𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖑 || 𝘀. 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

S4E9: The Piggyback Part 2

Carefully, quietly, stealthily, the four of us creep to the door. The Molotov Cocktail bottle trembles in my hand. I know that on the other side of that door is Vecna. It won't be like when I met him when he cursed me. I don't have an exit this time—no music that will save me. I can't run from him and into Steve's arms this time. We're all facing him. We're going to have to stand our ground and fight. This is where it all ends, either for me and my friends, or for Vecna. This is our chance. Our only chance.

Nancy opens the door and we enter the attic. I inhale sharply and fight the strong urge to run. The door—the only exit—suddenly feels like a riptide that has grabbed ahold of me and is pulling me back. I want to go with it, but I plant my feet instead. This is no time to be a cowered.

Seeing the real Vecna—being in the same room as him in real life, not my head—it sends a surge of fear through my entire body.

Vecna's suspended several feet off the ground by tendrils, seemingly oblivious to us. Maybe we're lucky for once and he doesn't know we're here.

Steve is the first to pull a Molotov Cocktail from his bag and lightning it. He throws it at Vecna with all the force he can summon. It hits Vecna square in the chest and erupts into flames. Vecna bellows out in pain and his tendrils begin recoiling, unable to bare the heat.

The rest of us flinch back from the severe heat that hits us. I throw my arms over my face to block the worst of it.

Vecna falls to the floor in a fiery blaze, landing on his stomach. He snarls and lifts up, his blue eyes full of pure rage landing on us. Slowly the flames engulf his entire body as he rises to his feet. It is only then I realize just how human he is. He's a monster, but human.

I flick my lighter open and light my own Molotov Cocktail, then look at Robin. She holds her lit Molotov Cocktail in her hands. The two of us nod in understanding, then simultaneously chuck the explosives at him. More flames explode on his body, making Vecna stagger on his feet and slowing him down more.

Nancy takes over now. She aims her shotgun, taking a few steps forward. She shoots bullet after bullet into him. With each hit he stumbles farther and farther back. He grows weaker with every hit. Vecna bellows out in pain, falling against a piece of old furniture for support. Nancy shoots again, hitting him in the chest. Vecna stumbles just a little bit farther back, just enough that he breaks through the window in the attic and falls several stories to the ground below.

Dead silence fills the smoky air. We attacked Vecna with everything we had. It's well known that he likes it cold, so there's no way he could've survived being burned to a crisp. There's no way.

But I needed to know for certain.

I run out the door and down the flights of stairs, not caring anymore about stepping over vines, because for one thing... they're all gone. The others follow behind me, just as hopeful as I am that Vecna is truly dead. We reach the front door and rush onto the porch.

Black scorch marks burn the still smoldering grass, but Vecna is nowhere to be seen. He made it out

alive.

✶

2 days later

✶

Dear diary,

We failed.

Things can change in the blink of an eye. One second, all could be well. The next, something tragic could happen. You have to hold the people you love close to you at all times, because it could be the last time you ever see them again. It's terrifying how a small tug is all it takes to have your life ripped out from under you. Just like that, you could fall into the chasm of darkness.