Stranger things | Reader insert | Season -2

9

Dig Dug - 1

"We're in this together, Will. You're not alone." 

Y/N POV:

"It's like... It's like I feel what the Shadow Monster's feeling," Will explained, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "See what he's seeing."

Mike and Arlo walked around Will's room, examining all the drawings.

"Like in the Upside Down?" Arlo questioned.

"Some of him is there. But some of him is here too," Will answered, his gaze fixed on the door.

"Here, like in this house?" Mike pressed for clarification.

"In this house and... in me. It's like... like he's reaching into Hawkins more," Will responded, tears starting to well up in his eyes. I grabbed his hand as he tightened his grip, while Arlo sat in front of us and Mike sat next to Will.

"And the more he spreads, the more connected to him I feel," Will confessed, his voice trembling with emotion.

"And the more you see the now-memories," Arlo said, understanding dawning in his eyes.

"At first, I just felt it in the back of my head. I didn't even really 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. But now it's like... now I remember. I remember all the time."

We sat in silence for some time until Mike broke it. "Maybe... Maybe that's good."

"Good?" Will questioned, puzzled as me and Arlo looked at him confused.

"Just think about it. You're like a spy now. A super spy. Spying on the shadow monster. If you know what he's seeing and feeling, maybe that's how we can stop him. Maybe all this is happening for a reason," Mike explained, a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"You really think so?" Will asked, his voice wavering on the verge of tears.

"Yeah, I really do," Mike smiled reassuringly, his confidence unwavering.

Will glanced at the corner of the room, where the drawing of the shadow monster lay. He studied the picture for a moment before speaking again. "What if he figures out we're spying on him? What if he spies back?"

"He won't," Mike instantly responded, his tone firm with conviction.

"How do you know?" Will stuttered, his worry evident in his voice.

"We won't let him," Arlo, Mike, and I said simultaneously, our unity and determination shining through. Will looked at us, a small smile breaking through his tears.

"We just need to know where he is, y/n will take care of the rest. You don't have to be afraid of him, Will," Arlo said, his voice filled with confidence.

"Absolutely," Mike chimed in, his tone reassuring. "Y/n's abilities have saved us more times than I can count. We trust her to handle whatever comes our way. You don't have to worry; we are here for you," Mike said softly, placing a comforting hand on Will's shoulder.

"We're in this together, Will. You're not alone," I added, squeezing his hand gently.

Will nodded, a sense of relief washing over him as he looked at each of us in turn. "Thank you," he whispered, gratitude evident in his voice.

* * * 

And that night, the three of us slept in Will's room, with a sleeping bag spread out on the other side of the bed. I lay in the middle, with Mike and Arlo on either side. Since the windows were open, we felt the chill of the night air, so we bundled up in our hoodies for warmth.

As I opened my eyes, I heard someone breathing heavily. I saw Will sitting up, his breath ragged.

"Will, what's wrong?" I asked, sitting up, which alerted Mike and Arlo too.

"I saw your dad and Hopper," Will said, his voice trembling with fear.

We three quickly stood up, and Will got out of his bed. We rushed to the living room, where I saw my mom sleeping on the couch, and Joyce sat in the middle, staring at all the drawings, lost in thought.

I went to my mom, waking her up gently, and she sat up with sleepy eyes.

"Mom," Will said urgently. Joyce didn't seem to notice our presence as we entered.

"Mom," Will repeated, still getting no response. He reached out and tapped Joyce on the shoulder. "Mom."

Joyce turned around slowly. "Yeah?"

"I saw them," Will answered, his voice filled with dread.

"You saw who, baby?" Joyce questioned.

"Hopper and Noah," Will said, sending a chill down our spines. My mom quickly stood up.

"I think they're in trouble. I think they're going to die," Will continued, his words sending shockwaves through all of us, our eyes widening in horror.

"Will, honey," my mom called, standing in front of him, her voice gentle yet urgent. "Do you know where he is?" she asked, her concern evident.

Will shook his head, his expression troubled.

"Then can you draw?" my mom asked, her tone hopeful yet anxious.

Will thought for a moment before nodding. We all rushed to Will's desk, where he sat down and started to draw. We watched him patiently, our hearts pounding with worry, my mom and I sharing an anxious look as we waited for Will's drawing to reveal any clues.

After drawing for a while, Will stopped and put his crayon down.

"Hey, is this where you saw him? Is this where you saw Hopper and Noah?" my mom asked, her voice trembling with concern.

"I think so," Will answered quietly.

Joyce picked up the drawing as Mike, Arlo, my mom, and I took a look and searched around the house.

"Here!" Arlo yelled from the kitchen. We all quickly ran over as he pointed to a blank spot on the wall. Joyce came over and stuck the paper up.

"Okay, so Hopper and Noah are here?" Joyce said to herself, studying the drawing.

"Yeah, they are there," my mom confirmed, studying the drawing, trying to find any clue.

"Now we just have to find out where 'here' is, right?" Mike added, his brow furrowed in concentration.

"Right," my mom repeated, determination in her voice.

"Did he say anything? Like before he left?" Arlo questioned.

"Um, something about vines?" I said to them, trying to recall the conversation we had earlier.

As we puzzled over the meaning of the drawings, we heard a car approaching up the driveway.

"Dad?" I questioned, my brows furrowing in confusion.

"Noah," my mom called out.

"Hopper," Joyce echoed.

We gathered by the window next to the door, peering outside to see Joyce's boyfriend, Bob, pulling up in his car.

* * *