𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋 | 𝐬. 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧

𝐢𝐯

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DESPITE WILL'S BODY being found, Penelope decided to go to school. She couldn't afford to miss school with how many tests she had that day, no matter how fast her mind had reeling. She stood at her locker, and ran a hand through her hair before letting out a breath. She placed her books inside her locker and grabbed her english book. She slammed her locker, and little louder than she wanted to, but it didn't bother her.

She could practically smell Tommy and Carol before they showed up walking on either side of her.

Carol had a sickly grin on her face. "What's Penny up to today?"

Tommy from her right let out a fake gasp. "Have you forgotten, babe, she babysitted that one kid- you know, the younger Byers brother? Poor girl must be sad." He fake pouted.

"Babysat." Penelope corrected Tommy. Carol laughed in disbelief at her words.

"Oh! She's feisty today! Ol' Penny not feelin' it today?" Carol fake pouted from beside her.

Penelope bit the inside of her lip and turned the corner to her next class. "Respectfully, both of you, shut the fuck up." She said before walking into her next class, not bothering to hear their reply as she sat in her designated seat in english.

PENELOPE STRICKENS COULDN'T be more grateful that she had made best friends with her old science teacher from middle school. Her last year of middle school was when she was sent to Sandra and Matthew. Mr. Clark was her best friend, really. When no one else was.

Now, she would still make constant trips to their AV club, which was really just Lucas, Dustin, Mike, and Will.

She almost ran to her car when the school bell rang. She threw her bag in the passengers seat, and sat in the drivers side. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding, letting her forehead rest on the steering wheel.

The static of her walkie talkie interrupted her relaxation. Mike's voice had found her once again.

"Penelope, come in. Over." He said. She stared at it for a moment, before picking it up and sighing.

"Yes?" She asked.

"It's urgent." He said. "Can you come to the middle school? Over."

"Like, right now?"

"Yes, right now, what do you think urgent means? Over and out." He shut off his walkie before letting her reply.

"COME ON." Mike said, turning on the light in the small room. It was originally a closet, but Mr. Clark had renovated it to be for the AV club, and bought all the started equipment. He even told Penelope that some guy named Bob had started the club, which she found funny.

She was still getting used to El's new look. Or, the boys' horrible attempt to help her fit in. She had an obvious wig on, and a small dress on. Lip gloss, too.

The sight of the AV club was always nostalgic, no matter how many times she visited it.

Mike and Lucas leaned forward to turn the large radio's on, and El sat in the chair in front of it. Penelope stood behind her, hands on her shoulders. She was uneasy after Dustin, Lucas, and Mike had excitedly told her what El had done to their bully after Will's ceremony.

When they had said Will wasn't really gone, that's when she furrowed her eyebrows. She had a deep feeling of pity. She had a feeling that they weren't going to accept it right away. Who would?

"Now what?" Penelope uneasily stood behind El.

"She'll find him." Mike said without doubt. She furrowed her brows and looked down at El.

She only looked at the radio in front of them, as Mike turned it on and the static filled the room. El closed her eyes, focusing on the radio.

"She's doing it. She's finding him!" Mike watched El, disrupting the silence.

"This is crazy." Dustin commented, shaking his head gently.

"Calm down, she just closed her eyes." Lucas said, with an unamused look on his face.

What really made Penelope jump was the light above them flickering and burning out with a satisfying click. The light of the radio was their only source, and Penelope leaned forward toward the radio to try and hear something within the static. She avoided talking, trying to help El focus, if she had any powers at all.

A clang from the radio made her flinch backward. It continued, one after another. "What was that?" Penelope whispered, trying to hide the slight fear in her voice.

"Mom?" ]

Will's voice sent chills into Penelope's body. She jolted her hands back from El's shoulders.

"Okay, guys- if this is a joke-"

"Shh!" She was cut off by Mike, listening closely to the radio.

"Mom!"

He yelled once more, an echo of his voice made her confused even more.

"Hello? Mom?"

he yelled, a quiver in his voice made her heart break. He was terrified.

"Will!" Mike had picked up the microphone and yelled into it, his voice holding a desperate sadness, but it covered it with the sense of urgency to find Will.

Lucas jumped forward. "Will! Will, it's us! Are you there?"

"Can you hear us? We're here!" Dustin chimed in, leaning foward.

"Why can't he hear us?" Penelope asked, confused, watching the radio with confusion.

"I don't know!" Mike grew frustrated.

"Mom, it's coming!"

A small silence before Will started again.

"It's like home, but it's so dark- it's so dark and empty. And it's cold! Mom? Mom!"

His constant pleading made Penelope's hands shake. His voice shook, a deep terrifying fear making chills run through her back.

"Mom, please!"

Before they could hear any further, the radio burst of sparks. The fuse blew, and fire took over their radio in a matter of seconds. The fire alarm started, and Penelope rushed over toward the fire extinguisher and sprayed the radio instantly.

El stayed sat at the table, her nose bleeding. She seemed breathless. Penelope dropped the extinguisher and walked over toward her beside mike hurriedly.

"El, are you okay?" Mike asked, looking down at her still sat in the chair. She stared at him, panting. She looked exhausted. Penelope looked at her in worry. "Can you move?" Her silence once again made Mike turn to Penelope and stand. "Here, help her up."

Penelope held one side of El up, while Mike held the other. They made their way down the hallway much slower than they would've, but Penelope wasn't about to leave her behind.

"This way!" Mike said, leading them down a hallway.

They hastily made their way down the hallway. They had rushed towards their bikes, but Penelope insisted she drove them. She said they would pick up their bikes the next day, as her tiny Pontiac Astre wouldn't fit all three of them, along with the four kids.

When they arrived at Mike's house, they made their way to the basement.

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