Chapter Fourteen – A Steel Trap
All three boys stood around the flipped bucket, eyeing it worriedly. Silence hung about them as they wondered what to do next. "…we should probably check to see if it's still there…" Lucas suggested, walking up to it slowly.
Mike grabbed his hand, "Wait!"
"What?!" Lucas jumped.
"I was just thinking that we should be careful with it…I mean…whatever it is, it was making Will sick like that," Mike explained. Lucas eyed him, turning to glance back to the bucket. "We shouldn't touch it…just in case…"
"How are we gonna dissect it if we don't touch it?" Dustin prompted.
"Why are you so focused on dissecting it?!" Lucas rebuked.
"Because! How else are we supposed to tell what it is?!" Dustin shot back. Lucas rolled his eyes as Mike gazed at the floor.
"I thought we were gonna wait for Will so he could-"
Dustin cut Mike off, "Right now, Will is way too sick for this. He probably doesn't want to even see that thing ever again, especially if this has been happening more than once." Lucas and Mike nodded understandably. "Think about it, we'd be doing Will a favor…"
There was a slight pause until Lucas admitted, "He has a good point…I mean, if I was puking up those things, I'd NEVER wanna see a snail ever again…"
"It's a slug…" Dustin corrected. The dark-skinned boy glared at him disbelievingly. "It is!"
A frustrated Lucas gestured with his hands, "I don't care what it is! I just don't want it to be bugging Will anymore!"
"I think we all want that," Dustin reassured him, stepping lightly towards the bucket. Mike and Lucas watched him alarmingly as he stood directly beside it, looking down at the blue plastic. "…okay…" Dustin trailed off, stepping back a bit. "If we're gonna do this, we need to be ready." After a moment's confusion, the boys nodded comprehendingly, immediately splitting up and searching Mike's house. Lucas was lucky and found a few garden gloves in Mike's garage. Dustin had trekked up all two flights of stairs to uncover a couple HUGE pairs of sunglasses from Nancy's room. Mike was finding those hospital masks that went over the nose and mouth, tearing apart his family's bathroom. A lightbulb went off in his head, and he rushed into Nancy's room only to find Dustin trying on one of the huge glasses. They were thick, round and white framed and he turned to see Mike standing in the doorway. "What?" They both heard the front door open and looked at each other frightfully.
"Go downstairs!" Mike ordered in a hushed whisper. Dustin nodded, slipping the gaudy glasses into his jacket sleeve and walking out of the room. Nancy couldn't miss him on the stairs, acting very peculiar…
She squinted at him, recognizing that look of guilt from someone else's face, "…were you, in my room?"
"NO," he exclaimed, racing the rest of the way into the basement. It almost sounded like he'd fallen down the stairs because he was going so fast.
Nancy rolled her eyes, stomping up the stairs and calling, "Mike? You better not be in my-"
There he was, crawling out from under her bed, her textbooks strewn across the floor. She stared at him in shock as he shook his head wonderingly at her. "You keep your textbooks under your bed? No wonder you're failing Calculus…"
"Mike…if you don't get out of here…" she warned, closing her eyes angrily. "I have to make a phone call!"
"I'm just trying to find your anatomy book! Can me and the guys borrow it?" Mike asked, sifting through the pile of textbooks.
"Why do you need my anatomy book…?" she asked, fishing in her bag for the thick-bound pages.
Mike shrugged, "Just for fun…"
"…ew," Nancy shuddered, knowing there were detailed close-ups of the human body on page twenty-four.
"…EW. We're using it for science class!" Mike returned her questioning glare.
"Whatever…just don't damage it. I need that tomorrow…" Nancy warned, placing the book into his open hands. Unable to wipe the grimace off his face, he simply nodded and rushed downstairs, clutching the book to his chest. She sighed, slowly shutting her door and leaning against the frame. Then she glanced at her phone, pulling a piece of paper from her jeans pocket. Jonathan's name was spelled out above a complete phone number and she wondered if he was home yet. They needed to talk about the shocking news he'd delivered…
"What the heck is that for?" Lucas asked, sporting a pair of fuchsia red glasses. Tiny gems adorned the corners and Mike had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing. Lucas tore them off and eyed him, "No seriously…what's with the book? I don't have any homework today and I'm not trying to…"
"It's an anatomy book…" Dustin observed as Mike snickered into his fist. "Good thinking Mike!"
"Yeah…sorry Lucas…" he gasped, shaking his head.
"Yeah yeah…" he pushed him, holding out a pair of pink shades. "Don't worry, these are yours." Dustin giggled out loud as Mike's smile slowly vanished.
"…fine…" he sighed, snatching them from Lucas' hand. Dustin already had all of his protective gear on as he reached for the bucket.
"WAIT!" Lucas and Mike both shrieked, hastily equipping their masks and gloves.
"Sorry…just excited is all…" Dustin apologized. Mike opened the anatomy book and tried to find the closest thing to body systems…but he hadn't realized this book strictly covered human anatomy.
As Mike flipped past page twenty-four they all cringed, releasing a collective groan of disgust. "Your sister has to look at that in class?"
Mike shook his head, "I know, it's so gross…"
"Well, she's still kind of a badass so she can probably handle it," Dustin began, gasping with remembrance. "Remember when…?!"
"Yes Dustin! We remember when she fought the Demogorgon…" Mike exclaimed, tossing the useless book onto the couch. "Lucas fought it too!"
The boy cleared his throat, pretending to bask in recognition, "Yes…yes I did…"
"Oh please! We all know El basically saved our asses!" Dustin reminded them.
"True…true…" Lucas nodded in agreement. Mike had no comment, curious as to how they could speak so openly about her. It hadn't yet struck him that they idolized the girl, and each of them missed her in their own special way. Rather than cage their sorrow inwards, they decided to express their appreciation and gratitude outwardly…well, at least Dustin did.
"Okay…are we all ready?" Dustin asked, extending his arms eagerly towards the bucket. The soft lighting of Mike's basement wasn't really the best for a dissection, but they'd have to make do. This had to remain hidden, like so many better parts of their lives had. It too, was a living being…
"Ready…" Mike nodded.
"Me too," Lucas leaned over the bucket, preparing to see it. Dustin nodded, grasping the bucket in his gloved hands and slowly lifting it up. The folder lay on the table before them…completely slug-less. They furrowed their brows in confusion.
"…where'd it go?" Dustin asked, holding the bucket on his shoulder like an Aquarius symbol. Mike and Lucas watched in horror as the slug clung to the inside of the bucket, dangling precariously above Dustin's shoulder.
"Dustin…don't move…" Mike got the book from the couch.
"OH GOD where is it?! You guys can see it can't you?!" Dustin shrieked, closing his shaded eyes and shivering with disgust.
"Stop it! We got this, just…don't move!" Lucas restated, stressing his words with outstretched hands. Mike extended the book so it hung just beneath the slug and the tiny black creature slipped onto the cover. Mike slowly returned the anatomy text to the table and they all gazed ominously at the slug.
"Oh thank god…" Dustin sighed, letting the bucket bounce against the floor.
"What even is it?" Lucas asked, lowering his shades to get a better view of the already dark creature.
"I don't know…" Mike trailed off, leaning towards it and squinting.
"…shit!" Dustin exclaimed. They gave him a look of alarm. "We forget to get a knife…"
"Okay…you really wanna cut that thing open?" Lucas checked in a skeptical tone. "What's that gonna do besides make a mess?"
"Well we can't just flush it down the toilet!" Mike reminded them. "It could mess with the water supply…it could make everyone sick!"
"It'd be just like Zombie Holocaust…" Dustin trailed off, widening his eyes.
"Your mom let you watch that?" Mike asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I may have…watched it when my parents, weren't home…" Dustin grinned toothily.
"Oh…" Mike nodded knowingly. "…was it good?"
"I liked it," Dustin stated as Lucas began anxiously leering around the room. "But there was this one part where the scientist…"
"Guys!" Lucas barked.
"What?!" Mike turned to eye the spot where the slug had been and flinched with fright.
"WHERE IS IT NOW?!" Lucas shouted, spinning about searching the floor near his feet.
"Oh my god shit shit shit…" Dustin rehearsed his most common freak-out lines, stumbling about the dimly-lit basement.
"I FOUND IT!" Mike yelled, grabbing it with his glove. All of them either groaned or shrieked as Mike approached the table, holding it as far from him as his arm could stretch. The way it writhed between his fingers nearly made him hurl, and he grimaced with disgust. He threw it back onto the book, forgetting that his sister needed to eventually use it. "Look…let's just get rid of it…" he said, sighing into a shudder.
"Yeah! What are we gonna see inside of that thing besides nasty black goo?" Lucas added, shrugging his shoulders disdainfully.
Dustin sighed, a little let down. Like the rest of them, he was intrigued with science and the way things worked. All he'd wanted was to see if he could make any groundbreaking discoveries about the slug during the dissection…but he saw his friends' points. The risk outweighed the slimmest chances of benefit, and he nodded, "You're right…" The other two seemed to calm at this, until Dustin brought up the obvious. "We should definitely get rid of it…but how?"
"I'm not sure…" Mike sighed. "We can't burn it because my parents might smell it…"
"Uh, yeah…plus that's just really messed up," Lucas eyed his friend questioningly as Mike rolled his eyes, preparing to explain. "Let's just…bury it or something…"
Dustin's face lit up, "We could throw it in the quarry!"
"No way! Then the animals and the wildlife will get sick from the water!" Lucas rebuked. Dustin sighed, shrugging his shoulders helplessly.
"Do you have a better idea?" They eyed Mike, who stood gazing spitefully at the wriggling creature.
"…we keep it somewhere for Will," he suggested, eyeing the creature suspiciously. Before his friends had time to counter this suggestion, Mike added, "He said he wanted us to keep it for him…" Mike noted. "Maybe…since it came from Will…he'll know the best way to get rid of it." His friends' gazes cast downwards as they contemplated this theory.
"Okay…" Lucas sighed. "Where are we gonna keep it until then?"
Dustin's face lit up a second time, "Guys! What if we froze it?" The other two eyed him, glancing hopefully at each other. "Think about it…if it dies during the freeze, then we won't feel bad cutting it open or getting rid of it. It'll already be dead! And if it lives, that'll be fine too! If we freeze it, it won't be able to go anywhere. It'll be completely trapped until Will is better," Dustin explained.
"Whose freezer are we gonna keep it in?" Lucas asked, hoping this simple question wouldn't botch Dustin's otherwise ingenious plan.
"My dad has a cooler he lets me keep science experiments in…I could put it in there and he wouldn't even ask about it!" Dustin offered, smiling in a broad fashion.
"I think we should do that," Mike said.
"Oh don't worry! I can smell a good plan when I hear it," Lucas nodded, grinning playfully to his friends. They chuckled at his oxymoron, watching as Dustin rose to his feet.
"I'll get a cup of water!" he threw over his shoulder, heading up the stairs. Lucas and Mike remained in a fairly good mood, smiling at each other for a bit longer. They had to give their friend more credit; while they were all deemed "voraciously inquisitive" by Mr. Clarke, Dustin never let them down as the idea guy. Sometimes, he was the only one who could think of a plan at all!
"Hey Mike?"
"Yeah?" Lucas seemed oddly hesitant and Mike could tell something was up.
"…never mind…" Lucas changed his mind, shaking his head and waving a dismissive hand his way.
"Oh come on! You always do that!" Mike exclaimed. "Now you have to tell me!" He maintained his demanding stare even as they heard Dustin returning with the cup. If Lucas could talk to him about it, then Dustin had a right to hear it too.
"Nope…it's stupid. It'd kill the vibe," Lucas grinned mischievously to himself as Dustin placed the cup beside the book. Mike eyed him incomprehensively, wondering if what Lucas had to say was about their curly-haired friend.
"What would?" Dustin asked, glancing between them with eyes of blue.
"Nothing," Lucas shook his head carelessly. Dustin shrugged, seemingly oblivious to Mike's obvious frustration. The pale boy kept staring at his silent friend as Dustin picked the leech-like creature up, dropping it into the cup with a splash. They all reared away from the water in disgust.
"Sorry!" Dustin mumbled, carefully covering the top with aluminum foil. The moment he finished, he held the cup out victoriously. "There! All prepped for the cryo-chamber…" he said in a foreboding tone. Lucas and Mike couldn't help but grin and chuckle at this. If anything else, Dustin was also the master of references. "Say goodbye, Han Solo…" he added as his friends giggled helplessly.
"Mike!" Nancy called from above. He rolled his eyes, wiping the book with the end of his shirt and re-ascending the stairs reluctantly.
"I'll be back guys…" he groaned once near the top, meeting Nancy in the kitchen. She had a concerned look on her face, like she was confused about something she wanted to help with. "Hey…" he stated, offering her the book. She took it, gazing off into the distance. "…everything okay?" he asked, eyeing her suspiciously. There began a long, drawn-out silence as Nancy battled within herself; was she going to be a better sister, or a better guardian to her younger brother? She'd been sworn to secrecy and she hated it! How could she not tell him, of all people?! Even though he'd lied about it, she knew how he might have felt for the girl…and maybe still does.
"…yeah! Everything's fine…I just…need to show you something important…" she said in a cryptic manner.
Mike eyed her skeptically, "Is this something Mom should see?"
"NO!" she practically shouted, causing Mike to jump. His eyes widened in alarming suspicion. "No…just you and…your friends…"
"Oh…" Mike nodded in a knowing fashion, turning to shout for the two boys.
"NOT…yet," Nancy grabbed his shoulder instinctively. "It's kind of…a secret…"
Now she'd truly piqued his curiosity, and he eyed her, asking, "What's going on?"
"I need to make another phone call…just hang on, okay?" Nancy retreated to her room, closing the door behind her. Mike was left very confused and slightly annoyed at the top of the stairs. His sister wanted to help him…but it meant keeping him in the dark for a few more minutes as she dialed the Byers' home. There was no reply, so she dialed again. Then again. Finally, on the fourth try, someone picked up the phone and Nancy held her breath. "…Jonathan?"
She could hear breathing on the other end of the line, then someone replied. "No."
Now, Nancy's mind wasn't a steel-trap; she was a regular high-school student going through a break-up, focused on classes and studying and whether she actually understood the intricacies of the periodic table. Right now it was March, yet only four months ago she'd forgotten all academia for a single week to hunt a monster that had stolen her closest friend. She knew how Mike felt now…how much pain came along with losing someone so suddenly. Not to mention, he'd been through it twice. And all too quickly, it was like it had been four months ago, eternally etched into her memory. Her fears were revisiting her and so was the intrigue concerning this little girl…and there was no way she could forget about the danger. Jonathan had sounded worried in the car, making her promise not to tell anyone. But this was Mike, and Nancy knew he was one of El's only friends. This would go against everything I said I wouldn't do…
Just as she was doubting herself, a memory lodged itself into her consciousness, and she remembered how Mike had been the week after El had disappeared. Karen had made him waffles to cheer him up, but the instant he spotted them stacked in groups of three, his eyes watered and his face flushed red. He stormed off into the basement, deaf to his mother's sympathetic calls and his sister's sad, worried looks. They didn't speak about the girl for a whole week after that, and whenever the clock struck eleven he'd rush downstairs, secluding himself in the basement for a whole hour.
The logistical, multi-tasking part of her mind shoved everything to the ground and sharply focused on that voice and what it meant to her family, especially her brother. She spoke quietly, "I'm Nancy…Mike's sister…" Nancy distinctly heard a gasp of disbelief, albeit quiet and subdued.
"Mike…" she repeated, never thinking she'd hear or say the name again.
"Yeah…do you want to see him?" Nancy asked.
"Yes," El nodded hastily, shifting about anxiously beside the phone. Her pulse quickened and her pupils dilated of their own accord. It felt like her stomach was jumping about with some kind of electricity and her limbs twitched and vibrated, yearning to run to Mike's house right now, though she wasn't sure of the way.
"Okay…Jonathan can bring you here in his car…" Nancy began. Eleven sighed, her eyes closing regretfully slow. "Where Is Jonathan?"
Her hands unclenched and she sighed remorsefully into the earpiece, "Gone…"
To be continued...
Authors Note: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING! I hope you've enjoyed the story this far! Follow for more and tell me what you think, good or bad! Keep on writing! -Nightlock