𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐇 || stranger things

the flea and the acrobat.

In the safety of Mike Wheeler's basement, the group gathered later that evening to discuss the cryptic message they had received through the A.V. radio. Mike, Dustin, Maggie May Hopper, and Lucas Sinclair huddled together, their faces etched with concern, while Eleven sat nearby, still recovering from the exhausting ordeal.

As they went over the details of what they had heard, Eleven suddenly murmured softly, "Upside Down."

The room fell into a heavy silence as Mike's memory was triggered. He recalled a moment from their Dungeons & Dragons game, where Eleven had flipped the board over to convey Will's location. He explained to the group, "She turned the board upside down to show us that Will was inside his own house. But maybe... maybe he's in the 'Upside Down.'"

Dustin's eyes widened as he recognised the connection. "It's like the Vale of Shadows in Dungeons & Dragons," he said. "A dark reflection of our world, a place of decay and death, right next to you, and you don't even see it."

The group exchanged a mix of awe and dread as they contemplated the implications. If Will was indeed trapped in this mysterious "Upside Down," it meant they were dealing with something far more sinister and otherworldly than they could have ever imagined. The gravity of their situation weighed heavily on their young shoulders, but they were determined to find their friend and bring him back, no matter the risks or challenges that lay ahead.

After their intense discussion about Will's disappearance and the mysteries surrounding the "Upside Down," everyone eventually headed home. Maggie May, with her mind filled with thoughts of her missing friend, arrived at her run-down trailer. She couldn't help but feel the stark contrast between her own modest home and the grandeur of her friends' houses.

As she entered her trailer, she noticed the emptiness that had become all too familiar. Her father's absence was not unusual. He often stayed out late drinking, leaving Maggie to her own devices. It was a lonely and challenging environment for a young girl, but she had learned to adapt and fend for herself.

In the early hours of the night, Maggie was awakened by a series of loud bangs and the unmistakable sound of objects being moved around. At first, she assumed it was just her father returning home in a drunken stupor, as had happened countless times before. Tired and still consumed by the events of the day, she tried to block out the noise and drift back to sleep.

Little did she know that these disturbances were not the result of her father's inebriation.

In the morning, Maggie May woke up to unsettling sounds that sent a chill down her spine. She ventured out of her room, apprehension gnawing at her, only to be met with a terrifying scene. Her father, Jim Hopper, was frantically tearing through their trailer, his table cluttered with pills and empty alcohol bottles. It was a chaotic and alarming sight, and her heart pounded with fear.

Confusion and anxiety enveloped Maggie as she cautiously approached her father. She assumed he had descended into a dark spiral of drunkenness and drug use, but the atmosphere in the trailer was far more sinister. Hopper's eyes were wide with terror as he urgently demanded that she search the house for a bug.

"Search the house, Maggie! They're watching us!" he bellowed, his voice a desperate, frantic plea.

Maggie hesitated for a moment, her confusion giving way to a growing sense of dread. She replied, her voice quivering, "Dad, what are you talking about? There's nothing here."

But Hopper's fear was palpable, and together, they began a frantic search of the trailer. Their actions were fuelled by a deep and unsettling realisation: their sanctuary had been violated. They combed through the trailer, turning over furniture, scrutinising every corner, and inspecting every shadow.