Triple Trouble - Stranger Things

The Monster And The Superhero

"Why so sad Eli? This was your doings...so come on. Smile. Smile Eli! Smile!"

"Stop! Please!"

"Smile Eli! Smile you murderer! Murderer! MURDERER!"

I released myself, falling to the floor. I looked around with wide eyes, shocked to see everything back to normal again, the sun shining brightly through the window. I was in the living room of our trailer, still dressed in my clothes from yesterday. I stayed on the couch all last night waiting for Dani to get home, but I must've fallen asleep.

"Dani?" I called, my voice shaky and quiet. I got up and frantically rushed down the hallway. "Dani!" I said. More panic in my voice. I opened our bedroom door in hopes that maybe she got home late and didn't want to wake me. But there was no sign. I exhaled and left to go find the phone to call her job in hopes that she might've gone there.

The second I picked the phone up I looked over to the fridge, a third note there.

I sighed with relief and hung up the phone and grabbed the note to read it. Won't be home tonight. Take care of yourself. -Dani I furrowed my brows, wondering what she could possibly be doing out so late. All I can do is hope she's okay.

I threw my head back and went to stand up against the counter but yelped out of pain.

My arms.

I rolled up a sleeve, my eyes growing big. The bruises on my arms swelled up looking like someone tried to break the skin. My heart raced. But I couldn't just stand here and stare at them. I had to tell someone.

-

Eddie sat in front of us, stuffing food into his mouth like a dog that was just given human food. I couldn't judge. For the longest time my sisters and I would do the same when we got the smallest amount of food. Sometimes it was stolen, others we would by with the last of the money we had at the time.

"So we got, uh, some good news and some bad news." Dustin began. "How do you prefer it?"

"Bad new first, always." Eddie answered, his mouth full.

"Alright. Bad news. We tapped into the Hawkins PD dispatch with our Cerebro, and they're definitely looking for you. Also, they're uh, pretty convinced you killed Chrissy."

"Like, 100% kind of convinced." I added.

"And the good news?" Eddie asked.

"Your name hasn't gone public yet." Robin told him. "But if we found out about you, it's a matter of time before others do. And once that gets out, everyone and their shallow-minded mother is gonna be gunning for you."

"Hunt the freak, right?"

"Exactly."

"Shit."

"So before that happens," Dustin butt in. "we find Vecna, kill him, and prove your innocence."

"That's all Dustin? That's all?"

"Yeah, no, that's pretty much it." What a great plan.

"Listen Eddie, I know everything Dustin is saying sounds totally delusional, but we've actually been through this before. I mean, they have a...a few times, and I have once. Mine was human-flesh-based and it managed to inhabit and control the mind of Eli's innocent sister, theirs was more smoke related, but the bottom line is, collectively, I really feel we got this."

"That's what we thought last time..." I trailed.

"We usually rely on this girl who has super powers." Steve added. "But, uh, those went bye-bye."