𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧 𝐕𝐚𝐢𝐧

Prolouge

HAWKINS, INDIANA, JULY FOURTH 1985, 9:14PM

"Tommy! Tommy stop, I'm right here, please!" Caleb shouts to the younger boy he was trailing behind.

The boy ignores his elder brother, still walking through the mall. Up above was this giant, fleshy monster that came from one of Caleb's worst nightmares, he quickly shut up, not wanting his attention drawn towards him. The two boys stood at the foot of the escalators, with the smaller blonde boy staring straight at the back of the monster as it faced the other side of the court. Tommy's eyes were dark and dull, with heavy eye bags, the normal blue faded to almost black, his veins grey, like he was possessed by a demon like some dumb horror movie, but this was real.

Across the mall however, Caleb saw some of his fellow classmates he went to junior high with, the friendly geeks and nerds of the school. Mike Wheeler, Max Mayfield, and another unknown brunette girl were quickly rushing across the food court, ducking towards a flipped over show car. Lucas Sinclair and Will Byers were on the second level, grabbing boxes of some sort from a full shopping cart of them. Jonathan Byers and Nancy Wheeler were there as well, his school friend Dustin Henderson introduced him to Nancy and Jonathan one morning as they ran into them in the Hawkin's streets in the afternoon one time in the eighth grade. The duo were leading the trio towards the car, the brunette girl limping the whole way through.

Fireworks shot from Will's and Lucas' hands, making the monster screech and shout as it directed its focus to the boys, trying to hit them. A tired and sort of possessed-looking Billy Hargrove stood at the center of the second level, staring down at the monster while the unknown brunette then approached him. Caleb knew Billy as the community pool lifeguard that all the moms gawked over like creeps, his mom doing the same that summer. Fireworks exploded and illuminated the mall in many colors as Tommy, the small blonde, melted in front of Caleb's eyes, dropping down the escalator as Caleb watched with wide eyes, screaming at the pile of flesh descending in front of him.

The fireworks muffled the blonde's screams and cries, the boy watched as what was his little brother turned into dark flesh and a few bones, becoming one with the monster. Will Byers apparently heard the blonde over the fireworks and screeches of the monster to look over and see him, a wave of panic washing over his face as he saw the friendly face of Caleb. Will had the tiniest, smallest crush on him in the end seventh and beginning of eighth grade, but the crush faded after Will properly became friends with Caleb, sharing their English class together that past school year. Will saw the panic and fear on his friend's face, knowing he shouldn't be there nor witness his six-year-old brother melt in front of his eyes to serve an interdimensional demon.

Caleb could see Billy Hargrove had turned around as Will and Lucas couldn't get their lighter to light, while Erica Sinclair, Lucas' younger sister, Max Mayfield, and Mike Wheeler throw more fireworks at the monster, seeing Caleb in the distance as they kept the fireworks going, making the monster screech and groan as it threw its many limbs up in the air. The monster ran its limbs towards Billy as it screeched louder and louder, plunging its sharp tentacles into Billy's chest as Max Mayfield screams, running to Billy as he falls to his knees, then the floor. The monster releases it's tentacles as it falls to the ground, probably dead by now. Will rushes to Caleb, while Max tries begging Billy to live as the brunette sits next to her, Mike soon joining.

Will rushes across the mall, finding Caleb hiding behind a pillar, crying. Will leads him outside the mall as his friends start screaming for him to run as they rush up the turned-off escalators towards the front doors. Joyce Byers and Murray Bauman follow the teenagers, Caleb didn't know the adults well but he saw them yelling as well for the kids to run, so his feet lead him as he and Will were the first ones out into the parking lot while the mall exploded around them, glass shattering towards the sky, bricks and debris flying everywhere as they all hid behind Nancy's and Billy's cars. Not the safest idea, but they couldn't run out further as the mall basically exploded in front of them.

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Caleb's parents rushed to get the boy, worried sick about their son. The remaining group of survivors had to explain to the cops it was just a mall fire, triggered probably by equipment in the food court. Caleb also had to explain his little brother Tommy was a part of it too, as he lead the elder boy towards the mall as he protested, but he just kept walking, ignoring his older brother. Caleb was shaking as he heald the navy blue blanket around him as Will had sat next to him on the pavement while his mom had to deliver the tragic news that her father, Chief Hopper, was one of the forty-one of the other victims of the explosion. The mall, however, was just foundation and a bit of wall left over, and as they explained when they called, it was already out of hand, let alone reinforcements being so far away through town.

Caleb was now sobbing and crying thinking of his younger brother he loved so dearly, and having to lie to his parents about his death. Caleb quickly caught up to Will's frantic explanation of the Upside Down and the Mind Flayer, as they called the monster, learning why his brother just melted in front of him. Now, the blonde was saying goodbye to the brunette, thanking him for sitting with him while his parents came to pick him up, and walked away, sniffling as his mom had an arm around her boy.

That would be the last Saturday night Caleb would spend in Hawkins, Indiana. He was so traumatized and depressed that he had to run away from the pain, his parents agreed with him, as his dad got a job promotion in California that summer, and if they moved by the end of the week they could try and forget about the little blonde boy Caleb had loved. So, that was just what they did. They packed up and left asap; not without Caleb saying goodbye to Dustin Henderson and Will Byers of course, the two were his only friends, even if they didn't hang out much out of school or during summer. Caleb already decided he couldn't deal with the pain and misery, he needed actual friends, he needed to be somewhere where he wouldn't be constantly bombarded with sweet, but dreadful memories with his younger brother.

<•>

LENORA HILLS, CALIFORNIA, 1986

Caleb still remembered when he left the mall at 11:28pm, his brother had already passed almost two or so hours ago already, with Will silently rocking him as he cried and sobbed about Tommy. The memory would never come to fade, it felt like a bottomless hole he couldn't escape at all. But, Lenora Hills, California wasn't all that bad. They had a roller rink and some good ice cream, at least.

When freshman year rolled around, he met the familiar face of Will Byers again, it was one whole wave of dejá vú for both boys, but throughout the school year many sleepovers would occur at each others homes and many hang outs were planned. They became closer friends, geeking out over D&D, which they couldn't even play without two other players at least. Jonathan would always be up to play, but his new friend Argyle was too much of a stoner to even understand what Dungeon Master meant. Unfortunately, Will's new adoptive sister, the unknown brunette from the mall Caleb would come to know as Eleven, or Jane, didn't understand whatsoever either.

Eleven was very nice and kind towards Caleb, even bringing snacks to school for him. In her eyes, he was the sweetest and kindest boy she had ever met, and she wanted to just spoil him because the fact he was still grieving and having trouble from moving on from his brother, she felt he needed it. Caleb mostly called Eleven 'Jane', because he was always thinking about how she probably wanted to be normal, although in his head he would sometimes call her Eleven or El, but that was as far as he went with it, he was used to Jane Hopper. Eleven didn't mind either, she appreciated the thought and kindness Caleb would give her all the time, the girl could barely make acquaintances in the new school because of her grammar problems and grades. But with Will and Caleb on her side, she'd crush high school like she did with the Demogorgon and the gate.

Caleb was also very grateful to have Will and Eleven in his life, and both of them greatly appreciated having him around, voicing some platonic I love you's after hang out sessions or sleepovers and hugs. Will felt the same way, after leaving his entire life behind to protect Eleven and get away from the trauma, he missed Mike, Dustin, and Lucas and their shouts over a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Or Max trying to teach the group of boys to skate, or going to Scoops Ahoy to get free ice cream and movie tickets from Steve and Robin. Will missed it all, but slowly started to accept he had to move on.

Will Byers and Caleb Parlor were trying to move on, trying their best to forget their pain and suffering caused by the Upside Down. Lost family and deep trauma of possession as you could phrase it.

But peace wouldn't last a little over eight months before all hell broke loose.