1983 || Stranger Things

ғɪᴠᴇ | sᴏ ᴡʀᴏɴɢ

      It always amazed Julie how her and Jonathan could do so many stupid things and not get caught. Such as sneaking into an old facility to take pictures when they were fourteen and fifteen. Such as ditching work to go draw, read and take pictures with Will the previous summer. Added to that list was stalking Steve Harrington's house.

      It was a miracle, In Julie's opinion, that no one saw or heard them, considering how loud she was being. But they were in the clear, thankfully.

      But the miracle ended when they each woke up the next morning to Joyce talking to herself in Will's room. The two of them met in the hallway as Julie tossed on a sweatshirt over her tank top. Jonathan pulled a shirt on, and the two of them rubbed the sleep from their eyes and walked to Will's room next to Julie's.

      "It's me. Just talk to me. Talk to me." Joyce's faint voice could be heard behind Will's door as the teens pushed it open. In the boy's room were too many lights and lamps to be normal, as well as Joyce rocking back and forth on the foot of the bed.

      "Mom?" Jonathan called out, making themselves known.

      Joyce looked up immediately. "Jonathan! Julie! Come here. Come." she stammered, summoning them with her hands.

      "Joyce, what is this?" Julie asked gently, walking into the room before Jonathan did.

      "Come here. Both of you." Joyce sniffled.

      Julie sat on Joyce's right, Jonathan on her left. "What's going on?" Jonathan questioned.

      "It's Will. It's Will, he's... he's trying to talk to me." Joyce explained with a trembling voice, breathing unsteadily.

      "He's trying to talk to you?" Jonathan said, not believing his mother at all.

      "Yes, through... through the lights."

      "Joyce--"

      "I know." she interuppted. "I know. Just... just watch." Joyce practically begged, holding Jonathan and Julie's hands tightly.

      Julie refrained from rolling her eyes, but the feeling was still there. She didn't believe her. And she felt bad.

      "Will... your brother and Julie are here. Can you show them what you showed me, baby." Joyce spoke aloud, talking to Will, who clearly wasn't there.

      Jonathan and Julie looked around the room, until Joyce's gasp brought them back to reality. "Did you see that?" she asked, but Julie hadn't. At least not today.

      "It's the electricity, Mom." Jonathan pleaded with her, but Julie knew that it was. Unless her and Joyce were both going nuts, there had to have been a reasonable explanation. Like the shitty electricity.

      "It's acting up. It's the same thing that fried the phone." Julie stammered, trying desperately to convince Joyce and herself that they weren't nutjobs.

      "No! It is not the electricity, guys! Something is going on here! Yesterday, the wall--" Joyce cried, being cut off by her son.

      "What? What about the wall?" Jonathan raised his voice.

      "I don't know. I don't know."

      "Mom, first the lights, then the wall?"

      "Jonathan, calm down."

      "I just know that Will is here." Joyce stuttered, causing Julie to shake her head.

      Tears brimmed Jonathan's eyes as Julie looked around Joyce at him. "No, Mom."