Neighbors - Strangerthingsau

Chapter 25

Calm Before the Storm

Hopper made his way to the chain link fence in the woods. He had been doing this since the party brought him here. That was three weeks ago. Everyday he would go here and check on Brenner and see if he could figure out what Brenner was up to. Everyday was a bust. He expected nothing different this time around.

As the fence came into view he thought about El. Two days ago she came back from Mike's place after a movie night all happy and giddy. He knew something happened, he just wasn't sure if he wanted to know yet.

He walked up to the fence and peered through it. The scene was indeed different, something he never thought he would see.

"Dear God." He muttered under his breath.

"They're gone." Hopper said busting through the door. The party was in the living room along with Joyce and Jonathan. Those two words were enough for the conversation to stop in its tracks and make heads whip his way.

"What?" Jonathan said standing up from his place on the floor.

"I went to go check on the laboratory. The cars, the military equipment, the people, all gone. It was dead silent." Hopper rambled.

"So, does that mean-" Joyce walked towards Hopper with hope raiding off of her.

"They left town. I think it's safe." Hopper smiled.

A collective sigh of relief erupted from everyone in the home. Max went over to El on the couch and hugged her tightly as if to say 'everything's okay. You're safe now.' Mike on the other side of El, held her hand giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Screw those guys, huh?" Dustin said making people laugh a laugh that had been delayed for too long.

A flash went off during this happy moment, El turned her head toward the flash and saw Jonathan with his camera. He had taken a photo of this happy moment, forever sealing it to the party's history.

El rested her head on Mike's shoulder, feeling as though a large weight she didn't even know was there had been lifted off her shoulders. She smiled. She thought two days ago that she would never be happier than that day. But today proved her wrong. She and Mike were in the 'more than friends' stage, she had an amazing family and friend group, and the people that kept her from embracing her new life are gone. For once in her life everything was perfect.

She smiled at the thought of the word. Perfect. She liked it.

The group talked in a happy and giddy form. So much so, if you walked by the house you would feel the happiness coming off the house.

The next few minutes of their life would be amazing. It was filled with laughter and relief. That is, until the world turned upside down.

Hopper caught a slight glare on a picture hanging on the wall that quickly disappeared. Another one came and left. And another one. Hopper looked outside the open window to investigate and saw a long line of very familiar white vans pulling up the street. The words along the side of the van confirmed his fears. Hawkins Light and Energy it read.

"Shit!" Hopper yelled running over to the window and closing the curtains.

Questions filled the area as Hopper looked around trying to come up with a plan.

"They're here. We need to go." Hopper said in a hurry.

Joyce thought quickly. "The back door! Go into the woods! Don't split up, no matter what!"

Everyone ran out the back door scared out of their mind, but mostly worried for El's safety. Before they went into the woods El looked back to see Brenner and some other agents getting out of the vans. She immediately caught Brenner's eye. The looked on his face was a look of pure evil, like a predator just cornered its prey and is showing no mercy. It sent shivers down her spine.

The agents quickly realized what the group was doing and starting running after them. El turned around and started running as fast as her legs could carry her.

"They're on us." Mike said looking back. He made sure to hold on to El's hand trying not to let her fall behind.

The group made it into the woods, not slowing down for one second they ran past trees and bushes that just blurred together. They heard the distant yelling from the agents. The voices sounded the exact same every time they called after them, it's not getting closer or further away.

After what felt like hours of running, but really it was only a minute at most, the voices started to slowly fade out. Group slowed to a walk when the voices were no longer heard.

When the group caught their breath, Mike asked the question that everyone was wondering. "What are we going to do now?"

"Yeah, what are we going to do?" Will said looking at Hopper. "We can't go home. They're are probably waiting for us at our house."

"I don't know." Hopper said. "But your right, we can't go home. We need to find a place to lay low for a while."

The group continued walking through the forest for a few hours before coming across a cabin in the woods. It looked like no one was home because the lights were off, or maybe because the sun was setting and they could be in bed.

The group exchanged wary glances before following Hopper up the stairs to the porch.

"Anybody home?" Hopper asked knocking.

After a few minutes of silence Hopper turned to look at El with a do it look. With that look El lower her head and focused on the door and the locks. With a click the door swung open revealing a dark, dirty home.

"Hello?" Hopper called out. No answer.

"Looks like no one lives here." Jonathan said trying to turn on the lights, but they won't come on.

"Looks like no one has lived here for a while." Hopper said collecting dust on his finger from a table. The house was furnished, but it was full of dust and dirt. "We can stay here."

El sat down on the couch creating a cloud of dust from the impact. She started coughing from inhaling the dust. She thought about the big change from the morning to the night.

That morning she woke up in her bed. She was happy, sure she was in hiding but at least she thought they didn't know where she was. This afternoon was the happiest she had been for awhile. But that quickly changed. Now here she is sitting in a random a cabin in the middle of the woods, feeling way more in danger than back at the house.

I guess that just proves, perfect doesn't last for ever.

Authors note

I finished the story yesterday. So I'm going to be posting daily from here on out.

I am also going to start editing the book too, so I should be completed soon.

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow!