Stare.

Chapter Five: The Flea and The Acrobat

The next morning, I got ready fast, putting on a black dress and some black heeled boots for the funeral. As well as putting my hair back in a ponytail. I sighed as I made my way out of my room.

We all stood outside in the rain. The pastor was reading from the Bible in front of the grave, and I sat next to my mom. Holding her hand. After he spoke, we put flowers on Will's grave.

(This part is really boring, so beware) ↓

Everyone are now inside getting food after the service. I saw Will's friends talking to one of the middle school teachers. 

"Hey, boys." I said as I walked over to them. 

"Hi, Y/n."

"Hey." 

"Hi, Y/n." They all said. 

"Hi, Mr Clarke." 

"Hey, Y/n. Sorry for your loss." 

"Thank you." 

"We were wondering if you had time to talk?" 

"We have some questions." 

"A lot of questions." The boys asked Mr Clarke. I sat down with them because I didn't really have anyone else to sit with. Nancy and I were still not talking, and Jonathan was with her, And Mom was talking to Dad. 

"So, you know how in Cosmos, Carl Sagan talks about other dimensions? Like beyond our world?" 

"Yeah, sure. Theoretically." 

"Right, theoretically." 

"So, theoretically, how do we travel there?" 

 "You guys have been thinking about Hugh Everett's Many-Worlds interpretation, haven't you?" I didn't really know what they were talking about. 

"Well, basically, there are parallel universes. Just like our world, but with just infinite variations of it. Which means there's a world out there where none of this tragic stuff ever happens." 

"Yeah, that's not what we're talking about." I turn my head to look over at them. They were acting weirdly. 

"Oh." 

"We were thinking of more of an evil dimension, like the Vale of Shadows. You know the Vale of Shadows." Were they talking about what I think they're talking about? 

"An echo of the Material Plane, where necrotic and shadow magic-" 

"Yeah, exactly. If that did exist, a place like the Vale of Shadows, how would we travel there?" I knew they were talking about where Will was. But how did they know that he was still alive? 

"Theoretically." 

"Well..." He grabs a paper plate. "Picture...an acrobat...standing on a tightrope. Now, the tightrope is our dimension. And our dimension has rules. You can move forward or backward. But what if...right next to our acrobat, there is a flea? Now, the flea can also travel back and forth, just like the acrobat. Right?" 

"Right." 

"Here's where things get really interesting. The flea can also travel this way...along the side of the rope. He can even go...underneath the rope." 

"Upside down." 

"Exactly." 

"But we're not the flea, we're the acrobat." 

"In this metaphor, yes, we're the acrobat." 

"So we can't go upside down?" 

"No." 

"Well, is there any way for the acrobat to get to the Upside Down?" 

"Well...you'd have to create a massive amount of energy. More than humans are currently capable of creating, mind you, to open up some kind of tear in time and space, and then...you create a doorway." 

"Like a gate?" 

"Sure. Like a gate. But again, this is all-" 

"Theoretical." 

"But...but what if this gate already existed?" 

"Well, if it did, I...I think we'd know. It would disrupt gravity, the magnetic field, and our environment. Heck, it might even swallow us up whole. Science is neat. But I'm afraid it's not very forgiving."

(End of boring part)↑

After he was done talking, I got up, and Dad took Mom and I home. I changed out of the black dress and into my regular clothes. 

I said that I would be out on a walk because I needed it, but really, I set off on my bike down the street. 

As I went past the Wheelers' house, I saw Nancy in the garage and Steve walking out of it. I hadn't seen them in a long time. Steve watched me as I rode past. 

 I slowed my bike down, and Steve came jogging up to me. I don't really know why. 

"Hey, Y/n." 

"Uh, hey," I said. Steve walked as I slowly rode my bike. 

"I heard about your little brother and I, uh, just wanted to say sorry." I nodded, looked away.

He cleared his throat, his hands fidgeting by his sides. "So, anyways, uh, you know when I had the party at my house?" Steve questioned me. He was being a bit nicer than normal. 

"Yeah, I remember." 

"Well, uh, did you see Barb leave?" 

"No, I had to walk home. I don't know if she left." 

"Oh, okay. Well, if you see her, can you tell Nancy?" 

"Nancy and I aren't exactly speaking to each other." 

"Oh, well, uh, just tell me then, I guess." He smiled. His hair flopped around as he walked next to my bike. 

"Okay, I will," I said before turning around and pedalling back to my house.

I left my bike in the lawn once I got home and walked in the door. Dad's bag was gone. They probably got into a fight. Shocker.

"Hey, Mom," I said when I saw her in the kitchen.

There was a knock on the door suddenly. Mom got up quickly, angrily, and said, "Seriously! I am gonna murd-" She opened the door, and Hopper was there. 

He had a note that said, 'Don't say anything.' He came inside and looked around at the Christmas lights. "Oh, Jesus." He said, quietly.

After a while, Hopper had finished taking out the light bulbs from the Christmas lights and any other bulbs. "Okay." He says, sitting down in a chair. He was panting like a dog. "Should be okay, I mean...I can't guarantee it, but it should be okay." 

"What the hell is going on, Hopper?" I asked him. 

"They bugged my place." 

"What?" 

"They bugged my place. They put a microphone in the light. It's because I'm on to them and they know it. I don't know..." 

"Who?" I ask him. 

"--I thought they might be watching you, too. I don't know, the CIA, the NSA, the Department of Energy...I don't know." 

"You gotta explain this to me, cause I am not-" Mom said. 

"I went to the morgue last night, Joyce." 

"What?" I said moving closer to the both of them.

"It wasn't him. Will's body, it was a fake. You were right. This whole time you were right."