Chapter Text
Jane’s at home in the cabin, per request of Hopper. What he likes to call ”to rest for a bit”. He says that while it’s true that a lot is happening right now, she needs a breather too. She doesn’t agree. Technically she is in her room, she just doesn’t feel like there’s any time for this resting he speaks so highly of. I mean, he’s away from the cabin himself at this very moment, she thinks. And really, when has she ever fully listened to whatever he says, anyways. That’s why she’s dragged the TV into her room, the static on, as she blindfolds herself. At least she can try to locate the children. It doesn’t hurt to try again.
As she enters the abyss, she listens and searches for Vecna. She can feel him as a faint swirl, she focuses to follow the small ripples of his mind. She finds him as Henry, alone. He’s just walking, almost aimlessly, and she tags along. Slowly, the world around them start to materialise. Lights and colours fades into place, yet she can’t figure out where they are. She looks around a corridor where, farther away, a blue light emits from a door with a frosted window. Sounds boom from the door, a loud beat that she feels in her own body. From nowhere, she realises that Vecna’s gone. She curses and starts to run, a vague hope to maybe catch him, which vanishes the moment she opens the door. She’s somewhere else entirely, in a crowded room, and she knows that he’s played with her.
Music is unbearably loud and incessant, she puts her hands over her ears in vain as she fruitlessly she moves around the hall. It reminds her of the Snow Ball from when they were much smaller, but, this place is much rowdier. Moodier, even. Lights are low, tons of shadows for anyone to hide in. Perfect to just disappear into. She whirls around, and eventually, decides to just head towards the back instead.
Jane sees a couple of girls leave through a door and makes a beeline towards it. Inside the sounds from the party are duller, and she sighs as she lowers her arms. She’s in the women’s bathroom, cubicles line down the walls. Some girls stand in front of the mirrors and touch up their makeup. Pout their lips to apply pinks or powder their faces. She can’t help but smile, despite herself, as it reminds her of when Mike did her little makeover, way back when.
In the far back of the bathroom there’s benches lined up against the wall. She sees a restless figure and creep closer. A girl with brown hair and a pretty black dress rummages through what looks like her purse. From the little leather purse she brings out things one by one, as she places them neatly on the bench next to her. Gloss, keys, napkins, stray cough drops, wallet, pens, notes. Among other miscellaneous things. A tired sigh leaves the girl’s lips as she puts them back into the purse, a confused expression on her face. She searches once more and with what looks like pure dispair literally dumps everything back out on the bench. Junk from the bottom of her purse fall out and litter the pile. Jane smiles sympathetically, and wonders distractedly if Vecna’s actually targeting someone here, too, or if he simply just lead her astray. She wonders where this could be, and if she maybe should head back to try again.
Suddenly, a voice pulls her out of her thoughts.
”Oh please, I don’t need your pity stare!”
Startled, Jane looks at the girl, who, seem to look right at her. Her face is angry and she spits out the words venomously.
”I know I look crazy, but that doesn’t mean it’s alright to fucking creep up like that”, the girl says, rolling her eyes at Jane. ”I’m trying to find my shit, either get out of my face or help me.”
The girl pauses and then looks closer at Jane, her eyes squints as she looks her up and down. She’s overwhelmed by the fact that she’s visible to her, how can she even see her, but furthermore, the scrutinising stare makes her uncomfortable. It reminds her of Angela and she kind of wants to run away.
”What are you wearing? Who wears sweats to the night club these days?”
”A w-what?” Jane stutters out.
The girl rolls her eyes, barks out a laugh and goes through her purse, yet again.
”You couldn’t bother with a decent outfit despite getting a fake ID? That’s kind of lame. How they even let you in is a mystery. I swear I didn’t see you here last time, for sure, but I guess things switch up a little”, she says, with almost a bored tone.
”E-Excuse me!” Jane squeaks out, indignantly.
The girl glances over at her and then shakes her head, still endlessly and honestly at this point, hopelessly, searching for whatever is lost.
”That’s kind of… rude of you…to say to someone else”, Jane says, her words fade out in incoherent mumbles towards the end of her sentence. She’s too shocked by the girl recognising her existence, but moreover, her behaviour shocks her the most, so much so that she can’t muster enough energy in her comebacks.
The girl just cocks an eyebrow, she doesn’t really bother to even look Jane in her face. She just humours a smile, and she feels a sudden, bitter familiarity, of being invisible in a different sense. It makes her blood boil and she feels nauseous as a rush of flashbacks takes her back, back when she was powerless and useless in a corridor of other high schoolers. How she was different and didn’t belong anywhere. How she still feels different.
”Well, come on now, don’t be useless”, the girl says, voice haughty as the word echoes Jane’s own thoughts. It makes her eyes flash hot and red, and she turns sharply towards the unsuspecting girl.
”Can you not?” She bites back angrily.
Really, the girl barely makes a face, unimpressed, but she does look her in her face at least.
”I said, either stop staring, or help me, for God’s sake. People are so slow”, she says with an eye roll and a dramatic sigh. She points to her purse and then promptly ignores Jane, again.
”As if I’ll help someone as rude as you!” Jane huffs.
”I’m not forcing you, Jesus,” the girl says, bored. Then she looks up at her face, her eyes cruel and full of judgement. ”Now, get. Out. Of. My. Face. Ditz.”
Jane is just about to turn around and get out of there. To leave the bathroom of this stupid ”night club” as the crude girl called it, and simply return to her and Hopper’s safe cabin in the woods. When suddenly, the girl’s expression changes, it twists into something else, and it makes her pause, because she can recognise that face anywhere and on anyone. Eyes widened, whites out, and mouth slightly agape. In pure alarm the girl grabs her arm, her hand squeezes painfully hard as nails digs into her skin. Jane winces.
”We have to go, now”, the girl says.
”What? Why?”
The girl doesn’t bother to explain, instead she tosses her stuff back into her purse, hoists it up on her shoulder, gets up and all but drags Jane roughly to the door.
”I’m not going with you!” Jane sputters, and try to resist her pull.
”And I’m not waiting around here, not when he is coming”, the girl says, her eyes flickers around the space before she pushes them out into the crowded hall with the piercing music. She moves with a purpose toward a clear direction, dodging drunk people that dance about.
Jane tries to veer her arm out of the girl’s reach to no avail, her grip is strong and weirdly secure. She assumes, after a moment of hesistance, that this he, must be Vecna. She has to find him again. Maybe this time she will be able to tag along without being found out. She feel this responsibility to at least try another attempt to find the missing children. This is a great chance. Thus, she must stay. So when the girl has somehow manhandled her out of the buzzing building, away from the crowds, the noise, and they stand in front of the entrance where people are lining up, she is finally able to snag her arm free.
”Listen, I’m not joining this little escapade of yours,” Jane says tiredly and rubs her face.
The girl just looks at her and then out at the streets, where cars swishes by and taxi drivers waves to potential customers. She huffs a laugh, empty of any feelings.
”Yeah, okay, like staying is a good option.”
She stares at the building and Jane follows her line of sight. At what seems to be security that allows people into the obnoxiously loud hall. People chatter and girls in groups giggles excitedly. They’re all dressed up for the night. Her face holds contrasting emotions, just as her eyes look resigned, they’re also hollow and, somehow, nostalgic.
”Whatever, don’t join then!” The girl says exaperated, defeated. Then in a lower voice, more to herself, she says, ”Why did I even bring her along? It’s not like it will change anything anyways, it never does, I already know this.”
And it’s the way she phrases this last muttered thing, and how she seems to know Vecna, that has Jane intrigued. Maybe following this disrespectful girl will allow her to found out something. Something, whatever it is, would maybe turn to different and new kind of answers. In a way, this could be shortcut to him, like a piggyback ride. So even though she’s truly hesistant to actually be anywhere near this girl’s vicinity, she might lose her mind by her attitude and glaring insults, she does decide to push back on her own opinions and stay. Well, at least for a little bit.
With a deep guttural sigh, she turns to the girl.
”Okay, fine, I’ll tag along”, Jane says.
She throws up her hands into the air and gives a quick affirmative nod. The girl whips her head to look at her, surprised at first, then skeptically.
”Really?” She says, her eyes slits as she peers at her.
”Really” Jane answers flatly.
The girl huffs again, this time vaguely amused. But then she shifts focus and gauges warily the building another time.
”Okay, cool, I guess,” she says.
Jane feels irritation flare up at her unbothered comment. What, she demands her to join her and then she doesn’t care about it? She’s about to call her out on it, when the girl’s hand reaches out. This time her iron grip is on her wrist as she drags Jane with her. She nearly stumbles on her feet as the girl picks up the pace. Together they run out into the streets, past partygoers and cars that honk. Jane sees how the city lights twinkle in yellows, whites, a splatter of blues and even purples. And then, as they run, the scenes blur as watercolours.