nick: Maybe. 

Ziggy looked at him weirdly as he answered her. 

Ziggy: Shouldn't you be, like, turning me in or something?

Nick: Well, I should be supervising Color War, uh... But I noticed you were MIA and-

Ziggy: So, you decided to be a creep and stalk a thirteen-year-old. 

"That is a little creepy. Also, creepy that he just walked into your room with your okay." Mike mumble into his pillow. 

"I don't really think that was creepy, just disrespectful." Dustin butted in. Yeah, it was a little rude that Nick didn't wait for permission, but Max didn't really think much into that or see it as an issue. 

Nick frowned at the accusation and shook his head once. 

Nick: Check in on you. Clearly you don't need my assistance. All good. Go ahead. "Carrie" on.

Everyone groaned at the pun except Steve, who was chuckling softly. Max couldn't help but roll her eyes. Yes, Steve didn't know what Carrie was, but he was always a sucker for stupid jokes like that. She's even heard Eddie, who hates those kinds of jokes, make a few of them just to make him laugh. 

Ziggy just glared at him as he smiled and turned back for the door. 

Ziggy: What's your idea?

He stopped where he was and turned to her, holding up a set of keys while smiling. 

Nick: Science and Nature.

The camera switched back to Ziggy who had a confused, yet intrigued, expression. 

"Science and Nature?" El looked at max, confused by what Nick could have meant. To be fair, Max was a little confused by what he meant but quickly figured it out before he even told her. She was actually very excited about Nick's idea and was very happy with the result she got. 

Chapter Text

The scene changed to Cindy walking slowly in the woods with a flashlight.

Cindy: Alice! Alice! Come on, it's disgusting in here!

"Ooo, We're back to your sister." Dustin sat up a little straighter, almost like he was looking forward to what they were going to see. If Max is being honest with herself, she's also curious to know what happened in the woods that night. 

The camera moved along the trees and found Alice, also with a flashlight. 

Alice: We're close, Hargrove, hang in there!

Alice walked over to where Arnie was waiting for her. 

Alice: The was the best idea.

Arnie: Yeah, but I still don't feel shit.

Alice stopped and reached into the bag she took from Cindy. 

Alice: Okay, so, take more.

Everyone watched silently, a little tense if anything. Keeping their eyes on the screen just waiting for something to happen. Max's hands suddenly felt warm, she quickly looked down and saw Lucas's hand placed on her. Looking up, she smiled softly at him causing him to smile back at her. She's nervous and he knows she's nervous, he's giving her the comfort she needs. 

She pulled out the pill bottle and handed it to him. 

Arnie: Thank you.

He opened the bottle and dumped pills into his palm. 

Arnie: L484.

The camera zoomed out to show Alice a couple yards ahead of him. 

Alice: Arnie!

Arnie: Wait up!

Cindy: Alice!

The camera switched to Cindy and Tommy.  

Cindy: I swear to God...

She cut herself off with a gasp when her shirt sleeve snagged on a twig and tore. 

Cindy: Shit! Oh, it's ruined now!

A small, soft chuckle left her mouth. Max couldn't help it. When Cindy decided to 'do better', swearing was something she told herself she'd never do again. It would make her look bad and if she looked bad, she wouldn't get into a good collage. 

Tommy: You cursed again.

Cindy looked up at her boyfriend. 

Cindy: You want me to murder you?

Tommy squeezed his eyes shut, like he was in pain. 

Cindy: Babe, you okay?

"Do you think, maybe, he's possessed by the witch?" Will lift his hand and pointed at the screen, "Just, hear me out," Will was now looking at everyone else in the room, everyone's attention on him, "It fits, I think. Shadysiders were the only one's possessed by the witch, he's Shadyside. Nurse Lane, or Mary, said that she couldn't save him. Tommy's hearing a whispering voice and he looks like he's in pain."

"Yeah," Mike nodded his head, "that makes sense, doesn't it." Mike also started looking around the room, "That's why Nurse Lane was trying to hurt him, to stop him from hurting people." Max sat there, a little shocked that Will was able to piece it together so quickly. Out of all the people in the room, he wasn't at the top of the list, but he also wasn't at the bottom. 

Tommy: Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.

A scream then caught both of their attention. Both turning their heads before heading in that direction. 

Cindy: Alice?

The two started to run, the camera zooming out as they did so. Back on Cindy and Tommy, they both halted running when they saw Alice climb out of a hole in the ground. 

Robin leaned forward in her seat, crowding against Steve in the process. "Is that what I think it is?"

"You mean a very sketchy area with a half-dug grave?" Eddie turns around to look at her, "Then yes, I think that's what you think it is."

"That's so creepy," Dustin rubbing his hands together nervously, "Do you think that's where the nurse was going to bury Tommy?" No one answered his question, no one really felt the need to. He was just projecting his thoughts out loud for the sake of not going crazy.

Alice: Watch your step. 

Cindy waved her flashlight over it as they walked closer. 

Tommy: Is someone digging a grave?

Alice: Graves.

She held her flashlight to show other dug holes. 

Max can feel Lucas shudder next to her. The thought of multiple graves dug freaked her out too. Why were those there?

Tommy: Mary.

Arnie walked up to stand next to his girlfriend, picking up the shovel that was left on the ground. 

Tommy: Hey, where's the, uh...

He stops and picks up the journal that Alice left on the ground. 

Tommy: The X's, look. Look.

He started flipping through the pages before landing on the right one. The map. 

Tommy: Look, here. Here.

The others got closer to see as he pointed to the X's on the map. 

"Well, that's interesting." Nancy squinted, probably wishing she had a notebook or something to write all this down in. And Nancy's right, it really is interesting.

Tommy: She was marking where she dug. 

Alice looked uncertain and turned to the previous page. 

Alice: "But without her hand, her grip on the land holds firm and the curse will last until body and hand unite."

Tommy: Maybe Mary was looking for the hand. 

He turned to another page in the journal. 

Tommy: To end the curse?

Alice: Yeah, the curse that made her daughter lose her mind.

"The pieces are all starting to come together." Dustin rested his chin in his palm, looking like he was slightly enjoying the small mystery that seemed to be happening at the moment. That doesn't really surprise her, Dustin has always been into mysteries. Especially the mystery of these stupid movies and how they just randomly popped up.  

Cindy: Guys, come on.

Cindy looked between the two of them and scoffed. 

Cindy: This is silly. 

Arnie: Yeah.

He nodded as everyone turned to look at him. 

Arnie: I gotta piss. 

He walked away leaving the three alone. Alice held her hand out for the journal. 

Alice: Hey, let me see that. 

Tommy went to hand it to her, but Cindy quickly grabbed it before he could. 

Cindy: You can have it, but first give me the drugs.

Eddie hummed and shook his head, "I don't think the drugs are anything serious." He shrugged, biting his thumb nail, "if it was something bad, it would've hit by now. It's gotta be something harmless."

It switched to Arnie walking and undoing his pants. 

Arnie: L484, L484.

He finally stopped once he found a spot. 

Arnie: L4...84.

As a stream of urine was heard, something caught his eye off in the distance. 

Max cringed, much like a lot of other people in the room. That's quite gross, why were they needing to hear that. Yes, all people pee but why do they have to listen to it?

Cindy: If Nurse Mary took those drugs and went crazy, then those drugs are very dangerous. 

Switch back to the other three. Alice started laughing. 

Alice: Oh my God! What happened to you? You remember when we used to have fun? Before you became a snitch?

Cindy: Just let it go already.

Alice: That's easy for you to say. You lying fucking Brutus.

Lying? What's Alice talking about? Lying about what? Max could just feel the confusion on her face as she watched the old friends fight over something she doesn't know. 

Arnie: I found it!

Arnie interrupted their little fight. They all turned to him. 

Arnie: I found the witch's house. 

Alice smirked. Alice and Arnie then took off running in the direction he found it in, both of them laugh with excitement. 

Alice: Dude...

She playfully shoved her boyfriend away when he grabbed her. Alice then shined her flashlight on a vine covered building when Cindy and Tommy appeared behind them. 

Alice: Was I the only one expecting, like, I dunno, a house made of candy?

"Well, now that you mention it. I was picturing a house made of candy." Max could hear Hopper mumble behind her followed quickly by a smack which she assumes is Joyce hitting him in the shoulder. She could feel herself smile. Joyce and Hopper's relationship is amazing, and she can only hope that her future-self found that in her children's father. 

Arnie: Maybe there's candy down here. 

The three looked over to find Arnie looking down at what seemed to be an inground cellar. Alice walked over to him, laughing in disbelief. She stood on the edge of it, mesmerized, before Arnie pretended to shove her, making her gasp in shock. The two then started laughing before Alice crouched and shined her flashlight in the cellar. 

Alice: Hey, Sarah, you got any candy down there?

Cindy made her was over to them to look down as well. 

Alice: We're high and hungry. Sarah Fier!

She shouted causing Cindy to jump.

Dustin also jumped, "Why?" He threw his face into his hands, "Why the hell am I so jumpy?! It wasn't even that scary!"

Cindy: Okay, we've seen enough. 

Alice: Alright then, go home, Hargrove. I didn't march all the way out here for nothing, ok?

Alice lifted her hand to flip off her former friend and started her way down the cellar stairs. 

Cindy: Are you crazy? Alice!

The camera angle switched to look up at the three other young adults as they watched Alice. 

Cindy: Alice!

"And now she's exploring." Robin, who didn't move from her smushed up spot against Steve, stage whispered while shaking her head, "Why would you explore the creepy cave? Why?"

"Because she's high and want's a sense of adventure." Eddie turned and smiled at her, sounding like he's speaking from experience. Which, to be fair, he probably is. Getting high and looking for fun sounds exactly like something he'd do. 

Chapter Text

The scene changed to a dark shelf with the light from a flashlight shining on it. Alice was standing in the underground room, looking at the shelf. 

Alice: Hey, someone's been down here.

They watched as Alice looked around the creepy, underground room. They all felt a level of uneasiness wash over them. Like they knew that this was the point where everything would fall further down the hill. 

She called up to the three people outside. Switch to outside, as Cindy huffed and started to make her way down the stairs. Back to Alice looking at a used candle and touching the wick. 

Alice: Like, recently. 

She chuckled and moved on as the other three entered the room. She pointed her flashlight as something hanging from the ceiling. 

"Aw, no." Eddie shook his head, "This is some freaky shit, and I don't like it one bit." Max could just feel herself nod alone with what he said. This was starting to get freakier than what she originally thought happened. 

Alice: Look at all this witchy shit. 

She laughed lightly as she walked further into the room, quickly turning around to point her flashlight at Cindy. 

Alice: It's Sarah Fier. 

Cindy: Sarah Fier isn't real. 

"Yeah, well, no offense to your sister," Mike looked at Max with an uneasy expression, "but I'm starting to believe that a little less now." There was a time when Max didn't believe in Sarah Fier, but Billy would tell her stories and read her newspapers articles, it started to get her believing. It could no longer be any coincidences, the only thing that made sense was Sarah Fier. 

Alice: Well, someone lit that candle. 

Alice started to walk around the room again, coming up on a small tunnel. 

Alice: Hey, Sarah Fier, if you're in here, say something!

She looked away from the tunnel and looked back at Cindy. 

Alice: Maybe she's shy.

She said sarcastically with a mock sympathy look. Arnie smiled while Cindy and Tommy just looked at her. With a wide smile, Alice crouched and went into the tunnel.

Dustin groaned next to her, "Why? Why go in the creepy tunnel?" 

"I don't know, Dustin," Steve crossed his arms and looked at the teen, "Why would you go in a creepy tunnel?" 

"Okay, that was different," Max started to chuckle at the two boys arguing, "We knew what our creepy tunnel was, she doesn't know what that is."

"You're so full of shit, and you know it." Steve was right. They had no idea what was in the tunnel under Hawkins, they just decided that it was a safe idea to jump down there. Obviously, they were wrong in that aspect. It wasn't safe, not even a little. 

Cindy: Ali... Alice! God!

Cindy followed her as the boys stayed behind, Arnie following behind her. Alice entered a small room with a strange pattern in the middle of the room, candles lit in the middle of it. 

Alice: Woah! It's some kind of, like, occult thing...

Looking around the room, there where shelves with book, unlit candles and other things. 

Alice: Like devil worship...

"Not my fault!" Eddie shouted. Everyone turned to him with odd expressions on their faces. "Sorry," He rubbed the back of his neck, "when I hear devil worship or satanist or some shit, that's my immediate response."

Robin scoffed and shook her head. "Dumbass."

Alice looked at her boyfriend and grabbed his ass, him responding by pulling her in and grabbing hers. 

Alice: It's kinky. 

Arnie: Oh, yeah.

"No," Steve shook his head, "Not kinky, creepy." 

"Aw, come one, baby," Eddie gave a teasing smile, leaning in slightly closer, "you don't wanna do the nasty in a witch's hut?" The younger teens around them all groaned in disgust, Jonathan along with them. Max knows that not one person in the room what's to hear about their private activities. Well, Robin probably would since Steve's her bestie, but now wasn't the time. 

Steve, on the other hand, just smacked his boyfriend multiple times in the shoulder for that comment.  

Cindy, not paying any mind to the other two, kept looking at the pattern. 

Cindy: It's the witch's mark. 

Alice pulled away from Arnie and looked at Cindy confused. 

Alice: The what?

Cindy then turned a few pages in the book that belong to their nurse. Once she landed on the right page, she started to read from it. 

"Oh, yeah." Will leaned forward, "I forgot about that." Max was actually enjoying the way Will was so invested in it. Sort of, anyway. It was nice to see him try and connect the dots and figure everything out, but it was a bittersweet thing because this wasn't some mystery show that set clues everywhere to try and solve it. 

Cindy: "A deal was made with the Devil."

Alice listened as she walked around the room. 

Cindy: "Sarah Fier cut off her wicked hand on Satan's stone in exchange for eternal life, scarring the soil beneath with the witch's mark, bringing darkness upon the land."

They all watched as Cindy read the poem. It set a small chill through the room and made their uneasy feeling a little worse. 

Arnie: That's it.

Cindy looked up from the journal to look at the boy. 

Arnie: It's acetaminophen.

Alice: Arnie, what are you talking about?

Arnie: L484. 

He gently nudges his forehead with a smile. 

Arnie: It just hit me. It's fucking Tylenol. It's nothing. 

Eddie nodded his head with a smile, almost like he won something, "I told you," He gently nudged Steve's shoulder, "I knew it was harmless."

"No one was doubting you, babe." But Eddie didn't stop nudging him until Steve gave a small laugh and pushed him away. 

Cindy: Are you sure.

Arnie: Positive. 

He tossed the container of pills to the ground, leaving Cindy to go a pick it up. 

Arnie: Come on, Alice. Let's get out of here. 

He started making his way back to the little tunnel. 

Arnie: Pretty sure Billy might still have some weed if we pay him. 

Max smiled to herself; Billy always had weed. He made sure to stock up really well before their week at camp. He knew that some people would want to buy from him, so he made sure he had plenty for himself and others. 

Arnie left the room, but Alice wasn't looking at him. Something on the wall caught her eye. Switch to the other room where Tommy was waiting, a fly buzzing around his head. Arnie crawled into the room. 

Arnie: We are out of here.

He stood up and walked over to Tommy, who didn't even seem to notice his entrance. Some whispers seemed to be echoing around the room, but Arnie didn't hear them. 

"Oh, no." Joyce mumbled behind her. She could feel everyone else in the room start to feel the same thing she was. This was it; this was when it was going to happen. This would be when Tommy first killed. 

Arnie: Hey, you alright, man?

He walked closer and crouched in front of him. 

Arnie: Hello?

The whispers seemed to be getting louder as Arnie clapped in Tommy's face. 

Arnie: Hello?

Switch back to Cindy as she was looking at the pill bottle that Arnie threw. The whistling of the wind could be heard.

Whispering Voice: Cindy.

"Now she's hearing it too?" Dustin threw his hands over his face with a loud, exaggerated groan. Max started biting her lip. She didn't know that Cindy was hearing something as well. Hell, she didn't even know that Tommy was hearing stuff, no one did. 

She looked at the shelf questionably and started to take the books down. After a few books, she picked up her flashlight and shined it behind the shelf. There was another tunnel.  

Whispering Voice: Cindy.

A hand landed on her shoulder causing her to gasp and turn to the culprit. It was Alice.

"Ah!" Dustin jumped once more, "Fuck! Why am I such a wimp when it comes to this stuff? Like, come one!" Lucas started laughing at their friend, which caused the others to laugh as well. Dustin, although he loved scary movies, always jumped at the slightest thing. 

Alice: I need to show you something.

Cindy: This place...

She looked back to the hidden tunnel. 

Cindy: It keeps on going.

Alice: Now!

Alice stood up and led Cindy to a part of the wall and shined her light.  On the wall, carved in stone was a name...

Alice: Cyrus Miller.

Max gasped at the name, "That's Pastor Miller, the first person who got possessed." She turned to the rest of the people in the room, "He was Sarah Fier's fist victim." 

"That is so neat," Robin mumbled softly, "I mean," she shook her head, quickly correcting herself, "It's horrible that this happened and that the witch did this, but to have that area where the witch was and know that those are her things is quite neat."

"But are those her things?" Nancy looked over at Robin, "Alice said that someone else had been down there. Are we sure that everything down there belongs to Sarah and not someone else?" That was a good point. 

"But she's a witch," Robin shot back. "Yes, she's dead but they said her spirit is still there. So, what's to say that her spirit still doesn't have her witchy powers and lit the candle by herself." That was also a good point. 

She moved to different parts of the wall, to different names. 

Alice: Billy Barket. Ruby Lane. 

Cindy: Mary's daughter. 

Alice: Yeah. Isaac Milton, Harry Rooker. 

Her lights went down the wall, showing more names. 

Alice: You don't have to go to fucking class to know those names.

"Those are all the killers." Hopper wasn't asking a question. He was stating a fact. All those names were part of the '20 or so' that Max had estimated earlier. 

Cindy: The Shadyside Killers.

Alice: Yeah. Except one. 

She shined her light a little further down to show the last name.

'Thomas Slater.'

"I didn't wanna be right." Will mumbled behind one of the throw pillows that laid on the floor with them. 

Cindy: Tommy? Alice, this isn't funny.

Cindy looked at her old friend with a bored expression. 

Alice: What, you think I carved your boyfriend's name into solid stone with my fingernails? Someone else did this.

Cindy looked at the wall before turning and looking back the way they came. 

Arnie: Tommy. 

Everyone sat, still and silent, as they watched what was happening. They all knew what was about to happen, they would feel it. Max started to chew on her lip a little more. She didn't want to go to Steve yet, she didn't need him yet. 

"Hey, you good?"  Lucas whispered softly in her ear causing her to nod slowly. "No one would blame you if you're not."

"I know," she whispered back, "but I'm okay. I'll let you know when I'm not." She gave a small glance at the couch, she knows good and well that when she's ready, Lucas will move to the couch with her and Steve will probably end up kicking Eddie and Robin to the floor to make room for them. 

Tommy was sitting still, motionless, in the spot he was left, Arnie still couching in front of him.

Arnie: Hello?

The echoing whispers got just a little louder, still Arnie didn't hear them. Arnie shook his head and turned away. 

Arnie: Whatever you're on, man, thanks for sharing.

He said sarcastically as he moved away, giving Tommy a small hit to the shoulder. 

Arnie: Dick.

Tommy groaned softly and turned to watch Arnie walk away. 

"No, no, no, no, no." El shook her head, shuffling closer to her brother. Will quickly lifted his arm so she could shuffle under it. "I don't like where this is going."

"None of us do, El," Will gave her a gentle squeeze, "None of us do."

As Arnie was looking around, Tommy got up and grabbed something off the wall. An Ax. Cindy and Alice came back into the room just to see him pull it off the wall. 

Cindy: Tommy?

Her voice caused Arnie to turn around as Tommy stalked towards him. 

Arnie: What the hell are you doing, man? Tommy...

Tommy brought up the ax and swung. The ax going into his friend's head. 

"Ah!" Will turned El away from the screen as the young girl screamed. Everyone else in the room jumped at the sight of Tommy making his first kill. 

Max stared at the screen, teary eyes. Now, she wasn't close with Arnie, not like she was with Alice, but she still knew him and it still filled her stomach with dread. 

He pulled it out and Arnie fell to the ground, dead. Tommy swung again and again, getting Arnie in the head each time. The girls screaming behind him. 

Cindy: Oh my God! No, no, Tommy! Stop!

He turned around and started to walk to them. They screamed once more, Cindy grabbing Alice's arm and pulled her back into the tunnel. 

Cindy: Come on! Come on!

Alice: Fuck!

"Run, run, run! Fucking run!" Mike didn't shoat, but he was close to it. Everyone in the room was even more tense than they were just a few minutes ago, watching Tommy start to go after the girls. 

Cindy ran over to the bookshelf that was in the other room and tried to move it.

Cindy: Help me.

Alice quickly ran over, and they knocked it down. Tommy came into the room, blood covering his face. The girls screamed again.

Cindy: Go! Go!

Alice moved into the hidden tunnel, Cindy crawling in just after her.  Tommy quickly went down and grabbed Cindy by her ankle and pulled. 

The taste of copper filled her mouth, and a small prick of pain filled her lip. Bringing her hand up, Max gently touched her lip and brought pulled back to see. Ouch. She bit her lip a little too hard. With a shaky breath, she brought her hand back down, only for someone to grab it and hold it in theirs. Looking next to her, Lucas smiled softly at her, to reassure her. 

Cindy: No! No!

She turned on her back and started kicking, Alice reaching back and grabbing Cindy by her shoulders to pull her away. Tommy crawled into the tunnel, nearly on top of Cindy, but with a solid kick to his chest, Tommy got shoved back and hit the wall. Around them, the tunnel started to collapse. 

Max flinched, much like El did, when the walls started to fall. Max could finally breath clearly. Yes, she knew that Cindy would be alright, at least for a little while, but watching her in danger like that made her chest feel slightly tighter than it should. 

The girls crawling forward and Tommy crawling backwards, the rubble separating them. Cindy started sobbing as Alice sat there, not knowing what to do. 

"They're okay." Joyce let out a sigh of relief, a hand on her chest. Max could feel her stomach start to turn, she probably forgot that Max said her sister dies. So, yeah, they're okay. Just not safe. 

Alice: You hear that?

Heavy breathing was echoing the tunnel. 

Cindy: He's still alive?

Alice: He can't... he can't get us. 

The two girls sat on the rocky ground, catching their breaths. 

Alice: He can't get us. 

"I have a feeling that it's only going to get worse from there." Eddie mumbled into his hair. 

"Really?!" Robin whisper shouted as she leaned over Steve, "What excellent observation skills you have." The two of mock glared at each other before Steve shoved them away. 

"Max," The girl looked up at him, "are you doing okay? Do you need a break or anything?" She smiled at Steve before shaking her head gently, "Just let us know, okay." 

Chapter Text

It changed to outside the staircase they walked down. Flies buzzing as Tommy walked out covered in blood and dust, with the axe still in hand. 

Everyone sat in silence, still in shock over what they had just witnessed. Max was nervous, she really didn't know what it was going to show next, who he was going to kill next. She could feel herself starting to get a little antsy, but she knew she was okay for just a little bit longer, she didn't need to go sit with Steve. 

Was it weird that they all went to Steve? He wasn't their parent. Hell, Hop and Joyce are more like the substitute parents than anything, but for some reason Steve was who they all wanted. 

The sign: Camp Nightwing was shown before switching to a girl wearing a blue shirt crouched down behind a tree. She stayed still, her eyes darting back and forth in the wooded area. The camera angle changed to show her back, it's getting closer and closer like someone was walking up to her. 

"Oh God," Dustin mumbled softly, "He's gonna get her." It seemed like everyone was holding their breaths while they waited. 

Two hands land on her shoulder, causing her to scream. The camera angle changed to show Sheila in her red shirt. 

Sheila: Get in jail, Shadyside trash!

Robin let out a shaky breath, "Oh, thank fuck." A nervous laugh escaped from someone in the room as they watched the two girls on screen. Max just stared at the tv, yeah it might seem fine right now but who knows what their gonna see next. 

The scene switched to Sheila dragging the girl by her arm into the craft building. 

Sheila: You're property of Sunnyvale now!

She shoved her forward to the table where another Sunnyvaler was standing. 

Boy 1: You move, you speak, you fucking die!

"Well, they take that game way too seriously." 

Max couldn't help but laugh at Lucas. "Yeah," She nodded in agreement, "They cheated too, that's one of the reasons why I never wanted to play." They were such assholes. They always thought they were better than everyone else. Max hated that camp; she hated that Neil made her go; she hated that her mom agreed and made her go, said 'it would be good for her.'

Sheila: Go!

She pushed the girl harshly to the back of the room where other Shadysiders stood. Behind her, the door opened. 

Boy 2: Sheila.

A boy walked in with a note and handed it to her. 

Boy 2: From Will. 

"Oh." Max whispered. So, they were gonna show this part. She smirked softly to herself, she knows that, if anything, Mike and Eddie would enjoy this prank, even if the others don't. 

She opened the small paper, and it read, 'Meet me in the bathroom. Hurry! Will' The camera switched to Sheila walking to the outhouse while fixing her hair. 

Mike groaned in annoyance, "Are we about to watch another couple get it on?" 

"No, no!" Dustin quickly covered his face with one of the throw pillows next to him, "I do not want to see that again." Max couldn't help but give off a small chuckle. "Why are you laughing?" He turned to her with a glare, though she knew it wasn't a real glare. "What we saw with your sister's friend Alice was very disturbing!"

"Trust me," she said through chuckles, "That's not what's gonna happen."

"How are you so sure?" Dustin's fake glare deepened. 

With a roll of her eyes, Max said with an exhausted tone, "Trust me."

On the ground was a trail of wildflowers that someone picked. Opening the outhouse door, there were candles and flowers on the found with music playing in the background. Walking up the steps, she closed the door behind her and looked around in wonder. 

Sheila: Will! This is too cute. 

She walked further in, following the trail of flowers to a specific stall. 

Sheila: Could have done it in your bunk, but I guess this is kind of hot. 

She opened the stall doors and was met with another note that read 'Sheila' on the closed wooden seat. Confused, she picked it up and opened it. 'Look up. Xoxo - The Witch'. Looking up, she saw a bucket. What she couldn't see, however, was the bucket was filled with worms, hissing cockroaches, and spiders. 

"Ew!" El scrunched up her nose at all the bugs in the bucket. 

Steve, gagged at the sight, "Ugh! I can't-" Another gag, "I hate bugs."

"Oh," Mike gave her a grin, "This is gonna be good, I can already tell."

From another stall, someone pulled a rope and tipped the bucket causing the creatures to cover the girl and her to scream. 

"Yes!" Eddie and Robin cheered in sync while Steve turned away from the screen with another gag.

Nick and Ziggy were hiding in a stall, and Nick gently pushed her. 

Nick: Go.

The two quietly ran out. Closing the door behind them, Nick stuck a screwdriver in the handle to prevent it from being opened and the two took off running. Inside, Sheila stumbled out of the stall, still screaming as she tried to shake the bugs off of her. 

Sheila: Please somebody help me!

"Oh my god," Robin shook her head through giggles, "It's just bugs. I'm sure they're harmless." Steve quickly turned to her with a hard glare causing her to laugh more. "First, I wasn't talking to you," Eddie was chuckling behind Steve's back, "Second, I don't understand why you're so scared of bugs. You've faced creatures from another dimension, what is it about bugs that gives you the heebie jeebies?"

Steve, who smacked Eddie for laughing at him, shivered in disgust. "It was just something that happened when I was a kid. I don't wanna talk about it! I hate bugs and that's that!" Max couldn't help but roll her eyes at the way he crossed his arms, almost like he was a pouting child. 

She banged on the door. From the outside you could see the handle jiggle but there was no give. Inside, Sheila continued to hit the door. 

Sheila: Help me! Somebody help me! Please!

Turning around, you could see cockroaches and spiders on her shirt and a cockroach on her forehead. Taking a shaky breath, she let out a loud scream.

Once again Steve gagged. This time though, Max could see Eddie take pity on him and wrap his arm around him. 

The camera changed to a door being closed, as Ziggy and Nick walked back into the science and nature building, both of them laughing. 

Nick: Did you hear her?

Ziggy: She sounded like a frog. 

Ziggy then imitated the scream causing the two of them to laugh. 

Nick: What'd I tell ya?

Ziggy: Fuck paint. 

Nick: Fuck paint. 

"I have to admit," Will nodded at her, "That was way better than the paint."

"I was about to tell her the same thing!" Dustin shouted excitedly, too loud for the room they're in, but no one was going to fault him for that. "Like, the paint would have just pissed her off, but these bugs are obviously doing more than that, which I like is the real victory."

Lucas, however, shook his head, "See, I disagree. I feel like the paint would have been more annoying because she would be sitting there, paint drying and harder to wash out. The bugs, she can shake off and step on and she'd be fine."

"Huh," Max couldn't help but slightly agree with his statement, "I didn't think about that." Damn, she should have gone with her first thought. That would have been better. 

The two stopped and looked at each other. Ziggy crossed her arms and looked up at the taller boy. 

Ziggy: Who are you?

Nick: Nick Goode. 

He then held out his hand. 

Nick: Nice to meet you. 

Ziggy placed her smaller hand in his and shook it.

Discreetly, Max flipped off the screen. At the time, she thought Nick was her friend. He had been there, he knew it was the curse. She thought he would back her up but instead he had told everyone that Tommy went crazy, which in turn made her seem crazy, but people chalked that up to her being traumatized over her sister's death and her almost dying.  

Still, though, that didn't make her any less upset with Nick. 

Chapter Text

The camera changed to Cindy standing in the tunnel with a flashlight. 

Cindy: It's some kind of cavern. I don't know. It seems to just...

Max took a breath, it's hard seeing her sister on screen. It's even harder that she knows Cindy is going to die at the end of this and she'll never see her again. Is Steve able to see her? He's been working on his ghost thing, maybe she could ask. 

No. She doesn't know what would make her more upset; Cindy being her and she can't talk to her or Cindy not being here at all.

She took a few breaths. 

Cindy: Go on forever. 

Alice: I don't care. 

"How can she not care?" Nancy questioned. Her voice held no annoyance or frustration, just confusion. "They're trapped in a cave."

"Well, to be fair," Eddie answered her, "her boyfriend did just die." Max leaned her head against Lucas' shoulder as she listened to them talk. Eddie's right, Arnie was just murdered and she needed a second but again Nancy has a point too, they are stuck. "They're not in immediate danger right now, she just needs a second."

Cindy turned and walked over to where Alice was sitting with her own flashlight. 

Cindy: Alice, can you please just...

She went to the rock wall and tried to move some. 

Cindy: Help me?

Alice: What, you're just gonna pretend that everything's okay?

Hop grunted and shook his head, "That's not what she's doing. She taking the energy from the shock, the terror she's feeling, and focusing it on something else. She's not ignoring the situation, she's just not in a place where she feels safe to process it." Everyone can hear the understanding undertone in his voice. Almost like he's helped someone through this experience or maybe he went through it himself. 

Cindy stopped what she was doing and moved to sit on the ground. 

Cindy: Alice, I just-

Alice: Tommy split Arnie's head in half. Do you realize that?

"Never gonna get that image out of my head." Dustin huffed softly, probably thinking no one heard him. His comment got him wacked in the back of the head by Steve. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Just shut up and watch the thing!" Was the reply he got back. 

Dustin gruffed and crossed his arms, mumbling as he did so, "It's not like everyone else it talking."

Cindy: Please, can you just help me?

Alice: With what?

Alice rose her voice as she pushed herself up off the round. 

Alice: This stuff wights, like, a million pounds. I thought you got an 'A' in physics. 

She kicked one of the rocks as she spoke. 

Cindy: We have to get out!

Alice turned to the girl and crouched to her level, a foot away from her face. 

Alice: Well, tough shit. Because we can't. We're gonna die down here. Just like Arnie.

Her eyes started to sting with tears as she watched her sister. Cindy was never one to ask for help and in this rare, fucked up, occasion that she did; the help was feeling just as helpless. 

As if sensing her emotion, Lucas rested his head on hers, nuzzling his cheek in her tangled hair. He didn't ask or show a big display of comforting her, knowing that if he did everyone else would ask questions and how that's not what she wanted right now. It shouldn't but it always surprises her how well he know her and that without asking, he'll know if she needs space or comfort. 

Alice straighten up and walked away. Cindy, breathing heavily, got up and followed her. 

Cindy: No, no. We have to get out! We have to!

Alice stopped walking and turned back to her former friend. 

Cindy: Those names on the wall, 

She was pointing back to the room they crawled out of. 

Cindy: They didn't stop with on murder.  Seven, nine, ten, fifteen people. Those were serial killers.

"Cereal killers?" She could hear El lean over to Will, "Why would someone kill cereal?" She always forgets how little El knows about the world. Hop and Joyce are doing their best to try and catch her up on where she needs to be, and in doing so they try to leave stuff like this out of the talks. 

She can hear the smile in Will's voice as he whispered back, "No, a serial killer is a person who killed at least three people. Cereal and serial are are homophones. It means they sound the same but mean different things." El probably didn't understand that at all but it was good that he explained it. 

Alice didn't say anything, her face blank of emotion. 

Cindy: The campers... My... my sister, Billy, they're up there. And now, so is he.

She let out a shaky breath. Cindy was worried about her. Of course she would be, she was the eldest, in her eyes it was her job to be the protector. A small smile made it's way to her lips. Cindy and Billy always argued about that. 

"I'm the oldest, I watch out for you!"

"But I'm your brother, it's my job to protect you guys!"

It was a stupid argument really, one that always made her laugh. That's probably way they always did knew, because they knew how to make her smile. 

Alice: I thought you didn't believe in the witch.

Ironic amusement could be heard in her voice. 

"Wait a minute," Robin stared at the screen, with a raised eyebrow, "why did she all of a sudden connect that to the witch? Like, what evidence was there except for his name being on the wall?" 

"Are you not watching the same thing we are?" The expression on Mike's face was one of bewilderment, "Did you not see what we saw?"

It was Jonathan that spoke next, "I have to agree with Robin, Alice didn't see the same with we did."

Eddie's reaction to this comment would have been hilarious if it wasn't for the situation. His whole body flailed with as a surprised sound escaped his mouth. Honestly, the whole movement was ridiculous and she's slightly shocked that he didn't fall off the couch. "What do you mean she didn't see the same thing? She literally watched as the ax split the guys skull open."

"Yes, but did she see the dazed expression and tired eyes?" Robin shot back, "She obviously didn't hear the voice calling to him because only he heard that. So, how did she come to the conclusion?"

Mike scoffed, "Common sense, maybe?" 

Cindy: Yeah, I don't! I... 

Cindy turned around, looking at the cave walls. 

Cindy: The... There must be some... some explanation. 

Alice scoffed and shook her head. She walked closed and got right behind Cindy.

Alice: Oh my God. You are fucking unbelievable, Cindy. Ok? He was possessed!

Will flinched, as did many others in the room, all remember when Will was possessed or Billy. Why is there so much possession happening around them? In fact, why is all this scary shit happening around them? What are the odds that the majority of them went through something crazy like this?

Cindy: Maybe... 

She turned back around. 

Cindy: Maybe he took a pill or... 

Alice: No!

The blonde was right in her face now, shaking her head. 

Alice: No! Cindy, no! 

Cindy turned away but Alice got right back in front of her. 

Alice: It wasn't the fucking Tylenol, alright? It was the witch. Alright, you saw those names. And that... that ritual, the witch is real. And she's doing some... Some fucking spell shit and possessing people. Ok,? Every name on that rock. And Mary knew it, alright?

The room started to feel a little uncomfortable. This was reminding her of the time when Lucas was trying to tell her about the upside down and she just brushed him off like he was crazy. Well, until the demodogs came around for a visit. That was fun. 

She went and grabbed Nurse Lane's journal off the ground. 

Alice: She knew it. And it's all right here. 

Cindy forcefully knocked the journal out of Alice's hand. 

Cindy: This isn't real!

"I wish this shit was real," Joyce spoke for the first time in a while, "maybe then we'd all get to actually sleep good at night." Well, it that isn't an underrated comment, that Max doesn't know what is. 

The two girls were almost nose to nose now, glaring at each other. 

Alice: You want an explanation? Well, here it is. Ok? She looked for the hand bone to fucking stop the curse, to save Shadyside, but she couldn't find it. Wanna know what she did find? Your boyfriend's name 

Cindy: No.

She continued as if Cindy didn't say anything.

Alice: on that fucking wall. 

It was uncomfortable watching the two of them fight. When they were friends they never even raised their voices at each other. Max had always hoped they'd be friends again, and it just sucks major dick that when they finally got to a good place, they both died. 

Cindy: No.

Alice: So she tried to kill him. 

Cindy: Stop. 

Alice: Which I also would've done, 

Cindy: Stop talking.

Alice's voice was getting louder. 

Alice: If I knew there was a chance Tommy fucking Slater

Cindy: Stop talking.

Alice: would ax my boyfriend 

Cindy: Stop it!

Alice: in the fucking head!

Cindy: Listen! Shut up!

Cindy roughly pushed Alice away from her. 

"Valid crash out for the both of them." Nancy mumble, her thumb rubbing her chin as if she was thinking. She's right though, the shock of what they just went through, it would surprise Max if they weren't screaming and yelling at each other. 

Alice: There we go. That's the Cindy Hargrove I knew.

Cindy didn't say anything, she just turned around and walking down the tunnel. 

Alice: Hey, where are you going?

Cindy: To find another way out. Don't follow me.

Alice: Well, don't come back here, alright!

Steve's groan was muffled when he placed his hand in his palms. No one could really hear his words when he spoke but it was something along the lines of 'bad idea' and 'safe numbers' which Max can only assume he means safety in numbers. Which is true, in situations like this, it's always best to stay together no matter how made you are with each other. 

Cindy kept walking, Alice's voice now somewhat distant. 

Alice: Alright, do you hear me? Don't come back!

Cindy was breathing heavily, her steps now slower as the walked cautiously down the dark tunnel, her flash light reflecting off the walls. 

Voice: Cindy... 

"Nope," Dustin, the jumpiest person ever, started to shake his head, "Nope, nope, nope." She could practically hear Mike's eyes rolling at how skittish their friend was. IT was always a puzzle to her that Dustin was so brave when facing the upside down but when it came to movies or haunted house at Halloween, he turned into a big baby.

She gasped and quickly turned around, only to see nothing. Turning back in the original direction she continued, her breath quickening just slightly. She shook her head, trying to clear her nerves. 

Cindy: You're fine, you're fine. 

Alice: Boo!

Cindy gasped loudly and quickly turned around. Alice was standing behind her. 

"Ahh!" Dustin jumped, his pillow flying out of his hands as he did. He, however, was not the only one who jumped. Steve, Robin, El, and Jonathan all jumped as well. Eddie probably would have to, but he turned away to take a drink of water in that second. 

Cindy: Jesus, what the hell? 

She pushed Alice's shoulder. 

Cindy: I told you not to follow me.

Alice: Yeah, I didn't. 

She pushed her shoulder back. 

Alice: You went in a circle.

"A circle?" Dustin mumble to himself, "I got scared because of a fucking circle, stupid shit." Max wanted to point out that he, in fact, did not get scared by a circle, but by a girl shouting 'boo' at someone. 

The blonde shoulder checked her as she walked away. 

Alice: A fucking circle. 

"This isn't good," Robin was tugging slightly at her hair, "How are they supposed to get out if they're in a circle?" 

That confused Max as well, because it being a circle doesn't make any sense. She saw Cindy when she went to the outhouse to get Sheila, and that's not where the outhouse is. Maybe there was another way out and Cindy just accidently went in a circle?

She pointed her own flashlight down the tunnel Cindy had left through. She gave a small laugh as Cindy looked around the tunnel confused. Her eyes landed on the journal that she knocked to the floor, it was open to a certain page. Quickly, she went and picked it up. 

Cindy: One, two, three, four.

"Oh," Nancy perked up excitedly, "Oh shit!"

Eddie leaned forward, "What? What is it?" She didn't answer him, just waved him away with a 'shh'. "Well then don't do that if you're not gonna share with the rest of the class." He crossed his arms and slumped in his seat with a small pout. A pout that Max knows it to get some sort of sympathy from his boyfriend.  

She was quickly counting as the stared at the symbol. 

Cindy: One, two, three, four.

She them looked around the at the different cave exits, turning in a circle. 

Cindy: One, two, three, four. 

Alice looked at her confused. 

Alice: What are you doing?

Cindy: This symbol, it branches off here.

They watched as Cindy explained, the answer becoming a little more clear as she did so. Max couldn't help but smile, her sister was so smart. As much as she said Cindy would never leave Shadyside, she really didn't believe that. Cindy was going to be a lawyer at some big firm or a doctor. Something big like that, something where she got to help people.

She gestured to show Alice the page. 

Cindy: Four times. Three there. One there.

She pointed to different areas of the cave like tunnel. 

Cindy: Just like this cave. It's the same.

Alice started to looked around in confusion. 

Cindy: "Sarah Fier cut off her wicked hand on Satan's stone, scarring the soil beneath with the witch's mark." "Scarring the soil."

"Oh," Eddie's pout left, "I get it know." Of course, he got it after that weird fucking saying. Why does that not surprise her at all. 

Cindy was pointing to the ground around her, but that didn't change Alice's expression. 

Alice: So, what, like, the witch made this fucking place?

Cindy: Or the settlers claimed she did. It doesn't matter. All that matter is this symbol. It's a-

She finally caught on to what she was saying. 

Alice: It's a map.

"So they're going to get out of there?" El looked at her with these big hopeful eyes. It was nice to see, El so full of hope even though Max told them at Cindy died. It was nice that she was hoping for a good outcome. 

"Yeah," She nodded, her cheek brushing Lucas' shirt. "She get out of that cave. Her and Alice both do." The get out but at what cost. If they stayed down there than maybe... just maybe...

Chapter Text

Now we're watching as Tommy walks through the woods, ax in hand and a determined look on his face. The camera changed to a cabin. In the cabin was Jeremy was trying to be friendly to the three Sunnyvalers. 

Jeremy: Can I uh... get you a water or a juice box maybe?

Max could practically feel the way everyone in the room tensed up. They all knew what was coming. Jeremy's going to die and they could do nothing but sit here at watch. She could no nothing but sit here at watch. 

One of the girls looked at him with annoyance, like she couldn't believe he was talking to her. 

Girl: We're fine.

Jeremy: Cool.  Yeah, I just thought, you know, since we're all in here and in jail that you might want some refreshments, but, uh... Or we can, uh... We can... We can... Well, we can play a game. Do you guys like Charades...

"Aw, he's so sweet." Max could just hear the way Robin practically melted at the boy. She's right, Jeremy was one of the sweetest and kindest kids she had ever met. At the time, before she realized that Tommy was possessed, she didn't understand how someone could do such a think, how someone could hurt such an innocent boy. 

The same girl who answered him cut him off harshly. 

Girl: Shut the fuck up, nerd.

He looked hurt by what she said but nodded nonetheless. 

Jeremy: Yeah, ok. Sure. Um...

A noise was heard outside, gaining their attention. Jeremy moved to look out the window and walked along the wall, following the noise and looking out the windows he could. 

"Oh no, oh no," Dustin brought his pillow up to his face, right underneath his eyes. 

Mike, who's sitting slightly behind him, caught her eye. He brought a finger to his lips and slowly crawled closer. Once he was right behind Dustin, his mouth less than an inch from his ear, he made his move. "Boo!" 

"Ahh!" Dustin screamed, his arms flailing in terror. Quickly, while everyone else was laughing at him, he turned around and smacked Mike in the shoulder, "Why the hell would you do that, you asshole!" 

Mike just pointed at him, "Your face," he said between breaths, "You should see your face!"

"You're such a dick." Dustin smacked him with a pillow this time, "what is wrong with you?" Mike didn't answer, just continued to laugh as he moved back to where he was sitting. Max, however, knew what he was doing. He was trying to defuse the tension, trying to relax everyone before they saw Jeremy die. 

Jeremy: Sunnyvalers,

He spoke loudly as soon as the made it to the door. He pointed to the three teens behind him. 

Jeremy: These inmates are property of Shadyside. If you... If you don't leave, I... I'll be forced to get you.

Behind her, on the couch, she could hear Robin sniffle, "He's so cute, I love him and he's gonna fucking die." 

He kicked the door open and no one was there. He walked out onto the porch and looked around. 

Kid: Hey, nerd!

"Oh, thank God." Max wasn't too sure who said that, their voice was too low for her to hear, but if she had to guess, it was probably Joyce. 

Two Sunnyvale kids appeared and threw eggs at him, dirtying his glasses. The two kids ran into the building and tagged the 'inmates' to get them back in the game. 

Kid: Run, run!

Jeremy: No, no, no!

He tried to tag them but was unsuccessful. 

Jeremy: Man...

He shook his hands to get rid of the slimy egg before taking off his glasses and cleaning them with his shirt. In doing so, he turned his back away from the door. Once his glasses were cleaned, he turned back around and put them on. Standing a bit away was Tommy holding the ax in his hands and covered in blood.

Max felt her breath catch in her throat, the air in the room suddenly got thick. The way Tommy was looking at him sent a chill down her spine. The way his eyes were blank of emotions and his face lacking any expression. It was just so un-Tommy like, she doesn't understand how anyone couldn't see that it was the witch.

Jeremy: Tommy?

Tommy stalked closer, Jeremy stepping back in fear. Once he was close enough, Tommy lifted the ax and swung. 

Jeremy: AHHH!

The camera showed another angle, further away from the building, Tommy still swinging the ax harshly, blood spraying the widow. 

Everyone flinched, El hid her eyes, and Robin had to turn away. It was almost nothing like when Arnie died. Jeremy was still just a young kid, didn't know the danger of the world. Yes, Arnie was also technically a kid, but not like Jeremy was.

The camera changed to a opossum in a cage.

Nick: Alright, next question.

The camera was back with Ziggy and Nick now as they looked at all the animals in the science and nature cabin. 

Nick: What about you and your sister? You guys ever get along?

Max groaned, "Oh my god, can we skip this part?" After the whole thing happened and after Nick didn't back up her story, she couldn't stand the guy. He kept trying to call her and write to her, saying he was sorry and that he didn't mean for it to happen like it did. She didn't understand his apology, if he didn't mean for her to sound crazy why did he basically call her crazy? 

"I don't think we can," Joyce answered with an apologetic smile, "Why, is everything okay?" 

"I'm just not a fan of this guy, is all."

Ziggy's smile quickly turned into a frown. 

Ziggy: Thought these were supposed to be easy questions. 

Nick: Says who. There are no rules to this game. 

Ziggy ignored him at looked at one of the terrarium at a snake. 

Ziggy: God, I hate snakes.

Nick didn't fall for it. 

Nick: Why are you dodging my question.

Ziggy straightened up and looked at him annoyed. 

Ziggy: Why do you care?

Nick: I'm curious.

Ziggy: I've hated her since our parents got married. Next question. 

Max flinched. That wasn't true, anyone who knows her knows that it isn't true. She loved her sister very much. Cindy and Billy were her favorite people in the world. She always went to them for whatever reason; secrets, gossip, things she learned at school. Whatever you could think of, she went to them for. 

The tone in her voice made it obvious that she was lying.

Nick: Come on.

He walked around the table to be by her as she glared at him. 

Ziggy: Why are you so full of shit?

Nick let out a surprised laugh. 

Nick: What?

She gave him a sarcastic smile as she walked around the room. 

Ziggy: Nick Goode, heir apparent, daddy was the police chief, the King of Sunnyvale, and now you're gonna be the same. Except it's all make-believe. The truth is you like Stephen King and spiders and... for some reason the weird girl from Shadyside.

"I do find that a little troubling." Hopper spoke up, "His interest in you concerns me a little. Him taking you to the nurse, or trying to at least, was fine because he's the counselor, but the way he's going out of his way to spend time with a girl that's four years younger than him puts me on edge a little."

Max nodded at what he was saying, "Yeah," She agreed, "I didn't realize it at the time how weird it was. I was just excited that the guy everyone wanted was talking to me, you know?" It should have set off a red flag but truly it didn't. She didn't see the red flag until after his apology letters. 

Nick: First of all, Stephen King is, like, super popular. And second, I can't like the weird girl.

Ziggy: Why not?

Nick: Because I'm a counselor. She's a camper. I'm also pretty sure her brother would literally murder me if I liked her. 

Max couldn't help but chuckle at that. The number of boys that he had chased away from Cindy was very amusing. He tried hard with Tommy, but that just made Tommy even more determined to stay. He earned Billy's respect for that, how he wasn't easily intimidated and was willing to fight to stay with her.

Ziggy opened her mouth to talk but he kept going as he moved closer.  

Nick: Plus, how will I ever get to know her when she keeps dodging my questions?

He moved to sit down on a bench, looking at her expectedly. With a sigh, she crossed her arms and sat next to him. 

Ziggy: There was a time when things were good between us. Her dad wasn't drinking and my mom was happy, and my sister and me, we would, um.. We'd throw toilet paper on Mr. Corkle's tree.

She had a smile on her face as she spoke. 

Ziggy: And then we'd push Billy in the lake with his clothes on and we'd jump in after him... and now...

"Really, you pushed Billy in a lake?" It was Lucas who asked this. He wasn't always one to talk about Billy, not after what happened at the Byers house. 

"Yeah," Max chuckled at the memory, "He was standing on the dock pretending to fish, said he didn't want to get in the water, that it was too cold for swimming but it was perfect fishing weather. We both knew he was lying because he couldn't fish for shit," she laughed as she spoke, "So we went a pushed him in, he acted like he was mad but the way he laughed gave him away." He lost his fishing pole that day, but he didn't care, it was a cheap one he bought at the store on the way there.

Her smile started to fade.

Ziggy: Now it's just go and everything's shit.

She turned to look at him. 

Ziggy: That's what happens when you live in Shadyside. Everything turns into shit eventually. 

She looked away as she gave a sarcastic shrug.

Ziggy: But I wouldn't expect a Sunnyvaler to understand. 

Nick: No, maybe you're right. But, uh, being the heir apparent isn't always easy either. Before he died, my dad loaded me up with all this, you know, "You're my legacy, the future of the family depends on you" shit.

Will squinted his eyes at the screen, again like he was trying to piece things together. It was odd, Nancy was normally the one that tried to do all the detective work, but it was also a nice change of pace.

The two of them were looking at each other with what seemed to be understanding. 

Nick: You know, he just dropped this huge burden in my lap and... I don't know, what if I don't want that? What if that's not who I wanna be? What if I wanna be the kid who likes spiders and Stephen King and- 

Ziggy: And the weird girl from Shadyside?

Nick: Yeah. 

His pinky grazed her arm, right above the bandage covering her burn. 

"Okay, nope." Steve glared at the screen, "I'm sorry but that is not okay." Max shoved her face in her hands as he spoke. "He's seventeen, why- why is he hitting on a thirteen-year-old? That's not right!" 

She could feel her face turn an ugly shade of red. "I know," Her voice was muffled, "It is weird and gross but at the time I didn't think about that." She lifted her head out of her hands and just stared at her fingers, "I was just happy that the guy everyone wanted was interested in me."

"Max, no one is blaming you," Joyce's voice was that sugary sweet that made you feel like you were curled up wait a marshmallow. Okay, that was a weird analogy but still, the point was there.   

Nick: The weird girl from Shadyside. But, uh... I guess there's nothing I can do about it.

They looked at each other for a moment before he stood back up and walk a bit away. 

Nick: Now, back to the easy questions. 

Ziggy looked at him confused before standing up too. 

Ziggy: Okay... would you ever...

She stopped, hesitant about what she would ask. Before she could, however, there was a scream that caught both of their attention. The camera switched to a group of kids, screaming and scared while Gary was trying to move them away from the scene.

Max tore her eyes away from the scene. She doesn't know if it will show Jeremy's body but seeing it once was enough for her. The boy was nearly unrecognizable with what had happened to him. 

Kid: He's dead! 

Ziggy pushed her way through the crowd. 

Kid: Jeremy's dead!

Gary: No, you guys! Ok? Hey!

He was trying to move them away from the door as Ziggy stared the puddle of blood in front of her with Nick right behind her.

"Oh God," Eddie groaned and turned away. Now, Eddie loved horror movies, he always laughed and pointed out how he would never do something as stupid as going into a closed off room where the killer could get him, but whenever kids died on the screen or the body was shown, he always looked away. 

Gary: We're done. Everyone get back. Hey, no! Color war's done! Alright? 

The kids ran as the camera zoomed in on Ziggy's face as her breathing picked up. 

Gary: Get out of here! Get out!

The camera switched again to show Jeremy's glasses, now broken, in the large blood puddle. 

Gary: Let's go! Get out! Let's go!

No one said anything for a second before Mike spoke up, "Do you think he knows what he's doing?" That gained others attention. "Like, do you think he's still in his mind and is seeing all this but he can't stop himself?"

"Good God, I hope not." Nancy started to shake her head, "As horrible as it is to say, I really hope he died when he got possessed, could you imagine doing all that horrible stuff and not being able to sto- Oh shit, Max, Will, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." She looked sick with a mix of terror thrown in at what she just said.

"It's okay, Nancy," Will smiled softly, "I do agree. A part of me wished I would die, that something would kill me. Not having control is terrifying, I can't imagine how Billy or Tommy felt because you guys were able to bring me out of it." He reached over and grabbed Max's hand, squeezing it softly to comfort her. She tried not to think about things like that, she liked to assume that Billy was trapped in a memory, or maybe even in a sleep like state, while his body wasn't in his control. She doesn't want to know or even imagine that he could see everything his body did. It would just be too much to handle.