[𝗘𝗣𝗜𝗦𝗢𝗗𝗘 𝗙𝗜𝗩𝗘: 𝗗𝗜𝗚 𝗗𝗨𝗚]

AT NIGHTTIME MIKE AND SAGE HAD stayed at the byers, and joyce was currently trying to reach for hopper as he had been gone for hours.

"hey, you reached jim. i'm probably doing something incredible right now, and i can't —"

joyce sighed and hung up the phone. joyce leaned down to look at more drawings her son, will, had made and grabbed one drawing. she stood up to then look around, checking to see where it would possibly go with the other drawings.

joyce then walked into a room and saw an empty spot on the wall. the byers woman made her way to the wall and put it on, taping it down.

"it's like . . . it's like i feel what the shadow monster's feeling." will said as he stared in front of him. "see what he's seeing." he added on.

"like in the upside down?" mike asked, looking at will. "some of him is there." will answered with a tiny nod. "but some of him is here, too."

"here, like, in this house?" sage asked from the floor next to will's legs. "in this house and . . . in me. it's like . . . it's like he's reaching into hawkins more and more. and the more he spreads the more connected to him i feel." will replied to her.

"and the more you see these now-memories." mike said, now seated next to will on the bed. "at first i just felt it in the back of my head. i didn't even really know it was there." will said, putting his hand to the back of his neck before moving it away. "it's like when you have a dream and you can't remember it unless you think really hard. it was like that. but now it's like . . . now i remember. i remember all the time." will added.

"maybe . . ." mike began and helped his sister up from the floor, letting her sit down on the other side of will. "maybe that's good." mike said, looking at the byers boy. "good?" will asked and turned his head to look at mike.

"just think about it, will. you're like a spy now. a superspy." mike told him making sage understand what he's saying. "spying on the shadow monster." sage said with mike and looked at will. "if you know what he's seeing and feeling . . . maybe that's how we can stop him." sage said, still looking at the byers boy.

"maybe all this is happening for a reason." mike finished off. "you really think so?" will asked his friends. "yeah. yeah, we really do." sage said and smiled softly at will.

will looked over at the corner of his room where the drawing of the shadow monster is. mike and sage both look over at where he's looking at and stare at the drawing.

"what if he figures out we're spying on him?" will questions. "what if he spies back?"

"he won't." mike tells him and looks at the byers boy. "how do you know?" the bowl-cut boy asks his friends. mike puts his hand on top of will's and looks at will seriously. "we won't let him,"

sage puts a hand on will's back and rubs it carefully.

"we'll protect you,"

THE NEXT MORNING WILL WAKES UP gasping for air as he sits up on his bed. mike and sage look up at will from the floor.

"will, what's wrong?" mike asks.

the bowl-cut boy stares at the wheeler twins with a scared, shocked look. he doesn't say anything and just gets off his bed, walking to the living room where joyce byers is. sage and mike look at each other before getting up from the floor, and following their friend.

"mom?" will says softly. "mom?" he tries again after no answer. "mom?" the byers boy says and grabs her shoulder gently making her gasp.

"yeah?" she asks. "i saw him." will tells his mother. "you saw who, baby?" joyce asks.

"hopper. i think he's in trouble. i think he's going to die."

joyce stares at her son in shock, before looking at the wheeler twins for a second then back at her son.

later on that day will was drawing the place where hopper might be at. joyce leans over and looks at her son.

"hey, is this where you saw him? i-is this where you saw hopper?" joyce asks her son. "i think so, yeah," will replied with a tiny nod. "okay," joyce whispered and immediately started looking around the room.

sage and mike begin looking around as well, sage gripping a part of mike's sleeve out of habit, as they looked. mike walked out to the hallway with the byers woman with his sister.

the twins look around in the kitchen/dining room while joyce looks around the living room. sage sees a spot and points at it so mike can see it.

"here!" mike said, catching joyce's attention. mike points at the empty spot as the byers woman makes her way to where the twins were at. "okay, so . . . so hopper is here?" joyce asked as she placed the drawing against the wall.

"yeah. now we just need to find out where here is, right?" sage asks, still holding onto her twin. "right," joyce agreed. "did he say anything? i mean, before he left?" mike asked woman.

joyce sighs but nevertheless answers his questions, "uh, some . . . something about vines?" just as soon as the byers woman said that a car approaching is heard from outside.

"hopper." joyce mumbles before getting up from her spot, rushing to see who it was.

it was joyce's boyfriend, bob newby.

bob gets out of the car and shuts the door behind him, opening the back door to grab something. joyce glances around the room then goes outside, leaving the wheeler twins inside.

"you can let go of me now, sage," mike whispered to his sister. "i'd rather not, thank you," sage told him in reply and smiled at him.

joyce smiles at her boyfriend, closing the door behind her.

"surprise. i would've called, but you said not to clog up the line." bob told his girlfriend as he walked over, holding a few things. "you know, i . . . we're fine, we don't need anything." joyce assured her lover. "when i was sick as a kid, and i was sick all the time as a kid," bob began.

"nothing made me feel better than focusing on these brain teasers."

"those are great. ah . . ." joyce said and smiled a little. "i could teach him how to play." bob suggested. "you know, he's sleeping." joyce told him as thunder rumbled.

"okay." bob nodded in understanding. "i could wait with you?" he asks with a smile. joyce smiles a little with a small sigh. "listen, it's just not a good time." the byers woman said.

"but, um, you know what? i'll call you, okay?" joyce says then kisses his cheek. "thank you."

"you sure?"

"yeah,"

"well, have him call me. they don't call me bob the brain for nothing." bob said as he began walking away with his things. joyce chuckles and watches him walk off, turning around to walk back into the house until she realizes something.

"bob!" joyce calls out.

"that's my name," bob smiles when he turns around.

inside the house, bob looks at all the drawings that will had drawn. mike and sage on one side of bob, will on the other side with his mother.

"huh," bob says. "hmm. you drew all these yourself?" bob asks the bowl-cut boy. "mhm," will hums in reply. "why, exactly?"

"i . . . i told you the rules. no questions, okay?" joyce mentions. "yeah," bob agrees. "we . . . we just need you to help us figure out what . . ." joyce began then walked off only to see bob wasn't following her.

"bob. bob! over here."

bob hands mike his games before following his girlfriend.

"where . . . where this is." joyce continued, and used a red crayon to put an x on the spot hopper is at. "that's the objective. find the x." the twins told the man in unison, catching him off guard.

". . . yeah? what's at the x? pirate treasure?" bob joked with a chuckle. "bob, no questions," joyce said with a serious tone.

bob nodded at her. "okay,"

bob sighs and clicks his tongue before gently putting his hand on joyce's shoulder, "let me talk to you for a second."

"hang on, guys,"

the two adults walk away from the three teens and walk into a room.

"joyce, you can talk to me. you know that, right?" bob told his girlfriend. "y-yeah." joyce stammers with a nod. "what's the problem, exactly?"

"what's the problem?" bob repeats. "joyce, will doesn't look well. you don't look well. what's going on?"

"nothing. nothing." joyce tells him. "is this an episode? is this one of will's episodes?" bob questions her. "no. no! no." the byers woman scoffs at her lover.

"i-i'm sorry. i just . . . i don't . . ." bob sighs and rubs his forehead. "see how any of this is good for will or for you. and even if i wanted to play along, i mean, how could i figure anything out if i don't understand the context of the game?"

thunder rumbles from outside as bob stares at the wall behind his girlfriend.

"or . . ." bob slowly begins. "what?" joyce asks. "what is it?"

"i know that shape." bob says. "it's lovers' lake."

bob smiles softly. "it's lovers' lake. i get it." the man walks out of the room and looks at the rest of the drawings. "okay, i get it. that's lake jordan." bob said then walked away again.

"and if that's lake jordan then you can probably find . . ." the newby man continued and pointed at a certain spot before snapping his fingers. "yeah, that's, uh, sattler's quarry."

mike, sage, and will watch the adults from the table as bob continues to walk around.

"and if you follow it naturally . . . it moves to . . . the eno river. and there it is. that's the eno, do you see it?" bob says then turns to his girlfriend. "okay, so the lines aren't roads. but they act like roads. and they act like roads 'cause when you follow 'em, you'll see . . ."

bob walks into the dining room where the teens were sitting at.

"they don't go over water." bob states. "and that's the giveaway. that's the giveaway. ha! don't you get it? it's not a puzzle, it's a map."

"it's a map of hawkins." bob concludes.

the twins look over at will as bob laughs. "right, will?" bob asks the bowl-cut boy.

will stares at him, speechless, not knowing what to say in reply.

BOB NEWBY PLACES A MAP OF THE small town, hawkins, on the table before grabbing a pen from his coat.

"all right. i'm 3.6 inches, what do you got?" bob said as he measured. "we're not sure. mrs byers?" mike called out as him and sage hold the measuring tape on the wall. "hold on," joyce says then turns to face the wall. "twenty-one feet, four inches." joyce declared.

"what about tippecanoe to sanford creek?" bob asks. joyce sighs. "danford? where's danford?" the byers woman asked, stammering.

will looks around then points, "dining room!"

joyce rushes over with the measuring tape to the dining room where will was, measuring it. she lets out a breath and speaks up, "sixteen feet, ten inches,"

"what about danford to jordan?"

"oh, come on," joyce sighs. "this has gotta be enough."

"it's not. it's . . . it's really not." bob told his girlfriend.

mike and sage walk into the room seeing as joyce wasn't gonna need help holding the tape.

"okay. can't you figure it out?" the woman asked. "w-well, it's hard. the ratio isn't exactly one-to-one. i mean, if you're twisting my arm, and you are twisting my arm, i would say the x is . . ." bob said then traced something on the map.

"— maybe a half a mile southeast of danford?"

joyce sighs of relief then kisses bob's cheek, "thank you, thank you,"

the brunette woman then ran out of the dining room. will and the twins look at each other before following the woman out of the house.

"what? are we . . . we really going?" bob asked, a wave of confusion hitting him as he gets up, following them to the car.

the three teens and the two adults hop in the car, heading off straight to the location on the map.

"AND THAT WAS THE LAST WE EVER saw of her." lucas told the red-head, max. "after that, she was just gone. i can't believe it's been that long. feels like yesterday"

"yeah. i mean, i bet." max said. "wow,"

"it's crazy. i know." lucas tells her with a sigh, agreeing with all shocked max was. "it's crazy, but . . . i really liked it." max replied.

"liked it?" lucas questioned. "yeah. well, i mean, i had a few issues," max said.

"issues?" lucas repeated. "i felt it was a little derivative in parts."

"what are you talking about?"

"i just wish it had a little more originality. that's all."

"you don't believe me?"

"lucas, come on, seriously? how gullible do you think i am?" max scoffed. "why would i make this up?" lucas argued. "i don't know. to impress me or something? or you're just, like, insane." max replied to the sinclair teen.

"i tell you all of this. i mean, top-secret stuff. risking my life. and this is how you react?" lucas raised his voice slightly at the red-head.

max chuckles. "risking your life?"

"oh, so this is funny to you?"

"yeah. i mean . . . kind of funny. stupid, but funny."

max stood up from her seat and grabbed her skateboard, thinking over the whole story that lucas had told her.

"where are you going?" lucas asked her. "story time's over, isn't it?" max asked him before walking out the small room in the arcade.

is all that even true? i mean, sage has pyrokinesis powers and that's supernatural. what he just told me is supernatural . . . holy shit this is all insane. max thought to herself as she walked towards the dig dug video game.

"what's wrong with you? i gave you what you wanted." lucas said to the mayfield teen as he followed her, his voice softening up. "i wanted to a part of the group, not part of some joke." max replied to him, turning around to face him.

"it's not a joke." lucas defended. "you did a good job, okay? you can go tell the others i believed your lies if it gets you experience points or whatever." max scoffed at him and walked to the video game machine.

lucas sighs and follows her, grabbing her arm, "we have a lot of rules in our party, but the most important is "friends don't lie." never ever. no matter what."

"is that right?" max mocked, walking off once again. "then how do you explain this?" she added on as she ripped the "out of order" sign from the, working, dig dug video game screen.

lucas sighs and takes the paper off his shoulder, "i had to do that. to protect you."

"to protect me from who, exactly? the big bad government baddies form hawkins lab?" max mocked him, putting her skateboard down. "lower your voice." lucas whispered to her.

"or maybe it was to protect me from the demogorgon from another dimension?"

"max, i'm serious, shut up!"

"is it from sage's pyrokinesis powers? oh, no, no! you know what it was? it was eleven. that girl —"

max got cut off by lucas slapping his hand over her mouth.

"stop talking," he whispered then looked behind her just in case anyone is looking. "you're going to get us killed. do you understand?"

max stared at him with a shocked look, before taking his hand away from her face.

"you're serious?" she asked. "i really wish i wasn't" lucas admitted. max slowly shook her head and gave him a serious look. "prove it."

lucas let out a sigh. "i can't."

"so what? i'm supposed to just trust you?" max asked him. "yes. you trust sage, right?" lucas said making max shift on her feet.

just as max opens her mouth to answer the sinclair boy, a car engine reviving is heard in her ears. the red-head turns her head to the arcade doors, immediately grabs her board, and rushes to the arcade doors.

"shit. i gotta go. um . . ." max grabs lucas's hand for a split second before grabbing his wrist instead. lucas glances down at her hand. "don't follow me out. okay?" the red-head adds in.

she releases his wrist, and walks out the arcade leaving lucas standing at the doors.

"do you believe me?" lucas asked as she walked off, but didn't get an answer back.

max rushes over to the car, opening the door, and getting in the passenger seat and closing the door again before billy speaks up.

"the hell i tell you?"

"i'm not late," max told him. "you know what i'm talking about," billy mentioned. "oh, lucas?" max scoffed. "so he has a name now, huh?"

"it's a small town, okay? we weren't hanging out." max stammers out. "hmm. well, you know what happens when you lie." billy implied. "i'm not lying," max assured her brother.

billy looked over at his step-sister then drove off. lucas quickly walks out of the arcade the second the car drives off, watching it drive away.

AUTHORS NOTE //

HAPPY PRIDE MONTHS, MY LOVES !!

SORRY LOVELIES FOR NOT UPDATING. i was out camping with my family for this whole week, and didn't have ANY service.

but! i have a question for you all.

if you guys want — do you want sage's face claim to be ME. ME. M E. as in the writer! i describe my oc as myself, so why not ask if you want the face claim to be me ??

here's are some pictures of me: