Mileven One-Shots

The Unknown Visitors

Okay, so first of all, this is based off the Stranger Things novel: Suspicious Minds. So, if you haven't read it, I'd say you could still read this one shot because I'm going to try my best to describe everything. Although, if you are planning on reading the book, then skip over this chapter because there will be spoilers. 

Anyways, enjoy!

---1996---

As she drives passed the 'Welcome to Bloomington' sign, a series of anxiety surges through her veins, causing her heart to thump wildly. Her knuckles turn white from the tight grip she has on the steering wheel, and her shoulders are stiff with tension as she turns left. The wheels carry the car down a familiar road, one where many things had turned upside down, and she swallows thickly as she turns into a driveway of a house that rises many memories to the surface, good and bad. She turns the car off quickly, pocketing the keys in the pocket of her black pea coat, and she opens the door, stepping into the warm spring air. 

The walk to the front porch feels like a lifetime, but it's really only two minutes, and as she takes each step closer to the door, the butterflies in her stomach seem to increase. Raising her hand, fingers wound tightly in a fist, she hesitates for a second, wondering if this is such a good idea, before rasping on the dark wooden door. She takes a step back, letting out a breath she hadn't known she'd been holding, her shoulders relaxing when a familiar face becomes visible in the window. It's a couple more seconds before the door swings open and Becky Ives is standing right in front of her, looking much older than she had all those years ago, and she tries for a kind smile, but it comes out as a grimace. 

Becky stares at her for a second before her eyes widen. "Alice?" 

"Yeah," Alice confirms, stuffing her hands in her pockets. 

"Uh, what- what are you doing here?" Becky asks, her eyebrows furrowing, the wrinkles lining her forehead deepening as she frowns. Her brown eyes are full of emotion, surprise, utter shock, a tinge of sadness, and a bit of anger, and some Alice can't quite place, and she feels bad for staying gone so long. 

"I felt it was time to come visit," Alice answers, "and it only felt right seeing Terry first considering the events that went down over twenty years ago." She winces at her own words, starting to feel terrible about staying gone for this long. Lifting up on her tiptoes, Alice tries to look passed Becky and into the house, but the sight of her distraught expression brings her back down on flat feet. "What?" 

Biting the inside of her cheek, Becky meets Alice's gaze. "Terry passed away eight years ago." 

Alice is taken aback. "How? I- I don't understand?" 

Becky doesn't explain, but opens the door wider and invites Alice inside. She's walking down the hallway toward the kitchen, Alice following closely behind, and she takes the time to relish how everything has changed. The walls were freshly painted, some parts covered in pretty ugly wallpaper and Alice's face scrunches in disgust. The furniture in the living room, she notices as they pass the doorway, had been replaced probably numerous of years ago, and a lonely rocking chair sits right in the middle. Once they're in the kitchen, Becky makes Alice a glass of water, and as she's drinking down the purified, non drugged, liquid, she says, "But, I can point you in the direction of her daughter." 

And once again, Alice is taken aback, spitting the water back into the cup. "But, I thought-?"

"I'll let her explain everything." Becky opens one of the many drawers, digging around, and pulls out a notepad and ballpoint pen. She scrawls something down, rips the rectangular sheet off the spindles, and hands it to Alice. "The top one is Jane's address. The others are Gloria and Ken's. I thought they'd might want to meet her as well."