Eli only noticed how stiff his arms felt after Hopper left, shutting the door quietly. That noise wasn't sharp - yet it hit hard, like losing touch with what kept things steady. Marcy Turner stayed there grinning, kind but cautious around him, doing her best to ease the moment by walking him through the space - the kitchen first, then the washroom, next the hallway cupboard - all those bits that turn walls into somewhere you belong.
Still, Eli couldn't help glancing at the door now and then. Hopper said he wouldn't vanish - Eli trusted that, sort of. Thing is, Hopper had duties, a whole place to look after. Meanwhile, Eli? Just some teenager with no real spot to land.
"Anything you need before sleep?" Marcy said after walking him through the place.
He moved his head from side to side. "I'm fine."
It was false, yet she stayed quiet. That meant a lot to him.
She switched off the hall lamp, so he was left with just a faint shine seeping through the crack beneath the door from the lounge. Not frightening - just strange. Strangeness had been the issue all along.
Eli moved inside - his own space - and shut the door soft behind him. As he dropped onto the mattress, it sank low, creaking under his weight. A proper bed. An actual home. Whether lasting or not, this beat yesterday's spot by far.
He dropped onto the bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling. Light from outside slipped in, painting a dim rectangle when cars went by, dragging shadow shapes along the wall. Noise was everywhere - little creaks, water tapping inside pipes, steps somewhere beyond the door. A dog yapped nearby, then fell silent. After that, a car growled along the road - few houses down.
All perfectly normal.
Why did ordinary seem so hard?
He turned to one side, dragging the blanket up past his jaw. The pillow carried a scent of soap - fresh, maybe overly so. That smell tugged at a memory he couldn't name. Could've been a different place. Or some evening where sleep felt temporary from the start.
It bothered him - just thinking 'bout it.
Eli shut his eyes - still no sleep. Thoughts spun nonstop. Maybe the Turners would back out. Perhaps things'd go wrong by morning, get him shifted once more. Could he say something odd without meaning to? Might everything just fall apart?
What if the system thought he had a problem and then -
He held back. That wasn't useful.
He sat up, feet hanging over the edge. By the floor, his bag rested - light, almost empty. Proof he hadn't settled in anywhere. If he fit in somewhere, he'd own more things. Stuff like posters or trinkets. Or even clutter. One thing made clear - this was mine. Eli owned just a couple tees from Hopper, plus whatever he wore when showing up.
He gulped, half-hoping he'd have questioned Marcy about some small thing - whatever came to mind - just to stop from feeling invisible inside someone else's place.
A gentle tap cracked the quiet.
"Eli?" Marcy's voice was gentle. "Lights are going off now. Just checking in."
He rushed to keep his voice steady. "Sure. I'm fine."
"You sure?"
He gave a quick nod - then remembered she wasn't looking. "Right."
There was a brief silence - not uncomfortable, simply space in case he wanted to say something. Even so, Eli stayed quiet.
"Okay," she replied after a pause. "Night, love."
The words landed right in his chest. Not painfully - more like surprising. Kind of out of nowhere. Folks rarely spoke to him this way.
As she left, the house grew quiet once more. Eli lay down slowly, tugging the cover closer.
Seconds ticked by. Yet his breath didn't settle. Still, his ribs felt locked.
He closed his eyes tight.
He wanted Hopper. Not since Hopper could solve it all - after all, Hopper wasn't keen on bringing him along - yet Hopper gave him a sense of staying put. As if Eli counted, despite everyone still figuring how to handle him.
Another minute.
His mind started racing once more.
Stop, he told himself.
It didn't.
After that, things felt different within - tiny but clear, almost like feelings sliding right where they belong, no explanation needed. Not words. No display either. Not noise at all. Simply... grounding. Making breaths slower. Loosening grip from fists.
He exhaled - didn't even know he'd been holding it.
Whatever piece of the System watching him was acting like Hopper did in the vehicle - holding things together but not grabbing control.
"Thanks," he said quietly, not knowing if anyone heard. Or maybe it just didn't count. Whatever.
The blanket heated up while his muscles eased. Sinking deeper into the mattress, he let it cradle him like nothing before. Eyelids grew weighty. Ideas unwound slowly, floating rather than racing.
He shifted to one side, eyes on the window. Outside, the lamp lit part of his cover in soft yellow. Down the road, a vehicle passed - hardly noticeable. From the kitchen came a low bang as a door closed tight. Life kept going near him, calm but solid.
At last, after waking in the trees, dread no longer filled every corner of his ribs.
He wasn't fine - just not at all. Not really.
Yet now he had company once more.
Sleep came bit by bit, much like how a room grows quiet from politeness. His breath found a rhythm, gentle but sure.
Eli, tiny and frightened yet doing his best, drifted off inside a place where maybe - just maybe - he'd be allowed to remain.