ghosting

ACT I: PART VII

ACT I PART VII
chapter seven: ready freddy

Xavier's knee was jumping in anxiety as he waited for Hopper to show up with the kids. Soon enough lights were seen and he rushed out of the house with the rest of the group tailing him.

"Oh my god, Dust- fucking oh my god," he said.

He pulled the younger boy into a hug and turned to look at the rest of the kids.

"Hey-"

"Is that my dress?" asked Nancy.

They ended up migrating into the Byers' house and they sat down. Mike started drawing and then turned the paper to face the rest of the group.

"Okay, so, in this example, we're the acrobat." Mike explained. "Will and Barbara, and that monster, they're this flea." he pointed to the drawing. "And this is the Upside Down, where Will is hiding." Mike put the paper down. "Mr. Clark said the only way to get there is through a rip of time and space."

"A gate," Dustin says.

"That we tracked to Hawkins' lab-" Lucas continued.

"With our compassess," Dustin finished.

Xavier placed his head in his hands, "they're so small," he whispered softly.

No one heard him.

"Okay," Dustin continued. "So the gate has a really strong electromagnetic field," he explains. "And that can change the directions of a compass needle."

"Is this gate underground?" asked Hopper.

"Yes," the girl whispered.

"Near a large water tank," he continued.

She nodded, "yes."

"How- how'd you know all that?" questioned Dustin.

"He's seen it," answered Mike.

"Is there any way that," Joyce said. "That you could reach Will? That you could talk to him in this--"

"The Upside Down," interrupted the girl.

"Yeah," whispered Joyce.

The young girl nodded.

"And my friend Barbra," Nancy asked. "Can you find her, too?"

-

They all circled around her. Xavier stood next to Dustin and held his hand,squeezing it softly in comfort. The radio's static crinkled loud and the lights above them flickered and then-

Silence.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"What- what happened?" asked Joyce.

"I can't find them," the young girl replies, her voice cracking.

Xavier's heart drops once more and he watches as Jonathan walks away. He sighs and watches as El, he learned her name, asks for the bathroom and disappears.