Trouble usually did not follow Dottie Fields, it usually found somebody more interesting to watch and torment. Trouble enjoyed creating chaos and that was something Dottie was definitely not interested in. But funnily enough, trouble backtracked that day and decided that particular dark skinned girl with a snacking complex and no time for mystery was ready for a little chaos.

Dottie had followed the three boys for a long while, her old truck purring the entire time. They had stopped at Lucas Sinclair's house for a short time, then bypassed the main supermarket in town, Bradley's Big Buy, where the glass doors had been smashed. The act of spying on the three boys was growing boring when they went off road. Dottie had parked the truck near the entrance they had taken into the woods, near the old train tracks. She had almost pushed open her heavy door to follow them, but remembered a promise she had made about wandering alone in the woods to her best friend. I won't be a hero, don't worry. 

Rolling down her window a fraction, letting in a flow of cool air to circulate through the stuffy truck, she eased down in her chair and pulled out her half eaten bag of beef jerky. She figured her little brother and his friends would reappear soon enough. All she had to do was wait. Sadly, the waiting game dragged on a little longer than she had expected. She had eaten all her jerky, along with a melted 3 Musketeers bar. She had even pulled out some homework to finish off before Monday rolled around again. Boredom was not her friend and somehow she had drifted off to sleep, dreaming of nothing very memorable.

Her face was awkwardly pressed against the chilly glass of her window when voices stirred in her mind, waking her quickly. With a jolt, her head was snapping up and finding the kids returning from the woods. She was wiping a line of drool from her chin, shaking away the cloudiness from her mind when she started the engine. The party of boys had an extra person tagging along now and Dottie was already assuming this was the girl with weird powers of some sort. Without thinking again, she followed them while they peddle away on their bikes. The kids travelled back to the Wheeler house and Dottie was already rolling her eyes. "Do these kids do anything remotely interesting?" She was growing so bored, so irritated that she began talking to herself.

Dottie parked the car behind a white van, watching through the front window as the kids entered through the back door. With her stomach growling, she reached into the glove box and moved around some candy wrappers trying to find something to eat. "Follow the kids, what a great plan." She hadn't been sitting there for long, chomping down on another candy bar when something did happened. The back door was flinging open in sync when the white van in front of her purred to life. Dottie was already dropping the candy bar to her lap with a startled yelp. Quickly, she was starting her own truck and madly following the kids again. This time it was much harder keeping tabs on them, the group zipping into side streets. It took her almost a full minute to realise the white vans were following them too.

"Fiddlesticks." The word fell from her lips as she slammed on the brakes, not wanting to be recognised by the vans too. She had no clue what was going on right now, but had a funny feeling it wasn't good news. She veered into a different street, knowing exactly where she was going without being tailed. When she came to another bend in the road, her gaze snapped towards her left while catching the sight of one of the white vans hovering in mid air. Her mouth gaped open as the van smashed towards the ground. The kids peddled right by her, not even bothering to make sure nobody was hurt. With her heart thudding in her chest, questions racing in her mind she followed them again. When they raced towards a very familiar off road stretch of land, she knew where they were headed.

About fifteen minutes later, Dottie was pulling her truck to a firm stop at Hawkins junkyard. She had been here a handful of times with her father when they went searching for odd parts to replace in the truck. He was showing her how remake the engine, their little shared project. Shoving open her door, the dying sunlight touched her shoulders as she scanned the area. "Micky?" Her voice sounded strange as it echoed off the rusted metal and hunks of broken cars.

Her dusted Converse shoes squeaked with movement, but she weaved deeper and deeper into the junkyard. When her eye fell upon a number of bikes ditched under a bus, her heart jumped. "Micky? Where are you?" Her voice rang out but nobody called back. "Come on, I know you're here boys! I'm just...trying to help with whatever this is."

Suddenly, a whinging of metal sounded and her attention was focusing on the bus again. Micky Fields stood in the doorway of the bus, fury painted on his face. Dottie was moving towards him without a question. She was ready to grab his shoulders and shake some sense into him, but when she reached him, he was yanking firmly on her wrist and pulling her inside the bus, the door rolling shut. "What the—"

"You told your sister? Again?" Lucas Sinclair was screaming out. Dottie's gaze swung across to each child and finally landed on the girl sitting the furthest away, her face smudged with dirt and her pink dress dirty.

Micky was already yelling back. "I didn't tell her anything!"

"Bullshit."

"If you didn't tell her, how'd she get here?"

The boys were screaming loudly, drawing far too much attention. Dottie was already regretting her decision in getting out of her truck to find her little brother. "I followed you idiots." Dottie finally snapped out, shutting the boys up. "Clearly, I wasn't the only ones. White vans have been tailing you all afternoon. Along with the freaking helicopter. What's going on?" Nobody said a word, "Oh, so now you're all quiet?"

"That's very typical." Dottie was placing her hands on her hips, but still the kids were dead silent. Narrowing her eyes, she swivelled back towards the girl who looked drained of energy. Sweetly, she was pulling out a candy bar from her overalls pocket and handing it to the girl. "It's not drugged or something, it's just chocolate."

The girl glanced towards Mike Wheeler. "It's okay, El."

Thankfully, the girl who didn't really speak, took a careful bite of the candy bar. Dottie was already smiling shyly. "Pretty good, huh?" The girl slowly nodded her head before taking another bite. That's when Dottie turned back to the boys, worry filling her veins. "You've got people following you, maybe me now too. We can't stay here. It's not safe."

Dustin Henderson glared at her. "Do you have a better idea?"

Dottie paced the bus for a long moment, her eyes falling directly on her truck parked a few meters away. The girl may not have all the information about whatever was really going on, clearly these men wanted somebody and the only new addition to the friends group was the girl, ergo it was probably her they wanted. But that was all besides the point, Dottie Fields had followed her little brother to keep him safe, now she had four other kids to take care of. "My truck is parked outside. We make a run for it. We can get further than your bikes—"

Suddenly, before she could even create some sort of plan, a tiny voice sparked in the odd silence. Everybody paused, searching for the source of noise. Mike Wheeler was pulling free his walkie-talkie. Within moments it was very clear it was his older sister trying to reach him. "Mike, it's Nancy. Please pick up."

The boys hesitated. "What if it's a trick?"

"It's your sister!"

"She could be kidnapped by the bad men or something. What if they're focusing her to say all this?" Mike questioned and that comment had Dustin agreeing wholeheartedly.

Dottie was already cursing the minds of twelve year olds. "Pick up the damn thing, boys. This is insane..."

Yet again, nobody moved and a new voice was barking through the speaker. "Listen kid, this is the chief here. We know you're in trouble and we know about the girl." The boys exchanged glances, already questioning why Nancy Wheeler was with Chief Hooper. "We can protect you, we can help you, you just gotta' pick up. Are you there? Do you copy? Over."

Dottie felt herself growing irritated again. "Let me have the stupid thing!" She was already reaching for the walkie-talkie ready to reply when Mike yanked it away from her with a harsh glare, but thankfully, the boy was thinking clearly.

"It's Mike, I'm here." He looked around at the faces staring at him. "We're here."

After telling Chief Hooper where they were, the bus fell quiet. Dottie had plonked herself down besides Eleven, who still hadn't uttered out a single word, although she had demolished the candy bar, melted chocolate smeared her bottom lip. The boys had taken spots around the bus, Mike sending longing glances across at the girl, something Dottie noticed very quickly. Dustin had been pacing the entire time, getting himself worked up. "It's taking too long. He should be here by now."

"Well, if he let me drive us—" Dottie mumbled.

But Dustin talked over her. "What if this is all a trap?"

The boys started arguing again and Dottie sent the only other girl in the confined space a little glance and found a smile pressed to Eleven's lips with her very look, which suggested all boys were honest to heaven this stupid. But the fighting was cut short when they heard wheels crushing against dirt and the hum of engines. The older teenager was springing to her feet, pushing through the boys to get to the windows first. When she saw the cars, her stomach was turning into knots. "Fiddlesticks."

Dustin stared at her. "Fiddlesticks? Are you kidding me?"

Lucas was already dropping to his seat, hiding from the windows. "Shit, shit, shit!"

Dottie was quickly hurrying the boys away from the windows, pulling Micky down onto the hard floor beside her. She found both Mike and Eleven watching her, maybe looking for her for some ill-fated guidance, something she didn't have. Naturally, Dustin was opening his mouth to spit out more words. "Shut up, would you? Just...stay down. Maybe they won't find us."

The minute was stretched on, Dottie holding her breath. Micky wiggled in her arms, but she didn't let go. The moment was dreadful, every kid sitting in that bus waiting for the worst to happen next. Dottie was nearly shirking when the bus door flung open, but before the man could point his gun at any of them, he was being clipped in the head, his body falling towards the ground in a heap. Chief Hopper stepped into the bus, staring at them. "Alright. Let's go." His eyes rested on Dottie finally. "Follow behind me, okay?"

***

The sky was dark with nightfall when Daisy Lonsdale arrived at her best friend's house, the wind nonexistent on the air. Steve Harrington cut the engine, eyeing the shabby house and the overgrown front yard. He didn't say anything though, just stared across at the blonde who was hurrying to gather her belongings. "It doesn't look like anybody's home. Are you sure I can't just drop you off home?"

Daisy shook her head. "Home is the last place I need to be tonight."

Steve eyed the house again, his lips twisting into a scowl. He wasn't very fond of leaving Daisy on the doorstep of an empty house, waiting in the darkness until somebody arrived home. The woods were thick in this part of town and anything could be lurking. "Maybe it's better if you just wait until tomorrow to see Dottie? I mean, come on—"

"Are you worried about me?" Daisy snapped out, although a smile was touching her lips. She was already pushing on the car door, the air flushing her cheeks, but she just wiggled into her jacket and slammed the door shut. The Fields' house was empty, which was a little strange, but Daisy was already pushing away the thought, figuring her best friend would be home sooner rather than later. "Look, I don't need a babysitter, Steve Harrington. I'm perfectly capable of waiting on the porch steps alone."

Daisy was giving him a little smile in goodbye before twisting on her heels and marching across the rocky makeshift driveway. There was a little doubt singing in her chest, questioning if waiting in the dark was a good idea. But she pushed that away too, knowing she needed to speak with Dottie tonight about everything. Her bag was dropped to the wooden step with a thud and she eased herself down, her elbows propped on her knees. Steve Harrington's car hadn't left though, the boy being torn in half. His struggle only lasted another minute before he was yanking the key from the ignition and shuffling out of the car. Daisy didn't say a single word when he dropped down next to her, dangling his car keys in his fingertips.

"Marigold used to love the darkness, the quietness of the night." A few minutes had passed, the two teenagers bathed in a comfortable silence, but Steve was breaking it with an odd memory. "I always thought it was weird, you know? I hated the dark as a kid, but she loved it."

Daisy faintly smiled. "She loves the darkness, not used too."

Steve nodded. "Right, yeah."

"She says the darkness is for the wild hearts, the souls that are restless." Daisy piped up quietly, her eyes scanning the still night around them. No birds cooed in the distance, no crickets chimed. It was like the very nighttime had been sucked dry, only hollowness left behind. It was almost eerie, like something was coming.

Steve finished off the saying, knowing the words his friend had sung many times before. The words of Marigold Lonsdale's soul. "The darkness is for the freedom of girls with crazy ideas and boys with temper touching their hearts. The darkness is for the souls untouched by fate."

"God, I miss her." Daisy sighed softly, threading her hands under her knees. She could feel the prickle of tears in her eyes that wanted to roll down her cold cheeks. Daisy usually didn't cry, sometimes she felt like it was a weakness, which was insane. But tonight the weight of missing her sister felt almost too heavy in her heart.

The Harrington boy could see the shine of unshed tears in her eyes and suddenly wished things could be different. He wished he hadn't been a total jerk last year and lied about Marigold leaving town. If it could prevent the pain that sat in Daisy's chest, he would move the heavens to make her whole again, to right a wrong. Slowly, he inched towards her, his hand reaching out but before he could even try and comfort her, headlights were slicing through the darkness and a familiar truck came to a jerky stop. Daisy was jumping to her feet, glancing behind her at Steve. "Thanks for staying, but—"

"Yeah," Steve nodded his head bluntly, knowing the moment had slipped by him again. He pointed across at his car, waiting for him. "I should go. My parents are actually home for once. Maybe it wouldn't be a terrible idea to eat dinner with them."

Daisy shrugged. "Maybe."

With a quacking heart, Dottie Fields was racing towards Daisy, so many things rushing in her head. She was actually gasping from air when she pulled her best friend in for a hug, squeezing her a little too tight. "You wouldn't believe the crazy day I've had." Steve was already walking away, knowing he wasn't needed right now.

"I can't breathe, too tight..." Daisy wheezed out but, thankfully her best friend was letting go, something passing in her dark eyes. Dottie wasn't even very sure how she would explain her day stuck at a junkyard with a bunch of twelve year olds, or the new information about the hell that was raising in Hawkins because of a girl named Eleven. Quickly, Dottie was yanking on her friend's arm, needing to be inside where it was safer. Daisy followed in suit but turned around before the door slammed shut. "Steve! Maybe it's a good idea to apologise to Jonathan about the fight. You know, be the bigger person."

Steve paused at his car, twirling his car keys in his hand. "Yeah, maybe." Before the boy could even offer a smile, the blonde that made his heart ache was pulled inside by her best friend who was about to unleash a tidal wave of hellish truths about the town of Hawkins now.