Eleven, Ten, and Stranger Things

Chapter 1: Ten's Escape

Escape. That was all she knew how to do. Well, that and follow orders. But she didn't want to follow orders for the rest of her life! 010 didn't want to be stuck underground forever. She knew the real world and the cool things that she could do. But Hawkins wouldn't let her go outside. She was only allowed to eat, sleep, use the restroom, and follow orders. Simple. Losing herself in her thoughts was not fun; she didn't like to find herself listening in on an agent's secret business or controlling an animal by will. She had to, or she'd get confined in the bath. That was her torture. Being lost in her thoughts for days on end, no water, no food- a true torture for a psychedelic. However, she could escape. She could try.

"Good morning Ten! I hope you slept well!" An old man wearing an unwrinkled suit with a full head of white hair greeted Ten. His wrinkled face crinkled into a grin when he stood with the door open, a fake smile for a fake person. 010 smiled back, trying to be as sweet as possible without giving any hints that she was planning to escape. It was her only chance because today she would be transferred to the room closest to the elevator. Her room was dreary and bland. A hard bed was in the corner of the room, and a small table and chair with paper and crayons. 010 was fourteen years old, but she didn't know that crayons weren't for teenagers. She only knew that they were her escape from being a test subject.

"Good morning Papa!" 010 responded, and climbed out of her tiny bed. She wore a loose hospital gown and ankle socks, shoeless. She ran to hug her "father" and pulled him in a tight hug. It was a morning ritual to wake up, greet her papa, and have breakfast before her usual experiments. Papa returned the hug, however, he was careful not to wrinkle his black suit. He patted her on the back because she was a little too tall to be patted on the head. Although she was fourteen, 010 was very intelligent and was the top test subject of them all. She knew everything. She knew about the other tests subjects, and slowly saw them begin to deteriorate. 008 died by the monster. They knew that 008 was a threat. They knew he was planning to escape. 009 died by a gunshot during an escaping plan. He couldn't concentrate enough to run past the guards and stop the guards before they could pull out their guns. He died right in front of 010's bedroom cell. 009 had been her closest friend, and she saw one last glance of his panicked, pale blue eyes. Death sparked her plan to escape; before she'd be next. She needed to survive.

(Back to story)

010 felt the top of her head, buzzed and short, black hair and she frowned. For once, just once she wanted to grow her hair out and see what she would look like, but papa never let her. Her hair was beginning to grow, and she frowned, knowing that the peach fuzz on her scalp was soon to be cut off.

Papa gave her a little bit of time to rest, to collect her thoughts and grab her crayons and drawings before she would be moved, closer to the elevator. 010 sighed as she jumped on her rock-hard bed, looking at the bland ceiling. She wished that the world had a little more color, like her crayons. A world full of happiness and color, and friends. All of her friends died.

Drawings in one arm, and the box of crayons in another, 010 stood at her door, waiting for a worker or Papa to escort her to the new room. She knew today would be her only chance, ask to go to the bathroom and escape. Get out as fast as her little legs could carry her.

"Alright, little one. Let's get you situated into the new room, yeah?" Papa called out, unlocking the door to the room. 010 stood back and watched as the large, metal door opened and revealed the old man again. 010 smiled and nodded, slowly walking out with Papa's hand on her near bare back. She only had a hospital gown on and underwear. She didn't know it wasn't normal to be living like this. But when she reached the room, her mind was set for the elevator. Now, time for plan A.