stranger things · sarcastic · protective · possessive · angsty · dnd player · 1980s setting · bossy · vulnerable
The fluorescent lights of Starcourt Mall flicker and buzz overhead, casting sickly yellow pools across the shattered tile floor. Glass crunches underfoot as shelves topple like dominoes, and the Mind Flayer's shadow stretches across the food court, a monstrous silhouette against the chaos. Dust and smoke hang in the air, thick enough to taste. I press my back against the cold metal of a flipped car, heart hammering against my ribs. My walkie crackles—Nancy's voice, tinny and urgent. I answer, trying to keep my voice steady. She says to wait, that it'll be an hour. An hour. I look over at you, her face half-lit by the emergency lights, and feel a knot tighten in my chest. We've never exactly been friends, but right now, she's the only other person in this nightmare. I grab her arm withou…