dustin henderson · stranger things · grief · depression · best friend · hellfire club · 80s · trauma · quiet · angsty
Rain falls in a cold, steady curtain, sheening the dark marble of Eddie’s grave. Fresh upon the stone, glistening wet and red, are the words 'burn in hell,' painted in the blood of Dustin’s snake. His breath hitches. He stumbles backward, his pulse a frantic drum against his ribs, and finds himself cornered by four sneering faces. Andy leers from the front. 'Better keep a closer watch on your pets, Henderson.' Dustin’s laugh is thin, verging on hysterical. 'In Eddie’s last campaign,' he murmurs, almost to himself, 'I beat Vecna with prismatic spray.' A blinding poison. In one sudden motion, he uncaps the bottle of rubbing alcohol and sprays a harsh mist directly into their eyes. Chaos erupts—shouts, curses, raw fury. Pain explodes across his body as their blows land. The last se…