Chapter 53

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El, Mike, Max, Lucas, Will Nancy, Jonathan and I all climb into the car left out front

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El, Mike, Max, Lucas, Will Nancy, Jonathan and I all climb into the car left out front. The only one left in the entire lot since Steve and the others have taken the other one and the adults don't need a vehicle. Nancy puts the key in the car and turns it however the ignition struggles to hold. "What's wrong?" Jonathan asks and Nancy just looks at the wheel as though it will give her an answer "I don't. I don't know." She admits, turning it several times with no luck.

"You can't be serious come on!" She shuts angrily at the car as though it will answer her. "Didn't your mum just buy this car?" Lucas asks and Nancy throws her hands up in the air "Yes." She answers "I'm sure it's fine." I lean forward slightly, tilting my head "Did you leave the lights on?" I ask and she shakes her head "No." Lucas asks an obvious question "Do we have gas?" She glares at us in the back "Yes." She screeches as she tries to make the car start but Jonathan leans over and pulls her hand away.

His voice is soft when he says "Stop. Stop it." Before opening the car door and ordering "Pop the hood." The two of them get out of the car to see what is going on. Lucas then rounds on me "Where the hell have you been?" He asks and I raise an eyebrow "What?" I repeat and Mike leans forward from the back of the car "You disappear for like a year and come back with more powers?" Mike prompts and I glance between all of the children.

"How do you know about that?" I ask and Max answers this time "Dustin was boasting about it earlier." I roll my eyes and lean back in my seat. My brother has such a big mouth. Everyone stays silent waiting for me to answer so I say "It's known of your business." they all scoff as Lucas says "Fine, keep your secrets." I turn my head to him and narrow my eyes "I will." The other two are taking a long time so I take the opportunity to get out of the car but as I do so, a car somewhere in the distance starts to rev its engine aggressively.

I see the headlights turn on dramatically in the dark. "Back in the mall!" I shout to everyone and they start climbing out of the car and racing towards the building we have just come from.

When safely back in the mall, Mike tries to reach the others to see if they have had more success with their part of the plan. I sit with Jonathan and Nancy, by the fountain. Jonathan nudges my shoulder and I look up at him "When I read your letter." He says "I was sure you weren't coming back." I look down at the scars that are visible and my voice cracks slightly as I say "I almost didn't."

Jonathan moves closer to me "What happened?" He asks and I look up at him "I went back to the Academy, to shut it down." I explain "They caught me, did more experimenting on me. They thought they could give us more than one ability. They were right, except not everyone who went through those experiments made it. Apparently, you have to be genetically predisposed to handle more than one." My best friend puts an arm around me and I lean into him, relaxing under the familiarity of it.

I miss the way things used to be between us. When there was no UpsideDown, no magical powers. When we used to tell each other everything, be together every day and feel like best friends. It just feels like now that we are clinging onto something that doesn't completely work, trying to fill the roles we had when we were 15. We no longer fit in those roles anymore.

Clearing my throat, and head on those thoughts I stand up and take out my gun. One I stole from the communists downstairs before handing it to Nancy, then another one to Jonathan. "You're going to kill him, aren't you." a girl's voice says behind me, and I see Max standing there looking glum. "This is only a precaution." I tell her going over to her "I don't want to hurt your brother, he is my friend." Max looks up at me, her eyes glassy "What if he tries to kill us?" She asks. I don't say anything, I just envelop her in a hug which she immediately returns.

"No chance that thing will drive right?" Nancy asks jokingly, nodding towards the show car that El used earlier to protect the rest of us. "We don't need it to drive." Jonathan says as though suddenly realising, "We just need the ignition cable." We then all go over and try to turn the car over, I manage to lift one side up but because my energy is depleted thanks to the fight in the underground bunker, I can't lift anything else. The car collapses back into its original position and Eleven says, "Let me try." She takes a step forward before raising a hand and staring at the car in concentration.

We all stand back and let the young girl do her thing. She can't seem to do it however so it's back to pushing the car. "Push!" Johnny shouts and finally, we manage to get the car on its side. "Alright." I say repositioning myself against the car, taking most of the heavy lifting "now, all the way. Ready?" The younger children moan but still do as they are told. We all push at the same time and finally, the car falls over on the right side.

Everyone climbs down, Nancy and Jonathan head over to the hood of the car to take out the part that we need. "How do we get it open?" Nancy asks after several failed attempts "There should be a lath. Check under the wheel." Jonathan orders. However, I move over next to my friend and use the last of my strength to pull open the hood violently. Everyone looks at me in shock and I just stay silent and step back.

"Nancy!" Mike shouts his sister's name and we all turn our heads to see why he is shouting. There is a creature on the roof of the mall, the roof being glass we can see outside. And right now I wish we couldn't. Then the creature breaks the roof through and lands in the centre of the mall. "What the fuck is that?" I ask clutching Nancy's arm. Jonathan lets out a breath before answering "the mind flayer."

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