𝑺𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒎 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒅𝒔 • 𝑩𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝑯𝒂𝒓𝒈𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒆 [2]

19•

"I didn't think it was anything at first," Will began as we all sat around him, "I mean, I think I just didn't want to believe it. The first time I felt it was at Day of The Dead-."

"Power went out that night too." Mike added.

"And then at the field near the Nelson farm the next day- and then again yesterday, outside castle Byers'." I slowly nodded my head, but I couldn't help but wonder what happened at Castle Byers.

"What does it feel like?" Max asked after a moment of silence.

"It's almost like- you know when you drop on a roller-coaster?"

"Sure."
"Yeah." Max and Mike nodded.

"Mmhmm" I hummed, remembering the fair a few years ago when I almost upchucked all over Steve.

"No." El frowned, confusion evident on her face.

"I'll take you sometime." I whispered with a wink, causing her to smile.

"Anyway," Will started again, "it's like everything inside your body is just sinking, all at once- but this is worse. Your body goes cold and you can't breathe." Will took a moment to pause, and I couldn't help but get the feeling that we were all fucked. "I've felt it before, whenever he was close."

"Whenever who was close?" Max frowned again.

"The mind flayer."

"Bastard." I mumbled in a quiet voice, receiving a small smirk from Lucas.

Suddenly, El sat up. "I closed the gate."

"I know," Will nodded, "but- what if he never left? What if we locked him out here with us?"

At Will's words, I felt all blood drain from my face. "Is that even possible?"

"I- I don't know." Will stuttered as he got up from his seat and went over to a box. After a moment of rifling, he retrieved some chalk and some paper and made his way back over to us. "This is him," Will slapped the paper onto the table and started to draw with the chalk, "all of him, but that day on the field- a part of him attached itself to me," we watched as he slid his hand across the paper, "my mom got it out of me, then Eleven closed the gate." Will flipped the paper over. "The part that was in me, what if it's still in our world," he slapped his hand on the paper, leaving an ashy handprint, "in Hawkins."

"I don't understand. The demodogs died when El closed the gate. The brain dies the body dies." Max shook her head.

"We can't take any chances," Mike sighed, "we need to assume the worst. The mind flayers back."

"Yeah," Will nodded, "and if he is, he'd want to attach himself to someone again. A new me."

"A new host." Lucas stated, causing us all to look at him.

"How can you tell if someone is a host?" El frowned.

"Shit." I said aloud once everything clicked inside my head.

"What is it?" Will asked.

"Your Mom got it out of you by blasting you with heat, right?" I spoke as I turned to Will.

"Yeah."

"Well," I ran both of my hands over my face before glancing at Max and El, "what did we find in the bathtub?"

"Ice," Max almost gasped, "you really think its him Evie?"

"It would explain everything that he's been doing."

"Who?" Mike demanded. Everyone was staring at me and for the first time in my life I hope I'm so fucking wrong.

"Billy." I sighed, suddenly feeling a lump growing in my throat, "I think he's got Billy."