"Can I ask you guys a question?" Steve asked, his footsteps pounding down the carpeted steps as he walked into the living room, where Anna and Becca's eyes were glued to an episode of Family Ties.

"You just did," Becca sighed, forcing her eyes away from the television to look back up at her older cousin. "How can we help you?"

"Has Nancy seemed off to you guys lately? She's just been distant, and then I stopped by her house a little while ago and she was in her garage, swinging a baseball bat around, but she claimed she was thinking about trying out for the softball team." Steve explained, nervously running a hand through his hair as he recounted the events to the girls.

Softball season wasn't set to start for another six months or so, but Anna didn't have the heart to tell Steve that at how visibly worried the boy seemed. Or the fact that, knowing Nancy for as long as she had, she wasn't sure the girl even knew how the sport of softball was played. But that was a much easier pill for Steve to swallow than that what Nancy had actually been practicing for was hunting down a monster that may or may not be traipsing through the Harringtons' backyard.

"She's just got a lot going on." Anna reminded him. "Everything with Barb, and the funeral for Will."

"Yeah," Steve nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right."

As the television switched to a commercial break, the teenagers looked up as Kerry Harrington walked into the room, Steve's mother and Becca's aunt. She was still clad in her work clothes from the mayor's office, blonde hair pulled into a tight bun as she flashed a too-white grin at the three of them.

"Well I'm headed upstairs," Kerry announced to the teenagers before turning to Steve. "Steven, don't forget to do the dishes before you go to bed."

"Yes, Mom," Steve said.

"Thanks again for dinner, Mrs. Harrington," Anna said, getting up from the chair and grabbing her jacket and purse, knowing it was nearing Steve and Becca's curfew Kerry and Mark had instated as punishment for the party the other night.

"You're welcome, dear," Kerry said. "Goodnight, kids. Anna, get home safe,"

"Goodnight Mom," Steve said.

"Goodnight Aunt Kerry," Becca chorused.

Steve waited until the click sounded of Kerry shutting her bedroom door, and then peeked around to make sure his father wasn't within earshot before looking back at Anna. "Mind if I sneak out the front door when you leave? I don't want them to hear the door a second time and this would save me a trip having to climb out the window."

"Uh, yeah, that's fine," she said as he swiftly grabbed his keys from the table near the front door and she quickly exchanged a quick knowing look with Becca. "Later, Becs,"

"Bye," Becca said, turning back to the television screen as they shut the door behind them.

"So, where're you off to?" Anna asked as soon as they were outside, the lamps hanging above the front door illuminating the night around them.

"Catching a movie at The Hawk with Tommy and Carol," Steve explained as they walked back towards where her car was parked next to his in the driveway. "We're going to see All the Right Moves. I asked Nancy if she wanted to come with, but she said she still had a lot on her mind and just wanted a night at home."

Anna nodded, knowing full well that Nancy was anywhere but in her own home that night, most likely already on her way to meet Anna and Becca in the woods with the others to look for the monster. "I've heard that's a good one," she said simply. "Have a good night, Steve."

"Yeah, you too," he said, getting in his car, and Anna followed suit, pulling out of the driveway and waiting until Steve's car was out of sight before pulling over around the corner, killing the engine and jogging back towards the backyard of the Harrington house.

Anna found her way back in the dark, her eyes beginning to adjust as she found the window she knew to be Becca's, the curtain covering the window being moved aside as her best friend popped into view once more, sliding the glass open slowly so as not to make a sound.

"I thought Steve would never leave," Becca whispered down to where Anna now crouched by a bush in the backyard against the house, where they left an old crowbar and hammer of Mark's they found in the garage and two flashlights, the batteries changed by Anna earlier that afternoon.

Anna grabbed the tools while Becca expertly climbed down the trellis, leaping onto the grass and meeting Anna, who passed her the hammer and one of the flashlights. The girls waited until they were under the cover of the trees before turning on the lights, in case either Kerry or Mark decided to look out their windows that evening.

"So how's Dustin holding up?" Becca asked as they walked, the flashlight beams now illuminating the woods in front of them.

"He's acting weird." Anna said, moving the beam of light around to take in their entire surroundings, in case the monster happened to be lurking anywhere nearby. "That night they found Will's body he was so devastated, but all of a sudden it's like somebody flipped a switch and he's just... jittery. He claims it's because he's upset, but I don't know, Becs, I don't think I buy it."

"I'm sure he's just dealing with it in his own way." Becca assured her.

"You're probably right," Anna said uneasily. "I don't know, I just have this bad feeling. You don't think he's involved in whatever this is, do you? Whatever monster might be roaming Hawkins?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I mean, the boys didn't find anything when they went searching that night, right? That's what Dustin told you, anyways?"

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, they didn't find-"

"Hey!" a voice called, cutting Anna off as Michelle, Jonathan, and Nancy appeared through the trees, the middle Byers sibling hurrying to meet them as Jonathan and Nancy lagged behind, a growing distance between the two of them as they quietly followed. "They got in some argument on the way here, best not to ask." Michelle whispered to them.

"Did you guys find anything on the way over here?" Becca asked, but Jonathan shook his head.

"Nothing," he said. "You?"

"Nothing," Anna said, her eyebrows furrowing as an indiscernible expression crossed Nancy's face. "Nance, you alright?"

"What, are you tired?" Jonathan asked.

"Shut up," Nancy said, shaking her head. "I heard something."

The group sat in silence for a moment, listening for any sound aside from the breeze ruffling the leaves of the trees high above them. Suddenly, a whimpering noise sounded, as if from far away, but Nancy's eyes brightened, as if confirming the sound she'd heard before.

"You guys heard that too, right?" she whispered, and Anna nodded as Nancy began to follow the sound, the group moving close behind her.

"What is that?" Michelle asked as they followed the sound down a hill, further away from the Harrington house.

"Whatever it is, it sounds like it's in pain." Anna said. "I don't think I like this."

They followed the sound as it grew louder and louder, until finally a shape became visible in the distance, and they hurried towards it. As they got closer, Anna could make out that it was a deer, lying almost motionless except for its eyes, looking around at the approaching teenagers. There was a deep wound in its neck, leaking blood onto the forest floor below and staining the leaves a shade of scarlet.

"Oh, God," Nancy whispered as they crouched down in front of it, reaching a hand out towards the animal. "It's been hit by a car." She slowly looked down at the pistol in her hands, the same one Jonathan had taken from his father's car earlier that day after the funeral. "We can't just leave it."

Jonathan studied Nancy's nervous expression as she looked back and forth between the pistol and the deer, extending a hand out towards her. "I'll do it," he offered, taking the gun from her.

"I thought you said-" she began to protest, but he quickly cut her off.

"I'm not nine anymore," he assured her, rising to his feet, and the others followed suit as he aimed the pistol at the injured deer.

Jonathan cocked the gun, and although the boy hesitated, Anna braced herself for the shot that would inevitably come with it. The group watched with bated breath, the only sound evident that of the deer's heavy breathing as Jonathan struggled to pull the trigger. However, the shot never rang out, as the deer was soon pulled out of sight by something in the dark, causing them all to jump back, flashlight beams aimed at the direction the deer had gone, but the space in front of them was empty.

"What the hell was that?" Becca asked, her flashlight beam aimed down at the trail of blood left behind by the deer, and Anna slowly stepped forward, beginning to follow the trail.

"It has to be whatever it is we're looking for," Anna said, following the trail further with the others behind her, flashlight held in her left hand with the crowbar gripped tightly in her right. "Right?"

"If it's not, I don't think I want to meet whatever this is." Michelle replied.

The group followed the trail of blood further until it came to an end, the leaves around them completely devoid of any crimson shade. It was as if the deer had vanished into thin air, with no further trail to give them a clue about its whereabouts.

"Where'd it go?" Nancy asked, turning in a slow circle around her to try and catch a glimpse of the deer, or the monster responsible for snatching it.

"I don't know," Jonathan said. "Do you see any more blood?"

"None," Becca said. "The trail just ends here."

The group fell into silence as they began to wander in separate directions, widening the circle to cover as much ground as they could. Anna listened for any sound around her as she walked, the sounds of dead leaves crunching under her friends' footsteps growing further and further away as she studied the trees above them, on the off chance that it might have taken the deer to higher ground, which would've taken the blood trail off of the forest floor.

"Anything over there?" Becca asked from a short distance away, turning in a circle with her flashlight in front of her, hammer held limply at her side.

"Nothing," Anna said. "How about-?"

Anna's voice was cut off as a piercing scream sounded through the air, in a voice she knew to be Nancy's. The girls jumped, exchanging a quick worried glance as they began to run back to where the group had split up, with Jonathan and Michelle meeting up with them from the opposite direction.

"Nancy!" Jonathan exclaimed, the group coming to a stop in front of a tree, where Nancy's blue backpack and baseball bat now lay abandoned on the ground, with no sign of the girl. "Nancy?"

"Did anybody see where she went?" Becca asked.

"No," Michelle said in a panicky tone, shaking her head. "I thought she was right behind us, but then she was gone."

"Nancy!" Anna shouted, in an attempt to get the girl's attention.

"Where do you think she might've gone?" Becca asked.

"She wouldn't have just left this stuff behind." Jonathan insisted, turning quickly in a circle to try and catch any sign of the Wheeler girl. "Nancy, where are you?" he shouted, beginning to walk and cover more ground. "Nancy!"

"Come on, Nance, where are you?" Anna muttered under her breath as she followed closely behind Jonathan, the group now staying close together rather than risking splitting up again.

"Nancy!" Michelle called.

"Guys!" Nancy's voice screamed from a distance, though Anna couldn't quite pinpoint a direction, as it seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. "Jonathan! Anna! Becca! Michelle, help!"

"Nancy!" Jonathan shouted. "Nancy, we're here! Just follow our voices!"

"Nancy!" Becca yelled. "Nancy, we're over here!"

Nancy screamed again, though this time Anna was able to follow the sound, her flashlight beam guiding the way in front of them as she began to run, trying her best to pinpoint the source of Nancy's voice. As she continued to run, she realized she was now back in front of the same tree where they'd found Nancy's backpack and bat, though the girl was still nowhere to be found, even as her voice grew closer.

Anna waved her flashlight in front of the tree, which had a hole at the bottom of the trunk, held closed by what at first appeared to be spider webs, covered in a sticky substance that slightly resembled sap, a red glow emanating from somewhere deep inside the wood as it began to pulse, almost like a heartbeat. Although, a cracking noise sounded as a piece of bark began to move downward, starting to close the gap in the trunk.

"What the hell is that?" Becca muttered, crouching down next to Anna as she studied the tree before her.

"Nancy?" Jonathan asked again, peering at the tree.

"Is she..." Michelle trailed off, a horrified expression crossing her face. "She's not in there, is she?"

"Only one way to find out," Jonathan said. "Nancy, follow my voice!" he shouted, his face now level with the opening in the tree.

Suddenly, a hand burst forward from within the tree, breaking a gap in the webs as the others jumped back in surprise. "Jonathan!" Nancy shouted, her voice echoing from inside the tree, and Anna recognized the fingerless white glove adorning the hand as the same ones Nancy had been wearing that evening.

"Quick, pull her out!" Anna yelled, reaching forward and clasping onto Nancy's hand as the others joined, attempting to pull the girl free from inside the bark.

The group continued to pull on Nancy's arm as hard as they could, and slowly, she began to emerge from within the tree, now completely covered in the sap-like substance that coated the webs. When she finally managed to break free, the group collapsed in a heap on the forest floor, pulling Nancy into a tight group hug as panicked sobs escaped from her body.

"We've got you," Jonathan assured her. "We've got you, you're safe."

The group hugged Nancy tighter, and Anna watched, horrified, as the bottom of the bark slid up, covering the sticky webs and sealing the gap, any trace of a hole in the tree having vanished. The surface now appeared untouched, as if it had never been broken, and Anna slowly pulled away from the others, reaching a hand out to trace the bark. To her surprise, it was fully intact, without any hint of unevenness to show the newly grown trunk.

"What the hell was that thing?" Becca asked.

"I-I don't know," Nancy stammered. "I stopped to look at what was inside the tree, and before I knew it, on the other side was like a different version of Hawkins, only darker, colder, and covered in these vines. The monster was in there, f-feeding on the deer."

"What was it like?" Michelle asked. "The monster,"

"So much worse than we could've imagined," she said, horror lacing her tone as she continued to try catching her breath. "It's really tall, and its body's completely gray. And its face seemed to... open up, and it just let out this piercing roar."

"We need to get out of here." Anna insisted, and the others nodded in agreement. "Whatever our next move is, we can't make it like this, not now."

"Michelle and I will make sure Nancy gets home safe." Jonathan volunteered. "We'll see you guys tomorrow? Figure out some sort of plan?"

"Yeah," she agreed, the others rising to their feet and helping Nancy up after them. "Be safe, alright? Eyes up."

"You too," Michelle said as they began to part ways, Becca and Anna heading back for her house and the others back in the direction of the Byers'.

"Well, one thing's for sure." Becca said to Anna as they walked, the lights of the Harrington house finally coming into view in the distance. "Something strange is going on in Hawkins. Whatever took Barb and Will, whatever Nancy saw on the other side of that tree, that's no bear."