CINEMA ( steve harrington! )

018

cinema——
to close for comfort

018

The trail Kenra, Steve and Dustin took along the train tracks was much darker and noisier this time around. It was getting late and while they had an idea of what they were doing, they didn't really have a plan for any of this. So essentially, all they could do now is wing it.

"You're positive that was Dart?" Lucas asked Dustin. Kenra was walking a step or two behind Steve with the three kids just behind her. "Yes. He had the same exact yellow pattern on his butt." Dustin said.

"He was tiny two days ago." Max pointed out.

"Well, he's motled three times already." Dustin countered. "Malted?" Steve asked, confused.

"Molted." Kenra corrected. "Like when an animal sheds its skin to get bigger, like a snake or something." She explained with her head down and her flashlight pointed in front of her.

"When's he gonna molt again?" Max asked. "It's gotta be soon." Dustin shrugged. "When he does, he'll be fully grown, or close to it. So will his friends."

Steve looked back at them. "Yeah, and he's gonna eat a lot more than just cats." He said to Dustin. Lucas stepped in front of Dustin, everyone stopping their walk. "Wait, a cat? Dart ate a cat?"

"What? No." Dustin stuttered. Kenra rolled her eyes. "Yes, Dustin's stupid little pet, ate Mews."

"Mews? Who's Mews?" Max asked.

"It's their cat." Steve joined in. "Steve! Kenra!" Dustin shouted at them.

Lucas pushed his friend's shoulder. "I knew it, you kept him."

"No!" Dustin dragged out the word. "No, I...no I..He missed me. He wanted to come home."

"Oh my God." Kenra groaned. "Maybe it would have been better if he took a bite out of you." She said in reference to her conversation with Dustin the other day. "Hey!" Dustin yelled at his sister. "I didn't know he was a demogorgon. Okay?"

"Oh, so now you admit it?" Lucas yelled back.

"Guys, who cares? We have to go." Max butted in. "I care!" Lucas yelled. "You put the party in jeopardy! You broke the rule of law!"

"So did you!" Dustin said back. Steve looked over at Kenra, she glanced up at him and simply shook her head. "What?" Lucas said, confused.

"You told a stranger the truth." Dustin flashed his flashlight in Max's face. Max scoffed, "A stranger?" She stepped closer to them and joined in the argument. Kenra rolled her eyes and looked to her side. Steve wasn't standing next to her anymore and she looked around to see him walking off the trail and pointing his flashlight in the distance.

Kenra watched her step as she followed him. There was a distant screeching sound coming from the direction they were looking. "Hey, guys." Steve called to them. Their fighting didn't stop so Kenra yelled over them. "Guys!" They all turned to look at the two older kids.

The screeching got louder and the kids all froze. Steve looked back at Kenra for a moment before walking up the hill and through the woods, she followed right after him. The sound of leaves crunching under the weight of footsteps followed them as the kids walked behind them.

They walked until they reached the clearing at the top of the hill where all the trees scattered. The screeching started to sound more like growling now that they'd made it closer. "I don't see 'em." Dustin shrugged. Lucas raised his binoculars to his eyes and looked out over the town.

"It's the lab." He said. "They were going back home."

▾

The group walked endlessly through the woods, Kenra was finally starting to feel like she hadn't slept in days, which she hadn't. She was tired and her feet hurt and she's hungry and she simply wanted this all to be over, again. She squinted her eyes but she felt like she could see the trees stop not too far in front of them. Then she heard a voice. "Hello?" A voice yelled at them.

"Who's there?" All of their flashlights moved as they walked. "Is that...Jonathan?" Kenra asked aloud. They finally stepped out of the woods and into clear land. Their flashlights lowering when they saw two figures.

"Steve?" Both Nancy and Jonathan spoke in sync with each other. "Nancy?" Steve called back. "Jonathan." Dustin said. Kenra shook her head and looked around. They followed the sound all the way to Hawkins lab, just as they had suspected.

"What are you doing here?" Nancy asked, mostly Steve.

Steve furrowed his brows and threw his hands out. "What are you doing here?"

"We're looking for Mike and Will." Nancy explained.

"Uh, they're not in there, are they?" Kenra spoke up, gesturing to the lab. Nancy paused. "We're not sure."

"Why?" Jonathan looked worried and his suspicions were only confirmed by a loud screech from the building.

Kenra was rolling her neck around and simultaneously praying that this would all be over soon. When she looked up and past the group of idiots arguing in front of her she saw all the lights in the lab kick back on. "Guys! The power." She pointed.

Everyone ran over to the security both and Jonathan pressed the button repeatedly to try to get the gate open. Dustin started arguing with him, something about him not doing it right. After a lot more smashing of buttons, the gate finally opened.

"We're not all going in there, don't be stupid." Dustin rolled his eyes as they tried to discuss who was going to go up to the lab and look for Will and Mike. Oh, and Joyce and Hopper who had also been MIA for the last two days.

"Okay." Nancy shrugged. "Jonathan and I will go. That means everyone else stays here." She said, as if the kids were really going to listen to her. Jonathan and Nancy drove up to the front of the lab and left the rest of them waiting by the gate.

"This is boring." Lucas muttered, throwing a rock into the grass. After all that they'd gone through, and they were still stuck out here, unable to help. "Yeah, this is shit!" Max agreed.

"Tough shit you guys. Not everyone can be up there or else there'll be no one left here." Steve said, flicking his lighter in his hand. Kenra looked over at him and chuckled.

Dustin stopped where he was walking and stared at him. "Dude, that doesn't even make any sense."

"Guys?" Max ceased their chatter by pointing out the headlights coming down the road towards them. The horn sounded as the cars got closer and Steve and Kenra pushed all of the kids out of the way. Jonathan drove right past them and Hopper's police car pulled up.

"Let's go." He motioned for all the kids to climb in. Steve quickly opened the door and filed all the kids into the back. Kenra looked around for a second after they all sat down, and then she looked in between her and Steve and the single front seat.

Steve was thinking the same thing, he thought for a split second before climbing in. "C'mere." He grabbed Kenra's waist, forcing her to get in, sitting on his lap.