Chapter Thirty-Nine: Second Attack

(The Upside Down, Pt. 3)

***

Despite the evidence that the Demogorgan had vacated the Byers house for the moment, the group of teens advanced out of Will's room into the living room with wary apprehension, Rowan, Nancy and Jonathan holding their weapons tight just in case while Harrington followed behind them, still in a state of panic.

That panic became fully clear as they entered the empty living room, eyes frantic and battered face expressing the panic, shock and fear of seeing a monster you'd thought only existed in your nightmares or in horror movies, muttering, "This is crazy. This is crazy. This is crazy, this is crazy, this is crazy, this is CRAZY!"

Rowan's eyes widened as Harrington made for the phone, pulling it away and dialling it—to who, Rowan had no clue, but calling anyone about what he'd witnessed was a very bad idea, especially when the monster could come back any second. She almost used her powers to jerk it out of Harrington's hands when Nancy did it for her, slamming it back as Harrington whirled, demanding, "What are you do—what are you doing?! Are you insane?!"

"It's going to come back!" Nancy yelled, her eyes hard and unflinching, not broaching any argument, but still holding that sense of urgency. "So you need to leave. Right now."

Harrington paused, looking at Nancy, then at Jonathan and then finally on Rowan, and she could see the questions burning in him about what he had witnessed, questions she didn't have time to answer.

"Nancy's right. It will be back, Harrington, and you need to go now," Rowan concurred, meeting Harrington's eyes with a hard glare. What she said was true; while she had no doubt Harrington was athletic enough to outrun the Demogorgon, he was more likely to get her, Nancy and Jonathan killed then help them. The best bet to ensure they all lived was that he leave now. Her glare softened as she added, "You saw that thing as well, Steve. We're not kidding. Please leave."

Again, Harrington's eyes widened at hearing her refer to him by his first name rather than his last. He cast a look at the ceiling, where the portal—or gate, if that was what they were referring to how these things came through to their world—had been, the plaster showing no sign of an inter-dimensional monster breaking through to here. He gulped, gave them another look, then turned and all but ran out, slamming the door behind him.

Rowan let loose a sigh of relief, but the relief faded when the lights began to flicker, and she could feel that wrong buzz again, distant but growing stronger by the second.

Rowan gripped her gun tightly as she found herself back-to-back with Nancy and Jonathan, eyeing the flurry of colour and buzzing around them, as the lightning under her skin hummed, itching to be unleashed.

Ready for round two and kill the son of a bitch.

***

Steve had swung his door open, intending to hightail it out of there and demand an explanation tomorrow—especially from Graveswood, because what the fuck, when did she have fucking superpowers and how had she not used them to murder him yet, what the FUCK?!!—when he noticed the Christmas lights going berserk.

The teen froze, staring at the flashing neon behind the window, knowing that Nancy, Graveswood and Jonathan were in there, fighting whatever the hell that thing was—were ready to fight it. To kill it, if what he saw inside was anything to go by.

He should leave, drive far away, not get involved in fighting whatever horror movie monster that was, like they somehow had been.

And yet he looked at the house and thought of Nancy at the end of those claws, of Graveswood, her scowling face terrified, unable to fight back, and after she'd saved him from it...

No. You should leave, Harrington. Nancy and Graveswood and even Byers told you to get the hell out of here. You should leave.

Steve looked back at the house, and made his decision.

***

The metal was warm from where Rowan gripped it, holding the gun in an iron hold as she scanned the walls and ceiling for an opening of membrane and slime as the lights pulsated in a technicolour frenzy, flashing their warning of the monster to come. Beside her, she could feel Nancy and Jonathan watching for any sign of the monster, could feel the growing frustration of not being able to see it, as if it was toying with them, playing on their frustration and uncertainty of not being able to see where it was coming from.

"Where is it?" Nancy muttered.

"I don't know," Rowan mumbled, gripping the gun in an even tighter hold, knuckles going bloodless, the brass knuckles on her right hand scraping against her gun. Beside her, she could see Jonathan's slightly hunched form as he gripped the nail-bat just as tight as she held her gun, muttering, "Come on. Come on, you son of a bitch. You two see it?"

"No," Nancy replied as Rowan shook her head as she eyed the walls and ceiling again. Where the fuck are you hiding, you bastard?

"Where—where are you?"

"Come on out, you fucking bastard. Come out!"

"Come on. Where are you? Come on!"

Suddenly, all the lights blinked out.

Rowan stumbled, trying to adjust to the sudden darkness, before she heard growling and her blood froze. She whirled to see the Demogorgon behind Jonathan, the petals of its mouth shivering, ready to blossom and tear his head off.

"Jonathan!" Nancy warned and he whipped around, swinging the bat against the monster but it ducked and slammed him on the ground, holding him in an iron grip as the petals shivered open, and Rowan stared, frozen, unable to move or do anything, and she knew she was going to watch Jonathan die, oh God, this was how Barb had died and she was fucking useless again—

Gunfire boomed and the Demogorgon shrieked as bullets pelted its skin.

"Go to hell, you son of a bitch!" Nancy yelled, snapping Rowan out of her frozen state. She raced to Jonathan's side as the monster released its grip on him, pulling him away to relative safety before she heard an equally horrific sound—the click of a gun when it was out of ammo.

Her head whipped up and she watched, horrified as the Demogorgon stood to its full height and backed Nancy into a shelf, the girl watching with eyes full of terror.

"NANCY!" Rowan screamed as the monster advanced, but she didn't respond, fear paralysing Nancy like it had paralysed Rowan earlier.

Rowan's heart jackrabbited, and for a moment, fear threatened to overwhelm her again, but as she watched the monster tower over Nancy, ready to rip her apart piece by piece as she stared at it with naked terror, Rowan felt the hot burn of anger and adrenaline sear through her, incinerating the fear, because she may not have been able to save Barb, but she would be damned if she did nothing to save Nancy.

"Hey asshole!" she screamed as she holstered her gun, not waiting for the Demogorgon to turn before she was jumping, landing on its shoulders, legs locked around its neck like some demented form of piggyback. Ignoring the clammy feeling of its skin, she slammed her hands on its head as her veins burned blue and yelled, "Eat lightning!"

Electricity crackled from her hands and straight into the Demogorgon, hissing across its body, sizzling throughout it as it shrieked and roared, clawed hands scrambling for her before spasming from her relentless lightning, and for a moment, Rowan wondered if her lightning was enough, if it would kill it for good if she continued for just a minute longer—

But that was shattered when the Demogorgon threw itself forward, throwing her off in the process. Rowan collided with the wall, pain shooting throughout her entire body. Rowan coughed, feeling a hot trickle stream from her nose as exhaustion yawned throughout her body and her head pounded, the cost of using her powers, as her lightning fizzled out and her veins cooled back down, before she heard chittering growls and met the "face" of the Demogorgon, its body faintly smoking and spitting sparks. And while it did not have a proper face, Rowan could feel the anger and hatred radiating off it, and she knew it recognised her as the one to punch it before, to shoot it with lightning the first time.

It got closer to her, but Rowan wasn't giving up without a fight as her hand grabbed for her switchblade, flicking it open and she sprang forward, stabbing its shoulder.

It lurched away, the switchblade pulled from her grip, but even as black blood oozed from the wound, it didn't seem bothered, only more enraged. With a speed that stopped Rowan's heart mid-beat, it lunged forward and was suddenly in her face, pinning her against the wall. Its mouth-petals shivered and she could smell its breath, rancid and rotting, but the urge to gag was squashed by the terror paralysing her as she stared at the face of her death, unable to move or fight or think, unable to use her powers with her energy so dangerously low, and oh God, she was going to die, the Demogorgon was going to eat her and rip her apart, and then Nancy and Jonathan, how could they ever think they could fight this thing and win, could hope they could kill it, they were just kids way out of their depth fighting a monster from another dimension, she was going to die, was this how Barb felt before she was torn to pieces and left to rot, she wouldn't give her aunt and brother another hug or babysit those obnoxious, yet loveable, kids again, never have another sleepover or hangout with Chrissy and Robin again, never listen to music with Eddie and listen to his rambles and diss school and society together again, never see his band perform at the Hideout next Tuesday like she'd promised, never have El watch or read Carrie with her or have that telekinetic showdown to see who's stronger, never show her what it's like to be a normal girl and help her experience the childhood she fucking deserved, never see Harrington again and trade insults and hear that apology or apologise for the beating she'd given him because maybe he deserved the punch but not the beating she and Jonathan had given him, oh God she was gonna die, she didn't want to die—

But as the Demogorgon's mouth fully opened, exposing strings of drool and rows upon rows of sharp teeth, it gave a shriek as something slammed into its side.

Rowan watched, shocked, as Steve Harrington wielded the nail-bat Jonathan had dropped against the Demogorgon, panic gone from his face. In its place, a focused determination along with alarm and something that Rowan thought looked like protectiveness. Protectiveness towards her.

As the Demogorgon turned to face Harrington, growling, Rowan lunged up and swung, clocking the side of its face in a sucker punch—again, with the hand adorned with brass knuckles. Blood split from her punch, coating the knuckles in inky ooze, but the Demogorgon didn't turn back, focused on its new opponent as it shrieked.

Harrington only twirled the bat and swung again, the nail-adorned end striking true and hitting the Demogorgon's torso, nails biting in deep. It roared and shrieked, advancing forward as Rowan stumbled to her feet and joined Steve's side, pulling her hunting knife free from its holster, and noted how close they were to the hallway.

The plan!

"Lead it to the hallway!" she hollered at the same time Harrington was about to open his mouth, but he closed it and nodded.

He swung again, this time hitting its arm as he shuffled backward and Rowan teleported, landing behind it as she stabbed it with the knife, the Demogorgon screeching in pain.

That's for Barb, she thought as she teleported again, taking her switchblade with her, appearing in front of it it and ducking low, avoiding its claws, as she gave a deep slash across its torso. That's for anyone else you've murdered and eaten.

She teleported one more time, landing above it and striking, scoring a deep line across the side of its "face".

And that's for Will, you fucking son of a bitch!

The Demogorgon screeched as inky blood gushed out from its multiple wounds as Rowan landed beside Harrington, panting, her body shaking with exhaustion as more blood trickled from her nose, this time from both nostrils. It stumbled backward, and Rowan watched as it foot set off the trap, the jaws locking close around it.

"He's in the trap!" Steve shouted and Rowan turned to see Nancy and Jonathan behind her. "He's stuck!"

"Jonathan, Rowan, NOW!" Nancy screamed.

Without hesitation, Jonathan flicked the lighter on and tossed it forward as Rowan slammed a hand sizzling with lightning down on the gasoline-soaked carpet. Fire and electricity struck at the same time and the fuel exploded into an inferno of fire, rushing down the hallway until reaching the bear trap and the Demogorgon, engulfing the monster in flames.

It shrieked, blood-curdling shrieks that made Rowan want to slam her hands over her ears and run and hide, as it spasmed in the hungry flames, just shrieking.

Until it stopped.

"Get back!" Jonathan yelled as he rushed forward with the fire extinguisher Rowan had stolen, smothering the flames, leaving only charred walls and carpet behind, and the only sound was the heavy panting coming from all four of them.

And, where the Demogorgon had stood, was the empty trap with bits and pieces of sizzling flesh on it and a blackened patch of carpet, the wrong electricity it brought now gone. Rowan gagged from the horrid smell, like burned flesh and rotting meat. She hoped it didn't linger; she didn't want the Byers to endure the rancid odour.

"Where did it go?" Nancy whispered as they stared at that patch.

"It has to be dead," Jonathan mumbled between pants, shaking his head. "It has to be."

Rowan nodded in agreement; they'd burned it alive, and with the bullet wounds, knife stabs and her electrocuting it earlier, it shouldn't have survived. It shouldn't have.

But she still kept her knife and switchblade in her hands, saw Harrington grip the nail-bat to use it again—Rowan had a feeling Jonathan was not getting that back—in case it wasn't.

And as if to confirm that possibility, the lights in the corridor flickered to life.

Except, it wasn't the strobing neon that went more and more berserk the closer the monster got to breaking through into the real world. Instead, it was a gentle flickering, the lights turning on one by one, as if...

As if someone friendly was walking down this corridor's inter-dimensional counterpart.

She could only think of four people who that could be, and felt her shoulders wilt in relief.

Jonathan seemed to realise it too, because he whispered, "Mom?"

No response, but Rowan didn't expect there to be.

They followed the lights outside, where the lamppost light burned bright. Rowan flicked the switchblade close and sheathed the hunting knife, putting both away as Harrington propped the bloodied nail-bat on his shoulder and Nancy lowered the gun, querying, "Where's it going?"

"I don't think that's the monster," Jonathan murmured, and Rowan nodded, before her vision swam and her knees buckled, and she found herself falling.

Hands caught her and she looked up, expecting to see Jonathan, but it was Harrington, looking at her in concern.

"Hey, Graveswood, you okay?" he asked, and his voice was full with such genuine concern that Rowan felt herself falling again.

She nodded as she wiped the drying blood from her nose, her limbs heavy with fatigue. "I-I'm fine. Just... just need to rest."

Harrington still looked worried, and that again filled Rowan with shock that he was so genuinely worried about her, but he seemed to believe her. He let Nancy and Jonathan take her, having one of her arms over their shoulders and leading her to the couch on the porch, helping her on to it.

"What now?" Nancy asked, voicing the only coherent thought that Rowan had through the fog of her exhaustion; with the monster dead or dying, what was there to do now?

Jonathan shrugged. "We wait, I guess."

Nancy nodded tightly, not happy but not arguing since that was the only thing they could do. She and Jonathan gave Rowan concerned looks, and the other girl said, "I'll get you some water.

Rowan nodded weakly, and Nancy went back inside, with Jonathan following, leaving her and Harrington alone.

Harrington looked at her and said, "You owe me an explanation, Graveswood."

"And I will. After..." she yawned, jaw cracking, eyelids fluttering, feeling as if they weighed a thousand pounds, her body aching as her head throbbed like a hammer was pounding against her skull. "After I rest."

Harrington didn't say anything.

Rowan looked over to him and whispered, "Thanks."

Harrington looked at her, now the one in shock. "For what?"

"For saving my life back there. I... I really thought I was gonna die."

Harrington's face softened. "You saved mine earlier, Graveswood. I wanted to return the favour."

Rowan smiled, rolling her eyes at that. "Of course."

The two sat in silence until Nancy and Jonathan come back out of the house, the walkie in Jonathan's hands and a glass of water in Nancy's that she handed to Rowan, before sitting down to wait as Rowan greedily gulped down the water, the liquid cool and refreshing.

And as they waited, Rowan prayed that with what they had done, with the monster dead or at least severely injured, Aunt Aco, Mrs. Byers and Hopper could now find Will and bring him home in relative safety.

***

AAAAND that's a wrap!

Honestly, didn't really like the beginning; had a bit of a hard time writing it, especially Steve's POV. So if it seems clunky or boring, my biggest apologies and know that I don't like it, either.

But the rest of the chapter! The rest I enjoyed VERY much with writing! I love writing action scenes, so it was a lot of fun to write and have them all kick the Demogorgon's ass! And I loved writing Rowan being a badass, and those Stowan scenes; I love writing them as a battle couple 🥰

Next chapter's back with the kids! And just like this one, there is a lot happening ;)

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!