Love Story: Volume One

season one: part six

Eleven had tried to contact Barb and Will, but she just couldn't. She came out of the bathroom a couple of minutes later, saying something about how she "could find them in the bath." Apparently, Dustin knew exactly what she meant, because two minutes later, he was calling Mr. Clarke.

"Hello?"

Dustin took a deep breath. "Mr. Clarke? It's Dustin."

"Dustin? Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, yeah. I just have a science question."

"It's ten o'clock on a Saturday. Why don't we pick this up-"

"Do you know anything about sensory deprivation tanks? Specifically how to build one?"

"Sensory deprivation? What is this for?"

He looked around the room, none of them helping him. "Fun?"

"Okay. Well, why don't we talk about it Monday? After school?"

Edwina motioned for him to keep going.

"You always say we should never stop being curious. To always open any curiosity door we find. Why are you keeping this curiosity door locked?"

Edwina almost cackled. He was good. And he was so good that  immediately after that, Mr. Clarke gave Dustin all the instructions to make a functional sensory deprivation tank. Really all they needed was a shit ton of salt and a pool.

...

Unloading salt into the school gym was not exactly how Edwina had been planning to spend her Saturday, but nothing about this week was normal. Jonathan, Hopper, and her were bringing in bag, after bag, after bag, after bag, after bag, and it still wasn't enough. Once they filled the pool, and dumped all the salt in the custodian's closet in, Dustin used an egg to decide if it's boancy was on par with a deprivation tank. After three eggs, the fourth actually floated, and it was time for Eleven to get in. She stepped into the tank, and they all surrounded her. When she was actually submerged, the gym's lights began to flicker. It was silent for a while, but then Eleven's body began to thrash, and Joyce stopped her.

"I got you, honey." She cradled El in her arms. "You did so good. I'm so proud of you. Are you okay?"

They got her out of the tank and wrapped her in a ton of towels. Hopper walked up to Joyce.

"Where is this fort?"

"It's in the woods by our house."

He nodded and walked out of the gym. Joyce followed him. "I'm coming."

"Get back inside."

"No."

"Look, if something happens to me then-"

"He's my son Hop. He's my son."

He nodded, and Joyce turned around to Jonathan and Edwina. "I need you two to stay here and look after the kids."

"No. Mom-" She hugged her son. "No mom. I can help."

"No, I need your help. I need you to stay."

"Joyce, come on!"

Hopper drove away, and the two teenagers went back inside. Nancy was sitting against the wall, and they both slide down beside her.