lost love

chapter 15

-november 11th 1983-

-reader's pov-

orange, autumn leaves rustled and crunched beneath our feet as we trailed along the old, abandoned railway track. the boys were marching ahead in front, leaving me and el to fall behind in a comfortable silence.

el's breathing grew heavier and heavier the more we walked and it looked as if she was on a distant planet for a second, lost in some memory until she eventually snapped back to reality.

"y/n," she grabbed my arm, causing me to slow my walking speed.

"yeah?" I asked, my eyes now being pulled off the autumnal terrain to look at el.

"turn back," she simply spoke but the warning sent a chill down my spine.

"w-why? are you feeling okay? is everything-" I began to rant but el stopped me.

"I'm tired," she excused.

"well, I'm sure it's just a little longer.." I assured her softly, "just hold on a little longer, alright?"

el paused in her tracks for a moment and turned around, as if she'd find someone standing there. I noticed and held a hand out to her, she took my offered hand and together, we continued to walk through the woods.

————————

I inhaled and exhaled deep and exhausted breaths as we slowly walked into the junkyard.

"oh no," dustin sighed as he gazed around.

"oh no?" lucas repeated, "what's oh no?!"

"we're headed back home." dustin replied.

"what?" mike and I retorted.

"are you sure?" lucas asked with a stern look.

"I'm sure." dustin confidently, but still confused, confirmed, "setting sun right there," he pointed to the bright sun that shone in all it's glory, "we looped right back around."

"and you're just realising this now?!" lucas complained in a huff.

"why's this all on me?" dustin snapped back.

"because you're the compass genius!" lucas argued as I let out a deep sigh and stressfully ran my fingers through my hair.

"what do your's say?" dustin asked, I reached into my pocket before pulling out my compass.

"north," lucas, mike and I all read.

"makes no damn sense.." dustin spoke.

"maybe the gate moved?" mike offered.

"no, I don't think it's the gate," dustin responded, "I think it's something else screwing with the compasses."

"maybe it's something here," I suggested.

"nah, it has to be like a super magnet," dustin answered.

"it's not a magnet." lucas pointed an accusing finger at el, who stood timidly beside me, "she's been acting weirder than normal. if she can slam doors with her mind, she can definitely screw up a compass."

"don't say that!" I snapped, "she wouldn't do that! why would she anyways?!"

"because she's trying to sabotage our mission!" lucas angrily responded, "because she's a traitor!"

he then proceeded to slowly storm over to el, I barged a protective shoulder in front of her.

"you did it, didn't you?" lucas spoke whilst staring right into el's scared eyes, "you don't want us to reach the gate. you don't want us to find will."