lost love

chapter 90

-march 25th 1986-

-reader's pov-

stood up right in the water-filled freezer, el placed the boxed up sunglasses on the top of her head. she then exhaled a deep breath before laying down into the freezer, the guys and I surrounding the large container. after, she repositioned the sunglasses over her eyes, blocking out any peripheral light.

not even a second later, the gloomy lights above us began to flicker with a low buzzing noise.

"wild~" argyle whispered in astonishment whilst gazing up at the ceiling.

"I found them." el announced, not even a minute later.

"okay, el, what's going on?" I asked her.

"it's not working," she fearfully replied, "max's plan.. it isn't working."

silence then filled the room for quite a couple minutes, the only sound to be heard was the low, electrical buzz from the lights and the static from the radio. the flickering lights then intensified, growing even stronger and faster.

"what's happening now?" will pondered.

"I think.. I am in a memory." el answered hesitantly, "a max memory."

"do you see her? do you see max?" mike asked.

"no." el said, "but she's here. she has to be here."

a few more speechless moments passed where we all just sat around the freezer, patiently waiting.

"I found her.. but she's young." el announced, breaking the silence, "she can't see me.. can't hear me."

"do you see anything.. weird?" I questioned, "in this memory? any sign of vecna or the mindflayer.. something that looks like it doesn't belong?"

"no, everything is normal." el responded before taking a short pause, "..there is something that doesn't fit. I think it is another memory."

"a memory within a memory?" argyle repeated, in genuine disbelief.

silence refilled the room, and for a long time. not a single word was spoken for at least 15 minutes, it was almost unnerving.

suddenly, el began to mumble things, she was obviously talking to someone in her mind. hopefully she had found max?.. the mumbling then abruptly stopped and was replaced with quiet sounds of grunting and struggling.

"she's fighting him." I realised.

"..but has vecna's physical body been set to flame yet?.." will fretted, remembering what I had said about me dying along with vecna if he hasn't burned yet.

I didn't reply, I just bit my tongue and hoped for the best. I continued to look down at the turquoise-blue water, a million worries clouding my mind.

until el began to sob.. this only meant two things. either max was dead or vecna was tormenting her.

she now began to intensely shake, she struggled to breathe as water splashed everywhere. flooding over the sides of the freezer and creating a small puddle of water on the tiled floor.

"EL! EL, WAKE UP!" I yelled, holding onto her shoulder, "CAN YOU HEAR ME? WAKE UP, EL! EL!"

"she can't breathe." jonathan said, noticing how she was fighting for oxygen.

"PLEASE, EL, WAKE UP! YOU NEED TO GET OUTTA THERE, PLEASE!" I begged, tears beginning to form in the brims of my eyes, "HELP ME! HELP ME!" I brought my hands beneath el and lifted her up with the aid of everyone else. we then placed her soaking wet body onto the metallic table that was positioned next to the freezer. yet she still choked and spluttered, there was no way she was gonna die in here, in her mind or some stinky pizza restaurant. I wasn't going to let that happen.

"el, can you hear me? el?" I tightly grasped onto her wet hand, "el! can you hear me? el, cmon.. please."

will and mike shared a short conversation behind me before will tapped on my shoulder, causing me to swing around and face them.

"you love her, y/n." mike told me, "don't stop trying, you're gonna wake her up, okay?"

I nodded at them strongly with pursed lips before refacing el's shuddering body.

"el? I don't know if you can here me, but.." I began, carefully selecting my words, I knew that these words had to be powerful and meaningful. I had to express my true emotions and feelings, "but if you can, I want you to know I'm here, okay? I'm right here, by your side, holding your hand.. forever, okay? there is not ever going to be a day where I let go. even if you're half the world away, I'm still going to be by your side. god, I could even be dead but I'm still going to be with you, and you wanna know why? it's because I love you, I love you eleven. and I know I tell you that a lot but I just want you to know that I really mean it. you saved me when life was shit, you saved me from literal monsters, you saved me from falling into the deep rabbit-hole of well.. nothingness. you are the light in my tunnel of darkness. when I'm low, I look for hope and I see you, I see you, el. you made me realise its okay to be who I am, it's okay to be different, in many different ways. it's okay to have fricking superpowers, it's okay to love people in a way that it is called 'different', it's okay to cry, it's okay to be who I am. and I am so so so thankful for you coming into my life, without you I'd be nothing. will wouldn't be here and I probably wouldn't even know I had superpowers. even from the first day we met, I cared for you, remember the boys saying you were from that nuthouse? I never agreed with them, I recognised that you were just scared and, well, needed someone to finally care for you. so I took that role, and I fell in love with you, eleven. I undeniably fell in love with you, and the day that the demogorgon took you, and you went missing. I cried and I cried and I cried, I cried myself to sleep every night until I had found you again. I never stopped believing, and you wanna know why? it's because I love you and I can't deal with losing you. I physically cannot cope which is why you need to keep fighting. do it for us, do it for max, do it for me, el. I love you, I love you so much it hurts."

a few seconds later, el stopped struggling and a look of concentration etched itself upon her face.

"that's it, el." I praised, tears streaming down my cheeks, "you're doing it, I'm so proud of you. keep it up, I believe in you. you can do it. fight, el, fight."

"FIGHT!"