After grabbing our bikes in the woods, we walk the rest of the way to Mike's house, and I bring the girls into the bathroom to get them cleaned up.
Mike gives me a cloth and I gently scrub Eleven's face free of dirt, smiling when I had finished.
Eleven turns her head to the mirror, grabbing at her hair where the wig once was.
"Don't worry, El. You don't need it." I smile, washing off Ten's face.
"Still pretty?" Eleven asks hopefully.
"Still pretty? Is that even a question?" I exclaim, wetting the cloth once more, "Of course you are! Both of you are gorgeous! I would kill to look like you guys!"
"Kill?" Eleven asks, her eyes wide.
"Not actually kill, that's just a saying. That means I would love to look like you guys." I laugh, as the faucet turns on and sprays water in El's face.
I cover my mouth to hide my smile as Ten giggles.
Elevens mouth forms an 'o' shape and the water turns back on, splashing water all over Ten.
We all have a laughing fit before it dies down, and I begin wiping Ten's face again.
"Do you...do you think Mike likes me?" Eleven stutters, "Like's me, likes me."
"Mike? Yes, of course he does," I nod. I like him too, El, "And I'm assuming you like him too," Eleven nods gingerly, "Well, if you like him, then make a move! Give him a kiss or tell him he's smoking hot!"
Ten makes a face, shaking her head, "No, Eleven."
I laugh, just as the door busts open, and a panicked Dustin yells, "Guys! It's Lucas, we think he's in trouble!" We run out the door to where Mike was holding the walkie-talkie, "Do you remember how he said he was looking for the gate?"
"Yeah." I nod.
"What if he found it?" Mike finishes for Dustin, "I can't understand what he's saying. What's he saying?"
"I don't know, he's way out of range." Dustin sighs.
"Lucas, if you can hear us, slow down. We can't understand you." Mike speaks into the walkie-talkie.
"'Mad hen.' Does that mean anything to you?" Dustin asks, "Like a code name or something."
"Let me see that," I take the radio from Mike's hands, leaning my ear close to it, "Sounds like...like...bad men-the bad men are coming!"
"Stay here." Mike tells us as he and Dustin run upstairs, leaving the screaming radio with us.
After awhile, the boys run down, telling us we have to leave.
We hurry out of the house and to the bikes, picking them up and running like our lives depended on it, because they did.
As we run a little farther away, Ten trips, skinning her knee on the ground.
"Oh! Ten! Are you alright?" I ask, helping her up. Her knee was now bleeding and there was a few other scratches around it.
She nods, hopping on the back of my bike. I take a quick glance to the side of the house, seeing an army of 'repair guys' heading our way. We pedal off, my legs pumping faster then they ever have before.
Dustin let's out a series of "oh, my gods" as we make it onto the road, Lucas telling us over Dustins radio to meet him at Elm and Cherry.
"Follow me! This way, come on!" Mike shouts, riding off of the road.
We cut through a park, and I squeak out, "Sorry!" To the girls who Dustin had just screamed at to move.
We make it back onto the roads, meeting with Lucas, "Lucas!"
I try to catch my breath, stretching out my legs.
"Where are they?" Lucas asks.
"I-I don't know." Mike stutters.
"I think we lost them." Dustin pants. As if on cue, tires screech behind us, racing towards us.
"Go, go, go, go, go!" Mike screams as we ride away.
They were gaining on us by this point and Mike and Dustin were screaming out.
As if this couldn't get worse, two vans turn the corner from the other side, and now we were trapped, "Fuck!"
Right as they were about to hit us, one flys into the air, floating above our heads and crashing on the other side, halting the other vans from going anywhere.
The other ones tires come off, and its picked up and rammed into a mailbox, smoke coming out of it.
"H-how did you do that?" I whisper to Ten in shock.
"Blood." She simply answers.
|
We made it to the junk yard we had came to a few days ago, getting off of our bikes and letting them crash to the ground.
Mike sets Eleven on a tree stump as Dustin yells, "Holy...holy shit! Did-did you see what they did to those vans?"
"No, Dustin, we missed it." Mike remarks sarcastically.
"I mean, that was..." Dustin starts.
"Awesome," Lucas finishes, "It was awesome," Lucas gets on his knee, kneeling in front of both Eleven and Ten, "Everything I said about you two being traitors and stuff...I was wrong. I'm sorry."
"Friends..." Eleven begins, "Friends don't lie."
"I'm sorry, also." Ten frowns.
"I'm sorry, too." Eleven agrees.
"Me too." Mike adds in, holding out his hand, to which Lucas shakes it.
"And I'm sorry, Lizzie," Lucas sighs, "I knew you just wanted to protect them, and I should have respected that."
I smile, pulling Lucas into a hug, "I forgive you."
|
"This is Randolph Road, right here," Lucas informs us, pointing at one of the sticks he had laid out, "The fence starts here, and goes all the way around," He moves his hand in a circle around the sticks, before placing a can in the middle, "And this is the lab right here. The gates gotta be in there somewhere. It's gotta be."
"Well, who owns Hawkins Lab?" Dustin asks.
"The sign says 'Department of Energy.'" Lucas states.
"Department of Energy? What do you think that means?" Dustin queries.
"It means government. Military." Mike answers.
"Then why does it say 'Energy'?" Dustin asks.
"Just trust me, all right? It's military. My dads told me before." Mike confirms.
"Mike's right. There's soldiers out front." Lucas nods.
"Do they make, like, lightbulbs or something?" Dustin asks.
"No, weapons...to fight the Russians and commie's and stuff." Mike corrects.
"Weapons." Lucas repeats.
"Oh, Jesus. This is bad." Dustin whines.
"Really bad. The place is like a fortress." Lucas tells us.
"What are we gonna do?" Dustin asks.
"I don't know, but we can't go home. We're fugitives now." Mike murmurs.
"Wait, energy," I realize out of nowhere, "Mr. Clarke said you need loads of energy to create the gate, right?"
Dustins face lights up, "You're right. To make the gate you need a massive amount of energy to create a tear into another dimension."
In the distance, I could hear helicopter propellers approaching fast, "Guys?"
"G-guys," Dustin stutters, "Do you hear that?"
All of our eyes widen as we stare at the helicopter that was coming our way.
"Come on, come on, come on." Mike ushers as we all push our bikes under the bus.
"It's stuck!" Dustin groans as I help his shove it.
We pile onto the bus, squishing into the way back as Lucas yells, "Get down."
I lower my head, catching my breath.
"Mental." Dustin mutters.
|
It was completely quiet in the bus when a staticky voice asks, "Mike, are you there? Mike?"
I look to Dustin, raising my eyebrows, "Hey, did you guys hear that?"
I snatch Lucas' bag, unzipping it and taking out the walkie-talkie that someone was talking through.
"Mike, are you there. Answer," The voice says as everyone begins to gather around, "Mike, we need you to answer."
"Is that your sister?" Lucas asks Mike.
"This is an emergency, Mike. Do you copy?" Mike's sister asks, "Mike, do you copy?"
"Okay, this is really weird." Dustin states.
"How?" I ask, "Shes trying to reach out to us. Maybe we should-"
I go to press the button, but Mike pushes my hand away, "Don't answer."
"She said it was an emergency." Lucas exclaims.
"What if it's a trick?" Mike reasons.
"It's your sister!" Lucas throws back.
"What if the bad people kidnapped her?" Mike retorts, "What if they're forcing her to say this?"
"It's like Lando Calrissian," Dustin's eyes widen, "Don't answer."
Mike's sister continues and I roll my eyes, smashing my hand on the button, "This is Elizabeth Ta-"
"Are you crazy!?" Mike yells, smacking my hand away once more.
"Listen, kid, this is the chief. I know you're there, I heard you. Pick up," The chief's voice now comes into the phone, "We know you're in trouble, and we know about the girls."
"Why is she with the chief?" Lucas questions.
"How the hell does he know about..." Dustin's eyes trail to Eleven and Ten.
"We can protect you, we can help you, but you gotta pick up. I know you're there. Do you copy? Over." Chief says from the radio.
"Guys, lets just take the chance," I sigh, "They know I'm here already, there's no point in ignoring them."
Mike purses his lips for a moment, thinking, "Fine. Do it."
My hand hits the button, "This is Elizabeth Tate, I copy."
"And it's Mike. I'm here," Mike says over my shoulder, "We're here."
|
Dustin had started pacing around the bus, rubbing his neck and face.
"Will you stop pacing?" Mike groans.
"It's been way to long. Do you know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe this is all a trap and the bad men are coming to get us right now!" Dustin rambles.
"Dustin, it's not a trap," I sigh, "Just calm down."
"Why would the chief set us up?" Lucas agrees, "Nancy, maybe, but the chief?"
Mike scoffs when Lucas says his sisters name, and the only thing Dustin responds with is, "Lando Calrissian."
"Would you shut up about Lando?" Lucas argues.
"I don't feel good about this," Dustin expresses, then raises his voice, "I don't feel good about this!"
"When do you feel good about anything?" Lucas shouts, putting a hand to his face in agitation.
All our heads snap towards the sound of tires, and we all run to the front of the bus, watching as a few cars pull up.
"Shit!" Dustin curses as we race to the back, ducking under the seats, "Lando."
"You think they saw us?" Lucas asks.
"Both of you, shut up." Mike whispers.
Ten and Eleven were smooshed in the corner of the very back seat while I was crushed into Mike, his arm lightly grazing my thigh.
I hold my breath as the footsteps from outside start to get closer to the bus. The door slides open, but a loud bang and a grunt sounds from it. It's then followed by a bunch of groans.
The door opens once more and we all stand, facing the chief of police, "All right, lets go," We stare back at him, not moving, "Let's go!"