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"Okay, so, in this example, we're the acrobat. Will and Barbara, and that monster, they're this flea. And this is the Upside Down, where Will is hiding. Mr. Clarke said the only way to get there is through a rip of time and space." Mike showed them an example on a piece of paper.
Everyone sat down the coffee table. Lucas on the armchair. Nancy, Jonathan, Joyce and Hopper sat on the sofa. Mike sat in the floor in the middle of El and Jess as Dustin sat in front of Jess leaning on her chest.
"A gate." Lucas continued. "That we tracked to Hawkins Lab."
"With our compasses." Dustin added when he saw everyone's confused looks he continued. "Okay so the gate has a really strong electromagnetic field, and that can change the directions of a compass needle."
"Is this gate underground?" Hopper asks.
"Yes." El speaks up.
"Near a large water tank?" El nods.
"How do you know all that?" Dustin's stutters.
"He's seen it." Mike realises.
"Is there a way that you.. that you can... that you could reach Will? That you could talk to him in this-"
"The Upside Down." Jess fills in.
"And my friend Barbara?" Nancy asks as El nods. Jess gets El everything she needs as they move to stand around the kitchen table. El covers her eyes with a blindfold as the the radio static sounded through the house.
"I'm sorry." El sniffles taking her blindfold off.
"What? What's wrong? What happened?" Joyce panics.
"I can't find them." El's eyes water up.
"It's okay. It's okay." Jess moves round to her holding her hand as El stands up from the seat as Jess less her to the bathroom to get her cleaned up.
Jess wet a hand towel wiping her nose. "You're a very brave girl you know?" Jess smiled as she kneeled down to El's level as she was sat on the toilet seat.
"Brave?"
"Yeah you are."
El raises her hand brushing her finger softly against Jess's cheek then moving her hand down to a loose strand of her hair twirling it round her fingers. "Pretty." El whispers.
"Me?"
El nods. "Pretty."
"You're pretty too." Jess smiles
"The bath." El breaks the silence after a minute.
"What?"
"The bath." El points to the bath beside them. "I can find them in the bath."
"Come on then." Jess grabs her hand again as they walk out the bathroom. "The bath." Jess states as everyone turns to them. "She said she can reach them in the bath.
"I have an idea. Can I use your phone!" Dustin's asks Joyce as she nods. Dustin calls someone humming along to whatever they were saying as he wrote down something on a pad.
Dustin hung up the phone. "Do you still have that kiddie pool we bobbed apples in?" He asks Joyce as she nods with hesitation. "Good. Then we need some salt and lots of it."
"How much?"
"1,500 pounds."
"Where are we gonna find that much salt?" Jess sighs.
"The school." Dustin shrugs. "You know for de-icing when it snows."
"Let's go." Hopper shrugs.
Jess drove her car with El, Lucas, Dustin and Joyce in the front. Whilst Hopper drove Nancy, Jonathan and Mike. They arrived at the school, Lucas, Mike and Dustin were in charge of setting the pool up, Hopper and Jonathan in charge of getting the salt, Joyce helped El get ready while Nancy and Jess took control of filling the pool up and getting the right temperature with the help of Dustin.
Everyone sat down around the pool. Jess in between Nancy and Dustin, Jonathan next to Nancy, then Joyce, Hopper, Mike and Lucas. Joyce and Hopper helped El into the pool as she lied down floating and put her goggles on, trying to find Barb first.
El's breathing gets heavier by the second as the lights begin to flash. "What's going on? Is Barb okay?" Nancy panics.
"Gone. Gone." El whispers with sadness as Nancy let's put a shaky breath leaning back into Jess crying onto her shoulder.
Joyce tries to calm El down which walrus eventually as she starts to search for Will. It all goes silent for a minute before El says Castle Byers then. "Will!"
"Will? You tell him that I'm coming."
"Hurry." Wills weak voice could be heard from the radio beside them.
"Okay listen tell him to stay where he is. We're coming. We're coming okay? We're coming honey. Just.. just hold on for a little longer." El starts screaming Wills name before she jolts up breathing heavily and starting to cry as Joyce brings her into a hug reassuring her that she's safe. Nancy lifts her head from Jess shoulder walking out of the hall as Jonathan follows her, Jess going over to Joyce hugging her to give her some comfort.
After a while Jess stands up. "Hop stay here and take care of the kids I'm going to get Will." Jess storms out before Hopper can say anything.
"Hey! Hey! JESS! Jess will you just stop and listen to me." Hopper catches up with her before she can get to the door to go outside. "This is not some school pick up. You do realise where you have to go to get to Will."
"Yeah." Jess shrugs like it's nothing.
"You think this is easy don't you."
"No I don't. But Will is still alive so I'm bringing him home!!"
"Hey!" Hopper grabs her arm to stop her from walking off. "It's dangerous down there I can't lose you."
"And Joyce can't lose Will. I promised her. Just let me go okay? Hop please I'll be fine." Hopper released his grip on her arm as she walked off but he grabbed her again this time gently and bringing her into a hug.
"Be safe and be quick I want you both back here alive."
"I will." Jess sighed as she squeezed her brother tightly.
"I love you idiot."
"I love you too you big asshole."
"Just get out of here. AND BE SAFE!"
"I. KNOW!"
"Jess wait." Joyce tan up to them as Jess was getting into her car.
"Wo wo wo wo. No way. You're staying here with me." Hopper warned Joyce.
"Are you kidding me. He's my son Hop. My son god damn it. And I'm not leaving Jess on her own! I'm going!" Joyce yelled as she got into the front passenger seat as Jess drove off.
