SAGE | STRANGER THINGS

CHAPTER 4: ALIVE?

Sage and Eleven creep in the side door of the basement and Sage sits across from El in the tent as they whisper to each other holding the walkie talkie.
"Could you shut up?" Mike yells.
"We're supposed to be friends, but friends tell each other the truth. They don't lie, you made me think Will was okay. But he wasn't!"
His attitude turns to Sage.
"What is going on with you Sage? You hurt me tonight, you know that."
"Mike-" Sage starts but he puts his hand up and she stops.
The walkie talkie clicks and Will's scared soft voice starts playing as he whimpers and mumbles his favourite song 'Should I stay or should I go?' over and over again.
Mike runs over and Eleven hands him the walkie, he yells for Will into the walkie but he gets no reply.
"Its Will." Was all Sage said.
—
The next morning.
Sage and Mike lay in their beds unable to move until Karen walls in.
Mike turns to her,
"I don't think we can go to school today.."
"My dad left for California this morning.. without me." Sage adds.
"That's okay, Sage you stay here for as long as you like okay?" She squeezes their hands and walks out.
Sage and Mike jump out of bed fully dressed, Mike calls for Lucas on the walkie.
"Lucas do you copy?" He repeats over and over.
"Go away mike, over and our." He mutters.
"No, not out. I'm not messing, this about Will. Just get here stat and bring Dustin."

20 minutes later, the boys are back over and the kids are sitting in the basement around Eleven.
"We kept losing signal but you heard that right?" Sage asks after all they got back was whimpering.
"I heard a baby, you obviously tapped into a baby monitor."
"Lucas, you don't understand- he spoke last night. We heard him!"
"I think.. she's channelling him, somehow."
Sage explains.
"Am I the only one who say Will get pulled out of the water? He's dead!" Lucas exclaims.
"I don't know what that was, but all I know. Is that Will is alive!"
"We need to get her to a stronger radio." Sage adds.
"Heath-kit ham shack!" Dustin remembers.
"There is no way we can get the weirdo at school without anyone noticing."
Sage stands up and pulls down a box of costumes, she pulls out a dress and places it over Dustin who laughs.
They get right to work.
Lucas and Dustin rummage around and pull out a blonde wig while Sage and Mike attempt to do her makeup.
She goes into the bathroom and comes out looking almost too much like Sage.
"Wow, you look pretty.. pretty good." Mike splutters and Lucas raises his eyebrows.
"Okay lets go!" Sage says moving everyone along.
They cycle to school and make their way to the AV room.
"If anyone sees us, look sad."
"The door is locked."
Dustin and Sage turn to Eleven.
"Can you open it? With your powers?"
Sage nods at Eleven.
"Kids?"
They jump at Mr Clarke's appearance and lean against the door suspiciously.
"Hey." Lucas says.
"Assembly is about to start." He states.
"We know, we're just you know.."
"Upset." Sage interrupts. "We need some time to.."
"To cry." Dustin adds.
"Listen, I get it. I do, but we need to be there for Will. Then, its all yours, for the rest of the day."
He throws Sage the keys and notices Eleven.
"I don't believe we've met, what's your name?" Everyone turns to Eleven scared.
"Elev-"
"Eleanor! She's mine and Will's cousin-" Sage yelps.
"Second cousin!" Dustin adds.
"She's here for the funeral."
"Welcome to Hawkins Eleanor, I wasn't aware Sage and Will were cousins. Where are you from exactly?"
"Bad place.." Eleven mutters
"Sweden!" Sage jumps in.
"She hates it there. Cold!"
Mr Clarke smiles awkwardly.
"Shall we?"
They all follow him to the gym and everyone stares at them. Sage gives Dustin a shove when he tries to leave.
They sit down in the spare seats and listen to the principal. The kids notice Troy and his gang laughing, Eleven turns to them and mutters.
"Mouthbreathers."
Sage and Mike smile at her.
Once the talk was over, Sage notices Mike almost shaking with fury. She grabs his arm.
"Mike, those piece of shits aren't worth it."
He ignores her and calls out to Troy.
"You think this is funny?"
"What'd you say Wheeler?"
"I saw you guys laughing over there." Mike stammers.
"I think its a real messed up thing to do."
"Didn't you listen to the counsellor Wheeler? Grief shows itself in funny ways, besides what their to be sad about anyway? Will's in fairyland now all happy and gay."
They laugh and start to walk away.
Mike follows them and pushes him, a crowd quickly forms as Troy stands.
"You're dead Wheeler!"
Troys comes towards him and freezes, he looks terrified as pee starts to slide down his pants, everyone bursts into laughter and the boys and Sage turn to Eleven smiling.
The principal makes his way over so they rush out down to the AV club.

Sage pulls up a chair for herself and Eleven.
"Now what?" Lucas asks.
"She'll find him, right El?" Sage replies confidently.
"You seem to know a lot about this shit Say." Dustin mumbles.
Sage turns to him and raises one eyebrow.
"What are you implying? That I'm the demogorgon?"
The boys look scared and Sage laughs.
"Joking, calm down."
Eleven closes her eyes and the Heathkit clicks just like the walkie did. The lights explode, Sage takes that opportunity to grab El's hand and close her eyes too.

Sage remembers sitting in a room.. alone with that man.
"Seven? Are you listening."
"Yes papa." Seven's voice trembled as she spoke.
"I want you to find this man, just like we practiced. Listen in on what he's saying, understand."
"Yes Papa."
The words she was hearing began to repeat throughout the speakers around the room.

"She's doing it" Mike says excitedly.
Loud clanging begins and they start to hear whimpering.
"Mom?" Sage could recognise that voice anywhere.
"Mom! Please, Mom? Hello, Mom its coming! It's like home but its so dark.. its so dark and empty and its cold!" He continues to scream out for his mother until the heathkit sets on fire. They turn the lights on and Mike spins Eleven around to face him as Dustin extinguishes the fire.
Lucas is the one who notices Sage's bleeding nose.
"Say your.." Sage slaps his hand shaking her head. She wipes her nose and turns to Eleven's aid. They carry her out of the school on a lunch cart and when they finally get back to the basement, Lucas grabs Sage's hand.
"Are you okay?"
Sage brushes him off with a simple nod.

Much longer one today! Hope you enjoyed, I did two in one day today and I've started on ep 5! Ellie x