PLEASER; stranger things {ON HOLD}

04. {his 'funeral'}

the fuse blew causing the heathkit to light on fire and smoke emitted from it causing the boys to exclaim. tilly dropped onto the ground with her nose bleeding and the smoke alarm began blaring.

"tilly?" lucas frowned, none of them thought the consequences of el's plan would be so drastic.

dustin seized the fire extinguisher and began spraying the radio.

"el, are you okay?"

"shit!" dustin groaned.

"help matilda, come on!" mike ordered.

lucas and dustin lifted her into a cart and they wheeled the unconscious girl out the school.

"this way!" mike instructed.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

mike sat on the corner of the couch as tilly laid on the rest, el was on the floor, lucas was on the loveseat and dustin was on the stairs.

"what was will saying?" mike urged, "like home... like home...but dark?"

"and empty." lucas continued.

dustin sighed, "empty and cold. wait, did he say cold?"

"i don't know." lucas shrugged, "the stupid radio kept going in and out."

"it's like riddles in the dark." dustin referenced.

"like home." mike added, "like his house?"

"or maybe like hawkins."

"upside down." el muttered.

"what'd she say?" lucas quizzed.

"upside down." mike recited.

"what?" lucas asked.

"upside down." mike repeated as he flipped the dnd board right side up, "when el showed us where will was, she flipped the board over, remember? upside down. dark. empty."

"do you understand what he's talking about?" lucas turned to dustin.

"no."

"guys, come on, just think about it." mike pleaded, "when el took us to find will, she took us to his house, right?"

"yeah. and he wasn't there." lucas reminded him.

"but what if he was there? what if we just couldn't see him? what if he was on the other side?" mike rambled, "what if this is hawkins and...this is where will is? the upside down."

"like the vale of shadows." dustin nodded.

tilly stirred for a while before her eyes shot open, "where am i?"

"i'm sorry." el muttered as the rest of them gave her guilty looks.

"ohhh." tilly noticed the way they were watching her, "i get it now."

"look tilly-" lucas started.

"it's matilda fucking joane from now on." she snarled as she got up, the girl could already feel the anger burning inside her, "to all of you."

"it's not like that." mike tried to explain.

"you used me as a battery pack so el wouldn't have to use her energy." tilly slightly grimaced at her bitter tone, "and to think i had started to like you losers."

"tilly..." el placed her hand on tilly's shoulder.

"no." tilly shrugged the girls hand off and backed up, "let me guess. el told you we were 'connected' or some shit."

"we think you're like el." dustin explained.

"i am not like el." tilly snapped, adrenaline and agitation racing within her body, "what is wrong with you guys?"

if there was one thing tilly hated, it was being used.

the room suddenly began warming up and the four noticed how the red tips of tilly's hair were glowing. all of a sudden, a piece of paper on the floor lit up to flames and blood began trickling out tilly's nose.

"shit!"

"what the fuck?!"

"oh my God." tilly slapped her hand over her mouth in a panic.

tilly's breathing began to shake and her heartbeat rapidly increased. she quickly wiped her trickle of blood and ran up the stairs, el's eyes never leaving her.

"matilda joane." karen wheeler grinned, "it's a pleasure to see you."

"hi." tilly tried to give her a half-smile even though her head was pounding, "i uh, n-need to go."

"oh okay." karen watched the girl rush out the house and shrugged.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

november 11th
hawkins' graveyard

will byers' funeral was the next day, and as angry as tilly was at the boys and el - she still attended, for joyce. she stood in front of her father, as far away from the boys as possible.

"fear not, for i am with you. be not dismayed, for i am your God. i will strengthen you. yes, i will help you. i will uphold you with my righteous right hand. it's times like these that our faith is challenged. how, if he is truly benevolent could God take from us someone so young, so innocent?"

daniel squeezed his daughter's hand. tilly looked up at him and gave him a sad smile.

"you okay?" he whispered.

"you shouldn't talk during funerals." tilly joked.

he gave her a smile and playfully nudged her.

"it would be easy to turn away from God... but we must remember that nothing, not even tragedy, can separate us from his love. we are here today to find comfort in the truth of scripture, and to surround will and his family-"

jennifer began sniffling and tilly patted her back in reassurance, letting her know everything would be okay.

"just wait till we tell will that jennifer hayes was crying at his funeral." dustin whispered quite loudly, but then was shushed by mrs wheeler.

once the service was over, lonnie byers, will and jonathan's absent father, was soaking in the attention as joyce stood there in confusion.

"i'm so, so sorry." mrs wheeler gave him a hug.

"oh, thank you so much for coming." lonnie smiled.

"yeah, if there's anything we can do..." mr wheeler offered.

"i appreciate it. thank you so much. take care, all right?" lonnie sighed, "thanks. thanks for coming out."

tilly placed a white rose into the casket as joyce watched her. when she turned around, she was almost instantly engulfed into a hug.

"i'm so glad you're here." joyce told the girl. joyce somehow managed to ignore the disrespect and temper issues and knew tilly was a sweet girl.

"joyce..." tilly muttered, "i know he's alive."

"you do?" joyce looked at her with such hope, her heart shattered.

"yesterday when you talking to him, i heard." tilly told her.

"you did?" joyce smiled, "but h-how?"

"i will tell you, you have my word." tilly explained, "but not now and here. we don't know who could be listening."

joyce nodded, "you're extremely smart for an eleven year old."

"my dad is a police officer." tilly told her, "and i'm twelve."

"right. sorry."

"i'll see you soon." tilly kissed the woman's cheek.

⎯ ❃ neens speaks!
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