𝐌𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐄 | stranger things ✓

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: PREVENTED

prevented; to keep something from occurring

Melanie ran whether the others were following or not. Luckily they were. It got to a point where they literally could not run anymore. The junkyard was far away from everything. They stopped to catch their breaths in the middle of the woods. Somehow Melanie knew exactly where she was going. "Where..." Lucas began, gasping for air, "Where are we going?" Putting his hands on his hips. "Do you even know?"

Dustin sighed. "Of course she does." He replied, holding the pain in his side.

"Laboratory." She said loud enough for them to hear while she tied her undone shoe.

"Oh. That's just great." Lucas said sarcastically. "That's probably where all the demogorgons live."

"That makes sense..." She looked around seeing if anyone agreed with her.

"There could be hundreds." Steve pointed out.

"Who cares?" Dustin interrupted. "You can't chicken out now. Did you not hear, Mel? She saw Bob die." He said eyeing them all. "We can't let him die." They all looked at the ground for answers. They were already preparing themselves for Bob's death. How can five kids stop a bunch of demogorgons? There was a silence, but it didn't last long. Screeching from the demogorgons could be heard from what seemed like everywhere.

"We have to go." Melanie told them before running off, followed by Dustin.

"Is someone actually gonna die?" Max asked Lucas and Steve. Lucas looked at Steve worriedly, not knowing whether to be honest or not.

Steve replied truthfully, "I don't know." He said, taking a step forward. "I don't know." Then chased after Melanie and Dustin.

"Come on." Lucas encouraged Max to move. "We have to try." She seemed really anxious but they all were. Mel was so determined. She had never seen anyone die before and the first death she saw was so traumatic. A thirteen year old shouldn't have to see what she did. All she kept repeating in her head was, "He won't die." She finally wanted to prevent a bad vision from happening.

They finally reached the Lab and were greeted by Jonathan and Nancy at the front gate. Mel had no idea who they were but remembered Dustin mention Nancy in the stories about last year. That wasn't the main priority. Bob was. Saving Bob. The group of seven tried almost everything to get the gate open and Mel started loosing hope, causing her to panic. She got herself so worked up that she started hyperventilating. Dustin ran over to her and held her shoulders. "Mel. Calm down." He spoke calmly. "Everything's doing to be okay." He reassured her as her breathing slowed down. "It will be okay." As he finished, the gate somehow opened on its own. They assumed that someone opened it from the inside but the loud growling sounds from the demogorgons doubted them. "Let's go."

"Whoa! Stop." Steve said, stopping Dustin taking another step. "We should go see if it's safe first."

"I'm going." Melanie stated but Steve stood in front of her. "I'm going!" She repeated louder in his face.

"We'll go." Nancy said confidently, referring to her and Jonathan. "And Mel." The three of them drove up the hill in his car. Just outside the front door, they saw Mike and someone wrapped in a blanket. Melanie jumped out the car before Jonathan even stopped. "Mel! Wait!" Nancy called for her but was ignored. Melanie began walking over to Mike. Everyone the heard screaming followed gunshots. She saw Mike covered his head. Her walk turned into a run. Jonathan ran after her as he heard his mom's cry. Melanie's knees felt weak. She felt her heart sink, as she held back her tears.

"Mel! Get back!" Mike signalled her to stay away. Jonathan was just catching up behind her when they saw Hopper drag Joyce out the building. That's when she knew it was too late.

"What happened!?" Mike shouted but deep down he knew.

Jonathan ran past Mel and grabbed his mother. He could see Bob from where he was standing. "Mom, we have to go." Mel finally reached the windowed door and caught a glimpse of Bob lying on the floor being tore apart by at least three demogorgons.

Before she could even process what she just saw, Hopper picked her up. "No! No!" She screamed and kicked. "I have to help him!" She screamed. "I have to help him!"

Hopper put her down and looked her in the eye. "He's gone! There's nothing you could've done." That's when the floodgates opened.

"I could've helped him." She cried. "I could've..." She looked back at the doors that the demogorgons were about to break the glass door down.

"We have to go!" Mike ran off to Jonathan's car. Hopper picked up the boy wrapped in a blanket that appeared to be Will. Hopper went back over to the girl that reminded him of Eleven, grabbed her hand taking Will to Jonathan's car. The two of them got into Hopper's car. She sat in the passenger seat, not even thinking about a seat belt. He began speeding down the hill. She couldn't believe what she just witnessed. She stopped crying and went into a shocked phase. She just sat there, staring out the window. Hopper stopped the car, letting Steve, Lucas, Max and Dustin get in the back.

"What happened, sheriff?" Steve asked as they all shuffled so they were at least a little comfy in the little room they had. Hopper looked at Steve in the mirror but didn't answer. "Sheriff?"

"Mel?" Dustin reached over to tap her on the shoulder.

"Give her space." Hopper said, looking at him through the mirror. Dustin could tell Bob was dead. He gave everyone in the back seat a look that confirmed it. Dustin looked down at his feet, Lucas turned to the window to hide his tears, Steve was in disbelief and Max had no clue.

"Where's Bob?" Max asked, not thinking that he could actually be dead.

Just as Hopper was about to answer, surprisingly, Mel said, "Gone." with no emotion what's so ever. Hopper could tell that this absolutely destroyed her. She didn't want to talk to anyone. Especially Dustin. She felt lied to. He told her everything was going to be okay but it wasn't. It was the complete opposite of okay. She thought she could've prevented all of this. She thought she could save Bob. And now, she blames herself.

A/N:
I loved Bob and I'm so sad he died :(