○ 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭
○ 𝙮𝙚𝙨 ○ 𝘯𝘰
⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎... ⋙
██████ 100%
It's pouring rain outside of Mike's basement.
The girl is sitting on the couch across from the four of you. All of you are soaking wet.
"Is there a number we can call for your parents?" Mike asks.
"What happened to your hair? Do you have cancer?" Dustin asks.
The three boys bombard her with questions.
"Guys. Guys, stop," you say. "You're freaking her out!"
"She's freaking me out!" Lucas says.
"I bet she's deaf," Dustin says.
"She's probably scared and cold!" you say. Thunder claps outside. Wet rainwater drips from your hair onto your forehead.
Mike goes to the laundry room to get her dry clothing.
"Here, these are clean," he says, handing them out to the girl.
She takes the clothes, beginning to take off her t-shirt.
"No, no no no!" Lucas and Dustin both yell.
You stop her.
"See over there?" Mike asks. "That's the bathroom. Privacy."
Mike leads the girl over to the bathroom, before leaving the door open a few inches at her insistence and coming back over to your group.
"This is mental," Dustin says.
"There's something seriously wrong with her," Lucas says.
"She tried to get naked!" Dustin mimes removing his shirt.
"I bet she escaped from Pennhurst," Lucas says.
"From where?" Mike asks
"That nuthouse in Kerley County. Think about it. It would explain her shaved hair and why she's so crazy."
"Guys!" you pipe up. "She's probably lost. She's obviously scared and cold!"
"She's an escapee! She's probably a psycho," Lucas mumbles. "We should've never brought her here."
"So you just wanted to leave her out in the storm?" you ask.
"We went out to find Will, not another problem!"
"Listen up," Mike says, "Here's the plan: She sleeps here tonight. Tomorrow morning, she goes around to the front door and rings my doorbell. My mom will know what to do with her. She'll send her back to Pennhurst, or wherever she comes from, and then we'll be in the clear. And we'll go out and find Will."
You shake your head. "There's definitely a reason she was out there. Maybe she's been mistreated. We wouldn't want to send her back to Pennhurst. I've heard bad things about it there. She doesn't seem dangerous."
"We'll talk about it tomorrow. For now, let's just make sure she's okay down here," Mike says.
The four of you make a fort out of sheets and a table, and the girl sits down inside it. You make sure she isn't visible when the curtain is down. Dustin and Lucas start up the stairs on their way home, but you lag behind a little. Mike's still getting the girl blankets and pillows, so you join him.
"I never asked your name," you realize. "I'm [], by the way."
The girl lifts up her sleeve to reveal a tattoo. On her wrist. 011.
"Is that real?" Mike asks, reaching for it.
The girl jerks back. Thunder claps.
You scowl at Mike. "You startled her."
"Sorry. I've just never seen a kid with a tattoo before. Eleven? What does that mean?"
"Is that your name?" you ask.
'Eleven' nods, pointing at herself.
"Okay. Well, my name's Mike, short for Michael. Maybe we can call you 'El.' Short for 'Eleven'."
El nods. Okay.
"Night, El," Mike says, standing up as you lower the curtain.
"Night, Mike," El responds.
You walk up the stairs and to your house, hoping El will be okay.
𝘨𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 5𝘢.
YOU ARE READING
• disappearing: a stranger things choose-your-own adventure •
Fanfictionyou're a kid living in hawkins, indiana. the year is 1983. life is normal, or so it seems. one day, your friend, will byers, goes missing. it's up to you and the party to find him! make the right choices, or maybe you'll get taken by the demogorgon...
