cheerfire | would someone care to classify

would someone care to classify

[ This was stupid. Scratch that, this was something more than stupid. It was pointless, hopeless, insane, a waste of time-- the list went on. But after everything he had seen after the Upside Down, why should this be any more fantastical than the rest of it? It doesn't take long from when he's out of the hospital that the research begins. They're out of the trailer park now, officially condemned, but his uncle had been given enough hush money to set them up at a new place, an apartment just outside of town. Even though Eddie has been officially been cleared of all wrong doing, it was still better for him to keep a low profile.

As soon as they were settled in the new place, Eddie had shut himself away in his new room with the decrepit books he had scrounged up in the library. They were all about death, the dead, the afterlife-- and how to make contact. Call him crazy-- and most people probably would, if they had known what he was up to. But Eddie had shut out the rest of the world as he healed, threw himself into macabre studies as his body healed. The only thing he's been able to think about since leaving the hospital, since that night, really, is her. Chrissy Cunningham. And he has been consumed by the idea of somehow contacting her, apologizing for how he's failed her. It's the least he can do, right?

And so it's late one early spring night that Eddie slips from the apartment, fires up the van and makes a beeline for the old trailer. A brown paper grocery bag sits beside him on the passenger seat, his only companion on the silent drive over. The move is bright and heavy in the sky as he pulls up in front of the trailer, still wrapped up in caution tape. Not that the feds have done much about it, and so he's able to sneak inside without much issue. Every single nerve ending feels like it's on fire, and it's all he can do to keep from trembling. He hasn't been in the trailer since it happened, and it feels deeply wrong to be here now.

For once, determination wins out over fear and anxiety, and Eddie goes about unpacking the bag and spreading the contents out over the living room floor. He spreads out candles, bundled sage, grave dirt, a wilted lily. All of them are arranged carefully, the candles lit, as he flips slowly through pages of a heavy, musty, tome. There's no way this will work, he thinks, but trying might make him feel better. Maybe he can move on after that. Cast in the glow of candlelight, Eddie fumbles through several lines of latin, words that he only vaguely knows the meaning of. Then he sets the book down, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. ]

Chrissy Cunningham. [ It's the first time he's spoken her name aloud since... since then. And it sends spears of guilt that drive themselves deep into his heart. ] I call upon-- [ This is so stupid, he thinks. Pathetic. ] I call upon your spirit. Reveal yourself.

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[ It's not like Eddie ever really believed in Heaven, but somehow, hearing Chrissy's description of what comes after breaks something small inside him. Heaven was supposed to be where his mother was, where he had hoped Chrissy would be. But there's a sort of relief, because it means if he tries to keep her here, he isn't robbing her of something better. By now, he thinks he'll do anything if it means he doesn't have to lose her again. ]

Then stay here.

[ He says softly, as though that's something easy, something she can choose to do. Maybe it is, now that he's managed to summon her here. Maybe that's all it would take. Eddie lets himself hope that's the case, at least for now. His heart can only take so much in one sitting, and he needs this small shred of hope to cling to. ]

I'll... I got you here, so I'll figure out how to help you stay. If that's what you want, I mean.

[Stay there? Was that something that she even could do? Chrissy stares up at him with wide eyes, unsure of what to do or say. The thought of promising him something she can't actually give him feels so wrong to do. He's been through so much because of her, and adding to the pile would leave her with plenty of unfinished business.

But maybe that's what Eddie is, in some way. Her feelings for him had been brand new that night, but they were still there. It was definitely one of those love at first sight sort of things out in the forest. And even if it had only been puppy love, who knows what they could've been and what those feelings would have grown into?

They've both been robbed of the chance to find out.]

I want to stay. [She can say that's what she wants, at least.] But even if we figure out a way to make it happen...Eddie, I'm still going to be dead.

[Chrissy can touch him somehow, and he can see her. But it's not like they're able to walk out of this trailer and be together or have a happy ending.]

Unless you have a way to fix that too?

[There's a small laugh, like she's joking. But it's hard to deny the fact there's hope in her voice.]

I don't care if you're dead.

[ His voice is quiet, scarcely a whisper, but he means it. If the rest of his life is going to amount to harboring Chrissy as a ghost, then fine, he'll figure out a way to deal. Maybe it's the reckless teenager in him, the part of him that feels no fear in charging into the unknown. Nothing has felt right since she died, and whatever chance he has-- he's going to take it. ]

But maybe I can... I don't know.

[ Eddie's gaze drifts towards the book he had brought, the one that had summoned her here in the first place. None of this was supposed to be real, but it was clearly time for him to stop worrying about what was real or what wasn't. If he had managed to bring her here, then there should be a way for him to make it permanent. ]

There are books.

[ He's got a mad sort of smile on his face, looks at her with all the hope in the world in his eyes. If he can bring her here, then keeping her here should be no problem. Maybe he can even make it like it was before, give her a real body, bring her back to the side of the living. ]

I bet I can find it. How to bring you back, permanently. Do you trust me?

Of course I trust you.

[The answer comes immediately, without any hesitation. Chrissy knows without a doubt that she trusts Eddie. She can't exactly say that she trusts him with her life, since she doesn't have a life left to live. But she trusts him to figure out whatever it is he wants to do.

If he thinks he can make this permanent, she wouldn't complain.

But if he changes his mind and wants to send her back to the dark place, she thinks she can accept that too.

The look on his face fills her with hope, even as it makes her heart painfully twist. It shouldn't be able to do that, she thinks. It's not even beating, and yet it can cause such a dramatic ache within her. Maybe this is the way love is supposed to feel, she guesses. Like you're being torn apart just because the person you care about is hurting.]

If you have to go find the book, I can wait here.

[Maybe he doesn't mean to go find it right now though. What if he means he'll spend time with her now, and then try to find it later and call her back to him again? Chrissy has to accept that this is really out of her control, another aspect of her life she can't really take charge in.

She reminds herself that even if Eddie finds the book and is able to make things happen, there's no way she'll be alive again. She can't just go back home and into her old life. Chrissy Cunningham is dead.

Hawkins would tear him apart, being sure he was some kind of satanist that could raise the dead.]

[ The idea that she trusts him, really trusts him, even after he'd let her die, sends a tidal wave of relief rushing through him. Everything about this is strange, wrong, impossible, but he feels like he can breathe properly for the first time since she'd come to his trailer. Eddie reaches for the ghostly visage of her face, and his fingers are able to make contact against something solid.

Her face is cold the same way her hands had been, and the touch sucks the heat out through every pore. But there's something different about this, if only slightly, and he thinks he can maybe feel his own warmth radiate back from her. It would be far from the strangest thing to happen tonight. Eddie rises up off his knees, lets his forehead press against hers. Again, there is the sensation of warmth being snatched away and then returned in a scant fraction. ]

I can do this, I know I can.

[ Eddie's voice sounds more sure, more steady, in a way that surprises him. He manages to break his grasp on her, briefly fearful that the loss of contact will mean she disappears forever. But she's still there, and Eddie is determined to keep it that way, whatever the cost. ]

Let's see...

[ He grabs for his backpack, roots around through the decrepit volumes that he's stuffed in there. He pulls them out one after another, turns carefully through each before inevitably tossing one away to grab another. His gaze darts fervently between the books and Chrissy, still unable to shake the fear that she'll disappear at any moment. It's when he's down to the last book, the thickest and heaviest, its pages thin and nearly crumbling at his touch. ]

Ok I-- I think I found something. [ His face pales a little as he reads down the page, but when he looks up at her, he forces a smile. ] Yeah, this'll do it.

[Chrissy watches him with forced neutrality, not wanting to get too hopeful. She thinks it might destroy him if he's not able to find anything to keep her with him, and she doesn't want to give him hope to cling hold of. Not yet. It feels too cruel.

She can tell he's forcing a smile, and she gives him a strained one in return. But she nods in an attempt to show him that she understands that he's trying. That's all he can do, isn't it? Try to keep her with him. It's not like this is a foolproof plan that's guaranteed to work.

But he needs her, she can see that. And really, she's pretty sure that she needs him too. She doesn't want to leave and go back to wherever she was. Endless darkness is restful, but not for a young spirit that was brutally killed before it's her time.

Chrissy sits on the precipice of at ease with her fate as long as she's with Eddie, and vengeful spirit that wants to cause misery for others. It's not the kind of person she was, but so much of her innocence and kindness died along with her that day in his trailer. She has to find it within her again.]

Are you sure? [Sounding uncertain, she frets and worries her hands together. Wanting more of the warmth that's radiating off of him, she leans back in and presses their foreheads together. The contact is enough to make her shiver, but it also calms her enough she can speak.]

What does it say you need to do?

[ Eddie almost doesn't hear her, for how absorbed he is in the book. Its pages are in Latin, but there is almost a full translation scrawled into the margins, some of it his own work, most of it from however many people the book had passed through before it had reached him. The page doesn't paint a pretty picture, at least now for its cost. But it makes sense that life would carry the heaviest cost imaginable.

It doesn't matter to him what the cost is. He's willing to pay it. ]

I'm sure.

[ Eddie looks at her with grave solemnity, debating what to tell her. He doesn't want to lie to her, but he's afraid that if he tells her, she'll beg him not to go through with it. Thoughts tumble over each other in a furious clatter as he tries to sort out what to say. He swallows hard around the lump in his throat, unable to force it down. ]

It's... not going to be easy. [ That much is true, even if he's dancing around the rest of it. ] I need you to trust me, Chrissy. I can do this. It's going to take some time but-- I'm going to bring you back. For real.

[How is it possible for her to feel this sense of dread, even as she's elated that he's found some kind of way to fix things for her? She isn't breathing, not in the literal sense of the word. But somehow, her breath still catches in her throat. It's with wide eyes that she stares up at him, and gives an unsure little shake of her head that makes her ponytail bounce and sway.]

Eddie, you don't...

[She can hear the uncertainty in her voice, and covers up her mouth with both hands. It won't be easy, she knows. He's just told her so, and beyond that, she's not stupid. She knows that bringing someone back to life isn't meant to be easy. Or something that the person dabbling in such a dark act can get away with unscathed. How can anything as selfless as saving her be dark, though?

Chrissy willingly puts on blinders to the possible dangers in order to keep herself from begging him not to. Still, the protest sits on the tip of her tongue, just waiting to be uttered.]

Can you promise that you won't get hurt trying to do this?

[Of course, she makes it sound like that's the only way she'll trust him to do it. Her mind's already made up. She wants him to. But she feels so completely selfish and awful for feeling like she deserves it. Her life shouldn't come at any cost to anyone. Especially not him.]

[ Eddie falls silent for a long moment, debating how to answer her. Of course, the fact that he hesitates at all should do enough to broadcast the answer. In the end, he decides there's no point in lying to her, not now. When he looks at her, he tries to smile, but something like sorrow creases his face. It was his fault she died, and now it's his responsibility to bring her back. ]

I can't promise that.

[ Besides, he misses her, in a way he hasn't felt since his mother had died. He would do anything to bring her to that picnic table in the woods again, to be able to flirt and laugh and throw himself back into the leaves in the name of making her smile. So if there's a way to make that happen, he's going to do it. ]

I might get hurt. [ It's more likely than not. ] But I won't die. [ Probably. ] It'll be worth it, Chrissy.

[She panics at the thought of him getting hurt. That's the last thing that she wants to happen. Her heightened emotional state makes her flicker for a second, almost as if she might up and vanish. She doesn't, although her hand swipes right through him when she reaches out to grab hold of his shoulder. Not being as solid as she was a moment ago makes her panic even more, and she whimpers as she scrambles to try and grab hold of his arm.

It takes her a few tries, and she's crying by the time she finally grabs him. But she focuses and manages it, head nodding in desperation. While she doesn't want him to get hurt, she also doesn't want to fade away to nothing. It's a conflicting, guilty thing. One that doesn't sit right with her, but she also isn't sure what other choice they have. Eddie seems pretty determined to do this.]

But what if it isn't worth it? I mean, everyone here thinks I'm dead. I can't go back home.

[She slides her hand down to try and grip hold of his hand as if he's her anchor to reality.]

Can I?

[ Eddie tries to remain calm as Chrissy panics, even though he feels his heart race. He can't lose her, not now, not when he's so close to having her back. Just when he thinks his heart can't break further, the sight of her upset and desperately trying to hold onto him manages to do it. It's all he can do to keep himself still, needing to be something solid for her to hold onto-- figuratively and literally.

When she finally makes the connection again, Eddie can't help but heave a sigh of relief. He clasps a hand overtop of hers, reaches with the other to cup her cheek. ]

It's worth it, even if we have to leave Hawkins altogether. [ That doesn't sound too bad to him, honestly. ] Chrissy, I... I've missed you so much. I think about you everyday. I know I'm being selfish but-- please, you have to let me try.

[Leave Hawkins?

Okay, that sounds like the start of a plan. It's something solid that they both can hold onto. Right now though, she's too busy clinging hold of him to dare grip hold of the idea of a new life somewhere else.]

You've missed me?

[The awe in her voice is impossible to miss. It's hard for her to believe that anyone would miss her enough to want her back. She's not that memorable of a person, really. Too flawed and awkward, too young to have done anything worthwhile or memorable. But when her hand finds his cheek and slides upward to brush his hair out of his face, he feels so warm and solid that it doesn't matter how selfish either of them are.

She misses being with him so badly that the ache is eating through her.]

It's not selfish to want to save someone you care about. To want to be with the person you l -

[Love is a word they hadn't said to one another. But he must feel it, to be this determined to be with her again. To miss her enough that he wants to save her. It was evil and darkness that took her away from the world. But it's love that's going to bring her back to life.]

I haven't stopped thinking about you.

[ Eddie says quietly, his voice just above a whisper. Chrissy Cunningham has consumed his every thought even before he died, even before their meeting in the woods. He can't say for sure when exactly it started, seeing as he's has a crush on her since middle school. But it's more than his own selfish wants, at least, he thinks it is. She deserved so much better than what happened to her, deserves more than most of the people in this God forsaken town. ]

For someone you... yeah.

[ Maybe he hasn't heard her correctly, maybe he's misunderstood what that cut off word might be. Love would be silly, wouldn't it? In reality they hadn't known each other that well, had barely even been acquaintances. That doesn't explain the deep hurt he has carried in his heart all this time. ]

We're going to do this, Chrissy. And it's going to work.

[It's hard to let herself be filled with hope right now. The thought of things not working out and her having to lose it all is enough to make her almost panic again. She somehow manages to hold it together though, and only nods in response at first. She's so nervous about what Eddie isn't telling her, because she's so used to people not completely filling her in on the plan. Even when plans involve her, she seems to be a bystander in her own life.

Or in this case, her death and afterlife.

But Eddie isn't going to do anything that might harm her, she reminds herself. He cares about her, more than she realized.]

Just tell me what to do. Maybe we can make it work now.

All you have to do is stay here.

[ There's more he needs to gather, to prepare. He thinks now that he's brought her here, she should be able to stay in this state. She won't be able to leave him him, tethered to the point of her death, so he has to trust her not to panic. Which of course is easier said than done, especially when her very existence feels so precarious. ]

You just need to stay calm, okay? I know... I mean, I can't imagine. It might be scary. [ Eddie leans towards her, looking so concerned for her. ] I'll be back tomorrow. I have a lot to do.

[ And then he does something he very much wants to do, though he can't be sure if it will work, how it will feel. He leans close to kiss her, and their lips do meet, though the kiss is like ice. Eddie doesn't seem to mind, all he cares about is that it's solid, that it's her. When he finally breaks apart, he's smiling, flushed in the face, feeling more certain than ever. ]

It's all gonna be okay, Chrissy, I promise. I need you to believe me.

[If anything is enough to force her heart to start beating again and bring her to life, it's Eddie Munson kissing her like that. For her, it's sweet and gentle and absolutely magical. She can only imagine that it's the exact opposite for him. Like it's chasing the ghost of a good thing, cold and void of any life. Chrissy still leans back in toward him, chasing his lips with her own.

It's selfish of her, but just in case she doesn't make it until he gets back and he can't bring her back again, she wants to at least be able to kiss him of her own free will. Both of her chilly hands cup his cheeks, and she rises up to try and tower up high enough that she feels in control for a moment. Just once, she wants to feel like she holds all the power.]

I do.

[Believe him, she means. He's the only one that she'll ever believe. And for him, she'll try to stay calm. Try not to panic or chase after him. She'll stay here, in this place. And she'll wait.

Because she doesn't really have much of a choice, does she? He's the one that brought her back, he's in charge here. Chrissy chooses to trust him, because otherwise she's on her own in the void.]

And I know you have to go take care of things but...can I kiss you again? Just one more time. You're so warm, Eddie. I want to be close to you just a little longer.

[And she's so, so cold and empty. It feels like contact with him can fill her up and make her whole again. Give her life just from the taste and feel of his lips alone.]

Of course you can.

[ Kissing her isn't pleasant in the traditional sense. It's like bringing his lips agains a block of ice, but he eagerly leans in to do it again, hungry for every inch of her he can capture for his own. It doesn't matter how she is, he is all to happy to throw himself against her once more. And the kiss leaves a lot to be desired, sure, when the standards are set for the living. But things are different now, and he takes it all in however it feels. It's kissing Chrissy, that's all that matters. He pulls back, finally, meeting her ghostly gaze with his own. ]

I'll be back as soon as I can. Just wait here, and I'll come back for you. [ Eddie moves towards the door, almost steps outside of it when-- ] I love you, Chrissy. I'll come back for you.

[ And then, before anything else can happen, before she can call out for him, Eddie is practically sprinting into the chilled night air. He doesn't want to leave her, but he has to. Because he thinks he really can do this, to bring her back so they can share a kiss that's the real, warm, meeting of flesh.

Eddie hates himself for it, but it takes two days to gather everything he needs. He works non stop, has no time to visit her and apologize for the fact that he'll be delayed. He can only hope that she'll still be there, still be waiting.

The sun has just sunk below the horizon when Eddie steps back into the ruins of the trailer, a bag slung over his shoulder. ]

Chrissy? [ He calls out into the darkness. Please let her still be here. Please, please, please. ] You there?

[Chrissy waits. She stands by the door and waits, because she doesn't have any other choice. At the end of the first day, she realizes he's not coming back. And only then does she start to pace. It's late into the night when she thinks that he's changed his mind, and maybe he's decided to just leave her the way she is. Panic settles in then, and she tries to keep her promise. She doesn't run off and doesn't leave.

But she does wind up standing in the exact spot in his trailer where she had died, and replayed the moment in her mind over and over. Eventually she loses herself in the memory, and winds up fleeing to the corner of the room. He'll find her still there when he finally makes his way back to her, frozen like a statue with her hands pressed over her ears. The tears she's been crying have stained dark beneath her eyes, a ghostly reminder of the blood that had stained her when she died.

She's nearly faded away to nothing, and it may be easy to miss her. But hearing his voice makes her gasp and flicker back to her solid enough state that he left her in. Chrissy doesn't raise her head though, doesn't move out of the position she's huddled in. He gave her hope, and it feels like that spark's nearly been snuffed out.]

Eddie? Did you find it?

[Her words are an echo of the last she spoke to him, calling out to him for drugs that fateful night in his trailer. But they take a whole new meaning this time around, particularly with the flat and hollow way she speaks them.]

Everything you need. Did you get it?

[Her head remains ducked downward, hands still pressed over her ears. But she's there, barely hanging on. Eddie came back for her in the end after all. He didn't run away.]

I'm so sorry, sweetheart.

[ He's rushing towards her ghostly form as soon as he can see her. He's already managed to let her down, even when he thinks he now has a way to bring her back. It's the only thing he would put above her feelings. Eddie surges forward, wastes no time in throwing his arms around her. It's a great relief when what he feels is solid, if as cold as ever. He lets the two of them linger like that, a threadbare existence pressed solidly against him.

And it is solid, he can feel her, close and cold. ]

I've got everything we need, Chrissy. It's gonna be okay tonight. [ He pulls back just a little, laughs softly, so glad to see her, as transparent as that may be. ] By the end of tonight, you'll be back. I promise.

[He's so warm that she greedily soaks in all that she can. And slowly but surely, she remembers that he loves her. He told her he loves her before he left, and he's doing everything he can to bring her back. Because he loves her. Her hands drop down from her ears, and wrap around him in return. And she clings hold of him, like his warmth can stop the icy chill that feels is permanently settled in over her.

It works wonders to soothe her upset and her fear, and she's even smiling a little when he pulls back. She doesn't let go of him, desperately trying to claw at him and tug him in close again. Maybe if she keeps him close, just for a couple of minutes, his love will be enough to make her warm with life.]

I don't want to disappear.

[Her words are whispered, a sincere confession. He's promised her that she'll be back tonight, that things are going to be okay. And because she loves him in return, she trusts him on that. She believes in him, just like he asked her to. It's only because of that Chrissy reluctantly pulls back, letting him have his warmth to himself for now. Soon enough, she'll be warm again too. Kissing her won't be like kissing an empty shell of the girl he loves.]

Can we get started now? Please?

You won't, you won't.

[ Eddie murmurs quietly as she relaxes. It's one more thing he's managed to get wrong, as if letting her die wasn't enough, now he's kept her waiting. But all that's going to change tonight, because he's going to bring her back. Then they can leave Hawkins forever, start fresh somewhere, and never have to worry about spooky shit and alternate dimensions ever again. He leans forward to brush a kiss against her forehead, and delights in knowing that the next time he kisses her, it will be warm flesh. ]

You just... [ He takes a deep breath, trying to settle his nerves. ] Just, wait here. I need to set up everything.

[ And with that, Eddie steps back, lets his backpack settle on the floor with a thump. He's quiet as he digs through it, pulling out various bottles and jars. There's the book from the last time, which Eddie has bookmarked to what he needs. He leaves it open on the floor, as he takes a jar full of a dark, thick liquid. Whatever it is, he dips his fingers inside, uses it like paint as he draws circles and markings on the floor, copying from the book.

Once that's finished, he begins emptying other containers at various points over the symbols. There's something that looks like a fine white powder, on another he leaves a few long black feathers. Over another he dumps out a small pile of dirt-- grave dirt-- from her grave, though he doesn't tell her that. Lastly, he places down a familiar green scrunchie, with a few strands of golden hair still wrapped around it. That had been the most difficult to acquire, sneaking into her room, quiet and still and gathering dust like a mausoleum. But he had done it. For her, it was all for her.

When he's finished laying things out, he lifts his gaze back towards her. ]

You ready?

[Chrissy curiously watches him as he works, but is careful to stay out of his way. He's focused on setting things up and doesn't need her messing up anything. As he sets to work on drawing symbols on the ground, she's struck with the realization that this is pretty dark stuff. She doesn't think he's a satanist like everyone else in town probably does, but he clearly isn't shying away from dipping into darkness for her sake.

Nothing that he's using makes any sense to her, but she understands that this isn't the time to ask him a ton of questions so he'll explain everything to her. The sight of her green scrunchie however, makes her go rigidly still. Her eyes widen as she looks down at it, at the sight of her hair still tangled in the fabric.

How had he managed to get that, she wonders? And now when she glances over at the small pile of dirt, her stomach twists with the knowledge that some parts of this are better best left alone. Whatever Eddie's had to do and gather, it'll be worth it in the end. Because at the end of this, she'll be alive again.

All she has to do is eagerly nod when he questions her, hands clutching at her cheer sweater.]

I'm ready, but...just in case this doesn't work.

[She very carefully steps in toward him, leaning in to press her cold lips against his forehead. Her mouth seeks out his ear next, so she can whisper to him.]

I love you, Eddie Munson.

[After an affectionate hand through his hair she pulls back, crouching down to rest on her knees across from him. Hopefully she's not in the way here, because she doesn't want him to have to do this alone. She wants to be right by his side the entire time.]

I love you too, Chrissy Cunningham.

[ The smile on his face is tinged with sadness, and his eyes are just the slightest bit glassy. The truth is, he's afraid. Not afraid that he'll get hurt, not afraid that he might die. Just afraid that it might not work. That she could remain in this state forever. Or worse, that she might be sent back into the oblivion that he had pulled her out of. But he has to try. It has to be worth the risk.

Eddie sucks in a deep breath, fumbles for the bandana in his back pocket to wipe furiously at his eyes. This isn't the time for doubts, and certainly not the time for tears. They can cry all the happy tears in the world together once he's brought her back. His gaze sweeps over the floor of the ruined trailer, lingers over each item he's placed with such care. He checks the book again, making certain that he's got everything where it needs to be.

His bag isn't quite empty yet, as he withdraws another jar from it, placing it on the floor in front of him as he settles down into a cross legged position. Eddie unscrews the lid, gives her one last weak little smile as he downs the contents. Whatever it is, it makes him choke and sputter, the concoction a dark and wicked thing that already settles in his guts. ]

Don't be scared, okay?

[ It's the only warning he gives as he reaches into his bag one last time, withdraws a knife that gleams in the moonlight. Eddie does it quickly, takes the blade and traces it down from the crook of his elbow to his wrist.

There's blood, so much blood, it pours from his arm and onto the floor. Eddie's vision goes white for a moment, though it doesn't actually hurt as bad as he might have thought. But staying conscious is the real struggle, because he feels the blood loss almost immediately. Eddie struggles to stay upright, fumbling for the book as blood continues to soak into the carpet.

It's the strangest thing, because the blood doesn't pool beneath him, but instead spread out, traces the lines that he had painted over the floor. It's almost over, he just has to read-- ]

Aestimatus sum cum descendentibus in lacum. [ His voice is quavering, but he's practiced the words. He's so close now. ] Sanguis bebimus corpus edimus tolle corpus.

[ Eddie repeats those two phrases, over and over and over and--

Darkness overtakes him. ]

[Maybe she should've known it would go down like this. That something that's possibly able to bring her back to life would involve blood. She gasps and moves forward toward him as he lets himself bleed out. But as the lines he drew on the floor seem too take it all in, there's a moment where she flickers out of existence. As she stumbles and falls forward toward him, she falls through him, and into the floor.

It feels like she's falling forever, back into the dark place that's endless. Only this time she's aware of her fear and the fact that she has to get back to him. When he speaks in Latin, she can hear it clearly. She hears the words he says, as well as a darker voice translating it into English for her.

Raise the body

Echoes in her head over and over again, until the darkness is split open by blood that pierces cracks all around her. The blood Eddie spilled from himself pours in through the cracks, puncturing through her over and over again. Almost as if strings are made from the blood, thin tendrils begin to tug and pull at her, casting her upward. She screams in the process, terrified. Whatever he's done, it's like she's a puppet that's being forced into being a living doll. It takes about six or seven harsh pulls of those strings, but the last thing she remembers before she succumbs to darkness is the sound of her heartbeat thundering back to life in her ears.

In the trailer, Chrissy's body flickers back into view, directly in the center of the symbols he's drawn. Laying in a pool of his blood, there's the telltale sign of life that comes in the form of a shaky gasp. Her eyes don't open, but her chest rises and falls. She's solid, just as she had been before. Only now she's warm, so impossibly hot to the touch. The strings from the dark place are cut now though, the tether that bound her to the spell and the magic Eddie used to bring her back no longer needed to keep her bound to Earth. She's alive again, his plan has worked.

It isn't long before she dizzily pushes herself up to sit, memories of everything that happened from her death to the point they're at now washing over her.]

Eddie? [She blearily blinks, looking over to him. Oh my god, there's so much blood. Chrissy scrambles forward, quickly pulling her blood coated sweater off so she can press it over the wound on his arm. This is one hell of a wake up call.]

Eddie, do you hear me? You better stay with me, okay?

[ If Chrissy had been cold, the oblivion that he drifts into is pure ice, impossibly cold. It floods through him, enters through the slash in his arm. It wants to take him, it comes over him with a strange certainty. He can get through this alive, but it won't be without an overwhelming effort. If it were anyone else, he might slip away, drift off into death without another thought. But if he's brought her back, he needs to see her, touch her, hold her. That alone has him fighting against the inky darkness, a struggle that exists only in his mind.

I climb down into the grave. I climb down into the grave. I climb down into the grave.

Eddie comes to with the gasp of a drowning man, desperately breaching the surface of reality. He can hear her voice, it rings in his ears like the clanging of church bell. And she's here, she's really here, whatever dark magic he's concocted has actually worked, and that gives him something to focus on. ]

Holy shit.

[ Eddie says weakly, scrambling towards her without ever standing up, his left arm an absolute mess. But he throws his right arm around her, feels her solid and arm and alive. ]

Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit.

[ The words tumble off his lips in rapid succession, sounding just a few inches away from madness. Because it has to be mad, doesn't it? That he's really managed to do it, that she's really here? His gaze drifts down to his ruined arm, sees the sweater wrapped around it, the soft cream color quickly overwhelmed by crimson. ]

Your sweater... [ He says softly, as though that's the most worrying thing here. ] It's ruined.

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