Saturday, January 13, 1984
El's POV
1:48 AM
I hadn't been able to sleep well all night, and so here I was, sitting outside, facing the lake. It glimmered stilly, reflecting the stars, which made me think of Mike.
It was the first time I'd been anywhere near the woods since I'd gotten back, and something was off. I could sense it in the stillness of the air when there should be birds singing sweet nothings and squirrels chasing each other in the trees. They weren't just sleeping. I could almost taste the silence, and it wasn't right.
What is it?
I realized I was shaking and wrapped my arms around myself. The new pajamas Nancy had gotten me were too thin. What is it? I got up and looked around nervously. A branch snapped in the woods to my right, and I whirled around, squinting. My weak human eyes couldn't see anything, though.
Until it was there. Right there in the woods. I had thought it lived only in my nightmares... but it had come to life.
And so I ran. Ran towards the house, barely resisting the scream building in my throat. My ribs ached again, but I barely felt it. I realized three things:
The thessalhydra wasn't just a nightmare anymore, and it was causing the disappearances I had seen on the news at Mike's house.
Will had definitely been taken again... for some reason. That part I wasn't sure about.
And lastly, the most shocking, the gate in the lab was still open. How had I forgotten?
I got to the safety of the porch and risked a look back. It had melted back into the shadows, but somehow I could tell it was there, waiting to strike.
I could no longer stand it. I had to use my gifts. More like curses. Papa had always called them gifts, though. I felt a slight twinge when I thought of Papa, but he was gone. He was bad.
I thrust my hand out at the shadow of the thessalhydra and closed my eyes. I searched for the way to dissolve it, like with the demogorgon. Then it had been like a loose thread on a sweater: once you pulled it, the whole thing unraveled.
But here, I couldn't find that thread.
Afraid, I ran inside, yelling for Hopper. I somehow knew what was happening. I wasn't the connection with the thessalhydra that had brought it back. But who - or what - was?
Then it all clicked.
Will.
***
"You're sure about this?" Joyce said to me, gnawing on her nails.
"Can't you tell she is?" Hopper burst out. He was obviously nervous. He kept pacing and staring out the window, like he expected the thessalhydra to pop out of nowhere. Which it could.
Joyce stood and ran her hands through her hair, then ran to the phone and dialed a number.
"What are you doing?" Hopper asked, an edge to his voice.
"I have to cancel my plans with Bob," she said around the phone. She blinked and turned her mouth to the speaker. "Hey, babe, it's Joyce. Listen, there's a new lead on the case with Will, and I need to help..."
Hopper's gaze turned to steel, and he looked away. I heard him mutter something about 'babe'.
"Could I bring Mike?" I asked tentatively.
Hopper looked at me and pursed his lips. After a moment, he nodded. "But only him, got it? Those other kids shouldn't get put in danger."
I frowned. "Mike can be?"
"You can protect him," he said. "And he'll protect you." He glanced at Joyce on the phone, and his expression saddened. "Because he loves you."
Oooooooh somebody's jealoussss coughs Hopper coughs lol dramaaa (oh and there's a thessalhydra)
YOU ARE READING
you are not alone → stranger things
Fanfiction**DISCLAIMER: i wrote this in like middle school before season two came out & it's pretty cringy but i'm leaving it published bc it has 20k reads😏 ❝ This is not yours to fix alone. You act like you're all alone out there in the world, but you're no...
