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WHEELERS RESIDENCE

Take this as a warning....013Nothing you do will stop me. I will not rest until everything in your life is gone.......

This is all Dylan could think of as he sat outside of Mike's basement—behind his house. His last cigarette between his fingers. He couldn't get Vecna's voice out of his head even though he was surrounded with rustling trees and the chirping of the morning birds.

The calming fragrance of the smoke was absent as the smell and taste of the blood surrounding him in that place lingered.

It was so overwhelming he couldn't even imagine what he saw until after he left it. The bodies that were displayed like trophy's sent a chill down his spine. It only made Dylan want to hunt down this monster more.

But now he had to be more cautious it wasn't his life on the line anymore, but rather, something far dearer to him. He was thankful that Max was alive—he was never able to transport himself into someone else's mind but he was grateful he figured it out in that moment or.....he wasn't sure what would happen to Max.

And something that confused him the most was the appearance of his telekinesis, pointing his hand towards the leaves on the ground the wind was stronger than him, how did it just suddenly come back to him facing Vecna.

As he stood up, flicking his cigarette on the grass he was faced with another problem, the smell that he enjoyed was engraved into his flannel, if he wanted to go back inside he would have to take it off. And he couldn't go through Mike's basement in fear of waking up everyone and then being caught.

Well it wouldn't be the first time sneaking in.

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He lifted himself up on the roof, wiping the dirt off his hands, as he gently walked across the side roof.

His hands gently gripped the outside of Mike's window praying it was open, it smoothly slides up as Dylan smiled "Yes!"

He attempted to climb in nicely, placing his left foot on the ground before tumbling through, slightly catching himself and hoping he didn't wake anyone up. Closing the window he then locked it so that no one could do what he just did.

  Running his fingers through his hair as he took a steady breath. He was in Mike's room, it had changed since the last time he was here, some of Mike's clothes were on the floor and his bed was made messily—like he was in a rush. Dylan shouldn't have been prying but he couldn't help himself, he could still smell the presence of Mike even when he was gone. It brought a sense of comfort, more than a cigarette could ever bring.

Dylan looked at the desk Mike had, some papers from school laid on it before seeing the figure he had made Mike out in the open, looking older then ever it was still the most well cared and presentable items in his room. Dylan smiled at the thought of Mike still keeping it.

There was a crumpled piece of paper next to it, as Dylan picked it up unfolding it, the page was brand new except for the scribbling of words and the eraser marks creating rips.

He then saw the trash residing next to the desk filled to the brim with the same crumpled material. Dylan knelt over looking at it, he took the top paper seeing it was the same—his curiosity got the better of him digging deeper unfolding each page, each piece having more words then the next, before, he got to the last one.

_______________________________ Dear Will, it's been a while, I hope your doing well in California. I wanted to write sooner it's just hard to find the right words. I mean I'm fine and Lucas is doing good, Dustin as well. N## #### ### M## ## Dylan, I don't know how he is, he hasn't been talking to us, to me. He's distant and acting like he's the only one there. I can't even get a simple wave from him it's like I'm waiting for something or anything to happen. I don't really know if he's talking to you or El but I was hoping that maybe you could call him or send him a letter? It's stupid I know but I don't know what to do. I m### h## I'm just worried.

Mike_____________________________

Dylan's hands slightly shook holding the letter, the scratched out words making him want more. He could still say he felt refreshed with what he had—knowing Mike didn't completely hate him, but he didn't even know how Mike felt in general. He didn't know how any of his friends felt about him leaving them like that. he feels selfish being with them and horrible when he's away. He doesn't want to leave them or get them killed. Especially Mike.

He crumpled the paper back up throwing in its garbage. Rubbing his face with his hands feeling more stressed than ever, he wanted a cigarette. Which reminded him of his very first problem.

But leaving the boys room, he wanted Mike.  _______________________________Dylan walked as quietly as he could through the Wheelers house, no lights were on in the home as the only light Dylan could use to see was from the sun peeking through the curtains. His flannel in his hands wearing only a white long sleeve shirt underneath. He made it to the kitchen as he sighed in relief before hearing footsteps quickly approaching, he panicked looking around for any sprays near him he could douse his flannel in before throwing away his flannel in the trash facing Karen Wheeler.

Dylan stood dumbfounded as he hasn't really talked to the women in so long. After the group were first faced with the upside down and Will went missing, Dylan never really came back to the house. Knowing they didn't really want to see him or at least Ted didn't.

"Dylan! What are you doing?" Karen asked with a surprised smile.

"Mrs.Wheeler, I'm sorry did I wake you? I didn't mean to I just came up to get......water." Dylan lied not looking the women in the eyes, as he didn't notice she was already dressed.

"No, Dylan I've been up." Karen replied walking past Dylan to get a glass from the cupboard and filling it with water before handing it to the boy "Here."

Dylan paused before taking it quickly"Thank you.."

Karen looked at the boy, still seeing the small kid that she loved having over. Ever since her husband didn't want him in the house Holly had been asking about him and Mike's been different. She wished she could stand up to Ted, but she had been wishing that for a while.

"Take a seat, Dylan." She smiled, as Dylan looked confused before nodding sitting by the counter. "So, how have you been?"

"I've been good...great." Dylan stumbled with a small smile taking a little sip of water.

Karen leaned against the counter with her arms, "How has your break been, I mean without all this tragic stuff—I really do think it's great you guys are sticking together."

"Yeah, that's what we need to do, plus it's nice hanging out with them again." Dylan was telling the truth saying that, even though they were going through all this mess, it was still nice being with his group again.

"How's Holly?" Dylan asked thinking of the young cheerful girl.

"Holly's been good." Karen replied nodding her head. "She misses you."

"Me?" Dylan questioned surprised the girl remembered him.

"Oh yeah...she always loved it when you would hang out with Mike." Karen stated, looking attentively as if she was almost waiting for a certain answer.

"Mike..right." Dylan silently sighed—thinking back to all the fun times he and Mike would share when they were younger and were still clueless in what a true argument was.

Karen's gaze grew sad "You and Mike are still friends right?" Dylan looked her in the eyes like he was held at gunpoint "O-of course, mhm-yeah...yep we're still close.." he stumbled "Uhh, why do you ask?"

"I don't know, ever since you—we stopped having you over." She corrected herself. "Mike's been different..."

"Different—?" Dylan was cut off by Holly who ran into the kitchen screaming joyfully

"Dylan!" She ran over to him as Dylan got out of his seat and hugged the girl who jumped into his arms. "Where have you been?" She exclaimed.

"Uhh—W-well" Dylan stuttered, Holly jumped in excitement before he could answer, grabbing her crayons and paper on the kitchen table. "Color with me!"

Dylan looked at Karen who simply nodded with a smile before going to start breakfast as Dylan was dragged into a seat— Holly next to him as she told him about her dream.

"Do you get dreams?" She asked, beginning to start a pink flower.

Dylan felt the smooth paper, grabbing a dark maroon. "Yeah, every night....."

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2 hours later......

Dylan sat with Max and Holly. The smell of Pancakes in the air. Though it didn't make the boy hungry—a little nauseous instead. But it could possible not be the pancakes and instead be the drawings of the place him and Max were recently stuck.

Dylan was able to get small fragments..but he left the rest to Max who seemed to fully remember the place—Dylan was too focused on getting out to think about how many pieces of rocks were in the air.

"Hey Dylan?" Max looked at the young boy seeing how exhausted he really was, how different he looked.

"Yeah? You okay?" He asked

"Yep, I'm as good as I can be." She truthfully answered pausing before saying what she needed to say. "I wanted to thank you....."

Dylan's eyes slightly widened "Oh..." he chuckled "It's alright Max there's no—"

"No." She cut him off with a serious expression "There's a reason. I wanted to thank you." She looked at her pictures thinking back "In that moment, I felt tired. I had no strength....i was gonna just let him kill me. I mean even seeing Lucas, Dustin and them....it didn't make me stronger. Until you saved me."

Max looked back up at Dylan "You saved me. Thank you."

All Dylan could do was softly smile "Just find that strength every time....survive, that's how you'll pay me back." Max nodded with a shared smile.

He turned his head hearing footsteps towards the kitchen, fast and nerved, Nancy Wheeler stormed in with Dustin behind her the two calming down as soon as they spotted Dylan and Max at the table.

Dylan gave Nancy a little wave before she returned a stern look at him. "Morning guys!" Karen said joyfully "Everything okay?"

"Yeah...." Nancy responded breathlessly her eyes still laid on Dylan and Max. "Yeah, everything's okay.."

"I've said this to Dylan how I think it's so sweet you guys are sticking together like this." Karen said placing her freshly cooked pancakes on the plate. Ted drinking black coffee as he read the newspaper seemingly ignoring everyone before speaking up"Could try sticking together at a different house for a change......"

Dylan rolled his eyes, looking back at Holly who had stopped drawing flowers on paper and instead decided to doodle on his right hand. Using her safe kid friendly markers she planted different colored flowers on his skin. Using the  scars on his hand for stems.

Nancy sat down next to Max, concerned. "You okay?" She asked her before looking at Dylan for a small nod, to which he complied

"Just couldn't sleep...people kept blasting music into my ears for some reason." She joked with a smile."But Holly let me borrow some of her crayons..We've been having fun, right, Holly?"

Holly slightly ignored the girl too focused on Dylan's hand. "Mm-hmm." She mumbled

"Mm-hmm." Dylan added sarcastically looking at Max, as the girl rolled her eyes.

Nancy smiled at the them before looking at the drawings..each picture was different yet perfectly placed. "Is this what you guys saw?"

"I mean, it's supposed to be." Max replied "I was gonna explain once you guys woke up but...I saw Dylan and Holly out here and thought it would be easier to draw it...well...."

"It looks pretty accurate to me." Dylan commented, giving Max a supportive smile.

"Is this?" Nancy asked dragging the paper with Fred and Chrissy's dead bodies

"It was like they were on display. And then there was this red fog everywhere....it was like a dream...a nightmare." Max explained

Hollys interest was peaked as she attempted to look over at the papers before Dylan quickly covered her eyes and lightly jabbed her neck to where she laughed and her eyes were quickly back to his hand. He signed in relief taking the papers close to the them and moving them away.

"Do you think Vecna's trying to scare you?" Nancy asked, "I mean he's trying to scare Dylan....what did he say again?"

Dylan leaned closer to the two girls. "I barely remember it but it was something like..I will not rest until everything in your life is gone." Dylan smiled awkwardly "It's honestly a bit dramatic."

Nancy looked at the boy sympathetically"Like a movie." Max joked with him as the two chuckled. "But he's definitely trying to scare us, like with Billy for me....yet when I made it here, I dunno, something was different. He seemed surprised almost, like he didn't want me there."

"Maybe you infiltrated his mind?" Dustin theorized, sitting down with his pancakes "He invaded your mind right? And then Dylan came later, is it that big of a leap to suggest you somehow wound up in his... like a loop?" Dustin's eyes widened "Like Freddy Krueger boiler room!"

"Freddy Kruger?" Holly questioned

"He's like a super burned-up dude with razors for fingers..and he kills you in your dreams." Dustin explained without hesitation, Hollys face dropping in fear. Dylan huffed giving Dustin a slight glare.

"Dustin Seriously...?" Nancy exclaimed

"Sorry. It's a movie." Dustin quickly responded

"Don't worry, Freddy wouldn't even think about hurting you, even if he was real." Dylan comforted the girl who nodded in relief

"Well technically...she would have a higher chance." Dustin commented

"Dustin!" Nancy and Dylan simultaneously yelled.

"Right sorry, anyway, just think about it. What if you somehow unlocked a back door to Vecna's world?" Dustin said

"That sounds plausible, I mean when I went into your mind, I was able to actually use my powers still, I wasn't just observing, like how El does. It was something that he probably didn't want happening."Dylan said

"Exactly! Maybe the answer is in this incredible vague drawing." Dustin picked up one of Max's drawings "God, we need Will!"

"No shit!" Max responded "but I tried them again this morning, and it's the same busy signal."

Nancy grabbed the same paper, that appeared to have floating rocks, a red background, not much different from the others except for the tiny window in the middle with a rose."Is this a window?" Nancy asked "stained glass with a rose ." She said to herself.

"Yeah. see? I'm not so terrible after all." Max replied to Dustin's previous comment.

"Well, it helps that I've seen it before." Nancy realized, grabbing all the pages as they rattled against each other.

Dylan paid close attention to what Nancy was doing as the women folded the papers in different angles—hyper focused on something only she could currently see, he could still feel Holly drawing on his hand, coloring in his scars with green as she extended leaves from them.

It took Nancy a minute but she was able to fix all the papers into a completed puzzle, not stopping as she grabbed a black marker, tracing along the edges.

Dylan, Max, and Dustin all seemed to realized what she was making, or discovering. "It's pieces of a house....." Max mumbled. The squeaky sound of the marker didn't distract any of them from the feeling in the pits of all of their stomachs. "Not just any house." Nancy replied

She then applied the final piece folding the stained glass window in the bottom center. "It's Victor Creel's house.." Nancy jumped up grabbing the papers as she began walking away.

"Where are you going." Dustin sputtered food in his mouth.

"Going to wake the other." Nancy responded as Dustin quickly followed her—along with Max.

Dylan simply stared at the table where the papers used to be, not noticing that Holly had been tapping his shoulder. "Dylan!" Holly raised her voice in a whine.

"Huh? Yes?" Dylan looked at the young girl.

"I'm all done." Holly smiled presenting his hand covered in flowers. Dylan smiled softly looking at the mess on his hand that he still deeply appreciated.

"Wow! I love it." Dylan expressed excitedly, he then looked at the box of markers that read permanent, "thank you...Holly." His face slightly dropping.

Holly grabbed her Lite Brite next to her "You're welcome."

Dylan stood up, grabbing Dustin's plate as he placed it in the sink, smiling at Karen before leaving the kitchen. "You kids be safe!" Karen yelled

"Yes ma'am." Dylan smiled, as he turned the corner—the weight of everything came crashing down again, he felt dizzy, tired, afraid..but he shook his head and ignored it. It wasn't something worth paying attention to.

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VICTOR CREELS HOUSE

Dylan stepped out of the trunk seats of Steve's car with Dustin as he was finally able to stretch his legs. Grabbing his coat, and putting it on, losing a layer of warmth after he threw away his flannel, not like it would have bothered him, more Steve. The group all walked up the concrete steps facing the old creaky asymmetrical house. Tree vines growing on the sides as all the windows were boarded up. And there was a giant wooden plank covering the door, nails around the sides of it.

"That's not creepy." Steve commented as they all walked to the porch of the house.

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Steve was on the left side of the door, using a hammer to slowly pull the nails off the plank, as Dylan was on the right prying his fingers under the slivers of metal yanking them out, he offered to just rip the whole plank off the wall but Steve thought it might hurt him so he settled for ripping each nail individually. His fingers ached but he was quicker than Steve who was talking. "I mean what exactly are we supposed to be looking for in this shithole?"

"We're not sure." Nancy responded "we just know this house is important to Vecna."

Steve gestured to Dylan and Max "Because these two dinguses saw it in Vecna's red soup mind world?"

"Basically." Nancy responded

"Great." Steve sighed

"Maybe it holds a clue to where Vecna is why he's back. Why he killed the Creels." Dustin explained "and how to stop him before he comes back for Max."

"We don't think he's in here, do we?" Lucas questioned

"Guess will find out." Max replied, fear still lingering in her tone.

They took the last nail out as the brothers grabbed the plank. "Ready." Steve asked as Dylan nodded letting the large heavy plank fall, dust and dirt flying everywhere.

The infamous glass stained window was revealed Steve grabbed the door handle, attempting to open it "It's locked. Should I knock, see if anybody's home?" Steve asked

Dylan looked at Steve and everyone else, as he then looked at the door. Steve seemed to sense trouble in Dylan's eyes. Dylan quickly and quietly took his coat off, wrapping it around his hand.

"Dylan? What are you. Dylan." Steve warned before Dylan punched the glass, leaving a giant hole. "Dylan!" Steve yelled   "What the hell?"

"What? I got it open." Dylan shrugged with a small smile shaking his coat off and putting it back

Steve rolled his eyes. "Are you cut?" He asked as Dylan shook his head in return, Steve then stuck his hand through feeling for the handle before cracking it open.

The hinges echoed through the home, every creak multiplied. They walked in some using their flashlights to see the cracks in the walls, wallpaper peeling, spiderwebs strung around, and dust floating through the air.

Lucas flipped the old switch in a lamp to which he was disappointed "Looks like someone forgot to pay their electric bill."

Dustin turned his flashlight in hand on with the purse of his lips. "Where did everyone get those?" Steve asked as Dustin turned around in disbelief "Do you need to be told everything? You're not a child."

"Thank you...." Steve replied

"huh." Dustin took his bag off slinging it to Steve "Back pocket."

Dylan kept quiet not exactly remembering his flashlight either. "Gosh Steve, think." Dylan mocked him—empty handed

Steve offended, looked up at him "Huh? Y-You—uh, what?" Steve informed him taking the flashlight and dropping Dustin's bag on the dirty floor.

They all peered around, the house completely trash, not surprising them since it was blocked off since the 50's. "They just left everything...." Nancy commented

"I guess a triple homicide isn't good for resale value." Robin replied

"Hey, guys?" Max stood in front of a grandfather clock still ticking, it being one of the only pieces of glass still intact. "You all see this right?"

"Yeah." Dustin and Steve replied as the rest answered by appearing behind her staring at the object with curiosity.

"Is this what you saw?" Nancy asked Max "In your visions?

The red-headed girl nodded in agreement, as Nancy then looked at Dylan behind her. "What about you?"

"Uhh....I never saw a clock." He paused thinking"But I heard one. It's chimes."

"Right..." Nancy recalled.

"I heard it when I saw it." Max clarified as Nancy seemed satisfied by their answers

"I mean, it's....just a clock." Robin mumbled "right?" She walked closer placing her hand on the glass, her silver ring connected to her bracelet clanking against the glass as she wiped the dust. "Like a normal old clock."

"Why is this Wizard obsessed with clocks?" Steve muttered gazing intensely at the object. "Maybe he's, like, a clockmaker or something?"

Dustin's eyebrows jolted in dismay"I think you cracked the case, Steve...."

Nancy spoke up, her tone serious "All I know is...the answers were here. Somewhere..........Okay, everyone stay in groups of two. Robin, Dylan, upstairs."

Dylan listened quickly following the girl up the cranky stairs Robin behind him. It was nice to see Robin and Nancy become better friends, he knew they only needed a small push and they would do the rest themselves. He looked at Robin silently gesturing to Nancy with a thumbs up.

The girl silently nodded with two thumbs up and a smile on her face.

"Come on guys." Nancy was ahead of them as she was already upstairs, Dylan and Robin speeding up to her.

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NINA PROJECT-CALIFORNIA

Dr Brenner stood infront of a glass panel, a cup of tea in his hands as his senses were occupied by the sounds of computers and machines, showing 011 floating helplessly on water

"Hows she doing?" Dr. Owen's queries walking next to Brenner as he also gazed at the girl on the screen—her body inside "Nina"

"Very well." He answered taking a sip "she's swimming now." He smiled

"Good. Cause I just got off the phone with Stinson." Owen's sighed "We don't have much time."

Brenner pondered for a moment "Well then, she'll just have to swim faster......and if she won't.......I have a plan. The man's mind grew angry at the hidden tape he might have to show her. The day Linda died. The truth of 013........