"Liz!"

Some distant voice calls me. At first I think it's Steve waking me up, but I know that can't be right, because I can still hear him screaming. Not Will. The monster. The storm. He's screaming. I want him to stop, and I feel more hot blood on my face as I open my eyes. I'm still here, in the Upside Down, and Will is still there. I force myself to stand, and I run over to him.

"Will!"

"Liz!" It's not Will's voice. It's Mike. I think. I don't care. I have to get to Will.

I run into the storm, swirling around him. I run into it and grab Will, trying to shake him awake. Someone shouts my name again, but it's not important, because I have to get to Will.

The monster retaliates, and bats me back. I go flying once more, landing hard on the grass. Someone screams, but it's not me. It's not Will either, or the storm. I think it was Max. People are shouting, and as I hit the ground, my eyes snap open, and everything is quiet.

I see them, standing mere meters away from where I lie. Joyce, Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Max, and Will. They're all staring at me, but everything is happening all at once. Will's eyes are open too, and Joyce is hugging him. Mike and Lucas are in shock and Dustin's hands are on his head. Max looks traumatized as she looks from Will to me, and I let myself drift off once more, knowing that Will and I aren't in the Upside Down anymore. I let myself slip into bliss, though I know I'll have to deal with everything when I wake up.

"Liz."

I open my eyes again, and feel the hand on my shoulder before I feel the blood on my face. I'm confused. Dazed. I look around me, and I'm still on the field. I sit up slowly, my nose throbbing. People stand around me, and Lucas pulls me up as I frown. I remember the episode. Everything that happened. Though it's fuzzy.

"Where's Will? Is he okay?" I ask Dustin.

"He's over there with his mom. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a bloody nose."

"You were thrown across the field Liz." Max says, "Literally thrown."

"Was I? That's weird." I'm not paying attention as I stagger over to Joyce, who sees me. She hugs me.

"Oh sweetie. Are you all right?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Is Will okay?"

"I don't know. He doesn't remember what happened."

I look at Will, but he's too dazed to look back.

We all sadly begin walking to the front of the school, and I watch Will drive away with his mom.

"I'm just gonna go get cleaned up." I say and head back inside, into the bathroom.

My face is coated in blood, and there are scrapes on my arms, but other than that, just bruises that have yet to be formed. I wash away the blood, and pinch the bridge of my nose. My head swims and I sway, holding onto the sink for support. I cough up blood, and look in the mirror. I look like I've seen a ghost, and I guess that's not to far off. I'll have to talk to Will about it later, because right now we're both a bit rattled.

I walk back out, and join the group. Everyone is quiet as we bike home, Max having left for her house on another route. We ride in silence, saying brief goodbyes as we split up.

The rest of the evening passes by quickly. I eat macaroni for dinner, finish some homework, and go to bed early.

I wake up screaming yet again. I think this is the worst dream I've ever had; everything just seemed scarier. It slips away from my mind quickly, and all I know is it had something to do with the storm. I fling my legs over the side of my bed, wondering if I woke Steve up as I race into the bathroom. After a long shower, I head downstairs and eat breakfast, chugging a glass of orange juice before pressing a button on my walkie talkie.

"Hey guys, what's the four-o-one this morning?"

"We're gonna look for Dart again." Lucas responds.

"All right. Meet you there in ten."

I head outside and hop on my bike, racing down the road. My gears spin as I sow down and pull into the parking lot, and I quickly park it in the loops.

"Liz!" Max runs up to me and I wave at her. Lucas soon comes riding into the lot with Mike, and we wave them over.

"Come on. He's probably trying to find some food in the trash or something."

We all jog to the back of the school, where a huge dumpster awaits us.

"Okay Lucas, go ahead." I push him towards the dumpster and he gives us a look.

"Why should I have to?"

"You're the oldest."

"Seriously?"

"Stop being a baby and do it already!"

Lucas sighs, climbing a set of stairs that lead to a ledge. He looks down into the trash and crinkles his nose. Stepping in, he sinks down into the dumpster and begins looking.

"This is so disgusting."

"Is this really necessary?" Lucas says from inside while Dustin runs up to us.

"What the hell's going on?" He asks us.

"What do you think?" Mike says, "We're looking for Dart."

A garbage bag is thrown out of the dumpster, followed by another.

"Jesus!" Dustin exclaims as I step out of the line of fire.

Lucas jumps out of the trash and lands on the concrete, eyeing Dustin, "Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. After I drew the short straw. Real convenient."

I smirk, and crinkle my nose at the stench that follows Lucas around.

"You stink." Max says, walking to stand beside Dustin. Dustin looks at her, smiling like an idiot.

"Hi, Max."

She frowns at him, looking weirded out, "Hi."

I snort with laughter and hide my smile.

"Where's Will?"

"He'll be here."

"Are you just gonna stand there?" Lucas throws Dustin a garbage poker, "Or you gonna help?"

We begin looking through the trash, no signs of Dart.

When the bell rings, we all give up, heading inside to Science.

"All living things, from complex mammals to single-celled organisms, instinctively respond to danger." Mr. Clarke goes on with his lesson as I doodle on my notebook. "Expose a bacterium to a toxic chemical, and it will flee.
Or deploy some other defense mechanism.
We're very much the same. When we encounter danger, our hearts start pounding. Our palms start to sweat. These are the signs of the physical and emotional state we call fear."

I glance at the empty seat to my right. Will still hasn't arrived yet. His mom probably made him stay home. Knowing Joyce, she would think he'd need a day off after yesterday. I agree. I just wish I could talk to him.

I used to always like talking to Dustin. We were inseparable at times. But now that Max is here, it's like he's totally left me in the dust. I guess he likes her. He and Lucas. I know I'm jealous. It's not like I want their attention, I'm not much of an attention seeker. But I miss having Dustin as a friend. Now all he wants to do is be with her, not me.

I guess I'm being a bit dramatic, but whatever. Maybe he'll get over his phase. Maybe he won't. If he doesn't want to be friends with me then he doesn't have to be. I can live without him either way.

I stand with Mike next to the phone that is set up outside of the school. He punches in Will's number and we wait.

"You know. Joyce probably just wanted him to stay home." I say quietly, watching Dustin and Lucas talk to Max. "Knowing her she would want him to take a day after yesterday."

"You didn't take a day."

"That's because I don't have parents that know about this stuff, let alone care."

He sighs, and I think about yesterday. I don't fully remember what happened in the Upside Down. I've been trying to remember for a while now. All I know is that the monster came, then I was somehow thrown, and then everything is blank. I remember screaming, and a feeling of dread, like I couldn't help someone no matter how hard I tried. It must've been Will. Something must've happened to him. I close my eyes and take myself through the steps like I have multiple times today.

I run out of the school, my breath hitches in my throat when I see Will standing there.

I let myself get totally absorbed in the memory, walking across the grass with my eyes closed and pretending I'm there again. I haven't tried this method yet, I hope it works.

He's mouthing something, and I know he's having another episode. I don't think before I act, and lunge for him, grabbing his arm. Everything goes dark, and I see the shadow looming over us, reaching for Will. Will shouts at it to go away, and I urge him to run. He doesn't, and I leap in front of him as the thing comes closer.

Everything is fuzzy, and I concentrate harder. I begin to slightly remember more.

The storm reaches in, and suddenly it attacks. It's inside me, it's everywhere. Entering my body through my mouth. I'm cold, and it's dark, swirling around me. I can feel it doesn't want me, it's not quite satisfied. It throws me to the side, and I face plant into the grass, causing my nose to bleed. I look up, and it's inside him. The blood rushes through me, and I end up passing out.

I open my eyes, not needing to remember the rest as realization hits me like a ton of bricks. I look at Mike, who just slammed down the phone and is walking towards the others. I begin running.

"AV club, now." Mike says and I run past them, knowing they won't notice. I run to my bike and hop on, racing from the parking lot. I look back, and they're going inside, without Max. I try not to be to happy about it, but I am happy that they didn't see me.

I ride as fast as humanly possible down the roads. I pass people who stare at me like I've done something wrong. I have, done multiple things wrong, so I don't think much of it.

I race and I race, too quickly to even think about falling over. I use my right hand, even if it's burned, to ride even faster. I pay no attention whatsoever to the pain, and I arrive at my destination in half the time it usually takes.

I jump off my bike while it's still moving and crash through the open door of Will's house. I barge into the living room, breathing hard as I place one hand on the wall to steady myself.

"Liz?" Joyce asks, "W-What are you doing here?"

"You should be in school." Hopper says and I close my eyes, the picture of Will being consumed by that thing seemingly painted over the inside of my eyelids. I look at him, at Will, he sits at a table, drawing at lightening speed. I look back to the adults, and take the time to catch my breath as they stare at me expectantly.

"I...." I gasp for breath, "I remember. Everything."

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Hello my friends!

Another chapter. You know the drill.