I just kept running. That's all I remember doing before I suddenly passed out once again from everything my body had been put through. The Mind Flayer managed to get ahold of me, but was ripped away. But something doesn't feel right. It wanted me clearly. Or just to summon an army. That's all I could think of. Billy was the key for the Flayer. And he was going to do everything it told him to do.

"Lana.....? Lana, are you awake?" I slowly opened my eyes to be greeted with the intense, bright sun shining in through my bedroom window. My vision was hazy and my head had such an incredible pain within it.

"What's going on....?" I slowly sat up, noticing just how many people were surrounding me. Eleven, Max, Mike, Lucas, Will, Dustin and Steve. I didn't remember a thing about getting back home. And I certainly didn't remember everyone being with me. I just remembered.....

"Billy!" I instantly jumped up out of bed the moment my mind kicked me into hyperdrive, the deep dread practically Imbedded into me lingering as usual. All my suspicions were correct. It's back. Yet again.

"You felt to it, didn't you Lana? You felt it back here in Hawkins?" I looked to Will with frantic eyes, terrified of what I remembered from last night. The Mind Flayer loomed over me, full of malice and want, want for what he craves to do to this town. To all of us. He's coming back with a vengeance.

"I....... I saw it..... at the warehouse. El saved me. I managed to run and escape. But I don't remember anything else. But Billy...." I slowly sat back down on the edge of my bed next to a worried Steve, wondering if he was okay.

"I closed the gate." I sighed in complete fear from Eleven's words of what I felt would happen the minute it left Will's body. We never truly knew if it was trapped behind the gate. And now? We have our answer. It's attached to Billy! I know it has. I saw it......

"We managed to track down where you had been and saw you on the side of the road. We stayed over night to make sure you were okay. Your face.... it had black streaks on it." My eyes widened the moment Steve uttered those horrible words, jumping right back up to look at my face in the mirror. Whatever damage the Flayer did, seemed to be completely gone. Like it never happened.

"Guys..... it's happening all over again. Will felt it. I felt it. I saw it! It's here." My fingers softly ran over my face for any indication of sorts from the Flayer, feeling absolutely no damage. Steve's eyes met mine in the mirror and saw just how miserable I looked and felt. I was extremely worried, for Billy.

"Well we need to make sure that the Flayer actually is using Billy as his host." I nodded from Mike's words, knowing just how terrified everyone was from the thought of it being back. But I didn't want to admit that it was taking over Billy.
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"He's just sitting up there, wrapped up like a mummy. He looks completely.... drained." I handed the binoculars back to Max the minute I got a good look at Billy on the lifeguard tower. I called in today just so I could help figure out what exactly we can do to force the Flayer to show itself. And the sauna was the perfect choice. I immediately thought of it the moment I remembered that it hates heat.

"I just hope it's not him. Why pick Billy of all people in this damn town to take over?" I sat on the hood of my car that we parked across the road so we wouldn't risk being spotted by Billy. But all I wanted to do was run over to him. Take him away from all of this. That night at the warehouse, when I was running out of there to get away, I could still see him in there. He's trapped. Dormant. And only comes to life when the Flayer calls upon him. I hate it.

"I don't know Max. Apart of me so badly wants to believe I was simply seeing things. Or that it was all a nightmare. But seeing him like that? I know it's not. And it kills me....." I buried my head in my hands, my red and puffy eyes hurting from the brightness of the sun. I've cried and cried until I couldn't cry anymore. But I feel so..... broken. And don't know if I'll ever be repaired. Not as long as Billy is like this.

"We'll figure something out Lan. We have to." She sat down next to me on the hood while we waited for everyone to get the things we needed ready for tonight to trap him inside the sauna. It's the only way. I know it'll hurt like hell. But we have to be sure.

"I hope so.... I can't lose him when I just got him." My words hung in the air with so much pain behind them. I was suffering without Billy. Like I was having withdraws. Something I've never once experienced before in my life. It was such a terrible feeling. But he has become a major part of me and who I am over the course of us knowing one another. We've done so much since that fateful day at Hawkins High when he rode into my life. I can't lose that. I can't.
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"Alright Lan. You're up." I took the deepest breath I could muster, barely able to focus. I was not ready what so ever to do this. The pool was finally closed for the day and everyone had made their way out and home, leaving only us and Billy remaining. They rigged up a training dummy with a walkie to lure Billy right into the sauna by the sound of voice so we could slam the door and chain him in. And that said voice? Is mine.

"Biiiiillly....." I slammed the men's locker room door behind me after I heard Billy exit the shower, putting on his clothes at his usual locker. Don't ask how I know what his usual locker is. But I think you can figure that one out.

"The pools closed." I peeked around the corner, looking for an opening to hide in so he wouldn't see me what so ever. Because that's all we need. He had his head blocked by the side of the open locker, putting a pair of pants on. I kept wishing I could run over and take him away. But I knew I couldn't.

"Billy!" He registered my voice the minute it echoed once again through the room. I hid behind a wall with Max and Eleven right next to me, the quietness deafening.

"Lana.....? You come back to play?" His deep, almost darkened tone sent shivers down my spine from what he truly meant, latching onto the walkie for dear life.

"Come get me and find out lover boy." I knew those words had to register with him. Somehow, someway, I knew he had to truly hear my words. I know Billy is still in there. I just wish I could get him out long enough to talk, explain that I'm not giving up on him. Even though he wants me to.

"I knew you'd come back. And believe me, when I find you, it won't be pretty." I closed my eyes in complete fear from the mere sound of his voice, seeming to echo around me. We followed closer behind Billy and his light footsteps, seeing him coming in for his prey. Steam was in the air from the hot shower Billy had going a few minutes ago, seeming to help aid us from his sight.

"Show me....." My eyes locked with the guys hiding opposite us, when Billy finally reached the sauna and saw what he thought was me from within it, just waiting for him to take me.

"There you are. I got you now." He swung open the door with so much force, clear confusion enveloping him the moment he saw what was actually inside. The dummy was the perfect idea.

"You found me!" He instantly grabbed it by the neck and held it up to the ceiling, giving us all the perfect opportunity to sneak up behind him. Eleven was ready and willing to force the door shut so we could see what we're truly dealing with. Because I know this time? It is much worse. I can feel it.

"Hey!!" Billy immediately turned, eyeing us all with a glare that could kill, anger written all over his face, when Eleven flung him into the wall with her powers and slammed the door shut on him, springing Mike and Lucas into action chaining up the door and cranking up the heat. My eyes were wide and frantic, seeing Billy finally coming back up to the door with such a look in his eyes. Fear.

"Let me out!!!" He instantly started banging on the door, rattling the chains so violently. We all backed up some, not knowing what to really expect this time. But I knew to keep them behind me. I'd rather me go down than them. I promised I would always look after these kids. And that's what I intend on doing damn it.

"Lana......" My eyes widened the moment he muttered my name so quietly, that I almost didn't register it. Max and Lucas both had ahold of my arms, seeing just how much him saying my name was getting to me. But I could feel him. Every cell in my being felt him inside of that sauna with Billy.

"Please let me out Lana..... please." Tears were running down my cheeks of pure sadness and anger. I could just feel his pain, hear his cries and so desperately wanted to do anything I could to free him. But this time, the Flayer was much more aggressive. It wasn't going down without a fight.

"You know I want to Billy..... more than anything right now. But I can't have you hurting these kids. I want to save you so much. You've got to help me Billy. I can't..... I don't want you to suffer." His eyes stayed locked with mine as the room grew silent, seeing the pained expression leave his face the minute my words left my mouth. The Flayer hated me. And I knew it. Because I wasn't going to stop until I could save Billy. He means the world to me.

"He made me do it...... he made me do it. Please Lana, Max. I didn't want to......." His pleas for help had tears running down my checks, inching myself closer to the little glass window looking into the sauna. My hand softly landed on the steamed glass with a pain smile directed at Billy to let him know that I'm still here. I'm not giving up. Max came up right behind me with her tears running freely from the mere sound of his weakened voice calling out to us. 

"Guys..... I can feel him. Get away from the glass..... Get away from the glass!!!" My eyes widened the moment Billy suddenly charged for the door, his head breaking through the glass so quickly that I barely had time to react before a sharp object connected with my face and left a long scratch along my cheek. I screamed in fear of what he was doing, seeing the monster within him. He was out for blood. He violently shook the door over and over, loosening the binds we thought we put on it to secure it coming undone.

"You stupid bitch! Get me out of here!!! This isn't funny!!!" My tears rolled and rolled from the hurtful words that I knew weren't Billy's. I was terrified. Completely terrified. My poor heart was about to beat out of my chest.

"He can't get out, can he?" Will's terrified eyes met mine and I really didn't have the answer. But he was strong. He could do anything. Suddenly the question was answered the moment he swung the door right open, his evil, dark eyes training on us all with such hate in them. I stretched my arms out to get the kids behind me, knowing he was going after Eleven. He knew what she was capable of, what she could do. Her powers matched his. And he was honestly terrified of her.

"Get out of the way Lana..... I have no problem throwing you out of my way. Don't test me." Billy stopped right in front of me with his eyes searching mine. The lines within him were growing and growing, like a warning, warning that it was in control.

"Billy please..... fight! Get out of him you son of a bitch!" My angered words and tense body language only seemed to fuel his anger, before he suddenly had me suspended within the air by my neck, his tight hold stopping all air flow from my body. I kicked and kicked, screaming as best as I could. He was way too strong.

"You'll regret what you've done Lana. For fighting me. You can't protect everyone.... can you?" I clawed at his arms with all my might, my tears falling to his hand and my vision going blurry. I felt so lightheaded. I kept yelling run to the kids with all the energy I could muster, seeing how scared they truly were.

"LET HER GO!!!!!" His hand quickly came off my neck the moment Eleven got ahold of him with her powers and lifted him right off the ground, fighting him with everything she's got. Her sudden screams littered the steamed room with such a deafening sound, before she flung him through the brick wall, sending him outside into a heap. The minute he had released me, I had fallen to the ground in a coughing fit with my sobs taking over all my senses. I finally crawled my way and lifted myself up against the now broken wall, looking out into the darkened night. Billy was running into the nearby woods, until he was completely out of sight.

"BILLY!!!!" My screams filled the night air with so much sadness and pain, feeling Billy slipping away more and more each day. That's what the Flayer wanted. Suddenly, arms wrapped around me tightly, seeing Max in my vision the moment I turned and hugged her back just as tight. We were losing someone who meant everything to us.