Evanescent | Stranger Things ¹

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

RUN, GIRL, RUN

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November 12, 1983. Saturday.

"EL!"

"Eleven! El!"

Dustin and Mike's voices continue to echo off the trees as we trudge through the forest on foot. After abandoning the streets, knowing the psionic girl was more likely to hide in the wilderness than in a neighborhood, we began drifting towards Hawkins Laboratory and the surrounding shadow of trees; towards the very place we had found her that first time all those days ago.

"Eleven!"

"El!"

Meeting Eleven that first night felt so long ago already. Too much had happened in the short time between then and now, that it all felt like a blur. In only a few days, the discovery of alternate dimensions and monsters have become something more than just imagination, dreams and nightmares. Supernatural abilities are no longer something only superheros from comic books possess, and the dead are not as dead as once thought. Perhaps, there is not necessarily a death at all. There is just the passing of one life to the next, like stars shooting across the universe, burning brightly one second and extinguishing entirely in the next.

Because we are all just tiny stars in this universe, after all, and maybe, just maybe, there are stars in the Upside Down, too.

"El!" My brother calls, pulling me from my thoughts.

Walking in between Mike and Dustin, I cup my uninjured hand around my mouth and call out, "Eleven!"

There is no response, aside from the ragged breathing of both the boys as they push their bicycles steadily uphill. Dry leaves and branches snap beneath our feet, and the branches above in the tall, thick trees blow softly in the wind. There are no voices but our own echoing back at us.

Dustin clears his throat. "Elev—"

Suddenly, a branch snaps from somewhere behind us.

Mike notices the sound first, flinging an arm out sideways to stop both Dustin and I in our tracks. His eyes grow wide as he perks his ears up intently. "Stop," He orders us, his breath seen in the cold. "Do you hear that?" When no one moves, Mike raises his voice again, "El!" He hollers.

"Hey, there, Frogface."

I instantly whip around at the familiar sound of Troy Bowers' voice which is quickly followed by the sick laughter of his nasty sidekick, James White. Both boys are making their way up the hill after us, hoods pulled over both of their faces. Even from here I can see the sinister glare in Troy's cold gaze. In his hand, a pocket knife glints in the dull sunlight. I don't want to find out if the weapon is sharp or not.

"Toothless. Brittle Bones."

"Shit," Dustin hisses out.

Instantly, I grab both Dustin and Mike by the arm and turn. "Run!"

Mike, oblivious as ever, frowns. "What?"

Dustin shoves my brother to get him moving and I take off running. In the chaos, I hear their bicycles clatter to the ground, crashing amongst the leaves, and both their expressions must certainly light up in fear as they both finally spin on their heels to follow. "Run!" I repeat desperately over my shoulder.

"You're dead, Wheeler!" I hear Troy growl from somewhere behind me.

The venom laced in the boy's tone pushes me to run faster as I move through the trees, zigzagging left and right in an attempt to lose our pursuers. I don't want to think of why they were out here in the first place, but it is clear they are not going to let us get away so easily now that they have found us. Their dark curses and snarls follow our small, fleeing trio, reaching and clawing in an attempt to pull us back before their own bare hands can even get the chance.