16
The Mill
El
El ran into the tall yellowing grass that stood only inches shorter than herself, she stopped after a few minutes of running, listening. But the only sound was her own heart racing in her ears. There was no wind to make the dead trees that stood around her rassle, or the sound of field mice running around to move the grass or even the sound of another living creature in this dead world. She had long ago lost those bird-like things after running into a barn a few miles back and locked them in. They had followed her in only to find that she had been waiting outside to close the doors on them. But she had a feeling that other monster's waited for her around every corner.
As she started forward again it was for the first time she wondered where the upside-down had come from. It was like someone had photocopied Hawkins but forgot to use the color, instead, it had been turned into a black and white copy that felt wholly wrong, empty of any light or warmth. But she didn't even know if this was the real upside down, maybe this was all in her head. The chilling thought that kept her awake at night sometimes hit her then, the thought that this was made by her in the first place... She was suddenly snapped away from that line of thinking as the sound of something moving out there caught her attention.
She looked around herself a moment but the dry grass was too tall for her to see much of anything. El took a step backwards and stopped to listen again to hear if anything moved. But no. Everything was silent again. She started to move faster towards the building once again, she could just see the top of the old roof over the yellowing grass now. She bit her lip as she got closer, something felt off, and not just the feeling that this whole world had, but like someone...something was watching her...following her.
But there wasn't a sound around for miles and miles, only her own footfall of grass breaking under her feet and heavy breathing from the running all night. But still, that creeping feeling of something out there following made her heart start to beat faster and her hurried steps turned to jog.
She could see the front of the Brimborn Steel Works Mill now, the old building rising far above her. She let out a relieved breath when finally the sound of something snapping made her jump and turn around, red lightning lighting up the world for a moment, but it did nothing to help her see what was out there.
Not a moment later El sent out a burst of power all around her. The grass flattened instantly from all sides and as she looked up she met the eyes of the thing making the sounds. It was a demodog, bigger than the ones they had seen the year before. It growled at her as it slowly made it's way towards her, like a cat with a mouse.
She took a slow step back, as she looked around herself, now that the grass had been knocked down El found that there was more than one, way more than one. Maybe 12 in all. How they had been so quiet all this time she didn't know, but they were all around her, all moving slowly towards her, courting her in.
Closer and closer they got to her, but she didn't move, didn't run like her mind was screaming at her too. Instead, she sucked in a breath and let it out as they all suddenly leaped for her. But before they could touch her she threw her arms out and sent them all flying back. It wasn't far but it was enough for her to get a head start from them.
She started running towards the Mill as fast as she could, but her head felt fuzzy, blood dripping down her lips to fall to the ground, the only thing she could do now was run, she didn't know how much more she would be able to use her powers without passing out.
The large front doors stood open, almost welcoming now as the tall grass thinned around her, but she heard the sound of the demodogs gaining on her, but she didn't dare look back. The only thought was to get into the building.
El jumped over old tires and rusty metal as the growled got closer and closer to her. But she finally reached the doors.
She ran into the old building and turned in time to see the demodogs only a few feet from her now. She grabbed one of the large doors and with all the strength she had left pulled it closed before she ran over to the other door that was almost halfway closed and pulled it the rest of the way closed just as one of the demodogs leaped for her, it's mouth open and clawed arm out reaching for her.
She felt burning pain race down her arm as the demodog slammed it's self into the closing door, only it's hand keeping the door open now as the others growled at her and clawed at the door.
With one last burst of energy from her powers, El ripped the hand from the arm, black blood spilling onto the floor as she finally closed the door and pulled the deadbolt down.
The sound of something heavy slamming into the metal echoed out around her as she fell to her knees, exhausted. For a long moment, she stayed on the ground, her head pounding as she slowly wiped the blood away from her nose, the sound of the demodogs right outside trying to get in by clawing at the door and slamming themselves against it.
Bang!
srreekk
Bang!
srreekk
Bang!
She looked down at her arm to see a long deep cut running from her wrist to the middle her arm, red blood dripping down her pale skin. El bit her lip as she tried to wipe at the blood but the pain sent stars dancing in her eyes. After what felt like forever the pain dimmed a little, but it still dripped blood. El knew she needed to stop the bleeding, but with what she didn't know.
She took a long deep breath before she stood up, her head swimming a moment before it cleared and she looked around herself. The building looked much the same as she had seen it when she had first looked into seeing what Billy had been doing that fateful day, but this time it was covered in vines, ashy dust fell around her from the broken window above her, but it seemed slower than outside, like the first snow of the year.
She started forward-looking all around herself unsure exactly where she was going but she did know what she was looking for...that was besides something to stop the bleeding. She went around the ground floor, a broken window let in light every now and then as red lighting streaked across the sky lighting the room. Old steel beams sat around rusting, abandoned tools and machines she couldn't name all around her, the shadows of what this place was once showing in the dark.
As she turned the counter from behind a large machine she stopped suddenly as a small room caught her attention. She went over to it and found it was a locker room. Locker doors stood open, the old blue paint chipping off of them. She went over to one that stood open and found a dusty coverall, hanging halfway off a hanger.
Without thinking too much about how long that had been sitting there or what could have touched it, she ripped a long piece off and wrapped it around the cut. It hurt like hell, and her version blurred around the edges as she knotted the end tightly, but at least the bleeding had stopped. She walked out of the small room, wondering when...and if she woke up she would have the cut still...if it was really just a dream she wouldnt...would she?
Her attention was caught suddenly as she was hit with freezing air out of nowhere, she turned towards it and found a staircase. The railings catching in the red lightning that flashed and as she walked closer El found it was where the cold air was coming from like someone had a fan facing the states sending wave after wave of freezing air up into the ground floor.
She stopped in front of it but couldn't see a thing, it looked like a dark hole that could lead to anything...or anyone. As the room was lit once again she saw what looked to be dried blood on the bottom of the rails, as if someone had held on to them before being pulled down into the freezing darkness. Spots of red, brown blood leading down on the first few metal steps that she could see. With one last breath that fogged faintly in front of her as she grabbed one of the handrails and started down one step at a time into the darkness.
AN
As always 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. I'm putting a little foreshadowing in this chapter and maybe the next few for the next fanfic I'm doing thinking of doing which is my own take on season 4 because the filming as been put on hold because of what is happening right now in the world and it would be fun. I also hope your all doing well as you can be right now. Wishing you all the best :D See you all tomorrow for chapter 17.