never felt quite alive, now I'm living.
[ will byers x original character ]
[ book one in the lights up duology ]
[ stranger things three ]
STATUS: COMPLETED
[ STARTED: may 2nd, 2020 ]
[ FINISHED: august 22nd, 2020 ]
[ 100k reads - 4/29/22 ]
cover b...
WATCHING JONATHAN'S CAR and Hopper's truck pull out of the Byers' driveway was one of the hardest things Mackenzie Tate had to endure (well, besides the fact that she was in a lab swarmed with Demo-dogs). Nancy, Joyce, and Jonathan were taking Will to Hopper's remote cabin in the woods to burn the Mind Flayer out of him, meanwhile Hopper was taking Eleven back to Hawkins Lab to close the Gate to the Upside Down. Mackenzie had so desperately wanted to go with the first group to support Will, but Joyce had ordered her to stay with Steve and the rest.
The headlights on the cars got farther and farther away until they were gone. Mackenzie felt her heart crawl up into her throat. Her anxiety was reaching a maximum point.
Lucas, Max, and Dustin all went back inside almost immediately. Mike didn't move an inch and remained quiet. Mackenzie sighed and looked up to Steve, who nodded and gave her shoulder a squeeze before following the rest inside.
Mackenzie slowly walked up to Mike. He was still staring blankly at the darkness where Hopper's car once was. There were tears in his eyes that were threatening to fall at any given moment. Mike didn't even turn his head to look at her.
"It's hard," she remarked quietly. "Watching someone you love go off and risk their life."
He didn't respond.
"Mike, please talk to me," she pleaded softly. "I understand what you're feeling right now."
He quietly scoffed. "Oh, you do? Tell me, Mackenzie. How am I feeling?"
"You're worried," Mackenzie answered. "There's a feeling of dread in your heart that something's going to go wrong. It like there's an empty void in your stomach that can't be filled unless they come back okay. And if there's a possibility that they don't come back okay, the whole world will probably crumble down all around you." She glanced over at him. "How am I doing?"
Mike sighed. "You're spot on."
"The only reason I am is because I feel that way too," Mackenzie admitted. "Joyce told me I had to stay with Steve and of course I'm going to listen to her, but Will's my best friend. I can't help but worry about him. He's been through a lot in such a short amount of time and I can see it's taking a toll on him. We got him back from the Upside Down, but did we really?" She paused for a moment, looking down and twiddling her fingers. "That place . . . it's almost like he's left a piece of his soul behind in there. He hasn't been the same, especially now since the Mind Flayer took over him. And that feeling of dread? I've felt it every day since that night at the hospital when we saw him again."
