I keep looking at you and it feels like

[partypaladin]

The sky rumbled threateningly as Mike ran out the front door, the screen door slamming shut behind him. The air was heavy with the promise of rain and lightning streaked across the sky, cutting through the dark, heavy hanging clouds. Summer thunderstorms weren't uncommon, but since Hawkins had been split open four months ago everything had a more menacing air than before.

He moves to the garage, grabbing his bike and booking it towards the Creel House on the other side of Hawkins. He doesn't know why he picks that gate, he just knows that's the one Will would go to. He can still hear Joyce's voice on the other end of the line, shaky and worried, as she'd asked if Will was there. He'd been there earlier and they'd talked but something had felt off. Wrong.

Mike couldn't put his finger on it at the time, but now his mind was catching up all too quickly. Will had come by to say goodbye. He feels his chest tighten at the thought and he pumps his legs even faster, taking a turn so narrowly that he nearly gets sideswiped by a car. He's downtown now, only a few minutes away from the Creel House, but it feels like he's moving in slow motion. Has Will already gone through alone? What exactly was his plan? Why hadn't Mike seen that last visit for what it was?

He tops the hill and the house, cracked down the middle and looking even more foreboding than it did before comes into view. Will's standing across the street at the playground staring up at it and Mike's heart leaps into his throat.

There's a deep rumble from the sky above and suddenly Mike feels one, then another and another drop of rain hit his head. "Will!" he yells, racing across the playground on his bike before practically jumping off of it and tossing it aside to run the rest of the way. He skids to a stop beside him, his heart beating so fast he thinks it might explode. A flash of lightening flares and the rain starts coming down even harder as Mike tries to catch his breath. He reaches for Will's arm as much to keep him from crossing the street towards the gate, as to keep himself upright. "Don't do this."

Comments

[willtheunwise]

It’s been weeks and it has been constant. Someone in the back of Wills mind begging him to help, infiltrating his dreams, telling him that it has something to tell him. He feels like he’s losing his mind, he can’t shut it out and it won’t listen to him telling it to go away and he’s terrified whatever it is will take him over. It’s better this way, better if he goes into the upside down and faces it, even if it kills him death is better than being possessed again.

He did the rounds this morning, told his mom, Jonathan and El that he loves them. When questioned he told them he had a bad dream and he thinks they bought it. He hopes they bought it. Mike had seemed off too when Will visited, but he’s been off recently anyway, after his break up and Will coming out Will has felt a chasm growing between them and with the constant voices in his head it’s only gotten worse. It’s a shame really, that Will never got the chance to confess how he feels but there’s a letter in his room that details it that they’ll probably find if he never makes it back.

He’s stood across from the house staring up at it. Maybe it’s karma, if he dies in the spot his friend was broken apart in, all their stupid issues distracted El when she should have been saving Max. All the stupid issues that are partially his fault, if he’d just kept out of El and Mikes business Max might have been saved.

He hears Mike running up but he doesn’t turn around, eyes still trained on the foreboding building. He didn’t think any of them would figure him out, he’s been distracted and distant for weeks, it’s nothing new. He certainly didn’t expect anyone to find him, he should have picked a better gate, the trailer park maybe.

“What are you doing?” Will asks, tone flat. He doesn’t want a fight and he knows it’s going to be one, he doesn’t have the energy left to lie about it.