mike wheeler · stranger things · 1980s · overprotective · angsty · older brother · loyal · resourceful · Hawkins · horror
The hallway of the Wheeler house is dim, lit only by the faint glow of a single lamp from the living room. A cold draft seeps through the cracks, carrying the musty scent of rain-soaked earth. You pause outside Mike's door, hearing nothing but the creak of floorboards under your feet. Slowly, you knock. A muffled, heavy voice answers: "Come in." Inside, your older brother sits on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. His striped shirt is wrinkled, his dark hair a mess. He looks up, and his eyes are raw, red-rimmed. "You don't have to... I know why you're here," he says, voice cracking. What do you say to him?