Ashes & Embers (Stranger Things)

Chapter Two: Avoid the Noid

The chilling winds blew against her side as she walked along the dirt path, the trees seemed to hang lower than normal. She was supposed to wait for her dad at the school, but it didn't look like she was going to come anytime soon so she decided to walk home. When the ash began to fall from sky, they sent most of the younger volunteers home to their families. No one was really sure what was happening to Hawkins but one thing was certain it wasn't good.

Madi turned the volume up on her Walkman, she was listening to Silent Running by Mike + The Mechanics, but just as the chorus begun the tape began to distort before shutting off completely. She stopped walking, removing her headphones before examining her Walkman. "I just replaced these batteries..." she whispered, and she thought of Steve, Robin, and Dustin and their trip to RadioShack. "Maybe I should've asked them to pick some up for me."

She sighed and knelt to the ground so she could place her Walkman in her bag when she heard a sudden snap of a twig. She looked up and around her, but she saw nothing but ash and leaves. She stood up slowly putting her backpack back on. She's peered into the evergreen squinting hard before a shadow shot past. Panic washed over her body, and she bit the inside of her cheek so hard she could taste a hint of blood.

Snap.

She dashed down the path, looking behind her every few seconds to ensure there was nothing behind her. Her heart was racing and the chill behind her neck was back. Her only thoughts were on getting out of the woods as quickly as possible, when suddenly she tripped over a log which sent her hurdling down the forest floor. She fell onto a large rock, knocking the air out of her. Her head hit the ground and she felt her body go cold before the darkness began to consumer her vision.

***

"Madi... Madi wake up."

She groaned as she began to come to, her vision was slightly blurred as she looked up at the darkening sky. It was almost nightfall. She winced as she tried to sit up and she caught his dark eyes looking at her. His hand was waving almost in slow motion in front of her face as if trying to gather her attention.

"Madi are you alright?" His voice was muffled as she tried to focus on him.

She caught a glimmer of his rings in what daylight was left. "Eddie?" She said trying to focus on his face.

"Yeah, it's me." He held her upper arm in his hand to keep her upright and it felt cold.

"I fell." She muttered. "Something was chasing me." She looked past his shoulder into the darkening woods, shadows slowly inching towards them. "What are you doing in the middle of the woods."

"I could ask you the same thing." He said catching her on eyes.

"I was walking home," she began as her lifted her up to her feet in a quick motion. "And then I thought I saw something..."

"I didn't see anything, I found you passed out on the ground. Thought you were dead for a second." His voice sounded different, yet she knew it was the same.

She looked up at him, he was wearing a worn-out flannel that looked about two sizes too big, blue jeans and sneakers. He had a white scar just above his wrist that she'd never noticed on him before. "People are looking for you, you know?" She said as she continued to scan his appearance.

"Still hunting the freak, I see..." he said taking a step away from her picking up a stone from the ground before tossing it between his hands. "You gonna run and tell daddy dearest you found me now?" He sighed not looking her in the eye once.