disclaimer: I do not own Stranger Things.

Chapter Four | Another Disappearance

"Sometimes, when one person is missing, the whole world seems depopulated."

- Alphonse de Lamartine

Something was different.

It was a subtle feeling residing in the pit of her stomach. A shift in her reality. She couldn't put a finger on it.

At first, she tried ignoring it. Thinking by the time she got to school, it would be gone. That wasn't the case, however. As she got ready in the morning, the uneasiness persisted. It felt like the air was thicker. Like there was a layer of haze covering everything, making it seem like she was dreaming. It was bizarre. She had never experienced anything like it.

Breakfast was different. Her entire family carried on with their usual conversations. Not her. She remained quiet, content with poking at her food. She felt paranoid. As if, at any moment, her parents would start questioning her about El. That, somehow, they figured out the big secret. It seemed plausible, in that moment. Her parents were annoyingly good at finding out information. What if they find out about El?

She gripped her fork tighter until her knuckles turned white. Stop it, Hughes. You're working yourself up over nothing. Except it wasn't just nothing. A girl who has special abilities is secretly living in her cousin's basement and no one else knows about it. It was a real mind fuck. How could she just go on, acting like everything was fine? Like, everything was normal? She had to find a balance. Or else, someone was going to catch on.

The moment she parked the car at school, she felt her stomach lurch. During the entire time, all she thought about was El sitting in Mike's basement. What if, god forbid, Karen decides to go down there? Finding a strange girl living in her basement would send Karen over the edge. The idea made her anxiety shoot through the roof. For a brief moment, Melissa thought about skipping school, to go and check on El. However, she quickly shot down the idea. The last thing she wanted was to draw any attention. Showing up at Karen's during a school day would surely signal that something was off.

Still, it didn't calm down her nerves. After getting one-no, two-smoke sessions in, Melissa made the short trek from the parking lot to the school. The casualness was disconcerting. Everyone in the school was laughing and joking with each other. Not her. She felt as if she was a sore thumb, sticking out among the crowd. It made her feel obsolete like she was an outsider infiltrating on Hawkins' tight-knit, cozy bubble.

Each time a student would stare at her, it made her heart pound against her chest. It was like they knew what she was thinking. Paranoia at its finest. Much to her relief, she finally reached her locker. Although it was in a public hallway, it acted as a sort of a safe haven. She didn't know how that worked, exactly. But, once she was at her locker, no one paid any attention to her, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.

It went unnoticed for at first. While at her locker, Melissa felt a difference. Something felt out of place. She only realized it when she closed the locker door. Barb.

The bell rang, causing everyone to scramble for their first class. But, Melissa lingered near her locker for a bit. Usually, Barb would meet up at Melissa's locker and they would walk to her first class, together. Only, Barb was a no-show. As she made the walk to class, she kept her eyes peeled, looking for that familiar face. A face she never found in the vast crowd.

The duration of first period was a blur. Melissa kept her focus on her notebook, scribbling down messy shapes as a way to cope with her fevered mind. While not seeing Barb was a little weird, she forced herself to not think much of it. She probably wasn't feeling good, or she was just late this morning. It happened before.

She got through second and third period. Before she knew it, fourth period was over. Everyone was rushing towards the cafeteria. Melissa, however, remained outside of Barb's classroom. She waited, her foot tapped insensibly against the tile floor. When the room emptied, she remained outside the classroom, wondering if she missed Barb amongst the group of students. She stepped forward to look into the room and was greeted with nothing. Taking a step back, she worried her lip and quietly made her way to the cafeteria.

Now, she was starting for worry. She didn't see Barb in the morning and she wasn't there for fourth period. Where the hell was Barb? The minute she set foot in the cafeteria, there was a tug on her arm. She jumped and turned to the source only to be met with Nancy's wide eyes.

"Have you seen Barb?"

The sight of Nancy forced a squeal that got caught in her throat. Hey, Nance, did you know that there's a girl living in your basement? Melissa's mouth dropped open, and upon seeing the expectant look on her cousin's face, she cleared her throat. "No, I haven't." She took an extra moment to gather herself, before asking. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"It was getting late. And I was going to change because my clothes got all wet. Barb wanted to leave, but I didn't. So, I just told her to go home and I went upstairs to change."

How did she get her clothes wet? What kind of party was Steve throwing last night? "And you're sure that Barb left?" Melissa asked, her brow arching.

"Yeah. I'm sure she did. When I left Steve's house, she wasn't there."

The girls got their food, making sure to keep their eyes peeled for Barb, and took their place at the usual table. Unfortunately, for Melissa, Tommy and Carol were sitting there with Steve which wasn't a surprise. As long as Steve hung around them, she was going to be near them quite a bit. As usual, she kept to herself during lunch, not eating any of her food and her mind thinking about Barb. Then, El slipped to the forefront of her mind. She glanced down at her watch, thinking if El was alright and keeping herself in the basement.

"Hey, Tommy, did you see Barb when you left?" Nancy's question brought Melissa back to the present.

"What?"

"Barb. She's not here today."

"I seriously have no idea who you're talking about."

Melissa stabbed her fork into the meatloaf and felt a rush go through her body. "It's not that hard of a question." She blurted out. "Just fucking answer it."

Tommy only chewed silently, glaring at her. "How about you ask me a lot more nicely?."

"Fuck you."

"Come on, man," Steve interjected before it could get out of hand. "Don't be an asshole." Steve's words made her brow perch up. An actual reasonable thing to say. She was surprised. "Did you see her, or not?"

Tommy eyed both Steve and Melissa, then, finally relented with an actual answer. "No, she was gone when we left."

"She probably left because she didn't want to hear all that moaning."

Melissa glanced up at Carol, as she began to mockingly reenact what was heard at Steve's house. She didn't even hinge on the fact that Nancy slept with Steve. Her attention was focused on the two obnoxiously loud people across from her, who were making complete fools of themselves.

Who the hell does that in a school cafeteria?

Melissa couldn't handle spending the rest of lunch anywhere near them. Instead, she grabbed her backpack and lunch tray and stormed out of the cafeteria. Not even acknowledging Nancy calling out her name.

She spent the remainder of lunch outside, on the hood of her car with a cigarette between her lips. She used each inhale to calm her mind. Too much was happening. First, it was her keeping the secret about Eleven. Now, it's Barb. While the first held a heavy burden on her shoulders, the latter didn't hold that much weight, at least not yet. It was disconcerting, but, the fact that Barb wasn't at school today, didn't mean anything terrible happened. For all she knew, Barb decided to skip school. While that isn't something she would do, it was a perfectly logical reasoning.

Melissa took in a long drag and slowly moved her eyes over the school parking lot. Barb's car wasn't anywhere to be seen. Something that she should have noticed the minute she stepped out of her car. But, with how clouded her mind was this morning, it wasn't a surprise that she missed it.

When school ended, Melissa did the quick switch at her locker and marched out of the building. The last thing she wanted-needed-was for Nancy to bring up the little scene at lunch. She just wanted to get home as quick as she could. On the drive home, her sisters were laughing in the backseat, making so much noise that Melissa could barely think.

"Can you girls please keep it down?" They did, only for a few minutes.

As she drove past Barb's cul de sac, Melissa got an idea and made a sharp left turn. The girls in the back seat went quiet, both of them gazed out their windows, perplexed at where they were going. "Where are we?" Jessica finally asked.

"I just need to check something real quick."

As they came to Barb's house, Melissa was seeking out for her car. If it was there, then there was nothing to worry about. That meant Barb skipped school. She was fine, and Melissa could stop worrying about it. But as she came to a stop in front of the house, she could feel her entire body sink into the seat. Barb's car wasn't there.

Barb isn't homesick, nor did she skip school. She's not here.

She had the mind to go up and talk to her mother. But she quickly pushed the idea away. Melissa didn't want to worry Mrs. Holland, especially if there was nothing to be worried about. However, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was incredibly wrong. Barb didn't come to school. And now, her car isn't even in their driveway. It only spelled out one answer; Barb never came home last night.

This is bad. This is really bad.

It didn't take long for her sisters to start complaining. Melissa, reluctantly, drove back home. As they settled at the table, she prepared the girls' after-school snacks as they started their homework. She had been home for only ten minutes before the phone rang. Being too busy with the food, Jessica jumped up from her chair to answer the phone. She was too quick for Melissa to stop.

"Hello...hi, Nancy."

Melissa dropped the knife and turned to look at her sister, who was grinning as she held the phone to her ear.

"You want to talk to Mel?"

Melissa stepped away from the counter and took the phone from her sister. "Go and finish your homework." She ushered her sister back into the kitchen, then placed the phone up to her ear. "Hey, Nance."

"Mel, I need you to do me a favor."

The ardent tone in Nancy's voice made Melissa blink, especially when her cousin greeted her with such a straightforward statement. "Um, okay, I guess. Where are you calling me from?"

"School."

"Why from the school?"

"Just listen. I need you to come pick me up, right now."

That was an odd request. In her growing curiosity, she tapped her fingers against the wall in front of her. "I thought you were going to watch the game with Steve."

"There's something that I need to check out."

"And what's that?"

"Barb. Please just get here as soon as you can."

Melissa didn't hesitate. She finished with her sisters' snacks, told Chris she was going out for a bit, and dashed out of the house, and sped back to the school. If any of the cops had seen her, she would have definitely gotten pulled over for speeding. She quietly counted her blessings with that one. When she arrived at the school, Nancy was waiting for her at the front entrance.

"What happened?" Melissa asked as Nancy quickly got into the car. "Did you hear from Barb?"

Nancy shook her head as she tossed her bag into the backseat. "Just drive to Steve's house. I'll explain on the way."

Melissa did just that. She pulled out of the school drop off, and onto the main road. "Why exactly are we going back to Steve's?"

"I called Barb's house and her mom said that she never came home."

Melissa tightened her grip on the steering wheel, remembering how Barb's car wasn't in the driveway when she went to check. "Yeah. I know."

Nancy glanced over at her cousin. "What do you mean?"

"On the way home, I stopped by Barb's house...her car wasn't there."

An uneasiness filled Nancy's stomach. "I also found this." Nancy reached toward her bag and shuffled through the contents. Then, she pulled out a single photo, that was torn on the edges. Between quick glances, Melissa was able to make out the image of Barb, sitting on the pool diving board.

"This was after I went upstairs." Nancy clarified. "Barb never left."

Melissa gently took the photo from Nancy, held it near the steering wheel, and tried to examine the photo while also focusing on driving. Something she would have gotten scolded for is her mother was in the car with her. She noticed the angle of which the photo was taken. Someone else was there. "Wait," she gestured at the photo in her hand. "Where did you even get this photo?"

Nancy went quiet, her eyes focused on the photo and her mouth fell open, trying to find some way to explain to Melissa what happened. Jonathan was there that night and took photos of them. She visibly shook as she recalled picking up the torn pieces from the ground. "I'll explain it to you later."

After that, the girls went silent. They couldn't stop berating themselves. From the beginning, they both knew there was something off about this. Barb wasn't one to skip school, her car wasn't at her house, and her mother hadn't seen her all day. There were only two explanations; she either ran away or something bad happened. Melissa, immediately, dismissed the first theory. There was no way Barb would run away. No. She would never do that to her family and friends.

"When was the last time you saw Barb that night?" Melissa's question pierced through the silence, startling Nancy. But, her cousin only shook her head.

"We were in Steve's house. I was going upstairs to change out of my wet clothes. But, she told me that we had to leave."

The tone of Nancy's voice unsettled her. Quiet, somber and she even trembled on some words. Something happened. "Okay." Melissa straightened her back, mentally bracing herself for what she was going to hear next. "Then, what happened?"

"I told her that I didn't want to leave. And she kept trying to convince me and I just," she paused and turned to look out the window. The mood in the car instantly changed. Nancy felt her stomach tie into a knot as she remembered the last thing she said to Barb. "I told her to just go home."

Imagining the scenario made Melissa cringe. Barb knew exactly what was going to happen if Nancy went upstairs. She was trying to prevent it. And Nancy, evidently, shot her down.

After a long silence, Nancy finally spoke. "I should have just...left with her."

Melissa didn't say anything. She just kept her focus on getting them to Steve's house. However, as she drove up the street to his home, she spotted Barb's car parked alongside the road. She slowed the car and pulled over, behind Barb's car. "Why is her car parked all the way out here?"

"I told her to. That way the neighbors wouldn't get suspicious."

Melissa switched off the ignition and the two of them stepped out. They approached Barb's vehicle and peered into the windows. It didn't seem like anyone has been in it since last night. That meant Barb never returned to her car.

"Barb!"

Melissa jumped when Nancy called out their friends' name. "Jesus," she whispered to herself.

Nancy motioned for her cousin to follow. "Come on, let's go check the backyard."

Nancy took off without hesitation. Melissa had to jog in order to catch up with her. The backyard was quiet. Steam rose from the pool, creating an eerie scene before them. She scouted the area, her eyes roaming over the home's architecture. It felt like they were standing in an alternate reality. Like all of this was nothing but a weird dream. Her eyes found the diving board and an odd chill went down her spine. The photo that Nancy showed her. Barb was sitting on the diving board, all by herself.

A sigh emitted from the teenager as she slowly approached the board. She noticed that nothing was out of the ordinary. If something terrible happened, wouldn't there be some kind of evidence? Anything that would tell them about what happened. Barb wouldn't have gone down without a fight.

"Barb!" Nancy called out again, slowly edging her way towards the woods.

Melissa just barely brushed her fingers over the diving board and scanned the pool for anything. But, there was nothing. Stepping away from the pool, she quickly joined Nancy, and they both ventured further into the woods. It was unsettling. The barren tree branches creaked as the wind picked up, the leaves on the ground crunched with each step they took. She felt like she was in some kind of horror film.

"Barb!" Melissa's voice dissipated into an echo, each exhale puffed out in clouds. She pulled her coat closer to her body, suddenly it felt colder. "Barb!"

Then, they heard it. Footsteps that were coming from further in the woods. They paused, their eyes rapidly scanned the area around them. The noises got closer, more pronounced, as it appeared all around them. Something was here. Suddenly, a figure darted across the pathway, just a few feet ahead of them. It was quick, they could have missed it if they weren't paying attention. But, they were.

Melissa stumbled back, a gasp caught in her throat as she tripped over her own feet. She hadn't even noticed that Nancy did the same until they were both on the ground, staring at each other with wide eyes. Melissa immediately took hold of Nancy's arm and pulled them both up. They both broke into a run and didn't stop until they reached Melissa's car. Once they were in, Melissa started up the ignition, made a wide U-turn and sped back towards town. Nothing was said. Nancy and Melissa were silently trying to fathom what they had seen. Was it a person? Some kind of weird looking bear? A giant deer, maybe?

What kind of deer walks on its back legs?

Through her clouded mind, she thought about where they should go. Who were they supposed to go to? The thing they just witnessed in the woods sounds like something out of a movie. Who was going to believe them? In a split decision, Melissa pulled the car over, near the local park, and switched off the ignition. Again, nothing was said. All they could hear were each other's heavy breathing. Her hands were still gripping the steering wheel, and as she pulled them away, they began to shake. To stop the shaking, Melissa rested them in her lap and closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing.

"What...was that thing?" Nancy asked, her voice wavered, dripping with worry over what they had encountered. "It-it looked...almost human."

Melissa silently shook her head, her hands curled into fists. "It wasn't human." She could picture it so clearly, even though she only saw it for a brief second. "The arms," She quietly pointed out. "The arms were long and...it had no,"

"No face." Nancy finished, swallowing hard at the memory.

No face. The detail made the shaking worse. Melissa pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and quickly lit one. "This is crazy." She said to herself. "This is fucking crazy." What the hell was going on in this town? First, it was Mike bringing home a girl with special abilities. Now, there was some horrifying thing lurking in the woods outside Steve's home. Where did it come from? More importantly, what the hell was it?

"I think it might have to do with Barb being missing."

Melissa finished taking in a long drag, then turned to face Nancy. "What, you think it might have taken her?"

Nancy shrugged, her teeth bit down on her lip. "It's too much of a coincidence that she's last seen at the pool and that thing is there. It has to all be connected somehow."

It was reasonable enough. Nancy was right. The coincidence was just too damn high. But, as she continued to picture the thing in her mind, a wave of dread washed over her. If it really did take Barb, was she alright? Whatever it is, it wasn't human. There was no way police would be able to negotiate for Barb's safe return. "So, what do we do?"

"We do whatever we can to find Barb."

Melissa was sitting in the foyer in Nancy's home, her hands continuously fumbling with each other. She took a moment to glance over at Nancy, who was sitting in the chair next to her. She was quiet, her eyes, which were still red and swollen from crying, were downcast. Karen was doing her best to comfort the girls. They came home, frantic and confused. Nancy broke down as she told Karen that something happened to Barb. Something terrible.

Karen sat them down in the living, gently asking what had happened. Nancy had to come clean. Well, she was able to evade certain details-like how she had slept with Steve that night. And while Karen seemed agitated that Nancy never went to the memorial at the school, she didn't say anything to put Nancy off. Besides, the focus needed to be on Barb, not what Nancy did last night.

As the girls started to explain what they saw in the woods, Melissa found herself drifting away from the conversation. Several times her eyes would glance in the direction of the basement. She thought about El being down there all by herself for hours. Was she alright? Has she eaten anything today? Her leg started to shake as she continued to think about it. She wanted to go down there and check. But, she needed to wait for the right opportunity. And it came.

Everything had been explained and it only took a few minutes for them to agree on a plan. Karen called Barb's mother, asking if she and her husband would come over after dinner, and the girls could explain to them what happened. Mrs. Holland agreed. Karen went to make the phone call and Nancy went with her, leaving Melissa alone.

It was the perfect opportunity.

Melissa crept towards the basement door and when she was sure no one was looking, she quietly made her way down the basement steps. "El?" She called out, quietly. She didn't even make it all the way down the steps when she realized El wasn't there. Her entire body froze as her eyes scanned the room. Oh, shit. Why did El leave? Doesn't she know that was the worst thing to do? Then, it dawned on her. Mike. He must have taken El...somewhere.

"Dammit, Mike."

Dinner was agonizing. Melissa couldn't eat, her appetite was almost non-existent. All she could think about were Barb's parents. Her chest ached at the prospect of telling them that Barb was missing. To make matters worse, she doesn't know if Barb was safe...or alive. She wanted to cry, and she almost did, right at the dinner table. It took all of her strength to keep her emotions in check. She can't cry, not right now.

Dinner ended. Karen took Melissa's full plate into the kitchen, quickly stashed away the leftovers. Melissa and Nancy retreated to the living room, the entire time her leg shook, her thoughts mangled between two things: Barb's parents and El. She was trying to figure out how they were going to explain what they saw in the woods. While, simultaneously, she agonized over where El was. Mike had yet to come home, which confirmed her earlier realization. When he gets home, she was going to have a talk with him, that's for sure.

When Mr. and Mrs. Holland arrived, Melissa shrunk against the couch. The pair were adorning concerned expressions as they entered the home. They already knew this was about Barb. And the anxious looks on Melissa and Nancy's faces didn't ease the tension. Once everyone was settled in the living room, Karen motioned for the girls to talk but for a moment, they said nothing. The only thing they could do was just stare at Barb's parents. Melissa took in their features, seeing how anxious they were. It was as if they already knew something had happened to their daughter. Made sense to her. Parents always seem to know if their child was in danger.

The two girls exchanged looks. Silently reassuring each other, then Nancy was the first to speak. "Last night, Barb and I didn't go to the memorial at school." Nancy started off from the beginning. It was time to come clean about it, no point in holding it back. "We went to a party at Steve Harrington's house."

Marsha, Barb's mother, blinked, her lips pursed together. "A party?"

Nancy quietly nodded. "We were there for a few hours and Barb told me that we needed to leave. But, I didn't want to. She tried to convince me and I just told her to leave...to go home. And that was the last time I saw her."

Marsha allowed herself a moment to process the information. Then, she turned to Melissa. "Did you know that she was going to this party?"

She didn't expect to be questioned to quickly. Melissa could feel her heart leap into her chest. Her mouth opened to speak, however, nothing came out. She re-focused herself. "She told me about it. Yesterday, after school, she asked me to go with them. But, I told her I couldn't because I was babysitting last night. She didn't say that she was going but I knew she was considering it."

"But, I know that she didn't leave Steve's house. Someone else, who was there, saw Barb sitting at the pool. And she was gone by the time they left a few hours later." Nancy made the conscious decision not to bring Jonathan into this. "After school, we were concerned about her. Melissa and I drove out to Steve's house, her car was still there. So, we went into his backyard to try and look for her. That's when we saw this thing."

"Thing?" Marsha questioned, her voice sounded panicked at the implication.

"It was in the woods," Melissa explained. "It was only a couple of feet ahead of us and it was fast, we didn't get a real good look. But, it was big and," she glanced over at Nancy, seeing that she was starting to shake. "We think that it may have taken Barb."

"Are you sure it wasn't a person?"

"No, it-it was something that we can't explain. But, it's just too big a coincidence that Barb goes missing and that thing is out there." Melissa watched the Hollands carefully, seeing that Marsha's eyes were already starting to fill with tears. In response, her hands clenched into fists. How could this be happening? How could Barb be missing?

"I'm so sorry." Nancy's apology was soft and agonizing. "I should have just left with her and I didn't."

Hearing the guilt in Nancy's voice sparked her own. Melissa thought back to her last conversation with Barb. She was asking Melissa to go, nearly pleading with her. She didn't want to be the only one without someone. Melissa turned her back and refused to go. In her own looming regret, Melissa pressed both hands to her face, her mind buzzing with many things. You should have fucking gone, Hughes. None of this would have happened. It hit her out of the blue. A lump formed in her throat as her eyes started to sting. Why didn't you just go with her? You should have gone.

"Melissa?"

Melissa felt Karen's hand on her shoulder, giving gentle squeezes. She pulled her hands away and sniffed. She felt dizzy and her face felt warm, she needed to get out of this living room. "Can I be excused for a moment?" She didn't look at Karen, not wanting her to see the tears in her eyes.

"Yes, of course."

She nearly jumped off the couch. She needed some air-she needed a damn cigarette. Melissa pulled her coat from the rack and stepped out the front door. The cold air brought an immediate relief to her overheated face. As she closed her eyes, the tears finally fell. In an unguarded moment, a quiet sob slipped past her lips as Melissa sat down on the concrete step and pulled out a cigarette. She sat on the step, quietly smoking through her cigarette, at the same time, she thought about the picture Nancy showed her. Barb sitting on the diving board...alone. The recollection forced a new round of tears. Melissa held back a sob, the fact that Barb was alone made the whole situation unbearable. She rubbed her swollen eyes, sniffling and thinking back to her last conversation with Barb.

Why do you want me to go anyways?

Because Nancy is going for Steve. Tommy and Carol are their own thing. And I don't want to be the only one without someone.

Melissa winced, her palm was pressed against her forehead as she took in another drag from her cigarette. "I should have gone." She whispered. Now, Barb was gone and she that was possibly… no. Barb wasn't dead. No, there was no way. There was nothing that pointed to that conclusion. She was missing. Not dead.

"We're gonna find you." It was more of a promise to herself. It kept Melissa grounded and somewhat focused. Until it was proven otherwise, Barb was still out there. And she needed their help. Still, none of this would have happened if she had just gone with them.

The sound of tires screeching brought her back to the present. Her head snapped up to the sight of Mike riding his bicycle up the driveway. Good, he was home. Now, it was time to find out where he has been. Melissa stood up and stomped out what was left of her cigarette. Using the sleeve of her coat, she quickly dried her cheeks. Then, she waited. However, she noticed that something was off. Mike abandoned his bike in the middle of the driveway and El wasn't with him.

Mike walked up the pathway at a quick rate, his head was down and his hands were clenched into fists. He looked upset...very upset.

"Hey, bud." She tried to diffuse his mood by not asking the probing question. But, Mike didn't acknowledge her. As he got closer, the porch light illuminated his face, showcasing the visible tear stains on his cheek. "Mike?"

He went to pass her but she reached out and got him by the shoulder. "Mike." She got a better look at him. Eyes were red and swollen, his cheeks were irritated by both his tears and the cold air. He didn't look at her, not until she cupped his face. "Mike." Her voice was much quieter, prompting him to finally look at her. "Mike, what happened? Are you hurt?" She quickly checked him for injury.

He only shook his head.

Okay, he wasn't injured. That was somewhat of a relief. She searched his eyes, hoping that he would give her some kind of answer. "What happened?"

Without warning, Mike broke down. He leaned forward until he was pressed against her, and his arms wrapped around her waist. She did the same, enclosing him in a tight embrace. His entire body shook as he sobbed. She rested her cheek on the top of his head, "what happened?" She asked again, her voice just barely above a whisper.

Mike tried to answer her. But, the only thing that came out was another agonized sob. He only snuggled closer and tightened his hold.

Melissa said nothing else. She allowed Mike his moment. Every sob he emitted was like a punch in her gut. It was an upsetting, yet, familiar feeling. Melissa had been Mike's source of comfort during much of his childhood. Several times, she held him as he cried. Usually, it was regarding a non-serious issue. But, this was different. She had never seen Mike this upset before.

He finally calmed down. The sobs turned into quiet hiccups and sniffling. She gave a few gentle rubs against his back and tried to break his hold on her, just so that she could get a look at his face. But, Mike refused to let go of her. "Okay." She ran a hand through his hair as she gazed down at him. "Let's go inside, okay?"

With her arm firmly secured around him, they both made their way back into the house. As they came into view in front of the foyer, they both stopped when they heard Karen speak.

"Michael?"

Melissa turned towards Karen and simply gazed down at Mike. He still had an arm wrapped around her and his head was still rested on her chest. He couldn't look at his mom, for a reason he couldn't understand.

"Michael?" Karen approached the pair and slowly placed a hand on his shoulder. She could see how flushed his cheeks were. "What's wrong?" Her questioned went unanswered and when she looked to Melissa for an answer, the teenager only shook her head. "Michael, honey, can you tell me, what happened?"

A tense silence followed. Everyone, including Nancy and the Hollands, was curious as to what was going on. Melissa gave his shoulder a few gentle squeezes, to try and get him to say something...anything.

Karen gently coaxed Mike out of Melissa's hold, something that was never easy to do. She brushed her thumb against his cheek, prompting him to finally look at her. "Michael, what happened?"

He bit his lip, his red, worn down eyes stared into hers. He couldn't bring himself to say it. Not right now. "I want...to go upstairs."

Karen regarded her son, carefully. The way he had clung to Melissa's side made him look so small. "Of course you can."

"I'll go with him." Melissa offered.

Mike was the first to move. As he slowly made his way to the stairs, Melissa gave a quiet apology to the Hollands before following her cousin. On instinct, she placed her hand on his shoulder. When they reached the landing, Melissa guided him to his bedroom. She ran a hand through his hair, her fingers just barely brushing his cheek. Just from that small motion, she could feel hold cold his cheeks were. She opened his bedroom door, "I want you to go in, take off your shoes and jacket. And just relax. I'll be there in a minute."

Wasting no time, she ventured into the bathroom and turned on the sink. She grabbed a cloth from the counter and dipped a finger under the running water. When it was warm enough, she held the cloth under the running water and wrung it a couple times. Once the cloth was warm enough, she turned off the sink and entered Mike's room. Just as he was told, he was sitting on his bed, shoes and jacket were discarded near the closet door. She placed his desk chair in front of him and sat down. He didn't look at her but his body gave subtle, sporadic shakes.

With the cloth in hand, she slowly reached up and gently wiped at his cheeks. She did this countless of times with her sisters. Especially, during the winter months, when they had been playing outside. It was important to make sure that they warmed up.

Mike's eyes immediately closed. The warmth numbed him to his core. For a split second, he forgot everything. He no longer felt upset and could relish in the gentle care he was being given. When he opened his eyes, he noticed how concentrated Melissa was. Her eyes were roaming all over his features, taking care of how hard she was wiping. He could remember the last time he received this kind ofcare from her.

It was a couple years back. Melissa and Nancy were babysitting him while their parents were out for the night. Mike had already not felt good earlier that day. When he came down for dinner, he looked like hell. Hair stuck to his forehead, which was slick with sweat, and his face was so pale. Melissa took him back to bed and stayed with him for the rest of the night. He ended up spiking a fever and couldn't even eat his dinner. He slept through most of it. Yet, every time he opened his eyes, she was there at his bedside, keeping his face cool with a damp cloth. For some reason, that particular detail always stuck out to him. He wondered, for a small moment, if she thought about the same thing.

It skipped her view at first. But, Melissa caught sight of a small discoloration on Mike's chin. She paused, took a moment to examine it, only to find that it was a cut. It was covered with dried blood. "How did that happen?" She gently brushed his chin with her finger.

"I fell."

Melissa pursed her lips, taking moment to get another look at the cut. "Troy?" Her question was only answered by a faint nod. She cleared her throat. "You need to clean it tonight before you go to bed."

Mike nodded.

She placed the damp cloth on his desk, then leaned forward. "You want to tell me what got you so upset tonight?"

He struggled to find the words. The image of the officers pulling Will's lifeless body from the quarry made his throat go dry. He could barely fathom it. How was he supposed to say it?

"Mike."

He huffed out a breath and the words fell past his lips. "Will is dead."

It didn't register at first. She thought it was a misinterpretation on her part. It had to be a mistake. There was no way that Will was dead. She studied Mike's face, hoping for any indication that it could be a mistake. As she saw his eyes fill with tears, she knew it was true. She moved herself to sit next to Mike and wrapped an arm around him, pulling him close to her until his head was resting against her shoulder. "Okay, okay." She whispered to herself, trying to clear her mind enough in order to talk with him. "How do you know it was really him?"

Mike tensed. He knew, somewhere in the back of her mind, she was wondering where he had been all night. And curious as to where Eleven was. He hesitated on saying anything. The last thing he wanted was to get lectured by her.

"It's okay," She said, almost like she had read his mind. "You're not in trouble, I promise. How do you know it was him?"

"We were at Will's house when we heard the cop cars." Mike's voice was hoarse and his throat felt incredibly dry. "We followed them to the quarry. And we," he paused, swallowing at the memory of Will being pulled from the water. "We saw them pull Will's body...out of the water. He was dead...he was dead." His voice faltered towards the end.

Her hold on him instinctively tightened. She thought about Jonathan and Joyce, how the police were probably telling them about Will. God, she couldn't imagine what they must be going through right now. Her eyes closed as she rested her cheek against the top of his head. "I'm sorry, Mike."

Mike wrapped his arms around her waist, burying his face into her shoulder, trying not to go through another episode. "She said that he was alive." His voice muffled against her shoulder. But, the words were still clear to her. "El said t-that he was alive, that she knew where he was." He bit his lip, the betrayal was still fresh, he could feel his chest tighten. "Why would she lie about that?"

Her mind had gone blank. What could Melissa say that would make all of this better? The only thing that came to mind was to say sorry. Sorry that his bed friend was dead. Sorry that he thought Will was still alive. What was she supposed to do? Come on, Hughes. Mike needs you. "Where are they? Dustin, Lucas and El?"

Mike sniffled. "I left them at the quarry. They are probably heading back now."

"Okay." She rubbed her hand up and down his arm. "Hey, I want you to listen to me. I know all of this is confusing and upsetting but I don't want you to worry about this. What I want you to do, is just rest. Okay, just relax and please, don't go anywhere else tonight."

"I won't."

Mike pulled away and Melissa gently brushed away the new tear stains. But, he was able to get a good look at her and he noticed something was off. "What happened?"

Melissa gave him a curious look, at first, not knowing what he was asking about. "What do you mean?"

"Your eyes." He could still see the redness in them. "It looks like you were crying."

"Oh," Shaking her head, she managed to keep an even expression. "It's nothing you need to worry about. I'll probably tell you later but not right now. The only thing you need to worry about is rest. I'm pretty sure your mom is not going to make you go to school tomorrow."

"What about the others? Lucas, Dustin and El?"

"I'm gonna go out and find them. Don't worry, I'll take care of it." She leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on his forehead. Her arm wrapped around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. "Love you, bud."

"Love you too."

She felt completely drained.

This entire day was exhausting and emotional. First, it was finding out that Barb is missing and now, Will is dead. She still couldn't wrap her mind around the latter. How could he be gone? There was a whisper of doubt among quite a few people, that Will would be found, but not found alive. It was passed around in the school hallways. Most kids who go missing usually don't make it back in one piece. And now, Will has become a part of that statistic.

She tried to shake the thought away. But the realization only grew heavier when she told Karen and Todd about what happened. Her entire body grew numb when she saw Karen's reaction.

"How's Mike?"

"Not good."

Hearing about what happened to Will, only created more worry for Barb. While they couldn't connect the two events, it certainly dimmed their hopes that she was somewhere safe. Barb's parents informed her and Nancy that they would be contacting the police, which meant they would have to give statements. Something both of them were willing to do.

And when the window of opportunity finally arrived, Melissa dismissed herself from the house. Saying that she was tired and wanted to go home. She said goodbye to Karen and Nancy before sneaking down into the basement. She unlocked the basement door and snuck out. Now, she needed to go find the others. As she got into her car and started to drive off, she thought back to what Mike had told her. The others were at the quarry when he left. It's been about half an hour, maybe a little longer. They would still have to be close to Will's place.

She turned down Mirkwood, keeping the speed slow and her eyes peeled for the group. Soon enough, just a couple feet ahead, the headlights illuminated three small figures walking alongside the road. She quickly pulled over and jumped out of the car. The three figures paused at seeing the form coming towards them. But they all visibly relaxed when they realized it was Melissa.

"Hey." She stopped to check each one of them, making sure that they weren't hurt. Dustin and Lucas looked haunted, their cheeks were red and irritated, just like Mike. "Are you three okay?"

The boys nodded. When she looked at El, the young girl was silent and even in the darkness, Melissa could tell how pale her face was.

"Where's Mike?" Lucas asked.

"He's okay. He's home, which is where you guys need to be. So, let's put your bikes in the trunk and I'll drive you home."

They made no qualms about it. Melissa told El to get into the front seat as she helped Dustin and Lucas with putting their bikes in the trunk. It took a couple minutes, but they finally got them in. The boys settled themselves into the car and Melissa started back towards town. It was quiet. None of them said anything. She could only hear quiet sniffles and coughs. She debated about saying something. To try and offer some form of comfort to them, especially Lucas and Dustin. Instead, she kept her mouth shut. She could barely form any words to say to Mike, she wasn't going to be able to offer anything that would make them feel better.

The first stop was Dustin's house. Melissa helped with getting his bike out and, despite not saying anything earlier, she pulled him in for a quick hug. A gesture that Dustin was appreciative of. "You get some rest, okay?"

Dustin nodded. "Thanks for the ride."

She stood next to the car, watching Dustin until he was inside the house. She got back in the car and made the quick drive to Lucas' home. Again, she got out to help with his bike and offered him a hug.

"Can't believe this is happening." Lucas's voice was muffled against her shoulder.

"I know." She rubbed her hand against his back then pulled away to look at him. "I know it may not seem like it now, but it's gonna be okay."

Lucas blinked, every part of him was doubtful. "Is Mike okay?"

She pursed her lips together, then cleared her throat. "He's safe. All of you are. That's all that matters. Go inside and get some rest."

Lucas offered his thanks for the ride and quietly walked up the driveway. Melissa remained stationary until she saw him disappear into his house. Breathing a sigh of relief, she clambered back into her car, then glanced over in the passenger seat. El was staring out the window, keeping to herself, refusing to talk.

Melissa shifted the car into drive and started back towards Mike's house. It was a little awkward. Just the two of them in a car, keeping quiet. Melissa recalled what Mike had said earlier, wondering how El could lie to them about Will. Telling them that he was alive when he clearly wasn't. Something about the question didn't settle well with her. Granted, she still didn't know this girl. For all she knew, El had lied to them. But the suspicion melted away. In the pit of her stomach, Melissa thought otherwise. Her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Are you okay?" The question when unanswered.

El thought on the question. Was she okay? No, she wasn't. It didn't make sense. The body they pulled from the water was Will...but it couldn't be him. He was hiding...he had to be. But, there was a hunch deep in her gut that helped to fuel her doubt. Maybe he really was dead. Maybe she made some kind of mistake. Now, all she could think about was the look on Mike's face, how devastated and betrayed he felt.

"Upset."

Melissa strained to hear what El had said. "What?"

"Upset. All of them, upset."

"Yeah, they are." Her knuckles turned white as her hands tightened, mulling over the question she wanted to ask. Melissa braced herself for whatever reaction she would receive. "Is it alright if I ask you something?"

El remained facing forward but answered, "yes."

"I'm not asking this to upset you in any way. But...did you know that Will was dead this whole time?"

"No." El didn't hesitate. She glanced over at Melissa, her features adorned with genuine dismay. "I didn't. He was hiding." Her voice tapered off.

She was getting upset. Melissa had to salvage the situation. "No, it's okay. You're not in trouble, I just-I just wanted to make sure. I'm sorry for upsetting you." Melissa refrained herself from asking anything else. The last thing she wanted was to upset her anymore. They both descended into silence, with El keeping her gaze out the window. Melissa spared a quick glance, seeing El was resting her head against the window. She was clearly upset. The idea was just dropping her off at Mike's house and leaving left a bad taste in her mouth. She wanted to do something to lighten her mood.

Instead was continuing on to Mike's house, Melissa pulled the car into the driveway of her home. El immediately noticed the unfamiliar surroundings. She leaned forward, her wide eyes took in the sight of the house in front of her. "Where are we?"

"My home." Melissa pushed open the car door, pausing when she saw El's worried look. "It's okay. I want you to meet someone. It might make you feel better."

It took a few more tries and she was able to convince El to exit the vehicle. It was almost eight, her sisters were definitely upstairs, her parents were both working late, and Chris was probably listening to music. No one would hear them. They quietly made their way to the fence gate that led into the backyard. Once they were in, Melissa quietly closed the gate and rounded the corner of the house. El stood near the back porch, her eyes scanning over the yard. There was a playground set, a table with bench seating, and a huge tree residing towards the back corner. It was simple, yet, El could feel the faintest smile appear.

Melissa opened the back door, leaned her head in and began to whistle. It was enough to garner El's attention and she stepped closer to see what she was doing. Melissa whistled again, her eyes searched the dark kitchen. "Harley," She whispered, loud enough for him to hear. "Harley." She whistled one more time. "Come here, boy." The padding of feet against the hardwood floor slowly emerged from the darkness. Soon, she could make out the form of Harley, barreling towards her. "Hey, buddy!" She stepped aside, allowing him onto the porch.

El was taken aback by the massive form that bolted out of the door. And it was making its way right towards her. She stepped back as the animal circled around her, its bushy tail eagerly wagging.

"Harley, easy." Melissa quietly commanded. When she saw the surprised look on El's face, she gently took hold of his collar, hoping to settle him down. "This is Harley."

"Harley," El repeated, her eyes never leaving the animal.

He gave a low bark, startling El, but Melissa was able to hush him fairly quickly. "He's my dog...my pet."

El had heard about dogs and only seen a few photos of them. Whenever Papa would show her the photo of someone she needed to find, every once in a while, there would be a dog in the background. But, she's never been able to actually encounter one. One she wasn't prepared for was the size of this dog.

"You don't have to be scared," Melissa said once she noticed how wide-eyed El was. "He just needs to sniff you a few times and he'll be fine." Melissa gradually loosened her hold on his collar, carefully watching him as he sniffed El's clothing.

El remained still, afraid to move even an inch. However, nothing happened. Harley continued to sniff her clothes, which Mike had loaned her. And it helped. Harley could smell Mike's scent, which calmed him. El opened her hand as he began to nuzzle her palm. On instinct, she cautiously moved her hand to pet his head, something that Harley was more than willing to do.

Melissa picked up a tennis ball from the ground and held it up. "He really loves playing fetch." Harley jumped back, his tail wagged and his eyes focused on the ball in her hand.

"Fetch?" El asked.

"Yeah, look." Melissa teased the ball in front of him a few times, then threw the ball across the yard. Harley took off, catching the ball as it came down, and started back towards them. He dropped the ball in Melissa's hand and she offered it to El. "You want to try?"

El eyed the ball in Melissa's hand before timidly taking it into her own. Harley's reaction was the same as before; jumping from side to side and wagging his tail. She smiled. Then, raised her hand and threw the ball across the yard. Harley bolted in the same direction. She felt elated. The joy she felt as Harley ran back towards her with the ball in his mouth. It was such a simple thing. Playing fetch with a dog. Most wouldn't think much about it. But for El, this was an experience. It felt freeing.

The next few minutes, the two remained in the backyard with El continuously throwing the ball for Harley. Melissa was content with sitting on the back porch, watching the scene before her. She was taken aback by how different El looked. Before, the unstable upbringing she went through was evident. From her eyes to her basic vocabulary, and how timid she was, anyone would have been able to see it. This girl has gone through hell. Yet, Melissa still had no idea what to think about it all. Yes, she agreed to keep El a secret and to help in whatever way she could. That didn't mean the worrying or questioning stopped. She needed answers. She wanted to find some sense in all of this. To put away some of the confusion. But she couldn't subject El to that kind of torture. It could do more damage and Melissa could never forgive herself if she scarred this young girl even more.

El threw the ball and glanced back at Melissa. The teenager was deep in thought, her eyes fixed on the ground. In response, El sat down on the porch next to her. That snapped Melissa out of her trance. She looked at El and smiled. When Harley returned, he laid down next to El, content with chewing his tennis ball. El casually ran her hand against his back.

"You like him?" Melissa asked.

El quietly nodded.

"Is it alright if I ask you another question?"

This piqued the young girl's interest. El turned her full attention to Melissa and nodded her head.

"Is it true that you have abilities? Dustin said that you closed a door with your mind. So, you can actually move things with your mind?" The question was random and Melissa felt a little dumb for asking it. But it was an aspect of El that she never got to witness. It was nothing more than a claim Dustin made.

"Yes," El answered.

She would just have to take her word for it. "Hm." Melissa picked up Harley's tennis ball, twirled it in her hand a few times. "Sorry for asking. It's just all of this is so...weird. This kind of thing only happens in movies or tv shows. Not in real life. I guess I'm trying to find some semblance with all of this."

El regarded her for a moment, watching as she twirled the ball in her hand. In a swift motion, El took the ball from Melissa's hand and held it in her open palm. "Watch." She quietly commanded.

And she did. Melissa watched intently as El stared at the ball. It was only a few seconds of nothing when it happened. The ball levitated from El's palm and remained floating in the air, even after she moved her hand away. Melissa was speechless. Her wide eyes remained on the floating ball. It even got Harley's attention. Then, the ball flew across the yard with Harley trailing after it.

"Holy shit."

Dustin wasn't lying. She now fully understood why these people were trying to find her. If El was capable of moving things with her mind, god only knows what else she could do. That thought in itself caused a chill to go down her spine. El was just a child. A child who possessed abilities most could never imagine. How does something like this happen? How does a child end up with these kinds of abilities?

When she turned to El, there was a small trail of blood coming from her nose. "Oh, you got a little," she gestured to her nose, to which El wiped the blood with the back of her hand. "Does that always happen?"

El nodded as she stared down at the blood stain.

"Do you ever get scared by it? You know, with having these types of abilities?"

"Yes."

"That's why they're looking for you, right? That's why they're so hell-bent on trying to find you."

"Hurt me." She slowly turned to look at Melissa, "hurt all of you."

Melissa swallowed, her eyes carefully roamed over El's face. It was a fear that had been constantly poking at her mind. She couldn't let this get out of hand. She didn't want to end up regretting her decision to help El. But, as long as El kept a low profile, she should be fine. If they all kept to this one rule, this should play out without any troubles.

Still deep in thought, Melissa faced forward, watching Harley roll around in the grass. "They're not going to hurt you, El." She could feel El's eyes on her, but she didn't meet the young girl's gaze. "We're not gonna let them take you away."

It was strange. Melissa hardly knew this mysterious girl, yet she was willing to keep her safe. To make sure that these people will never hurt her again. El didn't know what to think about it all. Other than she actually felt safe. El could sense when someone wasn't being genuine. It was a homed in skill she developed while at the lab. Many of the people there didn't care about her. She could sense it. They only treated her as a rat, scurrying around doing whatever was demanded. And, she believed Melissa. She believed every word of that declaration. Nothing bad was going to happen to her.

After a few more minutes, Melissa checked her watch, then stood up. "It's getting late. I need to get you back to Mike's."

El stood and paused when Harley trotted over to her, with the ball still in his mouth. She ran her hand over his head, smiling at the content look on his face. She didn't want to leave the company of Harley. "See him again?"

Melissa smiled. "Of course you can. I'll find a way to sneak him over."

"Promise?"

"I promise."

A/N: This isn't my favorite chapter, I kinda went through a writer's block. I apologize for it not being the best. But, I hope you all enjoy it!

P.S. I forgot to put this down in the last three chapters, but I have a blog up for the series. You can check it out on tumblr at eventideseries