-Y/N POV-
We came back home a while ago, but Mike won't shut up. I can't even sit in my own couch. El is laid across the couch and Mike is sitting by her feet.
"What was Will saying?" Mike asked his arms crossed "Like home. Like home, but dark" he stood, his arms still crossed
"And empty." Lucas said
I sighed, this is to much for kids to handle. "Empty, and cold"
"Wait did he say cold?" Dustin asked from beside me
"I don't know, the stupid radio kept going in and out." Lucas explained
"It's like riddles in the dark" Dustin looked up as I sighed
"Like home.' like his house?" Mike paced around
"Or maybe like hawkins" Lucas looked at Mike
"Upside-down" El whispered
"What'd she say?" Lucas looked at me
"Upside-down" I whispered
"What?" Lucas asked
"Upside-down!" Mike walked over to the bored El messed with previously when she explained Will was alive
"When El showed us where will went she flipped the bored over. Remember?" I said getting up and walking over, the other 2 boys following
"Upside-down" Mike said flipping the bored again "Dark, empty."
"do you understand what they're saying?" Lucas looked at Dustin
"No." Dustin spoke then glanced at me
"You guys, come on just think about it." Mike said as the boys sat down
"When El took us to find Will she took us to his house right?" I said crossing my arms and standing behind Dustin's seat
"Yeah." Lucas looked at me then Mike "and he wasn't there."
"What if he was there" Mike said
"What if we just couldn't see him?" I added
"What if he was on the other side" Me and Mike said together
"What if," Mike flipped the bored right side up "This is Hawkins" He flipped it again "And this is where will is." he tapped the bored
"The upside-down" I said for him
"Like the Vail of shadows" Dustin looked from Mike to Lucas then back
We looked at eachother then paused
Dustin grabbed our d&d book and flipped pages "The vail of shadows, it's a dimension that is a dark reflection or echo of our world" He read
"It is a place of decay and death, a plane that is filled with monsters. It is right next to you and you don't even see it" I read over is shoulder
"An alternate dimension" Mike whispered in realization
"But how do we get there?" Lucas asked
"We cast shadow walk" Dustin said straight-faced
"In real life idiot!" I pushed his head forward to annoy him
"we can't shadow walk but..maybe she can" Dustin looked at El causing is to look at her
"Do you know how to get there? To the upside-down" Mike asked her
She shook her head no and me and Lucas groaned
_____
"Mom, no make-up!" I said as my mom tried to get me ready for the funeral
She had to get Nancy ready before me so of course she fussed we she saw I didn't pick a dress
"Fine, no makeup, but please put the dress on." Mom begged
"Fine, just go do something else. I'm getting ready." I said pushing her out the door
I ended up in a black loose dress, it's pretty flowey. It's not tight at all anywhere, honestly it's not to bad. I could see myself wearing it again one day, to a dance maybe.
I put on my black high-tops because fuck heels, and put my hair in a messy bun and threw my music bag over my shoulder.
As I walked down the stairs mom spoke to me "You look nice sweetie."
"Yeah, whatever." I mumbled putting my headphones around my neck
____
I stand in in the crowd next to Dustin, slightly shivering. I completely forgot my jacket. As we all stand a man is talking about Will, I know he's not actually dead but tears started welling up in my eyes. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he's going through right now.
Dustin smacked my arm and we all looked at a blond girl crying. No way
"Just wait till we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral" Dustin whispered
Mom leaned over and shushed us. Honestly hearing Dustin say that made me smile, I'm not really sure if will even likes girls but it'd still be funny.
After the man talked people started to walk away, our parents talked for a minute then we left. Joyce looks like she really needs some sleep. I can't imagine how she must feel right now.
___
"Mr Clarke" Mike said
"Oh, hey there" Mr Clarke smiled at him.
Me and Dustin saw food and went straight for it. I grabbed a nilla wafer and bit into it, Dustin grabbed one after.
Me and Dustin weren't paying much attention. After I chewed my wafer I looked at it weird "Man! These aren't real nilla wafers!" I whined
Everyone looking at me and Dustin slowly then back to Mr Clarke
"We were wondering if you had time to talk?" Mike asked
"We have some questions." Lucas added
"A lot of questions" I added onto that
We sat down and Mike did all the talking, I just listened.
"-theoretically how do we travel there?" Lucas asked as Mike wasn't getting to the point fast enough for him
Mr Clarke asked a dumb question, then went on about a dimension that none of this happened in. Dustin told him about the vail of shadows and then he decided to explain
"Picture an acrobat standing on a tightrope. Thats our dimension. And our dimension has rules. You can move forwards or backwards. But, what if, right next or our acrobat there is a flea. And the flea can also travel back and forth, just like our acrobat, right? The flea can also travel this way, along the side of the rope. He can even go underneath the rope." He drew on a paper plate
"Upside-down" We mumbled
"Exactly."
"But we're not the flea we're the acrobat" Mike checked
"In this metaphor yes"
"So, we can't go upside-down?" Lucas asked
"No."
"Well is there anyway for the acrobat to get to the upside down?" Dustin asked
"Well you'd have to create a massive amount of energy, More than humans are currently capable of, to open some kind of tear in time and space. And then," he started to fold up the paper plate then he stabbed his pen through it "You create a doorway."
"Like a gate?" Dustin asked
"Sure. Like a gate. But again this is all--"
"Theoretical." Lucas nodded
"But what if this gate already existed" Mike looked up at Mr Clarke
"Well, if it did, I..I think we'd know. It would disrupt gravity, the magnetic field, our environment. Heck, it might even swallow us up whole." He looked around the table at all of us, realizing I seemed most interested he stopped when he saw me "Science is neat. But I'm afraid it's not very forgiving." he looked back around
____
Mike ripped a pencil through paper in front of El's face, causing her to jump backwards
"It would take a lot of energy to build a gate like this. But that's gotta be what happened. Otherwise, how'd Will get there, right?" Mike informed her on the situation as Dustin paced around the room and I sat on the table in deep thought
"Right" El said
"What we want to know is, Do you know where the gate is?" Lucas asked her
I looked at Dustin and he was spinning around the room with his compass. Weirdo
El shook her head no which angered Lucas a bit
"Then how do you know about the upside down?"
Everyone looked at Dustin once they realized I was
"Dustin, what are you doing?" Mike asked just to get no answer
"Dustin?"
"Dustin!"
"Shut up!" I shouted at the two boys "He's on to something. Thats why he won't respond." they looked at me like I'm stupid "Dusty."
"Yeah? What? Huh?" Dustin looked up from his compass
"What are you--"
"I need your compasses." He cut me off
"what?" Mike looked at him weird
"Your compasses. All of your compasses, right now!" He shouted as I went through my bag to find mine
We threw our compasses on the table
"What's exciting about this?" Mike asked annoyed
"We'll, they're all facing north, right?" Dustin began, causing me to take a closer look
"Yeah, so?" Lucas asked
"Well that's not true North." Dustin responded
"What do you mean?" Mike asked
"He means exactly what he said!! That's not true North!" I looked at Mike "Are you both seriously this dense!?"
"The sun rises in the east and it sets in the west. Right?" Dustin began
"Which means that's true North." I said pointing
"So wait, you're saying the compasses are broke." Mike said looking from the table to me and Dustin
"No idiot!! Do you understand how a compass works!?" I shouted flicking his head like it's empty
"Do you see a battery pack on this?" Dustin asked flipping one of the compasses in Mike's face
"No?" Mike said, more a question than answer
"No you don't. Because it doesn't need one." Dustin turned to the table
"the needles naturally drawn to Earth's magnetic North pole" I finished for him
"So, what's wrong with it?" Lucas asked
"That's what I couldn't figure out, but then I remembered. You can change the direction of a compass with a magnet." Dustin Looked to Lucas then back to the table
"If there's the presence of a more powerful magnetic field, the needle deflects to that power." I put my hands on the table
"And then I remembered what Mr Clarke said. The gate would have so much power--"
"It could disrupt the electromagnetic field" Mike finished cutting Dustin off
"Exactly" Dustin looked at him
"Meaning, if we follow the compasses' North.." Lucas looked at me
"They should lead us to the gate" I told him
___
I sighed as we walked down the train tracks
"How much further?" Lucas asked from in front of me
"I don't know. These only tell direction, not distance" Dustin said from beside him
"You really need to learn more about compasses." I looked at Lucas and he sighed
"I'm just saying. How do we know when we get to the gate?" Lucas questioned
"Uh, I think a portal to another dimension is gonna be pretty obvious." Dustin stated annoyed
"Do you think she's acting weird?" Lucas looked at El who is standing next to mike
Me and dustin glanced back "You're asking if the weirdo is acting weird?" Dustin asked him
"I mean, weirder than normal?" He asked
"I don't know! Who cares?" I spoke, annoyance laced into my voice.
___
We've been walking for a while, we got to some old junkyard I guess.
"Oh no." Dustin sighed
"oh no? What's oh no?" Lucas worried
"We're headed back home." Dustin turned to us
"What?" Mike asked
"Are you sure?" Lucas asked as I turned to face the sun
"Yeah I'm sure. Setting--" Dustin started
"Setting sun, right there. We looped back around" I said not realizing I cut him off
"and you're just realizing this now?" Lucas was annoyed
"Why is this all on me!?" Dustin asked
"Because you're the compass genius!" Lucas shouted
"Woah! Hey! Don't pull that, Sinclair!" I defended Dustin
"What do yours say?" Dustin asked pointing to our pockets with our compasses
"North" We all said looking at our compasses
"Makes no damn sense" Dustin sighed
"Maybe the gate moved" Mike offered
"No, I don't think it's the gate. I think it's something else screwing with the compass" Dustin said
"Maybe it's something here" Mike offered again
"No, it has to be like a super magnet" Dustin shut him down again
"It's not a magnet. She's been acting weirder that normal." Lucas pointed at El "She can slam doors with her mind she can definitely screw with a compass"
"Why would she do that?" Mike asked
"Because she's trying to sabotage our mission! Because she's a traitor!" Lucas shouted then started walking up to her
"Lucas, what are you doing?" Mike asked
"You did it, didn't you?" He talked angry but quiet "You don't want us to reach the gate. You don't want us to find Will."
"Lucas, come on, seriously, just leave her alone!" Mike shouted from behind him
"Admit it." Lucas' anger got worse "Admit it!" He said louder grabbing her wrist and seeing a bunch of blood "Flesh blood! I knew it!"
"Lucas, come on!" Mike shouted
"I saw her wiping her nose on the train tracks! She was using her power!" Lucas turned to Mike
"Bull! That's old blood. Right, El?" Mike turned to El
El didn't answer so he asked again "Right, El?"
"It's..not" Her voice was once again a whisper "It's not safe"
"What did I tell you!? She's been playing us from the beginning!" Lucas yelled at Mike
"That's not true! She helped us find Will!" Mike fired back
"Guys!" I shouted but they just ignored me
"Find will? Find will? Where is he, then? Huh? I don't see him." Lucas turned and threw his hands up
"Yeah, you know what I mean." Mike said annoyed
"No, actually I don't." Lucas said walking back over to Mike "Just think about it, Mike. She could've just told us where the Upside down was right away, but she didn't. She just made us run around like headless chickens"
"All right, calm down!" Dustin shouted pushing the two boys away from eachother
"No!" Lucas pushed Dustin away "She used us, all of us! She helped just enough to get what she wants! Food and a bed. She's like a stray dog!"
"Screw you, Lucas!" Mike shouted
"No! Screw you, Mike. You're blind, blind because you like that a girls 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!" Mike yelled
"For all we know, it's her fault" Lucas pointed at El
"Shut up" Mike shouted again
"We're looking for some stupid monster, but did you ever stop to think that maybe she's the monster?" Lucas pushed Mike
"I said shut up!" Mike threw himself at Lucas, pushing him to the ground
"Stop!" Eleven yelled
"Knock it off, idiots!" I yelled
"Stop it!" Eleven yelled once more
"Mike, get off him!" Dustin yelled
"Stop it!" El yelled again
She screamed and right as Lucas about punched Mike he went flying into a piece of metal
I ran over "What the hell!?"
"Jesus!" Dustin said running over
"Lucas! Lucas!" I yelled sitting on my knees in front of him
"Lucas are you alright!?" Mike yelled shaking him
"Lucas come on!" Dustin shook him
"Lucas! Wake up!" I said fear for my friend rising
"Come on! Lucas!" Dustin yelled
"Why would you do that you psycho!?" I yelled looking at El
"What's wrong with you!?" Mike yelled from the other side of Dustin "What is wrong with you!?"
She looked zoned out as I turned back to Lucas and began to try and sit him up "Wake up! Please, Lucas!"
"Come on!" Dustin shouted
"Lucas!" I shouted, anger rising. Not just at El but at Mike as well. How could he ever even start a fight with his best friend?
"Lucas, come on!" Mike said
As lucas woke up and started sitting up I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in
"Lucas, hey man. You ok?" I asked. Mike asked him questions to but I already know Lucas wouldn't be happy with him
"Lucas..Lucas how many fingers am I holding up?" Dustin held 3 fingers in front of his face
Lucas slowly reached up and before I could say anything about his head Mike tried to check
"Get off of me!" Lucas yelled smacking Mike hand away
"Lucas. Lucas, let me see" Mike said as Lucas got up
"Get off me!" Lucas said smacking Mike away again
"Lucas come on!" Mike said starting to follow him
"Let him go." Dustin grabbed Mikes arm "let him go, man."
"You're in deep shit Michael. I better not have to see that bitch in our basement again." I started to point at El then realized she's not there. "Where's El?"
"El!?" Mike shouted "El?!"
"Eleven?!"
"El!"
"Eleven!"
"El!"
Our shouting was useless. She left for a reason.
"Great Michael! You hurt our friend and you let a crazy kid on the loose!" I sarcastically congratulated him
"Y/N, calm down. We're not splitting the party up more, especially you two. You're twins, you live in the same house." Dustin grabbed my shoulder
"Whatever." I mumbled "Yelling her name is useless, she's not coming back.."
___
-2875 words. I'm glad to be back guys :) Bee is signing back on! This chapter was fun to write, kinda. If you haven't noticed I'm doing each episode so if some are shorter than others I apologize.-