Symmetrical Stranger Things Book Two

Chapter 6: The Spy

It's pure chaos as Will and Celeste are being wheeled into the hospital, still convulsing from their reaction to the Upside Down vines being set ablaze. And Hopper is enduring his own invasive situation as hazmat suit-wearing lab techs hose him down.

As they move them from the hospital gurneys, everyone can see the girl's and boy's sweat that has soaked through their shirts. Their temperatures are 106, which is about 10 degrees hotter than it was when Joyce took their fevers just a couple days ago. But, then again, those vines are probably ash now so... it could be worse?

As Will and Celeste scream in pain, the doctors cut their shirts open searching for burn marks. There are none. They ask them where it hurts.

"Everywhere," they scream.

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Meanwhile Steve and Dustin are driving down a dark road. After a quiet beat, he begins to interrogate Dustin regarding Dart. It's obvious Steve doesn't believe the boy and poses the notion that the creature could just be a lizard. It most definitely is not a lizard. "How do you know it's not just a lizard?" Steve asks. Bluntly, Dustin replies, "Because it's face opened up and ate my cat."

Well, that settles that.

They exit the car and Steve grabs the nail-ridden bat from his trunk. They approach the storm shelter and ... stand there, silently. After he double checks with Dustin that this isn't indeed a Halloween prank, Steve requests the key. He shines a flashlight down the stairs and sees nothing.

"He must be further down there," Dustin says. "I'll stay up here if he tries to escape."

Steve heads down the steps and switches the only lightbulb on. It looks like Dart shed his skin again -- which means he's gone through another growth spurt. "Get down here," Steve says to Dustin. He shines his flashlight on a sizable hole in the wall, which leads out to another underground tunnel. Yet this tunnel was made by the creature, and it is now loose in the forest. Rotten pumpkins and burnt vines are the least of Hawkins' worries now.

The Byers home is still once more, but not for long. As flashlights look around the dark living room, Will's drawings of the vines wrapping around the walls, the front door is suddenly kicked open. In walk some ominous looking men in suits.

These men waste no time in snapping photos of the drawings of the vines and the sketch of the shadow monster. They even grab the VHS-C tape from Bob's JVC camera. (Now that's just rude.)

Back at Hawkins Lab, Joyce barely contains her patience as she explains the situation to a table of doctors, with Dr. Owens right at her side. She tells them about the "now memories," that the shadow beast did something to him and that he's been like this since she found him on the football field.

The doctors lob a bunch of questions Joyce's way and, as they've learned, Joyce totally loves questions. (Note the sarcasm.) The subtext of blame beneath their inquiries, all based on getting her reasoning as to why she didn't bring Will and Celeste in, (even though Celeste isn't her child.) is quite evident. They see it in Dr. Owen's quiet frustration. And they definitely see it in Joyce's volume and barely contained anger.

Owens, time and again, listened to Will's complaints and sent him on his way. Stating his visions were all in his head. It's enough to make anyone ask for a transfer and that's exactly what Joyce demands; take Will to another hospital. They shoot her down again and again, stating that Hawkins Lab supplies Will with the best treatment available. "And what are you treating them for?" Joyce asks.

Not for nothing, but that's an excellent question.

While with the Sinclair's Erica is having a blast with her toys. Lucas busts in and grab his He-Man, telling Erica that these two dolls can't kiss because they don't even exist on the same planet. It's a fair point. His sister doesn't even hesitate with her reaction, questioning when Lucas is too old to play with dolls.