e l e v e n

Chapter One: Something Isn't Right

The four boys sped down the path, eager to reach their homes after finishing the year's final day of school.
"Mike's house or Will's for our next crusade?" Dustin asked
"I dunno" Mike replied "Doesn't really matter to me either way" he turned to he left, where Will usually was. "Hey Wi..." he paused, as he noticed the gap where his friend had been before. Fear set in before he could think rationally. Mike stopped his bike dead in its tracks and quickly turned around, his mind subconsciously going back to when Will had gone missing. A wave of relief flooded over him as he saw Will come around the corner behind them. Mike quickly hopped on his bike pedaling towards Will, calling the others and asking them to slow down.
"It's...fine..." Will said between coughs and heavy breaths "You guys...go...I..I'll catch up..."
"No it's not fine." Mike said with a look of concern "Ever since the accident this keeps happening. You're coughing all the time and you loose you breath easily. " he sighed "I dunno, it just doesn't seem normal to me"
"Mike, things haven't been normal in a while." Will says exasperatedly "Like how every time..."
"Everything okay?" Lucas asks, stopping his bike in front of the two with Dustin a half second behind him
"Yeah. Everything's fine." Will quickly cuts in before Mike can even open his mouth "I just couldn't catch my breath."
Lucas watched the brief interaction between the two boys, Mike's pointed and expectant stare and Will's response of an overdramatic and exasperated eyeroll. "If you say so." he said to the two boys, hopping back on his bike. "But hurry up. The sun's starting to go down and I don't want to be out in the dark. The boys nodded in agreement and returned to their bikes, all still fearful of the dark and what lied within it.
"My house?" Mike asked, hoping to quickly change the subject off of the upside down.  They all mumbled their agreement, knowing his house was the closest, and headed towards it.