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6 Months After ‘The Rightside Up’
“Mike, I don’t like where this is going.” El said with Mike’s hands covering her eyes, suspicious of his intentions. It’s been half a year since they faked their deaths in Hawkins and Mike was taking her to a ‘faraway land’. The two have walked through hell trying to get to their destination, and despite journeying for so long Mike has yet to tell El where they’re heading. Were they even in the United States anymore? She highly doubts it considering they’ve had to cross large bodies of water to make it.
Mike smiles, keeping his hands over his girlfriend’s eyes, “Trust me El, I know what I’m doing.”
El rolled her eyes at that statement. “You said that last time and we almost got eaten by a bear.” It was true, though. They had been trekking through the woods when a bear lunged at them. Thankfully El used her telekinesis in time to throw it into a tree. She felt bad, though.
Mike chuckled. “This time I really know what I am doing.”
El rolled her eyes, “Okay but if a snake comes out and bites you I’m not taking the blame.”
He chuckled again, she’s grown feistier in the last few months and he loved it. “Enough bickering, we’re almost there.”
After about 7 minutes of Mike guiding El with her eyes closed, his steps come to a halt and El follows. “We’re here,” Mike breathes a sigh of relief. He just knows she’ll love what the surprise is.
“Can I open my eyes now?” El asked with a tinge of eagerness in her tone. She loved Mike, seriously. But the buildup was driving her crazy.
Mike grinned and finally removed his palms from El’s face. “Surprise!”
It took her a moment to process, and once it fully registered she gasped in disbelief. The sight was more than beautiful. It was stunning, heavenly you could say. The mountains, the fields, pinecones scattered across the grass. And the somewhat distant sound of water crashing down. “What is this place?”
“Iceland,” Mike responded almost immediately.
“How far is it from Hawkins?” El wanted assurance that she’d never be in the vicinity of that hellhole ever again. Actually, the United States in general. They, the military, were after her.
All because of Henry.
“Far is an understatement,” Mike said as he rested his chin on El’s shoulder. “We’re in a land where nobody will find us. Not the American military, not some Russian spies, we’re safe.” He pressed a kiss to her neck.
El turned around, looking deeply in the eyes of her lover. “You went through all this, for me?” She felt tears forming in her eyes but refused to let them flow.
“Yes, and take a look,” He gently grabbed her by the shoulders and slightly turned her to face the right. In front of her was a waterfall, waves crashing down from great heights. In fact, this was her first time coming across such a body of water.
“And that’s not the only one,” Mike continued. “There’s actually one, two, three of them.”
The word three unlocked a memory that had been deep hidden in the core of El’s brain. A certain promise that Mike made to her all those months ago, just days before the dynamiting of the Upside Down. The brain tape had been buried deep within El’s psyche since. Only now has it managed to resurface.
**Flashback**
“In my campaigns, if the party wins, then they all live happily ever after.”
El tilted her head, “Happily how?” She herself had never been close to a happy ending so the term was unfamiliar to her.
Mike sighed, “Well, usually what happens is that the party doesn’t return to their local village, because too much happened. They’ve seen too much. So they travel to a faraway land, a peaceful land, somewhere beautiful, with like three waterfalls or something, and they all start again, together.”
El felt a flicker of hope in her heart. “Do you think that could be real for us?” Could she really run away with her friends to a far, unknown land where nothing but peace exists? Could she find her happy ending in this life that she thought was out to drag her to hell?
Mike smiled, “Yeah, of course. I mean, not the three waterfalls part. But the other stuff, yeah, of course. If Vecna’s gone, then what’s stopping us?”
Their moment is interrupted by a holler.
“Hey lovebirds!” Lucas called from afar. “Chief’s almost ready, let’s do this. Come on.”
**Flashback ends**
The tears that El was choking back were moments away from breaking loose, but she didn’t want to give in. She had to be strong, be the warrior that everyone in Hawkins saw moments before her apparent demise. “Mike, this was unnecessary. You should’ve let me die all those months ago—”
Mike took his hands to cup her cheeks and had the sweetest smile spread across his face. “El, I’d kill myself before letting harm cross your path. And as long as we stay in Hawkins, harm will be lurking in the shadows, waiting to jump you when chances come. You missed out on so much because of cruel people like Dr. Brenner. I’m sure all our friends would do anything to protect you, but I highly doubt they’d go through the same measures that I took.”
She couldn’t hold it in anymore and the floodgates unlatched, letting her own waterfalls of tears run down her cheeks. She attempted to choke back a sob but before she could Mike wrapped his arms around her frame and pulled her close against his.
“Hey, hey,” Mike whispered in her ear to calm her down. “There’s absolutely no need to cry. I’m here, you’re here, we’re in this together. We’ll navigate through these new lives of ours and battle any challenges that come our way. All that matters is that we face them as a team.”
El lifted her face from Mike’s chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him even closer if that was possible. “I love you, Mike.” She muttered under her breath as another sob escaped her throat.
Mike felt tears prickling his eyes now, overwhelmed with joy. “I love you too, El. And I always have since that day we ran into you in the woods.” He leaned down to seal their lips in a slow, sensual, romantic kiss. Their lips danced gracefully as his hands trailed down to the small of her back. They knew that at some point they’d have to break apart, but for now all they wanted was to live in the moment.
Hours later, the two were sitting under a tree, eating wildberries they collected whilst scavenging the woods. When you have no money, are constantly avoiding the military, and are travelling to a rural village you don’t exactly have the most satisfying food options out there. So the couple had to resort to wildfruits and other edible foods they collected on the way. If they had time, they’d ignite a small fire to roast some meat. It was definitely a new experience for Mike. While El wasn’t entirely used to it either, she’s had to survive in the woods before so the experience wasn’t completely new.
There was something bothering her, though. Something, some people, left in a certain town.
“Do you regret it?” She turns and asks Mike, who was distracted by the view until she broke him out of his thoughts. He immediately knew what she was referring to. Their friends and family they left in Hawkins.
He took a moment to look down at his feet, pondering on how to answer El’s difficult question. The two have been avoiding this conversation for a while, but now that they’ve arrived El figured it was the right time to bring it up. It wasn’t something simple to talk through and move forward. For El, it brought some sorrow to her when thinking about it, but it was easier for her to move on because life has never done her justice, heartbreak was typical. Mike, on the other hand, left behind his home town, his childhood. His entire life— practically thrown away. He knew his parents and sisters were probably going through hell at that exact moment. Not that El wasn’t loved, but it was made clear that she did not have much to leave behind other than Hopper and her small circle. Everybody thought he and El perished that day. After all, with the execution of their fakeouts, how could they not presume them dead?
Mike shook his head to push his thoughts aside and stood up to face El, “We have one more stop— our final destination.”
El’s face fell. Final destination? She thought this was the end of the journey. “What?” More walking? She was exhausted enough, for God’s sake!
Mike laughed and caressed her shoulder. “No, sweetie. Just follow me.”
“I’m going to kill you some day.”
El follows behind Mike, really hoping he isn’t leading them to their deaths. She knew how unpredictable he was, his stupid actions have nearly gotten them killed a gazillion times. Where is he even taking her anyways? Another waterfall? A cliff? A dark and scary forest with who-knows-what inside?
Mike was bubbling with excitement with every step he took. He knows El’s probably pissed right now but it was something that oddly satisfied him. Besides, when they arrive he knows for sure her irritation will fade in a heartbeat.
Finally, they reached their end— a stunning remote village. Clusters of simple cabins, merchants selling goods for inhabitants to purchase, young children running around with their friends.
El’s breath hitched at the sight. Okay, she had many guesses on where Mike was leading her but this was definitely not one of them.
“Another surprise!” Mike giggled and planted a kiss on the top of El’s head. He just wished he could enter her mind right now to watch all the thoughts racing through it like a marathon. He was definitely jealous of her psychic abilities despite her insisting it’s a living nightmare.
“Mike…” El croaked, unable to finish her sentence. This was all too much to take in. He leads her to a place with three waterfalls and a small village filled with nothing but peace? She couldn’t help but wonder what she did to deserve this boy. He’s been nothing but kind to her since they met in the rain all those years ago. Even Dustin and Lucas were not kind to her at first, yet Mike was always by her side. After a moment (or two), she finally came up with the right words to express her gratitude. “I love you so much, but you really did not have to go this far— figuratively and literally.”
Mike shook his head with a grin and cupped her beautiful face. “How many times do I have to remind you of the great lengths I’d go through for you to be happy? Seriously, El,” He caressed her cheek. He was so gentle with her. “The fact that I went as far as to fake my death for the sake of your happiness and us being together should express the amount of love and deep care I have for you. I love you, to death.” He pulled her in for a hug, the most emotional and genuine one they’ve had all throughout their voyage to Iceland.
All of El’s doubts vanished as he pulled her into his arms and she began to sob in his chest. She was probably wetting his shirt big time. Oh well, he doesn’t seem to mind. In fact he is quite enjoying it. She manages to mutter three words against his thumping heart, “I love you too, Mike. More than you’d ever know.”
After a bit, Mike pulled away but still kept his hands on her. Then, he turned to face the village and a hopeful smile spread across his face. His doubts waned just like hers did a second ago. Despite the immense regret he felt over leaving Hawkins, he knew this was the right decision for both him and his girlfriend. He also knew that one day, he and the Party would reunite. Because if he learned one thing since 1983, it’s that you must push forward even in the most unfortunate times.
He cups her face to look up at him, her face stained with tears but still drop dead gorgeous in his eyes. “Are you ready for the start of a new life, Jane?”
Jane broke out a smile at the usage of her birth name. Eleven might have been dead to Hawkins, however, Jane lived on. “Why yes, I believe I am.” She kissed him on the lips and a smile spread across his face.
He linked his arm with hers as they marched to the village together. At last, Jane finally got her seemingly never-to-be happy ending with the love of her life. And as long as they stick together, that is all she needs in life. p
At last, this was the end of Eleven, and the rebirth of Jane.