𝐝𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥〡STEVE HARRINGTON

12

The older bunch shared confused glances at how a group of twelve years old had managed to figure all this out, while the rest of them couldn't even understand it. Andy had even begun to feel a headache coming on.

"Okay, so the gate has a really strong electromagnetic field, and that can change the directions of a compass needle." Dustin explained, picking up on that everyone else needed some further explaining.

"Is this gate underground?" Hopper asked, sitting up straight in his seat. "Yes." Eleven answered. It was so quiet and all were surprised to hear her speak up. It was the first thing she had said since she spoke to Andy and Andy alone.

"Near a large water tank?" Hopper asked again, but his question sounded more like a statement. Andy peered up to her father and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Yes." Eleven replied again and everyone exchanged another set of curious glances. "H-How do you know all that?" Dustin questioned. Andy now recognised the look on her father's face. He'd been before and suddenly it all made sense. During his outburst that left the trailer destroyed, he'd been muttering 'lab', and Andy now realised that is where he had been. Then after he'd been checking the trailer for mics and setups.

"He's seen it." Andy said and Hopper looked down at her and nodded.

"Is there any way that you could reach Will? That you could talk to him in this-?" Joyce stuttered with her words and Eleven finished for her. "The Upside Down." And nodded.

Nancy edged closer to the table. "And my friend Barbara, can you find her too?"

Andy's stomach sunk at the thought of poor Barbara. If only she had stayed that night at the party and waited with her for Nancy, maybe she'd still be here today. The thought made her sick with guilt.

They set Eleven up at the head of the dining table with a black and white photograph of Barb and a walkie-talkie. Everyone sat around the table, watching the girl intently. Andy knew Eleven could do some crazy things, but this was something else. A static sound emitted from the walkie-talkie and Eleven closed her eyes, focusing in on what she was doing. The lights above flicked, plunging the room into darkness. Andy jumped and her dad placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder to settle her.

When the lights came back on Eleven's eyes opened, looking as if she was about to cry. "I'm sorry." She whispered, her voice wavering. "I can't find them."

Jonathan stepped away from the table in sorrow and Joyce covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to cry. It was becoming even more likely that Jonathan would never see his brother again and Joyce her youngest son. Andy felt a pit form in her heart but she tried to not let her emotion show and pursed her lips in a straight line.

The boys said whenever Eleven used her powers a lot she got weak and when she used them to flip the Hawkin's lab vans earlier she used the majority of her energy. As they discussed how to make Eleven better, Andy noticed that Eleven had in fact disappeared. From somewhere else in the house she heard the bathroom tap running.

Andy couldn't imagine how scared the young girl must have been feeling. Surrounded by a bunch of strangers with the pressure of saving lives baring down on her. Knowing this Andy dismissed herself to check on her. She reached the bathroom where Eleven stared into the mirror, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"Eleven." Andy said softly not to spook her. Eleven turned from the mirror and to Andy, tears still streaming from her eyes. Andy's heart broke as her small sad expression faced her. "Oh dear." She cooed and dropped into a crouch to be level with the girl. Using her hands Andy gently wiped away Eleven's falling tears.

"This isn't your fault." Andy said, removing her hands and placing them on her shoulders instead. "You've done so well and you should be so proud. You're an amazing little girl, Eleven. No one is mad at you. I promise."