Y/N POV
"C'mon, Will..." I whispered to myself. "Answer the damn radio."
But he never did. I sighed, assuming the worst had happened, stood up from my chair and left.
Growl. (You can't leave again.)
"Listen," I said plainly. "I don't think that I can help you. I wish I could, I really do, but I can't. I just need to find my friend, so we can get back home. You know, the place where everyone we love and care for is."
Growl! (But you have to close the gate!)
"I don't care anymore, I didn't open the gate and I sure as hell don't know how to close it!"
One of the demogorgons pulled me back by the arm, making me yank it away and keep walking.
Growl! (The boss isn't going to like this!)
Growl! (You have to help us!)
"No!" I turned around yelled at the two.
If looks could kill, those demogorgons would be six feet under. I spun on my heels and ran down the stairs, heading straight for the elevator. At that point I didn't even care about the monsters, or the gate, or their threats. They were the least of my worries, I needed to find Will Byers. I pressed the button in the elevator and waited for it to move.
When I made it to the surface I walked out of the elevator, noticing that I was no longer in pain. I looked down, pulling up the leg to my overalls, and saw that my leg had almost completely healed and the swelling in my ankle had gone down all the way. I made a silent cheer of relief in my mind as I rolled my pant leg back down and kept walking towards the gate.
I walked across the front of the lab, ignoring the crowds of demogorgons growling at me. I stopped in my tracks, suddenly remembering that there was a vending machine on the third floor of the main building, as stated on the map.
I ran into the building and into the stairwell. I wandered around the third floor until I found the vending machine, feeling barely any pain in my leg.
"Well no shit, y/n. You need money to use the damn vending machine," I facepalmed myself.
An idea popped into my head and I quickly went into the next room to grab a chair. I came back to the vending machine, bracing myself for impact, and with all my strength, lifted the chair over my head and flung it forwards. As I expected, the glass broke, sending a few small shards flying to the ground.
But hey, it worked!
Managing not to cut myself on any glass this time, I grabbed a few bags of Lays Potato Chips, two cans of Coca-Cola, and the rest of the Airhead Xtreme Sour Candy strips. I stuffed everything into my hoodie and overall pockets and made my way back to the stairs.
I knew I had to hurry if my plan was going to work. Whoever or whatever was in charge here was going to be very upset. I had to hurry if I wanted to get Will and escape.
I rushed down the last flight of stairs with no hesitation, making sure my movements were steady so the soda wasn't shaken up. When I got to the first floor, I felt myself get a bit dizzy. I grabbed a hold of the front desk, my knuckles hurting from the grip I held. It only lasted for a minute or so, but my head hurt with and intensity I'd never felt before.
I clumsily made my way out of the building, bumping into walls and doors and chairs. As soon as I walked through the doors, the pain in my head subsided, still only faintly there.
I walked to the far end of the fence, where Mirkwood lay on the other side. I took off my jacket, taking the sodas out carefully and setting them on the ground, and tossed it over the top if the fence. I stuffed the cans through a hole in the fence making sure it wasn't too close to where I wanted to land.
I carefully climbed up the fence and threw my leg over the top of my jacket. In one swift movement, I threw over my other leg and jumped down, grabbing my jacket along with me and landing on both feet. I dusted myself off, picked up the two cans of soda and ran into the woods.
"Will? Will Byers!" I called out, dragging out his last name in a singsong voice.
"C'mon Byers it's me... y/n..."
I sighed and walked the rest of the way in silence. My stomach growled again, and for a split-second, I thought about eating all the food right then and there. I quickly decided against it and kept walking.
"Will? Will, are you in he-" my voice trailed off in disappointment as I entered the small fort.
He wasn't there. There was, however, an empty box of Twinkies, along with a bunch of other empty junk food packages, and my other jacket, which was balled up in the corner. That sight alone made me smile slightly, the thought of Will Byers wearing my jacket and stuffing his face with the snacks being the cutest and most comforting thing I'd ever seen.
I placed the snacks I'd brought down on little table next to the pallet and decided to eat. I figured Will wouldn't mind, I hadn't eaten since I got there. After I finished the last bag of chips, I tidied up the blankets and pillows on the ground. As I moved one of the pillows out of the way, I noticed one of the walkie-talkies.
It was mine, and the batteries inside were fresh. That meant Will had changed them earlier, and when I tried to contact him before, he simply wasn't in here.
I finished cleaning Castle Byers and rushed outside. I grabbed my bike and pedaled off in the direction of Will's house.
"Will?" I raided the house running in and out of each room.
I paused when I ran into his room; I had never paid any full attention to it, but I noticed a radio on the shelf in the corner. I walked up to it, tracing my fingers along its surface and smiled.
"For Will," I read the label on one of the cassette tapes.
I flipped it over and read the label on the other side: "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"
I remembered Will mentioning it was his favorite song, one that Jonathan had introduced him to when his parents were, you know...
I shook away my thoughts and continued to search the house. When I couldn't find him, I raced back out to my bike. I took off instantly, riding as fast as I could to my house. I bike up to the front yard, throwing my bike on the ground as I hopped off in one move. I ran to the front door, but it was locked. I groaned in annoyance and walked around to the back door, thankful when I saw it was still unlocked.
I walked through the door, prepared to be disappointed. And, indeed, I was. I searched the house thoroughly, calling out to anyone who could hear me, but the house was completely empty.
I was just about ready to give up, and literally on the verge of tears. I left my house panicked and scared. I picked up my bike and walked alongside it, though it felt like it weighed a ton. I felt weak for some reason, not just emotionally, but physically too.
I stumbled around a bit, but eventually caught myself and stood upright. I walked down the block, calling out for Will as I made my way to the playground. I walked over to one of the slides but noticed there was a puddle of water sitting at the bottom of it. I went to sit down on the swings instead, tears welling up inside my eyes.
I broke down. I felt like I was at a point of no return. My plan was in ruins; I couldn't leave Will behind, I just couldn't. I bawled my eyes out for what seemed like an hour, but was actually about three minutes. The crying made my headache come back a little, so I decided that it was just best to suck it up and move on.
But how could I move on, when everything I loved and cared about had been ripped away from me?
It started to rain lightly, a little heavier than a sprinkle, as glimmer of silver light caught my eye. I dried my eyes, stood up and walked towards it to get a better look. It gleamed dimly as it lay in a puddle of water. I let out a short gasp as I realized what it was:
My pocket knife.
I had given it to Will to use if he needed it. Apparently he did, but it obviously wasn't helpful. The thought made my heart jump into my throat. I realized that I was right to assume the worst earlier, because the worst had already happened.
The monsters had gotten Will.