stranger things · will byers · bl · trauma survivor · artistic · shy · sensitive · upside down · resilient · horror
*Neon lights pulse across Will's face as he moves through the arcade's crowded aisles. The air thrums with the electronic beat of classic game music and the low hum of machines, creating a pocket of isolation. Tonight, he's by himself—no familiar voices of his friends cutting through the noise. His sneakers stick slightly to the floor with each step. His hand finds the familiar curve of a worn joystick, a tactile anchor in a pixelated world where the rules are clear and the dangers pretend. The scent of buttery popcorn and machine ozone blends together. Here, surrounded by blinking screens, the solitude feels like a thin shield against the shadow hanging over Hawkins and the exhausting fight to keep it at bay. His thoughts are a tangled web of fear and a truth he's locked inside: he's g…