Hold On ·Will Byers x Reader·

18

Y/N POV

It took me ten minutes to climb the last two flights of stairs. I sighed and entered through the door of the thirteenth floor. I was starving. There had to be some type of food in there. A break room or a vending machine maybe? My stomach rumbled from my hunger. I walked around the building searching each room for any food or communication source.

Growl.

My heart froze. I knew that sound, and this time it wasn't my stomach. I quickly, but carefully, ran into a nearby supply closet. I had barely gotten inside by the time the monsters came trudging around the corner. I scrambled behind some boxes and sat in silence, the closet door slightly ajar. There were two of them, I assumed patrolling or out looking for me maybe. I saw them two knocking over tables and completely ransacking the room across from me. I shuffled around a bit, accidentally kicking one of the boxes and sending dust everywhere, causing me to sneeze.

"Shit!" I whispered.

That sneeze caught their attention. They shrieked lightly and stomped over to the closet. One of them poked their head in the barely closed door and snarled harshly. I covered my mouth with my hand and tried my best to not make a sound.

Fortunately, the creature didn't spot me and left. I sighed quietly, my heart beating out of my chest. I had decided to go back and hide in the stairwell. I got up, still behind the boxes and peeked outside. The monster's were down the hall from where they came and I waited until the rounded the corner.

I stepped outside the supply closet and tiptoed down the hall. I quietly made my way to the stairwell and began to walk up the steps. Whatever I was looking for was not on the thirteenth floor. I could hear the loud boom of thunder outside. I flinched at the sound, creeping my way upstairs. I made it to the seventeenth floor and pushed the doors open. It was darker on this floor; the lights flickered, but for the most part, they stayed off.

I wandered around the floor silently, peeking into rooms and bathrooms and supply closets in search of something, anything. I couldn't figure out why this place was so significant when every floor seemed to be completely empty. I started making my way back to the stairs, disappointed that my theory about Hawkins Lab was a big miss. I passed by a large window in my way back, facing the front of the building and the gate surrounding the property.

I could see that the sky was still an angry red and the clouds were still dark and ominous. I could still see groups of monsters scattered about, walking in all different directions. I stared out the window longingly, wishing that I could talk to Will. Guilt arose in my chest and I started to feel sick again. I wished I had included Will in my plan.

I noticed at the vines that covered nearly every inch of the outside world. I realized that the inside of Hawkins Lab was the only place I'd been in where the vines weren't present.

I was almost to the stairs when a bizarre thought popped into my head. Why did the monsters bring me here and leave me in the stairwell? And if they liked blood, why hadn't they eaten me or hurt me at all?

It was like they needed me alive.

I turned around, suddenly angry and dizzy with confusion. Why the hell was I here? I ran back down the stairs and burst through the doors of the thirteenth floor. The monsters turned around and bared their teeth at me as I rounded the corner. They ran forward and one of them snatched me up. I winced a bit as the weight was lifted off of my ankle.

"I know you don't wanna hurt me!" I yelled at them. "You can't. There's a reason you haven't killed me yet. So why am I here?"

The one standing behind me growled lowly. The one holding me flared its teeth in response. They seemed to be communicating. The creature holding me growled and started walking down the hall. I was taken into the elevator with the two before I being placed back on my feet. I looked up at the two creatures, and they grumbled, gesturing towards the buttons on the wall.

I noticed that there was a button different from the rest. It was red and a lot larger than the other floor buttons. I had a bit of dried blood on it, which didn't ease my nerves. I figured it was important, though, because the monsters kept motioning towards it. I pressed it, but nothing happened. The monsters grumbled again, and it was only then that I realized that there was a slot for a key card.

"Great," I muttered. "How am I supposed to get down there?"

I looked up at the two who didn't seem too concerned. I opened the elevator doors and walked out with a huff. They growled and followed after me. One of them reached for my arm as I walked off.

"Don't," I snatched my arm away. "I have to find a stupid key card so you guys can show me whatever the hell it is that you need me for."

It let go, and they watched me as I frantically stormed around, bursting into different rooms, searching through drawers and filing cabinets.

"There's nothing here!" I fussed at the two creatures.

They growled and pulled me by arms into the elevator. One of them slammed their hand against the wall, pressing the button to go down. The doors open to reveal the first floor. Without making a sound the monsters pushed me out and dragged me outside of the building.

I was scared, but I didn't fight it. They couldn't hurt me. Right? I silently followed them as they led me past several other monsters and around the side of the building. Far off on the east side of the lab, was a small building. It looked like a shed, but was actually another elevator.

"What the hell?" I asked as the two led me inside.

I pressed the only button that was on the wall of the elevator. When the elevator stopped, I looked over to the monsters who simply growled. I walked out of the elevator and took in my surroundings. We were in a hallway, similar to the ones inside the other building, only there were less rooms and the hallways seemed longer. They led me down a few halls before stopping at a door with a sign above it labeled: CAUTION.

I opened the door, which led to another flight of stairs. I walked up the stairs, as if I had a choice, the monsters following closely behind me. When I got to the top there was another door, made entirely of glass. I pressed the large buttons which controlled the door and walked inside. I seemed to be in some sort of research area.

There were computers and a long panel board sitting in front of a huge glass widow. Everything seemed like normal, typical things you'd find in a research lab. All except for one thing: the view behind the large glass window. I walked closer to the panel, staring out the window in both fear and shock.

"What the hell is this?"