Not Just Another Number

All too Familiar

Sarah's POV

"Get inside, quick." I say, ushering the party and the mysterious girl into Mike's basement. We sit the girl down and start to freak out. "Is there a number we can call for your parents?" Mike asks

"Where's your hair? Do you have cancer?" Dustin asks.

"Did you run away?"

"Are you in some kind of trouble?"

"Is that blood?" I slap Lucas's hand away from the girl. "Stop it! You're freaking her out!" I scold. "She's freaking me out!" He argues. I run my hand down my face in annoyance. It's too late for this shit. "I think she's deaf." Dustin says, clapping his hands. The girl jumps back, seemingly scared as Dustin looks at us. "Not deaf."

"All right, that's enough, all right? She's just scared and cold." Mike says while he walks over to a hamper. Thunder strikes, causing the girl to jump. "Here, these are clean. Okay?" Mike says, returning with the clothes. The girl grabs the clothes and brings them to her face. She stands up and begins to lift the edge of her shirt, "No no no no no." The boys yell. I reach forward and stop her hands. "Over there. That's the bathroom. Privacy. Get it?" I say and let go of her hands. I lead her to the bathroom, letting the boys freak out on their own.

I go to close the bathroom door to give her privacy, but she grabs it, stopping me. She looks scared, almost terrified. "You don't want it closed?" I ask. "No." She replies. So she can talk. "Um, how about we just keep the door open a little bit. Is that better?" I ask, leaving the door open a crack. "Yes." She says. Who is this girl? And why does this feel familiar? I nod my head and leave to let her get changed. I walk back to the boys, joining in on their conversation.

"This is mental." Dustin says. "At least she can talk!" Mike says, almost excitedly. "She said 'yes' and 'no'. Your three year-old sister says more." Lucas argues.

"She tried to get naked!" Dustin cries. I chuckle at his contribution to the conversation. "There's something seriously wrong with her. Like, wrong in the head." Lucas says, further insulting the girl. "She just went like..." Dustin says, demonstrating himself taking off clothes. He knocks his hat off and I laugh. "I bet she escaped from Pennhurst." Lucas continues. I hit the back of his head. "Lucas!"

"From where?" Mike asks, looking annoyed. "He's talking about the nuthouse in Kerley County." I say glaring at Lucas who is now rubbing the back of his head.

"Seriously though, think about it. That would explain her shaved hair and why she's so crazy." He says, trying to get his point across. "Why she went..." Dustin says, demonstrating it again. "She's an escapee is the point. She's probably a psycho."

"Lucas, all she is, is a scared little girl. Maybe she's foreign, and there were different rules from where she's from?" I say, trying to make sense of this situation. "We should have never brought her here." Lucas says, getting more frustrated.

"So you just wanted to leave her out in that storm?" Mike asks.

"Yes! We went out to find Will, not another problem." Lucas says.

"I think we should tell your mom." Dustin says. Lucas agrees and Mike tries to argue. "Mike, they do kind of have a point." I say, putting my hand on his shoulder. He harshly brushes it off. "Who's crazy now?!?"

"How is that crazy?"

"Cause we weren't supposed to be out. If I tell my mom and she tells your mom and your mom and your mom...." Mike says, pointing at each of us. "Our houses become Alcatraz." Lucas mumbles.

"Exactly. We'll never find Will."

"All right, here's the plan. She sleeps here tonight." I say, placing my hands on my hips. "Why can't she stay at your place?" Dustin asks. "Because if I bring her to my house, the place that has no extra rooms and a grieving mother, don't you think it will be pretty noticable?" I ask. The boys nod their heads, so I contiue. "Okay, in the morning, she sneaks around the house, goes to the front door and rings the doorbell. Mrs.Wheeler will answer and, hopefully, know exactly what to do." I say.

"Tomorrow night, we go back out. This time, we'll find Will." Mike says, getting excited. I groan. Dammit! Not where I wanted them to go. Lucas and Dustin gather their stuff and make their way to the basement steps. I walk with them to see them off. Mike is with the girl, trying to make her comfortable. "You really think she's psycho?" Dustin asks Lucas.

"Wouldn't want her in my house." Lucas mutters as he walks up the stairs. I sigh and run my hand down my face. "Mental." Dustin sighs. I nod, agreeing, as he leaves. This is just too much shit for one day. I walk over to Mike and sit down. "Hey, I never asked for your name." Mike says. The girl doesn't answer, but she does raise her wrist.  She pulls her sleeve down and shows me a sight I never thought I would see again.

011...

I instincly rub my wrist. The place where I have the same scar, but of a different number. 003. "Is that real?" Mike asks, reaching forward. The girl, or should I say, Eleven, pulls back her hand and glares. "Sorry, I've just never seen a kid with a tattoo before. What does it mean? Eleven?" He apologizes. Eleven looks at us and I sigh. "That's her name." I say, quietly. She nods as Mike repeats her name. "Ok, well, my name's Mike, short for Micheal. And this is Sarah. Maybe we can call you 'El'. Short for Eleven."

She nods as Mike bids her goodnight. As he leaves, I look at El. "Hey, El. I'm going to be here for you, no matter what. I hope you can trust me, well, because..." I trail off as I pull up my fingerless gloves. "I come from the same place." El reaches her hand out and touches the scar. "You know bad men?" She asks looking up at me. I nod my head and smile down at her. "I swear to you that I'll help you no matter what." I whisper to her. I pull my hand away and tug down my gloves.

"I'll be back tomorrow." I say opening the door. She nods and lies down. I walk outside to my bike, now soaking wet. Oh well. That poor girl, having to live through everything at the lab. As I ride home, I can't help but wonder what else the lab has been doing all these years. What other things are they making over there?