๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ. welcome back to hawkins

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TWENTY!
welcome back to hawkins
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โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€ ๏ฝฅ ๏ฝก๏พŸโ˜†: *.โ˜ฝ .* :โ˜†๏พŸ. โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€










It had been a long time since Wendy Harrington had last seen anything close to resembling her home.

Days, weeks, months or maybe even years since she had last laid her eyes on the small town that she had become accustomed to for years.

She had completely lost track of time. Her only indicator of time was the sun's position in the sky but that was only so useful.

She still had no clue about what day it was or even the year. She had no idea if it was still 1983 or if the New Year had occurred.

She was so out of touch with the idea of time.

The only sense of time she had was the weather. Luckily for her, Indiana's seasons were all vastly different from each other, so she can roughly estimate the time of year based on what kind of weather she had experienced.

Winters were filled with the excruciating cold and knee deep snow. Springs were filled with constant heavy down pours. Summers were sickly humid and falls were a bit rainy but still held some characteristics of the warming temperature of summer.

Based on the weather in this exact moment, Wendy estimated that she was currently experiencing the harsh weather of the Indiana winters.

Winters in the Mid West were probably in the top ten worst things of all time. Every horrible thing that comes to your mind when winter is mentioned, is exactly what occurs in Indiana.

The air was so excruciating cold that it aggressively nipped at every single part in your body, allowing an uncomfortable numbing sensation to overwhelm the exposed skin. The freezing subzero temperature was also accompanied by the sharp wind that made it feel as if someone was stabbing you, despite it just being thin air.

If you think that sounds bad than wait until you hear about the excessive amounts of snow.

Snow was everywhere in Indiana and it was hard to avoid. It was always knee deep and it always soaked your pants. Sometimes it was a nice powdery substance that sprinkled your lawn but most of the time it was this unavoidable wet pile of mush that ruined everything it touched.

Winters were definitely not pleasant in Indiana.

Now think about how Indiana's winters might feel for Wendy Harrington, who was currently stranded in an unfamiliar forest.

The twelve year old girl never expected to enter an unknown forest, after having to wait what felt like months on end for a portal to open up and be able to escape the Upside Down permanently. She was completely alone and was completely lost.

She had no idea how far she was from Hawkins or how far the closest town was to her. She could just be walking in circles as every single tree resembled each other. Every stream she tried to follow, were all dead ends and she had no knowledge on stars in order to closely follow them home.

She also didn't have her trusty compass or a map of some sort as she had reluctantly removed both from her bag and now was feeling the consequences of her own stupidity.

Wendy also didn't have many survival supplies on her. She was only equipped with whatever she had shoved into her backpack, which meant a limited amount of supplies.

She had salvaged half a bottle of water, a few expired granola bars, a small bag of trail mix, a flashlight, a small fleece blanket, some matches and a compatible Swiss Army knife.

But it wasn't enough for her to survive this long in the woods.

She was still confused on how she had made it this long in the cold and had not succumbed to death yet. That was definitely the biggest mystery of the twentieth century.

Right now, the girl was currently trudging through a foot of heavy snow, trying to look for suitable branches that could be used to build a fire. She was frozen to the bone from the harsh cold weather and in need of warmth. Her lack of layers had come back to haunt her.

She was barely dressed for the winter, only wearing a jacket, sweater, jeans and a pair of beat up sneakers. She had luckily found a pair of gloves but those barely kept the cold from nipping at her sensitive fingers. Her feet suffered the most as they were soaked to the brim from the mushy snow.

The rest of her face was exposed to the sharp wind but she tried to hide it as best as she could in her thick jacket, which was her only saving grace.

The harsh cold air chewed on the exposed skin of Wendy Harrington's face, when she entered a small clearing in the forest. It was only a few feet wide but the snow was translucent enough to showcase the endless piles of broken twigs that were dying to be sacrificed in a fire.

The young girl quickly went to work, meticulously sifting through the piles to find the perfect candidates for her fire. She needed branches that were dry enough that could easily catch fire once a match was held to them.

Many of the branches that sat on top and on the bottom were plagued with wet spots, so she had to find the sweet spot in the middle.

After a few minutes of meticulously searching, Wendy was able to haul a total of nine branches that were perfect enough for her fire. She had placed them in a small alternating pattern that sort of resembled the Janga game she often played with her dad and brother, who she dearly missed.

She then reached into her backpack to retrieve the handy stones that she had purposely collected for fire making and placed them around the edges of her makeshift branch tower.

Once the set up was complete, she had brought out her boxes of matches, reaching her nimble fingers into the small crate to retrieve the wooden stick. She was thankful that she had packed a large quantity of matches or else she would of had to rely on the ancient technique, in order to gain some sort of heat.

Wendy firmly grasped the small wooden match as she striked the blue tip against the abrasive side of the match box. On her first try, the match easily combusted and was engulfed with flames. It had taken her some time to learn to strike a match properly but now she was a master at the art.

Before the stick burned down completely, she dropped the lit match into the centre of her stick and rock set up. Upon contact, the entire pattern of branches were engulfed in flames.

Wendy sighed happily in relief, crouching down in front of the flames to warm herself up but also trying not fall into the snow and completely soak her only pair of pants.

When Wendy had finally received enough warmth to be able properly flex her fingers, she decided to dig through her backpack for a much needed dinner.

This was a daily occurrence in her new life. She would walk all day through the forest to find some sort of human life before giving up and settling on some small clearing for the night. She would always light a fire to keep herself warm and then move onto eating whatever she had on her.

Sometimes it's was just handfuls of expired trail mix or sometimes she was lucky enough to find a small animal for consumption. The girl never enjoyed the thought of eating some poor squirrel or rabbit but she did it or else she would starve.

After dinner, she would climb a large tree to sleep in for the night. It wasn't the best sleeping spot as she often woke up with a sore neck but it was better than sleeping in the wet snow on the ground and freezing.

Wendy had found a sad looking chocolate chip granola bar that had been crushed but decided to ultimately eat that for dinner. She removed one of her knitted gloves to get a better grip on the aluminum foil before ripping the package open.

Once the crumbling granola embedded with chocolate was free from the foil wrapping, she immediately began to nibble on the bar.

The taste was a bit stale and it was definitely past its expiration date but the girl still stomached the cardboard taste as her hunger was more important in this moment. She practically inhaled the entire granola bar within three bites.

Suddenly, a sound of heavy footsteps trekking through the snow echoed throughout the area. Wendy was able to quickly identify the sound as a set of footsteps as she had felt the vibrations of the heavy boots hitting the plush snow from a mile away.

Despite not having her hearing aids, she had gotten better at tracking certain movements based on the vibrations that emulated through the ground. It was like practically her new superpower.

The girl began to worryingly survey the surroundings in front of her before whipping her hand behind her to see if someone had been sneaking up on her. She had never come in contact with someone before but it was better for her to be safe than sorry.

She quickly picked up her backpack from the log beside her and used her foot to a smoulder out the flames of her fire. She then made a beeline towards the trees that rested at the edge of the open area, forcing herself to hide behind a fairly large tree trunk. She dug into her backpack for her trusty Swiss Army knife when the footsteps got closer to her.

"Hello? Is anyone out here?" A rough male called out, causing Wendy to clutch her dainty knife closer to her chest. Even without her hearing aids, she could still make out the words.

Her heart was practically pounding against her chest as she held her own breath to make herself seem nonexistent to the intruder. She was absolutely terrified and her knees were on the verge of giving out but she kept her head up.

"I can see you hiding between the tree." Wendy's eyes widened at the statement. She slowly scooted to the other side of the tree, trying her best not to trip over the covered roots.

"I won't hurt you. I just want to talk, so come out from behind the tree." The male voice invited.

"Who are you? Tell me your name and I'll think about it." Wendy exclaimed, still hiding behind the tree trunk for protection.

"It's Jim Hopper. Chief Jim Hopper." Her heart practically stopped at hearing the name.

Wendy knew this man well. He had protected her and her best friends while they were being hunted before risking his life to save Will Byers from the Upside Down. He was trustworthy to say the least and she instantly felt comfortable being in his presence.

She also realized that he would be the one to get her back home. After months of wandering in complete oblivion, she would finally get to return home and reunite with her family. She so desperately longed to see her father and brother again and now she finally could.

All of her worries and struggles of survival were now gone. She was now safe.

"It's Wendy. You remember me, right?" Wendy questioned, finally revealing herself from behind the tree to the man.

A few feet in front of her was indeed, Jim Hopper, dressed in his warmest clothes and his signature sheriff hat.

His eyes widened at making eye contact with her as he never expected to run into the girl, who was presumed dead after the situation at Hawkins middle school.

"What are you doing out here, kid?" Hopper asked worryingly, stepping forward to get a better look at the younger girl.

Wendy Harrington was not in the greatest condition.

Her pale skin had turned a concerning reddish purple colour due to the sharp cold, indicating the early stages of frost bite. Her eyes were sunk in due to the lack of sleep she had received as she constantly had to be on her toes to avoid death of all sorts. Her dark hair was matted and frayed.

Her clothes were no longer in good conditions, being covered in miniature sized holes or wet patches from the excessive amount of snow falls she had endured. They had also gotten to big on her as she had dropped more pounds than expected due to the lack of food she was eating.

Her sneakers were overgrown, her feet getting crushed from the constricted space and they were also completely soaked.

Overall, the girl was in desperate need of help.

"You're practically freezing." Hopper took off his coat, wrapping the thick fabric around the girl's shivering form.

Wendy accepted the coat with ease and was immediately met with the warm feeling of the thick fabric around her body.

"Let's get you out of this weather and get you somewhere warmer." Hopper invited and the younger girl nodded before being lead out of the forest.

โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€ ๏ฝฅ ๏ฝก๏พŸโ˜†: *.โ˜ฝ .* :โ˜†๏พŸ. โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€โ”€

The ride back to Hopper's new home was quite a pleasant experience to Wendy Harrington. Especially after experiencing the brutal circumstances of the Upside Down and the outside world.

She had been so far removed from normal life that she was completely fascinated by the car heater as if she was seeing it for the first time like a young child.

Plus the fabric seat was the comfiest thing she had laid on in months that she had accidentally drifted off upon getting settled in the shotgun seat. She didn't even know how long she had been asleep in the car until she was awoken by a soft shake to the shoulder.

The girl had opened her eyes and was met with the sight of a small rustic cabin, hiding behind a decent amount sized grouping of trees.

It was definitely a strange sight at first. But it came to make sense as Jim Hopper was the least patient when it came to people and often preferred to be isolated from the world.

The older man opened the front door, letting Wendy Harrington enter the cabin first. The young girl was definitely a bit shocked at the way the inside of the older man's home looked.

She was not expecting a nice decorated house as she knew the man had a bit of a reputation of being a complete slob that trashed everything in sight.

His personality definitely matched the exterior of the cabin. The place looked as if it hadn't been used for the last few years as every single porthole sized window was caked in thick dust and three quarters of the wooden siding was decorated with dry cracks.

The interior definitely portrayed a different feeling than the exterior as it had a more homely feel to it. The mostly one room was decorated with an assortment of different worn in furniture and colourful rugs to cover up the rustic hardwood flooring. The cabin had a warmer feeling compared to the cold outside world and felt more like a home.

But it wasn't her home, of course.

Upon entering the cabin, Wendy rid her body of the man's heavy coat and her soaked sneakers, leaving the two articles to dry on the front mat. She was then invited to sit down at the table, which she did immediately as she was tired.

She clasped her hands over each other, just staring out the window at the snowflakes falling on the trees. The sight was quite pretty to say the least but Wendy having to live out there, made the sight turn sour.

She hadn't even noticed how long she was staring outside until her thoughts were cut off by the sight of a ceramic mug being placed in front of her. The mug was a off white colour and was filled to the brim with hot chocolate and marshmallows.

"This will help warm you up." Hopper announced.

"Thank you." Wendy nodded, gently grasping for the hot ceramic mug to pull it closer to her figure.

She placed it under her face to let the hot steam warm up her bright red cheeks that were still frozen. The girl's constant shivering also hasn't subdued at all since she was found, so Hopper quickly placed a blanket around her shoulders to warm up faster.

"So.......where have you been these last few months You know everyone's worried about you. Especially your dad and brother." Hopper pointed out, taking a seat across from the younger girl.

"I was stuck in the Upside Down for so long. It was horrible. It was so cold and dark and you can barely breathe. It feels like you're running around in loops in fear of your own life. Luckily, I never ran into those things but it was the worst thing I've ever experienced." Wendy explained.

"That sounds awful." Hopper said in disbelief.

"It was. I literally had to survive off shitty granola bars and whatever else I could salvage to be able to not die." Wendy sighed in annoyance.

"It's alright. You won't ever have to live in the wilderness ever again. You will be staying here with me, where you'll get proper meals and where it's warm." Hopper assured.

"Thank you." Wendy nodded happily.

"It's really no problem, kid."

"So....how long will I be staying with you? It's probably a temporary solution, while you sort everything out but when do I get to go home?" Wendy finally asked.

That question was eating away at her for some time and she so desperately wanted to return to her normal life. Returning home was the first step of adjusting to normalcy.

Of course, she was grateful for Hopper's generosity in this moment but she so desperately wanted to reunite with her father and brother again.

Jim Hopper just sadly sighed at that question.

He was trying so hard to avoid the discussion of Wendy returning home. He knew she so desperately wanted to go home but he also knew that it wasn't safe for her to. He knew that the lab was still on the hunt for her and Eleven after they had disappeared in November 1983.

It was risky to send the girl back home to her father without any explanation and especially if the lab showed up at their front step. He realized it was better to keep the young girl in hiding until the world was ready again.

He knew it was gonna hurt her spirit but it had to be done to ensure her overall safety.

"I'm afraid you can't, kid." Hopper revealed.

"What?" Wendy's jaw dropped, "Why not?"

"Because it's not safe for you." Hopper warned, knowing it would break her heart.

"The lab told everyone that you were dead to cover up that fact that they're secretly looking for you. They believe that you are too dangerous due to some powers that you possess. For your own safety, you're going to live here with me and hide from the rest of the world. I know it's difficult to understand but I just need you to trust me on this."

"Is......is my dad and brother okay?" Wendy asked.

"Yes, your dad and brother are fine. They're still living in their house and everything is normal enough for them. They do believe you're dead though." Hopper explained.

"But you're gonna tell them I'm alive, right." Wendy pondered worryingly.

"Of course, I'll explain everything to them, so when it's safe for you to re-enter the world then everything will be normal again between your family." Hopper reassured the panicked girl.

"It's going to be alright, I promise. You trust me?"

"I trust you." Wendy confirmed.

"Alright.......Get as comfortable as possible as this is your new home for the time being."

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