'SHIT!' Cried Dustin, looking to the other two boys for instructions. Every fibre of his being was screaming at him to flee. To get as far away from the decaying tree/portal as physically possible. Book a plane ticket to west Africa and never look back. Absolutely anyplace, anywhere, would be better than this second. Inches yet multiverses away from the demon intent on kidnapping his friends and locking them in another realm. A twisted government hybrid determined to destroy the peaceful serenity of their beautifully mundane town.

God, you're overreacting.

You're -at least- a few yards away.

You were closer to the same nightmare mere months ago, and you were a hell of a lot more composed.

Relax, stop being such a baby. Look at Mike and Will. Mike is RIGHT next to the portal and he's not as scared as you. Don't be a coward. You owe this to Eleven. Don't run. You probably wouldn't even like Africa.-

His critical thoughts didn't do much to dissipate his anxiety, but it did fortify the reasons for why he had to stay. El had done everything in her power to protect them, she sacrificed herself and gave up the promise of the happy life she'd never experienced to save them.

Sweet, innocent El, with those wide brown eyes he knew Mike adored, not that he would ever admit it out loud, who had known nothing of kindness and promises and friendship or family and safety, but all about deceit and bad men and hurting and monsters. She needed their help.

'The demogorgon is being very noisy tonight.' El informed the pillow to her left. Well, really she was talking to Mike, but she couldn't see him, couldn't know if he was even listening. Suddenly the cushions and books surrounding her became blurry, and Eleven was blinking back tears. She'd found a few books resting on a mouldy shelf in the upside-down version of Mike's basement and, although the covers were wrinkled and dull, the writing inside was still legible. El was teaching herself how to read, she wanted to learn new words to impress her friends when she found them again. Soon she was going to know as many words as Mike. 'I think it is angry. It's ag-ri-va-ted.' A pleased smile raised the corners of her lips. She had discovered that word earlier today.

One of the women who worked for Papa, Miss Cassy, had tried teaching El how to read. She had been a short woman, with crinkly eyes and a round face, she helped subject 011 to dress and wash. But Papa had found out about the unauthorised lessons and El hadn't even seen her again. One time El tried to ask Cassy's friend about what had happened. She became angry and tearful and had struck El, telling her not to speak unless asked a direct question and said that Eleven was to blame for her sister's death.

That woman wasn't as nice as Miss Cassy. Nobody working for papa was ever nice or gentle or kind. The soft, sleepy smile disappeared.

Not now, please not now.

That all-to-familiar sensation was swirling around inside the stomach of Will Byers as he trailed behind his friends. And suddenly he was retching, coughing and spluttering as the trapped fragments of another universe forced their way out his throat.

His companions were grabbing at him, fully aware that there was nothing they could do. Dustin Henderson had successfully reached the epitome of his hysteria, Mike not far behind.

'What do we do, oh god what do we do?'

'I don't know, I don't know! Uhm, just - just get him as far away from the portal as possible. Hopefully it won't notice and he'll be home soon.' Tears were now prickling the corners of his eyes, softening his focus on reality and making it near-impossible to watch out for the snarling roots that attempted to trip him as he helped yank the young boy through the dense foliage.

In an instant, two of his friends would be trapped in a foreign realm, potentially face-to-face with the predatory government monster, known to them as the demogorgon. It wasn't a happy thought.

Yet he was forced to watch as his childhood friend disappeared before him.

Then snapped back into focus, hardly a second later.

As tangible and absolute as the decaying mulch surrounding him.