you are not alone → stranger things

xxxvii. mom?

JUST LISTEN TO THE SONG WHILE YOU READ. DONT ASK QUESTIONS K

unknown time
Hopper's POV

How had everything gone so wrong so fast?

Now Eleven was dying in front of us, Max was unconscious and maybe concussed, Joyce was nowhere to be found, and this kid and I were stuck on the sidelines, waiting to be killed.

I was frozen and couldn't turn my head, but I saw out of the corner of my eye that Mike was sobbing uncontrollably without moving a single muscle. The tears were leaking out of their own accord, and his quiet cries died not far from his lips.

"Goodbye," I heard the possessed Will say pleasantly, and my eyes flickered back to him. He twisted his hand, and El's eyes rolled into the back of her head. I could hear her breathless sigh from here-

"Will, stop!" Joyce's stern voice echoed loudly through the dim air of the Upside Down.

Will seemed to freeze. He turned to where the voice had come from. "M-mom?" And it was his own scared voice, not the terrible voice of the thessalhydra. The red in his eyes faded slightly, overtaken by the normal brown.

"Baby, come home," Joyce pleaded. "Stop this." She dared to come out from behind the tree she had been hiding behind.

His face was wet, I realized randomly. "I can't," he sobbed. His body jerked spastically, and for a moment the red of his eyes returned and his face twisted in rage. But then Will was back, and he fell to his knees, his face deathly white. "It's too strong, Mom. I can't fight it much longer!" He screamed, arching his back, and collapsed. "Run," he said, and made a choking sound. "Run!"

Joyce rushed forward anyway. "Will!"

But Will was completely motionless, and I realized that I was no longer frozen. I immediately jumped to my feet and raced to Joyce, kneeling by her side. I lifted one eyelid and peered into Will's eyes. They were brown.

Joyce sobbed in relief. "It's him, it's my boy!" She bent over him and cradled him in her arms.

He stirred slightly and opened his eyes wearily. "M-mom-"

"Shh," she whispered to him, rocking back and forth, "it's okay, it's gone-"

"Mom." He spoke clearly, but his exhaustion was plain. "It's not dead. It just left my body."

"Where'd it go?" I asked no one in particular. I got up and scanned the area. Mike was holding El in his arms, seeming to be praying over her. She was still unconscious, as was Max. But there was no monster visible.

"We need to go before it comes back," Joyce said quietly. I looked down at her, and she smiled at me through her tears.

I nodded and walked over to the kids. "We have to go," I told Mike, who nodded. I picked up Max and carried her past Joyce, who was helping Will stand.

As we walked, I looked at Max. She had a lot of bruises, but I noticed that a lot of them weren't from being thrown into a tree. They were older, in strange places. A few on her arm were clustered together like fingertips had pressed there. Bothered, I made a mental note to ask her later.

We were at the portal in what felt like ages because of Will struggling to walk. I didn't mind, but it was creepily quiet. That monster was out there somewhere.

I looked at Mike, who was slightly struggling to carry Eleven. "Want some help?" I asked him. He shook his head stubbornly, gazing at her sleeping face with an expression bordering on desperation. "Okay, then let's go," I pressed, walking past him through the portal.

I was the first out, but stopped short. The others clustered behind me, as shocked as I was.

A dozen of dead agents lie on the floor in various places around the room. The room itself was nearly torn to shreds, the formerly impeccable white walls covered with gouges and blood.

I looked at them, wide-eyed. Will looked up at me, his eyes clear with understanding. "It was here."

dramaaaaaaaaaa