ℕ𝕆𝕀𝕊𝔼

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• 𝚂𝚢𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚢 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕 - 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚂𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚎𝚜 •

It was awkward at first, being there, since none of them have talked in days. Eleven and Mike were over. Bea and Will didn't know what they were, but they didn't want to be broken up. And, Max and Lucas. Well, we never really know with them.

"I didn't think it was anything at first. I mean, I think I just didn't want to believe it. That's why I never told you, Bea. I'm sorry." She mutters a quick 'it's okay.' before Will continues, "The first time I felt it was at Day of the Dead." He admits.

"That's when I asked if you were cold." Beatrice realizes and Will nods in agreement. He also nods when Mike remembers, "Power went out that night, too."

"And then I felt it again at the field near Nelson farm the next day."

"When we went to talk to Suzie." Bea lists.

"Then again yesterday outside Castle Byers."

Max asks him in concern, "What does it feel like?"

"It's almost like... You know when you drop on a roller coaster?" A collective of 'yes's were heard from everyone except Eleven. "It's like... everything inside your body is just sinking all at once, but... this is worse. Your body... it goes cold and— and you can't breathe. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Bea, because you've probably been feeling something similar, too." He apologies again. "I've felt it before, whenever he was close."

"Whenever who was close?" Max questioned.

"The Mind Flayer." Will states as Beatrice, who is sitting next to him, slides her hand in his and softly squeezes it. She knows how bad his trauma is from that. They've talked about it together before.

He sends her a small smile as a thanks when El reminds them slowly, "I closed the gate."

"I know, but... what if he never left? What if we locked him out here with us?"

The party — minus Dustin, obviously — were now surrounding a small table in Mike's basement.

Will had grabbed a piece of paper and a black pastel crayon, slamming it on the table as he began to draw the mind flayer. "This is him. All of him. But, that day on the field, a part of him attached itself to me." He brings up last year's events as he wipes his hand on the pastel drawing, leaving ink printed on him to demonstrate the mind flayer being a part of him now.

"My mom got it out of me..." with the help of Bea, Jonathan, and Nancy, "...and Eleven closed the gate."

He flips the paper over to show their world. "But the part that was still in me, what if it's still in our world?" He slaps his hand down which resulted in his handprint to form. "In Hawkins."

Max shakes her head. "I don't understand. The Demodogs died when El closed the gate. If the brain dies, the body dies."

"Yeah, but just because the body's dead doesn't mean the brain's dead." Beatrice reasons.

"We can't take any chances. We need to assume the worst. The Mind Flayer's back." Mike states.

"Yeah. And if he is, he'd want to attach himself to someone again. A new me." Will explains.