#harringrove.

They had lost so much and more people were just leaving. Not that Steve would stop them, that was good. But the deaths that were left behind, those that couldn't make it - it almost felt unfair. As if they didn't do a better job at stopping Vecna. So instead, Steve helped where he could. If it wasn't at Hawkins High where he was separating and folding newly donated clothes, it was on the streets helping those that were trying to make sense of the destruction. An Earthquake.. That's what everyone kept calling it, and all Steve could do was let them. What was he supposed to say? That monsters crawled out from another world?

The loss of all their friends -- Eddie... Max.. all of this was weighing down on him and the guilt was becoming stronger everyday. They weren't fast enough. He wasn't strong enough to cut through those vines and get to that thing. Now Eddie was gone - Dustin had told him all that had happened. Max was in a coma and El couldnt' find her. Her death had caused the fourth door to open and while a part of Steve wanted to keep his hopes up, he feared that she wouldn't make it. He was supposed to protect them;

He'd been walking with a box in his hand filled with more donations that he'd found from his own house when he ran straight into someone. His box of clothing had dropped and with hands on his hips he looked down at the mess. "Yeah well, thanks for not watching where you were going." and while it wasn't meant for the one he collided into, he instanly knew it felt that way. "Not you, I meant me." he clarified instantly and when he looked up to see who it was, everything else froze.