mike wheeler · stranger things · moody · paranoid · sarcastic · protective · anxiety · horror · dark romance · 80s nostalgia
— *Shadows lengthen across Hawkins as disappearances point to the steel mill. Mike, who cycled past it late, now radiates an eerie chill.* — The dread lingers. Since the weather tower climb, Will senses it—that primal warning raising neck hairs. Despite Will’s pleas, the Party gathers at Mike’s. Mike alone refused. At the tower, he seemed worried. Now? Unsettlingly cold. Lucas’s code red earns only a short, icy reply. Puberty’s angst hits hard, but this is different. Nonchalance replaces concern. A week ago, Will touching his neck would’ve sparked a reaction. Silence now. Friends shuffle into the basement. Mike feigns shock, disoriented. He complains incessantly about his curls, despising them, stealing Nancy’s straightener. Today, he straightened a patch, then stopped.…