{Vecna's Curse, Part II}

Earlier that day at the Family Video, Robin recounted her interaction with Vickie from the night before.

Steve half-listened as he stocked the shelves with videotapes.

"...and it was all going great!" Robin said. "And I was starting to think, this could be our moment. But then Willie interrupted us with his stupid Fozzie Bear impression!"

"Oh, yeah," Steve said. "I've heard the impression. It's pretty good."

"It's insanely good!" Robin said. "But that's not the point. The point is that all night, when we weren't playing, I tried to talk with her. And each time, Willie forced himself into our conversation!"

"That's rough," Steve said, "but cut the kid some slack. He's the youngest guy in your grade. And he doesn't totally get social cues."

"Trust me," Robin said, "I know that struggle. It's just so infuriating! It takes me ages to build up the courage to talk to her, and then I become a third wheel!"

"You know," Steve said, "we could still do Alice's idea, for some kind of group activity. We could purposefully set it up so you two get some time alone."

"But what if Alice invites Willie, and he keeps stealing my time with Vickie?"

Steve pulled a cart of tapes to the next aisle and said, "We'll just tell Al not to invite Willie."

"But that's rude! I don't want to hurt his feelings."

"Robin," Steve said, raising an eyebrow. "You're spiraling."

Robin groaned and leaned against a movie poster.

"Ugh, I know. I suck."

"You don't suck."

"I do! Totally and utterly. I'm making no progress with Vickie, and I'm taking it out on Willie. I'm overthinking this and I can't stop!"

"Rob," Steve said, leaning alongside her, "I know it may not seem like it, but things are going to work out. If not with Vickie, with some other awesome girl!"

"Easy for you to say," Robin grumbled, crossing her arms. "You found your soulmate! You and Alice will probably be together forever."

Steve grinned dreamily, eyes shining.

"Wait, when did Al call me her soulmate?"

Robin rolled her eyes, leaving the love struck Steve on the wall.

A certain VHS caught her eye as she walked past one of the shelves.

"I found our morning movie!" she said. "Doctor Zhivago."

Steve scrunched up his face in disgust and waved his hands. "You know I don't do double VHS."

"But it's about doomed love! Also, Julie Christie is b-b-bonkers hot in this."

She flipped on the store's TV, ready to defend Doctor Zhivago. However, the duo got distracted by an unsettling news story:

"We're in the Forest Hills trailer park in East Roane County. We don't have a lot of details now, but we can confirm that the body of a Hawkins High student was discovered early this morning. Police have not released the name..."

"Holy shit," Steve murmured.

The two of them watched the story unfold, shell-shocked.

A bit later in the morning, Dustin and Max raced into the establishment, wide-eyed and breathless.

"Hey, Steve!" Dustin called.

Steve frowned slightly when he didn't see Alice with them.

"Did you guys see this?" Steve said in a hushed voice.

"How many phones do you have?" Dustin said.

"Someone was murdered!" Steve said.

"HOW MANY PHONES DO YOU HAVE?" Dustin repeated.

"Two. Why?"

"Technically three," Robin said, "if you count Keith's in the back."

"Three works," Max said.

Dustin yanked off his backpack before pushing it across the counter. He vaulted overtop of it like a junior Olympian, knocking over a stack of videotapes and causing Steve and Robin to shout.

"What are you doing, man?" Steve yelled.

"Setting up base of operations."

"Base of operations?" Robin said with a huff.

"Okay, what is this?" Steve said. "Where's Alice to rein you in?"

"Prom dress shopping," Dustin scoffed, typing furiously. "Can you believe that shit?"

Robin shook her head.

"Uh, no," she said. "She's not."

"Yes, she is," Dustin said. "She's at the dress shop with Maria and Nancy."

"No, she's not," Robin said. "We're all going next weekend, when I don't have work. I tried to tell them those frilly, poofy monstrosities aren't my style, but Maria wouldn't let me get out of it."

"If Alice isn't shopping," Steve said, "then where is she?"

"You're her boyfriend," Max said. "Shouldn't you know?"

This new development caused Dustin to momentarily cease his search.

"Why did she lie?" he said. "She lies to Mom all the time. But to me?"

"You can feel betrayed about it later," Max said. "We have to call Eddie's friends!"

"Oh, Eddie," Steve said, bristling at the mention of Dustin's new role model.

"Don't you start!" Dustin warned. "I'm not in the mood to deal with Alpha-Male Steve right now. We have more pressing matters to discuss."

"I like to call him Caveman Steve," Robin said, readjusting the front counter display the younger teens had so quickly ruined.

"I'm not a Caveman, or an Alpha!" Steve said. "I'm just confused and overwhelmed, because Alice is essentially missing, and someone's dead, and you two are playing around on our computer!"

"We're not playing!" Max said as Dustin continued to search the database for the Hellfire Club members. "We need to talk to Eddie, because I think...we think...he witnessed something from the Upside Down kill Chrissy Cunningham."

"Chrissy's who died?" Robin said, voice dropped to a whisper. "Geez. That's so sad."

This talk about the Upside Down made Steve increasingly nervous. He unzipped Dustin's overflowing backpack and dug around for something.

"What the hell, Steve!" Dustin snapped. "Nosy much!"

"I need your walkie-talkie," Steve said. "We need to talk to Al."

"Can't that wait?" Max said. "Something from the Upside Down might've killed somebody!"

"And there's a potential murderer on the loose!" Steve said. "Supernatural or otherwise. And Alice lied about where she was going. She could be throwing herself into danger, whether she means to or not. We're going to find out where she is first, make sure she's okay, and then you two can spend all day calling The Freak's friends and I won't complain one bit. Got it?"

He half-expected Max to sass him back. However, she just nodded.

"Thank you," Steve said, pulling the radio out of the bag. "Dustin, how does this thing work?"

"You're hopeless," Dustin muttered, before grabbing it from the older boy and adjusting the frequency.

"Alice, do you copy? This is Dustin, over."

Nothing but static—Dustin tried again: "Alice, do you copy? Over."

After a beat, they heard: "This is Alice. I copy, but I can't talk right now. I'm about to try on a new dress...check it out Maria, a mermaid cut!"

"Wooooooow," Dustin said, "Lying to your dear brother, boyfriend, and best friends? Max and I just arrived at the Family Video, and Robin told us your shopping trip is next week! Over."

"Okay, fine," Alice said. "I'm not dress shopping. I'm currently about to fist fight this bee, and then I'm going to find one of Eleven's friends."

"One of El's friends?" Dustin said. "Aren't we her only friends?"

Max smacked Dustin's arm for the comment, and said, "Unless you mean someone from before. Someone from—"

"The lab?!" Steve said, once the pieces fell into place. He ran a hand through his hair and paced the tiny space behind the counter. "Oh, that's just great."

He leaned closer to the radio and added, "Why are you meeting someone from the lab? And why the hell are you going alone?"

"It's a total shot in the dark," Alice said, "and probably a waste of time. But it's not an evil lab person. It's someone like El, who can maybe help me understand stuff more than Owens could."

"Stupid Alice and her stupid hero complex," Dustin muttered. "Always trying to go it alone." He pressed the talk button and said, "At least tell us where you're going."

"Fine. Murray got me intel—"

"The reporter guy in the jorts from Starcourt?" Steve said. This was getting worse and worse...

"—that her van was spotted by McGee's Farm in Eagleton a while back. I'm hiking to the barn at the back of their property to see if El's friend has been squatting here."

"Isn't that in East Roane County?" Robin said.

"Shit, shit, shit," Dustin said, panic levels rising. He pressed the talk button. "Alice, that's where Chrissy's body was found! You've got to be careful, okay?"

"Wait, Chrissy Cunningham?" Alice said. "She's who was murdered?"

"We think she was killed by something related to the Upside Down," Max said.

"Wait, what?"

"We're going to track Eddie down so we can confirm this theory," Dustin said.

"Wait, what?!"

"Seriously, Alice," Steve said, annoying Dustin at how loudly he spoke over his shoulder. "Please be safe."

"I promise," Alice said. "I am totally safe."

"I would've taken off work and come with you," Steve continued. "I know you're totally capable of doing things by yourself, but that doesn't mean you should or need to."

He took in a deep breath and said, "We're a team, you know? You and me. And teammates tell each other things. Like, if we were playing basketball..."

The other three teens rolled their eyes at the impending sports metaphor. Thankfully, Alice interrupted it.

"You're right. This was a stupid waste of time. I'm going to head back to Hawkins now."

"Come to the Family Video!" Dustin said. "And help us find Eddie."

"Sure," Alice said. There was a long pause of nothing but white noise.

"Is she done talking already?" Max said.

"She didn't say 'Over and out,'" Dustin said. "But maybe she just forgot."

Steve took the radio from Dustin and said, "Alice, is everything okay?"

"Yes! I'm fine. I love you all. Seriously, you're the best. The best around! Like the song!"

Although it sounded grainy over the radio waves, the teens could hear Alice attempting to hum "You're the Best Around" from The Karate Kid.

They also could hear another, indistinctive voice.

"Al, is someone there?" Dustin said.

"Goodbye!"

And then, nothing but static.

"That was weird, right?" Robin said. "We all heard that?"

"I guess that's El's friend," Max said. "But they didn't sound so friendly."

"Alice didn't say our secret code word for danger," Dustin said. "But that was suspicious..."

"What's the word?" Robin asked.

"Um, it's secret for a reason!"

During this conversation, Steve tore off his Family Video vest and disappeared into the back room. He then re-emerged with his jacket and car keys.

"If Keith comes around," Steve said as he beelined toward the doors, "I went home sick. And you two knuckleheads are my interns, replacing me for the day."

"Where are you going?" Max asked.

"To find Alice. She said she was by McGee's Farm, right? Back in a flash."

📼📼📼

In the McGee barn, Alice and Kali sat on some (rather uncomfortable) hay bales while Alice told her story.

"In 1983," Alice said, "a boy in town went missing. His name is Will. He's one of my brother's best friends. We even thought he was dead, at some point, but he actually was trapped. In another place."

Kali, stone-faced, listened with rapt attention. The laser-focus made Alice a little uncomfortable, but she continued.

"We call it the Upside Down. It's another dimension. Like, a multiverse-type thing. The opposite of this one, where everything is dark and morbid and poisonous. Around the time he went missing, we met El. You know her as Eleven, or Jane. My brother and his friends took her in after she escaped the Lab. Shortly after meeting her and seeing her powers in action—you know, the nosebleeds?—I realized I had powers of my own. Probably because of my mom (my birth mom, I'm adopted). Healing powers, and with that, heat and light generation."

"The heat makes sense," Kali said, startling Alice. "The human body warms itself up to fight infections."

"Yeah, exactly!" Alice said. "And we get fevers."

"But the light generation...that's odd."

"It comes back around later," Alice said. "You'll see."

Kali raised an eyebrow but made a gesture for Alice to keep talking.

"Will got saved," Alice said. "I fell into a coma because I overused my powers. When I came to, I had to spend the next year going to weekly Lab appointments. It was bullshit, but helped a little, I guess."

"At least you weren't a prisoner," Kali said, eyes narrowed.

Alice looked away and said, "Right, sorry. Comparatively, my situation was better. I struggled controlling my powers, now that they were more activated. I didn't like having them. It made me moody, angry, and sullen. I was a total bitch to my brother and his friends. And then the Mind Flayer—"

"I'm sorry, the what?"

"Mind Flayer," Alice said. "He's a creature that lived in the Upside Down. He should be dead, but he used to control it, I think. It's a hive mind. He's carnivorous and hell-bent on destroying the world and taking over. He got inside Will's head and possessed him—they had some sort of connection after Will was stuck in his home world. I tried to stop it, but the Mind Flayer could sense my powers, and he totally fucked them up. I couldn't heal anymore. And if I got injured, I started to freeze from the inside-out. It was...gnarly."

"How did your powers return?" Kali asked.

"Dr. Owens," Alice said. "He made some sort of serum, medicine thing. It was created to keep me from getting too hot, but it works in reverse too. It's all about homeostasis or something. Anyway, that worked, but a few weeks later, I started having these dreams about rabbits. Weird, vivid ones. And around Christmastime, every night a rabbit would appear and tell me I was going to die on the Fourth of July! And this is why I need to talk to you."

Kali blinked.

"Me?" she said. "What would I know about dream rabbits?"

"They aren't dreams," Alice said. "They're illusions. Illusion manipulation! Like what you can do, refracting light into whatever you want people to see in their heads! But I don't mean to make them. It's like, subconscious. And I'm the only one who can see them. Except for once, with a pair of garden shears."

"I don't quite understand," Kali said. She crossed her arms. "You claim that you can do what I do, but all you do is involuntarily create bunnies that give you horrible news?"

"They don't all give horrible news," Alice said. "Sometimes they point me in the right direction. Guide me along. Show me things that are important later."

She withheld the information that one such rabbit was chatty and anthropomorphic, figuring the discovery of Clive Cottontail would prompt Kali to send Alice to Pennhurst Asylum immediately.

"Until recently," Alice said.

"Your 15 minutes are almost up," Kali warned.

"I know, I know!" Alice said. "I'll talk fast. I think I've started creating different illusions. Scarier ones. I saw this dead guy that I couldn't save, and he tried to beat me up. I had to go to the hospital because I was, like, in a trance or something. And then there were these eyes, and this voice..."

Alice shuddered at the thought, fear seizing her heart.

"And my scar," she said, holding up her left palm. "From the Mind Flayer. It's hurting again. I guess I just need to know if this is something you've struggled with. Creating illusions by accident that haunt you."

Kali studied Alice, eyes narrowed.

"This is a fantastical tale," she said. "I am not sure if I believe in any monsters, besides mankind."

"It's all true," Alice said, leaning forward on her hay bale. "And if you have any advice for me, I'd really appreciate it."

"I'm sorry, Alice," Kali said. "But what you're describing does not sound like my powers."

Alice's heart sunk to her feet. "Huh?"

"I've always been able to share my illusions," Kali said. "Even when I was small, before Brenner took me away. I had an imaginary friend named Mr. Whipple. I caused quite a ruckus when I showed him off at school. I should mention, Mr. Whipple was a pink python."

Alice imagined a smaller version of the punk-rock Kali walking a pink python on a leash on a playground. It was a funny vision, but it didn't help her current situation.

"I don't understand," Alice said, face crestfallen. "I was so sure it was illusion manipulation, that I just couldn't control it yet. Clive said—"

"Clive?" Kali said. "You did not mention a Clive. Who is he?"

Alice blushed and mumbled, "One of the bunnies. He talks to me."

Kali snorted. "You are something else, Alice."

"I'm not crazy, if that's what you're thinking!" Alice snapped. She clenched her fists and jumped to her feet. Kali followed suit.

"I didn't say that," Kali said, keeping her voice level.

"But you're thinking it!" Alice said. White-hot rage burned through her from head to toe. "Everyone's thinking it! Jason, and Andy, and probably even Steve, deep down!"

"I do not know who those people are," Kali said. "I'm simply telling you that I do not think our powers are the same. And it makes sense why! I've been able to do mine since birth, because like your birth mother, mine was part of some rather interesting government experiments. You have healed since birth, but the visions, dreams, illusions, or whatever you want to call them—you have only been able to do that since that creature corrupted your powers."

This realization slapped Alice across the face. Her knees buckled, and she fell back onto the itchy hay bale.

"Holy shit," Alice mumbled. "You're right. That didn't start happening until the Mind Flayer."

"That must be why you cannot control this ability," Kali said matter-of-factly. "It's not yours to control."

"Someone's controlling it for me," Alice said, staring straight ahead in a frightened daze. Her stomach churned. She felt sick. All those bunnies...all those conversations with Clive...and he could be part of the Mind Flayer?! 

Kali felt sorry for this strange, strange girl. Although she didn't fully understand what the hell Alice was talking about, it was obvious she was in pain. She kept scratching at the scar on her palm, and tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I am truly sorry," Kali said. "I know you came here for help, and I do not think I can offer it."

Alice rubbed her tears away roughly.

"It's fine," Alice said. "This was helpful, in a way. I do want to know one more thing before I go..."

Kali sighed, before taking her seat once more.

"Your van was found here six weeks ago," Alice said. "What brought you to East Roane County? To Eagleton?"

Kali turned away, embarrassed. "I wanted to find Jane. And her policeman."

"Hopper?" Alice said. "Oh, um, he—"

"Died last summer," Kali said. "Yes, I learned." She sucked in a breath and told her own story. "My crew and I were on the run for a bit. With my powers I could keep us hidden from the authorities. But they got tired of a life in hiding. One by one, they left, until it was just me. Alone. I did not want to be alone anymore."

She cleared her throat and continued. "I remembered Jane telling me about her policeman. How he took her in, like a father. I scoffed at the time...I did not think it could last. But I figured if anyone would be sympathetic to me, it would be him, because I am like Jane."

Kali stood from her hay bale and paced, wringing her hands.

"I remembered Jane mentioning the name Hawkins," Kali said, "so I came here. In town, I made myself appear invisible, so I would not get seen. I searched all over downtown for a sign of Jane or her policeman, but when I got to the precinct—"

"You saw the memorial," Alice said. On the wall at the police station was an In Memoriam mural, honoring Chief Hopper and those who died at Starcourt.

"I have spent the last month and a half searching for Jane," Kali said. "In the daytime, I turn invisible and walk the streets of Hawkins, looking for her. At night, I steal food from the houses nearby and sleep here, waiting to start over again tomorrow. But now, you tell me she is not even here anymore!"

"I'm really sorry, Kali," Alice said. "Hopper's friend Joyce—Will's mom—adopted El and took her to California. They moved in October."

Kali sighed. "Just my luck. All of this for nothing."

Alice thought about the Henderson house, and how there wasn't really room for guests. That didn't stop her from offering.

"You know," Alice said, "my mom probably hasn't seen any of the newspaper clippings with your picture. They're all super grainy. You could stay at my place for a bit, while you figure things out."

"Even after what Jane undoubtedly told you about me," Kali said, "you would allow me into your home?"

Alice nodded and shrugged.

"That is kind," Kali said. "But it is too risky."

"I get it," Alice said. "You're technically still wanted. But I do have something for you."

Alice pulled a dented walkie-talkie out of her bag.

"It's my extra one," Alice said, handing it to Kali. "The sound quality isn't great, but it does the trick. If you ever need to get in touch, go to Frequency 6. Oh, and here's the batteries. And Pop-Tarts, if you're hungry."

Kali's lips quirked into a small smile.

"Thank you, Alice. I believe that concludes our 15 minutes."

"Right, right," Alice said, throwing her bag on her shoulder. "See you around. Frequency 6, remember it!"

With that, she retrieved her bike and headed toward the main road.

🐰🐰🐰

Steve drummed his steering wheel impatiently as he sped toward Eagleton. All he could envision was something horrible happening to...

"Alice!" he shouted aloud in his car, when he spotted her yanking her bike through the trees. He pulled over and parked nearby.

"Steve?" Alice said, shielding her eyes from the sun with her hand. "What are you doing here?"

"Just in the neighborhood," he said. "Here, let me help." While she had been struggling to free her bike from a tangle of branches, Steve freed it almost effortlessly.

"Show-off," Alice teased. "But seriously, you came all the way out here for me?"

"We heard a weird voice on your radio call," Steve explained. He loaded the bike into his trunk. "I got worried. I thought El's friend might try and shank you."

"I'm here," Alice said. "Fully un-shanked."

Steve frowned. Her eyes were rimmed with red. "Have you been crying?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Alice said. "Let's talk about it on the drive."

Alice recounted Kali's theory to Steve as he navigated them back to the Family Video.

"That's impossible," Steve said, face scrunched up in that confused, adorable way that Alice loved. "There's no way the Mind Flayer put anything in your head."

"Is it?" Alice said. "It does make sense."

"It makes no sense! Why would the Mind Flayer give you hints about future stuff? How would he know? Even if he did, wouldn't he want you to not know what was coming, so he could surprise us?"

"I don't know," Alice said, leaning her head on the cool glass of the car window. "I just know that except for Clive, and the occasional helpful hint, the illusions I've seen have been pretty fucked up. Especially lately. Did I tell you about the thing I saw in my dream last night? It was this naked, desiccated, corpse-like thing. And he talked! Just like the voice I heard at the Creel House. He said we were alike."

"You're not desiccated or corpse-like," Steve said. "So he's 1 for 3."

"I'm also not naked," Alice shot back, gesturing to her clothes.

"Well, I mean, sometimes you are. I remember a few times you were that I quite enjoyed."

Alice glared daggers at her (horny) boyfriend. "Are you seriously thinking about sex at a time like this?"

Steve grimaced and ran a hand through his hair.

"It was a bad joke," Steve said. "I'm retracting it immediately."

"I just don't know what to do," Alice said. She eyed her Orion's Belt scar with disdain. "Upside Down stuff is happening again, and I could be connected to the Mind Flayer. What if he's back and he flays me?"

"He won't," Steve said, reaching for Alice's hand and squeezing it gently. "We won't let him."

He smiled at her. Alice smiled back. Despite the anxiety chipping away at her, it felt good knowing that she wasn't alone. 

{Posted July 2nd, 2022; Republished March 22, 2025}

A/N [from 2022] Volume 2 has done something to me. It's changed me, fundamentally. I need Season 5 ASAP!

QOTD: Opinions on...Stancy 👀 

A: I am not a fan! I like Nancy and Jonathan together, so her spending all of Season 4 making googly eyes at Steve really bugged me. Jonathan deserves better, and Steve also deserves someone who will give him their full attention. (And go on that cross-country road trip he wants to take. I volunteer!)

This isn't Nancy hate. I do like her. I just think the writers don't know how to write her well! But that's what fanfiction is for 💅