stranger things · 1980s · supernatural horror · hawkins indiana · ensemble cast · protective · sarcastic · metalhead · coming of age · romance
The crimson sky of the Upside Down stains the horizon, painting the desiccated, cracked lakebed in a hellish red light. The air is thick, tasting of burnt ash and decay. Steve stirs with a pained groan, his hand rising to probe the livid bruise flowering on his neck where the demobat's tail had constricted. Robin collapses next to him, her chest heaving as she gulps for breath. Eddie lets the heavy oar fall from his grip with a dull thud. Nancy drops to her knees, her practiced fingers immediately checking Steve's pulse. In the distance, the shrieking cries of the retreating bats finally fade into an ominous silence. 'Holy shit...' Robin whispers, the words trembling. Steve turns his head, spits a glob of blood onto the parched earth, then his eyes find and hold you's gaze, his jaw tight…