Stranger Things

Part I of The Vanishing of Will Byers

I live in a pretty basic town, in a pretty basic home, with a pretty basic family.  I am Will Byers, I live with my mom Joyce Byers and my brother Jonathan Byers, don't get me wrong I love my family and the town I live in but there is something odd about it. Hawkins, Atlanta, it seems pretty normal to strangers but if you're a resident it is anything but normal. My best friends Mike, Dustin, and Lucas, we all live with in biking distance from one another and we all go to the same school. November 6th 1983, I was over at Mike's house with Dustin and Lucas, a 10 hour campaign, we were playing Dungeons and dragons and we had just encountered the Demogorgon, Lucas demanding I fire ball him and Dustin demanding I cast a protection spell. Mike continues with "the Demogorgon is done with your stupid human bickering!" "Fire ball" I demand throwing the dice a little to forcefully, in order to fire ball the Demogorgon I had to roll a 13, but it was a 7, Mrs. Wheeler yells at Mike to tell us to go home, so we pack up and don't say anything about the game. We hop on our bikes ready to leave, Lucas and Dustin get a head start and I say to Mike "It was a 7, the Demogorgon got me... " Mike looked upset but dismisses it and I start to leave "See you tomorrow". I catch up with Dustin, he offers to race and the prize was any comic, we head down the hill and I pass Dustin's house before he does I won the race, I shout to Dustin "You're X-men 134" I hear Dustin retort "Son of a bitch". I bike home quickly I notice my headlight on my bike turned off when I looked down the light turned on and I look up frightened I swerve off the road in to a tree. Frightened I get up from my bike and run home quickly, but I wasn't alone, I get in the house and yell for my mom and brother but neither are home. I pick up the phone to call the police but there is nothing but a buzzing noise on the line, the dog begins to bark at the front door, I look at the door and see a large black silhouette opening the latch lock from the outside without touching the door. I run outside to the shed, I fumble but quickly get to my feet and load my rifle, the thing that followed me was there. It was in there with me, the lights flicker, off, on, off, the thing grabbed me and disappeared into the darkness. The Demogorgon, it got me.