veda henderson

          My body feels heavier from the multiple layers still holding my body down, the added weight dragging me as I push forward down an empty street. Eddie's trailer has never felt further from me, the seconds feeling like minutes not knowing for sure if he's okay.

    My breath echoes in my ear, my makeshift headband now shifting in a way that pushes flyaways in my eyes, but I ignore it, focusing on the one important goal in mind.

    The trailer park sign enters my sight, a smile and a breath of relief exiting me without me doing so. Somehow, despite my exhaustion, my running speeds up until I'm running faster than I ever remember running before.

    Eddie's trailer gets closer, my eyes make out a few bodies standing outside the crime scene. I smile wider, ready to hug my brother and Eddie and thank the universe that it's all over. 

    My steps slow down, my lungs only working harder to catch up as I notice a lack of a particular person standing amongst the group.

    I come to a stop, everyone turning to me with sad eyes as I brace my hands on my knees, a stupid smile still on my face.

    Looking between each of them, my eyes land on Dustin as I furrow my brows, "Where's Eddie?"

    He avoids my eyes, looking down in a way that allows the moonlight to hit his face, showcasing the tears in his eyes. 

    "Dustin?" I question, standing up straight to turn my eyes from him to Steve, Nancy and Robin. They all look sadly at me, none of them opening their mouths to speak. I shake my head, laughing off their faces, "No, no. We did it! We beat him-- we beat Vecna! Where is he? Is he inside?"

    "Veda," Steve joins in this time. By the look on Dustin's face, I don't think he can reply even if he wants to. Steve shakes his head, stepping close to me with his hands out as if he might need to catch me for some reason, "He didn't make it out. He's gone,"

    "What?" I barely get the word out, feeling as though someone sucker punched me in the gut and winded me. Eddie can't be gone, no way. We won Vecna's twisted game, there's no way he's the only sacrifice. "That--that wasn't real. He didn't... he didn't sacrifice himself,"

    Despite not knowing about the visions Vecna sent me, not one of them takes the time to question it. 

    Eddie wouldn't do that. Not when he knows what's waiting for him on the other side--not when he knows I'm waiting for him. 

    Without thinking, I turn on my heels and prepare to bolt inside the trailer, only to feel my feet leave the ground as Steve wraps his arms around me from behind and prevents me from going any further.

    I instantly begin to claw at his arms, fighting against his hold with all the strength left inside of me. "Steve! Let me go! I need to go back in there!"

    "There's nothing in there to go back to!" He shouts, turning me so I'm facing him instead of the dark doorway of the trailer. The trailer that has taken so much from me already. "Stop this, Veda. Dustin needs you,"

    "I needed him," I sob, feeling my knees turn to jelly. Steve moves to help me, sensing my weakness. Instead, I shove his hands away from me and force my legs to become stable, running my hands through my hair and shaking my head once more. I take a deep breath, forcing the sobs in my throat back down to my gut. "I can't. I can't do this,"

    The pain of losing my Father both mentally and physically almost crippled me. Losing Eddie, the person who helped me make sense of things and grounded me-- I can't see a future where I survive that kind of loss. 

    "V," Dustin's voice breaks through my flustered state. I turn to him, dropping my hands by my side as he approaches me in an instant, wrapping his arms around me as he cries, "I'm sorry, I tried,"

    "It's okay, Dusty," I reply, my own voice sounding robotic as I rest my hand on top of his head. The gravity of the situation hasn't set into my being yet. All I can do is treasure these precious moments where him being gone doesn't feel suffocating or crippling.

    Knowing what comes next, the weight of grief that is shoved upon your shoulders after death, almost makes the anticipation worse. 

    A light hits my eye, gaining my attention as I look up from my younger brother. The golden lights flashes right against my eye, the door of the trailer slowly opening and allowing the interior light to peek through into the night.

    A shadow steps out from the light, their steps hitting each wooden step at an agonisingly slow pace. The figure reaches the grass, their body slightly swaying as they make eye contact with me.

    I want to pinch myself to make sure he's real. Maybe I'm imagining things the same way I did after my Dad died. A part of me hopes my mind wouldn't be so cruel to me at a time like this.

    It's only when the figure weakly smiles, a slight tint of blood coating their teeth as he drops his weapon and shield beside him. The slight murmur and gasps of the people behind me are enough confirmation. Dustin notices the shift in the atmosphere, turning around and letting go of me.

     Before he can even comprehend anything he's seeing, I step away from him and run towards the trailer, tears spilling from my eyes faster than I can stop them. Within seconds, I'm launching myself in the air and wrapping my arms and legs around him, burying my face in his shoulder as he stumbles slightly from the added pressure. 

    "I made you a promise, didn't I?" His voice reaches my ears, his hand reaching up to hold the back of my head while his other keeps me steady against him. I only reply with a sob, the sound of his voice like an answer to an aching question, a sound I almost never heard again.

    "Yes you did, asshole," I laugh into his shoulders, the tears and sobs distorting my voice as he laughs weakly. 

    I feel another body join the hug, Dustin wrapping his arms around the both of us and burying his face there. "I thought you died, man,"

"Ah," Eddie begins, his hand leaving my hair to lightly tap my brother's back, "Can't take me that easily,"

    I pull my face back from its previous spot on his shoulder, smiling at his face despite the specs of dirt and slight bruises, something I'm sure my face returns.

    "Dustin, look away," I tell him, not bothering to pull my eyes away from Eddie. 

    "Noted," Dustin replies, stepping away from us and turning around just as I lean forward. Within milliseconds, I hold his face in my hands, pulling him to meet me halfway as I lock our lips together once again. He all too happily returns this, holding my body tighter against his as my tears mingle between our chapped lips. 

    I find myself not wanting to pull away. If this is a hallucination, which I'm positive it isn't, I'm completely okay with never coming back to reality and instead, staying right here. 

    Unfortunately, that isn't possible. So, I pull back, my hands still holding his face tightly as he releases my legs, letting my feet hit the concrete once more. I press my forehead to his, my wide smile starting to hurt my cheeks.

    "We should really burn this trailer to the ground," I comment, stepping away from him and instead standing by his side, my arm around his waist while his arm sits around my shoulders.

    "Agreed," He replies, stepping towards the rest of the group with me.

    Steve walks over, clapping his hand on Eddie's shoulder, telling him how much he's glad Eddie made it out alive. Robin is next, slapping his shoulder this time as she rambles on and on about how stupid Eddie is for 'playing the hero' before finally ending her rant with how relieved she is to see him. Nancy doesn't say much, only smiling and nodding in our direction which Eddie returns.

    Dustin joins Eddie's other side, supporting the older male considering he appears minorly injured. 

    "So, what next?" I ask the group.

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          The illuminating lights of the police station almost blind me, my hand reaching up to protect my retinas from being scorched. The lady behind the desk looks up as the bell dings, her relaxed eyes meeting mine before they widen in shock, only popping out further when she sees a dirty Eddie behind me like a bodyguard. 

    She jumps up from her seat, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, trying to find the words for such a weird situation. "I... I'll go get the Chief,"

    She doesn't wait to see me nod, rushing off into the station to alert Chief Powell to the appearance of a wanted murderer and his kidnapping victim. 

    I turn over my shoulder, making eye contact with a nervous-looking Eddie. I reach for his hand, squeezing it in an attempt to reassure him that everything will be okay.

    Soon enough, I'm sitting in the middle of an interrogation room, Powell sits opposite me as he scratches his head. They took Eddie away from me pretty quickly, wanting to make sure I wasn't being coerced in any kind of way.

    "He saved me, Chief. We were both scared and didn't want to be next so, we hid. We didn't know we were wanted until Dustin found me and told me," I re-explain our story, leaving out the supernatural parts of the story that might make the police doubt our seriousness.

    "So, why come out of hiding now?" He questions, looking down at his paper with notes of my story. 

    I shrug, looking around the cold, metal room, "I saw what the person did to Chrissy's body. No amount of hiding could save me from that. If they were going to kill me, I wouldn't be in this room being interrogated," 

    He nods, lifting his hands up to rub his face, "Alright. Thank you for your time, Veda,"

    I stand up, pushing the chair back as I make my way to the exit. Powell calls after me, stopping my movement. I turn, looking at him and waiting for him to speak as I hold the door handle in my palm, "I'm really happy you're okay, kid,"

    Smiling, I nod at him, feeling a warm feeling for the first time in a long time. Wordlessly, I exit the room and shut the metal door behind me. 

    I get to the waiting room, spying my Mother sitting in one of the chairs nervously playing with her cardigan. I watch as she looks up, hearing my shoes squeaking on the ground. 

    The face she makes almost breaks my heart, the pain and relief mixing together on her features. She jumps up almost instantly, grabbing me and holding me tightly against her as she cries, "Oh, my baby. I was so worried,"

    "I'm sorry for scaring you, Mum," I mumble against her shoulder, reaching to wrap my arms around her as well. She pulls her head back, kissing my forehead repeatedly as if I'm a little girl again. 

    "Don't apologise, sweetheart. I'm not mad at you," She mutters into my hairline, the familiar scent of her perfume calming me in a way only a Mother can. "The police told me they found that boy, Eddie Munson, too. Did he hurt you?"

    "No, Mum. Eddie would never," I tell her, holding her arms in my hands as I look at her and shake my head, "He was protecting me. We were protecting each other,"

    She smiles sadly, reaching to tuck my hair behind my ears as she looks over me, "Oh, honey. I'm so glad you weren't alone. You must have been so scared,"

    "I'm fine," I reassure her, squeezing her arms gently. 

     She looks over me once more, her face scrunching up as she takes in my appearance, "What are you wearing?"

    "Long story," I dismiss, laughing to myself.