Strange as IT Seems

Chapter 70: Trouble's Warning

Taking another swig of water, Mia rummages through her bag and finds one of the books about Hawkins. She quickly goes through the index and finds the section on Hawkins National Laboratory.

Not surprisingly, there wasn't a lot of information. Just when it was built and that it focused on the generation of energy for the area.

"Funny, doesn't look like a power plant," she mutters to herself. She eats one of the candy bars she'd bought while looking through the other book, and there was basically nothing in it as well.

If this place had nothing to hide, then why was she hitting dead ends when it came to information? Usually, that meant that there was something more that the general public couldn't know about.

Gazing through the nearly dead bushes, Mia eyes this laboratory.

She begins to go back and forth in her head about whether she should go through the fence. She wasn't one to break the law, but this place had something... something to do with the weird stuff in Hawkins.

What about the chemical spill? She wonders. What if it's still dangerous?

It can't be harmful if you're only there for a few minutes, she reasoned to herself. And that could be a cover story.

She's not one for conspiracies, but nothing about this lab sat right with her.

What if there are still security cameras? If you get caught, that's going to alter your life...

The place has been abandoned for almost two years. I doubt it's being used at all.

The debate continues on and on until she's had enough and decides to just go for a quick look. There was no harm in that.

Stepping out of her hiding place, Mia prepares to climb... that is, until she sees the barbed wire at the top. Not worth the tetanus shots.

She decides to walk along and see if there is any loose fencing near the ground level. She uses her foot to press along the chain links to see if there are gaps.

Eventually, after a significant hike around the perimeter, she finds what she needs! A place loose enough for her to fit through. Examining it closer, it looks as though it's been cut previously. By whoever that was, she didn't care, but it provided her with a way in. Not knowing that two other people had used this route to gain access to the laboratory.

She peels up the metal, trying to bend it as best she can. But becomes stuck.

Realizing she can't fit through with her backpack, Mia sheds it. She could just toss it over the fence, but if she's only going for a quick look, she doesn't need it. Hiding it next to the fence, the only thing she removes is her baton in case something happens.

Cautiously, she leans down and gives another glance around before slipping through the gap in the fence. With some struggle, she manages to walk out the other side. She then begins the long trek towards the laboratory.

The strange shape of the building almost gives her an eerie feeling as she gets closer. Whatever went on here... it was not good. Maybe it was just her gut feeling and instincts. Or maybe it was her suspicious mind and overactive imagination. Either way, this would put her mind at ease.

Coming up to the entrance, Mia sees the yellow caution tape spread all over the entrance and in the windows. She didn't doubt that this place was likely going to be demolished in the not-too-distant future... which is why she had to look now.

However, her instincts to find the building unsettling are confirmed when she approaches one of the entrances. She swallows a lump in her throat.

There was shattered and scattered glass everywhere, mostly through the bottom panes, as if something small had been trying to break through. Mia peers through one of the few intact windows, reducing her risk of getting cut. However, in the daylight, it was difficult to see much of anything, but a glance through the front doors and into the "lobby" made her stomach twist violently. It was completely torn apart with light fixtures dangling, wires drooping down from the ceiling and hanging from the floor. There are brown stains on the floor and the walls. Pools, splatters and streak marks as if something or someone had been dragged. Mia knew what they were... blood. Dried blood. Whatever had happened here, it was a hell of a lot more than just a toxic waste spill. There were also various bullet holes and deep scratches on the floor and walls, likely made from claws. Was the lab keeping animals, and they escaped, causing chaos?