Mike

Eleven's screams pierce into my head flying around my skull. I cover my ears but it does nothing. I want to reach out to her. I want to stop her. She doesn't have to do this. She's putting herself in danger to try and kill this thing. I see her hand reach out to it. Her skin becomes covered in ash and dust, and I slowly see the creature dissaper until all that is left is the ringing in my ears and Eleven standing in front of an empty, broken chalkboard.

I take my hands away from my head and rush to her side just in time to catch her collapsing. Instead of fully catching her, I fall as well. Her head lands in my lap and I can feel my cheeks fluster. "El!" Dustin runs up to us. I take her off my lap and shake her frantically. "El!" I scream. "Eleven!" Suddenly a group of men covered in helmets and heavy gear burst in aiming their weapons. When they see us they put their weapons down and step aside. Two men in white suits carring white boxes rush up to us. Then they take Eleven from off the floor. "No!" I yell reaching for her, but they stop me. "We need to give her medical attention!" one of them barks. Two more men come in carrying a flat red plank. The other two lift her onto it and carry her outside. I run after them and I'm followed by Dustin and Lucas. While they carry her I clasp her hand in both of mine. "El."I whisper. Tears threaten to flood from my eyes but I hold them back forcefully.

"You're gonna be alright." I say "Everything is going to be fine."

Then I remember what I had said at the table. "...a-and we can go to the Snowball." "Promise?" "Promise." That's when the Demogorgon burst in. I let the tears fall down my face. "I promise." I say finally. Then the double doors open and bright lights are shone in our faces. I can hear people yelling and screaming at each other frannticly while sirens blare and ring causing an endless echo, but I can't take my eyes off of her face. The blood from her nose taints her skin. Dirt is smudged on her cheeks and forehead. Bruises leave their marks everywhere. Yet she's still just as beautiful. I think of when we disguised her to take her to school. When she walked out of the room my heart stopped. Dustin began a sentence"You look-" "Pretty." I finished. "Good." I should've just left it at pretty because that was it. She was stunning. A yank at my jacket brings me to reality. "Michael!" My mom is running along side me. "Michael Wheeler what happened!?" Keeping one hand locked with Eleven's I wiped away the tears with my sleeve. "I can't talk right now mom!" We reach an ambulance and the men in white take her and set her on a bed inside. I try to climb in but one of the men stops me. "We can't take you in here kid!" He shouts. "Wait!" I screech grasping for her hand again. Then I see the men sticking needles in arms. "Leave her alone!" I yell. "Leave her alone!" This time there is no point in fighting tears. My cheeks are drenched and so is the collar of my jacket. "Let her go! Your gonna hurt her!" Then I feel hands pulling at my shoulders. "Mike they have to take her to the hospital!" Dustin shouts.

The ambulance doors slam in my face and the vehicle begins to drive away. I run after it but trip in my attempt. I lay there on the concrete, tears spilling from my face. Dustin and Lucas crouch over me yelling inaudible things in my ears, but I don't listen. I just think about El. I think about what they might do to her.

Then I fell arms beneath me lifting me off the ground. I don't bother looking who it is. I don't care. My hands tear at my scalp. How could I let her go. I should've just pushed the man out of the way and stayed there with her. Holding her hand. Comforting her. Telling her she was going to be okay. Now I can't.

I'm placed in some sort of cushioned space. It takes me a minute to realize it's a car but when I do I sit up, place my elbows on my knees and cover my face with my hands once again. A door is yanked open and Dustin comes in and sits beside me patting my shoulder. He doesn't say anything. He simply sits there and lets me cry and cry and cry until it seems like there are no more fluids in my body.

About two minutes later Lucas comes charging in and so do my parents and Nancy. My mother quickly starts the ignition. "W-what's going o-on." I stutter. "Eleven is being transported to the hospital so we're going there to see her." Nancy replies.

"Wait what!?" I sit up to Nancy's words. "She's at the hospital and we're going there to see her." She repeats. My dad turns to me. "Son answer me this will you?"

I don't say anything.

"Is that little girl Russian?"

1 Hour Later

Dustin lays on Lucas's shoulder fast asleep. I'm the only one awake. My anxiety is killing me. Eleven hasn't woken up yet. Will is staying in the room across the hall and his brother said he was going to tell us when he was awake. My legs jump up and down rapidly. My palms covered in sweat. I stand up carefully trying not to wake anyone and walk up to the front of the mirror to the left of the hospital bed. Black smudges cover my face and my hair falls everywhere around my head. If Eleven woke up to this she would be terrified.

I take a white paper towel and wipe my face and do my best to fix my hair with the water. What if she doesn't remember me? Would she even know who she was or what had happened? Would she remember what happened in the cafeteria?... I turn on the faucet once more. Water begins to come out little by little until suddenly it stops. It freezes in mid air. "What the..." I place a finger to one of the water drops. My skin goes right through and the water stays in place. I stare bluntly for a moment but then I turn to the bed. There Eleven is staring at me with a light smile on her face. A smile that makes my chest feel like it's about to erupt. I run up to her bed. "El!" I exclaim. I'm loud enough that Lucas and Dustin both jump startled by my voice. Lucas rises shoving Dustin off his shoulder cursing under his breath.

Eleven looks up at me from the bed. "Mike..." I clutch her hand once again just as I did earlier. "I promised you you'd be okay didn't I?" Her smile grows bigger. "Yes." She says. "Well I can't break my promise..."