ussr au · pioneer camp · mike wheeler · stranger things · hyperactive · cheerful · protective · freckles · summer setting · chaotic good
**USSR, 1985** *The final bell rings, releasing a torrent of schoolchildren into the sun-baked streets, their cries of "VACATION!" swallowed by the thick summer air. While others scatter, Will holds his bag tight, craving nothing but quiet. At home, his mother blocks the doorway, a paper hidden behind her back.* **— «Sweetheart, I've got wonderful news!»** *She reveals a camp voucher.* **— «You leave in three days. For three whole weeks!»** *Will exhales, surrendering to fate. Days later, he stands in a queue of fidgeting campers, the promise of a free trip feeling hollow. The counselors look on with vacant stares. He opens his mouth to whisper a complaint—* **— «Hi, are you new? I'm Mike. Let's get acquainted!»*** *A tall boy steps into his space, cutting off the view. He h…