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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[ 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.

That doesn't matter.

[She reassures him, trying to hide the fact that she's starting to cry. She's terrified of the fact that this idea of his worked, that he's somehow powerful enough to bring her back to life. And he hurt himself so badly to do it. There's still a risk that he might die, something that has her tying the sleeves of the sweater as tight as she can around that arm.]

All that I care about is keeping you alive. Did you really think you'd die to bring me back, and leave me here all alone?

[She wouldn't have been able to do it. Chrissy Cunningham is dead to everyone in Hawkins, she can't show her face here. So if Eddie had left her, she would've had to figure out how to run away and start over alone. They're still at risk for that happening, but at least now she can wrap an arm around him and let him lean against her for support.]

Of course not. [ Eddie says between shallow breaths, as he battles with consciousness. ] I'm never gonna leave you again.

[ That much is true. He needs to make sure that it's true. Because he's managed to bring her back, and there's so much he wants to do, an entire life he wants to be able to live with her. That requires him living as well, which hadn't seemed like much of an ask before he started the ritual. Now it feels almost impossible, but Eddie is fighting with everything he has to stay with her. Just breathe, breathe and try not to bleed out. He can do that.

The sweater she has pressed to his arm is helping, staunches the exodus of blood from his arm. For as much blood as there is, the cut itself was not particularly deep, and that could be the difference in keeping him alive. Eddie leans heavily into her, soaks in her warmth, the warm press of her body. ]

I'm okay. [ He murmurs, and this time, feels like it's true. This is going to leave a gnarly scar, but he's feeling less at risk of bleeding out with every passing moment. ] I'm gonna be alright, Chrissy. I'm not leaving you. Promise.

[She nods, but doesn't really believe him just yet. It definitely feels like he might die at any second from blood loss. He's done this for her, and she's not about to let anything happen to him now. So she pets at the back of his head with blood soaked hands, and presses a hand to his cheek. He's the one that feels so cold and clammy now, and it makes her rise up to action.]

I need you to wait here, okay? Don't try to follow me.

[Helping him over toward the closest wall, she leans him up against it and hurries off toward the bathroom. His trailer is abandoned, that much is obvious. But it's almost like things are more or less where they should be. Which means that in the bathroom cabinet, she finds towels. And when she runs into what used to be his bedroom, she manages to find a belt discarded on top of the dresser.

Grabbing it, she runs back out to him. Her soaked and ruined sweater is thrown off to the side for now. They'll have to take that with them whenever they leave. But for now it's just in the way. She quickly replaces the sweater with a folded towel that's wrapped tightly around his arm, and she uses the belt to form a tourniquet to help stop the blood flow. With that done, she runs back to his room to find another belt. This one is used to loosely wrap and hold the towel onto his arm.

Her hands are shaking like crazy, but she's still able to apply pressure. All they have to do from that point is wait. They've got nothing but time now. Her hand presses against his cheek, and she gives out a soft squeak of alarm at how cold he is. Chrissy wedges herself back up close against him, so he can lean on her and absorb some of her heat.]

Do you know what? I think this means I get too drive your van.

[Maybe some humor will lighten the mood after the aftermath of the ritual.]

[ Eddie almost cries out when she tells him to wait, wants to cry out 'no' or 'wait'. Even though she's here, alive, he's afraid that the moment she leaves his field of vision she'll disappear. But if she is really alive, he's going to have to get used to this. He can't expect to keep an eye on her every moment, has to let her live her own life. And maybe that means just letting her go now, to do whatever she needs to. ]

Yeah, okay. [ He says as the dark blur of her shape leaves his peripheral. While she's gone, he focuses just on breathing, on staying alive. He knew this would be dangerous, would nearly cost him his life, and it seems like with her help he might actually live through this. ] I'm so glad to see you, Chrissy.

[ Maybe her face will be the last thing he ever sees, and he almost thinks that would be enough. If Chrissy Cunningham could live a long and happy life, then it would all be worth it. But she's back, applying belts as tourniquets, and Eddie thinks he might have a good shot at living. ]

Just don't take me to a hospital. [ With her help, Eddie manages to get to his feet, the two of them lurching towards his van. ] We've got an apartment just outside of town. You can stitch me up there.

[She's small, but surprisingly strong, considering she technically just was a corpse. Or a ghost, she's not really sure if her body is still buried and this is a copy. She thinks it has to be a replica somehow, because there's no way her parents buried her in her cheerleading uniform. It's what she died in.

It's probably better not to think about it too hard, because Eddie can't answer her questions right now. They slowly shuffle their way toward the van, and Chrissy gets him situated before running back inside to gather up his backpack and her sweater.

There's nothing she can do to get rid of the evidence of the ritual he performed though. They'd have to swing by on the way out of town and burn the trailer to the ground. For now though, she runs back out to the van and climbs into the driver's seat. It takes a few tries, but eventually the ignition kicks to life, and she peels out and leaves the trailer behind them.

She follows his directions as best as she can, and is grateful his van seems to have a life of its own. It's hard to drive, but it's getting them where they need to go with minimal protest. When she pulls into the apartment complex just outside of town, she's still shaking a little as she helps him out of the van. They shuffle their way together into the apartment he shares with Wayne, and Chrissy doesn't give herself time to look around before she's following his directions to find the supplies she needs to sew up his arm.

It's while she's focused on doing that she finally feels able to speak. Everything's happened so quickly and so much since she was brought back that she's a little overwhelmed.]

Are you going to say goodbye to your uncle? Or do we need to leave before he gets back?

[ Getting back to the apartment is a bit of a blur, both because of the blood loss, and for the fact that Chrissy is driving. Chrissy is real, here, alive. He wants to reach out, to take her hand, but from the passenger side, he only has his mangled arm to offer, and chooses to keep it to himself. Instead he just keeps himself focused on staying awake and conscious, which is made slightly easier by the fact that he needs to be alert to give directions.

It's a relief once they've arrived, and Eddie collapses on the couch as soon as they're through the door. Even when his head is spinning, his focus remains trained on her. To just see her walking around, even when she's looking nervous and worried, makes his heart swell. ]

I've been talking to him about getting out of here. [ His voice is soft, a little far away. ] I can give him a call tomorrow, let him know. It won't surprise him.

[ It's tempting to let Chrissy stitch him up and then just pass out here. But for as much as Wayne's come to understand about the strangeness in Hawkins, Indiana, there's no way Eddie can explain Chrissy being here, alive. They have to leave tonight. ]

Get me patched up, we'll get cleaned up, and then we can hit the road.

Edited 2022-11-09 04:31 (UTC)

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