November 2nd, 1983
Hawkins, Indiana
Huddled on the floor of her bedroom, Chris shivers uncontrollably as she blinks in and out of consciousness. She has tears streaming down her face, and winces in pain as the burn on her arm pulses to the rhythm of her heartbeat. Sniffling and rubbing at her eyes, Chris groans in pain as darkness clouds the corners of her eyes. Her vision starts to blur and distort. She's being sucked into a Shadow Walk.
"No," she mumbles.
Chris stares at the dirt and grim surrounding her. A thick layer of gross muck covers the dirt and large veins drape across the ground. Chris quickly rises to her feet, making the connection. She's in a place that's familiar to the Upside Down. It's a tunnel, formed about six feet wide and nine feet tall. Dust floats around her and throughout the tunnel. The same dust that she's seen in the Upside Down.
Groaning, Chris looks around for whoever might be down here with her. Someone has to be. She hears the crunch of footsteps approaching and spins around carefully, not wanting to trip on these large roots the Upside Down is producing.
"Dad?"
"Chrissie," he mumbles, stepping toward her. His large flashlight shines across her body. He frowns deeply. "Did you follow me here?"
Chris shakes her head, tapping her temple gently. "Here." Hopper reaches toward her, giving her arm a gentle squeeze, he retracts his arm, noticing how hot her skin feels. Chris surveys the underground tunnel system, it forks off in the direction her father came. "Where are we? How did you end up here?"
"The pumpkin patch." Hopper stares up at the dirt above them. He waves his flashlight past Chris. "C'mon." She carefully follows her father through the maze of tunnels and frequently checks over her shoulder for any signs of danger. Ahead of her, Hopper gets stuck on an oozing vine. He groans in annoyance as the vine seems to react to his footsteps. Growing on the wall is some sort of blossom, which puffs out dust particles and air into Hopper's face.
"Ugh!" he gasps.
"Dad," calls Chris. She makes her way over to him.
Hopper grunts, shielding the left side of his face. Another blossom on the other side of the wall doses him with more air and dust. Hopper grunts again, stumbling. Chris calls out to him, but he waves his hand blindly, tripping on a root. "Stay away from those, Chris."
Hopper suddenly collapses to the ground, his hat falling off of his head. He hears Chris shout for him in distress, but he's succumbed to sleep unwillingly.
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Shadows of the Night •a Stranger Things story•
FanfictionOver the years nightmares have been a frequent friend in the Hopper house. Chills and a scream lodged in the back of her throat is the only way that Christine Hopper knows how to wake up. Her father tries hard to believe his daughter has a handle on...
