.*.

The Hunger is deafening, like a never-ending roar within your ear-drums. Its the only thing you can think of-- if you can call it thinking, it's more like wild thoughts and its so hard to process anything. Your mind clings onto strings of memories but nothing comes.

You dash through the woods, scrambling over logs and twigs, making your escape as hasty as humanly possible. The nightstars drift above you, casting a shade of light among the branches as you run. The first droplets of a storm start falling, you need to get to shelter.

In the trees, slightly out of view is about three beams from flashlights swinging around the woods wildly, sounds of echoing conversation grow closer. You think for a moment, the growling sensation from your stomach hindering critical thinking. All you can think about is your next meal.

You make a mad dash towards the beams, slowly getting closer and closer. Dirt, bark, from the trees scrape against your legs, sending dirt down them, leaving scratches.

You stop, crouched beside a bush. There's loud talking, but the rain drowns out almost every word.

You stalk closer, some of the conversation finally becoming intelligible. "Is there a number we can call for your parents?" A voice from a boy, about your age says, he has dark black hair and a concerned expression on his face.

You step out from behind the bushes, all of the kids turn towards you. Your eyes scrunch as the flashlight beams quickly twist towards your face. "What the Fuck!" Another boy slurrs, his teeth missing. You look around, theres three boys.. and someone else, a female in a yellow t-shirt.

"God damn it! What are we going to do now?" Dustin says, looking between you and the girl.

"We make a retreat back to Mike's house." The other kid responds.

"Back to my house? Why mine?" Mike asks the other boy, the African American boy grins at Mike and places his hands on his shoulders. "Basement." He answers, shaking the boy back and forth roughly.

"Well, we should hurry then. We don't want to get sick. I'll let one of you ride on the back of my bike, Dustin, You let the other one ride yours." The dark haired kid says, thats Mike then, a little smaller then you. Dustin sighs, then points at you. "Come on."

They lead you and the other kid through the woods till you reach three bikes, two lay on the ground while another one is placed against a tree. Dustin grabs his grey, cheap bike from beside the tree and gets on it. He looks back at you and nods.

You put your right foot on the right peg and your left on the other. Mike looks at you then the other kid on his bike. He nods to Dustin then the other member of his group. "Lets go then.."

Mike bikes off, leaving you, Dustin, and the other kid following behind him.

Dustin bikes along the streets and through multiple backyards, "So, have you seen Hawkins—" The boy asks, not looking over his shoulder as the cold wind scorches across your face. "No." You answer blankly, staring off into the trees, searching the night for any unseen dangers that may lurk.

Something's out there, someone..? You don't know, it shivers you, more then the ice cold wind freezing your body in place into the pegs cold rustic metal. More then you have in your entire life.

Your scared.

"Not— Home." You add murmuring, your grip tightening around the boys shoulders. The cloth around his shoulder slowly seeps into the fat from the pressure emitted from your hands.

The boy grimaces, "Oka-Okay, okay, we'll get you home okay?"

Home, the words sound unfamiliar to a child like you, you barely have any memory at all. Who are you?

Your mind is in a daze, streets fly past as you try to rearrange your thoughts, soon enough you reach a house's backyard. Probably that boy Mikes. Mike places his bike against the wall of the house. The girl from earlier stands beside it, arms hugging her chest, her small body shuddering from the cold. As Dustin places his bike down, The back-door to the house opens, mike allowing you inside.

It's warm, that's the first thing you notice, then the smell. It smells nostalgic warming you down to your core despite your wet body. Sounds come from a room deeper into the house, but Mike allows you no chance to see, his hand swooping yours and Eleven as he gently wove you down the steps; the two boys following behind quietly.

"Sit down.." Mike says, you and the girl sit beside each other on the sofa. Dustin, Lucas, and Mike stand in front of you. The girl beside you eyes them with uncertainty while your eyes drift to the candy laying on the table in front of you. Mike notices you looking at it. "Do you want this?" Mike asks, you nod and he pushes the candy bar towards you.

You pick it up and read the label, three musketeers. You bring the small object up to your nose, smelling the plastic. "No— it's a candy, you eat— Open." Mike makes an unwrapping motion with his fingers. Slowly you catch on and open it, splitting the bar in half before handing it to the girl beside you, she nods and takes the bar into her right hand, quickly devouring the candy. You smile gently, and begin to dig into the chocolate yourself.

The chocolate delicacy lingers on your tongue even after you eat it. Your stomach growls slightly, the small candy not being enough to satiate the hunger. Dustin grabs Mike and Lucas by their shoulders and pulls them aside into a huddle. You hear the muffled whispers over the loud rain pitter patter coming from the roof above.

"Their probably psychos from a psychward." Lucas says, looking back at you. Then back to the other boys.

"I mean look at the dude— he looks messed up." The toothless kid says.

Mike raises an eyebrow, "So?" He shrugs, staring at Dustin blankly, not understanding his point.

Dustin slurrs angrily, "Doesn't that worry you a little bit?!" He asks, throwing his hands out.

"Just stop Dustin." Lucas tells the boy, placing his hand on the chubbier boys chest. "It's not worth arguing about."

After a few more hushed words, the groups turns towards you two. Mike grabs two piles of clean clothes from off the dryer. "Here these are clean." He says, handing the clothes in his right hand to you, then the clothes in his left to her.

The girl beside you stands up and starts taking off her shorts, you look at her in confusion. Not quite understanding whats wrong. All the boys yelp and the girl stops. Mike takes a step forward, pointing towards a door to the left of the sofa on the other side of the room.

"Thats the bathroom. Privacy, get it?" Mike says, the girl and you get up and start walking towards the bathroom. "No, one at a time." Mike grabs you by your right shoulder, stopping you from moving. He lets go soon after.

"But—" You murmur, eyes staring as the girl walks away.

"She's going to be okay, just the bathroom, okay?" Mike reassures, soothing your frenzied mind.

Mike walks over to the door, the girl looks over at Mike then at you. He starts to close it but she puts her hand in between the door and the door frame. "You don't want it closed?" He asks. You look around again, Dustin and Lucas stand behind you. Eyeing the situation with curiosity.

"No." The girl says, Mike stops for a moment before speaking. "So you can talk.. Okay, well, How about we keep the door.." He closes the door little by little till theres a small gap. "Like this. Is this better?"

"Yes." She responds.

"Cool, alright." He asks, he looks back at you and the others, raising his eyebrows slightly. Mike walks over towards you. "You can get dressed over there. Thats where the basement kitchen is." He tells you. He points towards a brown, wooden door. You walk towards it, go inside and close the door behind you.

It's slightly colder, the vent above you spewing cold air down onto your wet hair. You just want to sleep, your entire body aches as you start getting dressed, after getting your soggy clothes off. You sigh, and look down at the ground for a moment, trying to remember what got you to this moment but nothing pops up immediately.

You slide the new clothes on, they make you feel refreshed and safe. You step out of the room, Mike sits on one knee with the girl in front of him. He waves you over and pats the bedding beside the girl. "Come sit." You walk over and take a seat beside the girl, your legs crossed gently, a certain familiarity in the movement. You lean towards the left slightly, closer to the girls obvious heat radiating body. "Hey, I never asked you guys what your names were." You try to remember. Anything, theres one thing you notice, something recognizable. You roll up the shirt, revealing the numbers on your wrist, 010. The girl looks at yours for a deep moment, her eyes glossing before she rolls up hers, 011 ingraved on it as well.

"You guys are from the same place?" Mike asks, leaning his head forward gently, trying to understand.

You shrug, "Don't—Know." Eleven murmurs from beside you.

Mike nods, his eyes switching from the two of you. "Alright, cool.." He says, dropping the subject.

"Is it real?" Mike asks. He tries to touch yours, his touch is obviously gentle, no intent to harm, but you pull back immediately out of instinct. He looks down at the ground before speaking, "Sorry.. I never seen a kid with a tattoo before..." He takes a deep shaky breath, staring at the ground for a moment before looking up. "So, you both have numbers. Eleven, is too long so.. for short you're going to be called El, and you.. you'll be called Ten. Kinda boring huh."

"Hmm." You murmur, not quite sure what to think of the name.

"El.." She says, eyeing the numbers on her wrist.

"My names Mike, short for Michael." He says, you looks down at your wrist for a moment as he shakes his head, more to himself then to us. "I'm going to bed.. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning, and no matter what you do. Don't leave this spot." He finishes and starts walking towards the steps. You move the cover over until theres nothing but a slim shade of light coming through, it'll be so much easier to sleep with less light.

You scoot away from El and lay against the wall, your growling stomach keeping you awake. "Goodnight Ten." El says. Laying down, her head resting on the pillows.

You look over at her and smile lightly. The hunger still hurts your stomach, but you should still be able to eat. "Goodnight El."