Even stranger things

Back to School

"El! your gonna be late for school!" Hopper shouted loudly. the shout echoed round the house and a girl walked out of her bedroom. 

"I told you. i don't want to go!" Eleven replied. 

"We all feel like that sometimes kid. now get in the flipping car!" Hopper replied impatiently. 

the phone began to ring. Hopper ignored it for the first several dials then picked it up viciously. 

"What?!" 

"Jim? Are you alright?" 

"Joyce." Jim's face softened massively and his tone became calm. 

"Yeah. um. do you want me to pop over and pick up El? because we are running late anyways." Joyce said down the phone. 

"Uh. yeah that-that would be great cheers Joyce. i feel like the kid listens more to you than she does to me." Hopper chuckled slightly. 

"Okay Jim see you in ten." and the line cut off. 

"Wow. you know Hop i didn't think someone could be so soppy. 'oh Joyce i love you' and shit like that." Eleven stood slumped against the door frame. 

"Shut up kid. you don't know..." Hopper drifted off and his eyes clouded over. Eleven walked over to him and snapped her fingers in front of his face. 

"Oi! quit daydreaming. whats for breakfast?" 

"Eggo's obviously." Jim rolled his eyes and handed Eleven a plate of steaming waffles with squirty cream and chocolate sauce on top, "Eat up. Joyce will be here to pick you up soon." 

There was a knock at the door and Hopper answered it. 

"Hi Joyce she's just getting her things." 

Joyce stood in the porch holding car keys in her hand. 

"How are you? after the whole Upside Down incident?" Jim asked her. 

"I'm recovering slowly. i think Will's suffering more than i am. he gets bullied at school i think. but he won't tell me anything." Joyce replied quietly.  

"How about Johnathan?" 

"Oh he's doing fine. he's befriended Nancy Wheeler. you know Mike's sister. she seems to help him." 

"hi Miss Byers." Eleven stood behind Hopper. her bag hanging from her shoulder. she smiled at Joyce and walked out of the house. 

"Oi! Eleven! remember the rules. stay away from anything dangerous. don't talk to strangers and-"

"Don't use my powers. yes Hop i know." Eleven finished for him before hopping into Joyce's car, and starting a rapid conversation with Will who was sitting quietly beside her. 

"Alright. thanks Joyce your a lifesaver." Hopper said. they hugged and Joyce kissed him on the cheek. 

"See you friday at 8." She smiled and walked over to her car. 

"EL! ELEVEN! EL!" cried all her friends as she walked through the school gates. 

Max came running up to her and hugging her hard. 

"How was your holiday? what did you do?" max questioned her. 

"Holiday?" replied Eleven. 

"Your trip to New York! How was it!" Max asked. 

"it was good."

the rest of her friends crowded round her. Dustin and Lucas hugged her. Will smiled at his friends and they smiled back. 

"Where's Mike?" Eleven asked. her face reddening as she said it. 

"He's not here yet." Dustin said, "Which is odd because he's never late." 

the sky clouded over and it began to drizzle. 

"come on El lets wait inside." Max said and began to tug her arm. 

"No. you guys go. i'll be there in a minute." Eleven replied with a look towards Will. 

they walked away from her Will glancing back worriedly. Eleven had felt something in her mind. she didn't like it and it felt like electricity dancing in her skull. she pressed her hands to her temple to try and stop the pain. then all of a sudden the electricity stopped. blood trickled from her nose and she wiped it away with her sleeve. her vision had become blurred from the now heavily falling rain. and her hair was soaked but that didn't stop her. she looked around to make sure everyone had gone inside to lessons. then she sat slowly onto the wet floor and pulled a piece of cloth from her pocket. she tied it around her eyes and began to focus on the pitter-pattering of the rain. then she was flung into darkness. 

she was walking in nothing. the water at her feet always confused her. she heard a scream. she turned fast and scanned for the source of the noise. she had recognised the scream. it was Nancy's scream. it would make sense if she was with mike. but why was she screaming?

Eleven saw movement from the corner of her eye and she turned again. Nancy was lying on the floor. blood seeping from her head, leg and side. 

"Nancy!" Eleven screamed, "Nancy!" 

Nancy stood slowly. then was beaten down again by something. then Eleven heard a voice. 

"I will ask you again. where is she?" it was deep and gravelly and demanding. 

Nancy spat some blood out of her mouth and spoke slowly, "Listen here you sack of shit. i would never betray my friends alright. so if you wanna find out where El is your gonna have to do it the hard way." 

The voice seemed to react to her sentence and Nancy face was flung sideways as blood poured from her lip. 

"Johnathan!" she cried as she was striked again.

"Nancy!" Eleven screamed. 

"Johnathan...El..." 

Eleven jumped at the sound of her name then watched as Nancy fall to the ground again, this time no longer moving. 

"Okay lets move over to the boy. maybe he will talk." Came the same voice.

Mike came into view, tears sliding down his face as he looked at his beaten sister. 

"Mike! MIKE!" Eleven screamed. but she wasn't heard. 

"So. where is your little friend?" the voice asked. Mike's mouth stayed shut. a crack echoed round the empty space and Mike clutched his cheek. 

"I'll ask you one last time. where is she?" 

"Mike! Mike! stop hurting him! STOP ITTTTTT!" Eleven screamed. and the body of the voice came into view. as did the room they were in. Mike's head turned and he seemed to stare right at her. 

"El?" he whispered. 

the man looked to were Mike was looking but saw nothing. 

"EL! HELP US! WE'RE AT 43 TUMBLEWORTH AVENUE! EL! ELEVEN!" Mike screamed loudly then Eleven disappeared.