Chapter Text
Dustin's pov
"I'm...I'm so sorry." I limp over to Mr. Muson, holding Eddie's necklace in front of me. His face falls as he takes it.
"I wish everyone had gotten to know him, really know him. It's just, that they would have loved him. Mr. Munson, they would have loved him."
Mr. Munson wipes a tear from his face.
"Even in the end, he never stopped being Eddie, despite everything. I never even saw him get mad. He could have run, he could have saved himself, but he fought. He fought and died to protect this town, this town that hated him. He isn't just innocent. Mr. Munson, he's a hero."
Eddie's pov
I wake up with a jolt on the ground. I sit up. My head bangs on a wall, a damp and cold one.
"The fuck?" I squint up. I can see the faint fog and darkness of the Upside Down through the grate of a storm drain. White particles float everywhere. I pull my bandana over my mouth, and look around. My bag, and spear lie on the ground next to me, though I notice my guitar is missing.
I heave everything over my shoulder and ascend the drain ladder. The cover is already lifted half out of the way, but my weakened arms still have trouble lifting it up. Somehow though, I'm all bandaged up. No blood in sight. I check on my hips and feel around my neck and side. Bandaged up as well, with some sort of thin, canvass-like fabric. Ok, now I know something got me here. No way I managed to bandage myself up and get to a safe space all by myself.
The Upside Down looks exactly how it did before. There are slightly less bats in the sky though, thank Randy Rhoads for that. The vines slither about, and I hear the shrieks of something in the distance.
"Well shit," I mutter to myself. That thing sounds majorly bigger than any of the bats. Not hiding would be stupid, but a storm drain would be like a cage if whatever that thing is finds me. I manage to get out, and I hear the shrieks get closer as I sprint through the barren streets. I dive into a small, abandoned gas station.
There seem to be less white flakes in here. I pull my bandanna down, and survey the area. It's mostly empty, with a few small crates piled in one corner, some tables, and a large counter dividing the room in half.
I shut the door, and huddle behind the counter. After a few moments, and I'm positive that I'm alone here, I stand back up and take in my surroundings. There are vines everywhere, and the white particles linger even inside. It's one of those places that feels outside, even though I'm surrounded on all sides. A vine wriggles towards me. I stomp on it, and every vine in the room contracts and expands.
"Fuck!" I shout, stumbling back. I make a grab for my spear, and miss. It falls to the floor, just inches from my hands. "Dustin! I really wish you were here, buddy! Could really use some help right now!" The vines slither around my legs, and a thought hits me square in the face. I race to my bag, stumbling to grab my lighter. My fingers wrap around the cold plastic, and I brandish it in front of the vines. One click, and a light flickers out. I hold it to the vines, and they recoil instantly. I wave it around, and the vines everywhere sizzle and shrivel. I watch as they inch away from me, and I grab a cigarette and light up.
"You vines tremble now!" I quietly revel in my small victory. I flip through my bag, and come up with two more boxes of smokes. This better last me a while.