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Forty

"Noooo!!!"

The sound of Eleven's screams pierced the air, startling Allison awake. Her eyes shot open and she scanned over her surroundings, recognizing the inside of her darkened bedroom. The last thing she remembered was standing outside the hospital, and she wondered just how long she had been asleep for.

As she sat up and swung her legs over the edge of the bed, the door swung open to reveal Nancy standing in the doorway, silhouetted by the light behind her. The distraught look on her face coming into focus as she stepped closer.

"How long have I been asleep for?", Allison asked, climbing to her feet.

"Almost 24 hours."

"You guys let me sleep all day when the world is about to end? 

"You needed the rest so that you'd be strong enough to stop the world from ending, and I really hope it was enough because we need you now.", Nancy insisted, beckoning Allison out into the livingroom where Eleven was falling apart in Mike's arms, while the others stood around watching helplessly.

"What happened?", Allison gasped, running over to her sister and cupping her face in between her hands.

"I found the source!", Eleven announced, forcing her words out between sobs as blood continued to drip from her nose.

"It's at Brimborn Steel Works.", Jonathan spoke up, jabbing his finger at an open page in the telephone book. "It's not too far from here."

"I should have known.", Allison murmured under her breath.

"What are you talking about?", he asked, folding his arms over his chest. Nancy locked eyes with Allison from her position next to Jonathan, encouraging her to tell him the truth.

"This was over a month ago and I didn't realize it at the time, but that's where I first heard the Mind Flayer's thoughts."

"I don't understand. What the hell were you doing at an abandoned steel mill?"

"I was there with Billy.", Allison admitted, causing everyone in the group aside from Nancy and Will to let out various sounds of surprise. "And I guess it lured him back there."

"Oh, you guess? And just when were planning to tell the rest of us about you and Hargrove?"

"Jonathan, please. She had her reasons.", Nancy spoke calmly, coming to Allison's defense. She placed her hand on his arm to try and calm him, but he recoiled at her touch.

"You knew about this and you didn't tell me? Did anyone else know?", Jonathan yelled, demanding answers. He let out a sound of disbelief as Will slowly raised his hand. "Are you kidding me?"

"This is exactly why I didn't say anything!", Allison shouted angrily, taking a threatening step towards Jonathan, her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

"Stop! Stop fighting! We don't have time!", Eleven screamed, slamming her hands against the floor until the room began to shake. "After I found the source, the Mind Flayer found a way inside my head. He's planning to kill us all.", she explained, trying to steady her breathing.

"Show me. I need to see everything you saw.", Allison insisted, forgetting about her argument with Jonathan as she sat down on the floor in front of Eleven and took her small hands in hers. She closed her eyes and opened her mind, allowing Eleven's thoughts to flow through her.

She stood on a beach while a collection of Billy's memories, swirled all around her.

Young Billy surfing, while his Mother watched and cheered from the shore. His Father yelling at him for losing a baseball game. Him standing in the middle of one of his parents's fights. A phone call with his Mother, begging her to come home.