Alice the Amazing ⇒ STRANGER THINGS

[15] Splish Splash

{The Bathtub, Part III/The Upside Down, Part I}

Alice was able to lose the government goons a few blocks away from Cornwallis. She slipped in and out of the woods by the Byers house, using the rapidly incoming darkness as cover (and wishing she had left Mews behind).

"Stop whining," Alice groaned to the cat. "You're being annoying."

This only prompted Mews to whine even louder.

"I know you're hungry, but we're almost there."

When the Byers house came into view, Alice felt like weeping tears of joy. She ran up to the front porch and knocked on the door three times.

A shadowed figure peered at her through the curtains. The door opened three inches, and Chief Hopper obscured her view of the rest of the house.

"I'm supposed to ask if you know a secret password," he said, sounding tired.

"Oh!" Alice said, remembering a code she and Dustin came up with ages ago. "Um, bubblegum?"

Hopper turned and shouted inside, "Kid, is the code 'Bubblegum'?"

"Son of a bitch, way to tell the whole neighborhood! But yes, yes it is."

Hopper opened the door all the way and let Alice through, eyeing the cat carrier.

"Interesting choice of accessory you've got there," he deadpanned.

"Alice!" Nancy said, rushing toward her and enveloping her in a hug. "Thank god. When I saw my house crawling with agents, I for sure thought they had you too."

"Hey, Nance." Alice hugged back. "I've had a really, really weird day, but I'm starting to think yours was weirder."

Standing in the Byers' kitchen was Joyce, Jonathan, Lucas, Mike, and Eleven. Dustin was on the phone with someone, shouting about curiosity doors.

"Where were you?!" Lucas demanded, rushing over. "Why didn't you have your walkie-talkie? We could've used your help today!"

"I thought I wasn't in the party?" Alice shot back, but she gave him a hug anyway.

"You're an honorary member," Lucas mumbled, sliding away from the hug. "Three-Time-Only access—unless it's a Code Red. Then, you're always welcome."

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help you guys today," Alice said, picking at her nails. "Any of you guys. I had this weird interaction in the park, and then I crashed my bike, and then I got home and got chased by agents and—well, I guess we're caught up."

Dustin finished his phone call and hung up, joining the main group.

"Alice, thank goodness—why the hell did you bring Mews?"

Alice placed the cat carrier on the kitchen table.

"What?" she said, crossing her arms. "I didn't want the evil government agents to get her!"

Dustin shook his head but turned to the group.

"Mr. Clarke explained how to make a sensory deprivation tank—"

"A what now?"

"A tank to help Eleven contact Will and Barb in the Upside Down," Mike explained.

"Dustin said you and Eleven were similar?" Joyce said, turning to Alice with a hopeful look on her face. "Maybe you can help her find Will?"

"Oh, I don't know," Alice said, blushing. "I—I only discovered this weird power, ability thing just like two days ago...I don't even know how they work, or why I have them—and I still don't really understand what's going on here."

"That's all right," Jonathan said. "We'll catch you up to speed, once we know how to make the tank."

"Do you still have that kiddie pool we bobbed for apples in?" Dustin asked Joyce.

"I think so," she said, nodding.

"Good," Dustin said. "Then we just need salt. Lots of it."

"How much is lots?" Hopper asked warily, raising an eyebrow.

Dustin conferred the notes he had taken during the phone call.

"1,500 pounds."

"Where are we going to get that much salt?" Nancy asked, biting her lip.

"The school!" Lucas said. "They have all that salt for the roads if it snows."

"Let's go," Hopper demanded. "Kids, in my truck. Teens, go in Joyce's car. Alice, for the love of God, leave the cat here."

🛁 🛁 🛁

Alice felt numb.

She stood in the middle school girl's bathroom, splashing cold water on her face and trying to convince herself this was all some kind of horrible, twisted nightmare.

"Gone!" Eleven had cried out while using her powers. "Gone! Gone!"

She had seen Barb in the Upside Down. Sweet Barb Holland. The always supportive, smart-as-a-whip, loving, caring, kind friend that Alice had known since seventh grade. Gone. Dead.

If you hadn't left her at Steve's that night, a voice in the back of Alice's mind whispered, maybe she wouldn't be gone.

The only good news was that Will was still alive in the Upside Down. Hopper and Joyce were going to the gate at Hawkins Lab to rescue him. Alice offered to come along, thinking her powers might be helpful, but they insisted she stay.

"You kids have been through enough," Joyce had said kindly, patting Alice on the shoulder and getting into Hopper's truck.

Alice had retreated into the bathroom, not in the mood to be around the others. She needed time to think.

Or not to think. Thinking was too painful; when Alice closed her eyes, she saw Barb's face. Barb, alone, cold, stuck in the Upside Down. Instead of thinking, Alice would focus all her attention on the pattern of the bathroom's wallpaper. Yeah, that was a healthy way of dealing with emotions.

After Alice had finished counting the number of stains on the wall by the sinks—twenty-four—the door to the bathroom burst open. Jonathan was standing there holding his mom's car keys.

"Come on," he said. "We're going to kill this son of a bitch."

"Right now?" Alice asked, following him into the hallway.

"Yes, now," he said impatiently. "Nancy and I have to sneak into the police precinct and get our box of weapons. Then, we kill the monster that killed Barb, and that's terrorizing Will, before it can get my mom and Chief Hopper."

"We need to tell the kids—"

"There's no time, Al!" Jonathan said, exasperated. He grabbed Alice by the shoulders and looked her right in the eye. "If we don't go right now, my mom and brother could be dead. I can't lose them; I just can't."

Alice cast her eyes toward the gymnasium doors where her brother was, and then back to Jonathan.

"Okay, fine," she said. "The boys and Eleven will be safe for now. Let's go."

She followed him to his mom's car, where Nancy was already waiting.

{Edited July 8, 2020; Reposted October 26, 2024}

A/N [from 2019] The next chapter is going to be inteeeeeense! Vote, Comment, and answer the Question of the Day: which pet is better, Mews or Dart?