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The evil, it spread like a fever ahead
It was night when you died, my firefly
What could I have said to raise you from the dead?
Oh, could I be the sky on the fourth of July?
Nancy didn’t know what she’d done to be standing here, ripples of nausea overcoming her as she stood before the Mind-Flayer. It was nothing but a mass of darkness, shadows engulfing themselves in each other, fighting to be at the front to terrorise and destroy. She could feel her skin freezing up, the shadow having buried itself in her chest a long time ago, corrupting and poisoning her soul ever so slowly. She wasn’t in control of her body anymore, she just had to stand by and watch as she partook in such destruction. No one knew she’d been possessed, no one had realised the way her eyes were a little glazed over or that her movements were too jagged. The Flayer gave her some moments but never enough to say what was happening, never enough to warn them of it’s plans because she knew. She’d seen everything the moment it had worked it’s way into her body, she’d seen the end of the world and humanity herself yet it remained trapped in her own mind.. just as she was, a prisoner of her own body.
Well, you do enough talk
My little hawk, why do you cry?
Tell me, what did you learn from the Tillamook burn?
Or the fourth of July?
She was supposed to shoot the thing, she had a shotgun in her trembling hands, ready to aim and fire as soon as it was weak enough. She merely stood there, the gun’s safety still on. She’d watched Billy’s sacrifice, protecting Eleven until she was conscious enough to attack the thing that enraptured Nancy’s body as it’s own. The woman flicked the gun off of safety mode, intially aiming at the beast before her. She resisted as long as she could, shaking with the effort as her heels slowly turned. She fought with all she could muster to keep her aim trained on the Mind-Flayer but she wasn’t in control, she hadn’t been for a long time. Her body twisted towards the younger girl, the barrel aimed at her head. She was in such close proximity that even if El used her powers, Nancy would be able to pull the trigger and she would still die without defeating the beast before the group.
We’re all gonna die.
“NANCY!” There was a scream from the balcony.
The girl looked out the corner of her eye to see Steve, stood on the balcony in his little Scoops Ahoy uniform, all beaten and bruised from the Russians. He looked so disappointed in her and for some reason that made her heart shatter further. She was with Jonathan, yes, but their relationship had been tense. It had been since the very beginning. They were trauma-bonded, that’s why they worked so well together.. their trauma was the only thing they actually had in common. She gave a small shake of her head, hot tears working down her cheeks. She couldn’t control what she was doing, she couldn’t help her body’s movements. It wasn’t her own anymore, it hadn’t been for hours. She was trying to get herself to move away, trying to move her prison away from the girl. She grit her teeth with the effort, fighting the shadows within her as best as she could. “I can-I can’t. El please,” she begged quietly. She didn’t want to kill the girl before her. She was so young and she was needed to save the entirety of humanity, she knew that’s why the Mind-Flayer had made the child it’s target.
Sitting at the bed with a halo at your head
Was it all a disguise, like Junior High
Where everything was future, fiction, and prediction
Now where am I? My fading supply
Eleven looked at the teenager holding a gun to her head and she merely gave a small smile. Nancy shook her head. It looked like El was giving up. She didn’t want to murder one of her friends. She swallowed thickly as her finger moved toward the trigger, the Mind-Flayer ignoring how resistant she was trying to be. She choked out a sob as her thumb clicked the chamber into place, ensuring the weapon was secure and would hit its mark. She tilted her head up, looking to the glass ceiling. The stars were as bright as ever, little diamonds shining down onto the scene before them as if they were unaware of the pain the group was experiencing below. She didn’t know if there was a god, she doubted there was because of how shit things had gone, but if there was.. if there was one out there, surely they wouldn’t let this happen? She felt her body stiffen up, the Mind-Flayer trying to take any resistance she may have away from her. It got rid of all her remaining autonomy, taking control of her as it was sick of her rebelliousness. She could feel it’s anger, feel it’s desire to kill the young girl before her. She felt it work through her body, down her arms, to her hand.. and she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head. Lucas had pinged a stone in his slingshot, having aimed for her head to knock her out.
Did you get enough love, my little dove?
Why do you cry?
And I’m sorry I left, but it was for the best
Though it never felt right
It wasn’t successful to knock the creature from her body nor force her to collapse but it diverted her attention away from Eleven. She aimed her gun towards the balcony instead. She could do nothing, she was shoved to the back of her own mind. She held no power here. She could only watch in absolute horror as the Mind-Flayer lined up it’s shot towards Lucas on the balcony, prepared to fire at the child’s direction until a seering pain began. It started in her head, forcing her hands to let go of the weapon. She dropped to her knees, covering her ears as the ringing began. It was loud and deafening. She could feel herself screaming but she couldn’t even hear it. She felt her body slowly start coming back to herself, her own senses and her own feelings returning. She recognised how achy her muscles were, practically screaming for some semblance of rest that they would not receive. Horrible shadows left her body from her mouth, particles that looked like glass leaving her. She couldn’t feel it, it was only particles after all, but she watched the darkness vacate her body. She coughed when the last of it left her, her lungs catching up to the breathing speed she needed as the Flayer had slowed everything down whilst occupying her form.
My little Versailles.
Nancy turned around from her spot on the floor. Eleven had an arm stretched out to her, her nose bleeding. She gave a nervous smile and Nancy returned the look. The younger girl had used her power to pull the darkness from her body, sending it back to the main vessle of the Mind Flayer. She now focused her energy on weakening the thing as Robin, Steve, Jonathan, Max, Lucas, and Erica threw various fireworks, sparklers, and anything flammable at the creature. It seemed to cry out in pain, slowly shrinking further and further down. The ringing pain in Nancy’s head returned. She shrunk lower to the ground, her hands clamping back over her ears, that same agonising scream leaving her. She knew her throat would be raw from such noises but the feeling merely spread. It went down through her neck, spreading down her arms, going down her stomach and into her legs. It was everywhere, inescapable and endless. Her body felt like it was on fire, her skin felt warm. She distantly saw through her blurry, teary eyes that the Mind-Flayer was practically destroyed and she put the unfortunate pieces together. She’d been a host. She was to die with it as they still had a connection, it just wasn’t.. physical anymore. It could only control her in death.
The hospital asked, “Should the body be cast?”
Before I say goodbye, my star in the sky
Such a funny thought to wrap you up in cloth
Do you find it all right, my dragonfly?
The battle was over as quickly as it had started. Eleven had exhausted herself, collapsing beside Billy’s body. Max had ran over to the two along with Lucas, screaming for her brother. Jonathan was on the balcony, holding Will’s body close. He musn’t have made it either if the death of the Flayer took all it’s hosts. Robin was on the balcony, awkwardly looking down at the scene before her as if she didn’t know where to put herself. Nancy didn’t know where Steve was until he was right there, beside her, hands on her cheeks and wiping the blood that had dripped from her eyes. He was crying and she wasn’t sure why. They had their own lives now, she was just a blip in his path. She shakily reached up, setting one of her hands on top of his own, mirroring the sad smile he had on his own face. “We won?” She asked quietly, her voice aching from her own screams.
Steve gave a quiet chuckle, nodding his head, “I mean, there’s no giant tentacle monster in the middle of the mall.. I think that means we won, Nance. We really, really won.”
Nancy gave a little nod, gazing up at him. She felt her breaths become harder to take, the air being forced out practically as soon as she brought the air in to her lungs. She knew this was it. This was as far as she was getting in life and that was okay. She was like a bad omen, bringing death wherever she went. It was bound to catch up with her eventually.
Shall we look at the moon, my little loon?
Why do you cry?
Make the most of your life, while it is rife
While it is light.
The metallic taste of blood sunk into her mouth, dribbling down the side of her lips. Steve naturally brushed it away with his thumb, keeping her face in her hands. “You’re not.. this wasn’t the plan. You were meant to.. come on, Nance, stay with me?” He asked, his voice gentle and pleading.
Nancy gazed up at him, wishing she had the energy to nod and agree. Her body felt drained, she couldn’t move but this time possession wasn’t the direct cause. She chuckled, that chuckle becoming a cough. “The plan? There was.. there was a plan?” She asked, her voice a mere whisper as she tried to keep her breathing to a minimum. It burned whenever she inhaled.
“Yeah.. you and me. Six kids. A caravan. Going to different places across the states. I never lost hope with you, Nancy Wheeler. I always thought we’d come back to each other just not,” one of his hands gestured to her weak body, “not like this.. nothing like this. It’s you, Nance, it’s always been you.. that I love, I mean, as shitty and cheesy as that sounds. You always liked that stuff though, huh?”
The girl felt her blue eyes grow heavy as she tried her best to stay focused on the conversation, using Steve’s words to ground herself. She smiled with whatever strenght she had left. “That’s a lot-lot of kids..” she whispered which made Steve laugh this time, “I know.. nothing like..” her chest ached, her fingers and toes felt numb, and her vision was all blurry, “It’s okay.. I.. I love-love.. I love..” her breath never returned to her. It left with her final word of ‘love’ and never returned. Her eyes were glazed over, she was perfectly still, and looked like a ghost. Her body was the mere shell of Nancy Wheeler.
Well you do enough talk
My little hawk, why do you cry?
Tell me what did you learn from the Tillamook burn?
Or the Fourth of July?
Her funeral was sweet and short. It was kept to family and friends only, per her mother’s request, and so only around 20 people attended; her mother, father, brother and sister, Joyce, Jonathan and Will, Dustin and his mother, Lucas, Erica, and their parents, Max and her mother, Hopper and Eleven, Robin, Murray, and of course, Steve. No one knew what her final words were, an unspoken secret between her and her former lover. A promise of something they would never have. A vow that she would be waiting for him and not Jonathan. Steve told no one besides Robin, insisting she kept it to herself. He didn’t want to hurt Jonathan like that, even if he didn’t particularly enjoy the guy’s company. He’d just lost his girl and he knew exactly what that felt like after Nancy’s final minutes. The after-funeral was held at the Wheeler’s household, gathering everyone together for a meal to celebrate the eldest’s life. Steve went up to Nancy’s room, gently opening the door one final time. A part of him held his breath, expecting her to be sitting on her bed, waiting for her to look up and grin at him as she hid her diary. Instead the room was cold, without light nor life. “Rest up, Nance.. you deserve it most,” he said quietly, reaching for the brass door-handle and pulling it to a close.
We’re all gonna die.