Byler- The Unwanted Return of Everything (And How It Finally Ends)

Too Fast

Mike was shaking from head to toe, cold and soaking wet as he sat on the sidewalk, illuminated by a yellow lamp towering above his small figure. If he had been crying for the third time that night, no one would even notice because the rain was so heavy. Only him, who could feel the difference between the temperature of hot tears and the icy rain.

"Mike!" he heard Lucas call from somewhere in the distance. "Mike? Are you there?" Mike didn't answer.

"There!" said Max's voice, quieter. "See? By the streetlamp."

"Why is he sitting by a streetlamp?"

"Do you really think I know the answer to that, Lucas?"

Mike didn't move to greet his friends, he just listened as their footsteps fell on the ground and approached him, splashing puddle water onto his shirt, although he was already wet to the bone, so it didn't matter to him.

"Mike," Max said, leaning down and putting a hand on his back. "Are you okay? Where did the Mind Flayer go?"

Mike didn't respond. He kept his head down, trying not to reveal his embarrassing emotional state at the moment.

"Mike?" Max tried again. "We're gonna find him, okay? He can't be that far... What would he even be doing?"

Mike looked into the hazy distance, taking his head up from between his knees and letting the rain drip down from his hair to his eyes to his lips and finally fall from his chin. He was no longer crying, there was only rain.

He looked at Lucas. " We are going to find him. You, me, and Dustin." He got up, Max and Lucas following his movement and matching his height. "Come on, we have to go fast. Who knows how far he's gone."

"Wait," said Max. "Just Lucas and Dustin? I think you're forgetting a few people-"

"No, I need Lucas and Dustin." Mike shook his head, trying to explain his incoherent thoughts. "We've known Will the longest... I think we've got the best chance to get him back... and we need a smaller group." He felt slightly bad leaving the others out, but this made sense.

"Jane's his sister," Max argued. "I don't think she'd be too happy about staying home either."

"Then look for him yourselves. Or prepare for when we get back. Or try to contact him with Jane." Mike sighed, looking at Max with a pleading expression. "Look, please just listen to me, Max. I'm the one who was with him before when he was possessed. I know what I'm doing." In truth, Mike had absolutely no idea what he was doing, but he had a certain feeling about looking for Will with the original party. Something about it spoke to him, something saying it was going to be successful like this. And Mike loved Jane and Max and he knew they cared about Will, but it had to be Dustin and Lucas with him. "Please."

Max crossed her arms, stopping herself from arguing with the shaking, soaking, distressed mess of a boy in front of her. "Fine," she said. "But you better find him. Don't make me say I told you so."

"I won't. We're gonna find him," Mike insisted. He couldn't let himself believe anything else. Making sure Will was okay was always his top priority as a kid, and there was no reason for anything to be different now. If anything, he wanted to help him more now that they were both older, and that was saying something.

He walked back to the house in front of his two companions, his eyes subconsciously scanning the horizon for any signs of Will in the trees and behind houses. Of course, nothing was there. He went up the stairs two at a time and threw open the door, calling out to Dustin and Jane.

They came running to the entryway, eyes wide with anticipation.

"What happened?" Jane asked. "You didn't catch the Mind Flayer?" She sulked as Mike shook his head.