STRANGER THINGS: FAN FICTION

The Time Traveler

Chapter 1: The One Horned, One Eyed, Flying Purple People Eater.

By Corwin Black

IN THIS CHAPTER: In 1986 the kids come across a time traveler who's as confused as they are; about how they are all supposed to join forces to save the timeline for deleting everyone from existence.

In a field on 'Mirkwood' In the rural area of Hawkings Indiana was parked a 2020 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, Rubicon.

It was Friday, June 13th; 1986. A fact which had not escaped the kid's observation. A day that made Elle very skittish; which for her was really saying something.

The Jeep had a large purple stain on the driver's seat. There was also a large weapons cache in the Jeep.

Dustin, Lucas, Will, Mike and Eleven were now staring at the 2020 Jeep. It was exactly where Elle's dream said it would be.

Mike wanted to ask Elle something but didn't exactly know how. Will saw that Mike was having that dilemma so he decided to ask Elle the same question for Mike. The two kids were so close that they didn't have to worry about how Will knew what Mike wanted to ask; the other kids understood.

"Elle," said Will, "Can you tell us anymore about your dream?"

"The Jeep was here. The Jeep is from the future. The driver is a friend. A very good friend. He keeps his promises; always. Always." Said Elle. Her tone in her voice said that she really loved this man, whoever he was, and she was very, very worried about finding the Jeep and not him.

"Elle's right!" Exclaimed Dustin. "Look at the tag on the license plate. It says American States Marine Corp."

"That doesn't mean that it's from the future." Said Lucas.

Will chimed in, "The registration on the plate says June 20."

"So what?" asked Mike.

"It doesn't mean that his plates expire on June 20th of this year. It means that they expire at the end of June in either the year 1920, or 2020." Stated Will with authority. "Besides, Jeep doesn't make a four door Wrangler, not yet."

"See." Exclaimed Dustin.

Lucas conceded, "Will does know his cars."

Mike couldn't be left out of this exchange, "Its definitely NOT a 1920 Jeep." Which was really smart. All the kids thought so as well.

Mike approached the windows of the Jeep. "There's something on the passenger seat." Said Mike.

"What's on the driver's seat?" Asked Will rhetorically, referring to the light purple stains.

Elle spoke up, she had seen this blood before, "It's from someone who was trying to help me in the Upside Down a while back." The other kids just stared. "It's a universal recipient. It's AB positive. " said Elle.

"Uh, no." said Lucas. "Human blood isn't purple."

"I didn't say it was normal human blood. It's blood from a person." clarified Elle in a tone that was respectful to Lucas, he did have a point.

"What can you tell us about this person, Elle?" asked Mike.

"I never saw him. He was dressed like a soldier. He was wearing a mask." Elle paused, "I will never forget his voice, or the way he hugged me tight." The boys were startled at this revelation of a hug. Elle wasn't a hugger, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and especially Will were the only exceptions. Elle continued, "He killed a monster in the Upside Down who was chasing me. A monster that hunted by smell and sound. Then he poured something on me that smelled weird. He said it would help hide me. Then he put me in a place where I couldn't be seen; and then he lured another monster off. He was bleeding some from his arm and got some in my hair. It was the same purple blood."

Will stopped her, "Elle, there's no color in the Upside Down. How do you know it's the same blood?"

Elle looked at Will with a kind but determined face, "Because he said to me," started Elle, and then she quoted the soldier directly, "Don't worry about my blood Eleven, it's purple because I'm a time traveler. Anybody can donate blood to me but don't give mine to anyone." Elle continued in her own words, "He said that to calm me down, I thought it was my blood."

"I will n-e-v-e-r forget his voice." Stated Elle with the tone of hero worship.

"I never saw him again." Elle said this last thing with a great deal of hope in her voice. Elle wasn't exactly much for words to begin with, but this was saying a lot for her. The tone in her voice stated that she obviously thought very highly of this person.

The five kids just stared at the Jeep not sure what to do.

Dustin looked in the back of the Jeep, "Elle, do you know how he killed that first monster?"

"He had an army gun, it was Russian, an AK-74." replied Elle.

"You mean an AK-47" corrected Mike.

"No it was an AK-74. I got a very good look at it." said Elle.

Dustin pointed inside the Jeep, "Look guys, there's ammo cans and guns in the back. It looks like an AK-47."

"Maybe it's real." said Will.

"It looks real." said Dustin.

"It's an AK-74, not an AK-47." said Elle looking at the gun. "The soldier told me. That's the exact same one he was carrying last year in the Upside Down. The one he saved my life with."

Will, who was the empathetic one spoke, "That's kind of cool. A good guy, using a bad guy's gun to help a good friend."

"Like an Anti-Hero." Said Dustin like he had just uncovered a valuable historical artifact.

There was a man's voice behind them. It called out to the kids, "Hey kids, didn't expect to see you here." he said it like he knew them.

"Hi," said Dustin. The man was dressed like a soldier but a futuristic one.

Elle recognized him, She ran to him and hugged him so tight she couldn't let go.

The soldier hugged her back, "I love you too; Eleven." he said. Elle continued to cling to the soldier while he addressed the kids, "Ok, well since you are all here anyway, like I told you NOT to be; I might as well fill you in." The four boys just stared at the soldier.

Elle pulled a face that said, 'I told you so'. Elle spoke, "I love you," she looked up and noticed the name on his body armor. It red, 'MGySgt Kilroy.' Elle concluded her sentence, "Master Gunnery Sergeant Kilroy."

"I love you too." said Kilroy, like he meant it, and not in a weird way. "I love all you kids, Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will." again it was like he meant it, and not in a weird way. The kids noticed.

Dustin, Will and Elle all said, "Love you too." back. Lucas and Mike were more reserved.

The soldier continued, "I've buried the bodies over the hill. Don't worry I made sure they wont be coming back from the dead this time."

"This time?" interrupted Will.

"Yeah," said the soldier, "Holy water and everything." stated the soldier. That's when he realized that the kid's weren't following what he was saying. He pulled a black plastic flat rectangle from his pocket and looked at it. "Shit."

The soldier was lost in thought for a few moments. He paid close attention to Elle, as if he was trying to put together a puzzle. Elle noticed, so did the boys. Elle finally let go, she knew something was out of place. The soldier pulled a shoebox from his Jeep. He looked inside and pulled a hand written note out of it and skimmed it briefly. He then put the letter and the box in Will's backpack. "Ok, kids, I'm a time traveler. Raise your hand if you've met me before." Elle raised her hands (both of them)

None of the kids looked remotely surprised. They really had seen stranger things.

Lucas spoke, "Oh this is not happening."

Dustin spoke, "You got any odds of horse racing?"

Mike spoke, "Is my sister pregnant?" They all looked at him.

Elle and Will stayed silent.

The soldier spoke, "Yes, yes, ask your sister; I don't know." He turned to Will, "Follow the hand written instructions in the shoebox; and follow them to the letter. Believe me when I tell you that spending money that hasn't been printed yet is a great way to erase people from existence." Will gave a look that told everyone that he understood the responsibility just given to him, whatever it was.

"What's in the box?" asked Mike.

"Money, lots of it." he let that sink in. "Take it to the person on the note just like it says." He was talking to Will. "I know you can do it kiddo. I'm proud of you." said the soldier. Will beamed.

"Okay, I got to go." The soldier rode off in his Jeep, it would be a very long time before he ever saw these kids again.

Will spoke up, being the insightful one of the group, "When he said he loved us, he meant it, for real; and not in a weird way either."

Elle had tears in her eyes, "He did. It wont be long before we see him again."