𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄! ✽ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

1

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐖𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐃 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐀𝐖𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐒, 𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐍𝐀 𝐈𝐍 𝐍𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑 was sure to chill anyone to the bone, but especially a kid like will byers. while all of his friends had found their ways home, getting ready to tuck themselves into bed in preparation for school the next morning, he biked down the deserted back road entirely and utterly alone. will liked his alone time, but this was... different.

the young boy realized that nature seemed a lot scarier at night. that anything seemed a lot scarier at night.

the lightbulb belonging to his schwinn bicycle had abruptly flickered off. will gulped, his bottom lip trembling. he felt invincible with his only source of light. and that had been stripped away from him within a matter of seconds. he was defenseless.

will glanced up from his bike in hopes of seeing any significant landmarks to let him know that he was close to home. but instead, the dim glow of the rotting wooden streetlamps gave outline to a tall silhouette; surely something too tall to be human.

the boy fell from his usual course, finding himself drifting down the side of the road and into the woods. fall leaves crunched beneath will as he crashed and came to a halt. small groans of pain drifted from his lips unknowingly, but no one was around to listen.

the young boy began to stand from the ground with caution. he peered back towards the road to see if he could make out what had gotten in his path. but once it had sent a sharp glare in his direction, he knew it was time to run.

his heart and all the blood it contained felt as though it were rising up through his throat and he would puke it up at any minute. will knew that if he ran for long enough, he'd eventually be home. he just hoped it'd be sooner rather than later.

the mud the rain had brought on just the other day had nearly frozen over. it was slick under will's sneakers. he ran on the grass, to be sure that if he stepped on any leaves, whoever or whatever that was couldn't hear him.

the youngest byers child ran hurriedly into his small home. their family dog jumped with excitement, unaware of the circumstances. "mom?" will frailly called as he glanced into each room in the hallway. he wished for absolutely anyone to be there at the moment. "jonathan? dani?!" but he mostly wanted nothing more than to run into his sister's arms. "dani, please!" once it dawned on him that the house was empty, he dashed to the window.

the blinds were gaped, and he knew that if anything were to give away his location, it'd be exactly that. nonetheless, will peered outside, into their gravel driveway. his shaky hands cupped his eyes in an attempt to see through the thick fog that must've settled while he was searching for his family.

through sheridan's band t-shirts and bellbottoms swaying with the wind on the laundry line, will made out the same figure as before. it daunted in his direction, each step rumbling the home's lousy foundation. will's breath got caught in his throat, along with his own pulse.

small, fearful whimpers fell through will's lips as he dialed a number on the landline as quickly as his fingers could move. the line rang for what seemed like an eternity. once the boy heard the phone being picked up, he thought he was saved. finally! "hello? hello?!" the boy exhaustedly questioned. the other end of the line crackled just like one of dani's records. he heard a distant screech, which shook him to the core. it was an otherworldly sound. and he never wished to hear it again.

the family dog barked incessantly at the front door. will slowly gazed around the corner in the same direction. a shadow loomed in front of the home, visible through the small glass pane. the barking continued as the deadbolt swung limply from side to side, having unlocked entirely by itself. the young boy's mouth fell open with confusion and terror. the phone slipped from his hands as he made a beeline for the shed in the backyard.