The Overcomer, Stranger Things

Sinking

Gwen was sandwiched in between her mom and Hopper, both of the adults holding onto one of her hands, as they snuck into an empty warehouse. The girl felt her mood lift, a small smile appearing on her face when she saw a plane in the middle of the room. Sure it was slightly rusty and there were a couple of claw marks on it. The machine also looked like it would fall apart at any moment but the Byers girl decided to try to have an optimistic view. However, Joyce was not in a positive mindset.

"What on earth is this?" Joyce questioned furiously, sounding like she was either about to kick someone or burst into tears, as she turned to Hopper. "You said you had a plane," she slapped his shoulder harshly. "A plane!"

"Well, it technically is still a plane," Hopper shrugged sheepishly as he looked down at the small, fuming woman, "just a slightly unsafe one."

"Hopper--!"

As the two lovebirds continued their quarrel, Gwen felt an alarming sensation in the pit of her stomach. The Byers girl heaved, trying to take in as much air as possible. The feeling was still there, like terrible tendrils reaching into her thoughts. Ignoring the burning pain in her head, she dug even deeper into the sensation, trying to understand what it was. It was faintly cold, eerie and sticky, and entirely wrong. She could feel it now, like thick marble pouring through her veins. It felt like darkness. It felt wicked. It felt evil.

Gwen could track the tentacles across the states. leading her to her old home. It had been strangely comforting in some twisted way. The familiarity caused bile to rise in Gwen's throat. The girl's fingers buzzed, making her want to itch her fingertips as a whisper invaded her mind, low and immoral.

"Come home," Gwen shuddered as she felt the invisible string that tied her to Hawkins tug harder. It tugged once, twice, three times. "Come home," the whisper chanted. "Come home. Come home. Come home..."

"Your time has come." The voice was dark, sinister. "Let us feel your wrath. Bring them all to their demise. My fist of vengeance, my fallen angel, you'll lead them all to their defeat."

And then it all stopped. The whisper, the sensation, the feeling, they all went away, leaving the Byers girl in a state of confusion. She looked around helplessly, Joyce and Hopper not even noticing what just happened as they were still arguing about the plane. Pain racked through Gwen's skull and tears stung her eyes, causing her to stumble over to the nearest chair. As the Byers girl collapsed onto the bench the adults finally looked over at her.

The tiny girl was deathly pale and there was a trail of crimson blood leaking from her nose as she was doubled over. Her hands were digging into her scalp as she tried to relieve some of the pain from her killer headache. Joyce and Hopper immediately rushed over to her.

"Gwen," Joyce cupped the girl's face as Hopper got a wet rag and wiped the blood off her face. "Gwen, honey, are you okay? What happened? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I-it's nothing," Gwen breathed, her eyes struggling to stay open as she let her head lean onto her mom's shoulder, the older woman wrapping both her arms around her girl to keep her upright. "It's nothing, I'm just tired."

"Go to sleep baby," Joyce stroked her hair as Gwen's eyes slowly fluttered closed, Hopper rubbing the girl's back soothingly. "We'll be here when you wake up."

~:~

Gwen's eyes slowly blinked open, the girl's eyebrows creasing as she heard the loud roar of an engine and a slight rumbling beneath her. She looked up, smiling slightly when she saw her mom staring back down at her with a grin on her face. The Byers girl's head was resting in Joyce's lap as the overprotective mother had no interest in letting go of the girl, ever again. But sometimes you don't get everything you want. The aircraft gave a shudder as a strong gust of wind shoved at the small plane causing Hopper, who was driving the vehicle, to let out a string of curses.