Max wasn't sure exactly how she had convinced the boys to join her at the lake, but as they all stood there together on the dock she couldn't help but to admit the cool shining water did look inviting especially as the afternoon continued to warm up.

Lucas was the first to be brave enough to take off his shirt. He smiled broadly at her and then turned to his friends and called out, "Come on guys. Last one in is a rotten egg!"

She giggled softly as he raced toward the edge of the dock and then grabbed his feet and leapt straight out into the water splashing all of them. Will and Mike exchanged a smirk amongst themselves and then went ahead and took off their shoes and shirts as well.

Max tied up her hair, looking at Dustin who was still standing next to the shoreline unsure and remarked, "Come on, nobody is going to come out here right now!"

"I don't know about this you guys," he admitted even as Mike and Will joined Lucas in the water. "Come on Dustin, don't be a pussy,"Lucas shouted out.

"Look I cant swim okay?" the curly haired boy said defensively. Max looked at him sadly and then remarked, "Hey, it's ok. I can teach you." "Really?" he asked in surprise to which she nodded and encouraged him to take his first tentative steps into the cool lake.

At the same time, Eleven was helping find her sister some new clothes. She had snuck back across to the girl's cabin for just such a reason, searching for someone that appeared to be about the same size as Kali.

Tracy Walker, mouthbreaker, she thought as she looked thru the girl's things. Racing back across the campsite, she heard a soft howl somewhere out in the woods and then picked up the pace.

It actually had been Mike howling like a wolf, the other boys joining in as they started to play in the water and enjoy themselves. Dustin smiled nervously as he was slowly guided by Max into the water until he got it to his waist.

"I think that's deep enough," she said and then encouraged him to try and move a little on his own.

Eleven entered the cabin and gave her sister the clothes, crossing her arms as she waited for Kali to finish what she had to tell her. When it seemed like forever, she finally broke the silence and asked, "What did you mean... something terrible was coming?"

The punk chick tossed aside her ragged clothes and looked at her sister with blood shot eyes. "They didn't want to simply understand my powers, Jane. They wanted me to grow stronger," she explained as she slipped on the larger shirt.

"Stronger?" Eleven repeated.

"Like you, to be able to see things without being there... to find out more for them," Kali explained as she added fearfully, "They wouldn't stop until I could find you."

"Me?" she said in surprise.

The boys continued to laugh and hoot playfully as Dustin seemed to get the hang of it. Then they all paused as they heard footsteps approaching. "Quick! Hide!" Lucas shouted. Dustin rushed back to the shoreline as Max grabbed Will's hand and they swam further into the lake where a large rock jutted from the water.

From amid the tree line a shadowy figure emerged, for a moment Dustin almost thought it might be the Demodog returned to finish them off. But it was Hopper.

"What the hell are you kids doing out here?"

"They wanted me to find you, Jane. I think... I think that was their goal all along," Kali explained.

"Papa...?" Eleven asked as she tried to hide her anxiety, knowing what those men had done to her in the past.

"Men like him, men who see as nothing but a means to an end," Kali explained as she shivered and added, "But... there was something else... something they wanted me to do..."

Hopper glared at Lucas, Mike and Dustin as the boys bowed their heads in shame and he crossed his arms, commenting, "So where's the rest of your posse?"

"They didn't come," Lucas said quickly even as Max and Will clung to the rock out of sight.

"Hmm, sure," Hopper remarked dryly as he gestured for them to head toward camp and added, "Get inside and go clean up, you little shitheads. I don't want to see you out here again."

The three exchanged a worried glance and then ran toward the campsite as Hopper gazed out at the water and wondered how the kids could continue to be so stupid.

"I didn't want to... They made me get in the tank again,"Kali said as she teared up and muttered, "They said... they wanted me to find something for them."

"Another one of us?" Eleven guessed but Kali shook her head negatively and responded, "The man in charge called it a gate..." immediately her sister's face went pale.

"You... know what that is don't you," Kali guessed.

"Papa... we found it by accident, two years ago," Eleven answered.

"This time... it was no accident," Kali responded.

"Hey, quit touching my leg, it tickles," Will said pushing Max away as they waited for the coast to be clear. "Relax weirdo I wouldn't do that anyways. Come on, we better get to shore," the redhead suggested as she started to swim back. "Okay, gimme a second. I want to just get in a few laps, it's been ages since I have swam," Will said with a fresh smile.

"Whatever," Max said with a shrug as she swam back toward the coast and started to dry off.

Will laughed and began to swim around the rock, enjoying the summer breeze.

"I felt... cold. It was so so dark,"Kali started to say as she stared off into space and Eleven crept closer. "Sister, tell me. Did you open it?" Eleven asked grabbing her.

She nodded meekly, trying not to cry. "There was something there, Jane. Something evil and ancient. Cold and intelligent," the dark skinned girl said as she shook uncontrollably.

Eleven held her down. "The Shadow Monster?"she whispered, daring not to speak the creatures name.

"I don't know... it was so powerful. It... it wanted something..." Kali turned to her sister and cried out, "I think it's coming for you!"

Will felt something against his foot again as he frowned and looked about and toward the dock. Max had already started toward the tree line and he decided it was time for him to go in as well. He started to swim toward the dock, unsure of what he had felt and then felt something slide against his skin.

He stopped for a moment as it started to tug at his leg, then cried out in alarm when it would not release its grip. He looked toward the empty tree line, feeling the grip of the water grow tighter around his leg and tried with all his might to escape.

Then the strange feeling seemed to grow stronger and he realized he was sinking into the lake. In a matter of seconds, the water was calm again and Will was tugged under into the darkness beneath.

END OF CHAPTER TWO