To Catch a Falling Star (Steve Harrington)

(1.11) Home

I smiled as Steve called the rest of the group into the room and began to explain the tank to them. Joyce instantly looked excited, and she was quick to move to the bathtub in the bathroom but I got her to stop. I reached my hand out to Steve, and passed the memory to him.

"It needs to be bigger, and deeper." Steve explains. Joyce considers this, everyone in the room does.

"Mrs. Byers do you still have that kiddie pool that we bobbed for apples in?" I didn't know what a 'kiddie pool' was or what 'bobbing for apples' meant, but I trusted that they knew what they were doing. The one with the fluffy hair, Dustin, used a box on the wall to talk to someone else, and with the information that he got from it we left the house in a hurry.

I was in the car with Hopper, and Steve of course, and Joyce. I still sat in the front seat, Joyce didn't mind, and Steve would do anything to keep me happy. The drive was pleasant enough, but rushed, Hopper drove very fast down the roads, and when we arrived he was quickly out the door. It was the school, not the one that Steve went in, but the one next door. I was able to open the door on my own this time, and we all walked into the school.

Dustin explained to me that the tank that was in the lab was a 'sleep deprivation tank' and that the whole point was that you couldn't tell what was you and what was water. It helped with concentration, and was actually easy to make. They filled the 'kiddie pool' up with water and dumped a large amount of white stuff into it. When it was ready, I stood at the edge looking at it.

The idea made me nervous. I remember what the tank was like at the lab, and fear goes through me when I just think about it. And this tank would put me too close to the real thing at the lab. But it needed to be done, Joyce needed me to find Will. Nancy needed me to find Barbara. I needed to save them, no matter the cost. 

I started to pull off my jacket, but Eleven stopped me. She smiled softly and pulled it back on my shoulders.

"I can do it." Her voice was soft when she spoke, and when I started to tell her no, she said that she would do it. She sounded so sure, so I let her. I watched her accept the mask from Lucas, and stand at the edge of the pool to pull it on. I grabbed her by the waist and lifted her into the pool. Once she was in I took a step back and kneeled at the edge of the pool. Joyce grabbed her hand, and began to whisper to her.

"Listen, I am going to be here the entire time. And if it ever gets to scary, in in in that place, you let me know, okay?" Eleven nodded in response, and the room became quiet as she started to concentrate.

"Barb?" Her voice was quiet when she spoke, and Nancy perked up at the name. Eleven started to move in the water, pulsing and shaking.

"What's going on? Is Barb okay?" Nancy panicked just a bit, reaching out to touch Eleven, I smacked her hand and she pulled it back. Giving me a funny look. 

"Gone! Gone! Gone, gone, gone." Eleven was crying as she spoke, and I felt my heart break at the sound.

"It's okay El. It's okay." Joyce held Eleven's hand tighter, quieting her cries with a motherly touch. Eleven panicked for a few more minutes, before she quieted.

"Castle Byers." Eleven sighed.

I shuffled on my knees just a bit, leaning onto my left hand. I faded out, Eleven's words became muffled in my ears as I tipped backwards.

I didn't end up in the Inbetween, I was somewhere else. Somewhere different. I saw a Scratcher, and doctors from the lab. Men with guns, and blood pooling from there heads. I saw Eleven, she disappeared from this world.

I gasped when I came back to this world. Eleven was just sitting up as I opened my eyes, Hopper looked at me with worry as I shakily stood to my feet. I didn't know what I just saw, and I had no need to worry anyone with something that I didn't understand.

I reached out to Steve, explaining that I would be going with Hopper and Joyce and that he was to stay here. He didn't like that at all.

"Nope no way. We stick together. No way are you going there with them. Zer-" Steve rambled, his hand sat on my left shoulder squeezing it lightly as he spoke.

I interrupted him with a hug, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face into his chest. He froze before hugging me twice as tight, his chin pressed into the top of my head and I smiled into his chest.

When I pulled back, Steve had a small smile on his face.

"Promise you'll come back?" Steve asked a sad look in his eyes.

"Home." I set a hand on his chest and repeated it. My voice echoed through my head into his.

He smiled, "Come home."

"Zero! If you're coming now hurry the hell up!" Hopper shouted from the gym exit. I smiled at Steve, squeezing his hand one more time before running off after Hopper. Joyce let me sit up front, and climbed in the back as soon as she saw me coming.

When I climbed in and Hopper pulled away I could see Steve watching us go with the other kids. I could hear Hopper sigh loudly from beside me, and I could tell that Joyce was still on the verge of crying.

I didn't know what to think. I was going with two people, one that I knew I could trust, but the other I wasn't so sure. Everything was to much at this point, to much was happening all too fast. We went to a house, Joyce's house again, and when we got there the unexpected happened.

Instead of finding Castle Byers, the sound of guns and shouting fills my ears.