you are not alone → stranger things

xxxx. scream

Saturday night
Will's POV

I was left alone in Mike's room, breathing in the stale air and thinking of Max.

I hadn't thought she would be dealing with so much. I felt awful. But there was nothing I could do about it. It was her choice to tell or not.

I was still tired, but I knew I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep. Max had left the door slightly ajar, and I could hear the murmur of soft voices next door, and couldn't help but listen.

"What about Eleven?"

"She's strong. She should be fine. Mike's with her, anyway."

"She said Will's human and won't take as well to the Upside Down stuff as she did."

"Yeah, and?"

"Couldn't he... die?"

Silence for a moment. "I'm sure it'll be okay."

"How can you say that? With everything you know about that place? You went there!"

"Yeah, for, like, two minutes. It was the worst experience of my life."

"They're saying that the new monster, the thessalhydra, is stronger than the demogorgon. Much stronger."

"Will it kill him when he kills it? Since they're connected?"

"I don't know any better than you, Nance."

"Well..."

"We could call Steve. See what he thinks of this."

"I didn't know you like him."

"He's not as bad as I originally thought. I've been thinking about it for a while."

"Well, maybe we could be the Loser Trio. Since no one wants us at school now anyway."

"Sure. But nix that name."

A giggle. "Okay." They were silent for a few moments, and I heard a few clicks. "Hey, Steve? It's Nancy. Could you come over for a few minutes?" A pause. "Okay, thanks." A slight bang. "He's on his way."

"Good. I want to know if I'm the only one who thinks my little brother could die." Jonathan's voice was strained.

I got up and quietly crept out of the door and down the stairs. I couldn't listen anymore.

The adults were talking in the living room. I heard Mom saying something in that voice she used whenever things were bad and she was trying to hide how much it bothered her. "...probably hiding in the woods or something. My boy shouldn't have to kill the thing."

"Joyce, what other choice do we have?"

I wanted to scream. Was everyone here going to talk about me? Before I heard more, I half-sprinted to the basement door and went inside.

Mike, Max, and El all looked up at me. "Hey," Mike said easily, like we were just there to play D&D and eat dinner. Like there wasn't a monster I had to kill. Like I wouldn't die.

I tried to match his nonchalance. "What are you guys doing?"

"Talking," Max said slowly. She gave me a measured look, and I got the message. Keep your mouth shut.

I looked at El and remembered. I smiled at her. "I remembered being in the Upside Down with you all those nights." She gave me a small smile in return.

Mike cleared his throat. "So you're okay now?"

I shrugged. "A little tired still."

"You should wait 'till tomorrow to find that thing so we can catch the guys up."

"No." El's voice was firm. "He has to find it now. Hawkins is in danger."

"But the demogorgon was here for a week and the town was mostly fine while it was here," Max remarked. She wouldn't look at me now.

"Do you guys even understand what this thing is capable of?" I asked angrily. I ran my hands through my hair. "It's much stronger than the demogorgon. I have to go as soon as possible."

"Then why haven't you left yet?" Max asked dryly. "Since you wanna act the hero so badly. Guess getting trapped in there for a week wasn't enough for you, huh? You need more attention."

It was like I was seeing the truth for the first time. What everyone really thinks of me. I could add it to the list: queer, faggot, weirdo, freak, and now desperate for attention.

"Max..." El protested softly, touching her shoulder, but she shrugged her away.

"No, it's fine, El," I said quietly. "Better to know what the world thinks of me than to be oblivious." And without another word, I turned away from them and marched back up the stairs, out of the basement, and out of the front door.

I borrowed Mike's bike and headed for my house to wait for it. What it wanted was me, and it would come.

Soon enough I was in the woods, alone, and I let the scream that had been building in my throat out and into the sky. I lifted to my face to the sky and let the world hear what I thought of it.

Ever heard the expression "calm before the storm"? Yep.