||𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐄𝐑'𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐕||
With Dustin in the lead, we found ourselves stopped atop a hill, at what I assume is a scrapyard. Old vehicles like abandoned cars and buses scattered around the area.
Dustin came to a stop and looked around.
"Oh, no." He muttered.
"'Oh, no'? What's, 'Oh, no'?" Lucas asked in a panicked tone.
Dustin turned around to look at us.
"We're headed back home."
"What?" Even Mike seemed to be frustrated.
"Dustin, are you sure?" I ask, irritation and exhaustion creeping up on me.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Setting sun, right there." He pointed past us in the direction of the sky. "We looped right back around."
I sighed, shifting on my feet as I run a hand down my face.
"And you're just realizing this now?" Lucas snapped.
"Why is this all on me?"
"Because you're the compass genius!"
"What do yours say?"
We all checked our compasses, mine was wobbly but nevertheless, pointing North.
Lucas, Mike and I all spoke at once.
"North."
We all sighed, and Dustin began slowly pacing, looking off into the distance deep in thought.
"Makes no damn sense."
"Maybe the gate moved," Mike offered.
"No, I don't think it's the gate." Dustin began looking all around us. "I think it's something else screwing with the compasses."
"Maybe it's something here?"
As Mike spoke, I didn't fail to notice the look that crossed Lucas's face as he slowly turned to face El.
"No, it has to be like a super magnet." Dustin replied.
Lucas rose his hand and began pointing at El accusingly. "It's not a magnet. She's been acting weirder than normal. If she can slam doors with her mind, she can definitely screw up a compass."
El stood rooted in place, a look of guilt and fear in her eyes.
"Why would she do that?" Mike snapped.
"Because she's trying to sabotage our mission. Because she's a traitor!"
As much as I hated to admit it to myself, it was the only logical explanation we had. It could be all too easy for her to screw with our compasses after what she showed herself capable of.
I shook my head, ridding myself of the conclusions my brain wanted to jump to.
"Lucas, come on. Think about what you're saying. Why would-" I rested a gentle hand on Lucas's shoulder to try and calm him down, only for him to rip his arm from my touch.
"Enough, Y/n! I'm so sick of you defending her! You of all people should be more worried for Will."
"I am!" I snapped, feeling the anger, fear and confusion of all I've been carrying the past few days shoot up to the surface unexpectedly.
I took a deep breath, trying to compose myself. "Just... Please. Hear her out."
Lucas never met my eye and only stomped towards the poor girl intimidatingly.
"Lucas, what are you doing?" Mike asked, following behind Lucas worriedly.
"You did it, didn't you? You don't want us to reach the gate. You don't want us to find Will." Lucas was in her face by now, and it as if the poor girl was on the verge of tears.
Dustin and I were toe in toe with the others and I walked up to Lucas, ready in case he decided to something rash.
Mike seemed to have the same idea.
"Lucas, come on, seriously, just leave her alone!"
"Admit it." Lucas spit.
"No." El muttered.
"Admit it!" We all jumped when Lucas began screaming.
He grabbed her right arm and examined her sleeve. There was a streak of shiny dark crimson on her sleeve.
Lucas swatted away her arm in disgust and frustration at the sight.
"Fresh blood. I knew it."
Dustin and I watched speechless as the boys began fighting.
"Lucas, come on!"
"I saw her wiping her nose on the tracks! She was using her powers!"
"Bull! That's old blood. Right, El?"
We all whipped our heads to El, waiting for her response.
At this point, she was fighting back tears, and her breath hitched.
"Right, El?" Mike asked again, less confident.
She began sobbing as she choked out her words.
"It's... not... it's not safe."
My stomach plunged as Dustin and I shared a look of worry and shock.
⊹ ⊹ ⊹
"What did I tell you? She's been playing us from the beginning!"
Lucas and Mike seemed to be having it out now and they wouldn't stop despite the many protests from either Dustin or I. My body seemed to have shut down, staring helplessly as my two best friends fight, at a complete loss for words from shock and knowing my words will make no difference.
"That's not true. She helped us find Will!"
"Find Will? Find Will? Where is he, then? Huh? I don't see him."
"Yeah, you know what I mean,"
"No, I actually don't. Just think about it, Mike. She could have just told us where the Upside Down was right away, but she didn't. She just made us run around like headless chickens."
With every word my body was feeling more and more on edge, my anxiety set in as I felt uncomfortable in my own skin at my friend's tearing each other apart. I started shifting back and forth, my hands rubbing the back of my neck.
Either Dustin noticed this, or he was sick of the fighting as well - or both for that matter - he stomped towards the boys and intervened.
"All right, calm down!"
"No! She used us, all of us! She helped just enough so she could get what she wants. Food and a bed. She's like a stray dog."
"Screw you, Lucas!"
"No! Screw you, Mike. You're blind... blind because you like that a girl's not grossed out by you. But wake up, man! Wake the hell up! She knows where Will is, and now she's just letting him die in the Upside Down."
"Shut up!"
"For all we know, it's her fault."
"Shut up."
"We're looking for some stupid monster... but did you ever stop to think that maybe she's the monster?"
'I don't want to believe it. I don't want to believe that El is the monster. I don't want my best friend to be missing, I don't want my friends to fight all the time. But at the same time, I can't afford to dismiss the possibility that maybe Lucas had a point. Not about her being a monster. No, that I refuse to believe, but her having something to do with everything that's been going on.'
What came next was a blur.
Mike couldn't take it anymore and lunged at Lucas, the boys toppled to the ground and began wrestling in the dirt. Dustin, El and I screaming at the top of our lungs for them to stop.
I looked to Dustin and El and back at the fighting boys. I ran to them attempting to pry Lucas off of Mike in a panic, knowing there was a big chance I'd get hit. But I didn't care and I couldn't stand by and do nothing.
"Enough! Please, stop! Just-"
I closed my eyes as I saw the blur of Lucas's hand strike me accidentally as he swung his arm back, ready to punch Mike. I felt the back of his fist collide with my nose and I fell back with a painful yelp.
I heard a shrill shriek and opened my eyes in time to see Lucas fly backward in the air about five feet and slide into an abandoned car door, lying unconscious.
I looked to Lucas in horror and ran to him, not caring about my gushing nose.
I dive in front of Lucas, trying to shake him awake.
The boys were right behind me.
"Lucas! Lucas, wake up! Lucas."
Nothing. I checked his head for injuries, my hand never leaving him as I look over my shoulder at El, horrified.
"What did you do?"
El stood rooted to the ground, sobs wracking her body as blood dripped down her nose. I could tell the guilty look in her eyes was genuine but I didn't have time to feel bad for her right now.
Lucas was my main priority. I turned my attention back to my friend.
Dustin and Mike were just as panicked as I was.
"Come on, wake up. Come on!" Dustin yelled.
"Come on, man. Lucas?" Mike muttered worriedly.
"Lucas? Lucas, come on!" I sniffled, weakly shaking him.
To my tremendous relief, Lucas slowly came to with a groan and his eyes fluttered open.
The three of us chuckled and laughed in relief. The weight in my lungs and heart were lifted at the sight
"Lucas." Mike let out in a shaky breath.
Lucas slowly sat up and blinked a few times, processing what just happened.
"Lucas, you okay?" Mike asked.
There was no response from our friend.
Dustin spoke up shakily as he held up three fingers.
"Lucas... Lucas, how many fingers am I holding up? Lucas, how many fingers?"
Mike began reaching forward towards Lucas's head, already one step ahead of me.
"Let me see your head." He offered gently, he was cut short went Lucas angrily shoved Mike's hand away.
"Get off of me!" He grunted, struggling to stand up.
"Lucas, come on, you could be hurt. Let us help." I try, my voice soft reaching for his shoulder.
He pushed my arm away in anger as he stood up, storming past me.
"I said, get off of me!" I detected a hint of fear in his voice this time and less anger, making me more sympathetic than angry at him.
Mike began to chase after him but Dustin and I seem to have the same thought as we both caught each of his arms
"Let him go."
I watched sorrowfully as my friend left without us.
"Man, let him go."
We all shared a somber silence when suddenly Mike spoke up.
"Where is El?"
I looked to where she had been standing previously only to find no one else in sight.
Mike's breathing increased and he began shouting for her.
"El! El!"
"Eleven!" Dustin had joined in.
I stood frozen, my voice failing me. I looked around me as hopelessness sunk in and solidified into guilt. The icy wind whipped my collar as the desperate voices of my friends was lost to the wind.
She was gone.