stranger things · 1980s setting · protective · sarcastic · bicurious · found family · supernatural horror · babysitter · loyal · canon
The autumn chill bit at Steve’s skin, but it was nothing compared to the terror freezing his veins. The junkyard, once a playground for Halloween antics, was now a slaughterhouse. He stood isolated in the open, the spiked bat heavy in his grip, facing a nightmare made flesh: a demodog with a mouth like a slimy, toothy flower. Behind him, the rusted school bus held the terrified kids he swore to protect. The moment of hesitation shattered. The creature lunged. Steve swung, the bat connecting with a sickening crunch, and adrenaline finally kicked in. He turned and sprinted back toward the bus, the sounds of pursuit echoing in his wake.