His Tenebris Moenibus - A Stranger Things Story

001

May 1961

When she was younger, Emily had liked the rain. The Indiana rainy season was one of her favorite parts of the year. The overcast and the gentle patter against the window calmed her, made her feel at ease. Of course, back then she had a window for the rain to go against. A roof to shield her. A bed to warm up in. Sometimes Emily regretted running away from the foster home she stayed at. The conditions were abhorent with hardass caregivers and abysmal food and entertainment for a child.

So at ten years of age, she ran. She spent two years hiding in alleys on the streets, braving the seasons alone.

That's when she started hating the rain. Because now she couldn't protect herself from it.

It was during one of these mid rain season storms that Emily stumbled upon the building. A big, angular building with grey walls and wires poking out from the top. A laboratory, so said the label on the outside the building. Maybe they could give her a little shelter for the night?

Emily tugged open the door, her fingers fumbling for a grip with the rain water on the handle and her hands. She was greeted by a completely white interior, a woman also dressed in white sitting at a desk. Being the only noise in the room, the woman looked up and saw the dripping wet girl.

"I'm sorry to bother you but I don't have anywhere else to go..." Emily started. "Could I just wait out the storm here?" The woman stood up from the desk and approached Emily, a concerned look on her face. Emily shyed away, shivering.

"Oh, you poor thing. Let me find you a blanket." The woman said, going through the double doors behind her desk. Emily caught a glimpse of what lie behind the doors. More white hallways and doors. Thrilling.

The woman rushed back inside, holding a grey blanket in her arms. She threw it around Emily, the material scratching her skin. She wasn't in a position to be choosy, though. She pulled it against herself tighter, wiping her face with the corner.

"You can sit in my seat for a moment. I need to alert the doctor that you're here." The woman said, taking Emily by the hand and pointing to her office chair. Emily silently padded over, leaping into the tall chair and crossing her legs underneath herself. Once the woman saw she was settled, she retreated back into the halls behind the double doors.

Emily sat for a while, choosing to count the white tiles on the wall across from her. Citing 68, she turned to look at the papers on the desk. Emily couldn't understand what the numbers and columns on the sheets meant, but the stacks of papers were high. Growing bored, Emily grabbed the lever on the chair, lowering herself to the ground.

The doors swung open again, the woman returning with a small smile with a tall man with greying hair behind her. He smiled at Emily and crouched down to her level.

"Miss Sheridan tells me you've come for shelter from the storm. Is that correct?" The man asked Emily. The girl just nodded.

"I hope I'm not barging in. I don't have anywhere else to go and it's a pretty bad storm tonight." Emily said.

"Don't you have family you can stay with?"

"I don't have a family. I've been living on the streets for a couple of years after I ran away from the shelter I was staying at." Emily pursed her lips and averted her eyes. "I'll be going now, I guess."

She moved to get out of the chair, but the man stopped her.

"Wait, wait, don't do that. We shouldn't send an orphaned little girl out on her own. You can stay here." The man said. Emily's eyebrow quirked up.

"For how long?" She asked.

"As long as you like. We actually have three other children staying here with nowhere else to go. We can get you a room and introduce you to them." The man stood up and offered her a hand.