011 ~ A Mileven Fanfic

Chapter the First

fall, 1985

THIRD PERSON

It's been 2 years. 2 years since the love of his life went missing. "Died" as Lucas insists, though everyone else disagrees. Maybe just to make him feel better.

Mike still looks nearly everyday. One time he swore he heard her soft, mellifluous voice call out to him but that was over a year ago and he hasn't heard anything since.

He and the boys are still great friends. They play Dungeons and Dragons every Sunday and use the weekdays to plan campaigns. They understand why Mike's eyes are never as alive as they used to be and they try to give him space and be supportive every time a teacher says "turn to page eleven" or anything else that reminds him of the girl he couldn't save. Sometimes they even go "el-hunting" with him.

All four of the boys are different now too. Like all other pubescent boys, they shot up in the summer before 7th grade. Lucas is the tallest now at 5'9 but Mike is just one inch behind. All of their voices have dropped a number of octaves and Mike is even developing some muscle due to the fact that he has installed a punching bag in the basement that he now hits every time he gets sad about Eleven, which is a lot.

Lucas has a girlfriend now and is on the basketball team. Dustin's teeth grew in and now he only has a small lisp. Will is president of the art club and he asked out Jennifer Hayes at the end of 7th grade. He was rejected.

And Mike can't stop thinking about her. His mother didn't think that the strange little girl shown to her in the picture Dr. Brenner had mattered so much to Mike. She doesn't know what to do.

Nancy and Mike grew closer but Nancy still has trouble reaching him at times. It's like he put up walls around him and no one can penetrate them except the one girl who disappeared. Nancy tries to help. She brings him food (one time she brought Eggos which she soon realized was a mistake she has never made again), she sits on his bed and tries to offer him her wisdom, she occasionally will look for El with him, and she pats his back and tells him everything will be alright. She has no idea if it will be.

Everyone knew that there was no chance Mike would find El. Mike was starting to believe them. Until one cold, Thursday night when suddenly everything, everything was worth it.

MIKE'S POV

"I'm going El-hunting, want to come?, over." I radioed Lucas, already knowing the answer. I heard a long sigh and then,

"Not tonight Mike, maybe some other time, over." I nodded to myself and threw my radio in my bag along with a flashlight, a gun I stole from the Byers, and some Eggos. I must be getting bad if even Lucas is trying to be nice to me.

I sneak out of the house through the little door I found in my basement, get on my bike and ride to the forest. Specifically, the tree that Nancy told me about. I lay a box of Eggos in front of the tree like I've done for the last 2 years, walk around about four times calling El's name, and then survey the nearby area. Just like I've done for the past two years. Nothing ever happens. I'm starting to move on to go to different parts of the forest when I hear it.

"Mike." The voice sounds weak and dying but it's hers. There is no doubt that it's her. I drop my bag and sprint back to the tree, frantically yelling "El? El, where are you?"

"Mike? Mike, help."

It goes on. I yell her name and she yells mine and I don't know where she is. I don't know what to do. I'm wildly turning in circles, panicked and screaming. "El, follow my voice! I'm right here!"

"Mike"

"El!"

And then, a hand. A hand bursts from the tree. Small, weak, bony, and hers. I lunge towards the ground and grab it. "El, El I got you! I'm pulling you out! Come on El!" "Mike! Mike!" She yells. Slowly, her head emerges. And then her torso. And then her legs. And then her entire body is out as she collapses on top of me.