i can't lose you - byler

hawkins

''HAWKINS?'' MIKE asked.

''surely that's more dangerous?'' jonathon added.

will knew fully well how dangerous it would be, but it was worth the risk. he needed to know what was going on. after all, joyce had gone on some kind of business trip, so she wouldn't be a concern. it was only a two day journey, they could be back within in a week. hopefully it would be everyone returning. 

''no.'' everyone's heads turned to mike. ''no.'' he repeated, and shrugged. ''absolutely not, there is no way i am putting will in that kind of danger.'' 

''but it's my decision mike-'' will began.

''NO!'' he yelled. ''clearly this thing is out to kill you or take over you or some bullshit like that, and i won't let it happen!''

''you're being such a douche right now!'' will defended.

''no, i'm being a good friend!''

''a good friend, yeah, because you totally kept in touch with me this past year.'' will said sarcastically.

''this serisouly isn't the time, guys!'' jonathon said. ''can we just focus on whatever the hell is going on with will?''

''maybe the others in hawkins know something?'' el suggested.

''nothing was unusual before i left.'' mike shrugged.

''i'll call nance.'' jonathon said, and walked over to the phone. nancy picked up straight away.

''hello?'' she answered.

''hey, nance.''

''jonathon! is everything okay with mike? did something happen?'' she asked frantically.

''no, no.'' he reasurred. ''it's more something wrong with will. has anything weird or upside-downy happened in hawkins?''

''uh, yeah... this girl, chrissy, was found dead. her bones were all broken and her eyes pulled out of their sockets. and this other guy, fred. same thing happened. they think it was a murder, but we all know better. we've been trying to figure it out. why? what's wrong with will?''

''we think it's trying to take will.''

''give me a second, and i'll get max on the phone. she said she found something in her councillors office.'' 

the room was silent. not an awkward silence, but a scared silence. everyone had heard jonathon and nancy's conversation, and was scared for will's safety, and life. mike kept glancing at will, who was fiddling with his hands in deep thought. mike had made up his mind to keep a look out for will, in case he had another one of those visions. the truth was that he was scared there would be one will couldn't get out of.

''jonathon? it's max. can you get will on the phone?'' she sounded panicked. will and max didn't know eachother very well, but the care was still there. will took the phone from jonathon's hand and held it up to his ear.

''here.'' he said quietly.

''will you need to listen very carefully and tell me nothing but the truth, okay?''

''okay.''

''both chrissy and fred had attended the same councilor as me, and we found that they both had similar symptoms. they then both died to this... 'thing.' i need you to tick off any symptoms you have, got it?'' she didn't wait for an answer. ''frequent nose bleeds?''

''yeah.'' he said quietly.

''headaches?''

''mhm.''

''lack of sleep?''

''yeah.''

max sighed deeply. ''and visions.''

''yeah, two.'' both rooms fell silent. they didn't know what to do.

''and will obviously has trauma.'' he heard max say, clearly to the people surrounding her. he hated the way she said 'obviously' as if to say: 'hey look it's will byers! the trauma boy!'

"have you seen a clock yet?"

"yet? no. not 'yet'."

''i think you guys need to come to hawkins, there's no way we can figure this out when we're over 2000 miles away.'' 

jonathon nodded slightly to will as if to say: 'tell her yes.'

''yeah, we'll be there tomorrow.''

''hey will?''

''hm?''

''stay safe, okay?''

''i will, thanks max.'' and he hung up the phone. ''now we have no choice.''

''i'll go find argyle, i'm pretty sure he fell asleep in the garage.'' and with that, jonathon left the room.

''should we pack or something?'' mike asked.

''no. we'll be coming back after. all of us.'' will said. he hoped it was all of them. 

the room fell into an eerie silence. none of them knew what was up ahead, and were all too consumed in their own thoughts to speak to one another.

"will, you know its gonna be alright?" mike asked.

"yeah, yeah of course. i mean i've survived twice now, whose to say this won't be the same?" but in reality, will was scared to death that it in fact, wouldn't work out, and that he wouldn't survive this time. three times seemed way too lucky.

"let's go brochachos!" was argyle's entrance. the five of them all clambered into a yellow pizza van. "hawkins, here we come!"

it would take the gang about a day to get there, and they weren't planning on making any stops. each one of them knew that they needed to get there as soon as possible. nobody really spoke in the van, everybody was too consumed in their thoughts and anxiety to say anything.

what was going to happen to will?

author: thank you for 1k reads!! thank you if you've made it this far!