004 , [ mike wheeler x f!reader ] ST5 FINISHED, UNDER EDITING

THE BODY

THE BODY
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CHAPTER FOUR

Hawkins, Indiana
November, 1983

ASH DRIFTED LAZILY AROUND HER, TUGGING AT HER HAIR AND CLOTHES UNTIL EVERY MOVEMENT FELT HEAVY. She wasn't injured. Nothing ached beyond the dull, draining exhaustion that seemed to seep into her bones.

Her limbs felt hollow, as if every ounce of energy had been siphoned out by the oppressive air around her. Each step was deliberate, measured, like she might collapse if she hurried.

"Castle Byers," she whispered, trying to anchor herself. "Just find Castle Byers..."

The Upside Down twisted everything familiar. Melvald's General Store loomed ahead, its sign hanging askew, windows shattered, black vines curling through the interior. The silence pressed in on her ears, broken only by the faint squelch of her boots on the dead, wet pavement.

Then she heard it.

A low, wet click.

Her spine stiffened.

She froze. The sound came again—closer. Y/N turned slowly. At the end of the street, it emerged from the fog.

The Demogorgon.

Its limbs unfolded impossibly, vines peeling from its skin as it straightened to full height. Its head opened with a wet, cracking sound that made Y/N's stomach twist violently. Her breath hitched. "No," she whispered. "Not now."

She lifted her hands instinctively, but her telekinesis didn't respond. Nothing. Just a dull ache behind her eyes. She was too drained.

The creature screeched.

Y/N ran.

Boots slapping against broken concrete, lungs burning, she sprinted down the street. Branches tore at her arms and legs, but she didn't slow. Behind her, the Demogorgon's heavy steps shook the ground, shaking her fear straight through her.

She skidded to a stop in a narrow alley. Her mind raced. Running blindly hadn't worked. She needed a plan. The creature clicked again, tilting its head as it tracked her sound. Y/N pressed her hand over her mouth, slowly backing up. One misstep, one panicked breath, and it would have her.

Her heel nudged an empty soda can. The Demogorgon lunged toward the sound. Y/N bolted in the opposite direction.

She ducked behind a wrecked car, crouching low as the creature slammed into it. Metal screeched. Glass shattered. It roared, confused.

Her eyes scanned the street, desperate.

A house. The door hung open, dark and inviting. She ran.

Inside, the smell hit her—rot, mold, and the lingering pulse of the Upside Down. She slammed the door and shoved a chair beneath the handle. The house shook as the creature slammed into it again.