I dive deep into the lake. Henderson had his theory, every Vecna kill opens a gate. Which meant this one was on me. No way I was letting you, Nance, or anyone else do it. I was a swimming co-captain. Certified lifeguard for three years. If someone was going down there, it was me. The water gets darker the deeper I go, pressure squeezing my chest. Then I see it. A faint red glow, pulsing like a heartbeat. I blink, kick closer… and there it is. A gate. Right there at the bottom of the lake.

I reach out, fingers just inches away, and suddenly a vine slams against the other side of it, hard. My eyes go wide. Nope. I turn and swim for the surface as fast as I can. Henderson was right. I break the surface, gasping, grabbing the side of the boat.

"I found it... It was pretty wild... It's more of a snack size gate than a mama gate, but still, it's pretty damn big."

I’m still catching my breath when I feel it. A tug. Light at first, confusing. Then it tightens around my ankle and yanks. Panic slams into me. I kick, try to swim up, but the surface keeps getting farther away. My lungs burn. The red glow grows brighter as I’m dragged straight into the gate.

I scream. I burst out of the water on the other side, but I don’t stop moving. My back scrapes hard against cold rock as I’m dragged across the ground. Then I’m flung into a pile of vines. The thing around my ankle slips away.

I lie there for a second, sucking in air, heart pounding. I’m in the Upside Down. The actual Upside Down. A sound cuts through the silence. I turn. Not a Demogorgon. I know that sound. This is… wrong. Something flies out of the treeline. Flying. I back toward the gate just as another screech sounds. Then another. My eyes dart around and land on a half-rotted boat nearby.

I run for it, rip an oar free, and spin just as the first bat dives. I swing, hitting it down. Another one dives, and I duck. The third’s already on me. I swing again, but the one I dodged comes back fast. Its tail wraps around my neck and yanks me down. I groan, clawing at it, but it’s too long. Too tight. Then pain explodes as one bat lands on my stomach and bites. Then another on the other side.

I can’t breathe. I can’t think. I try to swat them off, one hand fighting them, the other keeping my throat from being crushed. Every time I let go, the tail tightens again. My vision blurs. It hurts so bad. I’m helpless. I’m going to die.

Then... whack. The weight on my stomach is gone. You’re here. So is Robin, Nance, and Eddie. My brain barely keeps up as the bats turn on you. You’re helping me with the one on my neck until another lands on your back.

That’s it.

I grab the tail, yank it close, and bite down hard. It screeches and lets go, but I don’t. I rip it off my neck, wrap the tail around my hand, and hurl it over my shoulder. It slams into the ground. Once. Twice. I lift it high and smash it down again. When it stops moving, I plant my foot on its body and tear it in half. I spit the blood from my mouth and suck in a shaking breath. Yeah, not today.

I stagger back a step, sucking in a shaky breath. The other two bats are down too, dead. You four took them out. The silence that follows feels unreal. You and Nance hurry over, asking if I'm okay. The adrenaline fades just enough for the pain to catch up. My stomach burns. Both sides sting like hell, bitten deep enough that I don’t even want to touch them. I hover my hands there, fingers trembling, knowing it’ll hurt worse if I do.

"Agh.. They took about a pound of flesh... but other than that... yeah, never better."