PLEASER; stranger things {ON HOLD}

44. {building an army}

"tilly!" mike cried as he turned to her, "you've got to help her."

"i can't." tilly frowned.

"please, tilly." mike pleaded, in fear of his lover being hurt.

with a sigh, lucas ripped the bandana off his head and tied it around her eyes.

"mattie." will put his hand on her shoulder to stop her for a second, "please be careful."

"i will."

she began meditating on the static and on el. tilly was struggling with her task, she wasn't able to do it as effortlessly and swiftly as el, who had heaps of practice.

"can you see her?" mike questioned.

"shut it!" max ordered, "let her concentrate."

tilly took a deep breath and closed her eyes tighter. when she opened them, she was no longer sitting in the void, she was standing with el in that very room amidst billy.

"what the hell." tilly cussed.

billy's head shot up and he grinned at her, "i knew you'd come. you shouldn't have looked for me. because now i see you. now we can all see you. you let us in. and now you are going to have to let us stay."

"no way." tilly peeled the bandana off her face, but when she opened her eyes, she was in the same place.

tears started spewing out her brown eyes, "what have you done? what the hell is going on!?" the girl was feeling remarkably claustrophobic as she couldn't escape.

"don't you see?" billy asked the pair as they sobbed, his body drenched full of sweat, "all this time, we've been building it. we've been building it... for you both. all that work, all that pain... all of it for you, six."

'six' hearing anyone call her that sent immediate shivers down her spine. she could feel goosebumps covering her skin and her blood running cold.

"what do you mean?" she wheezed as she backed up, dragging el back beside her, "stop it. t-this isn't funny."

"who said it was? now it's time, time to end it. and we are going to end you." billy told them, "and when you are gone, we are going to end your friends."

"no!" el screamed through tears.

"and then we are going to end... everyone."

"get away!" el yelled while putting her arms out, she used her telekinetic abilities to push billy back and tilly watched as she faded away.

"el?" tilly looked at where she just was, "eleven?"

"but you matilda joane..." billy got to his feet. he moved over to her, seized her arm and pulled her down, "you're powerful, you're stronger and you're better."

"i'm not!" she told him through tears. it was clear she was frightened out of her mind, "i'm not, i swear."

"yes. yes, you are." he responded, "and we're going to take you again and you're going to join us."

"no! no i won't!" she put her hand out and threw billy back as eleven did previously, but with a flame. she ripped her blindfold off and began screaming loudly.

the second she was brought back to reality, she got to her feet and screamed her throat dry. "no, no! please, no!" she was trembling and sobbing in terror. everyone was frozen in shock by the two girl's actions and how startled they looked.

will stood up and pulled his girlfriend into his arms, "mattie, it's okay." he began stroking her hair in a therapeutic manner as she wailing into his t-shirt, "i've got you."