A World Turned Upside Down: A Will X Reader X Mike (ST)

We're All Mad Here

Joyce
I found Castle Byers in the woods, knowing he'll be there. I pressed the "doorbell" and said, "Ring-a-ding-ding! Anybody home?"

"Password?" he requested.

"Uh, Rada . . . uh, Radaga— Radagast?"

"Yeah. You may enter," he said.

I opened the curtain to find Will sitting in there, reading his comics. "Thank you, sir," I said as I joined him inside the makeshift hut. "So guess what?" He put his comic book down. "I got off early and . . ." I pulled out the two tickets I bought him. "Poltergeist!" I said in a creepy-like whisper.

"I . . . I thought I wasn't allowed to see it!"

"I changed my mind. As long as you don't have nightmares for a week."

"No, I won't. I don't get scared like that anymore."

"Oh, yeah? Not even of . . . clowns?" {Cough cough, Pennywise, cough cough.}

"No."

"What about . . . my witch?" I said and wiggled my finger in a witch-like way.

"No. Mom. I'm not five anymore."

"But Will Byers . . ." I reached my fingers over and tickle him.

"Stop. That's so stupid. Mom!"

"I'm going to cook you up in my—"

He's not there. I thought Castle Byers would've been the place, but . . . he's not here.

I sigh and turn back to Jonathan and join him in screaming Will's name.

Benny {Because yes.}
I throw a patty on the grill and it sizzles with grease. I finish cooking it and make a burger for that strange girl. Once I hand it to her, she eats it like it's going to run away if she doesn't eat it quickly enough.

"Geez, your parents forget to feed you?" I ask her. She keeps stuffing the burger into her mouth like no tomorrow. {Eleven is me when I'm hungry.} "Is that why you ran away?" Still no answer. "They, uh . . . they hurt you?" Nothing. "You went to the hospital; you got scared; you ran off; you wound up here; is that it?" This time, she at least looks at me, but still without a word. I take the burger out of her hands and slide the basket away from her. "All right. I'll give you this back, all right? And you can have as much a you want. All right? Maybe even some ice cream. But you gotta answer a few of my questions first, all right?" Still a blank expression. "We got a deal?" When she still gives no response, I say, "All right, let's start with the easy stuff, all right?" {Someone needs to eliminate "all right" from Benny's vocabulary.} "My name's Benny. Benny Hammond." I hold out my hand for her to shake. When she doesn't, I put her hand in mine, reassuring her that it's all right. I shake her hand. "Nice to meet you. And you are?" All she does is look from me to the food I took away.

I sigh and drop her hand, just noticing the little tattoo on her arm. 011. "Eleven? What's that mean?" I ask her. "What's it mean?"

"No," she utters for the first time.

"Well, I'll be damned. She speaks." I let out a single laugh. "'No?' 'No' what?" No answer. I click my tongue. "All right. I guess no more food, then."

As I get up, taking the basket with me, she says, "Eleven."

"Yeah," I say, confused. "What's it mean?"

She points to herself. "Eleven."

"All right, then." I nod, thinking I understand. I slide the basket back in front of her and she starts wolfing it down again. "Here you go. Take it easy, take it easy."