His Tenebris Moenibus - A Stranger Things Story

002

August 1965

"Admit it. I've cornered you, you've lost." Emily said, gesturing at the chessboard. "There's no shame in admitting defeat, He-One."

After Emily had been in the lab for a while, One would periodically write a single letter on some of her drawings. After about a week, she put the letters together to spell a name.

Henry.

Assuming that was One's real name, Emily committed it to memory. She developed a habit of using it when no one was watching. It humanized him beyond a lab rat or test subject. In turn, Henry would use her name. It wasn't allowed in any way, but that didn't stop them. But today, Papa was watching through the mirror. Emily could sense it.

"Checkmate." Henry said proudly, placing his piece next to Emily's. Her eyes widened as she realized the defeat. Emily looked back up at Henry and let out a sigh, resting her head in her hand.

"I had you cornered!" She protested.

"You thought you had me cornered. But in doing so, you left your King exposed... and you forgot that Knights can jump." Henry pointed out each of the steps he was describing, irking Emily, seeing it as rubbing the victory in her face. She scrunched her nose. "So you know what that means?"

"I refuse, I'm not giving you my Twinkie at dinner. You cheated, One." Emily said snidely.

"A deal is a deal, Four. It's not my fault you're bad at chess." Henry replied. Emily responded by telekenetically tossing the Rook closest to her at Henry's shoulder. He seemed unbothered. "Or that you're a sore loser."

"Actually, One, Four has a point." Papa's voice said from the door. The pair looked up at him, confused. "One, you moved your Knight one space over when Four wasn't looking, allowing you access to her King. Had you not done that, her Queen would have taken your King."

"So you did cheat." Emily hissed. "My Twinkie stays mine."

"Well, today's dessert is a Moon Pie, Four." Papa said. Both Henry and Emily's eyes widened.

"Moon Pies? What's the occasion?" Emily asked.

"Today, each of you were able to spin the light upwards of fifty times. If during tomorrow's lesson you can reach a certain milestone, it'll be Swiss Rolls." Emily and Henry shared an excited look. Moon Pies were rare, Swiss Rolls even rarer. They had made a pact a while ago that if it was one of those days, any food betting would be voided. Whether Henry cheated at chess or not, it didn't really matter now. "Now, come along. It's time for dinner. Two, could you open the door please?"

"Yes, Papa." The other boy said, the mantra having been drilled into each of their heads. It bothered them a bit, especially Henry now that he was eighteen. But rules were rules and failure to comply meant discipline. That was a lesson both Henry and Emily had to be taught more than once. By far they were the most eccentric of the experiments. Emily rubbed at her neck just thinking about it.

Henry left first, Emily following behind. Three followed next, then Two. Papa trailed all of them, the children walking in pairs. The dining hall was just a few short turns away from the Rainbow Room. Emily's stomach rumbled in anticipation, already able to taste the strawberry filling of the Moon Pie.

She and Henry failed to realize the commotion behind them until they heard yells and the lights began to flicker. Emily felt an invisible shove from her right, sending her crashing into Henry. They both hit the wall and slid to the ground, Emily holding onto Henry's hospital gown for dear life.

Emily saw Two and Three running down the hall away from them as Papa hit a switch in his pocket, activating the alarms. Red lights flashed, Emily's breathing speeding up. Papa crouched in front of them, Henry's protective hold on Emily tightening.