FOREVER FRIENDS || dustin henderson

dig dug

Tristan was sitting beside will in his room, they were talking with mike. Will and Tristan had finally put normal clothes on. Tristan had on a Garfield shirt and snoopy pajama pants, and Will had on a grey sweat shirt and blue pajama pants on.
"it's like... it's like we feel what the shadow monsters feeling. See what he's seeing." Will told Mike
"Like I'm the upside down?" Mike asked the boy
Tristan nodded "some of him is there. But some of him is here, too."
"Here, like, in this house?" Mike asked Tristan
"In this house, and.... In us." Will told Mike.
Mike sat down in between the cousins
"It's like... It's like he's reaching into Hawkins more and more. And the more he spreads, the more connected to him we feel." Tristan told the raven haired boy
"And the more you guys see these now memories."
"At first we just felt it at in the back of our heads. We didn't even know it was there. It's like when you have a dream and you can't remember it unless you think really hard. It was like that." Will explained "but now it's like... Now we remember. We remember all the time."
"Maybe... Maybe that's good" mike started
"Good?" Tristan repeated
"Just think about it, Tristan. You guys are like spys now. Superspys. Spying on the shadow monster. If you know what he's seeing and feeling... maybe that's how we can stop him. Maybe all of this is happening for a reason." Mike explained
"You really think so?" Will asked mike
"Yeah. Yeah, I really do." Mike smiled
Tristan looked at the picture that will drew of the mind flayer and asked, "what if he figures out were spying on him? What if he spies back?"
"He won't." Mike replied
"How do you know?" Will asked, trembling.
Mike grabbed wills hand and put his hand on top of Tristan's and told the cousins, "we won't let him."

* * *

Tristan woke up earlier than he usually does because he saw hopper and couldn't get back to sleep, so he decided to get up and hang out in the dining room.
Joyce was up and was surprised that Tristan was up so early because she usually has to drag him out of bed
"Hey, sweetie. What are you doing up so early?" She asked, walking up to Tristan.
"I couldn't sleep." Tristan replied
"Oh, okay. Come, sit down, do you want anything to drink?"
Tristan shook his head.

Will got out of bed and walked up to Joyce with mike following
"Mom? Mom? Mom?"
Joyce gasped "yeah?"
"I saw him"
"You saw who, baby?"
"Hopper" Tristan told Joyce
Will nodded then said, "I think he's in trouble. I think he's going to die"

* * *

Tristan was drawing where hopper was because Will couldn't see it clearly.
When Tristan stopped drawing where him and will saw hopper, Joyce asked, "Hey, it this where you and will saw him? Is this where you saw hopper?"
"I think so. Yeah." Tristan replied
Her and Mike started looking for where it goes.
"Here!" Mike yelled once he found where it went
Joyce ran up and put the paper there
"Okay, so... So hopper is here?" Joyce asked
"Yeah" mike confirmed "Now we just need to find out where here is, right?"
"Right"
"Did he say anything? I mean, before he left?"
Joyce sighed "uh, some- something about vines?"

They all heard a car approaching. Joyce thought it was hopper but it was just bob.
Joyce went outside to meet Bob
"Surprise. I would've called, but you said not to clog up the line." Bob said to Joyce, holding up some brain teasers
"You know, I... We're fine, we don't need anything." Joyce told Bob as kindly as she could
"When I was sick as a kid, and I was sick all the time as a kid, nothing made me feel better than focusing on these brain teasers."
"Those are great."
"I could teach them how to play." Bob smiled
"You know, they're sleeping."
"Okay. I could wait with you?" Bob suggested
Joyce sighed "listen, it's just not a good time. But, um, you know what? I'll call you, okay?" Joyce said, not wanting to be rude.
"You sure?" Bob asked after Joyce kisses him on the cheek "well, have them call me. They don't call me Bob the brain for nothing."
Joyce then gasped when she realized Bob could help her find hopper "Bob!"
He stopped and turned around
"That's my name."