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chapter five , the flea and the acrobat
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Kennedy chewed on the inside of her cheek as she sat on the stairs of the Wheeler Basement. It wouldn't be long until she'd walk Lucas and Dustin to their houses and Steve Harrington would come pick her up. At least, that's the current plan. Mike was on the couch with a resting Eleven, Lucas was in a chair, and Dustin was next to Kennedy.
"What was Will saying?" Mike was looking at his lap, his hands shoved in the pockets of his sweatshirt. "Like home. Like home." Mike stood up, beginning to pace in thought. "But dark?"
"And empty." Lucas added, his hands clasped together. His elbows were on his knees and his head hung low.
Dustin nodded, "Empty and cold." The boy frowned. "Wait, did he say cold?"
Lucas shrugged, "I don't know. The stupid radio kept going in and out." He snapped with an annoyed tone.
"It's like riddles in the dark.
Kennedy looked across the room at Eleven. The blond girl stared at her, still clearly tired and groggy. "Like home. Like his house?" Asked Mike.
"Or maybe like Hawkins!" Lucas suggested, pointing at the Wheeler.
"Upside Down."
Everyone looked at Eleven. That was the first time she spoke since they left the school. "What did she say?" Asked Lucas with a scrunched face.
Kennedy stood up from the stairs. "Upside down." She whispered.
"What?"
A lightbulb seemed to have gone off in Mikes head. "Upside down!" He shouted. Kennedy watched Mike rush to his DnD board on the table. He flipped it to its front side. Lucas and Dustin sat in their usual chairs, and Kennedy sheepishly took Will's seat. "When El showed us where Will was, she flipped the board over, remember?" He flipped it again. "Upside down. Dark. Empty."
"Do you understand what he's talking about?" Lucas asked as he looked across the table at Dustin.
"No."
"Guys, come on, just think about it." Mike exclaimed, "When El took us to find Will, she took us to his house, right?"
Lucas leaned back in his chair, "Yeah. And he wasn't there." He reminded the Wheeler.
"But what if he was there?" Countered Mike. "What if we just couldn't see him? What if he was on the other side?" Lucas looked up in thought. Kennedy kept her mouth shut, watching Mike flip the board back to the front side. "What if this is Hawkins and," He flipped it upside down again. "This is where Will is? The Upside Down."
