𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐫. ►

CHAPTER FIVE: DIG DUG

"It's like...I feel what the shadow monsters feeling. See what he's seeing." Will explained, staring straight ahead as Mike paced around, and River sat next to him.

"Like in the upside down?" Mike asked, as Will started to grow more scared, and panicked.

"Some of him is there..but some of him is here too.."

"Wait, here like.." River paused looking at Mike with concern. "Like in this house?"

"In this house, and in me. It's like, It's like he's reaching into Hawkins. The more he's reaching in, the more I feel." Will went on with a nod, his voice breaking.

"And then the more you see these..." River said as Mike interrupted her.

"Now memories."

Mike now took a seat on the other side of Will.

"At first I just felt it in the back of my head." Will had told them, gulping. "I didn't even really know he was there. It's like when you have a dream, and you can't remember it unless you think really hard. It was like that. But now it's like, Now I remember. I remember all the time.." He cried, shaking his head.

"Maybe, maybe that's good." Mike softly spoke, in attempt to comfort Will.

"Good?" Will had scoffed, his eyes continuing to water as River watched closely.

"Just think about It Will...it's like your a spy now, you can spy on the shadow monster. If you know what he's seeing, and how he's feeling.. maybe that's how we can stop him." Mike said, causing River to softly smile.

"Yeah, It can be useful. Maybe all of this is happening for a reason, you know?" She softly added onto Mike's comment, turning to Will with a nod.

"You guys really think so?" Will asked as they nodded and Mike nodded, as River stared at the two of them. They'd both been the first friends she ever made, and she smiled softly to herself before looking down, knowing that all three of them were together again, and they were helping Will.

"What if he figures out we're spying on him..What if he spies back." Will worried, his voice shaking.

"He won't." Mike assured as River nodded, putting a hand over the young and fearful boy, who's breath shook.

"How do you guys know that?"

"We won't let him." River spoke sternly, yet softly at the same time, while Mike laid his hand on top of hers, nodding in agreement.

The next morning, River and Mike woke up to see each others face, close up, causing them both to groan and back up quickly, awkwardly glancing at each other while they sat up.

Though they'd quickly forgotten about what had just occurred, when they spotted Will, who was sweating yet again, as he stared forward, breathing deeply.

"Will, what's wrong?" Mike questioned, concern filling his face as River stood up, brushing off her worn out jeans, stepping forward.

"I saw Hopper, he's in danger."

˗ˏˋ✦ ✦ ✦'ˎ˗

"Is this where you saw Hopper?" Joyce frantically asked, grabbing the drawing from Will as he nodded.

Looking around for a place to put the scribbles onto Joyce's series of papers around the house, River turned to Mike quickly.

"Mike.." She softly called out, pointing at an empty space on the wall, causing him to look over.

"Here?" She questioned as he observed the spot she'd pointed to and nodded eagerly.

"Here!" Mike repeated in a yell, before Joyce rushed over, the paper in hand with a look of curiosity.