"What was Will saying?"
What was Will saying? And why was Seven staring into space? I can answer the second question. Sev's face was plagued with a distant look because she was trying to figure out the Heathkit. She remembered fixing it. But it wasn't fixed.
"Like home... like home... but... dark?" Mike continued, snapping Sev out of her daze.
"And cold." Added Lucas.
"Empty and cold. Wait did he say cold?" Dustin assessed. "I don't know. The stupid radio kept going out." Lucas answered.
"It's like riddles in the dark." The curly-haired boy moaned.
"Like home..." said Mike. "Like your house? Sev? Hello? Earth to Sev! Are you even listening?"
"What?"
"No... maybe like Hawkins!"
"Upside down." El murmured.
"What'd she say?' Lucas asked, completely confused.
Seven, annoyed again, said: "She should f-"
"Upside down?" Mike interrupted.
"Yeah." Said Lucas.
Mike paused his pacing and walked over to the D&D board. The others followed, except for El.
"When El showed us where Will was, she flipped the board over. Remember?"
"Yeah." Seven said, actually interested since this was Mike speaking. She really didn't understand though, she just wanted to win Mike over.
"Upside down." He explained, after grinning at Sev. His face turned serious again. "Dark. Empty."
"Do you understand what he's saying? Dustin? Sev?"
"No."
"Guys, come on! Think about it. When El took us to find Will, she took us to his house."
"He wasn't there." Lucas sighed. The boy honestly thought that Mike was going crazy.
"But what if he was there? What if we just couldn't see him? What if he was on the other side?"
Mike flipped over the board so that it was right side up, and seven leaned in, interested.
"What if this is hawkins," he flipped the board again, "and this is where Will is. The Upside Down."
"Like the Vale of Shadows."
They all had an idea.
-- time Skip --
Dustin slammed down the seven-year-old D&D guide book, and flipped through it. Seven watched intensely, her gaze matching the intense mood.
"The Vale of Shadows is a dark reflection or echo of our world. It is a place of decay, and death. A plane out of phase, a place of monsters. It is right next to you, and you don't even see it."
"An alternate dimension." Sev croaked.
"But... how... do we get there?" Asked Lucas.
"You cast shadow-walk."
"In real life, dummy!"
"We can't shadow walk, but maybe she can." Dustin pointed to El. Sev slammed her hands on the table suddenly, and stood up.
"What makes you guys think she's so great!? I could do all that she could, seven times better! I think, I think," she repeated to all four shocked faces, "that I could shadow walk if I wanted. And I wouldn't take Mike or El with me. That's what I think. And I'll-"
"Seven! What is with you! Why are you so mad at me!"
"I-I don't even know! Okay?"
"Well, let me... let me... let me make it up to you."
"What?"
"I'll..."
Mike contemplated this for a few minutes, then ran forward to Sev, and kissed her flat on the lips. Dustin had a pleasantly amazed look, and Lucas laughed. El gasped.
"That make it up?'
"Yeah. Yeah it did."
"Could you lovebirds stop it and let us plan?'
"Yeah, sure. El, do you know how to get there? To the Upside Down?"
El shrugged.
"Oh my god!" Lucas huffed, throwing his hands up.
-- Time Skip --
When Seven got home, she found out that Lonnie was over. She had never personally met him, but Will didn't like him so she avoided him.
She slipped into her room to get ready for the funeral.
Seven reached awkwardly behind herself and buttoned the buttons on her black lace dress.
She slipped on some black flats and slid a black headband into her hair. She was still going to the funeral, because it was her brother, and everyone though he was dead, although she knew he wasn't. Sev was beginning to think her mother wasn't crazy.
"Hey Sev?" Jonathan shouted.
"Yes?' She shouted back.
"Could you come tie my tie?"
"You know very well that I have no idea how to do that."
"I need help!"
"You're sixteen! Wear a bow tie."
-- Time Skip --
"Fear not, for I am your God. I will always be with you. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. It is times like these that out faith is challenged."
Jonathan and Joyce and Lonnie were sitting on the bench, but Sev was standing with her friends, Mike's arm wrapped firmly around her waist. Dustin nudged Mike and Lucas, and Mike nudged Sev. They all looked over to Jennifer Hayes, a green eyed-blonde girl. She was crying.
"Just wait till we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral."
Mike and Seven and Lucas laughed quietly, and Mrs. Karen shushed them.
-- time Skip --
Everyone attending the funeral passed by the coffin and dropped a white or yellow rose, and Sev greeted a few people, Mike's hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Lonnie pulled over Mike and Sev.
"You two holding up okay?' He said, shaking Mike's hand.
"Yes sir," Mike replied, accepting the gesture with his free arm. "Fine, thank you."
"You seem to be quite he ladies man, are you the little Wheeler?"
Mike blushed, and Sev shook her head, grinning. The two walked off, and Mike looked over Sev's apparel.
"You look great."
"Thanks. Back at you, dapper dan."
Dustin and Lucas ran over to them, and started babbling about a reception.
-- Joyce's flashback --
"What are you two doing?"
"Drawing." "Writing."
"Oh." Joyce smiled, spreading some jelly on a piece of bread. "What's that shooting out of Will the Wise's cane?"
"Fireballs."
"they're green 'cause we couldn't find the red crayon." Sev answered.
"Oh. But if he's so wise, why can't he just outsmart the villain?"
"Well, yeah, definitely, most of the time." Will said. Seven added: "But sometimes the bad guys are smart too." "You know?" They both said, looking back to their work. Joyce smiled, and looked at the two kids that were sketching and writing.
"Yeah. So he... needs, fireballs."
"Well... yeah. To burn them to a crisp."
"Then, I don't know who's been raising you two, but I need to get you new crayons. It looks like he's shooting cabbages. What are you writing, Sev?"
-- end flashback --
"Mr. Clarke?"
"Oh, hey there!" He replied, while Dustin reached over to grab a Vanilla Wafer. "How are you four holding up?" Mike snatched his arm away from Sev, remembering that he was supposed to be dating El.
"Were... in... mourning." Lucas said blockilily while Dustin frowned at the substance he was chewing on.
"Man! These aren't real 'Nilla Wafers."
"We were wondering if you had time to talk?" Sev asked sweetly, batting her lashed and tossing her golden hair back.
"We have some questions." Said Lucas.
"A lot of questions." Mike added.
-- Time Skip --
"So you know how in Cosmos Carl Sagan talks about other dimensions?" Mike asked.
Dustin was crunching on some 'Nillas, and Mr. Clarke had just cleaned off his plate.
"Yeah, sure. Theoretically."
"Right, theoretically." Seven nodded.
"So... theoretically, how would we travel there?" Lucas asked.
"You guys have been thinking about Carl's many worlds and outtakes, haven't you."
None of them knew what that was, but they still nodded.
"Well, there are parallel universes. Just like our world. But just... infinite variations of it. Which means that there's a world out there where none of this tragic stuff ever happened."
"Yeah... that's..not what we're talking about." Lucas sighed.
"Oh.'
"We were thinking of more of an evil dimension. Like the Vale of Shadows. You know the Vale of shadows?" Dustin said, stuffing a wafer up his face.
"An echo of the material plane where necrotic and shadow magic-"
"Yeah, exactly. If that did exist, a place like the Vale of Shadows. How would we travel there?" Mike asked, and Seven added: "theoretically."
"Well..." Mr. Clarke flipped over his plate and pulled a pen out of his jacket. "Imagine an acrobat, standing on a tightrope. Now, the tightrope, is our dimension. And our dimension, has rules. You can move forwards, or backwards! But... what if... right next to our acrobat, there is a flea? Now the flea can also travel back and forth, like the acrobat. Right?"
"Right." Seven said.
"The flea can also travel this way..." he said, drawing it out. All of the kids leaned forward. "Along the side of the rope... he can even go... underneath the rope."
"Upside Down!" Exclaimed Mike, a grin spreading across his face.
"Exactly."
"But... we're not the flea. We're the acrobat." Mike said, silencing the others.
"Yes, technically, in this metaphor."
"So, we can't go upside down?" Lucas asked. Dustin crunched on another Wafer while he nodded.
"No."
"Well... is there any way for the acrobat to get to the Upside Down?" Dustin asked, his fingers wavering over another cookie.
"Well, you'd have to create a massive amount of energy. More than humans can currently generate, mind you, and then you'd create some type of tear in time and space. And then..." he folded the plate, and stabbed a pen through it. The boys and Sev flinched. " you create a doorway."
"Kinda like a gate!" Dustin said, as if the world had been explained.
"Sure. Like a gate. But again. This is all-"
"Theoretical." Lucas scoffed.
"But.. what if this... said gate... already existed?" Sev asked, her fingers drumming against the table.
"Well... if it did... I think we would know. It would disrupt gravity. The magnetic field, our environment, heck! It might even swallow us up whole. Science is neat. But I'm afraid it's not very forgiving."
Seven stared off into space again, this whole mystery clicking together in her mind.
-- time Skip --
As Mike did whatever he was doing with El, and Dustin and Lucas did whatever they were doing, Sev walked around behind the stairs, objects floating around her head. They signified certain things, like a tape measure was the tight rope... you get the gist. She then saw a pile of discarded tools, and make them into two little people like Mike and El. The tape measure and the tools signifying fleas and acrobats clattered to the ground, startling Lucas.
"Dude! What- is that Mike? And El?"
"You bet. Watch this."
She made the tool people hold hands and spin in a circle, and Lucas laughed.
"Can you make them kiss?"
"Oh you bet!'
"Sweet!'
He then looked at the real El, and briskly trotted over. Sev leaned on the back of the steps, and hummed out 'I Can't Help Falling In Love With You.' From Elvis Presley.
"SEV! Could you come over here?"
"Oh! Sure Dustin." She huffed, quickly insing her powers and picking up all the tools to lift them back to their spots.
She walked over to Dustin, to see him spinning in circles with him compass.
"These-"
"Dustin, what are you doing?" Mike asked. He was sitting with the Weirdo, so Sev didn't honestly care about him. He must've forgotten that kiss.
"I...I need to see your compasses."
"What?"
"All of your compasses! I need to see them! Right now!"
And he did see them. The others hastily forked up their compasses, and Dustin inspected each and every one.
"What's exciting about this?" Mike asked.
"Well, they're all facing North, right?"
"Yeah..." Seven said, flicking the edge of her polished, sliver one.
"Well, that's not true North."
"What do you mean?" Mike asked, baffled.
"He means exactly what he just said!" Seven said, grasping it. "That's not true north! Jesus, I think the Weirdo cast a spell on your head."
"That's not true! What do you have against her!"
"Oh! I'll tell you what I have against her. In fact-"
"Guys! That's enough!"
"Lucas, Mike, are you both seriously this dense?" No response. "The sun rises in the east, and sets in the west. Right?" They either shrugged or nodded. " which means, that's true north." He said, pointing the opposite of the compass needles.
"So what your saying is the compasses are broken."
"Dude! Do you even understand how a compass works?" Seven said, pressing her palm to her forehead.
"Do you see a battery pack on this?" Dustin added.
"No."
"Exactly. Because it doesn't need one! The needle is naturally drawn to the Earth's magnetic Nroth Pole."
"So... what's wrong with them?"
"Well, that's what I couldn't figured out... but then I remembered." He looked to Sev to see if she got it too. And she did. "You can change the direction of a compass with a magnet!"
"Yes! And if there's the power of a more magnetic field, the needle doesn't deflect the power. And then I remembered what Mr. Clarke said-"
Seven interrupted "The gate would have so much power that-"
"It would disrupt the electromagnetic field!" Mike interuppted her, finishing the statement.
"Exactly!"
"And that means that if we follow the compasses North-"
"They should lead us to the gate!"
"Yes!'
"Sev, you and Dustin are brilliant!" Mike yelled. He grabbed her cheeks and kissed her for the second time that day. She laughed awkwardly and blushed. Dustin and Lucas laughed.
In the excitement that they were caught up in, no one noticed El's worried face.
-- Time Skip --
As they walked along the railroad, this was the order. Dustin, Sev, and Lucas were in the front, with Mike and El trailing in the back. To Sev's displeasure.
"How much further?"
"I dunno. These only tell direction, not distance. You really need to learn more about compasses."
"Oh, so that's how you're gonna play!"
"Oh yeah, you bet!'
"Guys, guys! Break it up." Seven muttered. Lucas glanced at her, worried.
"Sorry. I'm just saying. How will we know when we get to the gate?"
"Uh... I think a portal to another dimension is gonna be pretty obvious!" Dustin said, emphasizing the UH.
"So-reee."
They walked on, Sevn in the middle of the boys. Her eyes were glued to the compass, when Lucas nudged her side.
"Hey." He motioned to El, "do you think she's acting weird?"
"You're asking me if the Weirdo is acting weird?" Seven scoffed. Dustin nodded his agreement to this statement.
"I mean... weirder than normal."
"I dunno! Who cares!" Dustin interrupted Seven.
"Prob'bly Mike." Seven muttered.
"I've been meaning to ask you two this. One minute your making out, and the next you're screaming at each other. What you guys' deal?"
"I don't know... I would date him if he wasn't so obsessed with the Weirdo."
"Ooh! Seveee's got a cruuush!'
"Shut It Lucas!"
-- Time Skip --
But he time they got to the abandoned vehicle park, They fell into a single file line, well... not single file since Mike and El were walking side by side. Sev looked around, and stopped, causing Mike to bump into her. Dustin stopped as well, and they both spoke at the same time.
"Oh no."
"Oh no? What's oh no?" Lucas asked.
"We're... we're..." the golden-haired girl couldn't finish, so Dustin did it for her. "We're headed back home."
"What?" Mike asked.
"Are you sure?" Cried Lucas.
"Yeah, I'm sure..." as he explained, Seven's gaze switched to El."it has to be like a super magnet. Your thoughts, Sev?"
"Guys..."
"It's. Not. A magnet. It's her." Lucas said, point to El. Sev scowled, and agreed.
"She has been acting weirder than usual lately."
"If she can slam doors with her mind she can definitely screw up a compass."
"Seven can do the same thing."
"Oh... my... f****ng god, Mike!" She walked up to him and grabbed his shirt angrily. "You think I'd screw with a compass, when I'm looking for my brother!? Think about that!"
She walked back over to Lucas, muttering strings of curse words, and leaving a hurt Mike and an angry El.
"A-Anyway... why would she do that?"
"Because she's trying to sabatoge out mission." Lucas scoffed.
"Because she's a traitor!" Sev screamed.
Lucas and Sev walked towards El, Sev more slowly. She cracked her knuckles and blinked a few times, a sign that she was preparing for extreme telekenisis.
"Lucas! Sev! What are you doing?"
"You did it. Didn't you." Lucas said, getting all up in el's face. "You don't want us to reach the gate.
"You don't want us to find Will." Seven said in a dreadfully quiet voice, like poisoned honey.
"Guys! Come on, seriously! Just leave her alone!"
"You don't want to admit it! Do you?" Sev said, stepping forward.
"Admit it." Lucas said, stepping forward as well, while El stepped back.
"No..." el murmured.
"Admit it!' Lucas screamed, and Seven made a jerking motion forward, and El thought she was going to punch her.
Lucas grabbed El's arm, and saw the proof.
"Fresh blood! I knew it!" "She did it! Little brat!'
"Guys! Leave her alone! Please!"
"I saw her wiping her nose on the traks."
"She was using her powers!"
"Bull. That's old blood. Right El?" No answer. "Right El!"
"No... its not... it's not safe."
Lucas gave mike a look that said I told you so, and Seven smirked.
"What did I tell you!' Cried Lucas.
"Mike! She's been playing us from the beginning!" Seven screamed.
"That's not true, she helped us find Will!"
"Find Will?"
"Find Will! That's funny. That's hilarious Mike! I don't see Will. Do you? No. That's what I thought." Seven said.
"Yeah, you guys know what I mean."
"No Mike. No. I actually don't." Said Lucas.
"Just think about this Mike." Said Seven, "she could've told us where the Upside Down was right off the bat, but did she? She just made us run around like headless chickens."
"All right! Calm down!"
"No!" Seven yelled, " she used us! All of us!'
"She helped just enough so that she could get what she wants. Food and a bed. She's like a stray dog!"
"Screw you Lucas!"
"No. Screw you Mike. Your just happy that a girl besides me is not grossed out by you."
"Yeah! Wake up, man! WAKE THE HELL UP,"
"She knows where he is! She knows where my brother. And she's just letting him die in the upside down!'
"Sev, Shut Up!"
"For all we know," Lucas started, "it's her fault!"
"Shut up!"
"We're looking for some stupid monster!"
"But Mike, did you ever stop to think..." the whole thing fit together for Sev... "that she's the monster?"
"I SAID SHUT UP!" He leapt for Lucas, but Seven stopped him and slapped him clean on the face. Mike was fighting two people, and he was winning. Although he had a red print on his cheek, he leapt on Lucas and took him down.
"Stop!" El yelled.
"Cut it out you idiots!" Dustin yelled.
"Stop it!' She screamed again.
"Mike get off!'
El screamed and used her powers to chuck Lucas into the air. Almost in slow motion, Seven leapt forward, stomach towards the ground, and caught him with her powers. Unfortunately for her, her chin slammed into the ground, and her bottom teeth slammed into her gums, causing salty blood to fill her mouth.
Lucas wriggled around in midair, and Sev stumbled to her feet. She can tell El was still trying to throw him.
"Put him down."
She felt the weight lift on Lucas, but before she could comprehend what was happening, her back was slamming into a wall and Lucas was dropping to the ground.
"Jesus!" Dustin yelled.
Dustin rushed to Lucas, and Mike rushed over to the half-conscious girl.
"Sev! Sev! Sev! Are you alright?" Mike cried, shaking her arm.
"Lucas?!'
"Sev, come on!"
"Lucas! wake up!"
"Come on, Sev!'
Mike realized the danger of this situation, and turned to El.
"Why would you do that!?"
El was crying.
"Why did you do that!"
He screamed, while Dustin patted Lucas's face and arms, trying to revive him, he dragged Lucas over O Sev so he could work in one area.
"What is wrong with you!?"
Mike turned back to Sev, and put his hands on her shoulders. She then slowly regained consciousness. Lucas was already up, so Dustin slid to Sev.
"Oh, thank god! Sev, Sev! You okay?"
She didn't reply.
"Seven? Seven, how many fingers am I holding up." Dustin held up three fingers, and she distortedly put her hand up to her head, and ignored this.
"Here, Sev. Lemme see your head."
He reached over to check the spot where it hit, and she slapped his hand off.
"Get away from me."
"Sev, sweetheart, just let me see!" He said.
"Get away from me!" She said, standing. Lucas stood too. They bother started walking away.
"Seven! Lucas! Come on!