Oh No! | mike wheeler x reader

the flea and the acrobat

"What was Will saying? Like home... Like home... but dark?" Mike sighed. "And empty," Lucas adds. "Empty and cold. Wait, did he say cold?" Dustin asked. "I don't know. The stupid radio kept going in and out," Lucas retorted. "It's like riddles in the dark," Dustin sighed. "Like home. Like his house?" Mike asked. "Or maybe like Hawkins," Lucas suggests. El mumbled something. "What'd she say?" I question. "Upside down," Mike whispered. "What?" Lucas asked. "Upside down," he repeats, walking over to the d&d board. "When El showed us where Will was, she flipped the board over, remember? Upside down. Dark. Empty." Mike explained as the three of us walked over to the table. "Do you understand what he's talking about?" Lucas asked Dustin and I. "No," we reply. "Guys, come on, just think about it. When El took us to find Will, she took us to his house, right?" Mike asked. "Yeah. And he wasn't there," I retort. "But what if he was there? What if we just couldn't see him? What if he was on the other side? What if this was Hawkins and... this is where Will is? The upside down," Mike explained. "Like the Vale of Shadows," Dustin added.

"The Vale of Shadows is a dimension that is a dark reflection or echo of our world. It is a place of decay and death. A plane out of phase. A place of monsters. It is right next to you and you don't even see it," Dustin spoke eerily. "An alternate dimension," Mike added. "But... how... how do we get there?" Lucas asked. "You cast Shadow Walk," Dustin explains. "In real life, dummy," Lucas retorts. "We can't cast Shadow Walk, but... maybe she can," Dustin mumbles. "Do you know how we get there? To the Upside Down?" Mike asked. El shook her head no. "Oh, my god!" Lucas sighed.

time skip

As the pastor spoke, Dustin noticed something. "Just wait till we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral," Dustin spoke, Mrs. Wheeler shushing him soon after.

time skip

 "Mr. Clarke?" Mike called. "Oh, hey, there. How are you four holding up?" Mr. Clarke asked. "We're in mourning," Lucas spoke stiffly. "Man, these aren't real Nilla Wafers," Dustin blurt. "We were wondering if you had time to talk?" Mike asked. "We have some questions," I explain.

"So, you know how in Cosmos, Carl Sagan talks about other dimensions? Like, beyond our world?" Mike asked. "Yeah, sure. Theoretically," Mr. Clarke corrected. "Right, theoretically," Mike added. "So, theoretically, how do we travel there?" I ask. "You guys have been thinking about Hugh Everett's Many-World Interpretation, haven't you? Well, basically, there are parallel universes. Just like our world, but just infinite variations of it. Which means there's a world out there where none of this tragic stuff ever happened," Mr. Clarke sighed. "Yeah, that's not what we're talking about," Lucas cut in. "We were thinking of more of an evil dimension, like the Vale of Shadows. You know the Vale of Shadows?" Dustin quizzed. "An echo of the Material Plane, where necrotic and shadow magic--" Mr. Clarke starts. "Yeah, exactly. If that did exist, a place like the Vale of Shadows, how would we travel there?" Mike asked. "Well... Picture... an acrobat... standing on a tightrope. Now, the tightrope is our dimension. And our dimension has rules. You can move forwards, or backwards. But, what if... right next to our acrobat, there is a flea? Now, the flea can also travel back and forth, just like the acrobat. Right? Here's where things get really interesting. The flea can also travel this way... along the side of the rope. He can even go... underneath the rope." Mr. Clarke explained while drawing on a plate.

"Upside down," We gasp. "But, we're not the flea, we're the acrobat," Mike follows. "In this metaphor, yes, we're the acrobat," Mr. Clarke agreed. "So, we can't go upside down?" I ask. "No," he replies. "Well, is there any way for the acrobat to get to the Upside Down?" Dustin asked. "Well... you'd have to create a massive amount of energy. More than humans are currently capable of creating, mind you, to open up some kind of tear in time and space, and then... *folds plate and stabs a hole in it* you create a doorway," Mr. Clarke explained. "Like a gate?" I ask. "Sure. Like a gate. But again, this is all--" "Theoretical," Lucas cuts him off. "But... but what if this gate already existed?" Mike asked. "Well, if it did, I... I think we'd know. It would disrupt gravity, the magnetic field, our environment. Heck, it might even swallow us up whole. Science is neat. But I'm afraid it's not very forgiving," Mr. Clarke explained.