Stranger Things Imagines

Nightmare

This is a suicide mission. We're too young for this. Who thought it was a good idea for a bunch of teenagers to save the world from interdimensional threats? If I'm being honest, I don't really remember how we got here. They've all lost multiple people over the last few years because of these monsters - because of him. Now it's our turn to take a chance and roll the dice. It seems that the new-comers never last. I guess I'll have to try extra hard to stay alive. Someone wake me from this living nightmare.

Being my pessimistic self, I've spent the whole time talking about an inevitable demise. Everyone tries to convince me that we'll all be fine but that's impossible to do when they can't even convince themselves. Somehow, I found a moment alone with Eddie for a deeper version of this repeat conversation. We're both exhausted. He told me that if we were to die that he'd want to go first. I protested - I'd want to go first so I wouldn't have the pain of seeing him die. Not our most fun conversation.

Now separated from the others, there is no turning back. The demobats swarm closer and closer as Eddie shreds from atop the trailer. Fight it flight kicks in as the get nearer. Too close for comfort, the song stops abruptly and we race inside for shelter.

Despite our best efforts, they start breaking the vents. We flee the scene but Eddie stays. We beg him to come with us but he runs towards the danger. Dustin and I head back through the gate despite knowing we'd be injured.

When we exit the trailer, Dustin tries his best to run towards Eddie, but I'm frozen in shock and fear. The bats are surrounding him - there's too many of them. I watch from afar as they feast on his body. Pained screams of bloody murder sound as if I were right beside him. Still stuck in place, the screams stop and the sobbing begins. He's gone and so are the bats. Eddie got what he wanted - he died first.

I slowly approach them and get a glimpse of his bloodied body. Dustin's despair quickly turns to anger. Yelling through the tears, he blames me. Eddie's ghost appears beside him and does the same. Suddenly, scenes of my friends come into my vision. Steve, Robin and Nancy join the berating as they're being suffocated by vines. A disfigured Max, a beaten Lucas and a shaken up Erica chastise me. Even the California gang holds me responsible. Their collective screams of blame and anger get louder and louder to the point of not being able to hear my own thoughts. Then, just for a moment, it stops.

I suddenly spring awake and sit up in my bed. Crying, overheating and hyperventilating - I almost forget where I am. The cold and empty side of the bed brings more tears. I try to calm myself down but it's no use. I hug my pillow and sob with the images still fresh in my mind. This isn't the first time I've had this nightmare and it won't be the last. Every night since the incident. The same dream.

"Sweetheart, it's not real. You're okay." Eddie rushes through the door and immediately holds me close, cradling my head and stroking my hair to try and calm me down. "I'm okay, I'm here."

"I-It's my fault." I break down in his arms.

"No. No it's not." He moves to cup my face and starts wiping away my tears with his thumbs. "There was nothing anyone could do. It was a long time ago. I healed. It's okay."

"Why weren't you in bed?" I steady my breathing and attempt to stop crying.

"I had a song idea. It was driving me crazy, so I went into the next room so I wouldn't wake you up." He explains as he walks over to some boxes on the other side of the room - it's literally 3am.

"Why won't the nightmares stop? It's been like 2 years and everyone is alive. What's wrong with me?" I look up at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Nothing." He sighs as he sits bedside me. "It's trauma. At this point we all have it. It's different for everyone and everyone has their own way of coping with it." He passes me the weed - something that has become routine in this situation. "This is ours."

"I hate that I've turned into this. I hate what I've become." I state after taking a drag.

"I don't." He contradicts me as I rest my head on his shoulder. "You're still the same badass I fell in love with back when the only monsters we battle were in D&D."

"And you're still the dorky, nerdy metal lord I fell in love with." We both let out small chuckles the first time in a while. "Can I hear the song you were working on?"

"It's not finished yet. But sure. Only because its you."

Eddie grabs his guitar from the other room and plays the song. It tells the story of a heroine plagued by a great loss who is trying to rise back up. It's a great song so far and I'm honoured to be the inspiration. If anything, it gives me hope.

With the weed gone, we decide to try and get some sleep for real this time. Under the covers, we hold each other close and try to forget and relax until we finally drift off. When the nightmares started and I spiralled each night, I thought I was done for. I thought that it was the repetition that would quickly make me insufferable. I believed that it would cause me to be alone forever. For some reason, Eddie never seemed to mind and is always there for me when I need him. He proved me wrong and was the exception. I don't know what I did to deserve him.