Secrets // Steve Harrington

Chapter Sixteen - Brenner

Word Count: 2,308 words. 

Warnings: None. 

I was in fact on my way home, I simply just hadn't wanted to drive in a car with the asshole that was Steve Harrington. I thought perhaps that I had come on a bit too strongly with him, but he had to learn that there were things bigger than his little world. There was more to life that Nancy Wheeler. Don't get me wrong, I loved Nancy, as much as a best friend could, and although she had been less than that recently, it didn't mean I loved her any less. However, the world didn't revolve around a single person, and Steve Harrington had to learn the truth in that.

Passing the Police Station, I took notice of the Chief's car now in his parking space. I didn't waste any time in rushing inside, eyes fixed on the closed door of Hopper's office.

"Miss," the secretary spoke up, standing from her chair. "He doesn't want any visitors today, but I can tell him you stopped by."

"He's expecting me," I dismissed, not turning to face the woman as I let myself in, turning the corner and opening Hopper's door before she could stop me.

The Chief turned to look at me and I noticed the bruise on his eye. He sighed upon noticing who I was, placing the frozen bag of peas that he had had against his face down onto the desk.

"Sorry Chief, I tried to stop her," the secretary tried, now at my back.

"It's alright Flo, let her in," he told her.

I turned, smiling at the woman before walking inside the room and letting her close the door behind me. "You know," I began, "I always thought her name was Janet."

"What can I do for you Munson?" he asked, wincing as I turned back around.

"What the fuck happened to you?" I responded, moving to take the frozen peas from the table and hand them back to him.

He muttered a quick thanks before beginning to explain. "I went to the lab."

"You did what?" I retaliated, taking a seat across from him. "What did you find?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, shaking his head. "There was this room. A lab of some sort but there were machines everywhere and this wall made of black vines and... goo."

I took a breath. "Did they look like veins?"

"What?"

"The black vines. Was the goo oozing like blood from a vein?"

Hopper nodded shortly. "Yeah, I suppose you could say that. Why?"

"And the air in the room. Was it dusty, almost like ash from a nearby fire?" I pushed further.

He let go of the bag, putting it down again as he turned in his chair to face him fully, arms resting against the desk. "How do you know that?"

I let out a shaking breath as I sat back in the chair. "You're going to think I'm crazy."

"I was drugged and knocked out at the lab. Woke up at home only my entire place had been bugged. I found a wall that looked like a door to a different fucking dimension. Whatever you say, I don't think it'll be as crazy as that," he explained.

I hesitated for a moment. He could tell anyone what I was about to say. Get me locked up, committed to a psych ward. I wasn't crazy, that was the difference now. I knew that the place I saw and the voice I heard were real, although I still had no idea who the voice belonged to. I knew that this dimension existed, and that Will was there. Yes, that there was an opening to this world was worrying, but there was only one thing that I wanted. That I needed. And that was to get Will Byers out of there and back home to Joyce and Jonathon.