Chapter 28

trigger warning: self harm

Steve was further ahead than everyone else, claiming he knew the way to Skull Rock without a compass. Dustin and Claudia trailed behind, with Dustin complaint about him going the wrong way.

“No, I think he’s right,” Claudia said.

“You said you didn’t come here,” Dustin said.

“I may have been once or twice.”

“Yeah. With who? Daniel?”

“Not Daniel, no. Ro-” Claudia stopped herself, “It’s none of your business, kid.”

Dustin raised his eyebrow. He’d caught onto something the past few days. When Eddie had Claudia held up by the neck, Robin almost said soemthing, a certain word, but changed her mind and said friend instead.

They were close. Like, really close. The way Claudia hugged Robin before she went off with Nancy, the way Robin took her to the University with Nancy. And now this.

“Claudia… you know you’re like a sister to me, right?”

“Aw, thanks, Dustin. I could say the same about you. Well, not sister, but-“

“That means you can trust me.”

“I do trust you.”

“Then what aren’t you telling me?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who’s this person.”

“Dustin, he’s no one, really.”

“He?”

“What?”

“He? Are you sure it’s a he?”

Claudia’s eyes widened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she stuttered.

“Dia. You can tell me. I know already.”

“You wouldn’t judge me?”

“Of course I wouldn’t. You love who you love. If you love Robin, then that’s great. If Robin loves you, that’s even greater. So?”

Claudia coughed. “Yeah, it is great. She’s my girlfriend. God, it feels good to say that to someone other than Steve. Thanks, Henderson.”

They finally made it to Skull Rock, turns out Steve had been going the right way the whole time. “Oh, boom!” Steve said, “Bada bing, bada boom. There she is, Henderson. Skull Rock. In your face, man. In your stupid, cocky little face.”

“It doesn’t make sense,” Dustin said.

“Right?” Claudia said, “It barely even looks like a skull.”

“Yeah, yeah. Even with it staring you right in the face, you can’t admit it. You can’t admit that you’re wrong, you little butthead.”

Eddie jumped down behind them. “I concur, you, Dustin Henderson, are a… total butthead,” he said.

“Jesus, we thought you were a goner,” Dustin said, running over to hug Eddie.

“Yeah, me too, man. Me too.”

Everyone else showed up, and Eddie filled them in on what had happened to Patrick. Claudia zoned out. No one had any idea of how to get to Vecna, she was screwed. She still hadn’t told anyone about her vision, and it was creeping up on twenty four hours since it happened.

Speaking of visions. The clock.

Claudia heard the clock sound in the distance, yet again. This time, she decided to go towards it. She didn’t want to. She wanted to stay with her friends, near the safety of Robin, but something drew her to the sound.

She heard her name being called. Not by Vecna, not by Robin, or Steve, or Dustin. But by Daniel. She walked out of the forest, to see her house. Only, the lights were off.

Claudia’s mom had this weird thing, she’d always leave at least one light on at night, so that it would seem like someone was awake, and burglars wouldn’t come in. It didn’t actually help, someone did try and break into their house one time two years ago, but was stopped by a drunken Claudia coming home from a Halloween party. Her mom kept doing it though. At this point, it was just a habit.

Claudia walked into the house, which was suspiciously unlocked. Everything was silent, although she couldn’t sworn she’d heart clattering earlier. She tried to flick the lights on. Nothing.

She walked into her room, which was totally empty. The bathrooms were the same. Finally, she walked into her mothers room. There on the floor was her mom, a knife in her hand, blood dripping down her arms and staining the white carpet.

Stood above her was her dad, the dad who she hadn’t seen in ten years. He was pointing, laughing. In the corner was Daniel, walking over to Claudia with his fists clenched.

“This is all your fault, Claudia. You made your dad leave you mom, and now look what she’s doing, that should be you!” Daniel said. He snatched the knife from her mother’s grip, attempting to hand it to Claudia, “Do it, Claudia! Do it!”

Claudia bolted. She didn’t know what else to do. She didn’t want to see her mom that way, and she didn’t want to see Daniel and her dad, the two men who’d made her life hell, at all.

She ran back through the forest, and into an unfamiliar place. The sky, and everything around her, was tinted red. A door floated past her. A door with a rose stained glass window. “Fuck,” Claudia whispered.

“Claudia,” a voice from behind her said, she turned around to see some sort of creature, looking like an inside out human being. Vecna. “Isn’t it strange? They haven’t tried to save you yet.”

“They will,” Claudia said, although she wasn’t so sure. They had headphones, and Robin knew her favourite song, and she’d been there forever? Where were they?

“They’re probably relieved to have you gone. All of that crying and worrying. You were just holding them back. All those times Robin had to comfort you. She’s probably sick of it.”

“No, Robin loves me.”

“Then why are you a secret?” Before Claudia could answer, the music she’d been waiting for finally started to play. She didn’t move. “Don’t bother.”

She watched herself as she floated slowly up into the air. Her friends screamed. They were panicking, but almost cheering her on. “It’s all fake,” Vecna said. At this point, she didn’t doubt it. Had they waited to put the music on? Waited until it was almost too late? They didn’t seem so enthusiastic about getting her back. Not as enthusiastic as they were with Max.

Mama, just killed a man. Put a gun against his head, pulled my trigger now he’s dead. Mama, life had just begun, but now I’ve gone and thrown it all away.

“Join me, Claudia. To them, you’re worthless, but to me, well, you’re worth the entire town.”

Claudia didn’t struggle as Vecna lifted her up a pillar, one of the pillars that she’d seen Fred and Chrissy attached to. Was this really her fate?

Mama, ooh, didn’t mean to make you cry. If I’m not back again this time tomorrow, carry on, carry on, as if nothing really matters.

Her eyes darted around Vecna’s world. Thoughts span through her mind, why was he so obsessed with this Creel house?

They landed again on her desperate friends as she now began to struggle under Vecna’s grip. She didn’t put in much effort. If she was meant to escape, then she would.

Too late, my time has come. Sent shivers down my spine, body’s aching all the time. Goodbye, everybody. I’ve got to go. Gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.

“The final piece to my puzzle.”

What did he mine by that? What puzzle? Had they missed something? Were Chrissy, Fred and Patrick the other pieces? He really did have a motive.

Mama, ooh, I don’t wanna die. I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all.

She felt Vecna begin to hurt her, begin to break her. She looked back at Robin. Tears were pouring from her eyes. Tears were boring from everyone’s eyes.

“Why isn’t she waking up?!” Dustin screamed.

“This is taking way longer than it took me,” Max said, “Claudia, please, you’re in danger!”

Robin fell to the floor. “Claudia…” she said weakly, “Claudia, wake up. Please. I love you!”

She said it. She said it out loud, in front of everyone. Vecna knew he’d lost, Claudia could tel by the way he grunted.

Memories flashed through her mind. When she’d first met Robin in school, and when she’d first met Steve. Walking into Mrs Click’s class to see Robin there, and making jokes with Steve. Her first day at work. When her and Robin made up. The first time Dustin walked into Scoops, with the Russian code. Cracking the Russian code. Escaping the Russians. Coming out to Robin. Kissing Robin. All of the kisses, the kissed that she knew she’d miss if she died. Meeting the others. Defeating the Mind Flayer. Getting their new job at family video. Growing closer with Dustin, coming out to him. Then Robin again.

She kicked Vecna in the stomach, making him lose his grip on her. She ran to her friends, who were still screaming for her. She dodged everything she had threw at her, gasping as she finally reached the end.

“Claudia!”