"but i told you, even then you looked so pretty in a hospital bed. i remember you said you were scared and so was i."

★・・・・・・★

"It's been less than 48 hours since a 7.4 magnitude earthquake rocked the quaint town of Hawkins, 80 miles outside of Indianapolis, in an event that seismologists are calling, 'a natural disaster of near-unprecedented scale.'," the reporter on TV said. "The death toll now stands at 22. But with hundreds more filling Roane County hospitals, and many more still missing, officials expect those numbers to rise."

Amber went to Max's trailer. Surprisingly, her trailer wasn't ruined when the gate at Eddie's trailer opened and expanded. She unlocked the door with the key that was under the mat and headed straight into Max's room. She grabbed the stuffed animal that she gave Max a couple of months ago and grabbed one of Max's favorite books.

"This is only the latest tragedy to befall this once-safe town. Most recently, a string of high school students were killed in a series of ritualistic murders, which have been linked to a local satanic cult known as 'Hellfire.' Eddie Munson, the leader of this cult and prime suspect in the murders, has been missing since the earthquake and is presumed dead. But this offers little comfort to the people of Hawkins, who are scared, angry, and searching for answers. Why their town? What have they done to deserve so much suffering? A growing chorus believes the two recent tragedies are linked—"

Amber turned the TV off, sighing deeply. She called Lucas from the phone, waiting for him to answer.

"Hello?" his voice said.

"Hey. Are you there?"

"Yeah. You on your way over?"

"Yup. I got her favorite stuffed animal and her favorite book."

"Okay. Be safe."
"Yup."

-

"He opened his eyes, and further words died in his throat," Amber read. "He forgot about the need to sick up that horrible parody of wine. He forgot about his mother, and Uncle Morgan, and his father, and almost everything else. Speedy was gone. The graceful arcs of the roller coaster against the sky were gone. He could feel the hair stirring on the nape of his neck. Could feel a goofed-up grin pulling at the corners of his mouth. 'Speedy! I'm here, my God! I'm here in the territories!'"

She looked at a almost lifeless body of Maxine Mayfield. She felt tears itching to come out but ignored that feeling as the door to the hospital room was opened. She saw Mike and Will come in.

"Oh, my God," she breathed. "We've been calling you guys like crazy," she said as she hugged them.

"I know," Mike said as him and Will hugged Amber back. "We came as soon as we heard."

Amber lifted her head up from Mike and Will's shoulders and saw Eleven. She pulled away from the hug from the two guys, instantly hugging Eleven and hugging tight.

"I'm sorry."

She let go as she saw Max. She had casts on both of her arms and legs. Her eyes were dark and she had a cast on her neck.

"Do they know... when she will wake?" El asked.

"No," Amber said, shakily. "They say she might not. Her heart stopped. For over a minute. She died. I... I mean, clinically, but... then she came back. The doctors don't know how. They say it's a miracle."

Eleven sat down, taking Max's fingers into her hand.

"I'm here, Max."

Eleven closed her eyes, but then opened them. And that's when Amber remembered.

Brenner.

"El, I need to tell you something important," she said.
"Amber—"

"Listen, Brenner. He's alive. He's working with a new set of kids."

"I know. Why do you think I have no hair again?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"It's fine. Papa is dead. But, there is someone here to see you," she said. She moved out of the way for Amber to see her.

Callie.

Amber immediately went to Callie, hugging her tight.

"Oh, my God," she breathed.

"Amber," Callie started. "I'm sorry. I am so sorry. For everything."

"It's okay. It's okay. You're my sister and I will always forgive you. It's okay."

-

"Amber," Lucas said quietly as he stood in the middle of the door frame. "There's someone... You know what? See for yourself."

Amber rubbed her eyes and lifted her head from Max's hospital bed. She quickly kissed her fingers, letting it go, saying a small, "I'll be right back."

She walked to the end of her bed and saw her.

Kristen.

She was alive. Her hair was short to her chin. She was a little dirty, but she was alive.

She walked forward, standing in front of Amber. She opened her arms as Amber hesitantly went in for the hug.

After a year, Amber finally got to see that her sister was in fact, alive. The sisters were crying. Happy crying. They were joyful. They were happy.

They pulled away as their faces were now tear-stained. Kristen held Amber's face in her hands, kissing her forehead.

"Oh, my God. Jesus, I thought you were dead," Amber's voice broke.

"So did I, Amber. So did I," she responded. "Is mom and dad okay? Is Callie?"

Amber went silent. She forgot she didn't know.

"Amber? Where's mom and dad and Callie? Are they home?"

It got the attention of Lucas and Erica as they looked over at the two sisters. Amber grabbed her big sister's hand and lead her to the bathroom, away from everyone else.

"Okay, Amber, just tell me where our parents are!"

"They're dead!" A teary-eyed Amber slightly yelled. "They're gone."

"What? Wha— No. No. Are they just home? Are they at home with Callie?"

"They aren't home, Kris. They're... They're dead."

"How do you know that? How... How did they die?"

"Do you know anything about The Mind Flayer?"

"Yeah. I was in Russia and Hopper... told me so much.

"They got flayed. They were part of the Mind Flayer last year. They're dead. Okay?"

Kristen took a deep breath and tried to recollect herself as a few tears escaped.

"Callie? Where's Callie?"

"She's home."

"Where?"

"Let me explain, first," Amber said before her sister could get mad. "Because Mom and Dad are dead and you were presumed dead, the Byers, they took me in. They moved to California with Eleven and me."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Just listen. People took me."

"People?"

"Scientists. They took me and experimented on me. With my powers."

"Your powers?" Kristen said as her eyes practically jumped out of her skull from surprise.

"Yes. But the person who I thought was dead was there. And he had Callie."

"Who?"

"Dr. Brenner," she said as a shiver went down her spine.

"Wait, Dr. Brenner? As in, Dr. Martin Brenner?"

"Yes... How do you know?"

"Dad worked with him. At Hawkins Lab."

"What? Dad worked at Hawkins Lab?"

"Until it shut down. Dad was unemployed until... until he died, I guess."

"My God. I'm gonna be sick."

"I'm right there with you."

"Dad experimented on kids. He experimented on Eleven."

"We don't know that. Don't assume shit like that about our father."

"Guys..." Lucas said as he interrupted the sister's conversation. "We can hear you out here."

"I'm sorry," they apologized.

Amber walked forward, still a little upset about her father. She waved her hand for her little sister to come forward, and she did.

Kristen hugged her sister tight, happy that she was home.

-

Amber sat next to Max's bed as Callie sat on Kristen's lap on the other side of the bed.

"Guys..." Erica spoke after some silence.

Everyone looked at her, seeing what she was seeing. They crowded around the window, looking out.

The Upside Down was colliding with Hawkins.

Amber shakily breathed, backing away.

"Where are you going?" Kristen asked.

"Stay here, okay? Just... Stay here," she spoke, walking away from the room.

She eventually got outside, moving in front of everyone. She saw the particles.

Then she heard fluttering.

She felt the feeling.

She looked down at her hands and she saw them.

Her powers.

He wasn't dead.

But Amber was going to kill him.

For Max.