STANDING NEXT TO ONE ANOTHER, the party listens as Pastor Charles reads a scripture from the bible. It felt surreal. Despite knowing that Will was still alive, Mariella couldn't help but feel sad.
Reaching for Mike's hand for comfort, she intertwines their fingers and doesn't notice the red blush which swept over his face.
"Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand," He finishes before going onto make a speech.
"It's times like these that our faith is challenged. How, if He is truly benevolent could God take from us someone so young, so innocent? It would be easy to turn away from God but we must remember that nothing, not even tragedy, can separate us from His love. We are here today to find comfort in the truth of scripture," He goes on but the party wasn't paying attention for much after that.
Dustin nudges them and points to over to a crying girl. Jennifer Hayes. "Just wait till' we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral," Dustin says cheekily before he's shushed by Karen.
"Mr. Clarke?" Mike says, threw of them standing at the edge of the food table staring up at him with pleading eyes — Dustin was getting snacks.
"Oh, hey, there. How are you boys... And girl, holding up?" He asks, he always seemed to forget about quiet Mariella DeGray who was often seen attached to the hip of Will Byers or Mike Wheeler.
"We're... in... mourning." Lucas answers, almost robotically, looking to Mr. Clarke before reverting his eyes to the ground.
Dustin munches on a cookie he grabbed from the table. "Man, these aren't real Nilla Wafers!" He says, the group looking to him and Mariella kicking him with her Mary-Jane clad foot.
"We were wondering if you had time to talk?" Mike asks.
"We have some questions," Lucas adds, nodding.
"A lot of questions," Mike says.
"But... We understand if you don't have time..." Mariella pipes up looking at Mr. Clarke sadly.
"Alright, let's go sit down," He nods leading them over to an empty table.
Once seated, Mike wastes no time getting into things. "So, you how in Cosmos, Carl Sagan talks about other dimensions? Like, beyond our world?".
Mr. Clarke nods, listening intently. "Yeah, sure. Theoretically,".
"Right, theoretically," Mike says, nodding in agreement.
"So, theoretically, how do we travel there?" Lucas asks.
"You guys have been thinking about Hugh Everett's Many-Worlds Interpretation, haven't you?" Mr. Clarke smiles, hands crossed in front of him.
Dustin raises his brows at loss. "Y-Yes! So much," Mariella pipes up, nodding eagerly.
Mr. Clarke chuckles. "Well, basically, there are parallel universes. Just like our world, but just infinite variations of it. Which means there's a world out there where none of this tragic stuff ever happened," He explains.
"Yeah, that's not what we're talking about," Lucas shakes his head.
"We were thinking of more of an evil dimension, like the Vale of Shadows. You know the Vale of Shadows?" Dustin asks placing a knock-off Nilla Wafer in his mouth.
"An echo of the Material Plane, where necrotic and shadow magic—" Mr. Clarke starts.
"Yeah, that's it," Mariella interjects with a smile.
"If that did exist, a place like the Vale of Shadows, how would be travel there?" Mike asks.
"Theoretically," Lucas adds.
"Well..." Mr. Clarke starts, grabbing a paper plate and pulling a pen from his suit pocket, he begins to draw two lines and a stick person.
"Picture an acrobat, standing on a tightrope. Now, the tightrope is our dimension and our dimension has rules. You can move forwards, or backwards," He draws arrows pointing in either direction.
"But, what if right next to our acrobat there is a flea?" He asks, drawing a small flea. "Now the flea can also travel back and fourth, just like the acrobat. Right?" Mr. Clarke asks looking to the kids.
"Right," They agree, nodding their heads.
"Here's where things get really interesting. The tree cam also travel this way, along the side of the rope. He can even go, underneath the rope," Mr. Clarke draws.
"Upside down." The party says in unison looking to each other.
"Exactly," Mr. Clarke agrees.
"But we're not the flea, we're the acrobat," Mike states, looking for more answers.
"In this metaphor, yes, we're the acrobat," Mr. Clarke nods.
"So we can't go upside down?" Lucas asks.
"No." Mr. Clarke shakes his head.
"Could we find something or someone that could go upside down?" Mariella tilts her head.
"Or is there anyway for the acrobat to get to the upside down?" Dustin adds to Mariella's question.
"Well... you'd have to create a massive amount of energy. More than humans are currently capable of creating, mind you, to open up some kind of year in time and space," He explains,
"Like a portal or... Gate?" Mariella asks, furrowing her brows.
"Yes, exactly. Then," Mr. Clarke folds the paper plate in half and stabs the pen through it. "You create a doorway," He says. "But again, this is all—".
"Theoretical," Lucas nods.
"But... but what if this gate already existed?" Mike asks.
"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," Mr. Clarke answers looking between the four curious kids who listened to every word. "Science is neat. But I'm afraid it's not very forgiving,".