electric // mike wheeler

COME OUT

CHAPTER 1: COME OUT

•

Known to the boys, Twelve had died that day, and eleven had gone missing. The thought of both the girls weighed the boys down like a paperweight, but the feeling in Mike's chest as he watched his best friend, Molly's eyes close, was incomparable and unbearable.

The three had been hauled off to questioning about the girls, but mostly stayed silent as they grieved. They never thought that the cost of getting their friend back would be losing another two.

Eleven had ended up in the upside down, screaming for Tee, who wasn't there with her. She knew she had to get out, so set about doing so by trying to find a small gateway that wouldn't lead her into the lab.

Twelve, however, had been hauled off to the hospital and luckily shocked back to life, she remained in a comatose state for a week, recovering and gaining energy as she got used to being back. She wanted Mike but knew it was too dangerous.

She was lying in her hospital bed when she heard voices outside, she could tell it was the lab as she heard a man explain his job and how she was his daughter. As soon as she had heard him, she had carefully got out of the bed, wobbling slightly, before making a dash out of the window. The still recovering, tired girl ran through the woods, feeling like she was back at the beginning again, this time with no El.

She stayed out in the cold, hiding in a tunnel night after night, almost freezing to death every time when she heard footsteps nearby, she looked out of her hiding spot to see two figures bending over something.

She furrowed her brows as she moved closer slowly, catching the end of the conversation.

"Bang!" She hears the man say, his voice sounded vaguely familiar, "Those bad men aren't gonna find you. All right? Not way the hell out here."

Tee moved closer at the mention of Bad men, only for a twig to snap under her foot. both figures heads snapped over to her as she tried to hide behind a tree. The man instantly stood up, cocking his gun, "Who's there?"

His booming voice scared tee as she stayed hidden, still not recognizing who he was. She heard their footsteps get closer as her heart started beating out of her chest. She was terrified, "Come out!"

Tee knew she had to face the music, but it scared her. she heard the footsteps stop and decided it was time.

"You have three seconds!" The man shouted, "3... 2..."

Before the man could say one, Tee stepped out into view, and at the sight of her Hopper's gun lowered to the ground. Eleven and Hopper stared at the girl in shock as she stared back.

"Tee," Eleven cried, running at Tee and tackling the girl in a hug. Tee hugged back tightly, but her eyes didn't leave Hoppers. He stared at the girl in shock - the last he'd heard, she was in the hospital, so what was she doing here?

"El," Tee smiled as Eleven pulled away. Hopper walked over to the two, noticing Tee was in a thin hospital gown and her feet were blue.

"How long have you been out here?" Hopper asks her, staring at her eyes, scaring her slightly.

"I... I d-d-don't kn-know," She says to him, "Days."

"How many times has it been dark?" Hopper asks, trying to see how many days.

"Uh..." She thinks to herself, "f-five."

Hopper sighed, rubbing his face, "Come on, follow me."

-

That night, El, Tee, and Hopper sat at the table, Tee wearing a big jumper to keep her warm. They'd just finished dinner and hopper had sat in front of them with a pad and pen.

"I have some ground rules," He says to the two, "Rule number one: always keep the curtains drawn. Rule number two: only open the door if you hear my secret knock. And rule number three: don't ever go out alone, especially not in the daylight. That's it. Three rules. I call 'em the, uh, Don't Be Stupid Rules. 'Cause we're not stupid. Right?"

"Not stupid," Tee and El both said together, agreeing.

And that was were it all started up again. Tee and El together with hopper looking after them. What could possibly go wrong?