003 ➳ stranger things [1]

Chapter 10: The Drive

"Can we trust Kali?" Hopper glanced over at Erin, looking back onto the road.

"She rescued me from the lab," Erin sighed. "She hates Brenner and wants to stop the mind flayer just as much as we do."

"Okay," Hopper nodded, pausing. "You do understand that Mike comes over all the time."

"I know." Erin nodded.

"But it's okay if you don't like him." Hopper looked back and forth between Erin and the road.

"I like him. Plus Dustin will probably come over like all the time." Erin shrugged.

"You and Dustin?" Hopper asked.

"Yeah," Erin nodded, looking out the window. "He's a good friend, and funny."

"You and Dustin." Hopper smiled.

"No!" Erin paused, chuckling. "Not that way."

"Are you sure you haven't even thought of it?" Hopper asked.

"Of course I've thought of it but-" Erin smiled. "It's not like that."

"Sure. And Eleven and Mike aren't dating." Hopper rolled his eyes.

"Oh shush." Erin blushed.

Most of the drive was silent. They drove through small towns, farms, and houses. They came across fields, with corn and flowers.

Suddenly, the truck slowed down. Hopper pulled off to the side.

"Looks like we're out of gas." Hopper sighed.

"What do you mean?" Erin asked. "You have a full tank."

"Shit the engine." Hopper slid out of the car, pulling up the hood.

Hopper searched under the hood for anything wrong, finding nothing.

"What is it?" Erin yelled.

"There's nothing wrong." Hopper stepped back.

"What?" Erin got out of the truck, rushing over to the hood. "What made your truck just stop in the middle of nowhere?"

"No idea." Hopper pulled the hood back down.

The two got back in the car, Erin pulling out a map. Hopper looked for a flare signal.

"Says here we're about 15 miles from a town." Erin read from the map.

"How many from Indianapolis?" Hopper asked.

"Thirty," Erin sighed, closing up the map. "Great. We're stuck in the middle of Indiana with no phone."

"I say we sit out. Did you bring any food?" Hopper asked.

"I brought an apple, trail mix, and a three musketeers," Erin explained. "We're gonna die of thirst."

"They'll find us," Hopper paused. "For now, we're alone out here."

Erin looked down the road, noticing a boston lab can stashed behind the bushes.

"Hop," Erin nudged Hopper. "Hop, Hop, look!" Erin paused. "I don't think we're alone out here."

"Shit," Hopper paused. "Can you get any heartbeats?"

Erin looked down, focusing on her senses. Her hearing focused on three heartbeats and whispering.

Remember two, if you do this Dr. Brenner will continue to favor you.

Yes of course.

Do you think they've noticed yet?

Shut up.