Max
Mike was in a good place. Once he'd made the decision to start travelling, and started working on a detailed plan he felt focused and secure in the knowledge that he'd be making the right move. He liked living in his parent's house. It felt safe, it had been his home his entire life, and it was still his home. It would probably always feel like home.
Mike had to move on. He wanted to find out what had actually happened in Hawkins, and maybe the world, where everybody had gone to, why his parents hadn't come back.
And why Max would never come back. The thought gave Mike pause. He couldn't think about Max. That still stung a bit, would for quite a while. He would never forget her, his only real friend in Hawkins for the last three years.
Mike was in the basement doing a last bit of reading before turning out the light. The October rain outside was really coming down. The rain sounded cold. Good night to be in, Mike thought. He was finishing up a chapter in an outdoor survival book. He had some thin rope beside him, and he was practising the examples of tying more complex knots when he heard the last thing he expected to hear.
A knock on the basement door.
MIke walked cautiously to the door and put his ear to it.
"Open the door Wheeler, I know you're in there." It was a girl's voice.
"Max?" Mike whispered. It couldn't be.
Mike unlocked the door, turned the knob slowly. It was only open a crack before a figure wearing a bright yellow rain slicker pushed their way in and closed the door behind them.
"About time, Wheeler, that rain is freezing out there."
She took off her rain gear and dropped a duffel bag she had over her shoulder, and looked at him shivering a little.
Mike pointed toward the basement bathroom, "put on some warm clothes, and crawl into the sleeping bag"
A minute later Max was in snuggled in the sleeping bag, Mike came over and unzipped the other side.
"What are you doing Wheeler?"
"I'm getting in here with you."
"You are not!"
"Yeah, I am Max, you're still shivering, it's cold in here even in the sleeping bag, we can share body heat...and…"
"And what Wheeler."
"I'm going to hug you all night long," Mike said and then burst into tears.
"Don't get me start.." Max said, and began sobbing..
"Sh-Shit, Wheeler, get in here."
Zipped up warmly they spooned in the sleeping bag. It was a long time before either one of them had stopped crying. Each wave of relief that Mike felt, spawned another crying jag and that triggered Max to do the same.
Eventually they both fell asleep.
"How did you get here?" Mike asked.
"Drove when I could find a working car and until I ran out of gas, rode a bike if I could find a usable one, walked when I had to."
"You walked from California?"
"There's a reason it took me four months Wheeler."
"You're home used to be there. Why come back to Hawkins of all places?"
"Because this is where you were Mike. I had to know if you were...gone. I struggled everyday thinking I'd be coming back to a ghost town."
Max looked down…"thanks for still being here, Mike." Her bottom lip started to tremble, and Mike went over to and gave her a crushing hug.
"...can't breath….Wheeler." Mike let go.
Max felt his biceps, "what the hell happened to you. These things were like straws when I left, and now…"
"The last four months I've had to haul a lot of stuff around, chopping wood...you know, stuff I would have never done...before."
"I'll bet Troy wouldn't be so quick to hassle you know."
"Something tells me I'll never have to worry about him again."
"All kinds of shit changed overnight." Max said. "Remember I said I'd never kiss you unless you were the last boy on earth?"
Mike smiled. Max gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Well..check and check. That was for still being here. Means a lot to me. You have no idea." She turned away, in order to avoid Mike's eyes.
"Don't get used to it Wheeler, you're still not my type...although I can sense my options have been reduced." Max paused, "um….Mike?"
"Yeah, Max?" Her voice had gotten serious all of the sudden.
She turned around have gave him tight hug trying not to cry.. "It's ok Max," Mike hugged her back, there's nobody I'd rather spend the apocalypse with."
By the end of November. It was windy and there were signs of an early snowstorm. Mike and Max were in their separate sleeping bags with an oil lamp burning, listening the the wind.
"Was it bad out there, Max?"
"It must have been, but my dad and I missed it. We were up in the mountains in a rented cabin when it happened. My dad got sick," Max took a deep breath. "I didn't. I heard on the radio before all the stations went dead that it was an airborne virus that got up into the jetstream, spread over the entire planet in a matter of hours. They had no idea what caused it, or if there was a patient zero. Scientists are human, and just as likely to get it as anyone else. I think too many of them died before they could get a handle on it. They couldn't even tell if it could pass from person to person because it happened so fast. Once it's airborne, it doesn't make any difference."
Max described what she'd heard on the radio, that they were telling people to stay away from the big cities, but everyone flocked to them because they thought they were safer.. cities were death traps. Once you got into a city there was no quick way out. Martial law had been declared in most cities in a few hours, same with a state of emergency. It had gone downhill very fast.
"I didn't encounter anybody on my way here, and no bodies anywhere. Last radio broadcast I heard said that cities were funeral pyres. Crammed with burning bodies, buildings, no way to get out."
"I think I slept through all that," Mike said. "I'm guessing we are immune. After four or five months, I think it's probably safe."
"I thought that even if you weren't here...or...gone. I could probably survive here….seeing the glow of your lamp through the basement window is the most incredible thing I've ever seen." Max had to stop, she was on the verge of crying again.
"Was that the first time you've ever knocked on my door?…because usually-"
"Screw you Wheeler." Max said and gave him a big smile.
Mike no longer felt the need to travel, especially not to find anybody else, although he knew that life would be a little bit harder if they stayed in Hawkins. That was always in the back of his mind.
He didn't want to bring it up with Max. He could tell she was glad to be safe and happy to be with a friend. And really, that's all they needed for now.
One day Mike was reading up on how to navigate by stars, even though he had a couple of good compases. "Wheeler, how can I help?"
"Help with what, Max?"
She waved her hands around, "with this whole survivalist thing. I feel like I'm taking advantage of all the work you've done."
"You don't have to Max, I'd do anything for you. You know that."
"Wheeler."
"Ok, ok, why don't you learn the things I haven't gotten around to yet?"
"And those are?..."
"You're not going to like it," Max gave him a look.
"Sewing, not just for clothes, but for leatherworking," Max started to roll her eyes, "or mechanics. Bikes and cars."
"Ok I'll take that one. I think I have a knack for for it anyway. My dad always said so."
"You don't want to sew my socks?" Mike gave her a smirk.
"I'll go to Melvald's and get you a new pair. I'm sure they have them."
They went to the library, trudging through the snow, to get Max books on being bike and engine repair. Mike had fitted ski's on the Gorilla cart wheels , to make it easier to get through the snow.
"Not a lot of cars around here to practice on. Looks like most of them took off that night. All the people did, I haven't seen anybody since that night. Only you."
"It's too cold to be working outside or in a garage anyway. This is going to have to wait till after winter. Leatherworking it is. Still not sewing your socks Wheeler."
Mike knew that Max would hate to admit it, but she turned out to be a natural at leatherworking. She made bracers and satchels for the both of them, a leather utility vest for Mike.
"Wow, Max, these are really good. How about some leather socks?"
"Screw you Wheeler, I told you I'm not sewing your socks. Leather or not."
A brutal snowstorm had hit Hawkins, the wind seemed to pass through the basement like the walls weren't there.
Max had been quiet all day, and when they had finally crawled into separate sleeping bags, Mike thought she'd gone to sleep, not bothering to say goodnight.
"It must be close to Christmas," Max said quietly, "I didn't get you anything."
"Just getting to talk to you again Max, is the best Christmas present I'll probably ever get...I, uh didn't get you anything either."
"You were here for me after four months of walking. I can't even describe how that makes me feel," Mke could hear her voice getting shaky.
"Shit Wheeler. I'm freezing, Let's zip our sleeping bags together."
"Just keep your hands to yourself Max."
"In your dreams, Wheeler."
"I'm not freezing anymore, thanks. Maybe we need to think about some kind of external insulation for the basement."
"I think this is as cold as it's ever gotten in Hawkins" Mike was silent for a minute. "You know Max, we don't have to stay here, I mean, I'm ok with it, if you are, but we don't have to."
"Funny you should mention that Wheeler," Max continued to let Mike know what she was thinking.
