ain't it weird || stranger things x female reader (season 3)

eight - prometheus

Wednesday, July 3, 1985

Nancy and Jonathan had joined the basement gang.

Kazuo sat still on the couch as Mike's older sister paced around and explained everything to them; how her and Jonathan visited an elderly woman, Mrs. Driscoll, for the journal they were working for, as she had called to inform them about feral rats, how they found her eating fertilizer and acting just like the crazy animals, how she was hospitalized and had some kind of attack the prior evening, an attack similar to what happened to Will last year when he was possessed by the Mind Flayer, which concluded in Nancy guessing it was back and barging in there to make sure Will and the kids were fine. She and Jonathan had found them eating Cocoa Puffs while the two girls of the group chatted away in the bathroom.

"It was the same thing, the exact same thing that happened to Will last year," Nancy elaborates on what she had seen happen to poor Mrs. Driscoll. Kazuo nods, listening attentively. "And look at this," she hands them some sheets of paper, the report she had stolen from the hospital. "Look at the body temperatures."

They all lean over to take a look at the report. Mrs. Driscoll's body was abnormally cold. She was in hypothermia.

"He likes it cold," Will reminds them.

"Okay," Mike moves on, "so this crazy old woman who was eating fertilizer-"

"Mrs. Driscoll," Nancy corrects.

"Right, yeah, Mrs. Driscoll. What time was this attack?"

"Last night."

"Right, but what time last night?"

"Around 9:00."

"You waited all night to call?" Jonathan turns to her, and Kazuo widens his eyes. Was there some drama going on? Why wasn't Jonathan with Nancy to begin with?

"I was waiting for the doctors to run some tests," Nancy explains.

"You weren't there?" Will asks his brother.

"Well, I'm here now, right?"

"Hallelujah," Nancy rolls her eyes.

"Ooh," Lucas says as he and Kazuo exchange a knowing look. There definitely was some drama going on.

"Uhm, so," Nancy resumes, "wha- what time was your... sauna test?"

"Around 9:00," they all answer in unison.

"Well, that proves it," Nancy exclaims. "That proves my theory."

This seemed like something both very important and relieving for her to say, so Kazuo could only nod solemnly.

"She's flayed, just like Billy," Mike says.

"Flayed?" Jonathan echoes confusedly.

"The Mind Flayer. He flays people. Takes over their mind. Once they do that, they basically become him."

Kazuo glances at Max, who seemingly had her arms crossed over her chest but was hugging herself, concern written all over her face. She cared more about Billy than she dared to say, especially after he begged her for help in the sauna. Whether it was really him or the Mind Flayer talking, it did move her a lot.

"If there are two flayed-" Lucas begins.

"We have to assume there are more," Will completes.

"Heather," Eleven speaks up.

"The missing girl from the pool?" Kazuo turns to her.

She nods. "Billy was doing something to her. She was scared. She was screaming. Bad screams."