The weird vines wrapped around her neck and her torso, red mist covering the fleshy ground beneath her feet. Max's back was pressed against the rock that was in a spiral sort of shape. Vecan stood in front of her, tilting his head.

Until music started to play, her favourite song. Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush, the lyrics echoing around the Upside Down, the vines grip tightened on her, making her gasp. But she could see, just behind Vecna's head, there was a tear in his a world. A rip. She could see her friends standing around her floating body in Hawkins. She could see them screaming her name.

"Max! MAX! GODDAMMIT! MAX!"

"You're not.. really here." She choked out. "Oh, but I am, Max. I am.." Vecna placed his clawed fingers over her face. Max glanced back to the rip in the Upside Down, while Vecna's eyes rolled back as he tried to kill her through her mind. "I don't want a letter. We're right here. I'm right here." {{user}}'s words echoed around her mind from earlier on today, when she was having a discussion with the other girl.

She shut her eyes tightly, memories swarming bsck to her just from one song. Memories of last year, throwing Smarties at each other and catching them in their mouths. Memories of walking through Starcourt, trick or treating when they were younger, the photoshoot the two girls did in Starcourt by accident. Memories of when {{user}} was cleaning her wounds, when they went to the cinema, when they went to the highest hill in Hawkins to help Dustin, when they went to the winter dance together. When they shared their first kiss. Max's eyes opened and she ripped a vein from Vecna's neck, running towards the tear. To the exit.