CHAPTER FIFTY SIX
Middle of Nowhere, Nevada
Dylan was getting restless; all she could see for miles was sand. It had been all she could see for days and there was no indication they were getting any closer to NINA other than the belief that the coordinates Suzie had given the group were correct.
Dylan sat in the passenger seat, where she had been so long now it felt she might just melt into the chair, and Jonathan was driving.
He took his eyes off the road for a second and looked at her with heavy eyes.
"Your locket," said Johnathan. "What's inside?"
Dylan looked down at her chest and frowned. She couldn't remember where she'd gotten the gold piece of jewelry or what was inside. She reached for the clasp and pried open the locket. Inside was a picture of her and Barb, Dylan was probably still a pre-teen. Steve stood behind them, throwing up a peace sign over her head. The photo only brought more confusion—when had Steve given this to her? She couldn't remember. Had she had since she was little? That felt like something she should know.
"You, Barb, and Steve," Jonathan's brow furrowed as he held the tiny photo in his hand. "I didn't think you guys were friends anymore."
"We're not." Dylan said, feeling a pang in in her chest as she uttered the words. It was as if her body was rejecting them. "I guess I just got so used to wearing it."
Dylan reached for the back of her neck, attempting to take it off. Johnathan grabbed her hand.
"It's a nice picture. You and Barb. You should keep it on."
Dylan nodded. She didn't have much of her sister these days and something inside of her didn't really want to remove the necklace.
"It kinda backs up Mike and Will's theory, doesn't it?" Jonathan said after awhile. "I mean, you wearing Steve around your neck."
"And Barb." Dylan replied, a little too defensively.
Jonathan shrugged.
"Holy shit!" Exclaimed Argyle from the backseat. He leaned forward in between Dylan and Jonathan and pointed at the windshield, a little to the left. "Are you guys not seeing this?"
Mike and Will were quick to push their heads into the front as well, all three of them soon smushed together, fighting to get a better look. Dylan's eyes followed where Argyle's finger was pointing.
Her mouth opened wide as she noticed, just ahead in the distance, a military helicopter losing control and spinning in the sky.
Below the helicopter was a figure, almost so small Dylan almost didn't notice it. It stood before the helicopter an arm outstretched to the sky.
"Eleven." Said Jonathan.
His foot slammed on the accelerator while Will and Mike shouted "Drive! Drive!"
The van picked up as much speed as it could, almost spinning out in the sand. But the look of determination on Jonathan's face made it clear that they were making it to Eleven, there was no other option. Dylan gripped her arm rest for dear life.
The van came to a halt a few feet behind Eleven, stopping so abruptly it kicked up sand, just as the helicopter that had been flailing about them came crashing to the ground.
Dylan scanned the scene in front of her: quite a few tanks, guns, and bodies had fallen to meet their end in the desert sand at Eleven's hand. Large puffs of black smoke clouded the area in front of them as some of the vehicles Eleven had destroyed had been set aflame.
The younger girl turned around, pain etched on her face, until she noticed who was behind her and her face lit up. Mike ran to her, wrapping his arms around her tightly, and Eleven began to cry into his shoulder. Jonathan and Will were next. Dylan stood on the sidelines. She was relieved they had found Eleven, and alive, but this wasn't her moment. She didn't know her all that well.
When Eleven stepped away from Jonathan's side, she finally looked Dylan's way. Dylan smiled and waved. Eleven smiled back.
"I'm glad you're okay." Dylan told her.
Eleven wiped the tears from her face. "Thank you."
Jonathan walked over to Dylan and flung a comforting arm over her shoulder, guiding her backwards toward the van. "We gotta go. We gotta get you out of here."
As Jonathan spoke, the collar on Eleven's neck clicked to release. Dylan looked around warily, her eyes landing on a man in a blood-stained suit, laying on the ground, his arm reaching out to behold a remote. Eleven noticed him too, her face contorting into a painful expression once again. She took a few small steps forward and kneeled before him.
Dylan felt uncomfortable watching the scene unfold, like she was watching a private moment that was not meant for her.
"Hey," said Dylan. "We shouldn't watch. Let's wait in the van."
Jonathan nodded and he, Argyle, and Will followed her back into the van. Mike hesitated, glancing back at Eleven, but with a nod from her, Mike walked over to the van and jumped into the backseat.
It wasn't much longer before Eleven flung open the van door and joined them inside. She flung herself down in Mike's lap, Dylan could see from the wetness of her cheeks she had been crying again, and she looked absolutely exhausted. Jonathan started the van and took off with force.
"We need to get to Hawkins." Eleven told them once they were all settled into the van. "By tomorrow."
Jonathan looked back at her. "There's no way. That's almost 2,000 miles."
"We have to or they're all going to die."
"Who's going to die?" Will asked urgently.
Eleven frowned. "All our friends."
Dylan craned her neck to look into the backseat then back at Jonathan.
"It's impossible." He said.
"If you keep this thing going 90 and we don't stop, that's like 20 hours." Dylan inspected the dash in front of them. "It's almost 7:30AM now. We could be there tomorrow morning."
Mike patted Dylan on the shoulder. "Wow Dylan you actually did math and correctly."
"It's not the time to joke around, Mike," said Eleven. "I'm serious. They're in trouble; I've seen it."
That sent a chill up Dylan's spine.
"Okay, okay," said Jonathan. "I'll take the first round. Dylan, Argyle, rest up 'cause we don't have any time to lose."
Dylan tried to sleep but failed. She sat up again after about a half hour and turned to Eleven. She was chatting with Mike and Will. There was still a hint of worry on her face but she seemed to have relaxed a little in their company.
"El," Dylan said quietly enough not to wake a sleeping Argyle but loud enough for Eleven to turn away from Mike and Will. "What is it this time?"
"He's like me." Eleven said. "But not really, he's evil. He uses his powers to manipulate and corrode minds—his current victim is Max."
"Like the Mind Flayer?"
Eleven shook her head. "No. He doesn't kill them right away, he lets his victim do that themselves. He makes them relive their worst memory, their deepest guilt, until they give up all hope and succumb to the Upside Down."
"And he's torturing Max this way?" Dylan asked to confirm, though she knew Eleven was telling the truth. She just couldn't believe it, hadn't the young girl been through enough? She'd watched her brother die. To Dylan, that seemed like punishment enough. She'd been there, kneeled down at Billy's side, covered his in his black blood as he took his last breaths. He'd tried to apologize, he'd used his last words to make amends with Max and Dylan, who both sobbed and wailed as his body went limp. Dylan had surprised herself by the reaction, he had been horrible to her at the end, he had been horrible to everyone—but as she watched his life slip away, she pitied him. He'd been especially horrible to Max, unfairly and undeservedly, but still she cried as if she had loved him dearly. It was a pivotal moment for Dylan that made her aware of how complex the human experience really was: someone could feel love and hate at the exact same time.
"Yes." Said Eleven. "It's why we have to worry. He almost has her where he wants her. She has a plan—it's not working."
Dylan turned around to face the front, more anxious than before, but still she shut her eyes. Instead of thoughts of Max being mentally tortured but yet another monster, Dylan tried to focus on thoughts that were more calming, like the sound of the vans tires rolling over on pavement or the loud hum of the engine. She peaked through her eyelids to steal a glance at Jonathan. She was caught immediately as he was already looking at her.
"Sleep." He said.
She shut her eyes tightly. "I am."
He didn't say anything. He reached for her hand, entwining it with his own, and let their arms hang together in between their seats and the centre console.
Dylan managed to doze off that way until Argyle shook her awake hours later, urging her to take the wheel.
hey guys did u miss me you know me I come and I go!!!! I need to post three chapters in one go then dip !!!!