THE KIDS AREN'T ALRIGHT ｡ STRANGER THINGS

34 - A GAME OF SURVIVAL [PART 1]

Screams filled the car as dusk had taken its place in the sky, and the children crammed into the backseat were flung against each other as Joyce Byers slammed hard on the brakes. Dottie Fields was clutching her brother's arm, eyes huge with terror as the car ran through the Merills pumpkin patch sign. They had been driving around town all afternoon and still hadn't found a single clue that would lead them to Hopper. Until Will was crying out to turn right and they had, right into a pumpkin farm a little outside the town limits.

Headlights were cutting through the dead grass and rotting pumpkins and showing them that Hopper's car was parked lonely in the middle of the field. Without even cutting the engine, Joyce was hurrying out of the car and into the chilly air, her voice screaming out for Hopper. Each child, along with Bob Newby, followed in Joyce's footsteps, despite being told to stay in the car.

"Hopper!" Joyce shouted, eyes soaking up the hole dug deep into the dirt.

Dottie scrambled over the rocky dirt, squinting into the darkness. At the very bottom of the hole was a thick layer of strange vines that wiggled with movement. Bob Newby was handing over a shovel left behind from Jim Hopper hours ago. Joyce made the first dint in the ground with a strangled grunt. Micky was peering over Dottie's shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse. Behind them, a little further back from the hole was Mike and Will, waiting quietly. There was an odd look in Will's eyes, something so unclear hidden in the back of his mind.

The vines made strange noises as Joyce hacked at them, finally opening up a hole in which everyone assumed Jim Hopper had gone down earlier that day. Joyce was demanding Bob help her get down there, which he found extremely odd. Micky gulped loudly, staring across at Dottie. "What do you think is down there?"

Dottie, who had seen her fair share of weird things lately, crossed her arms against her chest to try and fight against the chill in the air. She was very unsure about all this. She actually wished she had stayed home, at least she would not have gotten dragged into strange occurrences at home. But then she knew that was lie; for she had witnessed plenty of horrors at home when that monster nearly killed her dog.

"No idea," Dottie replied. "But it can't be good."

Joyce was suddenly turning her attention to the children waiting on the edge of the hole. Her hand was safely tucked into Bob's, ready for her drop into the deep depths below. The tunnels that Will had seen in his mind. "Dottie, stay with the kids. Whatever you do, do not follow us. Do you hear me? It's too dangerous."

"Okay." Dottie nodded. "I mean, yes, Mrs. Byers."

As the adults dropped into the hole, blinking from Dottie's view, a hollow silence fanned around the remaining children waiting above. The only light slicing through the fog that now lingered around their ankles, came from the headlights and that was sparingly light, which allowed shadows to move in the distance and leave Dottie's stomach knotted with doubt. She did not like this at all.

Mike and Will finally stood inline with Dottie and Micky, all eyes pinned to the hole. "Do you seeing anything? In your Now memories?" Mike asked Will, who shook his head grimly. He hadn't spoken a word since his mother had jumped from the car to find Hopper.

"It's okay," Dottie tried to remind them all. "Joyce is an adult. She knows what she's doing."

Micky stared at her. "Because she's an adult? That means jack shit."

Dottie smacked her hand against his shoulder. "Shut up. I'm trying to stay positive."

Suddenly, headlights were blinding the children standing alone in the middle of a dead pumpkin patch and the sound of engines filled the dark air. Dottie was spinning around on the spot to find very familiar white vans now parked on the grass. Men decked out in hazard suits were jumping from the vans with loaded weapons. Panic weaved its way through Dottie's bloodstream and without thinking, she was tugging on Will's sleeve and pulling him towards her. Mike stumbled behind her too. Her natural instinct in protecting the younger children kicked in.