Mike Wheeler x Reader

Chapter 30: The Gate

"Okay, let's go. Follow me." I tell Lucas, Will, and Dustin once they've all arrived at the park.

I ride past my house and to where I always look for Y/N. The boys and I slowly stop our bikes.

"Mike, not to be an ass...but, haven't we already looked here, like, a lot? I...don't think she's here." Dustin says cautiously. I can tell he thinks I'm clueless.

I shake my head. "No...I- I have a feeling this is where she is. She told me something- something-"

Suddenly I'm gasping for air. My vision is blurry and my head pangs with pain. I fall off my bike and let out a groan of pain.

"Mike!" Lucas screams. "Mike what's wrong!?"

I gasp for air and open my eyes. The sky I'm looking at seems like it's just about thunderstorm. I slowly sit up and examine my new surroundings. I'm in the woods. Well, if that's what you'd call it. The trees seem black and it's freezing. The air seems unwelcoming and everything has a darkish tint.

I eventually get to my feet and start to shiver. I need to get help. Someone has to be here.

The soft crunching of leaves is interrupted by the sound of a girl screaming.

"Help! Please! Somebody help me!"

I can hear panting and rapid footsteps nearby. I frantically turn around, wanting to help whoever is in trouble. My heart is hammering through my chest and I start running.

"Where are you?" I call out, running as fast as I can.

The footsteps stop. The girl calls out in a frightened voice: "Wh-who's there?"

"I'm gonna help you! Keep running, but lead me to you! We're going to get out of here."

"Okay. Follow my voice." The girl says as she resumes running. I can hear her getting closer.

Then I hear something behind me. I whirl around, on high alert. The sight that greets me makes my chest pang with a mixture of excitement and fear.

"Y/N?" I ask, not daring to believe that she's standing right in front of me.

Her eyes are wet. "Mike!" She pulls me into a bone crushing hug. Tears form in my eyes.

"God, I missed you so much." I whisper.

"I thought I'd never see you again." She says softly.

"Where were you Y/N? What's coming?" I ask as we break apart. I hear something moving in the woods.

She shakes her head. "I don't know what you'd call it. But it's not good. We have to run, now!" She says. Then she takes off and I run after her.

I grab her shoulder.

"What?" She says frantically, wanting to keep moving.

"Come with me." I start to lead her behind a tall bush.

"No, what? We have to keep going!" She tugs on my arm the other way.

"Just trust me! It's coming!" I say quickly.

She nods reluctantly and lets me lead her behind the bush. We crouch down and peer through a small opening in between the leaves.

Then I hear something. Something I don't think I will ever forget. The sound of a dying animal and a machine powering down.

I tense up and look at Y/N. She only takes my hand and squeezes it while she continues looking through the bush. We're both shaking and shivering.

Then, it passes. All I can see is it's side. It's dark, grey, slimy side. My heart skips a beat.
Its footsteps slowly fade throughout the woods and I let out he breath I was holding.

I shakily get to my feet and Y/N does the same.
"The hell was that?" I ask.

"I don't know. That was the closest I've ever been to it." She admits.

"Wait, you mean you've seen it before?" I ask, shocked.

She nods. "It's been stalking me ever since I got here."

"And where exactly is here?"

She shrugs. "I don't know, but how'd you find me?"

"Beats me. I just felt a weird pain in my head, blacked out, and woke up here."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, why?" I ask.

"I felt a pain in my forehead too. Today, actually. That's how the monster thingy got so close to me. I was disoriented." She says.

"Well, how do we get out?" I ask.

"I wish I knew." She says sadly. (A/N: oof)

Suddenly, Y/N starts coughing. It sounds bad.

"Are you okay?" I ask, concerned.

After a while, she stops. "Yeah, that's been happening all lot lately." She waves it off like it was nothing. I decide I'd better leave it even though I'm still worried.

"Wait, this is...where I just was!" I gasp, noticing my surroundings.

"What?"

"Before I blacked out. This is where I was with Dustin, Lucas, and Will. We were looking for you."

"Oh, yeah. This place is like Hawkins but it's turned upside down. Everything is dark and cold. It sucks here." She explains like it's normal.

"So, how do we get back to Hawkins?" I ask her, praying she has an answer.

"Well, we are in Hawkins. Just the fucked up version."

I smile despite our situation. God, how I've missed her.

"Okay, so how do we get to our Hawkins." I ask.

She shrugs. "I'd love to know."

"How'd you get here in the first place?"

"Uh...I was riding my bike and I got a glimpse of what was just chasing us. Then I tried to climb the gate but I fell and hit my head. Then I woke up here."

"Okay. So you don't really know how you actually got here. There has to be some type of gateway, right? Maybe that thing brought you through it while you were unconscious." I guess.

"It's possible. But where would the gate be?" She asks.

"Well where did you first appear when you came here?" I ask, grasping at straws.

"Follow me." She says, leading the way.