Home Sweet Home?
December 22, 1984
"So what do we need to get?" El asked Hopper, looking around Melvald's General Store taking it all in as best she could. It was the first place she and him had gone out together after the snowball. The air still cold and filled with snow, but hints of spring were laced within it. He had told her after coming back from a meeting with Dr. Owens that she would be able to start going out of the cabin, the first had been the dance and now this.
It would be slow of course, going here and there every now and then and it would be a year or so before she got to go to a real school. After all people would have questions, but she had a cover story.
Hopper had told her to tell anyone who asked that he had taken her in after his sister died, leaving her no one in the world but him in the way of family. She was just happy to be going out and seeing the town, be able to see Mike and the others.
"We just need to get some groceries, but if you see anything you want just ask," Hopper said grabbing a cart and started down one of the aisles with canned goods.
El followed after him, her hands in the pockets of Mike's red hoodie he had given her a few days ago when they had been walking home and she hadn't given it back since it still smelled like him, his clean clothing smell that always made her smile.
Hopper stopped and threw a few cans of vegetables into the basket before moving on to grab his favorite chips and salsa.
El looked at the shelves reading the labels as they turned into another aisle but stopped as whispering found her ears.
She turned around and found an older woman shooting her a look but she wasn't talking, just looking at her like she was from the moon.
El would get used to that in the coming months, but for now, she wasn't a fan.
She focused on the rack of postcards the woman was standing next to and a second later it started to spin. Slowly at first and then faster and faster until the woman looked away from her and let out a little cry of surprise as a card hit her in the face.
El turned away, wiping at her nose, a dot of red coming away and found Hopper grabbing a box of something called capri sun and put it in the cart.
"Why do people stare?" El asked as they stopped at the freezer and Hopper started filling the basket with the tv dinners they always had.
"Who was staring?" Hopper asked looking back at her, worry in his eyes now.
"A woman," she answered not sure why he was so concerned, it would take her a long time to understand that he was scared that Dr. Owens would want her back, take her from him.
"Stay here," he said and started towards the checkout where Mrs. Byers stood helping a line of people.
She did as she was told, but only for a moment, then she heard it again. That whisper. She turned towards where it sounded like it was coming from and started for it. The aisle was in the very back of the store, the light from the windows didn't reach making it dimmer than the rest of the store, the air colder.
The sound got clearer as she reached the back and found an aisle filled with electronics.
Tv's, games, walkie-talkies, phones with curled cords in all colors and radios. El walked down the aisle, the sound of people in the distance now as she ran her fingers down the cold shelf until she found what was making the whispering.
El stopped and looked at the peach-colored radio, it was new and clean, fresh out of the box. She pressed a button marked "open" and the window like thing in the front popped out making her take a step back in surprise.
She pushed it back in carefully and it closed with a snap. Later on, Mike would tell her it was for cassette tapes. Something used for recording songs from the radio and you could play it back over and over again. He would even make her one with his favorite songs on it.
She played with the dial a moment until it landed on Shot Through The Heart by someone named Bon Jovi.
"Didn't somebody somewhere say
You're gonna take a fall?
I gave you everything.
Now here's the curtain call And I'm shot through the heart
As I lay there alone
In the dark."
A smile crossed her lips as she kept going but it fell seconds later as she heard footsteps.
She turned just in time to find Hopper turning the corner in a jog, looking angry. But also a little pale, almost like he was scared. "There you are," he said taking her by the shoulders, "Why didn't you stay where I told you too!"
El felt shock go through her at his hard words and grip, she hadn't thought she was doing anything wrong but he clearly did. "I-I I'm sorry," she said, surprise in her voice and it must have been clear on her face as well.
He shook his head and rubbed at his face. "Don't be sorry, just...just please don't leave without me knowing next time okay?"
She nodded quickly and he let out a breath.
"What did you come over here for anyway?"
"I heard a sound and found the radio on," El answered pointing to where it still played
. "Standing there, just a live wire
With nowhere left to turn.
You were gonna set the world on fire,
But you'll never learn"
He went over to it and pressed a few buttons like she had seeming just as interested.
"Can I have?" El asked quietly, looking up at him.
He looked down at her and chewed on his lip a moment before he spoke. "Do you promise not to do that again, scare me like that?"
She nodded, smiling like crazy.
"Alright then." He said grabbing her peach radio and put it in the cart.
July 11, 1985
El put her peach radio on a table next to the white lamp. She reached over to turn it on but stopped. For some reason she couldn't bring herself to listen to it today, it felt… not right in away.
"Hey, El do you need any more help?" Mike asked. She turned and looked around her new "Room." Since the Byers house was already so small, the rooms already in use she would be sleeping on the couch, their living room her new bedroom. Jonathan had offered her his room and she knew that Will and Mrs. Byers would do the same but she had refused. Because in honesty she didn't care where she slept anymore, didn't care if she had a door or even a bed. She hadn't been sleeping well anyway for the last few days as she unpacked her things.
"El?" Mike said again and she looked over at him.
"No I think It's done," she answered and stepped back joining him to look at their handy work. A small part of the living room had been cleared up for her where she had put her boxes of clothes and books along with her rolled-up posters. The pillow and blanket she would be using to sleep with were folded up by the couch…..and that was it. That small corner held the life she had made in that cabin with Hopper.
"You okay?" Mike whispered into her ear as she rested her head on his shoulder. She nodded not wanting to voice the words because they might have to be true then.
"Hey you know I'm having a big movie night tomorrow right? My mom got all kinds of movies on VHS. The Terminator, Poltergeist, The Goonies. Nancy got one called sixteen candles which sounds girly but you'll probably like it."
"Because I'm a girl?" El asked looking up at him.
"No, I mean yes, b-but.. Like you would probably like the….." he trailed off and she shook her head in wonder at how he talked himself into a maze.
She turned so she faced him now and looked up to see his cheeks a little pink. "I'm not sure I'll go," she said finally.
"But everyone is going, Max, Dustin, Lucas, Will. I think Nancy and Jonathan will be there as well, but they will probably be upstairs making out. Hell Dustin will probably invite Steve over since he doesn't have a job anymore."
El bit her lip, she didn't know why but for some reason it felt off. She knew that things had to go back to normal but going to watch movies and eat sugary foods... it felt like it was happening too fast.
"Come on it will take your mind off of things, there will be popcorn, candy, soda. I'll even make you eggos."
She couldn't help but smile at that, somehow he always knew how to make her feel better, even if it was for a moment. "Fine, I'll go but you better have those eggos ready."
"Of course I will, I'll even get my mom to buy some whipped cream," Mike said smiling.
"Wow romantic," someone said from behind them.
Both she and Mike turned to see Max, Dustin and Lucas standing there ready to go.
"Better than having to sing to one another," Lucas said sarcastically looking at Dustin.
"Hey that was for Suzie and only for Suzie," Dustin shot back, "You weren't supposed to hear it."
"Well, we did," Max said, "How did it go again?"
"Don't," Dustin said.
"I think it was something like…." Lucas said looking at Dustin with a wicked smile.
"Please don't," Dustin asked.
"Turn around. Look at what you see.
In her face. The mirror of your dreams."
"Noooo," Dustin said and turned for the door.
"Make believe I'm everywhere. Given in the light," Max joined in and followed after Dustin into the night.
"Written on the pages Is the answer to a never-ending story. Ahhhhh." Lucas and Max sang as they disappeared through the door, closing it after themselves.
"Dustin is never going to live that down," Mike said shaking his head before he looked back down at her. "I'll see you tomorrow," he said and placed a gentle kiss on her cheek before pulling away and followed their friends.
El stood there a moment looking after them as they got on their bikes and rode away as the sun started to drop below the trees, the small smile still on her lips before it was gone again.
"Hey, you ready for dinner?" Mrs. Byers asked coming into the living room then.
El looked away from the window and turned towards her. "I was actually going to have a shower if that's alright," she asked.
Mrs. Byers walked over to her and gently placed a comforting hand on her back as she spoke. "El this is your home now, you don't have to ask for anything."
El nodded looking away from Mrs. Byers kind eyes. "Thank you. I'll be fast and join you all for dinner in a minute."
"Take your time," Mrs. Byers said softly as she started for the kitchen.
El walked through the hall and went into the bathroom, closing the door and turned on the light before going over to the tub and turned the cold and hot water on. The sound of the water running from the showerhead filled the room as she undressed quickly, the steam making the world look misty as she undid her bandage and saw that it looked to be doing better, it barely even hurt now when she walked.
She got in and tipped her head back letting the smell of the hospital wash away in the warmth of the water and shampoo. Her world went quiet as the water covered her ears and she closed her eyes taking a deep breath and rubbed at her face. In the dark of her own mind, she let herself slip into it, the mindlessness of simply breathing in and out, thinking of nothing at all. But too soon she had to come back to reality. She opened her eyes blinking the water away and covered her mouth to keep her scream in.
The water that had just been clear with only bubbles from the shampoo moments ago was now black as the sky on a moonless night and as thick as tar.
El hit the back wall, her hand still covering her mouth as her breathing hitched. The water had raised to cover her feet to the point she could barely move them with how sticky it was. Suddenly a bubble appeared on the top of the black and popped sending whatever it was in the tub covering the walls and shower curtain.
El finally let out a cry of fear as more and more black bubbles started forming and popped covering her and the wall, Heather's voice rang out around her as they popped. "I died because of you! I died because of you! I died because of you! I died because of you!"
El grabbed at the shower curtain and threw it open, pulling her feet free she fell onto the tiled floor with a hard thump.
For a moment she laid on the cold tile, her breath heavy as scared tears fell from her eyes, the voice dying away.
A knock came from the door than making her look up, her eyes wide. "El mom said dinner is almost ready," she heard Will say.
"I-I'll be right there," she said breathlessly looking back at the shower to see that it was normal again. The water was still running clean as ever. The walls and curtain were white with not even a smudge of black.
"Are you alright?" Will asked sounding concerned.
"F-fine," El said, slowly standing up using the sink and grabbed a towel wrapping it around herself.
"Okay," Will said and she heard his footsteps fade away.
El went over and turned off the water carefully, not taking her eyes away from the drain the whole time scared that another voice would start again. She rewrapped her leg as fast as she could before getting dressed in a loose t-shirt and sweatpants, her hands shaking as she grabbed onto the sink to keep herself upright.
With one last look at the tub, still normal as ever, El opened the door. She found the others already sitting down at their dinner table talking to each other as they ate lasagna, the tv on in the living room, the news talking about the mayor and how he was trying to cover up something. She joined them and looked down at her plate, she didn't really have an appetite but she picked up her fork all the same not wanting to hurt Mrs. Byers feelings.
"You alright El?" Jonathan asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost."
She looked up and found all of looking of them at her. Could she tell them what she was seeing? Unlike the things the Mind Flayer had done the things she was seeing didn't leave anything behind, Billy was dead, the bathroom wasn't covered in black stuff, she was the only one to hear those voices. Would they believe her?
"I'm fine," she answered softly as she took a bite of her food, not really tasting it.
The room was quiet for only a moment more before they went back to talking and her mind went to wondering. She would talk to Mike about all of this tomorrow. He would believe her even if he didn't see the things she did, he would help her...he always did.
AN/
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, sorry if anyone was actually waiting on an update (who am I kidding no one is reading this) I will be back to updating every two/three days now. Anyway thanks for reading, it means a lot to me. If you want to review and give me your thoughts and or any criticism on what I could do better please feel free, it always helps.