Note: At one point the story follows 3 events happening simultaneously. During that part regular text indicates that what is happening is in the gym in Hawkins. Bolded means it's what's happening in El's void word. And Italics is what is happening with Kitty and Will in the Upside Down. This part ends at the line of ~.
TW: Gory descriptions of wounds
Hope blended with fear as the group arrived at Hawkins Middle School. Having talked through the plan on the way in, they hit the ground running to get everything set up. Johnathon and Hopper took a wheelbarrow and went around to the shed to get all of the salt, typically used for melting snow off of the roads. Dustin and Lucas took the kiddy pool out of the trunk and went straight to the gym to get it set up. Nancy and Mike went to the storage closet and got as many hoses as they could find. Finally, Joyce took El to rummage through the classrooms to try to find something to help block out the light for Eleven when they started.
After all the supplies were gathered they met in the gym and worked as a team to fill up the pool, get it to the correct temperature, and pour in enough salt to make it work like a sensory deprivation tank.
After the pool was all set up Mike brought out his supercom and turned it on, dialing it so it made light static noise, while El took off her shoes and sock and the watch Mike gave her and put on the duck-taped goggles.
Everyone gathered around the pool nervously as Joyce helped El step over the edge and El sat down and leaned back beginning to float. Electricity in the room surged as El started using her powers and the lights in the gym flickered off leaving the only light in the room filtering in from the street lights outside.
Taking deep breaths El closed her eyes and let everything fade away...
When her eyes snapped back open she was in the big empty space surrounded by black. As she carefully took steps forward it was like she was walking in a very shallow pool of water, making ripples with every step she took.
Using her powers she channeled her senses and turned to her right to see a messy green and brown heap of goo and vines.
"Barb," She called.
In the gym, everyone watched as she whispered "Barbara?" Making Nancy tense and lean forward.
El started walking up to the mess of vines. When she got close enough she could see Barb's corpse, empty ribs showing, what skin was left was a sickly green, and the most unholy-looking slug ever crawling out of her mouth.
She gasped and backed up rapidly, her breathing turning ragged.
The electricity in the gym pulsed and Nancy looked around nervously, "What's going on?"
"I don't know."
"Is Barb okay? Is she okay?"
El kept stumbling backward and screamed as she heard Nancy's words filter into the black space.
"Gone! Gone! Gone! Gone! Gone!" She screamed.
In the gym, her cries came out as more of a soft whimper, but everyone understood it nonetheless Nancy let out a gasp, and her hand covered her face as tears began rolling down her cheeks.
"Gone. G-one!"
Joyce reached out and put a comforting hand on El's shoulder.
"It's okay. It's okay. Hey. It's okay. It's okay, we're right here. We're right here, honey. It's okay. I got you."
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F*ck You Flowerpod From Hell - Stranger Things
FanfictionWill Byers wasn't the only one in the Upside Down. Katherine "Kitty" Lance was with him. Follow their story as they fight to survive and reunite with their friends and family, and in the aftermath as Kitty comes to find herself with a horde of adopt...
