Chapter One-Hundred-And-Nineteen: The Bite

(The Battle Of Starcourt Mall)

***

El's agonised cries rattled through the empty mall.

Rowan stared at the girl she considered a little sister in all but blood, worry for El and nauseating horror for the wound on her leg and the thing underneath her skin swarming inside her—a mutual reaction shared by literally everyone around her.

"What is that?" Erica questioned as they all leaned in closer to get a better look at the twitching, blob-like shape moving under El's skin.

"There's something in there," Mike said.

"Yeah, no shit, Sherlock," Rowan retorted, but her sarcasm was frayed as she stared at the thing writhing inside El's leg.

It writhed faster and El immediately cried, "NO!" Rowan's heart ached for El, as Alistair held her hand tighter and Mike held her in his arms.

"Jesus Christ," Dustin breathed.

"Keep her talking. Keep her awake, okay?" Jonathan ordered, before he was running, making a beeline for one of the food court restaurants.

"Okay. Okay, we can do that," Cami said, making eye contact with Alistair who told El, "El, stay awake, okay? We're gonna get it out, okay? Just hold on a little longer."

El could only give a tiny nod, her face contorted with pain.

"Jesus Christ," Dustin muttered again and Rowan looked over to Steve and saw the look on his face. She moved to his side, grabbing his hand and letting their fingers interlock. To support him. And by the way he gripped her hand back, it was needed, and reciprocated.

"Hey, hey, hey. Stay awake. Stay awake, okay?" Mike gently commanded, fear of watching the girl he loved die stark on his face, of losing her again. Looking around, he said, "Let's get her on this side, on this side."

Rowan immediately let go of Steve's hand, the both of them moving to help El onto her back and be as comfortable as she could along with Mike, Alistair, Nancy and Dustin, trying to be as gentle as possible and not aggravate the torturous pain El must be going through.

"Easy. Easy, easy, easy," Steve ordered as they finished adjusting El's position. Rowan cast a look to El and her heart twisted at seeing the sweat on El's forehead, her features screwed up in agony. God, the pain she must be going through...

"It's uh... you know, it's not actually that bad," Robin piped up, the tremble to her voice telling Rowan this was one of her nervous rambles. "There was a—the goalie on my soccer team, Beth Wildfire, this other girl slid into her leg, and like the whole bone came out of her knee, six inches or something, it was insane."

"Jesus," Valerie whispered as everyone stared at Robin. Rowan knew the story—she saw it happen when she and Chrissy came to watch that game. And she knew this was not what El needed to hear right now.

Apparently, Steve knew that too, as he said, "Robin."

"Yeah?" she asked.

"You're not helping."

"Like, really not helping," Rowan concurred.

"I'm sorry," Robin said meekly. Valerie held her shoulder.

It was then Jonathan returned, and Rowan's eyes widened at seeing the wooden spoon, glove... and kitchen knife.

Oh God.

"Okay. Alright, El?" Jonathan said, making the girl look at him. "This is gonna hurt like hell, okay?"

"Okay," El whimpered.

"Need you to stay real still," Jonathan ordered as he handed over the spoon. "Here, you're gonna want to bite down on this, okay?"

El gave a minuscule nod and she bit down on the spoon. Jonathan pulled on the glove, and he looked over to Rowan's brother. "Al?"

Alistair nodded. "I know."

He shuffled so he was next to El's leg, looking right at the thing twitching inside it. Rowan frowned, but her confusion was pushed away as Jonathan lifted the knife—right over the injury.

"Jesus Christ," Dustin breathed. "Holy shit. Holy shit."

Cami swallowed and looked at El, holding her hand in support. Jonathan looked at Mike, who said in a steely voice, "Do it."

That was all the permission Jonathan needed, as he brought the knife down and sliced across El's leg.

Blood and pus bubbled up and several noises of disgust were made—Rowan was among them. The thing under El's skin writhed frenetically, as if it knew what that cut meant. 

"Oh shit," Dustin breathed as he stared at the wound from El's side, as they all wore looks of disgust.

Jonathan set down the knife and he looked at Alistair.

Alistair didn't hesitate, hands hovering over it as his eyes flashed white. The air chilled and the thing gave an ear-splitting screech as Alistair forcefully made it still—and Rowan had a sickening feeling what it was, if her brother could control it.

"I can't hold it for long," he ground out, but Jonathan was already moving, as he stuck his gloved hand inside the wound—and into El's leg to grab the thing inside it.

Rowan's stomach lurched as she resisted the urge to vomit. She didn't need to look to know everyone looked nauseous, too, as Jonathan's fingers tried to grab the thing, but despite Alistair's control, it stayed out of reach, and past the wooden spoon, El's agonised cries came through, tears slipping down from her screwed-shut eyes.

"I think I'm gonna throw up," Valerie whispered, and Robin held her tighter. Rowan found herself holding onto Steve, not wanting to look but at the same time she couldn't look away, her eyes glued on the revolting scene.

Her brother panted, blood trickling from his nose, gritting his teeth, before whatever hold he had on the thing broke and he fell back, Will instantly there to catch him as her brother panted, fatigue glazing his face as Hugin cawed up a storm. But without her brother to keep it still, the thing increased its efforts of slipping out of Jonathan's grasp, making Jonathan's attempts to reach it cause more pain for El as her muffled cries tore at Rowan's heart.

"Jonathan!" Nancy yelled.

"Stop talking!" Jonathan shouted back as he returned back to snatching the thing out, gritting out, "Goddamn it!"

"No! STOP IT! Stop! STOP!" El screamed, and Jonathan pulled his fingers out of the wound immediately as El pulled the spoon out of her mouth, sitting up as she whimpered, "I can do it. I can do it."

Jonathan moved away as El lifted a hand, directing all her powers onto what was inside her leg. It writhed and spasmed underneath it, screeching. Rowan winced as it grated against her ears before El was screaming, a scream full of pain and power as inch by agonising inch, she pulled whatever was inside her leg out. And as she screamed, the glass of the Gap shattered with it, showering down as those on El's left—Mike, Max, Lucas, Will, Alistair, Nancy—ducked as everyone else stared, as Steve grabbed her and pulled her into his chest to shield her from the glass, as Will did the same for Alistair.

But all eyes returned to the telekinetic girl as El gave a primal yell and finally pulled the thing out with her powers, revealing some... writhing thing that resembled raw flesh too much for Rowan's liking as it hovered in place for a second before El flung it as far as possible from her.

It landed with a wet splat and instantly began to crawl away. Rowan jerked her hand up, ready to fire a bolt of lightning to finish it off, but she didn't need to.

Because it was crushed under a heavy boot.

And Rowan stared in shock, as everyone stared in shock, at the sight of Chief Jim Hopper, Joyce Byers, Aco Graveswood and the man Rowan knew as Murray Bauman standing there.

Shock quickly transmuted into relief as Rowan pushed out of Steve's grip and bolted to her aunt, Alistair a step behind her, and they collided with her, almost knocking her to the ground as Hugin all but bowled into her, cawing estactically. Aunt Aco quickly held them, the three of them hugging each other tightly and tears falling from their faces.

"You're okay—I was so worried—I didn't know where you were!" Rowan managed to say, and Alistair stammered, "El... sh-she said you were with Hop and Joyce, but—"

"I'm okay, kids. Are you okay?" Aunt Aco demanded, and Rowan saw the worry in her face.

Rowan choked a laugh. "When are we ever in this town?"

Aunt Aco gave a watery laugh before she gripped them both in another crushing hug, but neither Rowan or Alistair didn't care.

They were reunited—they were all reunited—and that was the most important thing.

But reunions couldn't last long. Not when the world was at stake and they all needed to save it, again.

***

EVERYONE'S HERE LET'S GO!!!!

That scene with Jonathan trying to get the piece of the Mind Flayer out of El's leg... God, that is one of the most revolting scenes ever 🤢 Anyone who can watch that—and watch that while EATING—without wanting to throw up, you have my respect

And yeah, Robin, did you think you were helping with that? I mean, maybe to distract, but...

And yes, the adults are here! I loved writing Rowan and Al and Aco and Hugin reuniting. Their reunions are my faves to write 🥺🥰

And we're now officially in the last episode! Hold onto your seatbelts, because you're in for a ride >:)

Next chapter will be soon!

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!