Daisy Lonsdale as a child would stretch her arms out wide in her front yard and spin around and around in circles all day. The world would blur and her stomach would roll and her mind would feel weightless. Sometimes it used to make her sick with dizziness, but she used to enjoy walking around in circles. Right now, that's what her life felt like. When people ran in circles it became a very mad world and sadly, Marigold had left a box full of odd documents but no clues to where she had ran away to.

"I'm really sorry, kid." Hopper noted with deep sorrow towards the blonde girl sitting across from him late one afternoon. Warm air blew from the heater but Daisy's hands were numb from the cold outside still. It felt like her heart was frozen too. "We've gone over everything Marigold left in that box and nothing suggests where she's gone."

Weeks had gone by since the night Hawkins had been cursed with strange things. The night a monster had been killed, a little boy had been brought back home and a girl with a strange name had sacrificed her life for her friends. That night at the Byers' house almost felt like a dream and everything that followed that night was pleasantly boring. As promised, Hopper had reopened the case and done his very best in trying to locate Marigold but sadly, he couldn't put together the pieces of the unfinished puzzle. The locked metal box had contained many things; a map of America with multiple cities circled, folders about Project MKUltra which had been conducted in Hawkins and in a small town in Kentucky where Aunt Beatrice had lived with her family. The folders mentioned a Terry Ives, a Dr. Martin Brenner and a few unnamed test subjects which could have only been the gifted children. Along with these documents were cut out news articles and a hand-drawn picture which Daisy had never seen before. But even with all these things, it wasn't clear where Marigold had gone.

"I know you spoke with my mother," Daisy confirmed cooly. "I know you know Aunt Beatrice was involved with those strange experiments and how they softened her mind. I know you visited a woman named Terry Ives and how she claimed these men behind Project MKUltra stole her child. That little girl was Eleven, wasn't it?"

Hopper nodded. "We think so, yeah."

Daisy glanced down at her white cast, a little souvenir from that night. It was a cruel reminder that all her best efforts in trying to locate her sister had been for nothing. "Terry Ives wasn't lying then. Brenner and whoever else knew about it, covered up everything. Do you think they somehow killed my aunt's family too? Do you think they kept Duncan like they did Eleven?"

There was a slight pause. "I don't know."

The girl pressed on though, questions falling from her lips. "Aunt Beatrice mentioned she told all her theories to Marigold. Everything about Duncan and the experiments. Marigold just left one night out of the blue, no explanation or anything. She somehow got her hands on these classified documents and just disappeared. Do you think they took her? Maybe she was getting too close to the truth and they found out and wanted to keep her quiet."

Jim Hopper had gone over every little detail of the case. He had spent long nights shifting through documents and linking the clues Marigold had left behind for her sister to find. He knew somehow they all connected but, he didn't know the insides of her mind, not like Daisy. If anybody was to locate Marigold Lonsdale, it would the girl sitting across from him. "I don't know what happened to her. We can toss around theories about kidnapping all day. Bottom line is, we have nothing to go on. Marigold wasn't in that laboratory and there wasn't any evidence that she ever was." He paused again for a breath, watching Daisy's face remain blank. "Look, your sister was a clever kid, even just leaving behind clues was...brilliant. But wherever she went, whoever she went looking for or was running from, we can't possibly figure out."

Daisy blinked. "So, that's it?"

"I'm a small town sheriff, Daisy." Hopper explained carefully, wishing he could do more for her but he just didn't have the resources. "Marigold didn't even know me and these clues, they were left behind for you. I think the only person who can solve the riddle, is you, kid."

Quickly, Daisy was opening her mouth to try and mention that she didn't know where else to look and that the clues meant nothing to her now, but suddenly, a knocking sounded on his office door and his secretary, Florence sent him a little look. Hopper was clearing his throat and getting to his feet. "Again, I'm sorry. Merry Christmas, Daisy."

***

Although weeks had gone by, the heavy burden still rested on Daisy's shoulders about that night. Sometimes she would wake from nightmares with sweat sticking to her skin and a cry lodged in her throat. She was not the only kid who found themselves wrestling with the truth about what had happened, something none of them were allowed to speak about. With time the fear would fade, Daisy knew that but, she still found herself upset in ways. Jonathan Byers, somebody she had related to so carefully lately, had gotten his little brother back. But poor Daisy was still waiting alone and the very truth of the whereabouts of her sister, apparently something only she could figure out, made her heart ache.

"Daisy, hey."

Dottie Fields stood in her best friend's bedroom doorway. Her trusted overalls were replaced with a sweet festive dress with matching stockings. Downstairs, holiday music was playing loudly as the Lonsdale clan dressed the tree. Daisy had been staring at the collection of clues on her bed once again, trying to find the missing link. "I got you a little gift."

"Dottie, you really didn't have to buy me something—" Daisy was already saying, scooting over and making room for her friend to sit beside her.

A sweet smile pressed to Daisy's lips. "Don't worry, I didn't buy it. I baked it."

In a peaceful silence, the two girls sat side by side on the single bed shoving chocolate fudge into their mouths and enjoying the holiday feeling that was suddenly upon them. Lately, they were just trying their best to get over the terrible events that happened a few weeks after Halloween and mostly, they were doing okay. "I stopped by the Byers' house on my way here, dropping Micky off. Will seems really good after...you know. I promised Micky, I would pick him up in a little bit before we head down to Florida to visit family."

"Yeah?" Daisy nodded. "I'm really glad he's okay."

Dottie nodded her head, her eyes lingering on the things spread around them and narrowed down on the map. Quickly, she was changing the subject and pointing down to the paper. A few places were circled in red pen; Portland, New Orleans, Chicago and Memphis. "What do you think all these circled places mean?"

That was a question Daisy Lonsdale hadn't figured out just yet. "I really don't know. Hopper thinks I'm the only person who can find her, but honestly, I'm just staring at a map with some odd trinkets that serve as clues." Sadly, the girl picked up the mixtape and turned it over in her hands. "Sometimes, I don't even know if I really knew her."

"Don't beat yourself up, okay?" Dottie tried, hoping to cheer her up a little bit. "I know it's been weeks and we're still at a dead end with trying to find her, but we'll get there. Maybe we're just overlooking something and it will click really soon."

Daisy gave her friend a bleak smile. "I hope so."

When the girls finally parted, the young Lonsdale girl moved into her sister's room maybe trying to find another clue, or maybe just to feel closer to her. She could hear her mother fussing around downstairs and decided to play some music. Naturally, she put on the mixtape Marigold had left for her. With a few sweet tunes from Fleetwood Mac sounding in the tidy bedroom, Daisy danced in circles for a little moment. When she was finally breathless, she dropped to the bed and glanced down at the map she had dragged in with her. The next song blared through the room which happened to be by Mott the Hoople, a popular band once. While the song played out, her finger traced the places circled in red.

Yeah it's a mighty long way down rock 'n' roll
From the Liverpool docks to the Hollywood bowl
'n you climb up the mountains 'n you fall down the holes
All the way from Memphis

While the lyrics from the song circled in her mind, her fingertip hovered over one location that never had much meaning but with the song playing, something clicked in Daisy's head. A brief smile was lingering on her lips and suddenly, she knew exactly where her sister had gone. A memory was dancing in the back of her mind as she grabbed the map and mixtape before hurrying towards her room and packing a bag.

Daisy had snuck out of the place that night but, left a note for her mother to find in the morning. She had walked the cold streets of Hawkins and found herself waiting on one person's front porch in the dark, no longer scared some monster might be lurking in the trees. She didn't have to wait long until headlights pulled up and somebody's car engine was getting cut. She scurried to her feet to meet him half way.

"Not that I'm not thrilled to see a Lonsdale waiting in the dark for me, but what are you doing here?" Steve Harrington asked with a tilt of his head, swinging his keys in his hand. Daisy was trying to hide a smile, actually a little glad to see him tonight.

She kicked at the dirt with her boot. "I need a ride."

It seemed like a pretty lame excuse but Steve was nodding his head, already backtracking to the car and away from his house. Daisy followed suit, dumping her bag into the back and slipping into the passengers side. "Alright, where are we going, Goldilocks?"

Daisy Lonsdale didn't even glance towards him, just smiled to herself while the last pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place. "Memphis. We're going to Memphis, Harrington."