2. 2: The Nightmare (El)

Run.

Run Will.

Run Dustin.

Run Lucas.

Demogorgon.

Run Mike.

Mike.

Mike!

Run friends!

MIKE!

Use powers.

Can't use powers.

Mike.

He's gone.

"Mike!" El awoke with a start at the sound of her own voice. Mike. Mike is gone the demogorgon took him. Not even thinking twice, she threw the covers off her bed and sprinted to the front door. Shutting it quietly behind her so she didn't wake Hopper, she leapt down the front stairs and took off.

Was it a dream? Yes...but what if it wasn't? The only thing El knew was that right now, she needed to find Mike. She needed him to still be here, to still be alive. It was a long ways from Hopper's trailer to to the Wheeler residence, but she didn't care. Making sure the boy she loved was safe was worth running as fast as her tiny legs would carry her.

She finally reached Mike's house and headed straight to the door that led to his basement, acting only on instinct. She took a moment to wipe away the tears that were blocking her eyesight before pounding on the door. When nothing happened for a couple seconds, her stomach dropped and her vision started to swim. Nononononono he has to be here, he has to be safe!

She knocked three more times and this time, within seconds, she heard the door unlock.

And there he was. Standing before her was Mike Wheeler, alive and breathing. She whispered his name and had never been so relieved to see anyone in her entire life. Without thinking, she took a step closer to him and raised her hand, timidly placing it on his cheek. She heard a small whimper escape her lips when she felt that he was solid, that her eyes weren't just playing tricks on her. Her fingertips brushed the ends of his hair and she smiled, incredibly grateful that he was alive, that he even existed in the first place.

As El gently ran her fingers through his hair, it's then that he finally spoke. "Who hurt you?" he whispered.

Oh no, she didn't want him to worry about her. Augh, she was so stupid, she should've just made sure he was okay and then left! I can't burden him with my problems! El thought as she felt her eyes well up.

Before she could turn to leave, Mike grasped onto both her hands and gently pulled her into his basement. When her eyes adjusted, she noticed the three sleeping figures of Dustin, Lucas and Will. Not wanting them to wake up and be hurt with the weight she was carrying as well, she used the first word Mike had ever taught her. "Mike. Privacy?"

"Right, of course" he gently whispered and they both tiptoed up the basement stairs. Terrified that he would suddenly, inexplicably be taken from him, she kept her fingers laced in in his as he led them up a second flight of stairs. When they got to his room, he helped her to his bed and turned to lock the door. "El" he said as he knelt in front of her and slid his hands into hers. "What happened?"

"N...ni...nightmare" she confessed. "Do you want to talk about it?" Mike asked. She met his gaze and was suddenly hit with an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

It was three in the morning. He had been sleeping peacefully. Everything in his world was okay. And yet, he hadn't turned her away when she came running. He hadn't thought she was insane when she had to assure herself that he was alright. And he still hadn't left her...he was willing to listen to her, was willing to help her. He cared. And he loved.

Realizing that she had been staring into his beautiful brown eyes too long, she nodded and took a breath.

"Demogorgon...chasing friends...they got away...except..." El couldn't hold back the tears she had been swallowing as the image of the monster dragging him away from her while she stood helpless played in her mind. Sobs shuddered through her body as she whispered "It...it got you."

She slid off his bed and threw her arms around him, crushing him in an embrace as tears continued to stream from her eyes. She was torn between the unbearable pain of the thought of losing him and the overwhelming relief that he was alive in her arms, his head on her shoulder.

When her sobs finally slowed, Mike moved behind her to prop himself up against the bed and guided her into his lap, putting his arms back around her as quickly as he could. El wanted to stay in this moment forever, smiling as the boy who had given her everything held her. She felt her eyes start to droop and before she drifted off to sleep, she whispered one last thing.

"Thank you, Mike.

Please don't ever, ever leave me."