· 。ﾟ☆: *.☽
˚ ₊ ♡ ❰  𝚃𝙷𝚁𝙸𝙻𝙻𝙴𝚁  ❱ ˖⋆࿐໋ ⋆ ✰
CHAPTER EIGHT ━━
dig up the dead

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      ZERO FEELS VERY CRAMPED WHEN HE SAT BEHIND the boy Max called Mike, his long and lanky legs were in a strange position as the raven haired boy was almost racing down the street on his bike. The blonde held tightly into the cold metal of the boy's bike, knuckles turning white in the progress.

      Zero had absolutly no idea where Mike was taking him, but all he could hope for was to get there as soon as possible. The teenage boy way determined to warn Will about The Upside Down.

      Some minutes passed and the streets with their picture perfect white picket fences turned into a blur of trees as Mike followed a dirt road.

      "We're almost there!" Mike shouted over his shoulder, breath heavy from the excersise of taking someone like Zero with him.

      Zero didn't reply at all and stayed silent and it occured to the blonde that he hadn't spoken anything to the boy beside Will's name and the Upside Down. From over Mike's shoulder, the blonde could see a small house in the distant two cars parked in the front of the home and suddenly for some reason Zero felt nervous all over again.

      The boy was pulled from his thoughts when Mike stepped down on the brake, the bike coming to a screeching halt, turning slightly to the side. Zero was quick to step off the bike, placing some distance between himself and the house in front of him.

      Mike quickly dropped the bike to the leaf covered ground and rushed up to the door, his fist knocking loudly on the wooden surface while Zero remained in the background.

      The blonde felt his throat tighten when he could hear shuffling from the other side and he quicky casted his gaze down, focusing on his hands instead while the mop of blonde hair fell over his eyes.

      Mike was bouncing on the ball of his heel as he repeated his actions and knocked again, only much louder than before. If this kid knew about the Upside Down and Will, Mike hoped that maybe, just maybe he knew about El too. The boy could only hope that whatever the blonde needed Will for wouldn't cause another shit storm to come their way. After only a year, the raven haired boy felt like he had seen more than he could ever hope to forget.

      Suddenly the door swung open and Will's mum, Joyce peeked outside blocking him from looking inside the home. The woman gave him a nervous smile, not even noticing Zero a little while away from them. "Mike what are you doing here?" She asked quickly her eyes darting back inside for a second. "Will isn't feeling well. I'm sorry but I think it's better if you go home Mike." She explained as she went to close the door.

      "He knows about he Upside Down." Mike told her quickly, his hands raising to stop her from closing the door in his face.

      Joyce furrowed her eyebrows confused. "Who knows? Did you tell someone? You know you can't do that, didn't you listen to Hop-"

      Mike shook his head frantically pointing behind him towards Zero who hadn't looked up since the door had opened. "He knows, he came to us. The new girl Max, she brought him to us."

      Joyce quickly leaned down, eying the blonde boy warily. "How do you know he can be trusted, what if-"

     "He knew Will." Mike interrupted her and Joyce felt silent, her eyes darting up to the lanky teenage boy.

      "What...?" She breathed out, eyebrows knitted together as she stared at the boy, blonde strands hiding his face and ragged clothing hanging on his figure loosely.

      Before Mike can expain he does not yet know who the boy is and that Max had found the strange blonde and brought him to their group, a gruff voice echoes behind Joyce, startling the two for a moment as they snap their heads to the owner.

      Jim Hopper stands behind Joyce, sheriff's hat on top of his head and there is concern in his eyes as he looked at Joyce before his eyes steal a fleeting glance at Mike. "Everything alright here?" The chief asked, befor eying Mike. "Kid, you better go home, Will is-erh, not feeling so great."

      Mike shakes his hear frantically, eyes wide. "No you don't understand! He knows about the Upside Down! Maybe he can help Will!"

      Mike watched as Hopper gave him a curious look, before the raven haired boy motioned to the blonde behind him, who still waits patiently a little while away like Mike had asked him too.

      The young boy looked up in confusion as he saw Hopper's gently gaze turn cold and hard. "It's him." He narrowed his eyes.

      "Wait.., what?" Mike stammered out in fright as he watched Hopper storm towards the blonde, anger radiating off the chief as he approached the lanky teenager.

      Joyce eyes widened too at the sight, "Hop! Hey wait what are you doing?!"

      Jim casts one last glance over his shoulder, "He broke into the school last night!" He shouted, now close enough to Zero to startle the boy who slightly jumps at the loudness as he lifts his head up to see a stranger rush towards him, hate and anger clearly written on his face.

      But Jim doesn't focus on the boys's face, anger is taking over him in a blur of adrenaline, anger and grief.

      Zero's eyes are blown wide with fear as the man advanced towards him and the blonde felt himself backtracking in a fast pace, his heart hammering in his chest at the sight of the man.

      "Get back here!"

      Zero's felt himself stumbling over his own two feet, tears welling up in his eyes as his mind wandered to unpleasant memories. Suddenly his back hits a rough surface and the boy gives up, accepting defeat as he let himself slide down against the tree. Using his arms to cover his face, body rigid and shaking all at once as he mumbles under his breath. The scene all to familiar to him.

      Zero felt panic surge through him as Dr. Brenner dragged him along while he trashed in the man's iron grip, tears welling up in his eyes as he cried out for help.

      "Please! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" The blonde tries to get Brenner's clenched fist ro releash his faded blue shirt and then by some miracelous force he hears a tearing sound and the pressure on his shoulder gets released.

      The blonde doesn't wait before he's pushing himself to run away as far as possible as he heard angry shouts and feet pouned against the metal floor behind him.

      The lanky child turned a corner only to slam against someone, and he looked up with terrified eyes to see one of the soldiers before him, towering over him.

      Zero's feet work on their own accord as he stumbled backwards until suddenly, there is no where to go when he felt the cold and smooth surface of the metal wall behind him while the soldier keeps andvancing towards him.

      The boy is shaking in his boots as he slides's down the wall, arms coming up to cover his face as he starts to mumble for it to stop.

      "Stop, stop, stop." Zero mumbled under his breath as the sound of boots coming closer echo in his ears.

      Mike and Joyce watch with wide eyes as Hopper approached the terror striken boy and then Joyce eyes avert to the blonde boy who is shaking against the tree utterly terrified at the moment and she feels her heart break at the sight of it.

      She quickly rushed forward grabbing the back of Jim's sleeve. "Hop, please. You're scaring him."

      Hopper only pushed Joyce's hand of his arm glancing at the woman beside him. "I was with him Joyce and this-this kid... he ruined it!" The man growled and Joyce knows exactly who him is but she doesn't back off.

      "Jim, please, look at him, he scared out of his mind." She points to the boy who is rocking back and forward muttering soft words she can't make out.

      But then her eyes focus on his exposed wrist now that his sleeve had been pushed aside during his struggle to get away. She feels her breath hitch in her throat as she looked at the familair ink on his pale skin.

      "Look, look!" She lightly nudged his arm and Jim followed Joyce's gaze.

      000

      "He's just like her Jim." Joyce whispered, her words barerly audiable as she carefully steps forward, trying her best not to scare the boy.

      "Shh, everything is going to be alright." The woman whispered gently. "No one is going to hurt you. I promise." She softly takes ahold of his wrist, prying it away from his face.

      Zero does nothing to stop her, too afraid to move. Tears stains are prominent against his hollow cheeks and his hair sticks against his forehead.

      Then his eyes finally lift up, rich brown eyes meet the one of the woman in front of her while his heart feels like it will burst out of his chest any moment.

      And then his eyes lock with the man behind the woman.

      And Jim feels his own heart stop at the sight of those eyes, those familair brown eyes from the past and the words leaving his mouth feel so unnatural after all this time.

      "Milo."

      A ghost from the past of Hawkins Indiana.

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