end zone | STEVE HARRINGTON

thirty-nine

C H A P T E R   T H I R T Y - N I N E

season 4 episode 3 continued

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THEY SOON ARRIVED OUTSIDE OF MAX'S therapists home, while everyone else remained seated in the car, Max headed inside to get what she needed while an awkward silence filled the air. Steve seemed to be the only one in the car who was confused as too why Anastasia wasn't speaking to him but Dustin knew why and sympathized with the girl. What Nancy and Steve had was good, but Nancy was the one to break it off and Steve was left heart broken, then Anna came into his life and suddenly, everything seemed to be going terribly wrong for her.

"Okay, she's in." Steve commented, being the one to break the silence in the car.

"I'm missing collarbones, not eyes." Dustin replied dryly, Anastasia couldn't bear to listen to the two argue between themselves and got out of the car, needing some fresh air after everything had happened. She walked a short distance away, leaning against the side of a trailer as she closed her eyes focusing on her breathing while Dustin interrogated Steve back in the car. "So, we gonna talk about....it?"

"Huh? Sorry, talk about what?" Steve asked, he was completely oblivious to everything that was going on around him. His eyes were fixed on what was going on around him and he wasn't bothering to look at Dustin.

"Your temporary insanity earlier today when you basically threw yourself at Nancy? Despite dating Anna?" Dustin explained, Steve glared at him harshly suddenly realizing he was the reason why Anastasia all of a sudden needed 'air'.

"That's not what happened." Steve spat back angrily, which Dustin replied with another sarcastic comment. "If you're implying I still have a thing for Nance then you're wrong. I'm with Anna, and she is the one I want to be with. Anything I had with Nancy was long ago. I was trying to protect a friend. A friend, Henderson, Okay? I don't wanna find her with her eyes sucked out of her skull by this Vecna creep."

Dustin laughed. "You're bright red in the face right now."

"No, I'm not." Steve argued. "I don't want to talk about it. I'll punch you so hard your teeth with fall back out."

Whilst Steve and Dustin continued to bicker back and forth, Anastasia stared at the back of the homes. She heard the sounds of footsteps behind her and frowned when she saw Dustin walking towards her, he was supposed to be waiting inside the car with Steve as they waited for Max to leave but now he was here with her instead. "Hey, you okay?" Dustin asked, furrowing his brows as he stood in front of her.

Anastasia gave him the most confident smile that she could. "I'm fine. Just everything that's going on is so....confusing?" Dustin brought her into a hug and she instantly relaxed, she hadn't hugged anyone in a while but Dustin was always good with hugs so it made her feel better. However, as his grip seemed to get tighter on her, the air leaving her lungs got tighter as she squirmed out of his touch. "Dustin, you can let go now."

"Does Dustin hug you like this?" A deep voice asked, it was extremely familiar to Anastasia as she felt her breath get knocked out of her, she attempted to move out of the mans touch again but failed, and everything in her was screaming at her to just run. She managed to get out of the mans touch, as tears welled in her eyes seeing him again. Maxim Volkov stood in front of her, the man that had tortured and experimented on her for years was now standing in front of her giving her the same menacing look she always dreaded.

Anastasia felt a tear slip down her cheek as she took a step back. She didn't want to be anywhere near him, though Maxim took a step forward. She extended her arm out, as she sent him flying back into the ground though he got straight back up and headed for her again. She repeated the action but nothing seemed to be stopping him from chasing after her, although every bone in her body was telling her to just run, she stood frozen in front of him. And again, it was like Anastasia was a little girl, petrified of disobeying him.

"You are still powerful, daughter." He spat at her, his hand captured her throat, bringing her up into the air as her airway was blocked off. Anastasia grasped at his hands, her finger nails clawing at his hand in an attempt to get him off but nothing was working. Soon, she was released and she fell to the ground, coughing violently as he glared down at her. "I know exactly how you feel, and I'm disappointed. I didn't raise you to be weak."

"Leave me alone." She whispered, more tears spilling down her face as she stared at up at him.

He crouched down to her, holding her cheek in his hand as he wiped away her tears. "Though, you don't need to feel that anymore. It's all going to be over soon, Anastasia."

"What do you mean?" Anastasia asked, she wanted answers but she mostly wanted to get away from Maxim.

"I have seen everything, I know your pain." Maxim replied, "All your suffering can come to an end."

Anastasia frowned, not liking the sound of what he was saying but she was mostly confused on how neither Dustin nor Steve had realized or seen what was going on. "By killing me?"

He shook his head, as she stood up coming face to face with him showing him no fear, instead, she pushed all the fear she was feeling down. "I want to save you."

The phrase almost sounded foreign to her, Maxim had never been known to want to save her nor had he ever attempted to. She was under Vecna's curse, which meant none of what was going on was real and she was under his spell. Maxim wasn't there and she didn't need to be afraid. She tilted her head to the side, her eyes glowing red as she brought her hand back, sending a powerful blow to the stranger in front of her. The sound of someone calling out her voice got her attention.

Steve, who seemed to notice that Anastasia had been gone for too long, checked his rearview mirror to see her standing in the same position she was just minutes ago, however this time, the girl wasn't moving and it panicked him. Steve rushed out of his car, heading over to her and just as he walked over to her, Anastasia fell to the ground releasing a short scream as she shuffled back.

Steve lowered himself down behind her, pulling her into his chest as she cried against him. He stared down at her, momentarily confused about what had just happened. Anastasia knew she was safe in his arms, he wasn't cold nor did he have the same aura as what Maxim had so she knew she had broken herself out of Vecna's curse. That thought sent shivers down her spine, she had heard what happened to Chrissy and didn't want to end up with her bones being snapped like she had, but her fate was already inevitable.

After a few minutes, her body relaxed into his and Anastasia sighed. Her heart rate was beginning to slow down and she felt the panic leaving her body. Steve let out a breath. "What just happened, Anna?"

She shook her head, trying to get rid of the memories of what had just happened but they didn't seem to be leaving her mind. Vecna's curse left an imprint in her brain, and she never wanted to experience what she just had moments ago. She held tightly onto Steve, afraid of him disappearing again. "I.....I feel like I'm going crazy."

"I've got you. Everything's going to be okay." Steve whispered in her ear, he tightened his hold around her, not wanting to let her go. "Can you tell me what happened?"

Anastasia was about to explain what happened when she noticed Max rushing out of her therapists house and getting into the car, clearly having a heated discussion with Dustin as the younger teenagers turned around to them. She stood up, brushing off the panic and turning around to Steve. "We better get going."

"Wait--" Steve attempted to stop her but she walked away, heading over to his car and getting into the back with Max.