The Side Ways [mileven]

chapter 10 - the experiment

Third person point of view...

Eleven slowly walked toward the giant pool. It had been in the same place with the exact same setup before she defeated the Demogorgon.

That was a fact.

In this dimension, everything that is in it stands in the same place that it did in the first world when whoever had entered it, entered it.

Meaning - Since the sensory deprivation tank had been there when Eleven was transported into this dimension, it is here now, even though months had passed since it was put there originally, and had since then in the first world been taken down.

Eleven walked around it a few times, examining. Everything looked the same about it.

She contemplated. Maybe through this somehow, she could get to Mike, and right now, that's all she wants. She wants to be at home with Mike. She wants to go back so he can keep all of him promises which she never forgot about, but instead held close to her heart.

Eleven sat down next to the kiddy pool and thought. Even if this couldn't take her to Mike, it could let her see and talk to him. Sure, she could talk to him, but she wanted to see him, even if it was only for a matter of seconds - and that made her decision.

Eleven grabbed ahold of the intercom that she took with her everywhere now with both of her hands. Moving one, she carefully moved the antenna upward so it could extend as far as it could and set it down in front of her. After, she slowly stood up and faced the pool. She closed her eyes then inhaled deeply, having an exhale follow. She looked down at the comfortable clothes she was wearing and sighed, knowing the current circumstance would ruin them (at least temporarily). Listening to all of the things telling Eleven not to do this, she stepped into the pool, sat first, then let her self float with her eyes closed, and did it anyways.

Seconds later, Eleven opened her eyes and found herself in the presence of black oblivion, which was not what she wanted to see. She started to turn around to face the opposite direction, and that's where she struck gold. A short (yet at the same time, far) distance ahead of her lie Michael Wheeler. His eyes were shut and his hands rested under his head. He was asleep. However, that didn't stop Eleven, and if it were the other way around, it would do anything but stop Mike. So Eleven ran to him.

As soon as El was able to approach Mike, she began to shake him as an attempt to wake him, and he did wake. His eyes fluttered open and immediately squinted soon after if disbelief. "E-El?" His quiet voice questioned. Eleven, in pure joy and bliss nodded as she almost sobbed with happiness. "It's me, Mike," Eleven said to him, grabbing one of his hands with the both of hers. Mike instantly sat up in excitement. "Eleven! Oh my Go- wait..." he cut himself off, looking around. "Wha-" "The bath, Mike. I'm in the bath," Eleven explained, interrupting Mike. He didn't say anything in return, as if he understood, but just didn't know how to react too it. However, Mike's facial expressions soon changed from being overjoyed to sad and confused.

"Eleven, I want to bring you home. I want you to come back and live with me again and we can do all kinds of things like I said we could. I just need to figure out how," Mike said, biting his lip and looking down at the water-like ground they were on. Eleven sighed and looked down just as he did. "I don't know," she whispered. "El?" Mike asked, gaining her attention. "Yes, Mike?" Eleven responded. "Do you think that you could use enough power so that if I got in a bath over here at the same time that you got in your bath, we can find each other through here? And then, like, maybe I can pull you out," Mike rambled, mainly talking to himself instead of Eleven, making sure he told the theory correctly.

Eleven had thought about that for a minute. She didn't know any way at all that she could possibly return home, but Mike did. Mike had his idea, and if there was no other idea, then they would have to try their only possibility.