Strange as IT Seems

Chapter 15: In the Beyond

"Well, another day, another fifty cents for college," Robin mutters as she and Steve close up Scoops for the night.

"At least you're probably going to go somewhere," Steve mutters under his breath, wiping down the tables.

Robin opens her mouth to make a snarky remark but decides against it. Leaving this hole of a town was a sore spot for Steve and she knew that if she brought it up and made fun of him, he'd instantly end their friendship. She did feel bad for him; being the popular boy in high school did squat to help you in the real world. She was looking forward to leaving this town behind, bizarre as it was. She was in her last year of high school, but she's worried she's going to have to take a year or more off because she was stuck at a crappy job that couldn't even make a dent in the cost it would take to go to college. It frustrated her immensely, but she had her ambitions and she did feel bad for Steve as he was likely going to be here even longer.

She finishes locking up the backroom and grabbing her helmet. Steve pulls the metal gate over the entrance before walking with her.

"Even though the Russians are long gone," Steve says. "This place is still creepy as hell at night."

"Agreed," Robin nods as the two head for the exit.

...

Meanwhile, deep under Starcourt Mall in the abandoned tunnels of the former Russian military base, a small and seemingly insignificant shadow swirls its way in the darkness, trying to find an opening... several sparks emit from wires dangling from open generators and computers. Some of the complicated and highly technical equipment has begun to gather dust and spiderwebs from the lack of use. The main control panel standing behind an extremely thick sheet of plexiglass makes a *clunk* sound, which echoes through the abandoned facility. Two long and dark spindly arms turn the required keys, which causes some of the machinery behind the glass to activate. The gigantic "Key" ray that was meant to open a portal between worlds flickers a few more times before a single, very thin beam of light that is aimed at the wall penetrates it. It creates a single crack, scarcely the length of a human hair glows a reddish-orange colour, but that was all that was required.

The shadowed entity that had activated moves quickly, slipping under the glass and slowly making its way towards the crack in the wall. Its smoky appearance allows it to drift next to the laser, imitating a phantom until it reaches the crack and slowly slips inside.

Once it vanishes, the ray deactivates again, hopefully for the last time.

...

In the desolate landscape called the Upside Down by those who knew of its existence, an entity known as the Mind Flayer felt rejuvenated and pleased to be back in its home once again. The various particles of ash and organic material soak up into its cloud-like skin, allowing it to regain strength. It was now officially whole again. After the foolish and inferior humans had opened the gateway between its world and theirs, the being felt something very close to "happiness" when it sent its minions outwards to wreak havoc to help his plan of merging the worlds. That is until that seemingly powerful... what was it called again? Human Girl The girl had closed the gate and great hatred had been brewing inside the omnipotent entity ever since then. This "girl" needed to be reckoned with. It did not help that when she closed the gate, she severed part of It and left it helpless in a world it was not truly familiar with. The alternate human world was no place for this great being... too much emotion and happiness surrounding the place called a mall... It suffocated the entity greatly and even when possessing that human... "boy" the emotion made the Flayer completely miserable and was pleased to have been expelled from him. It was content to be back where it truly belonged... mostly... But its plan to merge the worlds of Earth and the Upside Down had been delayed. When the foolish men attempted to reopen the gateway between the worlds, the Mind Flayer greatly desired to find its missing piece, but the sheer power of the...device had prevented this. However, It was able to get some energy back out to its missing half, allowing it the strength to have reactivated the device and come home.