" i've been walking
through a world
gone blind "
-----------------------------
Daphne Byers, she had a pretty normal life for a teenager, she took care of her brothers and hung out with her friends. She was loved by everybody at her school, all th...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The Byers' living room was filled with tension and relief as everyone gathered around. The front door creaked open, and there she was—Eleven, standing in the doorway. Everyone froze, their eyes wide with disbelief.
Mike's voice broke the silence. "Eleven..." She stepped forward, her eyes locking onto his. "Mike..."
Without another word, they rushed into each other's arms, hugging tightly as tears streamed down their faces. The others watched, stunned by the reunion they thought might never happen.
Lucas nodded, his eyes not leaving the pair. "Yeah, it's her."
Mike, still holding Eleven, his voice breaking, said, "I never gave up on you. I called you every night, every night for—"
"353 days," Eleven finished for him, her voice soft but steady. "I heard."
Mike pulled back slightly, looking at her with a mix of relief and hurt. "Why didn't you tell me you were there? That you were okay?"
Before Eleven could answer, Hopper stepped forward, his expression stern. "Because I wouldn't let her. The hell is this, huh? Where have you been?"
Eleven looked at him, her eyes full of emotion. "Where have you been?"
In a rare moment of vulnerability, Hopper pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry, kid."
But the relief was short-lived. Mike's face twisted in anger as he realized the implications. "You've been hiding her... You've been hiding her this whole time!"
He pushed Hopper, anger boiling over. "You knew I was worried sick! We all were!"
"Hey!" Hopper barked, grabbing Mike by the shoulders. "Let's talk. Alone."
He led Mike out of the living room and into Joyce's room, leaving the others in a heavy silence. Eleven began to make her way around the room, offering hugs to each of them. When she reached Daphne, they embraced tightly.
"Eleven, I'm so glad you're back," Daphne whispered.
Eleven nodded, holding her close for a moment longer before moving on to the others. Daphne watched her go, a sense of guilt creeping in. Jonathan noticed her expression and followed her into the kitchen.
Jonathan leaned against the counter, watching Daphne as she stared out the window, lost in thought. "Daph, what's going on? You seem... off."
Daphne sighed, rubbing her temples. "It's nothing, Jonnhy. Just... something I have to deal with."
Jonathan furrowed his brow, sensing there was more to it. "You know you can talk to me, right? I mean, we're family."
Daphne hesitated, then finally spoke. "I was supposed to meet Billy tonight... We had a date, and now... I just left him hanging."
