Eleven - Mike

My story begins at the end. It begins with a girl, lying on a table, drained of all energy. A beautiful girl. A girl who saved me. A girl I loved, more than many things. I leaned over her, and I felt her barely breathing, almost dead. I wanted to cry, but then she became conscious, and I became self-conscious. "Just hold on a little longer, okay? The bad man's gone. We'll be home soon, and my mom- she'll get you your own bed. And you can eat as many Eggos as you want." I didn't sniffle. Definitely. There's Dustin in the background insisting that I was crying- *distantly* Go away Dustin! I don't need you for this! - Anyway, then I said, "and… we can go to the snow ball." She looked so vulnerable, I wanted to wrap her in my arms and hold her forever. "Promise?" She whispered. "Promise." I said. *distantly* OK Lucas, OK! I'll tell them. God my friends are dumb. Lucas says he and Dustin were behind me thinking, "what's going on with him? He says he doesn't like her and then he's asked her to the snowball? WHAT?" Ugh. (eyeroll) Anyway, there was so much more to say, but we were interrupted by the sound of our imminent death - sorry, the Demogorgon - and the gunfire of the men protecting us from it. There were thuds, and screams, and then the gunfire stopped. "Is- is it dead?" asked Dustin. We watched the wall, frightened, and then, just as we were starting to think, yes, it was dead, and we were starting to relax, it sprang through the door. Lucas grabbed the wrist rocket and started pelting it with rocks. The next few minutes passed in a blur of taking rocks from Dustin and handing them to Lucas. He made one amazing shot right into its mouth-head-hole-thing and it flew across the room. I was about to congratulate Lucas on his amazing shot when El stepped in front of me, nose bleeding. She'd launched it across the room. She started to advance, and I freaked out. I started to run up to her, to stop her, because what if she had to be hospitalized, what would we say, what if she died, so I ran up to her and she stuck an arm out, and I just flew backwards. I slammed into a cabinet on the other side of the room. I clutched my aching head and screamed, "Eleven, STOP!" She turned and looked into my eyes sadly. I was still frozen. "Goodbye Mike," she whispered. Her face was heartbreaking. I would have smiled, had she not been killing herself for me. I wanted to move, wanted to scream, anything to prove I was still alive and kicking, but she wouldn't let me interfere. If I lost her… She said something I couldn't hear, and then it exploded into many tiny particles of dust. They converged on the spot where she stood, and she was gone. "El? El! EL! ELEVEN! Where are you?" I was completely hysterical. I won't deny that. I screamed and cried for a while until my friends calmed me down. Then we went home. We saw Will in the hospital a few days later. He was ok. We told him about El, and about our adventures with the Demogorgon, and more things. It wasn't the same again though. She had changed me, and I wouldn't forget it. Ever.

I have searched for so long to find him. I'm not going to give up now. Even though it seems hopeless. I see a light. I feel compelled to follow it, so I do. It leads me to an all-too-familiar house. I walk into the basement. I wonder if Mike is here. I guess there's only one way to find out. "Mike?" I call into the darkness.

"Mike. Mike!" Lucas is yelling at me. I stopped talking, and now I'm just staring at the fort I made for her, just a few months ago. Seems like lifetimes. I don't look up, still in a daze, until I hear another voice. "Mike?" I jump to my feet. "El?"

After a moment, I hear him call my name. "Mike." I sigh contentedly. "Yeah, I'm here El, what- how- what?" He's so cute when he's flustered. "Mike… I miss you. I'm trying to come back to you, but… but I can't find you." I break down into a fit of hysteria. "El, El are you ok?"

"Yes, I'm fine. The monster…"

"Monster? The Demogorgon isn't dead?"

"No, I killed it. But… there's another monster. It's here… eight heads and all." I can practically feel him shaking his head in disbelief. "Maybe you should stop playing that D&D game," I joke teasingly. "Yeah… maybe. I will, when you're home and safe. And we can be happy together and…" He trails off. "Mike, I'm not coming back."

"What are you talking about? Of course, you are!"

"Mike, I can't get back! Maybe someday I'll find you again. But until then, move on without me."

"El, there is nothing without you, I am NOTHING without you!" I start to cry. "Mike… Mike, I love you, ok? But you need to move on. Pretend I never existed if it's easier for you. Please. Live your life. Live the life you would have lived if I hadn't come and screwed it all up…"

"El, I don't want a life without you in it. If I'd never met you, I wouldn't know what I was missing but I wouldn't be as fulfilled either. I love you. Please… I need you to come home. Please," I don't want to make him so miserable, or so bitter, but I'm trying to get him to see the truth. "Michael," I say sharply, "you will move on with your life, you will be happy, and you won't keep being miserable. It hurts you, and it hurts me. Goodbye, Mike." I break the connection. As soon as I do, I feel pain. I want him back. I curl up on the couch and pretend that I am in the Right-side-Up (as I've decided to call it) with Mike. Maybe watching Star Wars. The thought cheers me immensely. I fall asleep to the sound of my own heartbeat, like the beat of a drum, to the tune of him.

I wake too soon. I feel dead. I struggle towards anything, a smile, a laugh, an epiphany. Nothing comes. Why can't I find my way out of this literal hellhole? Fuck everything. (This isn't important or anything, but that [the word everything (not the word "that" [is the 1100-word mark (this is just to prove that I can make a fifth parenthesis [Stranger Things is awesome (don't judge me for pretending season 2 doesn't exist [I want Mileven to happen and stay alive (PLZ [tenth parenthesis])])])])]) I struggle to escape, but I'm getting colder. I'm losing everything. Then I wonder if my powers could open a temporary gateway. They opened a real one before. I focus.

I am sitting on my couch, staring dejectedly at my Supercom. I wish she could just fall from the sky. I imagine how it would happen.

His face floats behind my eyes -

I would look up and she'd be there -

Just out of reach -

Smiling brightly, like a star -

Eyes shining, hair dark, smile gorgeous -

I imagine that when I look up, she'll be there.

I envision being where he is.

I hold my breath.

I feel his presence, so strong in this house.

I open my eyes and look up.

The fort is still empty.

I look back down. She's really gone. I realize that I sincerely enjoyed pretending. It was fun. I smile a little. "El," I whisper. Silence. Then, "Mike?" I look up. Right there, in the fort. As if she were there the whole time. "Eleven."