Chapter 2- Darkest Hour

Day Eleven:

I squatted in front of the tent made of blankets and spoke with suppressed excitement, "Maybe we can call you El. Short for Eleven."
In response, the girl sitting in front of me smiled nervously as she memorized the word, she apparently liked her new name.

Then she disappeared into a cloud of black ash.

A moment later, I woke up screaming and gasping for breath. I had no clue where I was or what time it was but felt the urgent need to go find the girl as soon as possible. Before I could leave the bed, a strong but nimble pair of hands seized me tightly, and a voice whispered, "Mike? You're okay. You're safe."
I looked up, and a laid my eyes on Nancy who was gently hugging and caressing me. Then the world came crashing down as I remembered where I was. Eleven days ago I had lost my best friend, and since then, the nightmares had not left me even for a moment.
I stared at Nancy and asked her a question that I didn't need the answer to, "She's gone right?"
"Mike..."
I lost my shit and started crying as realization dawned on me. Nancy kept consoling me through the night until the first rays of the sun hit the window, but the morning didn't end the nightmare. Nothing could ever fill the hole left in my heart by the mage who came in my life like a hurricane and left just like one.

A lifetime later, I looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. It was time to go to school. I dragged myself off the bed and went to the washroom. My feet pulled me to the mirror but, the sight shocked me. A stranger stood behind the mirror with a pair of hollow eyes devoid of emotion. Two weeks back, that image belonged to the leader of a relentless group of outcasts who didn't give a shit about the world around them. Now, the stranger without a shadow just kept looking beyond me with a distant stare. His hair was matted and seemed uneven. If he had been any older, he would have had a beard spread all over his face. I splashed my face with water to wake myself up. It was ice cold, 'Perfect, fucking perfect.'
I put on a baggy sweater and matching blue jeans and went downstairs. Mom would drive me to school today. She didn't trust me with the cycle since I crashed it into a Hawkins mini-van which was keeping tabs on us. It went away and never came back. With it, my last hope of seeing Eleven also disappeared forever.

It was the time for a change. The world was progressing around me at the speed of light, and I couldn't keep up. On my way to school, I saw a couple kissing in the park. Two weeks ago, I would have felt disgusted at the sight of two grown-ups sucking faces. That Mike was gone now, this one kept staring at them longingly. It was not the kiss that attracted me, but the thought of seeing and holding Eleven again someday, 'If only, one more time.'
Mom dropped me at the school and reluctantly went away after kissing me on the forehead. She could feel the turmoil in my heart, but she was not equipped to handle the inferno. I was too young to suffer such a massive heartbreak, and not even my all-knowing mother could do anything about it.

I started walking towards the cycle stand. Other days my friends would be waiting for me, but today, no one was there. It didn't surprise me. Given the way, I behaved with them last week I was sure I would never see them again. To be honest, I felt sorry for my behavior and wanted to apologize, but I never got a second chance. I didn't deserve a second chance. The Supercom never came back to life since the channels went dead eleven days ago. Now they only produced static that howled across my bedroom every time it was switched on. I made myself climb the stairs somehow and reached the classroom. Then I went and sat down on the last bench and kept my eyes locked on the table in front of me. I could feel two pairs of eyes on me, and they wanted answers. But they would never get their answer because there wasn't one.

I didn't pay any attention to the class, it was the same annoying shit every day.
"Mr. Wheeler, can you please pay attention?" Mr. Clarke usually never raised his voice. I came out of my trance in which I was thinking about the time when Eleven sat on the lazy boy for the first time, how she smiled at me back then.
"Damn!" I cursed loudly and then winced as the realization hit me.
Mr. Clarke looked at me with a shocked expression, and it was my turn to be shocked. Did I really say that out loud?
"Meet me after class, Mr. Wheeler."

During lunchtime, I went down to the cafeteria to wonder about. It wasn't lunch that dragged me down there, but there was nothing for me to do. I hated that fucking classroom that stole Eleven away from me. So, I took every opportunity to stay away from that hellhole. Suddenly I found myself in the line for lunch. There was a shiny metal lunch plate in my hands. 'When did that happen?' I was moderately amused.
The server smiled at me and put some food on my plate. And then her jaw dropped as the plate fell from my hands in an instant. The metal plate crashed to the floor and sent potatoes and peas everywhere. A lone piece of Eggo slowly cartwheeled away from the plate. They were running some sort of campaign and decided that an Eggo would be an excellent addition to a child's meal. They weren't wrong because the other kids loved them, but they didn't know what it did to me. I couldn't blame them, but it shattered my heart and all those suppressed memories came rushing in and rattled my soul. I got down and started picking up the food back on my plate. The kids around me were laughing at the fool making an even bigger fool out of himself. Mike Wheeler finally lost it eh? I didn't mind them, 'Come to my hell, you would be lucky to even function, assholes.'
I didn't notice that I was crying. I pocketed the Eggo and got up, then I slipped on the butter and fell down again. But as I said, I didn't give a fuck. Mike Wheeler, the loser, was back, and he didn't give a shit about his image.

I got home early that day and went down into the basement as always. The tent made up of blankets was still up. I kept the Millennium Falcon and the T-Rex inside. Eleven probably liked them the last time she was here, and she would be delighted to have her own pet T-Rex and a flying saucer when she came back. There was also a box of Eggos carefully tucked beside the pillow, in case she was hungry. Suddenly the flap moved, and my heart stopped. I carefully walked to the tent and gently lifted the flap up. I would be lying if I told you that I didn't expect to see Eleven squatting there, happily munching on an Eggo and waiting for my return.
An image flash by my mind, 'Eleven looking at me with hope in her eyes as I entered the tent. Her friend had returned like he had promised and now they would be together through the night discussing the wonders of the world.'
Then the dream shattered into pieces as the emptiness welcomed me inside the empty tent.
"NO, Don't go. I have so much to tell you!" I screamed, and then I lost it and started kicking the chairs that held the tent in place.
"YOU..."
"MADE..."
"ME..."
"SWEAR..."
"AN..."
"OATH..."
I broke down and started crying, again. It was also a regular with me nowadays. The tent will be back up tomorrow, and the boxes would be inside, Nancy made sure of that. But I needed to break it down now. I wanted to end it all.

I skipped dinner and went to bed quickly. Mom was worried, but Nancy was there to support me. She assured mom that she'll be bringing some food for me after a few hours. Mom didn't object because she had faith in Nancy. I also had faith in her, because I knew that I'll be throwing the plate away when she would bring it to me, and unlike mom, she wouldn't get mad. I came back to my room and slammed the door. Both Nancy and Mom could pick locks, so I didn't try locking it, 'Damn thieves, both of them.' I fell asleep very soon.

I didn't know how long I was out cold, but suddenly I found myself standing in the middle of a forest. All around me I could see giant, dead trees trying their best to shield me from the icy cold winds that promised to cut through the skin. This was probably a dream, but it all felt so real. I started walking as fast as I could to make some heat. It was so damn cold tonight, and the wind was trying its best to kill the land around me. I wrapped the jacket around myself but still kept shivering. It felt as if hell had frozen over and then someone poured liquid nitrogen all over it. A few minutes later, from the corner of my eyes, I spotted a strange mound near a big Oak tree. Instinctively, my feet dragged me there. Must be a deer or something or maybe a Demogorgon. Nothing scared me anymore, even if this wasn't a dream. But when I reached the tree, I nearly lost control and fell down. It was Eleven. There was no mistaking it. I felt as if I've actually found Princess Leia on the shattered planes of Tatooine.

I bent over her, "Eleven? Eleven? EL?"
She didn't respond. Then I carefully ran my eyes over her body and gasped. The moonlight was sparse, but she looked pale and sickly. Something appeared unnatural about her skin, so, I got down to touch her neck and immediately pulled my hand back in shock. Her throat was stiff and as cold as the snow around it. The damn cold was slowly seeping the life away from the small and frail body of my soulmate. I immediately took my jacket off and wrapped it around her body as best as I could. The cold wind howled through the trees and brushed against my skin. It felt as if thousands of knives were skinning me alive. But I didn't give a damn, 'I WILL SAVE ELEVEN.'
But the jacket didn't help at all, and she kept growing pale. I was standing there, dumbfounded when I suddenly remembered the survival guidebook we carried with us during camping trips. She required heat because her tired body wasn't generating enough by itself. Moreover, she had no food in her stomach and no energy to burn away the cold. I needed to provide heat to her body right now, but there were no fires around. So, I did what I would not have done in a million years, two weeks back. I laid down beside her and wrapped myself around her tiny, cold body and put the jacket on us. Her body felt like a statue made of ice, and I kept shivering through the night, but she was slowly getting warmer. I could hear her breathing picking up, and some color returned to her cheekbones.
I kept whispering to her "You'll be alright, I promise, please, just this one night."
I didn't remember when I had fallen asleep, again.

I woke up in my bed the next morning and felt happy for the first time in twelve days. Somehow, I had saved El's life, and that's all that mattered to me right now. Maybe it was a dream, but to me, it felt as real as the sun that rose in the morning. I jumped out of bed and ran into the washroom. The stranger was gone, and an old battle-hardened Paladin saluted me through the mirror. I quickly readied myself and ran downstairs and stopped dead in my tracks at the scene in front of me.

A brand-new bicycle was waiting for me downstairs by the couch. It was the latest model that most kids in my neighborhood were dying to get their hands on. I looked around the room and saw my family busy with their daily chores. Dad was engrossed in the newspaper, mom was arranging breakfast, Nancy was chewing waffles, and Holly was giggling for some damn reason. A note was attached to the handle of the bike which read;
'Dear Michael, we're with you.'

That's it? Only five words?

My eyes watered as I realized how much pain I had put my family through the last twelve days. They didn't deserve any of it. I went to the table and stood in front of Dad.
"I'm sorry," that's all I could say.
Dad ran his hands through my hair and spoke in a slow and steady voice that I had not heard in years, "You give up too easily Michael. If you miss her so much, she will come back to you. Feelings are never one way."
They had heard a version of the story from the military in which the Russian spy was still alive and might pop into our home someday to take revenge. As expected, they had promised to call the military when that happened. But then Nancy sat with them and narrated another version of the story which brought my family to my side. Now they waited for the day when Eleven would come back to Wheeler residence so that they could shelter the girl who had sacrificed everything to save the life of their little boy.
I hugged Dad as Mom and Nancy joined us. All I needed was faith, and my family had more of it than I did. Only Nancy knew who Eleven was to me, but Mom and Dad felt it, and they all reached the same conclusion; 'Eleven would return to this house, even if it takes a lifetime.'

I went to school cycling at the speed of the wind. About a hundred feet from the cycle stand I saw a few familiar shapes and clutched the brakes. I found Will standing near the stand along with Dustin and Lucas. Dustin looked hopeful as always, but Lucas was angry. His eyes breathed fire, and clearly, he didn't want to see me. But Will's eyes were kind and compassionate.
"Hey, Mike!" Will blurted out in a stiff and mechanical voice. He must have listened to a version of the story from Lucas and Dustin. I didn't mind at all. I had no problem being the villain for a change.
I walked to them and hugged Will, "You're back, I missed you bud."
Will hugged me back. I glanced at Lucas and Dustin, who instantly turned their eyes away. I wanted to tell them what happened last night, but they would be least bothered. So, I told my story to Will.
He listened to it, nudging me along the way when I stuttered. My face blushed when I started talking about the part where I spent the night wrapped around Eleven. Lucas rolled his eyes and Dustin looked at me like I was some kind of pervert. But I ignored them completely. I knew what was real and what was not and what happened last night was definitely not a dream. I left them and went to the class. Before stepping over the last stair, I looked back and saw a strange expression on their faces. All three of them looked worried. That was probably my mind playing games with me. I was sure that at least Lucas hated my guts.

I reached home early that evening after skipping Mr. Clarke's lecture and started working on my plan.
"Woah, survival gear, what's up?"
Nancy was standing near the doorway and staring at my shenanigans and from the looks of it, she had been standing there for some time now.
"Nothing, just mind your damn business."
I acted as if I was irritated but truth to be told I was scared shitless. If Nancy found out what I was planning, then she would lock me up in this room for the night. I knew my sister better than anyone else. She was a kind and compassionate soul, but when pushed to the limit she could be harder than Jim Hopper, and that was saying something.

Nancy got hurt, and it clearly showed in her eyes. But she smiled sadly and went away. It was about eleven PM when I quietly left the house. It was cold outside, and the wind pierced through my jacket and started freezing my skin, 'Too cold, SHIT.' I hoped El would be okay until I found her. I got on my bicycle and raced through the night. Within an hour I made it to the edge of the woods but then my bike suddenly stopped moving as the tires gave away. I looked below and saw the thick wrapping of snow in the ground, and the tires could not grip properly. I left my bike and walked into the woods as fast as I could.

It had started snowing again, and it was becoming difficult to see clearly. I took out a flashlight and made my way into the woods. After a few moments, I felt strange tiredness in my legs. Probably from all the cycling and I would take rest once I found Eleven, so I moved on. I walked for some time and then started calling for El in a loud voice. She didn't respond. She was probably suffering from the severe cold, 'SHIT.' I quickened my pace and walked forward as fast as I could. The forest had coyotes and other predators, but I wasn't scared at all. I had to save El at all costs.

I continuously walked for two hours but couldn't find the big Oak tree that I saw last night.
"Damn," I sighed and finally gave up. 'She would be alright for tonight,' I prayed and turned around. Maybe tomorrow I would tell Hopper about it, 'That guy can arrange a search party faster than I can pull the Lazy boy's lever.'
I started tracing my steps back, but two hours of snow had covered whatever tracks I had left behind, and at the heat of the moment I left my compass back in the house. The footsteps were gone, and I couldn't find my way back to the bicycle. I randomly walked for another hour, but I was utterly lost. Suddenly I felt exhausted as if the world was collapsing around me. The tiredness in my legs stopped me dead in my tracks. After a few moments the dizziness reduced and I figured out what was going on. Eleven days of stress, skipping meals and spending entire nights awake were finally taking their toll on my body. It had just thrown in the towel. I found a place near a tree trunk and sat there to take some rest. Then I immediately fell asleep.

I don't remember for how long I was out cold, but abruptly I came back to consciousness. My throat was nearly choked up, and I couldn't breathe properly. The swift tendrils of the freezing wind were reaching deep into my jacket and were slowly seeping the heat away from my body. I was still awake, but I was also dying a peaceful death. Suddenly I felt so alone, I had no one alongside me to witness my death. Mom... Dad... Nancy, their faces when they gave me the bicycle, flashed before me. I felt sorry for my parents, my sister, my friends, Mr. Clarke, and everyone that I had ever known. But I was at peace, I was determined to meet Eleven, one way or another, either in this life or the next and today was the day we would finally meet at the gates of Heaven. I tried to smile at my fate one last time, but my face was already frozen over and did not respond to my command. Finally, I accepted that I had no one in this universe, so I closed my eyes and embraced my fate.

Before losing consciousness, I heard a sweet voice, 'Mike?'

Suddenly I was woken up by someone or something dragging me by the collar. I tried to jerk my eyes open, but icicles had formed along my eyelids and kept it shut. My head was splitting apart in pain, and I didn't know where I was. But I was so weak that I couldn't even speak. The hands lifted me up and dragged me out of my icy coffin. Then they put me down on a snow mound nearby and released me. After a few seconds, I squinted my eyes and saw a tall figure looming over me, he seemed familiar.
"Hooray, he's alive!"
Dustin? Someone was rubbing my palms, Will?
"Guys! You came?" I squeaked a few words out of my mouth. My throat was parched, but I could slowly move my tongue to produce a few mumbling words.
"Yeah Yeah, don't get all girly on us. And no, we have no intention of lying down with you. I'd rather lose a limb, make it two limbs before I have to do that," Dustin was back to his old form.
I suddenly felt a pain in my chest, 'What have I done?' These were my friends. The only ones I ever had, and the ones who had always stood by me through hell or high water and I threw them away at a blink of an eye. Life was giving me a second chance, and I would be a fool not to take it.

"I'm sorry Lucas, I was so mean to you that day, I didn't know what I was saying. I'm so sorry."
Lucas was apparently surprised, and he looked at me with... no, not hate, but compassion.
Then he spoke casually, "It's okay Mike, we understand. You're allowed to go batshit insane when something goes terribly wrong, and we all KNOW how you felt about Eleven. As per the party rules you are pardoned."
Then he smiled, and all of us started laughing. I was wrong, I wasn't alone in this universe. I had my friend with them, 'NO, I had my army with me.'
"Guys, I know you think I am crazy, but I felt her last night. No one would believe me so I..."
Dustin moved closer, "You should've told us what you were planning."
"You would never have believed me."
Dustin sighed, "You forgot who we are. Let's go."

"By the way..." Will made a comment, "...You're not as cold as you're supposed to be. You were out here for nearly four hours, but you're quite warm you know? Else you would have frostbites by now."
'The Cleric,' a voice fluttered in the wind.

I knew it long before he pointed it out. Still, I flashed a stupid smile and kept walking. We were making our way back without any problems because Lucas was a genius at finding paths.
'The Ranger,' a voice responded to the call.

Suddenly I asked, "How did you find me?"
Dustin said, "Well, we know that you are a dense idiot. So once I heard the story, I immediately knew that you would fuck up tonight. We went to your house at midnight, didn't find the cycle..."
'The Bard,' a voice exclaimed.

'Will you respond, Paladin?' The voice from my nightmares was overruled by another one.

"But how did you know where to look?" I knew the answer, but I wanted to validate my instincts.
"We don't know man, we saw the cycle and entered the woods. We didn't find you initially, but then we saw footsteps. We followed them and found you lying there on the ground, freezing to death."
I was lost in the woods for over four hours while it snowed like hell. Yet they saw my footsteps? I was also warm even after being covered by a thick layer of snow. All this together pointed towards an impossibility.
'But I had seen many impossibilities turning into possibilities two weeks back., I smiled and walked along.

Just as I was about to ride my cycle, I gave a loud scream, "SHIT!"
They all came running, "What's wrong?"
"My bag, did anyone bring back my bag?" They were all staring at me as if I had again gone batshit insane.
Then Will said, "No, we didn't see any bags nearby. What was in it anyway?"
"Wait, let me remember."
'There was a jacket, a blanket, a lighter and some flint, a knife, some chocolate bars, a few boxes of Eggos, a pair of shoes, socks, a trouser, and a few other surviving tools,' I recalled the supplies and smiled. But then I shrugged my shoulders casually, "Just some food and my compass."
"Damn dude, you lost a lot of stuff," they started laughing, and I joined them. I was feeling genuinely happy.

I was sure that we would not find the bag there tomorrow, or the day after. But it had reached its intended destination. It would save a life today and maybe tomorrow as well, and that's all I needed at the time.

Suddenly Lucas came near to me, "Mike?"
"Yeah, Lucas?"
The Ranger placed a hand on my hand, "We WILL keep on searching."
The Bard placed his hand on the other two, "We WILL never give up."
The Cleric gently clutched the three hands, "We WILL find her."
The Paladin gritted his teeth, "Whatever it takes."

'You can run away from me Eleven. You can run away from all of us, but we won't stop chasing you. Because you had stolen something from me, and I want it back,' I looked back towards the forest and smiled to the unknown. It was probably my imagination, but for a fraction of a second, it appeared as if the wind stopped and the snowflakes froze in time for a second, but before I could get a better look, the wind howled through the forest and covered it in a white mist.

I didn't find Eleven that night, but I found my friends, again. And I had an assuring feeling inside. With Lucas, Dustin and Will with me, I will rescue Eleven and conquer the world along the way.