Chapter Text
El was starting to miss her flash light as she watched Max kick the elevator cage a few times in anger. Will looked down at his watch, rolling his eyes. He let the flash light linger around the massive mouth of the cave, looking to the walls as small vines moved around like snakes. El could feel a cut on her knee from when she was dragged, the pain on her lower half of her body starting to kick in as her adrenaline wore down.
“What was I thinking?” Will said under his breath. He slowly started to pace a distance away from her. In all honesty she didn’t feel too scared. At least she understood why she felt like something was always watching her; it’s because there was. She limped slowly to the wall, looking at the plant like strings as they slithered around. She put her hand up; wondering what would happen if she touched one.
“Stop,” Max said out of breath. “We don’t know what those things are.” She walked closer to El; bring her flash light with her. “You think you could lift this thing out of here?” El looked to the cage. Will stopped his pacing to look at her, hope in his eyes. She shook her head. She hadn’t done much with her powers since that night. Most of the time it would just end with her in a big head ache, and Hopper saying I told you so over and over.
Hopper, the name made her blood run cold. He was going to kill her. It was going to be a grounding she had never experienced before. She could feel her face get hate with fear. She looked around the space, trying to think of a quick escape.
“Time,” El said bitterly to Will. He looked down with his flash light, and then looked up to the ceiling.
“It doesn’t matter,” Will said. “It’s too late. My mom probably has the entire town on patrol by now.”
“Shit,” Max said. El wondered what it was going to be like, death by scolding. She had listened to Mike and Nancy tell her stories of how they would get in trouble as small kids, how their parents would yell, how they would clean the house top to bottom in punishment. She hated cleaning, and even more than that she hated Hopper yelling at her. “Well, since we’re down here,” Max walked to the mouth of the tunnels, pointing her flash light to Will then to El.
“No,” Will said with anger. “Are you crazy? We stay here. With any luck Billy will come looking for us and we can yell for help.”
“Yeah right! Billy probably forgot about us as soon as he walked away.” El rolled her eyes, looking back to the dirt wall behind her. If she were Indiana Jones they would have been out of there already. No, if she were Indiana Jones she would be in those tunnels, searching for the real reason as to why they were down there. She pondered the thought for a moment, looking to an aggravated Will and then over to Max.
“This time we know what to expect,” She said to them. She wished she had a hat, because if she did she would have secured it on her head before going first into the dark tunnels. Will let out a small whine, while Max walked closely next to her. If she were Indiana Jones she wouldn’t feel fear, but for some reason she couldn’t shake the feeling like she was being followed.
…
Hopper could feel his temper rising as he stood at the door of the mall. Billy continued to tell him how Will, Max, and ‘that other girl’ showed up looking for Steve’s locker. He was going to kill her. No, he wasn’t going to kill her, he was going to make her wish she was dead. There were no words for the punishment she was going to get because grounding wasn’t going to be enough. He knew this plan had her hands all over it, there was no way Will would have thought of doing something so stupid.
“Where are they now?” Hopper said through his teeth. He looked back at his truck which sat on the curb by the entrance. Joyce had her head out of the window trying to listen as well as she could. Mike sat in the back, his eyes on Billy.
“I haven’t seen them since I let them in,” Billy opened the door to the Mall. “We can look. You going to arrest her?” He asked letting Hopper through the doors. Hopper held up his hand to Joyce as she tried to move out of the car. He signaled for her to stay. She rolled her eyes before sitting back in her seat with her arms crossed.
“I’m sure your sister didn’t have much to do with this plan,” he said back to the boy, pulling out his flash light as they walked down the dark entry way.
“She not my sister,” Billy said through his teeth. “She’s a little brat; I knew she was up to something.” They both sat in an uncomfortable silence, but Hopper didn’t care. He followed Billy all the way to the food court; he eyed the kid as he made his way to the white double doors. Billy opened then loudly, the force making the door slam against the tiled wall. They both took a step into a hallway, multiple doors hung open.
“Shit,” Billy said under his breathe. He walked to the closest door quickly, looking in before closing it with an angered scream. “I’m going to kill her.” Hopper moved past him down the hall, taking a peek into a door every once and a while. He made it to the end, two doors remained shut, he turned back to Billy who stood at a door in the middle.
Hopper listened to his own footsteps, his stomach dropping as he realized what he was walking to. ‘It’s not there anymore’, he had told her, ‘nothing is there anymore’. Hopper stood next to Billy, the boy’s flashlight beaming down the stairs. They were the same walls, the same stairs, and the same god damn place.
“She going to get me fired,” Billy flew down the stairs. “Maxine!” he yelled at the top of his lungs. Hopper ran after him before looking around the hall; making sure they weren’t being followed. Billy threw open the door at the bottom of the stairs, Hopper slamming into the back of him. He stood in the basement of the lab, turning to the doors he had wished were destroyed. “Where are you going?” Billy said from behind him as he moved to the big metal doors. He knew where she had gone, and now he wasn’t as mad; just sorry.
Someone had been there regularly. The walls didn’t seem as dirty, the floors looked almost waxed. He moved as if he had been there a thousand times, going through those haunting metal doors. The room where it had all happened, renovated; the whole still there.
“What is this?” Billy said, moving his flashlight around the room. Hopper stepped up onto the platform, moving to the edge of the hole. He looked down at the darkness, flashes of memory’s playing in front of his eyes. He cupped his hands over his mouth, taking in a big breathe.
“El!” he yelled down the hole. His voice echoed off the walls, Billy pointed his flashlight down as if it would help. He heard nothing back, no voices, nothing moving around. He looked up at the chains from the elevator platform, two of the chains cut in half.
“I don’t understand,” Billy said. Hopper looked to him, both of them standing close to the edge; hoping for some sound to come back to them. Maybe if he found some rope, maybe there was another way down. “The floors are too flat,” Billy said, reading his mind. “We’re standing on concrete, but maybe this platform could help stabilize a rope, we could shimmy our way down.”
“You read my mind,” Hopper said. They moved away from the hole, a cold breeze following them as they went. A shiver moved down Hoppers spine, a feeling of dread resting in the pit of his stomach.
…
They stood in the belly of the beast. Will could hear the screams of the men that had gone down into these tunnels only to be killed, all thanks to him. He felt as if he couldn’t catch his breath, and as he watched El squat close to the ground he could feel his heart fall from his chest. She watched the vines move, studying them amongst the remints of burned crisps from when the party had set fire to the hive.
“There’s bones,” El said, grabbing Max’s pant legs to get her attention. Max bent down next to her with her flash light, both girls trying to look through the movement to see what it was from. Will decide to walk the perimeter. He had never been in the tunnels, only in his mind. For some reason it didn’t really feel any different. He was sure he could never get lost, knowing every turn and where it led. The thought made him stop where he stood.
“I know how to get out.” He said, both girls looking up at him.
“What?” Max stood from her spot, slowly walking over to him.
“I know how to get out.” He repeated. “A small cave opening in the woods. That is, if it hasn’t caved in by know.” They all stared at one another.
“Lead the way,” Max said. “Get me out of this hell before we all go crazy.” Will looked at the few options he had. Four openings within the hive, four different ways to go. He pointed his flash light at the opening behind the girls.
“This way,” he picked up his pace, moving past both of the girls and into the tunnel. For once he felt helpful; for once he was going to be the one to get them out of a situation.
…
There was something following her for sure, and as she followed behind Will and Max she was starting to realize what it was. Small squeaks were coming from behind her, and every time she stopped to look she could see the small rat trailing close to her feet. At first it slightly grossed her out, but as they picked up their pace and the thought of getting out of these tunnels was quickly becoming reality, she didn’t care anymore. She imagined the rat was just trying to find a way out as well.
They decided to stay quiet, only because they didn’t know what was listening or if those vines would try to grab her again. El looked down at her jeans, dirt clumped in patches. She could feel a sharp pain coming to her left elbow, and now that she thought about it she could feel blood drying at different spot of her body.
If she thought Hopper was going to kill her before, she knew she was dead now. Not only had she found herself within the hive, but she also managed to get herself hurt in the process. If she could recall the plan Hopper had for her, it all consisted of her not doing stupid things and thinking before she did anything irrational.
“I’m going to sleep for two days after this,” Max whispered. “I swear I feel like I’m about to suffocate down here.” El looked behind her, the small rat still trailing behind. She listened to Will’s hurried footsteps trying to remind herself to put one foot in front of the other.
“Do you feel that?” Will whispered. They all stopped, the tunnel went silent.
“A breeze,” Max said moving past Will. He followed suit, but something didn’t feel right, something was making El’s stomach turn. She watched her friends move forward, their steps taking them further away, but she couldn’t move. Her breath grew heavier, and for once she didn’t feel cold but extremely hot. Something tugged at her pant leg; the small rat standing on her shoe. The sight of it made her move, slightly kicking it off in instinct.
“El?” Will turned around, his flashlight not quite reaching her. “Come on, let’s get out of here.” He stepped forward, one foot touching the vine cover dirt path.
The sound was deafening, the shaking making her fall onto her back. Dirt clouded the air, Will and Max’s screams were over shadowed by the crumbling of the tunnels walls and ceiling. El coughed, looking around in the dark, but not able to see. The ceiling had clasped, the dirt that had hung over them covering the path way that was leading them out. She was alone, in the dark; the only sound was her panicked breathing and a light squeak coming from behind her.
“Will?” she said out of reaction. Did it fall on him? She stood with her arms out in front of her trying to feel for the dirt pile. She stumbled over the thick vines, her hands moving around her trying to find some sort of support. Her hands landed on the dirt pile that had fallen in between her and her friends. The loose dirt slid down to her feet as she tried to dig her way through slowly. As she dug through, more and more dirt fell from above, making her progress worthless.
“El,” Max’s muffled yell made her heart jump. They were there; on the other side. “El!”
“Max!” She tried to yell as loud as she could; her throat growing dry from the dusty air. She tried to dig again, faster than before. Dirt kept filling the spaces she scrapped away.
“We’ll get you out!” Max yelled. Hope filled El chest. They would get her out, and she knew they wouldn’t stop until it happened. She kept digging, focusing on the pile in front of her, and not anything else. She could feel it them, a light tingle at her ankle, something playing with her pant leg. She stopped her movement; looking down her feet, but not able to see through the dark. Her heart speed up as something tightened around her leg, she tried to grab onto the dirt hill as her leg was pulled from under her, a loud scream leaving her mouth.
She wasn’t sure if her friends heard her, she wasn’t sure if anyone would. As she was dragged she put her hands out, trying to grab hold of any root or vine that she could. She could feel her nails breaking, and a cut being scraped open as she was pulled down the tunnel.
Everything stopped around her, her eyes adjusting to the hive. She tried to look around herself, trying to see what kind of danger she was facing. There were shadows; thin strips moving around the room. Something was running over her, and as she tried to stand. She could feel the vine grab her again; making her land on her butt.
The rat, it stood in her lap; squeaking loudly in the silence. She tried to push it out of her lap, but it was reluctant to move. The vines moved around her, growing over her legs, starting to build up her arms. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate. She was going to squeeze them, and pull them and tare them apart. She could feel the reins release one by one and she shredded them with her mind, but as the vines loosened on her legs she could feel a sharp pain run up her right side. A bite from the rat. She screamed as she pulled her arms away from the vines, throwing the rat across the room; hitting it against the dirt wall. Blood trickled down her leg as she stood; finding the tunnel they had first come from. She ran, trying to make her way back to the mall, back to the lift.
…
“Kid, if you ask any more questions I’ll send you back to the car.” Mike could feel his mind racing a million miles a minute. If someone had told him he would be climbing down a giant hole that lay under the mall with Billy and Hopper he would have laughed in their face. He tightened the rope around him one more time, watching as Hopper helped Bill tie the other end to the metal path way by the hole. Joyce stood by the door, biting her nails bouncing up and down.
Mike took a look down, not really understanding why his friends would want to go down there. He didn’t understand why Will hadn’t come to him, and why El was so willing to follow. He knew they were okay; at least they had to be.
“What do I do when I find them?” Mike asked, looking to Hopper. “I’m not really the most athletic. I don’t think I can climb back up this thing, and if I know Will I’m pretty sure he can’t either.”
“You’re the lightest. We are going to help you down and help you back up.” Hopper stood next to him, looking down the shaft. “We do it one at a time. You do the tie I taught you, and we bring them up one at a time.”
“And if they’re not down there?” They all looked at one another, Billy taking his flashlight to look down one last time.
“They’re down there,” Hopper said with a frown. “I know she’s down there.” Mike understood; that pulling feeling of El’s presents. He could feel it too, like she was there, but just slightly out of sight. “Keep a hold of the rope,” Hopper continued. “Plant your feet on the side of the wall and do small jumps on your way down. Don’t rush it.” Mike nodded his head, thinking of the time his parents let him and Nancy climb a rock wall in Indianapolis. Hopper put of hand on Mike should, bowing his head. “I know you can do this.”
He watched Billy and Hopper grab the rope, holding it closed to where it was knotted around his body.
“When you see Max, give her a good punch for me,” Billy said through his teeth. Mike felt panic fill his stomach, his throat closing up as he turned his back to the hole. He grabbed hold of the rope, feeling it tighten around his groan and waist as he took small steps to the edge. He made eye contact with Hopper, who nodded his head with confirmation. The room went quite, his foot rising slightly to take the small step off, that when they heard the scream.
It was far away, but no doubt coming from the tunnels bellow. His eyes widened, he took his steps faster, Billy and Hopper moving with him as he slowly jumped and glided his was down. Another scream came, this one lighter. It was only one voice, only one person. And as he felt himself getting further down her started to realize that he knew that voice.
“El,” he said lightly in response. His ability to see was getting more difficult. He couldn’t tell how far away he was from the bottom, not until his butt landed on the floor. He tugged the rope two times, letting them know he had made it to the bottom. He pulled a small flash light from his pocket, looking around the dugout hole; the lift sitting in the middle of the room, an opening of the tunnels just behind it. He put one foot in front of the other, looking around the room with fear.
She had closed the gate, he knew this, but for some reason he couldn’t shake the feeling like something was there; watching. He stopped in front of the opening of the tunnel, the small beam of light shining just a small way ahead. Something was moving around him, he could see the movement in the dirt. He looked around the entrance, moving his flashlight around the wall. Vines were bundling together, closing in around the hole of the tunnel. He could feel his heart pick up, almost pumping out of his chest as he moved into the tunnel in a run.
He didn’t understand. She had closed the gate, yet it still lived on under the town. He tripped a few times, running past moving vines as he tried to find the right path to take.
“El!” he yelled. “El!” He felt something tug in his stomach, leading him down the path slightly faster.
“Mike?” Her voice drew out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding. “Mike?!” he ran, his legs hurting from the speed, until his practically ran over her small body as he came to an opening to a large dirt room.
She was covered in dirt, small scrapes on her fast and arms; wholes in her jeans and sweater. He pulled her into a tight hug, but she pushed him back.
“What are you doing here?” She asked with slight anger. Her eyebrows frowned together. The fear he had been feeling quickly left, anger filling his chest.
“ME?” He said grabbing a hold of her shoulders. He could almost shake her. “What about you? Why would you come here? What were you thinking? Why didn’t you tell me? Hopper is pissed, and have you seen these vines; they’re moving.” El pulled him out of the open space and back into the tunnel. She rolled her eyes at his questions, pulling the flashlight out of his hand and pointing it around the dirt room. Mike looked around with her, realizing where they stood.
The Hive.
“Where’s Max and Will?” El let out a tight breath, pointing it to another tunnel across the way from them.
“The ceiling feel, they were on the other side.” She looked to the flood of the hive, Mike looking with her. A pile of vines moved in a cluster. “I was pulled here, the second time it happened tonight.” She looked up to Mike, he could feel sweat building on his forehead. “I need to go back, they’re at an opening; a way out.” Mike shook his head, grabbing her arms and pulling her down the tunnel.
“I’ll come back for them; I’m getting you out first.” El stopped in her tracks, causing Mike to roll his eyes.
“I’m not leaving,” she said stubbornly. “They’re trying to get to me, what if they get through and come looking? They could get lost down here.”
“Why can’t you just let me help you for once?” Mike said through his teeth. “It’s not your job to save everyone. I’ll come back for them, but not until I get you out of here.” She pried her arm away from him, walking back into the hive.
“I’m not leaving. Will needs me.” Mike felt something weird build inside of him; a kind of jealousy he didn’t quite understand. She walked over the cluster of vines, walking into another dark tunnel. Mike let his head fall backward in defeat, following El as quickly as he could. They walked in silence for a while. Mike tried to hold his tongue as they made their way further and further from the mall.
“How mad is he?” El asked in the stillness. Mike thought for a moment, she could have been talking to herself, finally realizing what she meant.
“I’m pretty sure Joyce is more worried about it than he is, but he doesn’t show emotion really well.” El continued to walk in front of him, his flashlight lighting the way. He let his mind wonder, looking down at the dirt floor as they went. He stepped over vines and rocks, slipping slightly every few feet as the environment moved around them. He ran into the back of El and she suddenly stopped in her place; making her launch forward. He steadied her on her shoulders.
The entrance way was blocked, a mound of dirt in their way. They stood and stared for only a moment before El got closer to the wall.
“Will!?” she yelled. They stood for a moment, nothing to be said on the other side.
“El,” Max’s muffled voice came through. The tension Mike didn’t know he was holding was let out of his shoulders. El sighed in relief. “We had to take a break,” Max continued. “The dirt just keeps falling.” Mike moved El out of the way, grabbing the flashlight and pushing away some dirt to only see it be replaced from above.
“Do you have a way out?!” Mike yelled. He took a look behind him, scanning the tunnel to make sure they were alone.
“Mike?” This time Will spoke up, the sound of his voice making him more angry than anything else. He tried to keep his cool, knowing that this raw emotion would only land him in trouble. “How did you get here?”
“It’s a long story!” Mike yelled back. “I have a way out, but I would like you guys to come.”
“That would be nice,” Max said. Mike handed the flashlight to El, moving his hands to the mound of dirt. He began to dig, pushing away as much as he could. His efforts were for nothing as the mound just stayed the same. He took the flashlight back, looking to the top where the cave-in had happened. He took a look to the floor.
“I need a stick or something,” Him and El fanned out as much as they could throughout the tunnel. He picked at dead vines to have them only turn to ash.
“What about this,” El held up a bone, as big as he arm. She held it with her finger tips as if it was contagious. He took a step towards her, looking down at the floor as he went. He took the long bone from her, gripping it in his hands.
“Maybe you should stay close,” He said, thinking of that moment, so many months ago when the vine had taken his ankle. This bone could easily become one of them. She nodded her head as they made their way back. He handed her his flashlight one last time.
“ I’m going to dig from the top left corner,” He yelled to his friends. “Your top right!” He dug into the wall first, trying to put his small muscles to use as much as he could. It wasn’t until he was half way through that he realized Max was doing the same. He took the bone, slamming the bunt end into the wall, the thin dirt crumbling. Max stood on her tiptoes, a small smile on her face while Will pointed a flashlight into the hole.
“Hello stranger,” she said sarcastically. “I appreciate that you think I’m skinny but this hole is far too small.” Mike let a smile slip past his lips.
“I’m working on it,” He could see that she was covered in dirt. They worked in silence for the next ten minutes, scrapping at hard and loose dirt until the hole was just big enough to fit them through.
“Okay Mr. Wise,” Max said pushing Will closer to the wall. “You got us in this mess you get to test if the hole works.” Mike eyed Will from the other side of the wall, looking to El who had taken a seat on the other side of the tunnel. She had her sleeve rolled up, looking down at her nails and scraped arms.
Will army-crawled through the passage way, Mike grabbed his arms, helping him through. He practically fell from the hole from the top of the tunnel.
“Come on max,” Mike said hurriedly. “People are waiting on us.” Will swiped at his jeans, looking over to El with a small smile.
“We heard you scream, and then you didn’t answer.” Mike kept his eye on the two as he watched max crawl through the small hole.
“Technical difficulties,” El said with a small smile.
“I guess we have our answer,” Will said softly. Max landing gracefully onto the tunnel floor, dusting her jeans’ the flashlight in her mouth.
“Let’s get the hell out of here,” she said taking her flashlight in her hand. Mike moved forward, a sense of something empty inside of him. He wanted to be mad at them, his worry fading now that they were all beside him. He wanted to be mad at Will, but more frustratingly he wanted to be mad at El.
The radio he had stuffed in his back pocket made a fumbling noise; echoing through the long tunnel way. All three turned to look at Mike as he fumbled with it in his pocket.
“Ki-,” Hoppers voice came in and out of range. All that was made out was mumbled hard to make out words. He picked up his pace, finally coming out into the Hive of the tunnels. “I’m going to come down there if you don’t answer.” Hopper said, his voice deeper with authority.
“We’re here Chief.” Mike said back, he looked through the four separate halls; trying to remember where to go.
“This way,” Will said leading them to the right. Mike followed behind Will, the girls behind him.
“Is everything okay?” Hopper radioed.
“We’re all fine, heading back now. Over and out.” He pushed the large radio back into his back pocket. “We are going to have to go one at a time up the rope. Hopper and Billy are at the top.”
“Ah man,” Max whined. “I’m going down, this is it for me.”
“I think we’re all going down,” Will said looking back at his friends. “I’m sorry,” he looked down at the dirt floor with a frown. “I wanted so badly to be wrong. I wanted this to be over, but I had to check.” Mike grabbed his friend by the shoulder, his feelings a jealously being pushed aside by his feelings of sorrow and understanding.
“I wanted it to be over too,” EL said quietly behind him. He looked to the girl, smaller than the rest, her body covered in cuts and dirt. “I started this, and I thought I could stop it but I can’t.” Mike thought back to the days, not so long ago, when she would have a hard time saying so many words. He thought about the times where she would turn red in frustration just trying to get simple saying out of her mouth. Now she stood with them, equal to their understanding, yet still distant from her inability to be normal.
“Let’s keep moving,” Mike said clearing his throat. Just a few days ago he would have told her it was okay, that it wasn’t her fault and they would figure it out. Now he was confused, unable to find any resemblance to the girl they had rescued in the forest. They retraced their steps back to the large pit, tying Max to the rope first before radio Hopper to let them know she was ready to be lifted up.
El and Mike stood together, watching as Will was lifted into the distance. They stood in silence for a moment before El started to move around, her feet kicking the ground.
“You’re mad at me.” El said quietly looking at the floor.
“I’m not mad El,” He said looking to the dirt walls. Honestly he didn’t know what he was. Maybe confused, because she hadn’t told him about what she was thinking. Maybe he was mad at the fact that she would rather not tell him about what her and Will had planned tonight. “I just,” He shook his head looking for the right words to say. “I guess I’m a lot of things. I’m mad that I wasn’t a part of this, I’m mad at Hopper for keeping us distant because now I feel like I don’t know you as well as I thought I did. I frustrated at Will, and I feel like you find better company in him then you do in me now.” He looked to her, kind of proud and astonished that he was able to feel all those emotions at once.
“I’ve been having dreams.” El said looking up to him. “About my mom, and they feel so real.” She bent down, starching her ankle, pain coming across her face, but vanishing quickly. “It’s like, she’s trying to tell me something, but can’t quite get it out.” There was a slap of the rope as it fell from above, hitting the wall beside them. Mike grabbed it, looking to El as he gazed in the distance. He held out his hand to her.
“You go first; I’ll come up behind you.” She squinted her eyes at him, before looking around the large space.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” She said slowly.
“Don’t be ridicules.” He said leaning forward to grab her hand. “You don’t know how to tie the rope, and I’m not leaving you down here by yourself.” They both looked down at their hands, El moved a little bit closer changing the atmosphere that surrounded his space.
“You go first,” she said softly. Mike let out a frustrated sigh.
“Don’t be stubborn,” He said to her. “Just go up and I’ll be right behind you.” El rolled her eyes; shaking her head.
…
Hopper watched Joyce stand by the door with Will, his head bowed as she quietly scolded him. He didn’t blame the kid, with so many years of fear and suffering. He looked back to the big gaping hole in front of them, Billy standing next to him holding the rope.
“What’s taking them so long?” Max asked from behind them, trying to look past their bodies. Hopper grabbed the radio speaker that attached to the top of his shirt.
“Hey kid?” He said into the walkie talkie. “Are we coming up today or what?” There was silence, a pull of the rope as Billy motioned for him to grab the back. They pulled hard, the weight a little heavier than Will. Why would Mike be coming up first? He tried not to think, only concentrating on pulling until he was able to see the boy grab onto the ledge of the metal walk way. Billy bent down and helped him back up.
“Where’s El?” He asked in almost a panic. He could feel his stomach dropping slowly at the thought that something went wrong; his head sending him to thoughts of foren creatures dragging her through the tunnels and taring her apart.
“She wouldn’t come up first,” Mike said in annoyance. “She said she could defend herself but I couldn’t.” Hopper could see anger flash before the boy’s eyes as he untied the rope around his body.
“That makes sense,” Max said. “I mean she does have,” She stopped mid-sentence, looking to her brother. “Training in fighting?” She said stumbling slight over the words.
“Right,” Mike said looking at her. “Training.” Hopper took the rope from him throwing it over the ledge. “She has the walkie talkie.” Mike said moving further down the walk way. Hopper grabbed his speaker one more time.
“Okay El,” he said through the radio. “It’s time to come up and face the music.” There was silence on the other side, nothing being said. “El?” He turned to look toward Mike who closed his eyes in disappointment. They stood in silence for ten seconds, each second becoming longer than the last. Hopper could feel his heart skip a few beats.
“I don’t hear any music,” EL said through the radio.
“She tugging the rope,” Billy said. Hopper moved quickly behind him, both of them pulling at the same time. Hopper frowned at the dirt covered girl as she lifted herself up from the metal flooring.
“Please don’t ground me,” She said slightly out of breath. She looked to his eyes before he let out a breath of relief.
…
El watched Mike lift into the air, waiting for him to look away before she took a few steps back from the wall. Mike had given her his flashlight and walkie talkie, she shined the beam across the wall slowly, trying to find any sign of the gate still being there. She started low, looking through vines and dirt with a squint of her eye.
The flashlight only went so far, she couldn’t see beyond a certain point as the light went higher. It didn’t matter much since the vines didn’t reach too far up, she was about to give up before the light shined on something slightly different than the objects she had been looking at.
A flower, one she hadn’t really seen before. Red vines holding it out from the wall. The flower head opened up with the color of blood, sharp thorns growing out the center of it. Clear liquid dripped slowly from a thorn, landing on a petal as it fell. There was a slap behind her, the rope hitting the wall to indicate it was time to go, but she couldn’t shift her eyes away. She watched, the flower slightly moving to face her, a small light starting to glow from behind it.
“Okay El,” if she could jump ten feet in the air she would. The radio making the space around her fill with a different type of energy. “It’s time to face the music.” The phrase made her roll her eyes, mostly because she didn’t really understand it. She looked around her, feeling like time had just escaped her. She looked back to the flower, the glowing from behind gone.
There was a tingle, followed by a slight pain on her lower leg. She bent down, giving it a slight scratch; the bite from the rat worse than she thought it was. She looked back to the flower, the feeling of warm blood on her finger tips from her bite. It felt as if the flower was looking back, the beauty distracting in a way that she couldn’t take her eyes off of it.
“El?” Hoppers voice sounded distant, and even though she wanted to look away and respond; she just couldn’t. It was like watching something ugly happen, like when Max scraped her knee along the street, her skin pealed back with blood gushed down her leg. El desperately wanted to look away, but she just couldn’t.
She brought the walkie talkie up to her lips, the static the radio was making reminded her of the dark space between the two realities. She pressed the button down, knowing that if she didn’t answer soon Hopper would jump down the hole himself.
“I don’t hear any music,” she found herself saying, finally pulling her eyes away from the unearthly flower. She walked to the rope, quickly wrapping it like Mike had shown her, tugging to be pulled up.