-8-

Am I pretty?

Shivering from the cold, which reminded her of the need to get more clothes, Eleven found herself in town. She had spent a lot of her time still in the general area around Hawkins, trying to learn more about the world while making her plans to escape; while her lessons were fairly basic, she did know how to read and write, but only simple enough sentences. It had taken her a while to reach the town called Hawkins; some people were still awake at this time of night. At the lab, there was a strict curfew, and a strict light's out policy.

But here, it was clear that it wasn't regimented; there were still people out, and cars were coming and going, and Eleven had to duck and hide so she could not be seen by any of them.

She saw people of various ages walking around, coming in and out of shops that were still open, she could hear loud music playing and she saw people around her age, holding hands or laughing with others. Despite feeling jealous of their carefree attitudes, Eleven stayed out of sight; she didn't know for sure what they would do if they saw her, but Eleven was not going to leave anything to chance.

She didn't know how long it would take for Brenner and the others to find her, but after the mess she had made in the Lab, she did not want to go back there.

It took Eleven a while to find the right shop. It was closed and locked, but it wasn't a problem for the young telekinetic.

With a thought, Eleven opened the door. Sadly a strange, loud, ear-piercing sound broke through, and she had to rush in and grab some clothes randomly. She found some shoes and tried them on. They were too small, she found another pair and they were just about right. They'd do. She tried on some trousers and found they were a good fit. And then she tried on a shirt and put on a jumper. She found the shirt and jumper were easier to put on, and then she found herself a nice warm jacket. To her relief, it came with a hood, so she could wear it over her head.

She didn't have the time to properly look through the shop for anything else, but these clothes would do her for now.

A strange sound from outside caught Eleven's attention, and the telekinetic turned and saw a car pull up with blue lights flashing on top.

Eleven ducked down and edged her way around the shop, watching as three men walked in, holding torches.

"How did the thief break in?" One of them asked; Eleven looked around slowly, looking at them all, but she couldn't see Hopper. If he were here, then she would find it easier to get help. But would he? She didn't know him well.

"Ah, who cares? Look around, Callahan stayed by the door. The thief might still be here."

Two of the men walked into the shop, shining their torches around, but Eleven ducked around them. She hissed with frustration when she saw the last one guarding the door. Eleven was torn, it would be simple to just blast him with her powers, but the fewer moments she would use them and they'd be reported the Lab have track her down.

She might have escaped once, but she might not be lucky again if they caught her. She looked around, hoping to find something she could use but found nothing. Regretting the necessity, and realising she didn't have that much alternative, Eleven focused on the man. Callahan cried out suddenly in shock and terror, as he was suddenly thrown forwards and crashed into a far wall, stunning his friends.

Eleven used the distraction to get out, but unfortunately, they spotted her. "There they go! After them!"

Eleven raced down the streets, glancing over her shoulder quickly and she found a back alley. She ran down and hid herself after a quick look around, but she didn't notice anyone. Eleven watched and waited for a while, but none of those men passed. In the morning, when dawn broke, Eleven wondered what had happened, and she was racked with indecision; she didn't know if those men were playing some kind of game and were waiting for her to come out, but she couldn't stay here forever. In the end, she decided to just go on her way.

Looking over her shoulder, Eleven saw the alley go down a long way. She stood up, and walked down, her pace increasing with each step. Finally, she arrived at another street. Eleven stepped out slowly and she looked around. She relaxed when she saw there was nobody - those men - around.

Stepping out from the alley slowly, as if she was afraid they might catch her, Eleven walked away, pulling up her hood. But then she stopped and looked at her reflection when she caught sight of it in a window.

Eleven had seen many reflections of herself before, but never out in the open, and never in different clothes, and looking at herself wearing the hood up, she saw that her face was shadowed.

Eleven remembered Mike commenting on her looks in the past when she'd worn Nancy's dress, calling her pretty. But she had never really seen her looks before, and Papa and the others had never complimented her.

"Am I pretty?" She whispered to herself, and for a long moment, Eleven wished for a moment someone would just give her an honest yes or no answer, but there was no one.

Her reflection did not reply. In the end, Eleven looked away and walked off. She had to find some food, and then she had to find a way out of Hawkins, and then she would escape.