This story takes place 6 years after Eleven defeats the Demogorgon and vanishes into thin air. As much as I love season 2 of Stranger things, this story is post season 1.
"Yes, sir. We'd need to speak with Chief Jim Hopper urgently please. Its an emergency!" Doctor Westley panicked over the phone.
"Ok, I will get him now, please hold on a moment" An 18-year-old Mike Wheeler replied from his office at the Hawkins Indiana police station.
It has been six years since his El had disappeared into thin air without a single trace. As a child he'd search for her each night, think about her constantly and truly believed that she would come home. The longer time went on, the less he'd search, the less he'd hope and sadly, it wasn't long before there were days that El wasn't the first thing on his mind each morning as he woke. By the time Mike turned 15, he got his first official girlfriend who turned out to be one of many. At first it was hard for him, hard to kiss another girl without the sudden pang of guilt that stabbed him in the heart, and after some time, the guilt eventually stopped. Mike forgot about the four-year anniversary that he'd met and lost El. He then forgot the fifth, and then the sixth. He never forgot about her though, the girl who gave up her own life to save the three boys that she'd known for only a week. He still loved her with all his heart. Her wide, innocent sad eyes and that kind small smile. Mike decided that maybe he wouldn't have to feel as though he was replacing her whenever he's kiss a girl, El was kind, Mike knew that she'd understand that in order to carry on, he'd have to try and move on with his life. So here he is, an 18-year-old Mike Wheeler working for Jim Hopper, a good friend of his. The chief police of Hawkins Indiana.
"Hey Hopper! Doctor Westley from Willowbrook State Psychiatric Hospital needs to speak to you. He says its an emergency." Mike told him. Hopper took the phone from his hand.
"Chief Jim Hopper speaking, what's the problem?" - "Oh…" - "And what time was this" - "Ok I will send some of my staff" Hopper finished his conversation.
"What's going on?" Questioned Mike. Hopper sighed.
"One of the patients from Willowbrook have escaped" He replied.
"You want me to go down there?" Mike asked him.
"No, you go home, you're shifts over. I'll send some of my other staff down and I will call you if we need backup" Hopper ruffled Mike's mop of dark curls.
El stood at 4 foot and 11 inches tall due to the toxic atmosphere from the upside down that turned her brain to mush and the lack of food that she'd digested. It had been six years since 1883 but El doesn't remember any of it. She also doesn't remember escaping the upside down through the mini portal in the woods (The one Nancy went through in season one). She doesn't remember after she exited the evil dimension, being so week and hungry to the point she could hardly hold her own weight. It was 1884 that she had returned to the right side up only to be hit by a car the second the exited the woods. A speeding car that belonged to a reckless driver who never even stopped to check that she was ok. The accident left El with brain damage, zero memory of her past. Not even her powers. The only clue to her past life was the monster in a white coat who would visit in her dreams each night before she'd wake up screaming. While the car accident left her without memory, the toxic environment from the upside down had messed with her head. The doctors had decided that she was mentally unstable before admitting her into a psychiatric ward long term. The unnecessary psychiatric medication given to her would only mess with her mind further as well as the influences from the other patients.
Eleven wondered around the woods, it had been so long since she'd experienced this freedom. Everything fascinated her, the flying birds, leaves being flown away by the wind. She saw a squirrel and had the sudden urge to catch it. She sprinted over but before she knew it, the squirrel climbed right to the top of a tree. El was still eager to catch the squirrel as she tried to climb the tree herself but ended up falling with a thump. Eleven then saw a store peeking behind the dozens of trees. She saw people, lots of them. As much as she'd like to catch the squirrel, she was undeniably hungry.
El sprinted through to the end of the woods, hiding herself behind a tree. People scared her, most of them do anyway. Only yesterday did a girl throw an orange at her head back at the hospital. El didn't know why. I don't think the girl herself knew why she threw it either, she just did. El of course got upset and viciously attacked the girl, biting her arm and scratching her face. For that she was dragged into a white room and held in restrains behind a one-way window. Although it had been five years since being trapped inside of another dimension, her feral behaviour was still extremely evident.
"Hey Mike" Greeted Will Byers, his roommate.
"Hey Will, how's your painting going?" Mike questioned.
"Pretty well, I think so anyways" Will told him with a nervous chuckle, suddenly feeling insecure about his work. Mike noticed this instantly.
"Hey, relax. It looks great" Mike smiled. "So, what should we get for dinner, it's getting late and I'm kind of hungry"
"I'm not sure, want to just order a pizza?" Will suggested.
"Sure, just don't tell our moms" Mike said with a chuckle. When Mike and Will decided to get an apartment together, there moms predicted that their boys would just eat take out and never clean up the place. Mike and Will didn't want to admit it, but their mothers were right. On the side in the kitchen were stacked up pizza boxes. There was no point for either of them to own a wardrobe as most of their clothes lazily remained in the middle of their bedroom floors.
"How was work" Will questioned without looking away from his canvas.
"It's been quiet as usual except from just before I left. Turns out some patient from Willowbrook has escaped." Mike told him.
"Jeez, do you think they'll find him. or her?" Will asked, interested.
"Probably, apparently the girl who ran off is only 4'11, or something like that. She'll only be a kid." Mike told him feeling a little uneasy. A place like Willowbrook must be extremely scary for a young girl, no wonder she ran off. Mike thought. Will gave him a sympathetic smile, he knew Mike's job was hard at times. Last week Mike had to arrest a man who stole multiple things from a store. The sad part was, the man was homeless and didn't have many alternative options beside starving. But none the less, Mike had a job to do and he got it done.
"They'll call me if they need backup" Mike told him.
El had now been cowering behind the tree from about twenty minutes. She suddenly felt paranoid, watched. It scared her. Sometimes she'd sense that someone was after her, not the hospital and police out to bring her back, but someone else. She just doesn't know who. El wasn't entirely sure why she ran away from the hospital. She just got sick of being cooped up all the time, its depressing. She doesn't like the hospital much. The doctors always shout and the guy in the room next door to her makes a lot of noise. She doesn't like the needles they stab her with to calm her down or the disgusting medicine they'll force feed her if they have to. Mostly, she hates when they punish her. El gets in trouble a lot and they don't hesitate to use their cane. El finally get bored of waiting, not that she knows what exactly she's waiting for. El crosses the road and makes her way into the store, receiving strange looks from people. El was still wearing her hospital gown which was now dirty. Her hair that went just past her jaw was all knotted and wild. El growled at the prying eyes, somewhat like a wolf. The people exchanged some concerned, confused and strange looks. El's eyes suddenly land on several boxes of eggo's.
"What should we do" One of the cashiers questioned the manager as El raided the frozen isle.
"Call the cops" He told her.
El tore opens the box and carelessly ate the familiar snack frozen. El doesn't remember the food but something about it just seems familiar. It makes her feel safe in a way. Nostalgic.
"Umm, young lady, you know you have to pay for those" The manager says while stepping towards the hungry girl. El glared at him and all the sudden the man went flying backwords. The people present in the store gasped. El had no idea what just happened but she wasn't complaining as she gobbled down what she thought to be her new favourite food.
"I called the police, they're on their way" The assistant whispered to the manager, "Turns out they're looking for a girl who fits her description."
Suddenly a gang of cops walked into the store and immediately grabbed Eleven and secured handcuffs around her wrist as El tried to fight them off. Soon after the chief walked in and without looking over in El's direction, spoke.
"We are extremely sorry for this inconvenience, thank you for calling" Hopper told the manager then turned his head to face El. Suddenly he went pale, like he'd seen a ghost.
"Should we drop her right back off to the hospital chief?" Questioned one of the police. Without taking his eyes off of Eleven he told them
"I will take her back to the station, call Michael Wheeler and tell him to come over" Hopper ordered.
"Yes sir" one of the police men agreed, slightly confused as to why they needed to bring her back to the station. El continued to fight off the cuffs before Hopper kneeled down before her.
"Hello El" He greeted carefully. El eyed him, getting the feeling she knew him but couldn't figure out who he was.
"Will you come with me?" He asked her gently. El nodded, she felt safe with this man. She didn't know why, she just did. She then turned and saw the crowd of people watching the show and growled once again.
"Come on" Hopper lead her into the police car, helping her inside of it carefully, being sure to be gentle.