Getting By (WILL BYERS X HAPPINESS FIC)

Chapter 1: Prelude

Waking up from the nightmares wasn't actually the hardest part, unlike some said. The hardest part actually, was the aftermath. Waking up sweat-drenched, Will Byers, a young man, tried to regain composure, tried not to succumb to the darkness that seeped from his dreams into the real world. He tried not to sob.

The nightmares weren't new, have been occurring for several years now. But with time Will has learned how to mask his exhaustion from the outside world. He didn't need the pitying glances, the countless counsellors that did not help in the slightest. Instead, he preferred to act like it didn't bother him, like he was happy.

He just wanted his mother to take a break, for Jonathan to stop worrying. After all „everything as fine". Well not really, but Will tried his best to not let them know. They shouldn't know. That's what he decided at least, that those nightmares were just that. Nightmares. And since there was no actual danger coming from those little, harmless nightmares, he swore to himself not to mention them. Except, they weren't little, nor harmless. The nightmares catapulted him right back to the worst moments of his life .

Crazy. How at the age of 17 he could already say that the worst part of his life was over already.

Will stood up from his bed and stumbled his way through the darkness towards the window. The wood underneath his feet creaked and he paused and listened, prayed to god, that he didn't awake anyone. No noises came though, no voices asking whether he's alright or why he was awake. Nothing except for the erratic sound of his heartbeat and his uneven breathing. After a few seconds, he continued his journey, careful not to slip on the pile of laundry, scattered all over his floor. With a lot of strength, he finally tore open his window and stuck his head outside to gulp for fresh air, like a fish out of water. He closed his eyes and just breathed for a while. A slight breeze ruffled his hair, unsticking them from his forehead, cooling his face in the process and Will finally felt his body relax. To stop his thoughts from wandering back to the dream, he focused on the outside world. Crickets singing their nightly ballads along with some early waking birds in the distance, the smell of earth and the coolness of the night air were the only things occupying his mind. But despite all his efforts, he could not shake the sadness and the terror that those dreams have been causing him, the obscurity that has been lurking around his mind, ever since his first encounter with the upside down.

The grandfather clock in the hallway chimed 4 am and Will slowly crept back to his bed. He knew that sleep won't come to him anymore so he sank into his soft bed cushions and began to think. Think about a life where he didn't wake up at 4am because of night terrors that kept on reminding him of his past or where he didn't have to worry about showing any kinds of signs that would worry around him. But most often, he would think about the last time where he truly felt happy.