even weirder stuff || stranger things x female reader (season two)

eleven - the trap

Sunday, November 4, 1984

You sit next to Will, Mike on the other side from him as he looks down at the huge table on which pictures of his drawings of the vines, and of the vines themselves, are splattered.

He has been staring at it in silence for a while now, and no plan yet. You shift in your seat awkwardly, uncomfortable with all these scientists standing behind you and watching your friend do... nothing.

"Sam, this is ludicrous," one of them says.

"Just give him a moment," Owens protests.

"We don't have time-"

"Hey, jackass," Hopper interrupts, and you smile to yourself at the scientist's revolted expression. "Why don't you do us all a favor and shut up, okay?"

Everyone stays silent. You start to think Hopper is pretty cool after all.

Will stands up, eyes roaming around the table. Finally, something catches his attention and he points at it. It's a crossroad of vines, on the paper, but what you assume to be a cave with tunnels in real life.

"That's it," Will says.

"That's what?" Owens questions. "What... What's there, Will?"

"I don't know. I just know he doesn't want me to see there. I think it's important."

You see Owens and Hopper share a knowing gaze, and you know this means they are going to investigate there.

Man, this could be very dangerous.

___

The sun has been set for a while now and it's dark outside, but you still stare at the woods by the window, leaning your elbow on your knees and your head on your hand. Night falls quickly in November, so it wasn't that late, but you knew you weren't going home tonight. At least you'd get to miss school tomorrow if it's the end of the world.

The scientists went down into the vines to find where Will pointed on the map, and this has been going on for hours. You wonder if they found it. You wonder if they're all dead. You wonder whether Bob has read the Lord of the Rings.

"Hey Bob," you lean back in your chair, catching the man's attention. "Have you read the Lord of the Rings?"

Truth was, he looked really anxious right now and you wanted to distract him a bit. He blinks, slightly confused, but eventually gives up on understanding.

"Yes, I have, actually," he smiles.

"Will and Mike read it too," you point out, and get a relatively interested look from the latter. "Right, Will?"

You all turn to him, but he doesn't answer, lost in thoughts.

"Okay," you look back at the others with an awkward smile. "So, uhm... Who's your favorite character?"

You all talk for ten good minutes about what you like about Tolkien, and the tension falls a bit. You even get a laugh out of Joyce, who's completely lost, and that makes you happy.

"No, I'm telling you. You would be a great Sam," you punch Bob's shoulder as you talk about which character each of you are most like.

"And you're Aragorn," Mike says, making you very happy.

"Aww, thank you Mike. He's a badass. You'd be Gollum."