halloween special

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Using this as an opportunity to promote my newest book, Higher, which is an Outer Banks fic with Rafe Cameron as the love interest! Main character is Blue Romero, younger sister of Barry and JJ's best friend. Warning in advance, Blue and Rafe will be toxic as fuck.

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Talia felt a chill roll down her spine as she hastily rushed to her front door, hands shaking ever so slightly as she pushed her key into the lock. Above her, a bat shrieked as it swooped through the sky and, with a sudden increase in urgency, Talia pushed her door open and slipped in, making sure to lock it behind her.

After Vecna's attack on Hawkins, her parents had evacuated with the rest of the town. Talia was legally an adult, however, which meant that they couldn't force her to come with them when they left. Instead, Talia had opted to stay with the rest of the group at Hopper's cabin until they figured out a plan to defeat Vecna. She had gone too far to back out now. This was her fight just as much as it was theirs.

Part of her still screamed for her to leave—get as far away from this town as possible. The image of Eddie Munson taking his last breath as he slowly bled out haunted her, however. She could not live with herself if she did not do her all to avenge his death.

Hopper's cabin was right outside of the evacuation limits, which made it the perfect place for the group to hide. He was also technically dead so no one would think of checking his old cabin for people anyways. Talia should have been with the others right now, but she had managed to sneak away. There was something in her house that she needed to get.

Talia didn't risk turning on any lights as she moved through the house and up the staircase, not stopping until she reached her bedroom. She rushed over to her nightstand, kneeling down in front of it and pulling open the bottom drawer. Moving around the object littering the drawer, she revealed the faded black sweater that she kept hidden there.

She pulled it out, ignoring the tears welling in her eyes as she hugged it to her chest. Tears trickled down her cheeks just as the faint scent of Eddie that still clung to the fabric, even months after she had first stolen it, hit her.

Ever night since his death, she had woken up sweaty and panting with torturous images plaguing her mind. Last night had been particularly bad and had resulted in the entire group waking up to her blood curdling screams. It wasn't until Joyce had shaken her that she woke, loud sobs immediately falling from her lips as she shook. The older woman had then led Talia to the bathroom, away from the worried eyes whos stares pierced her skin. Joyce had sat with her for hours after, quietly comforting her as she slowly calmed down.

Talia was thankful Joyce never asked questions, she wasn't sure she would have been able to see the pity in the Byers' woman's eyes as Talia detailed the horror she faced every night. Before letting the teen leave the bathroom, Joyce had quietly told her that she'd cover for her if Talia wanted to get something from her house. Something that would provide her comfort—maybe fight off the bad dreams.

Eddie's hoodie was one of the last pieces Talia had of him, and the only one she could safely retrieve. Joyce had told the others that Talia's parents had called and asked for her to visit, which meant that no one would find it odd that she was returning with a new hoodie. If they did, she'd say her aunt had given it to her—her parents had been staying with her mother's sister just a few towns over.

Hoodie still pressed to her chest, Talia let her chin lower and squeezed her eyes shut as her shoulders began to gently shake. Between the sobs that left her, she struggled to take in deep breaths. She needed to stay calm, being this far into Hawkins was a risk. They had no clue where Vecna was, and Talia would be damned if she led him to her.

Slowly, the deep breathing worked and Talia felt her muscles loosen. She sighed through her nose before lifting her chin, letting the hoodie fall to her knees as she prepared herself to stand.

"Well, this is an interesting sight."

It caught her off guard. Talia's whole body tensed at the noise. She hadn't heard anyone enter the house, let alone come up the stairs and into her room. For a split second, she feared the worse—that Vecna was just feet behind her. It wasn't him though, Talia knew what his voice sounded like, and that was not it.

Slowly, Talia turned her head to the voice. She swore her heart stopped as she locked eyes with Eddie. With a soft gasp, she quickly rose to her feet and faced him fully. The dark hoodie dropped from her limp grip on it.

"Eddie?" She asked quietly, as if she couldn't believe her own eyes.

"Hey, Lia," He said, a wicked grin on his lips.

"How—I don't understand," Talia breathed out, not thinking as she moved closer to him. Her hands shook as she wrapped her arms around his torso, tears wetting her cheeks, "I thought you were dead."

She was too overwhelmed to notice the way his body was unnaturally still, but she could ignore the freezing hand that snaked it's way into her hair. Her muscles tensed on reflex, something Eddie didn't miss. Talia flinched as Eddie's hand tightened around her hair, guiding her head back so that she was staring up at him. She couldn't find it in herself to fight his grip.

It was only then, with her face just inches away from his and her body pressed against him, that Talia noticed the color of his eyes. They weren't the same warm brown she had grown so used to seeing—that she got so easily lost in. No, they were a deep and bloody red.

The startled gasp that left her brought a smile to Eddie's lips, exposing the sharpened points of his canines. Dread filled her at the realization that the thing standing before her—holding her so tightly in its grip—was not her Eddie.

"No," she muttered sadly, "Eddie..."

"I am not what you were expecting, am I?"

Even his words were wrong. He didn't sound like him.

"What did you do to him?" Talia cried out, her body finally catching up to the panic she felt. She yanked uselessly against his inhumane grip, desperate to escape yet unable to. Eddie didn't even flinch as her movements became increasingly erratic, the same haunting grin on his lips continuing to taunt her.

"Let me go!" She yelled, hissing when Eddie's fingers tightened even more, pulling harshly on the strands of hair.

"I am sorry, Talia," Eddie's words didn't match the malicious glint in his eyes, "It's just that I am so hungry."

Talia barely had time to blink before he was roughly pulling her head to the side, exposing the smooth skin of her neck. A loud shriek left her lips, pain overwhelming her senses as he mercilessly ripped into her. The warm, thick liquid leaked down his throat as he greedily drank it in.

It was too much, too fast. Talia could feel her body growing weaker and weaker, only able to let out weak whimpers as he continued to feed on her. Before she could blackout fully, he ripped his fangs from her throat.

"It is a shame, Talia. I wanted you to be there when I finish my plan, but you simply taste divine."

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