Steve looked in the rearview mirror as Dustin guessed the size of whatever animal he was talking about.

"First he was like this, then he was like this" the length between Dustin's hands grew as Armani shook her head. Still confused on the whole story he had told.

"This is not real." She looked out the window, it was dark now and her father would probably be wondering where she was.

"I swear to God, man, it's just some little lizard, okay?"

"Yeah. Lizards grow, you know?" Armani added, trying to find any logic in his story.

"It's not a lizard"

"How do you know?" Armani asked, turning around to face Dustin.

"How do I know it's not a lizard?" He repeated, annoyed

"Yeah, how do you know it's not just a lizard!" Steve spoke loudly

"Because his face opened up and he ate my cat" Dustin spoke matter-of-factly.

Armani rolled her eyes, only speaking once Steve nodded in agreement. "You can't seriously believe what he's saying, can you? This is like that upside shit you told me."

"Well, i mean-" steve started before Dustin interrupted.

"Wait hold on. You told her?"

"Y–"

"why would you tell her! Oh shit, you're going to get in trouble" Armani looked between the two arguing.

"Alright, shut up! I swear. My dad's gonna be pissed I'm getting home so late, and I'll have to tell him i was out fighting lizards with a thirteen year old" she sighed.

The car parked in the dark driveway, the two boys got out and Armani followed behind them. As they stood, Steve got a bat with nails sticking out of it from his truck.

"What is that for?" Armani said, backing away from him.

"Precaution" he said, before pulling out another similar bat, and a flashlight. The color was lighter, it seemed less run down, and instead of nails, it had barb wire wrapped around the end.

"Here" he handed it to Armani, who backed up and refused to take it.

"No way I'm taking that. Are you serious, Steve?"

Steve looked back at Dustin before offering the bat to her again.

"take it. Just in case." Armani sighed deeply, taking the bat, along with the flashlight, she muttered "this is stupid."

The three made their way to Dustin's cellar, the door was locked and suddenly a wave of anxiousness seemed to creep over Armani.

Steve stepped closer, "I don't hear shit" he said.

Armani nodded, "exactly."

"He's in there" Dustin assured.

Steve poked the door with his bat, it gave off a small bang but nothing was heard inside, Armani tapped her foot as her patience wore thin.

Again, Steve slammed the door with his bat, nothing but a louder bang was heard.

The two teens turned their flashlights to Dustin's face, "All right, listen Kid, if this is some sort of Halloween prank,"

"it's not" the kid assured.

Armani shook her head, "you are so dead"

"alright?" steve added before Dustin once again assured them.

"It's not a prank. Get out of my face."

"You got a key for this thing?" Steve asked, Dustin nodded and left the two alone while he searched for the key to the cellar.

"This is not how I thought my day would go" Armani said, leaning her weight on her bat.

"Yeah, believe me, me neither"

"do you actually believe him?" Armani asked.

"i'm not sure, maybe" Steve shrugged, "It's not so crazy considering whats happened before."

Dustin returned with the key, Steve took it from him and opened the heavy door. The loud noises filled the mostly silent night with a sense eeriness that was felt throughout all three of them.

As Steve peered down the dark cellar, Armani leaned forward, the hairs on the back of her neck stood on end.

"He must be further down there. I'll stay up here incase he tries to..escape" Dustin eyed the two teenagers.

"This demogargon thing, it ate your cat?" Armani asked.

"demogorgan, his name is dart, and yes" Dustin answered.

Steve sighed, he began walking down the staircase, Armani found herself holding her breath.

"Steve?" Dustin asked after a minute had passed.

"Steve, what's going on down there?" Armani stepped closer to the entrance.

A light came from below, causing Armani and Dustin to jump before realizing it was Steve's flashlight.

"Get down here." He ordered, Armani stepped forward first, her bat held tightly in one hand, although she doubted she would muster the strength to actually use it.

When Armani and Dustin got down, there seemed to be no animal, monster, whatever, in sight.

"Holy shit" Mani managed, eyes ending at the mucus like substance hanging from Steve's bat.

"He shed" she whispered, Dustin letting out an "oh shit."

Steve then led his flashlight from the skin to a hole in the wall.

"Oh shit." Dustin repeated.

The three went closer, squatting to inspect the wall.

Armani gulped, squinting as she shone her flashlight into the hole, it seemed to go on forever.

"No way. No way" Dustin spoke, Steve turned to Armani, putting a hand on her knee.

"I think he's telling the truth."

"This is not happening" she murmured.

—

"

Armani put down the buckets of meat she held, her eyes felt heavy.

The night before, Steve had taken her back to her own house, and when she realized her father wasn't home, the worry began to settle in. Steve assured her he was probably helping Joyce and Will, despite her calling their home without answer, and the three decided to sleep in her empty house.

Dustin called dibs on the guest room, leaving Steve on the couch, which Armani decided against. 'There's no way. Stay in my room, i'll move the radioshack boxes and sleep on the couch.' which Steve was unhappy with. After the two stayed up, laying next to each-other on Armani's bed and talking about the upside down and the monster, they both ended up falling asleep in the same bed once again.

Armani's mind was anywhere but sleep, and she found trouble keeping her eyes closed without fear of that monster-lizard thing, and worry about her dad. Steve woke up and tried to comfort her, which ended in the two being awfully close and steve's arm around her while she tried to sleep. Her nerves seemed to calm after, and she finally found some sleep.

"So you weren't lying about Barb?" Armani asked Steve, pulling up the sleeves of the tan jacket he had let her borrow.

"No, I wasn't." He said, only looking up when Dustin began speaking to someone on his headset.

"Well well, look who it is" The younger teen continued speaking to the boy on the other end.

"Raw meat and the gasoline? I'll need seven showers after this" Armani asked, picking up the two bats and handing Steve his.

"It's got a strong scent, but if this thing is what we think it is, it's got a big appetite" Steve answered.

"I'll explain later. Meet me, Steve and Armani at the old junkyard" Dustin said, the voice of the other boy was audible and muffled, but Armani recognized it as Lucas.

"Steve Harrington?"

"And bring your binoculars and wrist rocket"

"Armani? Will's stepsister?"

"Yeah, they've got a thing now. Apparently."

Dustin turned back to the two teens, Armani turning to him with furrowed eye brows.

"I'm not Will's stepsister." She corrected, "and we don't have a thing" she gestured to herself and Steve.

Dustin took a deep breath and spoke, "okay, don't get all defensive."

Steve chuckled, standing up next to Armani. "Alright, lets go."

"Just be there. Stat. Over and out." Dustin spoke to Lucas.

The three began to walk through the woods, Armani looking up at the sky frequently, hoping that the whole mess would be over soon.