mary. [ BILLY HARGROVE ]

xlviii. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR

~The Flayed~

     "I found him," Eleven stated. They were searching for Hopper to see where he was so they could at least get some help with this. 

     "Where is he?" Max asked. 

     "Woods," Eleven stated. 

     "Woods?" Mary questioned. 

     "He's with Will's mom," Eleven said, confused. 

     "My-My mom? What are they doing?" Will asked, confused now, too. 

     "Ill-annoy," Eleven said. "They're going to Ill-annoy." 

     "Mike! Breakfast!" Mrs. Wheeler called, knocking on the basement door. 

     "Not now, mom!" Mike screamed at her, then turned back to Eleven who removed the blindfold. "Illinois? Illinois, like the state? The state of Illinois?" 

     "Ill-annoy," Eleven said again. 

     "Come on, let's get you cleaned up a bit," Mary said, motioning for Eleven to follow her to the bathroom. Max went with them, shutting the door and locking it behind them. Mary wet a rag and turned off the tap, touching it to the blood coming from Eleven's nose. She set the rag in the sink again, Eleven looking at the bruising around her neck. 

     "Does it still hurt?" Max asked. 

     "Only when I talk," Eleven answered quietly. 

     "Well, it's a good thing you're not Mike, then. 'Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.' You'd be in constant pain," Max said, Eleven laughing slightly at her words. The boys suddenly started arguing outside over the Mind Flayer, Mary barely listening to them. Max retaliated at them at some point, her and Eleven laughing. Mary smiled at the friendship, then paused as there was a sudden pounding on the basement door. 

     "Not now, Mom!" Mike screamed. 

     "Mike, open the door," Nancy's voice said. Mary sat up straight, knowing she had something to do with all of this now. She walked out of the restroom, looking up the staircase to see Nancy and Jonathan there. She hadn't seen them since May, but now would be a great time to catch up. The two walked down the stairs, Nancy beginning to pace as Eleven and Max now sat on the couch. "It was the exact same thing, the exact same thing that happened to Will last year. And look at this." Nancy set down a sheet of paper, all of them looking to it. "Look at the body temperatures." They started at 96, then decreased from there. 

     "He likes it cold," Will said, looking up from the paper. 

     "Okay, so this crazy old woman who was eating fertilizer -" 

     "Mrs. Driscoll," Nancy interrupted her brother. 

     "Right, yeah, Mrs. Driscoll. What time was this attack?" Mike asked. 

     "Last night," Nancy answered. 

     "Right, but what time last night?" 

     "Around nine." 

     "You waited all night to call?" Jonathan asked, head turning to Nancy. 

     "I was waiting for the doctors to run some tests," Nancy shrugged. 

     "You weren't there?" Will asked like Jonathan was insane. 

     "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Jonathan asked. 

     "Hallelujah," Nancy said sarcastically. Mary winced, shaking her head slowly. 

     "Um, so, wha-what time was your sauna test?" Nancy asked.