it's the end of the world as we know it.

10. the exrocism of will byers

They pulled up outside of the dark and dingy cabin, Frankie helping the Byers drag in the supplies needed to draw the Mind Flayer out of Will. Jonathan carried Will in and sat him on an armchair, and Frankie looked around.

"This is where they've been living? It's weird being here without Luke or Hopper here." Frankie said, glancing around. Joyce examined the living room, which looked like it hadn't been touched in a few days.

"We'll do it here." She nodded. Frankie and Jonathan drug around the pieces of furniture to rearrange the room, and Frankie grimaced as they pulled Luke's bed from his room, feeling slightly bad for what they were about to use it for. Jonathan set Will on his bed, and fastened Will to the sides of the bed frame. Joyce set up space heaters around the cabin, close enough to Will.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Jonathan asked anxiously.

Joyce grit her teeth. "This thing has had Will long enough. Let's kill the son of a bitch."

"Hell yeah." Frankie beamed in agreement. He found a box of matches and lit one, tossing it into the fireplace, watching as the flames exploded. Joyce and Jonathan cranked up the space heaters to full temperature, and they waited.

It was a waiting game now, until it was hot enough to startle Will. Frankie was already sweating, and running a hand through his hair, he could feel the wetness of it and grimaced. He could tell Jonathan and Joyce were feeling the heat too, the way their hair stuck to their faces and they were all sweating.

Frankie was glad he left his hoodie at the Byers' house ages ago, otherwise it'd be drenched in sweat now. He glanced at Jonathan cautiously, who glanced back at Frankie. Jonathan chewed his lip anxiously and reached for his hand again, which Frankie quickly took. It didn't matter that both their hands were clammy and gross.

Will began to stir in his sleep, and then suddenly, his eyes snapped open. He glanced around in confusion. "What's happening? It hurts!"

Will thrashed in the bed and screamed. "It hurts! It hurts; let me go!"

Jonathan stood and Frankie followed, using his other free hand to grab Jonathan's shoulders and pulled him back. "It's okay, it's not hurting Will. Just the Mind Flayer, that's what we want." Frankie murmured reassuringly to him. Jonathan turned away to not watch, and standing closer to Frankie, Jonathan's face brushed his hair.

"Let me go!" Will screamed, thrashing even more. Determined now, Joyce furrowed her eyebrows and stomped around to each space heater, cranking them up as far as they could go.

"Mom!" Jonathan cried in worry, and Frankie felt his grip tighten on his hand.

"No!" Joyce exclaimed, crossing her arms and watching anxiously. Though Jonathan couldn't take it anymore, he turned and hugged Frankie, burrowing his face into his shoulder and squeezing his eyes shut. Frankie held him back, his arm wrapped around Jonathan and though he continued to murmur reassuring words to him, Frankie's eyes were fixated on Will's thrashing body in horror, eyes wide as he watched the boy, who was no older than twelve, experiencing the most unimaginable horror and pain anyone couldn't dream of. Will screamed and sobbed, his body shuddering.

Jonathan pulled away and glanced at Will, then Joyce. "It's not working! Look at him, it's not!"

"Just wait!" Joyce shouted back.

"Just wait?!" Jonathan argued, and pointed at Will. "Look at him! You're killing him!"

"Just wait!" She cried again.

"How much longer?!" He demanded.

"I don't know!" Joyce argued. But Jonathan lunged for the space heater, reaching to turn it off. Joyce ran to stop him, swatting at his hand, and the two began arguing again.