Pretty (Eleven X reader)

The Funeral

After the disastrous day at school we had rushed home and hid in Mike's basement. Mike and Lucas shared an armchair, Mike sat on the arm. Dustin sat on the bottom step. Eleven lay on the sofa next to me recovering while we discussed what had happened.

"What was Will saying? Like home, like home, but dark?" Mike got up from his seat and paced.

"Like home but dark and empty and cold." I said playing with a strand of Els wig.

"Did he say cold?" Dustin asked.

"I don't know the stupid radio kept going in and out." Lucas said, irritated.

"At least we heard him." I said "Least we know he's alive. And yes he said cold."

"Like home?" Mike said "Like his house?"

"Or maybe like Hawkins." Lucas suggested.

"Upside down." Eleven said. We looked at her. I stopped playing with her wig.

"What?" I asked her "Upside down?"

"Upside down." Mike walked over to the DnD table, and the upside down board. Me, Lucas and Dustin walked over to him and sat down "When El showed us where Will was she flipped the board upside down, remember? Upside down! Dark. Empty."

"Like the board." I said, looking at the black blank bottom "But, I still don't get what it means."

"Think about it. When El took us to find Will, she took us to his house, right? But he wasn't there. But what id he was, and we just couldn't see him." He flipped the board right side up "What if this is Hawthkins," He flipped it back upside down "and this where Will is. The Upside Down."

"Like the Vail of Shadows." Dustin said.

"The Vail of Shadows isn't real." Lucas said "It's just a made up fantasy place."

"Lucas, our friend has literal super powers and can move things with her mind and speak to our 'dead' best friend! I think we can belive an off brand Vail of Shadows."

Dustin got up an grabbed our DnD book. He set it down on the table and flicked through the pages until he found the right one.

"The Vail of Shadows is a dimension that is a dark reflection or echo of our world. It is a place of decay and death. A plane out of phase. A place of monsters. It is right next to you and you don't even see it."

"An alternate dimension." Mike said.

"A dark and cold version of our own." I added.

"But, h-how do we get there?" Lucas asked, for once taking it seriously.

"You cast shadow walk."

"In real life, dummy."

"Yeah we know how to play DnD." I snapped at him.

"We can't shadow walk but," He looked at Eleven "maybe she can."

"Do you know how we get there?" Mike asked "To the Upside Down."

El shook her head. Everyone sighed in exasperation. I had a thought.

"Hey El, how do you know about it? The Upside Down?"

"Bad place." She said.

"The bad place? Did they tell you about it? Do they know how?" El said nothing. I sighed "Maybe we should go. Eleven could probably do with some rest. You guys keep thinking and call me if you get anything big. We'll talk more tomorrow." I stood and walked to her.

"You know what tomorrow is, don't you?" Lucas asked me.

I thought for a moment "Oh. God. It's not real though, just pretend. We know that. It, won't be that bad."