HIDDEN !¡ MIKE WHEELER

06. ✰

"MY FRIEND WENT missing last night," Mabel blurted out before picking up her fork. "What?" Jess furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah. Police say he might've just ran away. But I have a worser feeling," the redhead began.

"This town is getting more dangerous each second," Cal shook his head while chewing. "Nothing bad has happened to Hawkins in years. Your friend will be alright, honey. The police will find him," Jess reached over to squeeze Mabel's hand.

Later that night, Mabel lay on her bed reading chapter twelve in the textbook like Mr. Clarke had told the class to. "Mabel, honey! Someone's on the phone for you," Jess called her.

Mabel got up, closing the textbook. She walked out into the living room and took the phone off the wall while Jess sat down on the couch next to Cal and watched television.

"Hello?" she spoke into the phone. "Mabel. Lucas, Dustin and I are going to the woods to look for Will. You in?" Mike's voice boomed through the phone. "Are you crazy? Jess and Cal would never let me out this late," she audibly rolled her eyes.

"Just sneak out. It's so easy. Where do you live? We can come get you," Mike told her. Mabel looked back and cautiously bit her lip. "43 Hoyt Ave, come to the left side of the house. My room will be the one with a lamp on and pink curtains. Be quick and quiet," Mabel whispered so Jess and Cal couldn't hear her.

"Got it. We'll be there soon," Mike hung up the phone. Mabel set the phone back on the wall and turned to the couch where Jess was staring at her. Oh, shit. "Everything alright, honey?" she asked.

"Yeah. I don't feel well, I think I'm gonna go to bed. Also, I have something important to do in the morning so I need lots of rest so you really shouldn't come in my room. Okay, bye!" Mabel ran down the hallway to her room and quickly closed the door.

In minutes, a knock was heard at the window. She walked over to it and opened it. "Mike! I told you to be quiet. I'm so screwed if I get caught doing this," she whispered. "Come on," Mike helped the girl climb out her window.

She set her foot on a heater, almost slipping and falling until Mike held her waist. "Thanks," she smiled. They tip-toed to the front of the house where Dustin and Lucas were waiting on their bikes.

Mike helped the girl on the back of his bike and they rode off into the night. It took them twenty minutes to reach their destination. "This is it," Lucas said as they pulled up to a blocked off area in the woods.

Light thunder made the hair on the back of Mabel's neck stand up. "Hey, guys. You feel that? I think maybe we should go back," Dustin raised his hand, referring to the storm that was coming. "No. We're not going back. Just stay close," Mike said, walking under the red tape that blocked off the area.

"Stay on channel six. Don't do anything stupid," Mike said as Mabel and Lucas followed him into the dark woods. Dustin was the last to enter, running after them. "Will!" Mike yelled, turning on his flashlight ad the light rain turned into heavy drops.

Mike handed Mabel a flashlight and she turned it on, flinging it around to look for any clues. Thunder rumbled again causing Mabel to jump as the rain started pouring down. By this point, her clothes and hair were soaked and she was freezing. She was only wearing a t-shirt and thin sweatpants.

"Mabel," Mike tapped her shoulder. She turned around. He took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders, leaving him in only a long-sleeve sweater. "You're gonna freeze to death, Mike," Mabel shook her head. "So are you," he smiled.

She returned the smile, thanking him and they both continued looking for Will even though their voices were barely heard below the loud thunder and lightning cracks. "I've got your X-Men 134!" Dustin yelled.

"Guys, I really think we should turn back," Dustin spoke over the rain as it got heavier and heavier. "Seriously, Dustin? You wanna be a baby, then go home already," Lucas scoffed. "I'm just being realistic, Lucas!" Dustin argued. "No, you're just being a big sissy," Lucas replied.

"Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad? And we're going to the exact same spot where he was last seen? And we have no weapons or anything?" Dustin asked the group. "Shut up, Dustin. Mabel is our weapon," Mike said.

Mabel and Mike were the ones leading the group and Mabel stopped in her tracks, causing Mike to stop, too. She could sense something. Someone else was here. That's the thing about having superpowers, she could easily save them from anything.

"Something else is here," she spoke. "What?" Mike furrowed his eyebrows. "Something else. Other than us. I can feel it's presence. I don't know if it's human or not, but it's here," she choked out. Suddenly, leaves began rustling and Mike looked straight ahead.

"Did you guys hear that?" he asked them. The sound became louder and the four kids turned their flashlights to the left, but nothing was there. "Oh, God," Mabel whispered as she got goosebumps. She began to brace herself to fight whatever was here so the boys had enough time to run.

"You guys, go. I'll fight it while you run," Mabel spoke, typing her hair up. "What? No. We're staying with you," Mike grabbed her hand. That same fluttery feeling in her stomach came back from when she first rode on Mike's bike.

She looked into his eyes and then the rest of the boys and realized they weren't gonna leave. They actually cared about her. Even Lucas. The rustling of the leaves were now on their right side and they jumped towards the sound, their flashlights shining into the face of a... human.
Mabel's heart dropped at the sight of the short-haired girl standing in front of them.

"Eleven?"

author's note !
im getting emotional 🖤
this is kinda short bc i wanted to leave it on a cliffhanger.