Chapter Text
Rushing through the corridors, Roxy begins to hope for a vision, a sign to guide her to Will before it is too late. “Will, where are you!” She yells turning another corner
“Will!” Dustin yells passing Roxy by with Max
“Dustin!” Joyce says as Dustin turns a corner
“Mrs. Byers?” Dustin says
“What’s going on? Where’s Will?” Joyce asks as Lucas rushing in from outside
“The field!” Lucas says panting for breath
Outside on the field Will is standing still, his eyes rolled back into his head. “Will! I just found him like this.” Mike says as the others run over. “I think he’s having another episode.”
“Will! Will! Will!” Joyce says, shaking his shoulders gently. “Sweetie, wake up! It’s mom!” She says as Will continues to experience an attack from the shadow monster in the Upside Down. “Will! Wake up! Can you hear me?” she asks as Will continues choking on the shadow monster in the Upside Down. “Will, please, just wake up, honey. Please, just wake up! It’s mom! It’s me!” Joyce says as Will gasps and his eyes snap open
Others watch as Joyce shepherds Will into her car and drives off without a word. “Okay, that totally freaked me out.” Max says as Joyce drives off. “Did that not freak you guys out?”
“Two episodes in two days.” Lucas says
“It’s getting worse.” Mike says
“You think it’s his True Sight?” Lucas asks
“If it is… I need to find a way to get rid of it.” Roxy says
“Who says you can?” Dustin asks
“And what’s True Sight?” Max asks
“It’s nothing.” Lucas dismisses
At the Byer’s house, Will is sitting at the table across from Joyce. “I can’t remember.” Will insists
“I need you to try.” Joyce presses
“I… I was on the field and… and then it… it all just went blank, and… and then you were there.” Will says
“Will, I need you to tell me the truth.” Joyce says
“I am.” Will stutters as Joyce picks up her sketch of the shadow monster
“This shape, I saw it on the video tape from Halloween night.” Joyce says, patting the crude drawing. “It’s the same shape as… as your drawing.” She lets out a soft sigh before taking a drag on her cigarette. “These episodes that you’re having, I think Dr. Owens is wrong. I think they’re real. But… but I can’t help you if I don't know what’s going on. So you have to talk to me. Please.” She begs her hand trembling. “No more secrets, okay?”
“Okay.” Will nods
“Did… did you see this thing again on the field?” Joyce asks
“Yes.” Will nods remembering his experience
“What… what was it?” Joyce asks
“I don’t know.” Will answers trembling with fear. “It’s almost like a feeling.” He stammers tears of fear welling in his eyes.
“Like the one you had that night at the arcade?” Joyce asks
“Yes.” Will nods, remembering the paralyzing fear he’d experienced
“What… what does it want?” Joyce asks
“I don’t know.” Will answers with tears in his eyes. “It came for me, and… and I tried. I tried to make it go away. But it got me, mom.”
“Well what does that mean?” Joyce asks
“I felt it… everywhere.” Will says crying now. “Everywhere.” He repeats in a low whisper. “I-- I still feel it. I just want this to be over.” Will says collapsing into Joyce’s arms
“It’s okay. It’s okay. Hey.” Joyce soothes rubbing Will’s back. “Listen. Look, look at me.” She says holding Will’s face. “I will never, ever let anything bad happen to you ever again. What-- whatever’s going on in you, we’re going to fix it. I will fix it.” Joyce promises, brushing Will’s tears away softly. “I promise. I’m here.” She says hugging Wull tightly again
The sun has set and the sky is full of stars as El arrives back at the cabin. Hopper is standing on the porch as she arrives, his face covered in disappointment. El walks up the steps and into the cabin as Hopper puts out his cigarette and follows her inside, shutting the door with a bang.
“Friends don’t lie?” Hopper quotes as El takes her jacket. “Isn’t that your bullshit saying?” He asks as El walks into her room. “Hey, hey! Hey! Don't walk away from me! Hopper says as El looks at him with stormy eyes. “Where’d you go on your little field trip, huh? Where?” He asks, his voice forceful. “Did you go see Mike? Did you go see Roxy?”
“He didn’t see me. And I didn’t find her.” El says
“Yeah, well, that mother and her daughter did and they called the cops.” Hopper says walking into the room. “Now, did anyone else see you? Anyone at all?” He asks as El stares at him. “Come on, I need you to think.” Hopper says
“Nobody saw me!” El says angrily
“You put us in danger. You realize that, right?” Hopper asks
“You promised… I go!” El says pointing an accusing finger at Hopper. “And I never leave! Nothing ever happens!”
“Yeah! Nothing happens and you stay safe!” Hopper shouts banging his hand on the bookshelf
“You lie!” El shouts back
“I don’t lie! I protect and I feed and I teach! And all I ask in return is that you follow three simple rules! Three rules. And you know what? You can even do that!” Hopper yells loudly, a fleck of spittle catching in his beard. El slams her hands loudly on the wall as Hopper walks into the main room.
"You're grounded.” He says from the other room. “You know what that means? It means no Eggos…” Hopper opens the freezer and begins pulling out the boxes of Eggos, dropping them into the trash. “... and no TV for a week.” He says putting his hands on the TV set.
El focuses her powers gently on top of the TV, making it too hard for Hopper to lift up. “All right, knock it off. Let go.” Hopper says as El shakes her head, a drop of blood running from her nose. Hopper grunts and tries to lift it again. “Okay. Two weeks.” He tries a third time and the TV still won’t budge. “Let go!” Hopper shouts as El shakes her head again. “A month.” He states
“No!” El says yet still not relinquishing her hold on the TV
“Well, congratulations. You just graduated from no TV for a month to no TV at all.” Hopper pulls the plug from the wall as the screen goes dark
“No!” El yells rushing over to TV, adjusting the antenna trying in vain to make the picture come back. “No! No. No!”
“You have got to understand that there are consequences to your actions.” Hopper says
“You are like Papa!” El snaps
“Really? I’m like that psychotic son of a bitch?” Hopper asks, rubbing his temple. “Wow! All right. You wanna go back to the lab? One phone call. I can make that happen.” He says, his words laced with threats
“I hate you.” El says pointing an accusing finger at Hopper
“Yeah, well, I’m not so crazy about you, either.” Hopper responds looking at El’s accusing finger. “You know why? Cause you’re a brat. You know what that word means?” He asks, walking over to El. “How about that be your word for the day, huh? Brat.” Hopper picks up the dictionary. “Why don’t we look it up? B-R-A-T. Brat.” Hopper tosses the dictionary at El who catches it telekinetically.
She flings it back at him, Hopper deflects and sends it to the ground. “Hey! What the hell is wrong with you?” El drags the couch across the floor, sending it colliding hard with Hopper's knee. He stumbles slightly as El walks towards her room. “Hey! Hey!” Hopper shouts as El throws a book shelf on the floor and slams the door shut behind her.
“Open this door!” He yells as Eleven’s powers well up inside of her. “You wanna go out in the world? You better grow up!” Hopper yells as El lets out scream, the glass shatters in a cacophony of noise, sending shards all across the cabin as the windows blow inwards throughout the cabin.
Jonathan pulls up outside the Byer’s house and turns off his engine. Walking inside the house, it’s quiet. “Mom?” He calls out looking around. “Will?” He walks towards his and Will’s rooms. “Hello?” Jonathan pushes open the door to Will’s room to see Joyce and Will asleep in his bed. Will’s eyes dart about in his sleep as Jonathan leaves the room quietly.
The next morning, the Wheeler’s are gathered around the table for breakfast. “Do you like those grapes, Holly?” Mike asks
“Hey, mom, I was thinking of staying over at Stacey’s tonight? We were gonna have a girls night. Romantic comedies, do our nails, gossip…” Nancy trails off while getting toast
“Sure! That sounds like fun.” Karen smiles
“Toast? No?” Nancy asks offering the plate to Holly
At Byer’s house Will walks out of his room as Joyce slams the receiver down. “Hey. How you feeling, sleepyhead?” Joyce asks, ruffling Will’s hair. “Any better?”
“Mmm-mm.m.” Will shakes his head
“Same as last night? Still weird?” Joyce asks as Will sits down at the table
“Yeah.” Will answers
“All right.” Joyce says feeling Will’s face for a fever. “Okay let me see.” She says taking the thermometer out after the allotted time.
“Is it a fever?” Will asks
“No. Uh, actually, it’s cold.” Joyce says, looking at the thermometer in confusion. “Do you feel cold?”
“No. Just a little out of it.” Will replies looking at Joyce. “Like I haven’t really woken up yet.” His face shifts uncomfortably as Joyce glances at the glass stick in her hand. “You promised no doctor.”
“And I meant it. No doctor.” Joyce says putting the thermometer down. “You know what? I’m gonna run you a nice bath and it’ll warm you up and hopefully get you feeling better. How’s that sound? Okay?” She smiles
In the bathroom Joyce runs the bath, getting the water to a suitable temperature to bring up Will’s body temp.
In Dustin’s room he pulls the sheet of the reptile cage as Dart chitters at him. “Morning, Dart. I got you some breakfast.” He says tossing chunks of nougat into the cage. “I gotta go to school, but I’ll be back soon. Sound good?” Dustin smiles as Dart screeches at him, Dustin puts the sheet back on and walks out of the house
Roxy sits up in bed, her whole body shivering as she remembers the dream she’d had. She was standing in Will’s house, she walked around her whole body frozen to the bone as she saw Will seemingly unaffected by the cold.
As he’d turned around, Roxy had seen his eyes. They were two black empty voids. The words sent another chill down her spine, the voice had been Will’s mixed with a thousand other voices. “He likes it cold.” They’d said as Will’s skinny hands wrapped around Roxy’s throat, jolting her awake.
Outside Hawkin’s Middle Dustin parks his bike as he looks around for the others. “Stop being a baby and do it already.” Mike says as Dustin walks around the gym
“This is so disgusting. Is this really necessary?” Max asks as Lucas continues digging around in the dumpster
“What the hell’s going on?” Dustin asks
“What do you think? We’re looking for Dart.” Mike replies
“Jesus!” Dustin exclaims as Lucas throws a trashbag out before vaulting out himself
“Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. After I drew the short straw. Real convenient.” Lucas says
“You stink.” Max comments
“Hi, Max.” Dustin says with a smitten smile
“Hi.” Max says uncomfortably
“Where’s Will?” Dustin asks
“He’ll be here.” Mike says
“Are you just gonna stand there?” Lucas tosses Dustin a length of wood. “Or you gonna help?” The five kids begin poking through the trashbags in search of Dart
“In Mr Clarke’s classroom the class looks at the diagram of the human brian. “Expose a bacterium to a toxic chemical and it will flee.” Mr Clarke explains as Mike looks at Will’s empty seat. “Or deploy some other defence mechanism. We’re very much the same…” He cotninues as Mike loses focus
At the Byer’s house Will walks into the bathroom with his towel around his waist, looking at the warm bath apprehensively. “Mom.” Will says standing in the doorway
“Yeah, sweetie, what is it?” Joyce asks hanging up the phone again
“It’s too hot.” Will says as Joyce walks into the bathroom and tests the temperature
“I… I can cool it down a little bit, baby, but we gotta get your body temp back up.” Joyce says watching the water swirl down the drain
“No!” Will snaps
“What?” Joyce asks
“He likes it cold.” Will states
At Hopper’s cabin Hopper is nailing boards over the broken windows as El spies on him from her room. She shuts the door quickly as Hopper glances at her. “Hey, kid.” Hopper leans softly against the door. “Listen, um… about last night, I, uh…” He pauses to choose his words carefully.
“I want this place cleaned up by the time I get back.” Hopper states with finality. “Then maybe I’ll consider fixing the TV.” He offers in compromise. “You hear me?” Hopper asks before walking away
At the Byer’s Hopper walks up and sees the front door wide open. “Hello?” He calls out taking off his hat
“Leave it open.” Joyce replies walking up to him with a cigarette and her ashtray. “Where the hell have you been?” She asks in a whisper
“I overslept. What the hells going on? It’s freezing.” Hopper says looking round the house as Joyce beckons him inside.
“Hey! Knock, knock.” Joyce says opening the door to Will’s room. “We have a visitor.” She says as Will continues to stare into space with his back to them
“So this thing? This shadow thing? You told your mom it likes it like this. It likes it cold?” Hopper asks looking at the two drawings
“Yeah.” Will nods
“How do you know that?” Hopper asks
“I just know.” Will answers, his shoulders trembling slightly
“Does he talk to you?” Hopper asks
“No. It's like… I don't have to think. I just know things now. Think I never did before.” Will says
“And, uh…” Hopper stands up slowly. “... what else do you know?” He asks sitting opposite Will now
“It’s hard to explain. It’s like old memories in the back of my head, only they’re not my memories.” Will explains
“Okay.” Joyce nods in confusion
“I mean, I don’t think they’re old memories at all. They’re… they’re now-memories, happening all at once, now.” Will says
“Can you describe these now-memories?” Hopper asks
“I don’t know. It’s… it’s hard to explain. I know it’s hard but can you just… can you try? For us?” Joyce asks
“It’s like… they’re growing and spreading… killing.” Will says tears forming in his eyes
“The memories?” Joyce asks
“I don’t know.” Will says
“Oh.” Joyce breathes
“I’m sorry.” Will says crying now
“No, no, no. It's okay, sweetie.” Joyce comforts hugging Will tightly and glancing at the drawing of Will the Wise on the corkboard. “Hey, hey, sweetie… what if you didn’t have to use words?” She suggests
Setting Will at his desk with crayons and sheets of paper, Will begins to furiously draw seeming random pictures, none of them see to fit together. Hopper and Joyce watch Will draw feverishly completely ignoring the ringing phone
At Hawkin’s Middle Mike sighs as he gets the answering machine for Byer’s place. Hanging up the payphone Mike stomps back to Lucas, Dustin, Max and Roxy. “Anything?” Lucas asks
“We need to talk. AV room. Right now.” Mike says as Dustin, Lucas, Max and Roxy follow him. “Party members only.” He adds, glancing over his shoulder at Max
“Come on, Mike.” Dustin says
“No! This is non-negotiable.” Mike says
“Sorry, Max.” Dustin says
“Sorry.” Lucas grins sheepishly
Inside the AV room the four remaining party members sit around the table. “Will didn’t want me to tell anyone, but on Halloween night he saw a sort of shadow in the sky.” Mike says
“Taller than a skyscraper? Moved like smoke?” Roxy asks
“Yeah. How’d you know?” Mike asks
“Because the one eyed version of me isn’t the only vision I’ve had recently. I saw Hawkin’s on fire, this shadow looming over it… and then…” Roxy trails off, nervously biting her thumb
“And then what?” Mike asks
“I was stabbed through the heart with a sword. I don’t remember much after that but I remember a voice, ‘Fear me’ it said.” Roxy says
“Was this the same voice that spoke through Papa last year?” Lucas asks
“No, this one was gruffer.” Roxy sighs, rubbing her eye. “Sorry. I sound insane.” She laughs
“This shadow, what was it?” Lucas asks
“I don’t know. But it scared me to my core.” Roxy says
“It scared Will too. Now if Will really has True Sight… I mean, if he can really see into the Upside Down, maybe he saw that shadow again yesterday.” Mike suggests
“So that’s why he was frozen like that?” Dustin asks
“Maybe.” Mike says
“Can it hurt him?” Lucas asks
“The sword didn’t in my dream but last year the Demogorgon could hurt me.” Roxy says
“I’m not sure. Dustin?” Mike asks
“Well, if you’re in another plane, you can’t interact with the material plane, so theoretically, no, the shadow can’t hurt him.” Dustin says, glancing at Roxy. “but the evidence suggests that yes, the shadow could hurt him.”
“Yeah, but we don’t know what’s happening.” Mike says, his fingers twitching. “This isn’t D&D, this is real life.”
“So what do we do?” Lucas asks
“We acquire more knowledge. I’ll got to Will’s after school, see what’s going on.” Mike says, looking at Dustin and Lucas. “You guys stay here and find Dart. Roxy, see if you can find anything about dreamwalking.”
“Dart? What’s he got to do with this?” Dustin asks
“Will heard him in the Upside Down. I don't know how yet, but he’s gotta connected to all this. He’s gotta be.” Mike says glancing between his friends. “If we find Dart, maybe we can solve this thing. Maybe we can help Will.”
At Hopper’s cabin El tries in vain to turn the TV on before sighing, she looks at the torn wires and throws them down in frustration. With a sigh of resignation El begins cleaning. She picks up the dictionary off the floor, brushing broken glass off and blowing dust from the cover. With help from her powers El lifts the bookshelf she’d knocked down the night before in her anger
El then returns the bookshelf’s contents to their proper place after that she grabs and broom begins sweeping up the broken glass. Using her hip El moves Hopper’s arm chair and notices a hatch in the floor.
Intrigued El grabs the cool metal ring set into it and pulls the hatch open, inside the hatch is an open space filled with boxes. The tape on the boxes labe;s them, one box reads ‘New York’, another ‘Vietnam’. However the box labelled ‘Hawkins Lab’ is of interest to El.
Taking it out, El removes the lid and looks at the contents inside. A file with black marker covering some of the lines is the first thing El finds.
At the Byer’s Will continues furiously drawing odd shapes as Hopper and Joyce look at it in confusion. “It’s just more of the same.” Joyce says holding more paper
“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just scribbles.” Hopper says
“Wait!” Joyce notices something in the ‘scribbles’.
“What?” Hopper asks
“Wait.” Joyce repeats rifling through the scribbles
“What?” Hopper repeats
“Wait. These black lines, see?” Joyce says placing two ‘scribbles’ side by side
“What?” Hopper asks, confused
“Look, they connect.” Joyce says as Hopper continues staring. “They connect.”
Hopper pushes the TV table back as Joyce begins laying out Will’s drawings in a connected pattern, taping them together. Will continues furiously drawing as Hopper and Joyce put together a strange crayon map. “Does this mean anything to you?” Hopper asks looking at the map
“No.” Joyce says, staring at the map. “I mean, is it some fort of maze or a road? I mean, it’s sort of forking and branching like… like lightning.”
“You think it’s that storm?” Hopper asks
“No, the storm he drew was completely different. He used red.” Joyce says looking at the blue and brown drawings. “And this is all blue and it has some weird dirt color. I mean, maybe it’s roots.” She suggests looking at it again. “Cause remember, he was saying it was spreading and--”
“Killing.” Hopper interrupts quickly. “He said they were killing.” He pauses for a moment remembering something. “Vines.” Hopper says rushing out of the house with his coat and hat. “He’s drawing vines.”
At Hawkin’s Middle, Lucas walks up to Max’s locker as she puts things into it. “Hey, Max. Have you seen Dustin? We’re supposed to meet after class.” He says as Max slams her locker shut and walks away. “Max!” Lucas calls out following after her
Outside Hawkin’s Middle, Max files out with the other kids as Lucas follows her. “Hey, Max! Hey, where are you going? Come on! We’ve gotta go look for Dart.” He says
“Yeah, good luck with that.” Max says
“What is wrong with you?” Lucas asks
“What is wrong with me? What is wrong with you?” Max scoffs loudly
“I don’t understand.” Lucas says
“No! I don’t understand!” Max snaps turning on her heels. “You guys act like you want me to be your friend but then you just treat me like garbage!”
“That’s not true.” Lucas retorts
“Yes it is! You go and hide in the AV club, keeping secrets like we’re in second grade or something.” Max says as Lucas’ face morphs to hurt. “You know, I thought you guys wanted me in your party.”
“We do. But it’s…” Lucas starts
“But what?” Max interrupts hotly
“There… there are things. Things we can’t tell you, all right? For your own safety.” Lucas says
“My own safety?” Max asks in disbelief
“Yes!” Lucas shouts
“Because I’m a girl? Cause that seems like a double standard with Roxy already in your group wielding a knife.” Max says
“What? No!” Lucas exclaims in offence
“Did you keep secrets from El?” Max asks
“How do you know about El?” Lucas asks
“Did you?” Max presses
“That was different. Trust me. Okay? That was just… just different.” Lucas says
“Okay. You know what? Forget it, okay? I don’t wanna be in your stupid party anyway. I’m out.” Max says walking away. “Have a nice life.” She tosses over her shoulder
“Max!” Lucas calls after her
“You still stink by the way.” Max adds
In Hopper’s cabin El has the contents of Hawkins Lab box spread out around her. “Ives, Terry.” She reads one of the files label. “Jane.” El says reading one of the clippings inside the file. El’s finger then brushes a photo of Terry and Papa.
“Papa.” She breathes nervously, pressing a finger to the photo. El looks from the photo to the broken TV before glancing at the radio on the bookshelf. With the photo in front of her and her blindfold on, El tunes the radio to static El enters the void to find Terry Ives
In the Void El sees Terry Ives, mumbling indistinctly and gently rocking in her chair. She’s repeating the same words over and over again. “Jane.” She says out of the blue
Mama?” El asks, taking Terry’s hand for a moment before she disappears into multicolored smoke. “Mama! Mama!” She yells trying to catch the smoke with her bare hands. “Mama?” El sinks to knees realising how alone is in the void. El pulls her blindfold off, a drop of blood running from her nose and tears in her eyes.
Outside the Byer’s house Mike bangs on the door. “Hello! Will!” He calls out banging on the door again. “Mrs. Byers?” Mike calls out as the door unlocks. “Hey.”
“Hey, Mike.” Joyce smiles
“Is Will here?” Mike asks
“You know what? Now is not really a good time.” Joyce says
“Is he okay?” Mike asks
“Yeah. you know, he’s… he’s just not feeling real well.” Joyce says stepping outside. “He’s laying down, so I’ll tell him you stopped by, okay?” She says guiding Mike back to his bike
“It’s about the shadow monster, isn’t it?” Mike asks
At Dustin’s house Claudia is pouring out cat food for Mew’s as Dustin goes charging past to his bedroom. “Hey, Dusty.” She smiles
“Hi, hey. Hey, mom.” Dustin says
“Everything okay?” Claudia asks
“Yeah, everything’s fine. Yeah.” Dustin says as he walks into his room and locks the door behind him. “Dart, I gotta talk to you, buddy.” He says removing his hat and dumping his bag down. “It’s about my friend Will. I think…” Dustin pulls the cover off the cage to reveal it’s been busted out of.
Looking at the cage, the glass has burst outwards and a slimy outer skin is sitting in it while more slime drips off the glass. “What the hell?” He asks as Dart screeches from the other side of the room. “Dart?” Dustin calls out walking over slowly. Behind his armchair, Dart is chewing on a gutted Mews. As Dustin stares at his pet, Dart opens its mouth and roars like a Demogorgon.