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Chris POV
Yeah, what the fuck am I thinking right now?! Look at that motherfucker standing tall in the middle of the road!
How can I ever thinking I can fight that kind of monster?! With only handgun and shotgun?!
Military even can't fight that fucking monster!
…..Son of a bitch!
The roar of my engine ripped through the night, loud, desperate, like it was trying to scare the thing away before I even got close. Cold air slammed against my face, but it did nothing to cool the panic boiling inside my chest.
"WILL! Hold on tight!!!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, my voice cracking against the wind.
I felt his arms tighten instantly around my stomach, his grip almost painful now, fingers digging into me like I was the only thing keeping him alive. I knew Will didn't fully understand what was happening, not really knowing why I shouted at him and asking him to grab my gun.
He must've panicked the moment I yelled, because I heard him shout again, louder this time.
"WHERE'S THE GUN?!"
His voice trembled, breaking apart in the middle, and I could feel that fear travel straight through his body into mine.
Yeah… I can't give up right now.
"Left bag!" I yelled back without looking, twisting the throttle harder as the bike surged forward, faster, louder and more reckless.
The engine screamed beneath me as if it was protesting, but I didn't care.
I felt Will's left hand slowly slip away from my stomach, his grip loosening as he reached for the bag. The sudden shift in weight made the bike wobble slightly, and I clenched the handle tighter, forcing it back into balance.
This is so fucking bad!
I should've forced Will to stay at my house! I should've just locked the damn door and not let him leave for the night.
Fuck it!
This is already happening!
It's gonna be more bad if I bring Will back to my house right now.
My mother… Dustin… they'd become the target next.
I can't let that happen.
The road stretched ahead of me like a dark tunnel, and at the end of it is… That thing.
My bike got closer, and closer, and closer… the distance shrinking with every second.
And now I could see it clearly.
That ugly son of a bitch stood there in the middle of the road like it owned the world, like nothing could touch it, like nothing could challenge it. It didn't move. Didn't flinch. Didn't even react to the sound of my engine roaring straight toward it.
Like it was… waiting.
What is the weakness of Demogorgon now? He's a predator. They hunt by scent of blood and sound attracts them.
My eyes narrowed slightly as realization hit me.
The noise of the engine. The vibration tearing through the air….I could see it now. It was reacting.
Not even scared a little… but extremely aware. Interested by us, by my bike.
I kept the throttle open, letting the bike scream even louder, using the noise like a weapon, even if I didn't know whether it would help or just piss it off even more.
He just stood there in the middle of the road, long fingers dangling from unnaturally thin arms.
At a glance, it almost looked like a human standing upright still. But even in the darkness, I could see it.
It wasn't human.
….Not even close.
There was something wrong with the way it held itself… something unnatural in the length of its limbs, in the stillness of its body, in the way it faced us without a single ounce of hesitation.
"FUCK!" I screamed as my bike's headlight finally hit it, flickering violently as the beam struggled against the darkness.
For a split second, the light stuttered… then it fully revealed him even in the moment of flicker.
He stood far taller than any normal man, his skin a sick, pale white raw unnatural and where his face should've been…
There was nothing. Just a smooth, empty surface.
I am sure right now Will saw it too.
We were getting closer and at that exact moment, I twisted the throttle even harder, the engine roaring like a beast of its own, loud enough to shake the air around us. Maybe….just maybe it would disturb him.
And it did.
The Demogorgon opened its face.
The split was sudden, violent like something tearing itself apart from the inside and we both saw it clearly now.
Face like petals. Layers of flesh peeling open like a grotesque flower and inside rows of teeth so sharp and a lot of teeths, looks like he's been hungry for a while. That's really bad news huh…
I know the weakness is right there.
Right in that open mouth.
But in a moment like this, when everything is collapsing into chaos, I couldn't do a damn thing properly.
"CHRIS!"
Will's voice cut through everything. I heard it and then I saw it, something in his hands.
The shotgun.
The one I prepared in the bag earlier. I already made sure it was loaded.
The only problem now? I have to shoot it at close range while riding a fucking bike.
Fuck it.
No more thinking.
I grabbed the shotgun with my left hand, pulling it up with a rough motion, forcing it into position.
Aiming straight at that open mouth, while my right hand stayed locked on the handlebar, gripping it like my life depended on it.
….Because it did.
The bike surged forward, closing the last bit of distance between us and that thing.
…Closer.
...Closer.
And just as we were only a few feet away from it, I slammed the handle to the left.
The bike swerved sharply.
Will clung tighter to my stomach, his arms locking around me like a lifeline, trying desperately not to panic, even though I knew damn well he was just as terrified as I was.
Adrenaline flooded my body, so loud and violent, overwhelming me fully.
And then…
I saw something.
Everything has become so slow.
The monster moved, but not like before.
Its arm stretched out toward us, long fingers reaching…but it was slow.
Too slow.
Or maybe…
I was just seeing it that way.
You ever heard people say that when you're about to die, everything slows down? That your whole life flashes before your eyes?
Yeah.
I feel it right now.
Even the smallest details became sharp and clear.
TENG… TENG…
I could hear everything, even that fucking clock ticking somewhere in the distance.
Fucking Pedo Vecna.
I'm sure he's watching this.
That means I'm doomed right now.
BAM!
The shotgun roared in my hands.
The recoil slammed into my arm, the force nearly throwing off my balance, but thank god I held it.
I saw it, clear as day.
The blast tore through the air, sparks bursting from the muzzle as the shot fired straight into that open mouth.
The creature's "petals" snapped inward for a split second as the impact hit.
'Bullseye!'
The shot landed perfectly right into its mouth, sending its body jerking backward from the force.
I felt the shockwave in my bones. Heard the echo rip through the empty road. Saw the flash burn into my vision.
And then, the slow motion was gone.
Everything crashed back to reality. So fast and louder than before, it's become out of control.
I fought to stabilize the bike, my right hand tightening on the handle while my left still clutched the shotgun, the barrel still smoking slightly.
My breathing was ragged now, uneven.
My heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest.
I didn't see the creature again in the side mirror, but I know it's not over. I'm sure of it, that thing… it doesn't die that easily.
It's probably already recovering right now with its own damn cheat code.
Fucking hell…
And here I am, cursing my luck because my cheat code is just seeing the Upside Down?!
Didn't I get chosen for something more?!
Aren't I the chosen one?!
The transmigrator?!
"WILL! Can you cock the shotgun?!" I shouted again, my voice sharp and urgent, cutting through the cold air as the engine roared beneath us.
Will was still shaking, his whole body trembling against my back like he might fall apart at any second. "…I can't…" he whispered.
His voice was so faint, barely there, but I still caught it.
And I didn't blame him. Not even a little, because I felt it too. That same fear. That same paralysis creeping into my bones.
"Hold on tight, alright…" I said, forcing my voice to stay steady even though my heart was anything but.
Going back to Will's house? Not an option.
I twisted the throttle again, the bike surging forward as I changed direction, taking a route I knew by memory, cutting through the darker roads, heading straight toward Hopper's cabin.
It's better to include him right now.
I am not trying to be a hero after all, god damnit!
"Will, it's alright! We're safe, Will!" I said, louder this time, trying to make him believe it.
Trying to make myself believe it.
I wanted to reach back, to grab his hand, to ground him somehow but my left hand was still holding the shotgun.
So words were all I had.
"What was that, Chris?!" Will asked, his voice small, shaken, like he was afraid the answer itself might break him.
"It's a monster, Will! I don't know what that is but I am sure he's not from our world!" I said, my jaw tightening as I gritted my teeth.
The cold night air cut against my skin, sharp and unforgiving, mixing with the adrenaline still raging through my chest.
"What? We should find the police, Chris!" Will said, panic rising again in his voice.
"Yeah! I'm heading to Hopper's place right now! Don't worry Will, I'm still here!" I shot back quickly.
But fucking hell, every time I tried to reassure him…
It felt like I was jinxing everything.
TENG… TENG…
That sound again, the fucking clock.
It came back again. So clear and horrified in my ear, just like a reminder he's still watching and listening to us.
Fuck!
Should I just get out of Hawkins?!
If I leave…
Something worse might happen.
I pushed the bike harder, faster, the engine screaming as I forced every ounce of speed out of it.
I know it.
I know that thing is moving through the Upside Down right now. Running, hunting, closing the distance with us with every single fibre of muscle that thing has.
"AHH!!"
Will's scream tore through my ears.
And then I saw it.
The Demogorgon.
Running beside us, he's been bursting from the treeline like a wild animal, its movement unnatural yet terrifyingly fast.
It ran on all fours like some kind of twisted dog, its limbs stretching too far and too long, covering ground way too quickly.
"Hang on, Will!" I shouted, gripping the handle tighter as I pushed the bike to its absolute limit.
The road blurred beneath us.
The wind roared past us.
And still…It kept up.
The Demogorgon swerved onto the road, closing in, its body twisting as it lunged, trying to reach us, trying to tear us apart.
But it missed just barely from our body. Its claws sliced through the air behind us.
"WILL, COCK THE SHOTGUN!" I yelled, shoving the weapon back toward him.
Will grabbed it with clumsy and shaking hands, almost dropping it in the process, but somehow…
Somehow, he held on.
Right now, our only weapon is this. Damn it! I should buy a car later…..if I'm still alive!
The Demogorgon is still chasing both of us, even as we're getting closer to Hopper's cabin. Just a few more miles…
'then what?'
My mind is completely messed up right now!
Will is still trying to cock the shotgun, clumsily. It's hard for a kid to handle something like that, especially while riding on a bike where he has to hold on at the same time.
"Come on, Will!" I shouted again, and thankfully, I heard the sound of the shotgun being cocked.
"Here!" Will said, handing the shotgun back to me.
"Good boy!" I said as I grabbed it, hoping I wouldn't have to use it again after this shot, that maybe the Demogorgon would get tired of chasing us.
Yeah… I was wrong again.
I couldn't see it in my rearview mirror anymore, because it was already beside us.
I don't even know how the hell it got there! God damn it!
"CHRIS!!" Will screamed as the Demogorgon's fingers brushed against his jacket.
"You fucking monster!" I shouted, raising the shotgun and aiming again.
BAM!
The slow motion came back….but this time, it was accompanied by the violent shaking of my bike.
Don't worry, I still fucking hit him!
But the side effect was that we lost control and fell off the bike. In that moment, my whole body moved on instinct to protect Will from the impact.
I saw the Demogorgon being thrown backward as well, screaming or maybe screeching from the blast of my shotgun.
CRASH!
My back scraped against the gravel on the side of the road, but I was glad that Will ended up on top of me.
…Even though I'm not a hero, damn it.
The bike screeched across the road, and yeah… the repair cost is going to be insanely high.
Then suddenly, darkness filled my vision.