The Next-Door Down

Truth

"On the night that Will went missing, I heard a weird noise come from the laboratory. And, since my.. my parents worked there, I decided to investigate." You gulped back sobs, you couldn't seem weak. Not now.

Lucas, Mike, Dustin and even El were hanging onto your every word.

So you continued.

"When I got inside I... I found their bodies.. my parents... they were gone. But I didn't have time to mourn. I bumped into this huge disgusting lanky monster. It chased me through the laboratory until I found this weird living wall. The wall emitted this weird blue gas and I thought it was radioactive or something so I sprinted away from it."

"Living wall?" Lucas muttered but you ignored him and kept going.

"I then hid in this cupboard from both but it was no use, the blue mist got to me as the monster did and I passed out because the mist was probably toxic or something. Anyway, I woke up about an hour later and somehow the monster had left me alone. Then I rushed out of the lab hoping it was all a dream or something but it wasn't. I ran down the road back to my house with tears streaming down my face, only to find a bicycle. An abandoned one. With its wheel still turning."

"Will's." Mike remarked.

"Yeah," You manage a weak smile, "I told you guys the next day, I didn't think it was serious but now I've figured that it was probably that monster... demogorgan... from the lab that is after him now."

"What did it look like?" Dustin says, entranced by your story.

"It was tall, grey, grotesque looking, slimy and it's head sort of splayed out in a flower shape. It certainly had sharp teeth and it had two arms and two legs but it looked boney and-"

"And Will's getting chased by this?" Lucas interrupted you to ask, he was trying to act like he didn't believe it but he was starting to  look nauseous.

You nodded grimly.

"But.. you haven't explained how you heard Will." Mike added.

"Well, I'm not exactly sure. It must be something to do with the blue mist. I think it's connected to the living wall. And I think the reason you were saying the 'air around me is weird' earlier was because the blue mist might still be on me."

"Don't you shower?" Lucas asked, jokingly.

You roll your eyes, looking back to El.

"Maybe that's why she doesn't like me. Because of the blue mist." You pointed out.

"Blue mist" El paused, "From upside down."

I mean, that made sense. "Is the monster from there too?" You asked, you had to know.

El nodded.

"And Will's still in the Upside-Down?" Mike asked.

El nodded again and a long pause of silence followed it.

"Well, I think I know what we need to do next." Dustin said.

"Find Will." Mike says.

"How?" Dustin asked, biting his nails with anxiety.

You look towards El who was still fiddling with the walkie.

"We need to get her to a bigger radio."