Neighbors - Strangerthingsau

Epilogue

The news about El shocked everyone. No one knew what to think, or what to say. And I mean no one, the entire town seemed to be silenced at the news.

Hopper explained his Brenner theory to the group, to which they all agreed it was Brenner's doing.

That night when Hopper came home from work, Joyce noticed his tear stained face and knew that El wasn't coming home safely. She wasn't coming home at all. She broke down sobbing, and landing on her knees as Hopper pulled her in his embrace, kissing the top of head head trying to comfort her.

Jonathan and Will poked their heads out of their rooms when they heard their mom's cries. They made it down the stairs to see their parents crying in each other's embrace on the ground. They looked at each other and knew the other knew that they just lost their only sister.

They made their way of to their family. Well, what was left of their family and joined the hug too, letting the tears slip out of their eyes.

A knock was heard on Mike's door. "Come in." He said from his bed.

The door opened revealing a nervous looking Karen Wheeler. She closed the door quietly as Mike looked up from his comic book.

"What is it?" Mike asked getting nervous too.

Karen shook her head and sat at the foot of Mike's bed. "Honey, I'm so sorry."

"What? What happened?" He asked sitting up.

"They found El." Karen's voice broke as she tried to speak. "I'm sorry."

Mike shook his head in disbelief. "No!" He cried, trying to blink back the tears forming in his eyes. "No! That's-that's not possible! She can't be!"

"No, honey she is. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." She said reaching out to comfort her son.

"No!" He cried letting the tears roll down his face. He pushed past his mom's arm and walked out his room, down the hallway.

He stopped at Nancy's room before barging in. "Have faith? Have faith!" He raised his voice.

"Mike! What the he-" She looked at his face with tears streaming down them. "Mike what's wrong?"

"She's gone!" He yelled at her. "You told me to have faith, but she's gone!"

"Mike." She said pulling her brother into her arms as her own tears formed in her eyes. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"It's my fault." He whispered. "It's all my fault."

"No, Mike this is not your fault. I promise you."

But it is. He thought.

Max was watching the news with her mother when she heard they found El's body in the lake. If felt like her whole world shattered before her eyes. In a way it did. She just lost her best friend.

She ran into her room slamming the door. She started to hyperventilate as she sat with her back to the door. Her tears kept flowing but the oxygen wouldn't. The world around started to turn dark and before she knew it, she was past out on the floor.

Lucas had gotten the call from Will telling him about El. He sighed as he rubbed the tears out of eyes long enough to say, "I'm so sorry."

He hung up the phone and sat on his bed staring at the wall, letting the tears fall.

Will also called Dustin to left him know.

"You're kidding, right?" He asked desperately. "Please tell your kidding."

"I wish I was." Will hoarse voice came through the receiver.

Dustin hung up not wanting to believe it. Once he finally realized it was reality, he hung his head in sadness. Letting his cheeriness and his heart sink with it.

Five days later, they were standing at El's burial sight about to put her in the ground. Her closed casket was about to going into the ground, meaning it was time to say their last goodbyes to her.

Her head stone read, 'El Hopper. Lovely daughter. Perfect sister. Amazing friend.'

Joyce and Hopper stood together holding on to one another. They were each other's support system.

Jonathan and Will stood off to the side of them with heavy hearts.

The Wheeler's, minus Holly, were next. Ever since that day Mike had felt nothing but numb. Both Nancy and Karen tried to talk to him but he refused to speak.

Max, Lucas and Dustin stood together not wanting to say goodbye to their friend.

They all watched solemnly as El was lowered into the ground. One by one roses were thrown in the hole where she laid. All of them could only think one thing.

Goodbye El.