Enemy || Alexei

Chapter Six

"HE CALLS IT THE KEY, AND THIS KEY EMITS A GREAT ENERGY." Murray translates. I grab a cigarette from Hopper cigarette pack and light it.

"I don't think so." My mom says as she grabs the cigarette from my fingers and gives it to Alexei. "Are you serious?" I whine. "I'm very serious. Since when do you smoke?" She asks. 

"Since Sophomore year of High School." I say and her eyes widen. "What? You and Hopper use to do it." I say in defense. "That's true, Joyce." Hopper says, backing me up. 

"My point exactly. Thank you, Hopper." I say. "That is no excuse, young lady." My mom says firmly. 

"Hey! Can you all shut up?" Murray yells and we all stay quiet. "Anyway, he says, 'It requires much strength, power'. Those houses, like the one you found, they're located near, uh, transformers. They're stealing from your town's power grid." Murray translates. 

"Why build this key here? Why are they not doing this in their own backyard? What are they trying to do, blow us to smithereens?" Hopper asks and Murray translates. 

"There were many of these, uh, keys before in Russia, but they turned out wrong. They had to come to where the. where the, uh..." Murray stutters. "Where the what?" Hopper asks. 

"I don't understand what he's saying."

"I though you were fluent." I say as I tilt my head. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are my free translation services not good enough for you? Because you can just go ahead and file your complaint right up my ass!" Murray yells as and I throw my hands up in surrender.

Alexei picks up a straw and fry box and taps it together to get our attention. "What is he doing?" I ask Murray. "He's showing me." Murray says as he tries to figure out what Alexei is saying.

"Oh, okay. Uh, he says the straw, they're using to penetrate a hole in...a box?" He says unsure of what Alexei said. Alexei explains it again for Murray to understand while demonstrating with the straw and fry box.

"Okay, sorry, sorry. The straw represents the key, which emits a great energy. They're using this energy...to break through a barrier," My ears perk up at the sentence, "to open a doorway. A doorway between worlds." Murray finishes translating. Alexei plunges the straw against the fry box, but it bends instead of going through.

I suddenly start to feel sick. Goosebumps race throughout my body as chills run down my spine. The look of fear appears on my, my mom, and Hopper's face. They're trying to open the gate.

"But it seems this key was only half the equation. Location was the other half." Murray translates. Alexei grabs the burger wrapper and asks me to hold it. I grab it and hold it up, shielding my face.

"In Hawkins, this door had been opened once. It was still...healing." Murray translates. Alexei plunges the straw through the wrapper and I jump.

"So, this door in open now?" I ask, my voice shaking. Murray translates my question to Alexei. "He says it is...opening." Murray says and I let a shaky gasp. This can't be happening.

My mom quickly stands up. "Where are you going?" Hopper asks. "To call our children." My mom says as she walk off.

"Можем ли мы смотреть сумасшедшие мелодии сейчас?" (Can we watch Looney Tunes now?)  Alexei asks Murray as he point to the TV. "Нет." (No) Murray says.

I stare intensely at the floor as haunting memories swarm my mind. Will suffered great pain while being stuck in the upside down and being possessed by the Mind Flayer. My mom lost Bob, who was madly in love with her.

I had lost my insanity over those two years. This void inside me never really went away after everything that happened. I feel like I'm losing myself the more I think about that gate opening again.