･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. ☆彡ﾟ.
19 | "Will Life Still Be The Same?"
･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. ☆彡ﾟ.
𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠:𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡
HER SURROUNDINGS WERE BRIGHT and unfamiliar. She sprang up from her bed in fright while panting. The brightness of the room slightly blinded her as she looked around in fear.
A beeping sound came from her right and something was attached to her arm. In the corner of the room, she saw a woman stand and leave quickly.
A hospital. Joyce really had saved her, and it wasn't a dream.....
Moments later, her parents and Steve rushed into the room. Her parents greeted their daughter with open arms, and it looked like that had been crying.
-"Oh my sweetheart! Oh my baby!" Mrs. Harrington cried as she wrapped her arms around her little girl. She held her close, her grip tight. Mr. Harrington joined in the hug, and Steve stood quietly in the background.
Stella looks up at her brother in confusion. Steve nods, fully understanding where she was coming from. It was not exactly known what was said to Mr. and Mrs. Harrington, but Hopper made sure to give them a not so detailed explanation, and they were told not to ask their children questions.
Naturally, this puzzled the Harrington's, but they weren't ones to fight with the law, so they took it for what it was. And Hopper could be trusted, for he was the Chief of Police.
After receiving a sign from her brother that they were all on the same page, Stella threw her arms around her parents. Steve joined in, and Stella wished they could stay like this forever.
After they had pulled apart, Mike, Lucas, and Dustin came running to her side. Her face lit up when she saw them.
-"Were's El?!" She asked excitedly after each had given her a hug.
Their moods shift, especially Mike's. They shake their heads discreetly, and Stella was sure that a tear could be seen in Mike's eye.
A little while later, Nancy came in with Hopper Jonathan and Joyce. Immediately, Stella and the older woman were hugging. She'd always be in debt to her and Hopper, for saving her life.
• • •
After everyone had left, and it was just the Harrington siblings, Steve told her everything, (that he knew of) that happened. From the funeral, unexpected alliance, the fight, and the demogorgan. Stella wasn't happy to hear that Steve had gotten himself into a silly mess, but was glad that he apologized.
-"I'm really glad that you're back." He said after some silence. He sighed deeply, thinking back to the time when he was a complete wreck when she was gone.
-"I am too," She responds while starting off into space. She felt so odd at the moment, the whole experience was something that couldn't be explained.
"Do-do you think life will still be the same?" She asks him a bit timidly. She was wasn't sure if she'd like his answer, yes or no.
Stella felt changed, and she was scared that it might effect her lifestyle. She was worried that she'd see the demogorgon or any other horrible creature in her sleep. She was afraid that from being in the upside down, she'd develop something medical related that would hurt her. But most importantly, she was afraid that she'd be prone to have anything to do with Hawkins 2.0 in the future.
Steve gave her question some thought, as he wanted to answer it as best as he could. She waited patiently as he sat in his chair in contemplation. She knew he was deep in thought when he sat very still and starred off into space.
-"I don't see why it would change," he starts off slowly. Rubbing his chin as he thought harder.
"I mean, sure you'd have the memory. I don't know, what do you think?"
Stella processes this. She lays still, the only sound is the beeping coming from the monitor on her right. She closes her eyes, and sees horrible flashbacks of Hawkins 2.0.
Not wanting to alarm her brother, she opens them quickly, and then sits up. A nurse, who was checking on her, walks in, and asks if she was alright.
The young girl nods, and the nurse smiles and leaves. As soon as she does, Stella looks back at Steve.
-"I don't know, if I'm being honest. I guess you could say, I scared. But I don't want to live in fear, so starting now, I'll do my best to forget it all. And by all, I mean everything."
• • •
𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: 𝘾𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙨 𝙀𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙩
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙩𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙
-"SMILE BIG KIDS!" Mrs. Harrington exclaims with excitement while holding up her polaroid. She snapped pictures of her two children, just when they both walked into the house from being at the Wheelers.
-"Are we done?" Both kids asked as soon she put the camera down. Their mouths hurt slightly from all the smiling, for their mother had a thing for taking an excessive amount of pictures. Mrs. Harrington nods to confirm, and Steve puts his keys down.
-"How are you sweetie did you have fun?!" She asks her daughter while helping her take her coat off and place it on the hook.
-"Yeah!" Stella exclaims, she then proceeds to tell her mom about dungeons and dragons. She wasn't playing yet, but took careful notes so that when she did, she'd be an expert.
The family gathered around the kitchen table. On it, was a beautiful display of delicious food, for it was Christmas Eve, and tradition for them to celebrate together. Just before they sat down to eat, a weird feeling came over Stella.
-"I forgot to wash my hands!" She says quickly while rising from her seat. She runs into the bathroom, and locks the door behind her.
There's a weird feeling in her throat, and she felt like she had to throw up. She leans over the sink, and out of her mouth falls a slug.
She becomes pale at the sight of it, and almost passes out, for she knew that the creature was not of this world. The slug was alive, and it squirms its way down the drain before she can do anything.
She quickly rises out her mouth, and washes her hands. While walking slowly back to the table, she does her best to hide her ill feeling self.
-"You alright hunny?" Mrs. Harrington ask her daughter as sits down. Stella nods, and assures her parents that was "a-ok".
Mr. Harrington raises his glass, and the rest follow suit. He stands and clears his throat before making a toast, another Harrington tradition.
-"To family. Merry Christmas everyone. Salute!"
-"Salute!" Everyone cheers as their glasses clank. Stella sips her sparkling apple cider slowly, hopping that the sweet substance, would wash away the terrible feeling that grew inside of her.
Would life really still be the same now?
･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. ☆彡ﾟ.･ ｡ﾟ☆: *. ☆彡ﾟ.
"And Cut!" Shouted Catherine......
I'm kidding I'm kidding!!!
Oh my gosh, wow, it's done!
Stay tuned for one last part!
Also, last chance to submit a graphic for this book! I believe I have two so far, and thank you to the people who made them!
Don't forget to vote and comment!
Thanks for reading!
<3 Catherine✎