Zero: A Stranger Things Fanfiction

Chapter 006

Jenna pounded on the door to the Wheeler's basement, glancing upwards as a raven shot across the blackened sky. Her chest still heaved with adrenaline, the image of a tiny drowned body opening to reveal pale white cotton running in circles around the cogs of her mind.

The door swung open to reveal a tired looking Lucas, whose face lit up at the sight of her. He let her in, looking around outside before shutting the door again. Inside, Mike and Dustin were pacing, had barely noticed her presence. Eleven, exhausted, was laying on the couch, her cheek pressed against the cushions.

"Barbara Holland."

"What?" Mike, clearly absorbed in his own thoughts, finally stared directly at her. She walked to the table in the center of the room and leaned against it.

"Barb is missing. And I don't think it's a coincidence. Whatever took Will took her too, meaning we need to hurry the hell up. Another thing, his body is fake. I just went with Hopper to the morgue, it's just cotton!"

Astonished silence washed over the room, every set of eyes bugged out like a cartoon.

"We heard Will's voice," Mike connected animatedly, moving to stand across from her. The lamplight casting a sparkle in the glittery darkness of his eyes, illuminating the bags under them too. "The Heathkit idea worked. We know he's alive! He said he was somewhere like home... Like home but... Dark?" He turned to the other boys.

"And empty," Lucas recalled. Dustin picked up the trail.

"Empty and cold. Wait, did he say cold?"

"I don't know!" Lucas sighed in frustration. "The stupid radio kept going in and out."

"It's like riddles in the dark." Dustin's eyes zoned back out in thought, staring into some invisible space above all of them.

"Like home..." Jenna murmured. "Like his house?"

Lucas's eyes widened as he stood from his rocking chair seat and joined them under the glaring light.

"Or maybe like Hawkins!"

"Upside down."

Eleven's voice was so meek and muted, it was almost as though a ghost had spoken. Jenna turned in concern to the fatigued girl, who didn't seem like explaining.

"What did she say?" Lucas pressed his palms on the table, leaning on it. Something clicked deep inside the recesses of Jenna's mind.

"Upside down," she repeated in wonder.

"What!?"

"Upside down!" Jenna reached out for the board on the table before her. "When El showed us where Will was, she flipped the board over, remember? Upside down!" Dustin flung himself down from his perch on the stairs, eager to join the conversation. "Dark, empty."

"Do you understand what she's talking about?" Lucas stared skeptically at Dustin as he arrived. Mike's lips parted in an understanding smile, something not reflected in Dustin's creased expression.

"... Nope."

"Guys, come on, think about it!" Mike ran his hand over the black underside of the board, pointing at the space where Will's wizard figurine had been the night before. "When El took us to find Will, she took us to his house, right?"

"Yeah," Lucas replied, with some of his trademark sass, "and he wasn't there."

Jenna took over the explanation again.

"But what if he was there!? What if we just couldn't see him? What if he was on the other side?" She picked up the board and flipped it back to its normal position. "What if this is Hawkins and..." she flipped it again. Mike nodded slowly.