𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒 ||𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴||

𝐕. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐞𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐭

Chris sat on Mike's couch, hugging his knees close to himself while Eleven laid beside him.

"What was Will saying?" Mike started. "Like home... Like home... but dark?" He asked and Chris tried to think back to the moment while also trying to forget about it.

"And empty," Lucas added.

"And cold," Chris spoke up, his voice slightly raspy from the crying.

"Empty and cold. What, are you sure he said cold?" Dustin asked.

"I don't know," Chris replied while shaking his head.

"The stupid radio kept going in and out," Lucas added.

"It's like riddles in the dark." Dustin sighed.

"Like home. Like his house?" Mike asked.

"Well, if my theory is correct then he was probably talking to his mom at his house." Chris thought out loud.

"Or maybe like Hawkins," Lucas spoke up.

"Wait," Chris said and sprung up, making the boys look at him. "Maybe El was right. She said Will was hiding and brought us to his house." He said as he tried to connect the dots, but failed.

"Upside down," Eleven said and Chris turned his head to look at the girl.

"What's she say?" Lucas asked.

"Upside down," Mike whispered.

"What?" Lucas asked again.

"Upside down," Mike said and walked to the D&D playing board and sat down. "When El showed us where Will was, she flipped the board over, remember?" Mike asked as Chris, Dustin and Lucas joined him at the table. "Upside down. Dark. Empty." Mike explained.

"Do you understand what he's talking about?" Lucas asked.

"No."

"Maybe." Chris and Dustin said at the same time.

"Guys, come on, think about it. Chris might be right with his theory. When El took us to find Will, she took us to his house, right?" Mike asked and Chris nodded.

"Yeah," He said.

"And he wasn't there," Lucas added.

"But what if he was there? What if we just couldn't see him? What if he was on the other side?" Mike asked.

"Or what if he was upside down," Chris thought out loud and Mike nodded and he flipped the board around again.

"What if this is Hawkins and..." He started and flipped the board upside down again. "this is where Will is?" He asked. "The Upside Down." He finished.

"Like the Vale of Shadows," Dustin said, and the four kids all shared a look. Dustin quickly grabbed the D&D manual and started searching.

"'The Vale of Shadows is a dimension that is a dark reflection or echo of our world. It is a place of decay and death. A plane out of phase. A place of monsters. It is right next to you, and you don't even see it.'" Dustin read.

"An alternate dimension," Mike said.

"But... how... how do we get there?" Lucas stammered.

"And how did Will get there in the first place?" Chris asked with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

"You cast Shadow Walk," Dustin stated simply.

"In real life, dummy." Lucas shot back.

"We can't shadow walk, but... maybe she can," Dustin replied and mentioned to Eleven who was still lying on the couch.