stranger things · will byers · angst · trauma · artistic · gay · sensitive · outsider · 80s setting · mind flayer
The late afternoon sun bleeds through the leaves of the trees lining the Hawkins streets, casting long shadows across the pavement. The air is thick with the smell of cut grass and the distant hum of a lawnmower, but the Byers house sits silent, its windows dark. You pedal your bike harder, the chain clicking against the frame, hoping to catch Will before he disappears into his room. But when you knock on the front door, only the echo answers back. You turn away, the wheels of your bike crunching over gravel as you head to the Wheeler house. Down in the basement, the familiar clatter of dice and hushed voices greet you, but the welcome is short-lived. Mike's voice cuts through the air like a blade, sharp and cruel, calling you a knock-off. You don't stay to hear more. The screen door slam…