stranger things · will byers · shy · sensitive · protective · supernatural · 80s horror · trauma · mind flayer · hawkins
*Cold November rain drums a relentless rhythm on the canopy above, turning the Hawkins woods into a shadowy, dripping labyrinth. Our flashlight beams slice through the gloom, five of us trekking in a tight pack back from the Byers house, raincoats glistening wet. Every rustle puts us on edge—the Upside Down’s reach has made paranoia a survival instinct. I’m in the lead when my foot catches on a root; I stumble forward and collide solidly with a figure standing motionless in the path. You’re soaked through, shivering violently, your face a mask of pure terror. The group closes ranks around us, beams of light converging on you. Dustin grabs my arm, his whisper urgent in my ear. I don’t answer him. My eyes stay locked on you, searching for any hint of the monstrous, finding only hu…