The front door swung open, spilling warm yellow light across Mike's driveway.
Cold night air immediately replaced the warmth of the basement.
The boys were still talking excitedly about the campaign as they wheeled their bikes outside.
"...I still think I would've won if you'd given me one more turn."
"You rolled a two!"
"So?"
"So you died."
"You got us all killed," Lucas laughed.
"I almost had him."
"You got eaten."
Their voices faded into the background.
I barely heard any of it.
My eyes were fixed on the road stretching away from Mike's house, disappearing into the darkness.
It was already night.
Every passing second brought us closer.
Closer to Mirkwood.
Closer to the place where Will would disappear.
Closer to the moment everything changed.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to look away.
Not yet.
Not here.
I reached down to pick up my backpack.
Or at least...
I pretended to.
I lifted it just enough before letting it fall back against my leg with an exaggerated groan.
"Oh my God..."
Lucas looked over.
"What now?"
"This thing is so heavy."
"You packed it."
"I know."
"So whose fault is that?"
"I didn't ask whose fault it was."
"It kind of sounds like you are."
Dustin chuckled.
"You've been carrying that thing around for, like, three weeks."
"Exactly. My back's about to give up at this point."
Lucas rolled his eyes.
"You're old enough to carry your own stuff, Erica."
"I know."
"If you wanted to fill your backpack with a bunch of random junk that weighs a ton, that's your problem."
Before I could answer, Dustin reached for one of the straps.
"I'll carry it."
"No."
The word came out much sharper than I intended.
Dustin blinked.
"...Okay."
"I mean... thanks, but no."
Lucas sighed dramatically.
"I'll carry it."
"No."
He frowned.
"What? Why not?"
"Because."
"Because what?"
"I'm your older brother."
"I know."
"So let me carry it. You shouldn't make other people carry your stuff."
I tightened my grip on the straps.
"No."
"Erica."
"No."
He let out an exaggerated groan.
"Seriously, what's the big deal?"
"You're never careful with my things."
"I am careful."
"No, you're not."
"I've never broken anything of yours."
"You threw your backpack halfway across the living room last week."
"That doesn't count."
"You'd do the same thing with mine."
"I would not."
"You absolutely would."
Mike shrugged.
"...She's got a point."
Lucas looked offended.
"Whose side are you on?"
Mike laughed.
"Not yours."
Lucas pointed at Dustin.
"Fine. Then let him carry it."
I shook my head.
"No."
"Why?"
"Because he'd open it."
"I would not!" Dustin protested.
"You would."
"I wouldn't."
"You'd spend the entire ride trying to figure out what's inside."
Dustin hesitated.
"...Maybe."
"See?"
Mike raised a hand.
"Can I volunteer?"
I looked at him.
"Why are you even joining in? You're already home."
"Oh."
He scratched the back of his neck.
"...Right."
Lucas folded his arms.
"So who exactly is qualified enough to carry Her Majesty's backpack?"
I turned towards Will.
"You."
Will looked surprised.
"Me?"
"You're careful."
Lucas groaned.
"Oh, come on."
"It's true."
"You're kind. You always take care of other people's things."
Will looked at the backpack, then back at me.
"I don't mind."
He smiled shyly.
"I can carry it."
Relief spread through me so suddenly I almost smiled.
Thank God.
I handed him the backpack.
Instead of carelessly throwing it over one shoulder like the others probably would have, Will carefully slipped both straps over his shoulders before adjusting them until the weight rested comfortably against his back.
Exactly like I knew he would.
My excuse had worked.
Lucas watched him for a moment before looking back at me.
"What is even in there?"
"Oh, you know."
I shrugged.
"Just the things I need to survive."
There was a brief silence.
Then Mike, Lucas and Dustin burst into laughter.
"She's lying," Mike said.
"What?" I asked.
"It's obviously girl stuff."
"Yeah," Dustin agreed. "She's probably embarrassed."
Lucas smirked.
"What, like a diary?"
"I don't even have a diary."
"I don't know... makeup? Love letters?"
"Why would I even have those things, you idiot?"
Lucas pointed towards the wooden handle sticking out of the top of the backpack.
"And the baseball bat?"
He grinned.
"That's probably just there to threaten anyone who tries to open it."
Mike laughed.
"'Stay away from my bag or I'll hit you!'"
Dustin snorted.
"Honestly? That's kind of smart."
I rolled my eyes.
"I'm serious."
"Oh, sure you are," Mike replied.
I looked at all four of them.
"The only time you're allowed to open that backpack is if you ever find yourselves in real danger and genuinely need what's inside to survive."
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
"In Hawkins?"
Mike laughed.
"This town is way too boring for that."
"Seriously," Dustin added. "Nothing ever happens here."
"So you'll never need to open it," Mike concluded.
"Exactly," I replied.
They laughed.
I didn't.
I looked straight at Will.
"I'm serious."
His smile faded slightly.
"I'll only accept any of you opening that backpack if you're ever in danger."
I was speaking to all of them.
But I never took my eyes off Will.
"If these three idiots try to convince you to open it before then..."
I pointed at the handle sticking out of the bag.
"...I'll hit them with that baseball bat before anything else gets the chance."
The boys burst into laughter again.
Will didn't.
"I won't."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
"I trust you."
He nodded.
"I won't let them open it."
"Good."
The others were still laughing.
To them, it was just another one of my weird jokes.
Jokes on them.
Everything inside that backpack had been packed for one purpose.
To keep Will alive.
The "baseball bat" wasn't actually a baseball bat.
It was an axe. The blade was safely covered with a sheath, while the handle stuck out because it wouldn't quite fit inside the backpack.
A real baseball bat, without nails, wouldn't do much against a Demogorgon.
Will needed something sharp and longer.
Otherwise, before he could even land one lucky slash, the Demogorgon would already have reached him.
A hunting knife.
Two one-litre bottles of water.
A lighter.
A powerful torch.
Plenty of spare batteries.
A walkie-talkie.
A mini emergency medical kit.
Chocolate.
Biscuits.
Energy bars.
Two Molotov cocktails.
A compact sleeping bag.
Even some cash, hidden away in a small pocket. It was there to make the backpack look as though it genuinely belonged to me and to help with any emergencies if I ever needed it, rather than making it seem as though the backpack had been specially prepared for Will.
Everything I could think of that might help someone survive in the Upside Down, carefully organised to fit while keeping the backpack as light as possible.
I'd even started carrying this backpack everywhere more than three weeks ago.
Every single day.
As far as everyone else knew...
The backpack had always been mine.
"So, now that that's settled..." Lucas began.
"Bye, Mike!" Dustin interrupted, already climbing onto his bike.
"See you tomorrow," Lucas added.
I simply lifted a hand in Mike's direction.
Will, however, stepped over to Mike.
"...Hey."
Mike looked at him.
"What?"
Will rubbed the back of his neck before leaning in so only Mike could hear.
"I... uh... didn't actually roll a thirteen."
Mike blinked.
Then a grin slowly spread across his face.
"I knew it."
Will gave him an apologetic smile.
"...Sorry."
"I totally knew."
"You did not," Lucas called from beside his bike.
"I absolutely did."
"No chance."
Mike laughed.
"I'll let it slide."
He pointed at Will.
"But next campaign..."
Then he pointed at Lucas and Dustin.
"...those two are going to suffer."
Will smiled.
"Thanks."
Mike waved once before heading back inside.
The front door closed behind him.
The four of us climbed onto our bikes and pushed off into the night.
Towards our homes.
Towards Mirkwood.
Towards the place where Will Byers would be seen for the last time.
The cool night air rushed past my face as we pedalled through the empty streets of Hawkins.
For a while, no one spoke.
Then Dustin broke the silence.
"I've got a proposition."
Lucas groaned.
"That already sounds bad."
Dustin ignored him.
"The winner gets first read of my rare Superman comic."
Lucas's eyes widened.
"The one you never let us read?"
"Yep."
Lucas immediately stood up on his pedals.
"You're on."
I looked over my shoulder.
Will was riding a few metres behind us, the backpack still resting securely on his shoulders.
Perfect.
I forced a smile.
"I'll race too."
Lucas laughed.
"You?"
"Scared I'll beat you?"
"As if."
Dustin grinned.
"Deal."
The three of us leaned forwards.
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One..."
"Go!"
Lucas shot ahead immediately.
Dustin followed right behind him.
I pushed down on my pedals, keeping pace.
Out of the corner of my eye, I watched Will.
Just as I'd expected...
He didn't even try to race.
He simply kept pedalling at his usual steady pace.
Good.
Stay back.
Stay with the backpack.
Lucas glanced over.
"Come on, Erica! Is that all you've got?"
I smirked.
"You wish."
I accelerated.
For a few moments, it was nothing but tyres humming over the asphalt and the three of us trying to overtake one another.
I couldn't bring myself to laugh.
Then the street where Lucas and I would part ways came into view.
I crossed the imaginary finish line first.
"I win!"
"No way!" Lucas protested.
"You cut me off!"
"I did not."
"You totally did."
"Excuses."
Lucas rolled his eyes.
"Lucky."
I slowed just enough to turn towards my street.
Behind us, Will finally reached the corner we'd marked as the finish line.
He spotted me.
"Erica!"
I looked back.
He had one hand on the strap of the backpack.
"Your bag!"
For one terrifying moment...
I almost stopped.
Every instinct screamed at me to turn around.
To take it back.
To tell him everything.
Instead, I forced myself to keep pedalling.
"Keep it!" I shouted.
He frowned.
"What?"
"I'm almost home anyway! I'll be fine!"
I pointed towards my street.
"You can give it back to me tomorrow."
He still looked uncertain.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Then, before I lost my nerve...
"Just remember what I said."
He smiled.
"I will."
He thought I meant not to let Lucas or Dustin look inside.
I meant...
Don't open it unless your life depends on it.
I raised one hand in farewell before continuing down my street.
When I reached the end of the block, I couldn't help myself.
I looked back one last time.
Will was almost at the entrance to Mirkwood.
He and Dustin stopped briefly to say goodbye.
The backpack was still on his shoulders.
Then he disappeared behind the trees.
Everything inside me screamed to turn around.
To go after him.
To stop what was about to happen.
My hands tightened around the handlebars until my knuckles turned white.
No.
Not yet.
Changing tonight would destroy everything I'd spent months preparing.
I needed Will to survive.
I needed Eleven to escape.
I needed to save everyone else who would become a victim in Hawkins.
Only then could I save everyone.
This is all I can do for you now, Will.
Please survive.
Just two days.
Hold on for two days.
I'll find Eleven.
I'll keep her safe.
Then I'll come for you.
Good luck, Will.
I am so sorry.
But I can't change this.
The wind carried my tears away as I continued pedalling, leaving Will alone.