Mileven Stories

Dull Ache (1992)

Just popping in to fulfill another idea that manifested from the brilliant mind of breathless_writer (featuring plenty of Mopper), enjoy!
********************************************

It's incredible how quickly the human body can get itself from one place to the next. Even though Mike always had the extra leverage when it came to rapid movements because of his long legs, he somehow tended to move slower than the average person.

However, it was on a bitter cold day that his body propelled itself faster than ever before.

Mike had been sat in his advanced English Literature course working diligently on his recent assignment when his professor urgently asked to speak with him in the hall.

"Mr. Wheeler, I just received a call from your fiancée's father," the wise woman he looked up to as a mentor rested a firm hand on his shoulder, keeping the now alarmed boy in place as she continued, "he said El is at his home, but that he needs you to get there."

Suddenly and without proper preparation, Mike felt his heart wrenching in complete and utter fear. All of the air that his lungs held onto tightly was immediately suspended as emotion knocked the breath out of him. His vision became misty as his eyes filled with hazy moisture.

Just as he was beginning to run off, his professor called out to him once more, "Wheeler! I'm sure she's fine. I've read your papers, so I understand how strong she is and how much she means to you. Get yourself to her safely, okay?"

Mike initially failed to properly respond because he felt that if he opened his mouth, there would be no calm words released; just the sounds of foreign bloodcurdling cries.

Before he could fully disappear out of sight, he glanced over his shoulder and managed to yelp, "thanks, Jodie! See you in class next week."

Somehow, Mike managed to accomplish running a mile back to where his car was parked in record time. Sure, he had almost become an ornament on a few car's dashboards, but the idea of El needing him made him impossibly swift on his feet.

"Son of a bitch, come on!" he shouted at his shaking hands as he struggled to get the key into the ignition.

Once the engine roared to life, a familiar track began to echo from his vehicle's cassette player. It felt almost like the lyrics were mocking him.

He attempted to tune it out as he sped thirty miles over the established speed limit, only feeling a nerve struck when the song picked up and chanted intolerably loud.

'Since you've gone I've been lost without a trace; I dream at night, I can only see your face'

He slammed his hands against the steering wheel as the onslaught of joyous memories came crashing down upon his shoulders.

First entered the vision of El walking into the gymnasium to join him at the snowball in 1984. That scene was then followed by the memory of her shimmying along to the song's chorus as she giggled underneath the power of a sprinkler on a hot summer day in 1988. Finally, just as he was pulling into Hopper's driveway, he was hit with the snapshot of her humming the song's tune as she unpacked boxes on the day they moved into their first apartment.

Mike's leg was already dangling outside of the driver's side door before he managed to even put his car fully into park. He took thundering steps to get to the door, desperately needing to know that she was okay.

His knuckles took a beating as he harshly knocked on the front door. Ten seconds later, Hopper flung the entrance open and stepped aside to let the disheveled boy enter.