promise; mileven

chapter one

September 1985
Mike adjusts the backpack straps on his shoulder for his fitting and flicked his torch on to check if it was still working and then flicked it off. Lucas sighed putting his cold hands in his pocket. "Are you seriously, considering to do this for the millionth time?" Lucas asked staring at Mike's determined face. "Because you're wasting your time Mike, you won't be able to find her.. you've been searching through the woods for two years Mike! don't you think its getting kinda ridiculous-"

"Well if you wanna go home, go home Lucas.. but I'm going to the woods" Mike claimed, walking down the steps. "It's nearly 10pm!" Lucas shouts not following behind him. "Like I said if you don't want to search with me, fine.. I'll search alone.. but I know she's out there.. I know she is I'm 100% certain even if no one believes me anymore.. you and the others might give up but I won't.. not so easily" Mike sighed.

"Fine, but you're on your own with this one Mike, it's a school night and we're just gonna end up wasting our time looking for her like we have every single day...and if you are gonna look for her in the woods, be careful because it's not safe going alone" Lucas says staring at Mike. Lucas then walked away back to his house. Mike heard Lucas door slam and he sighed.

He then placed the torch in his backpack before putting it back on and quietly pulled his bike up which was lying down on the grass, trying to be as quiet as possible so that he doesn't wake his family up since they think he's sleeping in his bedroom and doesn't know about his late night searching for Eleven.

He got on the bicycle and pedaled down the street, and would sometimes had to pass Hawkins Laboratory if there was traffic during his bike ride. Mike hated the look of that place and all of the horrible things that happened in there, Martin Brenner died from the Demogorgon and was the man that took Eleven because of her powers and abilities. Since then Hawkins Lab has been closed for reconstruction and is completely blocked with fences.

A couple of minutes later, Mike arrived at the woods. Being in the woods alone in the dark made Mike a bit nervous however he had done it many times when Lucas couldn't be bothered to search for El with him. As he got to the center of the woods he took the torch out his backpack and flicked it on. "El!" He shouted loudly, beaming the light at different areas. "Eleven? Are you there?!" He shouts louder but got no response. He had to give up, like Lucas said it was a school night.

Mike sighed.

"I-I'll just have to try again tomorrow.. I won't give up on you Eleven I'll find you..I-I promise" he stammers. He placed his backpack on and sat back on his bike ready to return home. He turned his torch on to help him lead the way out of the woods but as he started pedaling he heard some rustling in the bushes. "Hello?!" Mike shouted nervously moving the torch directly to the bushes. "I-Is anyone there?".. he asked, when there was no reply he went carried on getting ready to pedal.

"H-help...me" said a tiny voice ever so weak, yet so soft. Mike quickly dropped his bike on the ground and ran directly over to the speaking bush. He held up his turned on torch for guidance. "El?" Mikes heart stopped. no it couldn't be... it had to be somebody else...

But as he walked closer into the bushes he glanced. It was Eleven right in front of his brown eyes. She was laying down on a pile of autumn, dirty leaves behind the bush with Mikes old blue coat covering her cold, fragile body. The coat he gave to her two years ago but she was still wearing it and Nancy's dress although the baby pink colour was now faded to a very sheer pink and covered in patches of dirt. She shivered, her eyes were red and swollen she must have been crying for a while, but she was also out of breath. "Oh my god" Mike gasped looking at the pale, weak girl in front of him, it was her.. it was really her, all this time of searching and he really found her.

"Eleven! Eleven it's me, Mike!" he said to her.. she sat up, which gave her a lot of courage since she was very weak. He put his hand on her hand and she flinched moving her hand away from him quickly but still staring at the boy in front of her who she still didn't recognise.

D-don't you remember me? It's Mike." Mike's voice broke. He would be devastated if Eleven didn't remember him.

...

Mike's face looked older, his jaw was more defined, he had a lot more hair and his voice was deeper but suddenly Eleven recognised Mike's little face like the first time she saw him.

"Mike?... Mike?" said. She then stared in his eyes longer. "Mike!" she gasps and grabbed him tightly in her arms, Mike wraps his arms around her tightly. Her whole body was cold and she smelt earthy and muddy, her hair was grown but just above her shoulder however it was messy with leaves in.

However Mike didn't care, all he cared was that Eleven was alive, Eleven was alive and in his arms.. "I-I can't believe I found you.. Its really you! I didn't give up" Mike said his eyes watering. Eleven was crying but she didn't let go of him she buried her head in his chest, and could feel his rapid heartbeat, she then looked back at him. "I-I was so scared Mike.." Eleven said quietly, as streams of tears fell down her eyes.

Mike departed from her and wiped under damp her eyes with his hands, "I know El, but you're safe and we're gonna go home and get you warm and better again." Mike smiled assuringly. Mike couldn't even think of how devastating and stressful things had been for Eleven or what she's been doing, but all that mattered was she was alive. Next to her was some children books and an empty box of eggos. "Hey where did you get these from?" Mike wondered, which was obviously keeping Eleven supplied.

"Box.." Eleven says quietly. "There's a box? Where?" Mike asked wandering his eyes around the dark and empty forest. "A few steps away" Eleven then replied. "Everyday.. does the box get filled with more food and stuff?" Mike asked. She nodded, Mike then nodded.

"I'm gonna call for help, we need to get you checked out at the doctors El, you understand?" Mike said clearly to her. "No" Eleven replied quietly her eyes filled with more tears after Mike just calmed her down.

Mike looked at her confused. "A hospital El, it's a safe place I promise they'll take good care of you, you know I'd never let them hurt you." Mike said worried about Eleven, she looked traumatised, ill, petrified. She needed to be professionally checked. Eleven knew what would happen now that she was saved, but she was scared. Although being in the woods and another dimension alone, in the dark was horrible for her in an unusual way she still felt safe. Not to be hurt, not to be captured. She wanted to be down in the warm basement at Mike's house eating eggos and playing around with the radio for signals. listening to Mike and his friends funny conversations.. not be in a cold hospital with people staring at her. Hospitals reminded her of Hawkins lab and that wasn't the best experience.