The following morning crept by, almost silent.
Eli headed back on foot when the day started fading, his breath turning to mist in the chill while he moved along the path beside trees losing their leaves. Marcy tried once more to give him a lift, yet he said he'd rather walk - she just nodded without pressing further. Everything seemed quieter around there, as if folks were speaking softer since one person wasn't around anymore.
His mind wandered - Hopper's tips, the pose he kept drilling, how his feet stayed grounded once he nailed it. Yet he clung to those bits, though time pushed hard from every side.
The System stayed quiet. Not dozing - sleep wasn't needed - but humming soft, constant, kind of like a pulse beneath all things.
He was into it like that.
Yet he wasn't by himself for very long.
Voices floated out of the trees on his right. Loud ones. No hushed tones. Just a few kids chatting like they do in middle school - when fear shows up and nobody's sure what to do.
"… I'm telling you, we should check the turnout again," Mike said, sounding frustrated.
"No, man, that's stupid," Lucas shot back. "If Will wasn't there yesterday - "
"We didn't look everywhere," Mike insisted.
"Because it's the woods," Dustin added. "Everywhere is everywhere."
Eli halted. Though silent, the woods echoed with faint sounds drifting between trunks.
Mike. Lucas. Dustin.
They'd obviously show up around here.
Eli gulped. Still, he figured he ought to move forward. After all, he'd sworn not to get involved - unless the System pushed him into it. Yet here it was, doing nothing at all. Quiet as ever. Running slow. Holding steady. Zero warnings popping up.
He looked off toward the trees -
"Hey!"
Every muscle in his body stiffened.
"Hey! Kid in the red jacket!"
He froze.
Mike emerged from the woods, shielding his eyes against the dimming glow. Behind him trailed Dustin, then Lucas - faces red either from shouting or dashing about nonstop since noon. Each moved a bit slower now, breathing uneven, voices hushed but still tense.
Eli thought about acting like he didn't notice, yet it wouldn't work - Mike was already motioning him closer.
Great.
He let out a breath, then moved closer bit by bit.
"You're the one who just showed up, yeah?" Mike said, his breath fogging the air. "Name's Eli?"
Eli nodded once.
Mike pulled out an old photo - Will, grinning slightly, like he wasn't quite sure about it. "You spot him? Around these parts?"
No," Eli whispered. "My bad
Mike slumped slightly. Lucas whispered, "I said so," without looking up.
Eli moved away, prepared to go, set to let things stop right now.
Yet suddenly, a movement stirred among the branches.
A twig cracked - no squirrel, no bird, just weight behind it. Not random. Heavy steps made Eli tense up fast. His body moved first, thinking came after.
The System pulsed.
Quietly. Without bright signs or sirens.
A quiet inner voice, barely heard
[Threat proximity: elevated.]
Eli stayed calm-looking, yet his heart raced. The sound reached the kids - eyes instantly turned to the woods.
"That… wasn't the wind," Dustin whispered.
Mike moved closer to where the noise came from.
Sure, he went ahead. That's just who Mike was - courageous, but only 'cause fear pushed him. Focused, simply because he never learned how else to live.
This threatened the whole situation.
Eli's fingers bent a little where they hung. Yet not much moved - just that small shift near his hips.
This wasn't official. Not really. They shouldn't have been there already - not this far in, not this near, not until things got uglier for Will. Moving ahead too soon meant risking everything; one wrong step could mess it all up
He stayed out of it.
Yet seeing them head into trouble just wasn't possible.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
To take a look," Mike said, stepping forward right away - though he didn't wait for an answer.
Lucas shot him a look. "We didn't ask you to come."
Dustin hesitated. "But you can if you want."
It hit him right then. The fork in the road he'd been dodging ever since showing up.
If he refused, off they'd go regardless.
If they still went, maybe someone'd end up injured.
Hopper'd carry the guilt, while time bent toward something worse.
Eli exhaled unsteadily.
He never asked for it.
He never asked for none of it.
Mike moved closer to the woods.
Eli followed.
Not one clapped. Not a single grin showed up either. Fear kept them frozen. So they let him join - more bodies meant less loneliness, another voice broke the silence, having someone new made it seem less like three kids stepping into nothing.
They headed into the woods side by side, weak light poking through trees in pale lines. Behind them, Eli hung back slightly - just close enough to snag Mike's jacket if he suddenly took off. While shadows stretched ahead, nobody said much. Stillness settled like dust on old boots.
He felt each snap of a twig beneath their feet, sharp and clear.
The System kept silent. Not a word came out, no powers appeared, no numbers went up. Instead, it just sat there - honing his senses, like that soft trace of Reflex Awareness left behind after Hopper's training.
The deeper they walked, the more Dustin whispered, "I don't like this. I really don't like this."
Lucas peeked behind him at Eli. "What's your reason for showing up?"
Eli might've fibbed. Or claimed it was mere interest - or maybe he'd had nothing better to do.
"I didn't want you to go alone," he said instead.
All three lads came to a halt.
Mike stared for a sec, surprised. "Uh."
Lucas turned his gaze elsewhere. Meanwhile, Dustin said a few words - Eli missed what they were.
They kept moving.
The noise from before didn't come back. Trees rustled softly, filled with usual night sounds - breezes, crackling twigs, far-off cars humming by. As time dragged on with nothing new, Dustin felt his nerves start to fray.
"Maybe we should head back," he muttered.
Lucas nodded. "Yeah, before it gets dark."
Mike paused, teeth clenched. Stopping felt wrong. Still, no way would he risk pushing forward - darkness closing in fast, less than half an hour till night swallowed the light.
"Fine," he said finally. "We'll try again tomorrow."
They turned around.
Eli exhaled - didn't even notice he was clenching his breath till now.
While heading back to the path, Mike looked his way now and then.
You're awfully silent, Mike remarked after a pause.
Eli shrugged.
"You can… I dunno. Talk, if you want. You don't have to be weird."
Dustin elbowed him. "He's not weird, he's just new."
Lucas smirked. "We're all weird."
The pressure let up just a bit. Their feet moved easier now. When they got to the tree line, dusk was still glowing - no full dark yet; right then, stepping onto the pavement, the System's background drone softened.
Threat level dropped.
The kids began chatting once more - this time about Will, then what's coming up next, shifting to bicycles while also mentioning torches they had to get from someone else.
Mike looked at Eli.
"We're meeting at my house after school tomorrow," he said. "You can come. If you want."
Lucas with Dustin seemed hesitant yet didn't refuse.
Eli paused - just a beat, but it made Mike believe he'd say no.
He gave a single nod.
"I'll come."
Mike smiled fast, like a sigh after tension broke.
The kids headed off to their homes, chatting a bit about whose turn it was to carry the food.
Eli headed back by himself, step after slow step.
He didn't feel like getting involved.
Yet this time, it's already over.
The trail had started curving.
The system sat still, yet somehow seemed ready. It stayed silent but gave off a vibe - like it was watching.