Life in Hawkins

Chapter 20 The Flea and the Acrobat

(Back at the Wheelers house Y/Ns pov)

    "What was Will saying? Like home... Like home" Mike said trying to remember. "Like home but dark" I added. "And empty" Lucas said. "Empty and cold. Wait, did he say cold?" Dustin asked. "I don't know. The stupid radio kept going in and out" Lucas answered. "It's like riddles in the dark" Dustin said annoyed. "Like home. Like his house?" Mike questions. "Or maybe like Hawkins" Lucas says. "He could be talking about the whole town in general" I add. "Upside down" Eleven says weakly. "What'd she say?" Lucas questions. "Upside down" Mike repeats. "What?" Lucas says still confused. "Upside down. When El showed us where Will was, she flipped the board over, remember? Upside down. Dark. Empty" Mike explains flipping over the D&D board. "Do you understand what he's talking about?" Lucas asks me and Dustin. "No" Dustin answers. "Maybe, she took us to his house, right?" "Yeah, and he wasn't there" Lucas says. "But what if he was there? What if we just couldn't see him?" I say. "What if he was on the other side? What if this is Hawkins" Mike says while pointing to the regular D&D board. "And... this is where Will is? The upside down" He says flipping the board over. "Like the Vale of Shadows" Dustin says taking out a book. Dustin reads "The Vale of Shadows is a dimension this is a dark reflection or echo of our world. It's a place of decay and death, a plane out of phase. A place of monsters. It is right next to you and you don't even see it." "An alternate dimension" Mike says. "But... how... how do we get there?" Lucas asks. "You cast shadow walk" Dustin says making a D&D reference. "Yes we know that, Dustin" I say. "We mean in real life dummy" Lucas says annoyed again. "We can't shadow walk. But... maybe she can" Dustin says we all look over at El who's still laying down. "Do you know how we get there to the upside down?" Mike asks her. Eleven shakes her head no she doesn't know. "Oh my god!" Lucas yells in frustration.

*The next day*

     It's time for Wills funeral. Eddie's helping me get ready. I honestly don't really want to go, I mean know that's not really him. I wish Eddie could come with me, but he said it wouldn't be right since he didn't know Will. I guess I understand where he's coming from though. I waited outside my trailer with Eddie, waiting for the Wheelers. Their giving me a ride to the service since my moms at work and I don't have a car. Once they arrive I get up and give Eddie a hug. Getting in their car, the drive there was silent.

*Once at the service*

     "Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your god. I will strengthen you. Yes. I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. It's times like there that our faith is challenged. How, if he is truly benevolent... could god take from us someone so young, so innocent? It would be easy to turn away from god... but we must remember that nothing. Not even tragedy, can separate us from his love. We are here today to find comfort in the truth of scripture, and to surround Will and his family..." pasture Charles preached. "Just wait till we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral" Dustin whispers to us. "Dustin, shut up" I whispered back. "Shhh" Mikes mom Karen says behind us. As the Service wrapped up everyone was talking to Lonnie Wills dad. But no one was talking to Joyce she looked so sad. While waiting for Mike parents to finish talking I went up to Joyce. I tapped her shoulder it seemed to surprise her. "Oh, sorry, Ms.Byers but I just wanted to say something even if it sounds cheesy. You should believe what you want even if others think your crazy. My mom always says that mothers can feel their children and if you still feel Will, then don't lose hope. That's all, sorry for interrupting you, goodbye" I say while walking away waving at her. She honestly seemed really surprised about what I said, I hope I didn't offend her. While walking away I can hear her let out a small "Thank you".

*At the funeral reception*

     At the reception me and the guys thinks it's time to talk to Mr.Clarke. "Mr.Clarke?" I ask. "Oh hey. There, how are you all holding up?" he asks. "We're... in... mourning" Lucas answers slowly. "Man, these aren't real nilla wafers" Dustin says behind us. "We were wondering if you had time to talk?" Mike asks. "We have some questions" I say. "A lot of questions" Lucas adds. We all go to sit down at one of the table to talk. "So, you know how in cosmos. Carl Sagan talks about other dimension? Like, beyond our world?" Mike asks first. "Yeah, sure. theoretically" Mr.Clarks says. "Right. theoretically" Mike adds. "So, theoretically, how do we travel there?" Lucas asks next. "You guys have been thinking about Nugh Everett's many- worlds interpretation haven't you?" Mr.Clark asks us. "Well, basically, there are parallel universes. Just like our world but just infinite variations of it. Which mean there's a world out there where none of this tragic stuff ever happened" He said. "Yeah, that's not really what we're talking about" I say. "Oh" Mr.Clarke says in a confused tone. "We were thinking of more of an evil dimension like the Vale of Shadows. You know the Vale of Shadows?" Dustin explains. "An echo of the natural plan. Where necrotic and shadow magic" Mr.Clarke starts until getting interrupted, by Mike asking "Yeah, exactly if that did exist, a place like the Vale of Shadows, how would we travel there?" Mike asks."Theoretically" Lucas adds. Mr.Clarke grabs an extra paper plate to draw what he's explaining. "Well... picture... an acrobat... standing on a tightrope. Now, the tightrope is our dimension. And our dimension has rules. You can move forwards, and backwards. But, what if... right next to the acrobat there is a flea? Now, the flea can also travel back and forth, just like the acrobat, right?" Mr.Clarke asks making sure we understand. "Right" Mike answers. "Here's where things get really interesting. The flea can also travel this way... along the side of the rope. It can even go underneath the rope." Mr.Clarke explained. "Upside down" Mike said. "Exactly" Mr.Clarke agrees. "But we're not the flea we're the acrobat" I say. "In this metaphor, yes, we're the acrobat" Mr.Clarke says. "So we can't go upside down?" Lucas asks. "No" Mr.Clarke answers. "Well, is there any way for the acrobat to get to the upside down?" Dustin questions. "Well... you'd have to create a massive amount of energy. More than humans are currently capable of creating. Mind you, to open up some kind of tear in time and space, and then... you create a doorway" Mr.Clarke says. "Like a gate?" Dustin questions. "Sure. Like a gate but again, this is all.." Mr.Clarke says getting cut off again. "Theoretical" Lucas says finishing Mr.Clarkes sentence. "But... but what if this gate already existed?" Mike asks. "Well, if it did I... I think we'd know. It would disrupt gravity, the magnetic field, our environment. Heck , it might even swallow us up whole science is neat. But i'm afraid it's not very forgiving" Mr.Clarke had answered all of our questions.