• disappearing: a stranger things choose-your-own adventure •

𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝟱𝗰 - 𝙗𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙫𝙚𝙨

○ 𝘨𝘦𝘵 𝘬𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥

○ 𝙮𝙚𝙨           ○ 𝘯𝘰

⋘ 𝑙𝑜𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑑𝑎𝑡𝑎... ⋙

██████ 100% 

You look at the picture of Will at the science fair, deep in thought. 

Eventually, you turn around, facing the boys. "I think we should talk to Mike's mom." 

Lucas, running towards the door, opens it a few inches before it slams shut. He tries to open it again, but it slams shut- even harder- and the lock clicks. 

You frown and look over at El. 

She's standing now, staring at the door. Blood is dripping from her left nostril. "No," she whispers. 

Quietly, but firmly.

You're all left speechless. 

Your mind is racing. "What in the world? That's impossible. Isn't it? Did you guys see that?" you turn to the boys, who seem to be in awe of El. 

You think about trying the door again, but decide there isn't any point in it. You'll have to figure out some other way to tell Karen about what happened. 

"Look, I. . .have to go to the bathroom," you say, quickly. "Can I. . .leave? Just really quick. . ." you aren't sure why you're asking for permission. 

Either way, you unlock the door and walk downstairs. You can see Karen in the kitchen, on the phone. 

Watching her hang up the phone, you realize you'll have to tell her about El now. You take a deep breath and walk into the kitchen. 

"Hey there sweetie, is there anything you need?" Karen asks. 

"I. . ." you trail off. "Well, I thought I should tell you. . ." you begin to explain to her the situation, about how you found El and everything that happened. You leave out the part about her slamming a door shut with what seemed to be her mind, though. 

Karen listens to your story, and by the end of it, she seems more than a little annoyed with the boys. 

She walks up the stairs to Mike's room,  you trailing behind her, and opens the still-unlocked door. 

The boys quickly turn around to see you. Their faces quickly morph from surprise to confusion to betrayal. Mike looks at you, his eyes full of hurt and anger. 

"Sorry," you mouth, looking down at the ground as Mike's mom berates the three. 

"I just. . . don't understand," she eventually says. 

"Neither do I," Mike says through gritted teeth. He glares at you. 

El looks rather panicked, but Karen's expression quickly softens. 

"You should've told me about this girl earlier. She obviously needs help. Let me make a phone call." 

"No. Bad. Men," El whispers. "Bad place."

"We'll make sure you're safe," Karen reassures her, bending down to El's height. 

El shakes her head. 

"You must be hungry. How were you even in our basement for a day and a half?" 

El's only response is shaking her head again. 

Karen goes downstairs to get Eleven something to eat, assuring her that she won't call anyone to take her anywhere. 

"What is wrong with you?" Mike yells at you as soon as his mom leaves the room. "She was going to help us find Will!" 

"She needed help! She can still help us find Will, but not on our own," you argue. 

"Do you know what's going to happen now?" Mike asks. "My mom is going to tell your mom, and your mom-" he looks at Dustin, "-and your mom-" he looks at Lucas. "and then. . ."

"Our houses will become Alcatraz," Dustin says. 

"We'll never find Will." Lucas shakes his head. 

You hear the sound of a car door closing outside Mike's house. 

You look out the window. There are. . .government vehicles in the driveway? 

You look at the rest of the Party. They're just as dumbfounded as you are. 

There are what look to be government officials knocking on the door of Mike's house. 

That's when you realize you're in trouble. 

You look at El. Bad men.

Karen opens the door to the house and the government officials walk inside. 

You run to the top of the staircase, watching them talk. 

Mike, Lucas, and Dustin quickly follow after you. 

A man in a suit notices you and walks up the stairs toward you. You stand up, beginning to walk back to Mike's bedroom, but the man notices where your attention is and opens the door to Mike's bedroom before you can get there. More government officials follow him. 

Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and yourself run after them into the bedroom, where El. . .has disappeared? 

A closer glance draws your attention to the window, which is hanging open. A gust of wind is disturbing the curtains. 

One of the officials turns to the four of you. "Was there. . . anyone in here recently?" he asks. 

"No," you say. "Just- just the four of us." you realize you've made a mistake in alerting Karen- and now the government -to the situation. 

"I see. . ." the man says, looking around. It's clear he doesn't believe you. "We're going to have to take you in for questioning."

At this, you decide to make a run for it, out the door and down the stairs. 

There are more officials in the Wheeler's living room, but you dodge them well enough and run out the front door. 

The Party follows you. 

Along with half a dozen government officers. 

You aren't able to make it halfway down the driveway before they grab you and stop the four of you in your tracks. 

They take you to their van, and as they shut you into the back, you can hear them say, "Biking accident. That's believable. Make sure the kid's mom doesn't notice."

𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿.

𝘵𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯?

➼ 𝐲𝐞𝐬           ➼ 𝘯𝘰

𝙜𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝟲.