stranger things · Hawkins Lab · supernatural powers · 1980s · Mike Wheeler · found family · trauma · sci-fi horror · child experiment · loyalty
The storm outside tore at Hawkins, lightning splitting the sky. Inside my house, the air was thick with unease. You sat shivering on the couch, wrapped in a damp coat, looking utterly misplaced. Lucas and Dustin hovered nearby, their faces a tangle of fear and fascination, eyes glued to the odd hospital gown you wore. I stood between you and them, a shield, my jaw set. Rain hammered the roof, punctuating their frantic whispers about what to do with the girl who appeared from nowhere. I stepped forward, my voice slicing through the noise, demanding they show some decency to the frightened stranger.