After 6 years, Eleven finally appears. But not the El Mike, Dustin and Lucas knew back in '83. She can't recall many words, or remember how to read properly. She's scared of people who love her, unable to deal with the intensity of their emotions. M...
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The basement was pitch black; Eleven was as blind as if her eyes had been gouged out. Her body washed cold. She brought her fingers to her eye sockets; they were still there. She turned back to the stairs and tried to run up, but her foot fell through each one like it was a mere projection. So how had she walked down them? She leant forwards to touch the stair and felt a sticky, slimy substance. Suddenly, the strange feeling started to move up and down. Then, it rose up revealing its whole body. It plunged over towards El and roared loudly in her face.
Swallowing hard, Eleven clutched furiously at her chest, hoping that by a scratch or simple graze, her heart would stop racing, and her body just might entirely shut down - causing her clarity. It was just a dream. The fluorescent numbers of the alarm clock beside her teased El with the time of 3am and she harshly rubbed at her brown, weary eyes with bruised palms, yawning only gently.
Even though it was too early to be up, El got up and out of bed. She cautiously opened the door and made her way out to the hallway. From there she, tiptoed across to Mike's room.
Gently, she knocked on his door hoping he would be still awake. To her surprise, he was.
"Who's there?", Mike asked.
El popped her head out from the door and replied with: "it's me."
"Oh, hey El. What are you doing up so early?"
"I had a bad dream."
"Well, are you ok?"
"I'm fine. Mike?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you mind if I stay here for a while? I don't want to be alone."
"Of course. I don't mind at all."
Slowly, Eleven walked from the door to next to Michael on his bed.
"Do you want to talk about it?", he asked.
"Well..."
When she spoke her voice trailed slowly, like her words were unwilling to take flight.
El's heart started to beat harder and faster as she talked, her adrenaline levels rose, her brain started to fire out negative thoughts like a machine gun. As sweat took over her body. The negative thoughts kept coming like waves on rocks. Her heart felt like it was going to explode.
"Then, I woke up."
El turned, but too slowly to be normal. There was a sadness in her eyes, the brown too glossy.
Suddenly, Mike spread his arms and hugged her. Shocked that she had to deal with this every night.
When they finally clasped each other in a warm, slow and luxurious hug, they felt all oppositions to their love had melted. His chests rising and falling against her back, their breaths in unison, and the warm blood that they could feel in each others' embrace.
As soon as they let go, Mike crashed his lips into Eleven's.
Finally, their lips touched. Sparks flew in every direction, and the world felt as if it was slowly disappearing around them, along with all of their other worries, their troubles and their problems. Eleven made Mike feel like none of that mattered. It was a small yet warm kiss. He honestly never knew a kiss so innocent could be so intimate and electrifying. Her lips were moving in perfect sync, his hands feeling her waist; Mike pulled her closer, the kiss deeper, more passionate. He felt her hands on the back of his neck play with the ends of his hair. A smile grew on his face as it started to tickle, finally they pulled apart.
-- Max walked to her house dreading to enter. It was long and narrow, perhaps only twelve feet wide at the front, but it stretched some thirty feet back like a giant shoe box. It was two stories high and had a one story extension at the rear for the kitchen. The wooden framed sash windows were propped open with sticks and the brick work, perhaps once a jaunty yellow, looked dirty with over a hundred years of grime. A small rose garden had been planted in front, and although it had obviously once been carefully planned and loved, it was now riddled with weeds.
Max pushed the door and it swung open with ease, a blast of air conditioned cold streamed past her and some light jazz drifted from a room out of sight.
Her stepdad was here.
-- A while later, a knock came from the door. Daniel, Max's stepdad, got up as empty beer bottles clanked. When he opened it, he was greeted by Chief Hopper.
It's never good news when a police officer comes to your door at 3am. It's even worse when they remove their hat and request politely to come inside.
"Your daughter Maxine Clegg has been issued with a CIN.", said Hopper.
"What the hell is that?", replied Daniel.
"A CIN can be issued for Stealing, Offensive Language, Offensive Behaviour, Unlawful entry of a vehicle/boat, Obstruct Traffic, Goods in Custody and Continuation of intoxicated and disorderly behaviour following move on direction."
"And what does that have to do with my daughter?"
"She has been caught doing many of these actions and has been fine with $1,100 , but you only have 48 hours to pay it."
"Ok, I'll speak to her."
"Thank you for your time.", said Hopper before leaving.
--
Max's stepdad stomped upstairs and knocked the door open to Maxine's room.
He squeezed her shoulders and started screaming at her then he slapped her and he shoved the table destroying the glass vase the glass shuttered everywhere. He then pulled her down to the floor... her back sticking on the glass pieces then beating her in a violent way and she could do nothing but burst in tears not even ask him to stop knowing that this makes him more angry.
"Be responsible for once.", he said before slamming her door shut.
