𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋 𝐈𝐓 𝐃𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆

5-greyhound

Mike stood with Holly's hand in his at the bus station, bouncing his opposite leg nervously as more people joined them. Holly stood still, not knowing why her and Mike were at the bus station or where they were going.

"What are we doing?" She asked, tilting her head up to her brother who looked down at her nervously, forcing a small smile onto his face. Holly didn't understand that her mother could have really hurt her if Mike hadn't gotten there when he did. He kneeled down to her level, sighing lightly as he looked at his innocent sister, taking one of her hands in his own.

"We have to leave home. You won't understand until you're older, but we aren't safe with mom. I'm gonna make sure we are safe wherever we are going." He explained quietly, hoping nobody else at the bus station was listening in on their conversation.

Holly didn't question her big brother, instead just nodding. He stood back at his normal height, his smile slowly fading into a cold stare, his eyes seeming as though they were hollowing out like a dead animal.

Holly gulped, Mike's expression making her nervous. She didn't know if she wanted to leave, but she trusted her big brother. As she thought, the bus pulled up in front of the station, the word "Greyhound" plastered on the side of the bus.

Mike looked down at Holly and she looked up at him, both of them nodding at each other before walking towards the bus. Holly walked up the steps two feet at a time, Mike following close behind her. They walked towards the back and sat in the cushioned seats, a musty smell filling their nostrils.

Holly wrinkled her nose at the scent making Mike laugh, which sent her into a fit of giggles as well. Even as the two sat there alone with no food or money, they laughed, the tension of that day fading away in an instant.

The bus rumbled to a start before rolling down the street at a fast pace, Holly bouncing up and down in her seat as she kicked her legs up and down. The bus turned down roads the two of them had known their whole lives, passing places like Melvald's and the Radio Shack.

They drove through the main part of town, reaching the Palace Arcade and the old abandoned building where Benny's used to be. Mike noticed the old rusty sign still hanging in place, thinking of the yellow Benny's hamburger t-shirt El had been wearing when he found her in the woods.

The bus drove for a while, weaving through endless areas of flat land and corn fields. Sometimes there would be a small home placed carefully in the middle of a field, surrounded by bright colored flowers and white picket fences.

They sometimes saw farms as well, horses and cows surrounding a big red barn in the middle of a field of vibrant green grass. Holly would tap the window with her finger and gaze out the window in awe every time she saw a "pony."

The plains turned to forest, the road thinning out as the bus traveled swiftly through the wooded area. The sky began to darken, a light glow still surrounding them as the sun struggled to peek through the trees. Rays of light shined through hollow spots in the woods, hitting the bus and bouncing off as Mike and Holly watched the sun disappear over the covered horizon.

Soon enough, the sun was gone, leaving the bus in complete darkness, besides the buses headlights that lit up the road ahead. Mike turned to Holly who was dozing off slowly, smiling at her before looking out the window, something small in the distance growing as the bus approached it. As it came into to view, Mike was able to make out what it was. He tapped Holly lightly, looking down at her before pointing out the window.

"Look, Holly." He said quietly. She turned her head, her pigtails whipping around with her. And right as she looked, the "Leaving Hawkins" sign came into view, becoming only a memory to them as the bus sped passed it, Mike and Holly leaving their old lives behind.