Stranger Things: Rebuilding

Chapter 28 of my Stranger Things story, enjoy.

Reviews

Boris Yeltsin: Well of course, since it's a diary entry, as has been stated plenty of time by now :)
Wolfgirl2013: Thanks :)

Now onto the story.

So we enter part 2 of the story.

As explained already, from now until the end of the story, it's set on a Monday.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stranger Things or its characters.

A Fresh Start, A New Problem

Hopper sighed as he checked his watch, noting the time and looking back at the phone which he had just put down after taking the call from Flo.

'After Troy handed himself in and started giving information along with James...we've practically arrested and dismantled the entire gang. Only the leader Shane is still out there. But he's no longer a gang leader without a gang.' He mused. 'But according to Flo there's still concerns about the missing hikers...That's why I need to go into the station, now.'

He bit his lip as he considered this, looking towards the closed bathroom door where El was taking her morning shower. It was Monday and she had spent all Sunday in a depressed state, but seemed relatively better this morning. But as it stood, he knew he had no choice. So, with a sigh, he approached the door and knocked.

"Kiddo, I've gotta go to the station right away. Are you gonna be okay by yourself?"

El replied right away. "Yeah, I'm alright."

He paused for a moment. "Oh and remember, make sure you get yourself to school on time."

"Yeah, okay."

Hop turned away and headed towards the door. He opened it to end up face to face with Mike Wheeler who started, hand raised as he was just about to knock the door.

Both were surprised by this but Hopper recovered first.

"Wheeler, what are you doing here so early...on a Monday?"

Mike blinked, then cleared his throat. "I um. I was worried about El, we didn't hear from her all Sunday and, well. I just came to make sure she was okay, and brought breakfast."
As he said the last part he held up the bag he was carrying, the smell of bagels apparent. Hopper sighed and then smiled lightly.

"Alright...just go and sit down, El will be out soon. Just make sure you both get to school on time." He told Mike firmly.

Mike nodded, making his way to the table and sat down while Hopper left and drove away to the police station. El emerged from the bathroom, her shower done, dried and dressed she stopped, eyes wide.

"Mike?"

Mike smiled at her. "Hi El, are...are you okay?"

She was still startled but nodded. "Um, yeah. I mean, sorry I didn't call any of you guys yesterday. Saturday was just crazy and I...I just needed time to process it all."

"Oh, I...I see…" He replied, looking anxious. "Um, if you...if you want to talk...I'm here to listen. I've brought bagels, breakfast before we leave for school."

El couldn't help but smile a little at that, touched at how much Mike clearly cared.

Sitting down she accepted the bagel he offered and they ate in silence for a moment. As they did so, El glanced at Mike and was actually distracted by what she saw. His hair normally tousled and curly, looked surprisingly lank, she also saw that he seemed paler than usual and there was definitely dark shadows under his eyes. Yet even then, something about seeing him caused a strange stirring inside her, something that reminded her of that weird dream that felt so long ago.

'What am I doing, thinking like that, I...urgh, focus El.' She told herself, not happy about her confusion. "So um...Saturday…"

Mike nodded. "Yeah...If you don't feel up to talking about it though, you don't have to-?"

"No it's, it's fine." She insisted. "I just...It was a trick, that note. Max was right. I went there and saw Eric, he was...um...with Jessica, they were…"

"You walked in on Eric and Jessica…?" Mike choked out, going bright red. "Having sex?"

El couldn't help but blush too, but nodded. "Yeah, that…"

"Wow...that had to suck." Mike said at last, sympathetically.

Bowing her head, El sighed. "I wish that was all that happened, as devastating as it was."

"Huh?"

"Troy came after me...and, one of the monsters." She revealed.

There was a clatter as Mike dropped the knife, staring at her wide-eyed. He knew what she was talking about. After he had learned about her past, her powers, she had also warned him and the others about the alternate realm and the monstrous creatures within.

"You, but…"

"It was the one that looked like that monster from your game, a...Demogorgon?" El explained.

Mike looked close to passing out. "Holy shit, El, you...you went through all that and, and…"

"Now you get why I needed Sunday alone to process everything." She admitted sadly. "Luckily I dealt with the monster and Troy has turned himself in."

Mike nodded at that, he knew that part, having heard the news on Sunday, it had been a relief for him and he was sure so many others, to know the gang was pretty much gone.

They lapsed into silence again as they finally finished eating and quickly cleared things up.

"Guess we better get to school." Mike said finally.

El nodded, but couldn't help but be worried, she thought back to what she had noted about Mike earlier, how worn down he looked.

"Mike, it looks like your weekend wasn't exactly easy either." She said softly. "Are you...okay?"

To her surprise Mike actually looked panicked, briefly.

Then he spoke, perhaps a little too quickly. "It's, it's nothing really. Just a long night, I'll be fine. I'm more worried about what you've gone through."

El was about to reply when suddenly they heard a noise, as if something or someone was hammering at the door. Both teens jumped and waited for a moment, anxious. Finally, nodding to Mike, El crept towards the door, he followed and stood nearby, picking up the baseball bat Hopper had stashed by the door. El opened it to reveal nobody there, then she looked down and saw a package. Addressed to her in an unfamiliar hand, she knew one thing as she picked it up, the sender was not the same one who sent her the note that lured her out on Saturday to that devastating encounter.

"What is it?" Mike asked worriedly.

El bit her lip as she began to open it.

"Not sure…" She bit her lip. "Huh…"

Inside the package was a video tape, unlabelled, along with it was a note and photo. She picked up the photo and it felt like her heart seized, Mike gaped at the photo in shock too.

"Holy shit." He gasped.

The photo was of Eric, he was in some sort of bland location, nothing to make it stand out. One of his eyes was blue and black, swollen shut, he looked frightening pale, weak, he didn't even seem to be aware that he was being photographed.

"How could this...Eric, what…?" She gasped, all at once feeling terrified for him.

Mike looked back at the package. "Maybe the note will tell us more?"

Tearing her eyes from the photo she picked up the note.

Looking anxiously at Mike who nodded, giving her all the reassurance he could, she opened the note and read.

"Eleven.

As you can see from the photograph, we have a mutual friend. Sadly he's not feeling well at the moment. Did you know that Eric is diabetic. No, I don't imagine you did. He's well enough for the moment, but at around ten o'clock this evening he will be needing his insulin quite desperately.

That is where you come in, Eleven. You will be required to complete a series of tests. If you fail to complete them by ten, we will not wait for the diabetes to do its work, we will kill him.

You will find a videotape in this package, you must play it during your first period class, do NOT view this tape prior to showing it in school."

With that the note ended, with no signature.

"Holy…" She gasped in horror.

Mike looked even more horrified. "El...your first class today is history, you were supposed to watch a video about the American Civil War...that means there will already be a TV and VCR set up in the classroom."

"And whoever wrote this has to know that…" El finished, also realizing.

She looked at the note, then the photo of Eric, then she grabbed the video tape.

"El, wait a minute, that's-" Mike tried to protest.

But El wasn't listening, she knew she couldn't afford to wait. Eric's life was on the line, she had to save him. To do that, right now, she could only do one thing, follow the instructions she had been given. So with Mike hurrying out after her, she left the house, determined to do whatever she had to do to save Eric.

End of chapter, hope you enjoyed it, read and review please.