1983 || Stranger Things

ғᴏʀᴛʏ | ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛᴇᴇɴᴀɢᴇʀs, ʏᴀʏ!

      Having barely slept the night before, Julie was not eager to get up and face the day. No one had new clothes to change into, and the three girls had very messy hair. Julie's once tamed curls were now all over the place, adding to her frustration.

      During the night, Julie had woken up due to the pain from her head wound to see Max asleep next to her on the Wheeler's couch. It had been a rough night, so Julie happily went back to sleep and wrapped her arms around her little sister.

      Julie sought out Karen Wheeler that morning. Karen was confused at the sight of Julie, but she put that aside and did what the girl asked of her. Julie asked her to call her boss and tell him she couldn't go into work for the second day in a row.

      After her request was granted, Julie trudged to Nancy's room and found a sweatshirt she had given her former friend two years before. She pulled it on over her shirt that was decorated with a blood stain, and retreated back to the basement where the group waited.

      The girls had freshened up their hair, Julie included, and it was time for their next mission; find Hopper. El sat next to Julie on the couch, thanking Lucas who handed her a blindfold to put on. El grabbed Julie's hand after some failed tries, due to her eyes being obstructed from her.

      Julie was in her trance-like state, and El was in her dream world. "Found them." Julie spoke quietly. Her voice was still very hoarse from the night before, and she had trouble swallowing and drinking. El nodded from beside her, going deeper into her mind.

      Julie heard Joyce and Hopper conversing. They were walking, but Julie also heard another pair of footsteps that belonged to someone else. A man, by the thundering steps. "El. That man. Do you recognize him?"

      "No. He's wearing handcuffs." El said.

      Joyce and Hopper were talking about going to Illinois, and Julie assumed they were talking about the state. Hopper smacked his arm, exclaming while Julie heard the buzzing of a bug.

      "You see them walking away, right?" Julie asked El, their hands still encased.

      "Yes. I see them." El answered.

      "Where are they? Who are they?" Max asked.

      "Woods." El said.

      "Woods?' Lucas asked dubiously.

      "Yeah, have you ever heard of them? Great air filteration out there." Julie commented.

      "Who are the 'they' that you guys are talking about?" Mike asked, his frustration clear to all.

      "Hop and Joyce. And another man." Julie said.

      "My-- My mom?" Will asked. Julie nodded.

      "What are they doing?" Max asked.

      "Ill... annoy. They're going to Ill-annoy." El sounded out the state, making Julie snicker.

      Karen knocked on the basement door. "Mike! Breakfast!" She yelled to her son and his friends.

      "Not now, Mom!" Mike yelled back. "Illinois? Illinios, like the state? The state of Illinois" Julie and El were removing their blindfolds, and Julie quickly adjusted to being back.

      "Ill-annoy." El stammered. Julie rolled her eyes.

      "Don't listen to her. Yes, like the state of Illinois. They're going to Illinois."

      "That's great. Come on, girls." Max stood up, offering her hands to Julie and El. The two girls looked at each other, before standing and walking off with Max towards the bathroom.