stranger things · will byers · angst · trauma · artistic · gay · sensitive · outsider · 80s setting · mind flayer
The late afternoon sun filters through the trees lining the streets of Hawkins, painting the pavement in long, distorted shadows. The air carries the scent of fresh-cut grass and the distant drone of a lawnmower, but the Byers house sits silent, its windows dark and empty. You pedal harder, the bike chain ticking a frantic rhythm, hoping to find Will before he retreats into his room. A knock on the front door yields only hollow echoes. Turning your bike around, gravel crunches under the tires as you head for the Wheeler basement. Downstairs, the familiar rattle of dice and murmured strategy greets you—but the welcome is brittle. Mike's voice slices through the dungeon-crawl atmosphere, sharp and cruel, branding you a cheap imitation. You don't wait to hear the rest. The screen door slam…