eternal flame - s. harrington

Chapter 15: Middle School Mishap

Dustin called his science teacher, Mr. Clarke, for instructions on how to build a sensory deprivation tank, saying it was for fun. He wrote down the instructions and we got to work.

He announced we needed fifteen–hundred pounds of salt for the isolation tank to work, and after a few minutes of us all pondering where'd we find that amount, my dad realized that the schools stored lots of salt in case it snowed.

Jonathan and I went into the shed in the backyard to look for our old kiddie pool, which we found after digging around the place for five minutes.

Jonathan carried the pool inside and I went into my room and opened a box of my old clothes which was in my closet, and grabbed a pair of pants and a sweatshirt for El, so she'd have some dry clothes after going in the water.

My parents, El, Dustin, Lucas and Mike got into my dad's car, and Jonathan, Nancy and I got into Jonathan's, and we all headed to Hawkins Middle.

Lucas and Dustin grabbed the kiddie pool and went to set it up in the gymnasium. Mike and Nancy grabbed a wheelbarrow and went to grab some hoses from the storage building, and my dad and Jonathan went to get the salt.

El, my mom and I snuck in to the science classroom, where I found a pair of goggles and some tape. My mom and El were sitting across from eachother in the front of the classroom.

"You're a very brave girl.", I heard my mom say to El. "You know that, don't you? Everything you're doing for my boy... For Will... for my family. Thank you.", she said and grabbed El's hands.

"Listen. I am gonna be there with you the whole time. And if it ever gets too scary... In that place, you just let me know. Okay?", my mom spoke to her in such a nurturing, reassuring tone, it almost made me emotional.

El nodded and I walked up to them. "Found 'em.", I said, holding the goggles and the roll of tape in my hand. "Good.", my mom smiled.

I sat down next to them, gave my mom the goggles and started tearing pieces of the tape, giving them to my mom who placed them on the goggles. "This will keep it nice and dark for you in your bathtub.", Mom said to El.

"You ready?", I asked El when we were done covering the goggles. Her breath trembled as she inhaled. "Ready.", she said.

We made our way into the gymnasium. The pool was ready. El took off her shoes and socks, and removed the watch from her wrist, handing it to Mike as she got in the pool and started floating.

We sat down quietly around the pool, the only sound being the static noise coming out of the walkie. We watched as El floated in the pool, and suddenly the lights flickered, leaving the gym dark, the only source of light coming from the windows.

I bit my lip anxiously, not knowing what to expect. I was used to spending my Saturday nights studying or hanging out with my friends in PK's shabby garage. Things really had changed.

"Barbara?", El spoke. Nancy gasped as her eyes widened. El started breathing heavily as the lights flickered again. "What's going on?", Nancy asked. "I don't know.", Mike said.

"Is Barb okay? Is she okay?", Nancy turned to El, who kept breathing heavily. "Gone.", she said and Nancy gasped, pressing her hand in front of her mouth as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Gone. Gone. Gone!", El said repeatedly in a horrified tone. The lights kept flickering. "It's okay. It's okay. Hey. It's okay. It's okay, we're right here. We're right here, honey.", my mom comforted El as both of my parents grabbed each of her hands. "It's okay. I got you. Don't be afraid. I'm right here with you.", Mom continued comforting the scared girl.

I screwed my eyes shut, hoping this moment would be over, hoping that the fear would wash away, that we'd find my brother, and everything would go back to the way it was. Back to normal.