The Melody of Your Voice

Chapter One: Resistance

An ominous veil shrouded Hawkins with the remnants of evil that had managed to leak through into their world, their home. Spores danced around our attempted heroes, taunting their failure and reminding them of the world they know is yet to come. Alone, a feminate figure broke from the shattered groups to gaze at the disarray their inability to succeed had inflicted on their town. Thoughts unable to be thought, tears unable to be shed and eyes unable to be dragged away from the misery displayed. The seven of them stood in a trance. No one dared utter a word, the guilt of their collective uselessness assisting the silence and increasing the weighty feel of their flesh as if pulling them into their deserved graves. A thought vaguely scraped its way into the back of Mike Wheeler's mind, a thought to check for confirmation- to assure him that his eyes do not deceive him.

Pupils dilated and still fixed on the impending doom before them, words managed to crawl from the depths of his throat: "Do... you feel it?" Seconds passed in what felt like hours. A response wasn't offered. He elaborated "Will, do you feel it? In your neck?" Still no reply from the target of his enquiry, he aggressively inhaled as he tore his gaze from fear itself. Turning to his best friend only worsened the scene.

There William stood, still, lifeless, a creamy mist swirling around his eyes as they sat being forced to stare toward the end of the world. His mouth slightly agape, the mouth Mike so desperately needed to give him an answer. But Mike couldn't bring any words to fall from his mouth. He wanted to scream, shout to Will, tell him to snap out of it or tell him to come back to him, that he was there and he was going to be alright. But all he could muster was a whisper. "Will..." he exhaled. Luckily that was enough to catch the attention of one of the others, he didn't know who, he couldn't see anything. Only Will. The rushing over of one of the group caught the attention of the rest and quickly they all crowded around the helpless boy, unconsciously shoving Mike to the side.

"WILL!" his mother screeched. She shook his shoulders violently and shakenly touched her hand to his face striving to make him aware of her presence, but he wasn't present to be aware. "Will buddy, come on. Snap out of it, please- you're- you're scaring us." Jonathan cried out.

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William stood, now alone on the field watching his town being invaded with the chaos he'd once narrowly escaped. His trance broke the moment he realised he was alone. Looking around he retreated to the forest he'd not long emerged from. "Mike?!" he yelled. "MIKE?!... Mom? Jonathan?!" But none of the voices these names possessed replied.

Weaving in and out of the trees, Will was cautious of otherworldly encounters. A dark mist curled around his ankles. Cautiously, he peered behind trees searching for someone, anyone. Cautiously, he put one foot in front of the other to continue this search. Until he heard the snap of a twig. He threw his head toward the direction of the startling noise, "El?" his voice cracked.

From behind the fog and thick trunks emerged a familiar face. "Mike!" he exhaled in relief. With tears welling in his eyes, Will ran to the figure of his best friend that stood alone in the distance, stumbling over his own feet in his careless need to reach some familiarity. Tightly, he embraced Mike. He clung to him, scared and looking for comfort but, Mike, he didn't hug back. Mike's hands remained limp by his sides, disgusted and unwilling to hug Will Byers.

"Why do you want to ruin everything?" Mike spoke.
"What?"

Letting go, the lighter haired boy took an astonished step back. His eyes flickered between both of Mike's expressionless ones awaiting elaboration.

"You're selfish, yknow that?"

Will was taken aback by the seemingly sudden change to Mike's demeanour in comparison to the last they spoke, which was a deep, comforting conversation which Mike led, offering reassurance to Will. So naturally, he was confused... yet somehow still feeling in the wrong, as if Mike was right even though he had no clue what it was Mike was referring to. But the fact it was coming from Mike made it feel true.
"I am?"