Eleven has escaped from the Hawkins Laboratory and now seeks help. This is a view from her side of the escape and events of November 6th, 1983. It is based on the aired version of Stranger Things, The Vanishing of Will Byers, S1: E1 & E2, transcripts, and creativity.

(If people like it, I could do more.)

————-

It's been four years since I banished 001. Now, Papa wanted *contact* and everything went wrong.

Only minutes ago, I touched the monster. I screamed. They pulled me up out of the tank. I don't like that tank.

Papa said, "Eleven's opened a gate."

The hole let *it* through and it started eating people. It started with a scientist. I heard his screams.

The technician and two soldiers took me back to my room, but they left the door open when they ran away. Sometimes even soldiers run away.

Years ago Papa blocked off the tunnel at the other end of the lab with a locked grate. But I found another way into the cool, earthy-smelling tube: keys in the guard room, and a badge.

I swipe the badge and the door opens. It smells of dust and oil in here with all these big machines. Then I use the key to unlock the grate.

I wriggle into the opening and start crawling. Then I hear a noise again behind me. I crawl along quickly, just in case.

I find my arms trembling and weak from all the creeping, and my knees ache.

The gown gets caught and tears on a metal thing. My knees catch the gown. I stop and tie the back flaps behind me like an apron.

I stop and raise my hand as it brushes my cheek—and I wave my fingers in front of my eyes but I can't see it.

It's called *proprioception.* It's how you can tell where your hand or your foot is when you can't see it. I know some big words. Papa taught me some big ones that no one uses. *Psychokinesis* is another.

I feel along the tunnel.

I hear a clunk behind me…are they sending a small guard? My hands tremble. I wish I had a light or something. Slowly I crawl forward.

I bump my nose. I feel around and find out it splits into two tunnels, which way do I go?

I remember before the massacre, 006 played games with me. Playing chess, he always said he didn't like choices that went to the left. He didn't like to open doors that swung left. He was odd. But I liked him. Poor 006. I'll go right.

Finally, I see some light! The exit! I crawl and crawl until my palms hurt too. At least it's not very dirty.

I hear a growl—a dog at the entrance of the tunnel. It's big and drooling, and it starts barking. It's too loud in here when it barks and it echoes strangely. There's a name for the kind of dog I can't remember. He wants to bite me. I raise my hand and *push*.

He lifts into the air and flies many feet away, whimpering and scrambling with his paws. It's kind of funny, but not funny. He falls to the ground and rolls a few times. I see him get up and run away.

I carefully peek outside, and see tall things with leaves…trees? That geographic nature book in the class had pictures of them.

I poke my cold head out and creep out slowly, and the sun warms my short buzz-cut scalp. The warm sunlight throws shadows on the ground. I haven't seen sunlight in…I don't know how many years. I turn my face up to the sun. My gown is wadded up and I straighten it out. Which way do I go? I walk toward the warm sun.

I swing my arms freely. The air is clean and fresh. It's warm and good here, and I walk through the trees. It's called something I can't remember. A thicket of trees? No. I stretch out my muscles. I hope that monster is gone, and look around.

I smell something really good…and my stomach growls. Some structure is down that hill. I walk towards it with my bare feet and step on a rock. Ow. I look down—bare feet.

There, I see a man moving carrying a bag, maybe garbage. He's big but doesn't look mean. He puts it in a metal can. He doesn't see me at the edge of the…*forest*. Yes, *forest* is the word.

I sneak around behind and creep up on the back door. I open it quietly.

Inside some music plays, and I spot groceries and big cans of food on shelves, go through a door, and see the big man serving food to other people. At least four people are here. They exchange money for food. I don't have money.

I move quickly and push through the double doors into the kitchen trying not to make any noise. My fingers are tingling as my stomach churns, it smells so good in here.

Plates, pots, and pans (just like the ones I saw in the lab's kitchen) are here on a steel bench. Something on the bench in a red basket catches my eye, and my mouth gets wet from the smell of it.

I still hear voices but my stomach is roaring, so I tiptoe over. I bite into one. I haven't had this before. Yellow, crispy, long—potato-like. Wow. I stuff them in my mouth. I must eat these tasty things! I can see the big man and an old man talking from there over an opening in the wall.

"HEY!"

I've been seen—I run for the back door—with the food of course. Oh, dropped it. No!

"Come here!" He shouts.

I'm breathing faster as my feet slap the smooth floor and sting a little, hoping I'm fast enough...

He cut me off!* He grabs me by the shoulders. He's really strong, but not hurting me. I don't want to hurt him, but he scares me. He has a big beard, and I look at it. Could something live in there?

"You think you can steal from me, boy?" He says.

Then he looks me over, blinks a few times, and calms himself.

He says, "What in the hell?" He probably figured out I'm a girl, not a boy.

I don't know what *hell* is. Maybe he means the Hawkins Lab. I heard Peter talk about the lab as being *hell.*

…

"I'm sorry," he says. "You just startled me. Stay here, please?" He lets me go and pats my shoulder.

I shrug. Maybe he's nice, maybe not.

"Come with me, all right?"

He walks me over to a table and chairs and I let my arms relax at my sides. I can relax.

"Stay. I'll bring you food, okay?"

I nod and look around. Gray walls, brown chairs, and brown tables. A fan. Forest outside and beautiful sunlight, but my stomach churns.

…

He hands me a rag and I clean my face. He's nice, and he gets me a warm yellow shirt to put on. I pull off my gown and throw on the new bright shirt. He leaves when I change clothes and I wonder why.

…

There is sizzling in the kitchen as he makes me some food. It smells like meat. I retrace my steps to and from the back door and find the front one, being sure to know where the exits are. He doesn't notice.

…

When he returns he sets down food. It's a kind of sandwich. I try it and it's good. I tear into it.

"Geez," he says. "Your parents forget to feed you?"

I keep eating—not sure what he means. What's a "parent?" Is it like Papa? I don't feel like talking, he could work for *them.*

"Is that why you ran away?"

What do I say?*

"They uh…they hurt you?"

I can't tell him. And yes, *they* did.

"You went to the hospital, you got scared, you ran off, you wound up here, is that it?"

I look at him and want to trust him, but I tremble at the thought he will call Papa.

"All right." He takes my food away. I feel my eyes grow bigger and *energy* rises in me.

"I'll give this back, all right? And you can have as much as you want. All right? Maybe even some ice cream…

But you gotta answer a few of my questions first, all right?" Benny asks.

It's better I just eat and go, and much safer.*

"We got a deal?"

He's going to make me talk, isn't he?*

"All right, let's start with the easy stuff. All right?"

He puts his hand forward and says, "My name is Benny. Benny Hammond." What does the hand mean? I look at it.

"It's like this…" he grabs my hand and puts it in his. "I got you. Don't worry. It's okay." Then he moves my hand up and down in his, how odd. Hands moving together. A greeting?

"Nice to meet you, yeah. And you are?"

I stare at his hand, and he sighs. Maybe if I don't say anything else…but he sees my wrist. My tattoo! 011. Too late, I pull my hand back. Again he sighs. *He sighs a lot.*

"Eleven? What's that mean?"

Maybe he doesn't know some people are numbered. He should know this because he's an adult. Aren't people numbered out here?*

"What's it mean?" He asks again, like I should explain it.

"No," I say. *I don't want to talk!*

"Well, I'll be damned. She speaks." He then smiles at me.

"No? No what?" He clicks his tongue. "All right. I guess no more food, then."

He acts like *Papa.* I don't like this. He turns to get up and take the food away. I need that food.

"Eleven," I say. *Deep down, I worry he'll be mean, like Papa. Lock me away. But I know that's ridiculous. I don't let them do that to me anymore.*

"Yeah," he blinks. "What's it mean?"

I point to my chest and tap my finger twice. I keep it simple and say "Eleven."

He nods. "All right, then. Here you go."

Oh, thank you. Wonderful food fills my mouth again. I'm so hungry, and it is so good. I savor every bite. He's nicer than Papa.*

He chuckles a little and says, "Take it easy, take it easy."

He goes somewhere and talks on the phone, but not the lab. If he did, I'd run. He says something about "…scared to death…" and "…Randolph Lane…"

That fan is making more noise, it bothers me. So, I have had it with this noisy fan. I focus just like Papa taught me. *Push* with my brain. It stops with a *clang*!

I have another "fry" as he called it.

…

For a while, Benny talks to me about the stuff he cooks and cleans up the kitchen, but mostly he asks me questions.

"Where were you born? Where do you live? Do you have siblings?"

He cleans the sink while I eat pink ice cream. It's tasty and sweet. Oops, I smiled.

"You like that ice cream, huh? A smile looks good on you. You know, smile?" He smiles and waves his hands. Just for fun, I smile. I smile, but I *don't trust.*

Bang bang bang.

There's a knock on the glass front door. Instantly my body tenses, and my eyes go to him—can he protect me? My body floods with newfound energy and I tremble. Do I run now? Will they come to the back door? I get this way sometimes and try to calm down.

"All right. You just sit tight," he says and then "whoever it is, I'll tell 'em to go away real quick, all right?"

Another bang, bang, bang. My nerves are tingling—I only barely stop myself from running.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah…" he says. The door is opened and she says, "Yeah—can I help you?"

A female voice says, "Hi. You must be Benny Hammond."

Hammond. That's his last name. Like the book on psychics, the author is Hammond. He thought psychic sense could be developed and controlled. Guess he was right.

"I'm afraid I am. I'm afraid we're closed for the evening, too. So try back tomorrow morning…"

"Connie Frazier. Social Services."

It's hard to hear all they are saying with their voices low and far away. She says she is *social services.* And why does he say he's afraid?

"Ah, Social Services. My apologies. I didn't expect you so soon. That's a heck of a drive."

"Not too bad for this time of night," she said. *She's lying.* I can tell, and my brain senses danger. My senses heighten. The power in my mind jumps higher.

He's muttering something quietly to her…maybe she's coming in to get me. Maybe he's in on it? He knew she was coming. He called her! He betrayed me!

He says something like "…she's a tad skittish…" and "She's in the kitchen," and turns to let the woman in, taking a few steps…but she doesn't follow right away. She reaches for something.

"Your, uh, voice sounds different on the…"

She aims a gun at Benny and *BANG.*

He drops to the floor, blood coming from his head. A killer!

I jump down and some dishes break. I panic, they are here already!

Back door, hurry! Run, run, run!*

They are coming in the back—two men with two guns. I know what guns do…so I freeze. Guns are worse than those prods they use. Or the collar. Guns kill.

Is that Papa's shoe step I hear? I put my forehead down and *push.* I make two cans hit them in the head, breaking their skulls with thumping cracks, and Papa hears it. He's coming. Not waiting to see them fall, I run away into the forest. I glance back and see…Papa. He looks for me, but I'm gone. One of the other subjects could read auras and told me that Papa's was dark purple. In the evening light—I can imagine it.

It's certain now, I can't trust any adults. *No matter how nice they seem*. They all work together, and next time they might kill me. Adults suck. Well, maybe Benny didn't know. Maybe he died because of me.

It's dark and getting cold. I roam the forest again watching behind me. I hide under a log for a while. That woman Frazier walks into the forest but I see her. She's cold-hearted. *Bad.* Then she gives up and leaves.

I wander not knowing where I am or where I am going. I follow a fence nearby. I dart my eyes around and feel a little crazy. My heart is racing and my hands are clammy.

Yipes! Who is this?

I abruptly find a man blocking my path. He has a magazine in his right hand with pictures of women on the cover. I breathe faster. What worries me is I'm small and physically weak. He moves toward me saying "Come here, I won't hurt you. I've got a candy bar…" My legs tighten as I get ready to run. Sometimes I can get impressions from people, and I pick up an image in his mind that disturbs me. I shake and tremble.

"Don't…" I say.

He charges me.

I raise my hand.

Push*

I pushed too hard. I fight to not pass out because I can't always control it, the power.

I hear an ugly *smack* and air whoosh out of his lungs, and he is flying backward and up. He spins like a rag doll. I know what a rag doll is (008 had got one for her birthday). It's not funny when he bounces off a tree. One of his arms is bent the wrong way. He flies over a fence one hundred yards away and I watch to see if he gets up. He doesn't. It's a tall metal fence with signs on it and pokey wire on top. I need to learn better control, that's what Papa says.

Wandering more I grow tired, and the rain starts to fall. I feel it cool my shirt and wet my head. I can't find any shelter. But off to the side is a road, so following it while in the forest could get me somewhere. No adults. Avoid all adults.

I see movement, lights.

Who are those kids on bikes? Three of them. I hide behind a big tree. One of them is leading the others and they get off their bikes and are coming right at me. Two come forward, and then the third wearing a cap joins them. Is he scared? The kids look my age. It's cold out here.

And they have *coats.*

It starts raining for real and I have to stay away from them. But it's so cold and I'm wet, clutching my arms to my chest for warmth. Across from my tree is a small deer. I've seen them in books. It just stares at me.

They call out "Will" and "Byers" and other things. Then they argue. It is raining buckets so it's hard to hear what they are saying, I've never seen so much rain.

Once, we moved between two buildings and wetness came from the sky, and the guard talked about it as being *rain.*

I'm shivering. I hear voices:

"Dustin, shut up," said the middle one. He seems different.

"I'm just saying, does that seem smart to you?" Said the one on the right named Dustin.

I see them from behind a tree. The ground is sloped and my foot slips on the wet mud. I stumble.

"Shut up. Shut up. Did you guys hear that?"

I nearly fall, sliding out from behind the tree. I regain my balance. But they look the other way—at where the deer was just standing—can I make it back to the tree? The deer moves fast and it's completely gone in one bound. My feet slip in the mud!

He aims the flashlight in my face. I'm done for. All three pin me with flashlights. I have no words…I'm caught. My eyes leak tears, but they can't tell in the rain.

Often when this happens I think of using my powers, but not with them—they are kids like me. Not adults. Maybe they are nice?

They just stare. I'm soaking in the rain. This was the worst day of my life except for when the gate opened. Two bad days.

What do I do? The one in the middle is the leader and he's staring at me. What is that look in his eyes? It's not fear. It's not anger. It's different.

My face is cold, my fingers are losing feeling, and my toes are numb. He steps forward and my legs barely respond as I try to back up. Friendly big brown eyes meet mine. He drops his flashlight and starts taking his coat off.

"Here's a coat," he says. He holds it out to me.

The other two boys turn their heads with wide eyes. They don't like me. Why would they? But *his* eyes say something to me *and I hear it.*

"What are you doing?" The dark-skinned one says. Black, like 006—that's what he called himself. Black.

"Are you crazy?" The other says. There is something odd about his speech, a lisp. And his mouth is odd. No teeth?

I look around for an escape path, but I'm shivering. Will my legs even work? Maybe they will help me? *Please?*

"She's cold," he says. He holds the coat out farther and steps closer, smiling at me. He gives me time to decide, not pressuring me.

What a smile he has. It is like a cup of hot chocolate. His face is soft, eyebrows drawing together and his eyes steady without being threatening. He is moving closer steadily, but straight on, honestly. Calm.

"Are you lost?" He asks.

I nod. *I am lost*

"This rain sucks, doesn't It?" He says, "Let me help you."

He is still gently smiling at me. When I look into his eyes I feel weaker or something. He moves closer, extending the jacket to me. I reach out. I feel it in my hand—it's a tan color dry on the inside, and *warm.*

I take it and watch them closely as I put it on. Ah, the coat is warm. Now he is getting wet instead of me, but he doesn't complain.

"Let's stick to the plan," said Lucas.

"This is risky," said Dustin.

"Let me help, come with me," he says. "I have a place you can stay tonight. It's dry and warm. You can trust us."

I take a hesitant step toward him. I look deep into his eyes which seem to know how hard this is. His face is gentle, and he gives me the impression of a boy who sees me, the actual me. Suddenly I don't feel the rain anymore. I feel hope. He steps a little closer, he won't give up.

"It's okay. It's okay. I'll keep you safe. Tomorrow you can go anywhere you want," he pleads, "…let me help."

His eyes. His smile. He's too hard to resist and I crumble.

I nod.

I will go with him. *Please be nice, especially you, the one with the warm smile.*

…

I've never ridden on a bike before. Once I place my heels right and hang onto the seat we all ride to a two-story house and enter by the basement door.

He leads me to a brown couch. The thunder makes me jump. They want information but he just wants me to stay. They argue but he wins. He gets me warm dry clothes. I find out his name is Mike. He wants to call me El.

His eyes seem to mirror my own. He faces me, gives me space, and calms me. When he looks at me, I kind of lose interest in everything else around me. I feel…

What? Safety? I lay down on the soft warm pillow under a table covered in blankets he built for me. He walks up the stairs.

"'Night El."

"'Night Mike," I say.

I find myself falling asleep. My eyelids flutter. My exhausted body melts into the soft pillows. I see the sheet pattern of lines and squares. I close my eyes.

Mike is in my dreams now. I see freedom and riding bicycles with my new ally in a dangerous world.

It's hard to speak when I look into his big, brown, benevolent eyes.

I see us standing together on a cliff and around us are all the people at the lab. Below I see nameless, faceless monsters that dwell in an invisible world. I gave them a way to climb the cliff. I look down and see my body is that of the monster. Is it my fault?

…