The Piggyback, Part 5

3rd Person's POV

This wasn't the first time Valerie was about to die, but it definitely felt like the last. Living in Hawkins certainly had its baggage.

She could only hope it wasn't in vain, both her life and death. She could only hope her friends would figure something out, and somehow manage to win once again. But the fact of the matter was, she wouldn't be there to see it.

The thought left a bitter taste inside her mouth. She had been fighting the upside down for the last three years of her life, only for it to end like this. Atleast for her.

A part of her couldn't help but wish if the world was going to end anyways, it should've happened three years ago. It would've spared them all so much pain. Chrissy, Fred, Patrick, Barb, Bob, Alexei and Billy wouldn't have died alone. Will would've died an ordinary kid. She never would've met Josh.

But then again, she never would've met and been stranded with Robin in a secret Russian base. Neither would've she lost her heart to the sweetest drug dealer in all of Hawkins. So, in an unfair, twisted way it all worked out in the end.

But when his claws took a hold of her face, sinking deep enough to draw blood, no matter how much she thought she accepted it, she didn't.

"Dont be afraid, try and stay very still. It will all be dark very soon."

They say when you die, your life plays out like a movie inside your head. Your heart gives out, it stops pumping blood to the rest of your body. But the brain lives on, for a few moments more. Valerie didn't know whether it was true or not, but just in case it wasn't she would play it out herself. She would try her hardest to not focus on the pain and reminisce.

Eddie's POV

My eyes frantically searched the room, taking in the sight of Lucas and Jason fighting, before landing on Val, safe and sound. I felt my body slump at the sight.

She was still in a trance, and yet that was somehow the best case scenario right now.

Dustin pushed past me into the room, panting.

"What is going on?" He frowned, running over to Lucas, trying to pull Jason off of him.

I was about to too, but my gaze travelled to the Walkman lying beside Valerie's body, broken. The only thing that could bring her back if shit hit the fan, broken.

It snaps my attention back towards Jason, as a scoff escapes me, "You motherfucker-" I grab him by the collar and yank him off of Lucas, driving my fist into his face without missing a beat.

Realization seemed to flood Jason's eyes once he heard my voice, as he managed to struggle out of my grasp, "You- You freak! So this is what you guys do? What are you, some sort of cult? Killing Chrissy wasn't enough for you huh, you just had to go after Henderson-"

I delivered another blow to his stomach and he doubled over, but then he tackled me by the legs and sent us both tumbling to the floor. I managed to pin him on the bottom, but he kept striking my face the best he could. He had blood flowing from his nose and mouth, dripping down his chin. I'm sure I looked quite similar.

"You're... a murder." He grunted out, slipping past my hold. Both of us rose to our feet, walking in a circle.

"I didn't kill Chrissy goddamnit!"

"Then why the fuck was her corpse found inside your trailer?!"

Why the fuck indeed.

"Eddie- Eddie, something's happening to Val-"

Panicked voices interrupted our conversation, as I cranked my neck to see her. Her body started lifting.

I was transfixed, the boys' yelling turned into an incoherent ringing inside my ears.

But then Jason pulled me by my arm, "What the fuck are you doing to-"

I shoved him into the wall, as hard as I could. I started delivering punches to his face, and didn't stop until I knocked him out. I almost wished I hadn't so soon. Because now, with my fists shaking, covered in blood, my breathing coming out in short spurts I had to turn back and see her floating near the ceiling.

Lucas had left the room in a panic, trying to find any sort of music player around the house, not that it mattered. All of the stuff that remained was from almost three decades ago.

Dustin ran to my side, tugging on my hand, "What do we do? What-"

He falls into a silence when I start singing her favourite song. It was the first thing that came to mind.

Please come back, even if it is only to shut me up. Please.

My voice cracks when her right arm twists backwards, in the most unnatural position. But I keep singing.

I'm sorry I didn't bring my guitar. Please come back.

The crunch of her bone reverberates through the entire room.

My singing is reduced to mere whispers. I could feel my throat tightening up.

You asked me to come back to you, and I did. Now I'm asking the same of you, Val.

I'm just about to choke through the chorus when her body falls to the floor with a loud thump. Dustin rushes over to her, gently placing her head on his lap.

I slowly walk over and sink to my knees, not knowing what to expect.

"H-her eyes. Her eyes aren't- they aren't affected. They're normal maybe-"

As Dustin rambled on I couldn't help but stare at the blood dripping from her mouth, and how the rise and fall of her chest was so painfully slow. If only there was some way to breathe life back into her.

I just stared, at my leather jacket wrapped around her frame. And my guitar pick necklace tucked underneath her t-shirt. I gave that to her hours ago. I just saw her a few hours ago.

Then I slowly picked up her hand with both of mine, rubbing my thumb over the back of it. I last held it when we were in the forest and I knew she was scared, so I pretended to be as well. Now my head hurts, and I can't quite breathe properly, but I can't feel her squeezing back.

And then as I trailed my fingers over her wrist, seconds passed, I felt her pulse fade. I didn't understand how it could be so quiet in there when the warmth hadn't even left her body yet.

I didn't have the courage to look him in the eyes.

I don't have it in me to tell your brother.

"Eddie I don't think she's breathing-" He shook her back and forth, "What do we do? What should we do?-" His sentence was cut off by a sob.

"Eddie, please-" He pulled on my hand, speaking through gasps, "do something-"

I looked up to his face, the tears pooled at the bottom of my eyes made his features a blur.

All I knew was that he was sobbing, and that he'd never looked more small. He'd never looked more like a kid before.

I force my eyes back onto Valerie, lift the hand that I was still holding and press a kiss on the back of it, "But I just got you." I mumble against it, some tears finally making their way down my cheeks, "I just got you, Val."

My hands were shaking, I couldn't even keep hers still.

I wrap one of my arms around Dustin's shoulders and pull him into me. He immediately throws his arms around my neck, crying and begging me, desperate for what, he wasn't even sure about. I ran my hand through his curls, like she used to.

And it leaves me feeling so hollow thinking she never will again. It's like the air being sucked out of your lungs. Like everything closing in on you all at once. It felt dark, like the kind she was afraid of. It felt neverending, even though it just now began.

Sometime among all this, Lucas had appeared in the doorway. Crying, yelling for Erica, yelling for an ambulance.

Sometime among all this, Jason had woken up. Silent, staring.

Sometime among all this, the warmth had left your hand. And yet another part of you left me as I watched.

I love you so much. I've always loved you, so much Val.

Forever my best girl.

I said I'd write you a song so you'd never be forgotten. But now you're gone before you can ever hear it.

[A/N: Here's a fun little chapter from Eddie's POV which I'm sure everyone would've enjoyed if only I hadn't written what I did💀💀 The final chapter (dw there's an epilogue coming) is dedicated to chica200420 , who claimed they needed an update. So here it is. If you're reading this, thank you for voting and commenting⚘]