slut [ eddie munson ]

017

Talia had just finished eating breakfast when Jason Carver called her. Her mother had picked up the phone, exchanging a glance with her husband before informing Talia that it was for her.

"Talia?" She was surprised to hear Jason's voice.

"Hey, Jason," Talia said softly, she wasn't thrilled to have to speak with him, but she understood his pain. She missed Chrissy so much.

"You had us worried, Wheeler. Thought that freak killed you, too."

Talia didn't like his tone. She sighed, "No. I just was totally freaking out and needed process everything, you know? My cousin and a friend found me, helped me calm down."

"That's good...listen, I know how close you and Chris were, and there's something I gotta tell you."

She waited, rolling her eyes when he didn't continue, "Okay?"

"Not over the phone, Wheeler. You know that old motel we party at?"

Talia did. She spent her first three years of high school being dragged to every party the basketball team threw, first by Steve and then eventually by Billy.

"Yeah, I know it."

"Good. Meet me there in an hour." Jason hung up the phone, and Talia felt a dread pool in her stomach.

"What did he want, honey?" Gina Wheeler asked when her daughter returned to the table, not noticing the panicked look in Talia's eyes.

"Just wanted to know how I was doing," Talia muttered, slowly taking a sip of the bit of orange juice still in her cup, "I'm going to go to Nancy's, actually, Mom."

"Alright, let me know if you're staying out, though," Her mother said, eyes narrowing slightly at her.

Talia nodded her head before standing from her seat and rushing upstairs to her bedroom. She quickly changed out of her pajamas before grabbing her keys and making her way back downstairs.

It didn't take long for Talia to reach her cousin's house. After being welcomed in by her Aunt Karen, Talia had been directed downstairs—where the entire group had slept the night before.

"—He's the only known survivor," Talia heard Dustin's voice as she descended the stairs, "If anyone knows how to beat this curse, it's him."

Talia kept quiet as she paused at the end of the stairs to listen, sending a quick wave to Lucas and Dustin, who had noticed her enter from where they sat.

"That's assuming that he was cursed, Henderson, which we don't even know," Steve said, stopping his pacing and standing in front of the two younger boys, "How could Vecna existed in the '50s? It doesn't make sense."

"As far as we know, Eleven didn't create the Upside Down. She opened a gate to it. The Upside Down has probably been around for thousands of years—millions. I wouldn't be surprised if it predated the dinosaurs."

"Dinosaurs?" Steve asked in disbelief, "what are we—"

"Okay!" Lucas cut him off, "Okay, but if a gate didn't exist in the '50s, how did Vecna get through?"

"And, how's he getting through now?" Steve agreed, pointing at Lucas.

"And why now?"

"And why then! Just pops out in the '50s, kills one family, and he's like 'eh, I'm good', and poof—he just disappears. Just...gone? Only to return thirty years late and start killing some random teens?" Steve continued, "No, I don't but it. Straight forward my ass. You know, honestly, Henderson, a little humility now and then, it wouldn't hurt you."