ON HOLD peaches

viii

at around 4 pm that day, she got a call. she huffed as she got up to grab the phone at her dresser, trying to act like she wasn't high. she picked up the phone to a familiar voice.

"hello?" mike wheeler asked from the other line. he sounded horrified. "yes?" she asked, concerned on why she was getting a call from him. "i need you to get to the byers. now." he said, then hung up. sam furrowed her brows and scrunched her face, wondering why he needed her so urgently. but she sufficed, walking out the door with weed in one pocket and the other with her pocket knife.

she asked steve for a ride, which he agreed to, and got to the byers residence within 10 minutes. when she knocked on the door, she was dragged in by mike, and when she looked around she was shocked. there were lines made out of paper sprawling everywhere, using dark colours. "what the fu-" sam started. "ignore it." mike interrupted, dragging her to the kitchen where joyce was.

"tell her. about the day on the field. what you saw." he told her. sam looked over at joyce who looked like she needed a nap. reluctantly, she told joyce everything about what happened on the field. mike explained that 1. they needed help to connect the tunnels and 2.she was the only person who truly knew what happened with will.

-

"it's like.. it's like i feel what the shadow monsters feeling. you?" will asked sam who shook her head. will nodded slowly, continuing. "see what he's feeling." he said. mike traced around the trails on his wall with his fingers as sam sat next to the sweating boy, who she felt bad for.

she related to him though, she had began overheating and was now only in a thin undershirt tank top and a bra, her jacket tied around her waist. not that the 2 cared, they were more focused on what was wrong with them.  "like in the upside down?" mike suggested, turning to the two. "some of him is there." he mumbled, while sam rubbed his back, seeing how his face was when he talked about it.

mike went to sit next to will. "but some of him is here too." he continued. "here like.. in this house?" sam asked, confused. "in this house and... in me." he replied, and sams heart broke when she heard the boys voice break. she had to fight back tears.

"it's like.. it's like he's reaching into hawkins more and more. and the more he spreads, the more connected to him i feel." he said in the same heartbreaking voice. "and the more you see these now memories." mike added, answering his own question. "now memories?" sam asked, confused on what now memories are. "i call his episodes now memories, which means it's happening but it's a memory. it's a hard concept." mike answered, sam still confused but nodded anyway.

"at the first i just feel it in the back of my head. i didn't even really know it was there. it's like when you have a dream and you can't remember it unless you think-" will started, but she finished for him. "unless you think really hard." she mumbled, understanding what he was saying now. will nodded. "it was like that." will finished the thought. tears filled his eyes, his arm shaking. "but now it's like... now i remember. i remember all the time." he said, a single tear falling as his arm shook more.

"maybe.. maybe that's good." mike said. sam and will shared disbelieving looks, then looked over to mike. "good?" the two asked in unison. "just think about it, will. your like a spy now. a super spy. spying on the shadow monster." mike explained his theory. "if you know what he's seeing and feeling... maybe that's how we can stop him. maybe all this is happening for a reason." mike looked around the room. sam scoffed, rolling her eyes. what reason? why them.

sam and will looked around the room. "you really think so?" will asked, his voice cracking. "yeah. yeah, i really do." mike honestly admitted in a gentle tone. sam personally found it adorable how when he's around the party he acts all tough and harsh, but when he's with will he's gentle and vulnerable.