Halley's comet | Steve Harrington

ii. xxii not an ideal night

"𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒅𝒆."

⇜☾✩☽⇝

They had all worked together. Taping and stapling old newspaper and cardboard and tarps and whatever else they had found to the rotting walls of the Byers's shed. It was strange seeing it so empty. Void of the guns and ammo that it used to hold. The memories still lingered though. Of grabbing the paint for her mother, the year prior. Sitting inside waiting for Lonnie and Jonathan to get back from their first hunting trip. Raiding it to go on her own 'hunting trip' with Nancy and Jonathan.

Halley tried to focus on something else when they carried Will in. Jonathan set him down on the paper covered chair in the center of the room and began tying him down with old cords they had found. It made her squirm.

Almost directly above her, Mike was fastening a fluorescent light, pointing it down at Will. Nancy and Steve had escorted Dustin, Lucas and Max back to the house, and one of them had plugged the light in, as it flickered to life in all its harshly bright glory.

The only ones left in the shed were the three conscious Byers, Hopper, and Mike. the air between them all was sickening.

"Alright, you ready?" Hopper asked, more so toward Joyce than anyone else. She had readied a syringe with whatever sedation they had gotten from the lab. Mike had gotten down from his perch with the light and took a spot next to Halley.

"Do it."

Hopper nodded grimly. He pressed a cotton ball to the mouth of a bleach bottle stolen from their kitchen, then held it up to Will's nose. His eyes snapped open, head immediately jumping from its slumped position.

And there he was. The first time Halley had seen him awake since he had drawn the tunnels strung up on their walls. She forced her expression to stay neutral.

At first, he was disoriented, looking around, squinting at the light. But that only lasted so long. Will was thrashing in the chair, panicking as no one tried to help him. "What— what is this? Why am I tied up?"

Joyce was the first to move, kneeling down in front of him, and placing her hand on his knee. "Will, we just want to talk." her voice was soft, and only slightly shaken. "We're not going to hurt you."

"Where am I?" He ignored her.

Hopper leaned down beside Joyce, not giving Will the satisfaction of an answer, but instead holding up the picture Mike had shown the group earlier. The crayon drawing of the Mind flayer. "You recognize this?" he asked. Will shook his head.

"We want to help you, Baby. But we need to know how to kill it, okay?"

"Why am I tied up?" He yelled, making Halley flinch, but Joyce, outwardly, appeared unfazed, keeping a calm composure, and not feeding into his anger. "Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up? Why am I tied up!" He repeated the words over and over his voice growing louder each time.