Illusion ~Stranger Things~ [COMPLETED & UNDER EDITING]

Chapter 20

||Not Alone||

-The Upsidedown part III-

Pine woke up in who knows where. All that needs to be said is she got up an started running. She couldn't remember anything for a moment then, it all came back to her. She couldn't go back. She'd be in danger if she did. The bad men would come for her. Still, she knew she had to tell Thorn and Will she was ok. She figured Will would still be in the hospital right about now and Thorn would be at work. So, she started the short walk to Will's hospital room, making sure she stayed out of sight. When she got to the room, she checked to make sure no one was there but Will. Lucky enough it was just Will, fast asleep. She crept in, walking up to him. She put a soft hand on his. His eyes fluttered open. He looked as if he'd seen a ghost when he saw her face.

"Is this a dream? Are you real?" He asked

"Yes, I'm here. This isn't a dream."

"But you died."

"I don't understand it either. But, I had to come tell you I was ok. I'm going to go into hiding. The bad men, they want me. I have to go. Don't tell anyone except Thorn . Ok?"

Will nodded, his heart sinking. He was going to ask her to the snowball.

She hugged him then quickly fled the building.

She didn't know where to go so, she went to the forest. It was cold out and all she was wearing was a hospital gown. Her bare feet kept getting pricked as she walked over the many leaves and twigs. She was better now but, still a bit sick. The woods made her think of the Upsidedown. There were multiple times she whipped around, thinking she saw the demogorgon. Horrible memories would flash through her head and she shivered, never able to get warm.

•••

Pine walked through the forest, for the third day. The tall trees twisted up, birds and squirrels in their branches. She was starving. She hadn't eaten anything since before she gotten kidnapped. That made her weak. She staggered throughout the forest, constantly tripping on things. Crunch, crunch, crunch. She kept walking. She hated the feeling of her bare feet in the forest floor. She tripped again and fell down onto the ground. She moaned when she hit her head. Slowly, she started to get up. She felt dizzy again. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Something was coming near her, she was too weak to run away. Crunch, crunch, crunch. She started to panic. Her breathing quickened and her senses became more alert. She felt a hand on her shoulder and whipped around to see who it belonged to. She calmed down when she saw Eleven. She was covered in slime from the Upsidedown and wore a pink dress, over sized blue flannel, knee high socks and white converse. She took the flannel off and handed it to the smaller girl who put it on gratefully. The two sat in silence for a moment before Eleven stood and helped Pine up. They walked in silence for a little while longer until one of them spoke up.

"I'm on the run now." Pine said

"Me too." Eleven replied

"Everyone thinks I'm dead." Pine told her

"Me too."

Both girls were relived that they weren't alone as they trudged though the fallen leaves on the forest ground.

"I don't think we've formally met." Pine said after a while.

"I'm El, short for Eleven." El introduced

"I'm Pine."

The two shook hands and smiled. Genuine smiles. The first in a long time. The sun was starting to set so, they found a small out cove for the evening. It should serve as a good enough shelter for the night. Pine and El went down in it and lied down. It was small and covered in dirt. A few cobwebs hung from the ceiling. Moss served as a carpet on the ground and a fallen tree as a wall on the outside, hiding them. Huddling together for warmth, Pine thought of Will. She had no idea where she'd go now but, at least she wasn't alone. She had El and El had her. As she fell asleep she saw a small flower. A real live flower. It reminded her that she truly wasn't in the upsidedown anymore. She was home. Wherever home turned out to be now. She looked up to the sky and saw stars. Real stars. As her eyes started to close El's eyes caught hers. They seemed to prove to Pine she wasn't alone and from that look, she knew she never would be again.

"I had taken the long way around but I was finally home. To stay." 

~The Outsiders