RUN [will byers x reader]

stranger

     Miles later, the three boys finally make it to the woods. The air was damp with wind, leaves ran at their feet as they walked up to the caution tape, it was connected by two trees, shielding what had been left at Wills disappearance. Whether it sagged from the sadness of the group or because of the weather, Dustin throws his bike down and refuses to move from his spot. 

    "changed my mind. I don't want to do this anymore."

     Mike turns around, an annoyed look on his face, "what?"

     Dustin's points to himself, then to the tape, "I can't go in there, if my mom sees even a scrape on me, she'll kill me- and then you!"

     Lucas rolls his eyes, "you're not going to get hurt Dustin, quit being a pussy!"

     Dustin scoffs, "I am not, I just...find it unreasonable to do it this late!"

     "So you rather us do it in the morning? where there will be people walking around, just waiting to see us?" Mike lifts up the tape and goes underneath it, then holds it up for Lucas to get under.

     Dustin hesitates, and says nothing. He jerks back out of nowhere and lifts a hand to his cheek. "You see that?" he shows his barely wet finger, "it's raining, and if my hair gets wet I-"

     "Dustin!" Both Mike and Lucas shouts, growing impatient. Mike groans and walks down the slope leaving Lucas behind.

     After a minute Lucas sighs, hitching up his backpack, "either you come with us or you stay, your pick." he turns to leave but stops, "if I were you I'd come, we don't know that whatever took Will is still here or not." he vanishes into the woods.

     Dustin stands there, he could no longer hear Mikes or Lucas' voices, them having ventured deeper into the forest. His bike still lays on the ground with one of the wheels spinning. He looks down at it and the lamp on the handles flickers, scaring him.

     "son of a bitch." he whines and kicks a rock at his foot, slowly making his way to the tape, "son of a bitch."

     He sighs, searching for every ounce of bravery he may have left- lifts up the tape, and leaves the comfort of the road.

     A couple of minutes later, Dustin huffs and puffs behind the group, continuously reminding them that this was a bad idea and that they should turn back. A minute later, it starts pouring. They couldn't see two feet in-front of them without getting gaps of rain. The ground was muddy and mushy, with each rain drop it covered up their tracks.

     Lucas shifts the hood of his raincoat, protecting his eyes from the water, "How much longer are we going to be out here Mike? I don't want to catch a cold."

     Dustin lets out a triumphant cheer, "finally! someone is finally on my side."

      "I'm not on any 'side', Dustin. I just have plans and I can't afford to get sick."

     "oh yeah? plans with what- your action figures?" his rebuttal was weak, but he gets a scoff from Lucas.

     Before he could respond though, Mike cuts both of them off by swiftly turning towards them, with his flashlight ahead of him; he accidently blinds them both. But pays no mind. "are you guys going to keep complaining or are we actually going to get this done? I don't want to be out here either but I'm doing this for Will. If one of us were in this situation you know that he would drop anything to help find us. So please, if you're going to keep complaining, leave."

     Both Lucas and Dustin sigh with guilt, their eyes finding interest in a squirrel trying to climb a tree. "You're right Mike," Lucas says, "We're sorry."

     Dustin nods his head slowly in agreement, "Yeah, sorry for being assholes."

     "It's okay just-" a twig snapping cuts Mike off and he freezes. He turns slowly towards the sound but can't hear anything else over the sound of the rain hitting the forest grounds. "Did you hear that?"

     Dustin goes still beside him, his voice filled with fear, "yeah...it came from the left."

     Lucas clicks his flashlight button again, turning up the brightness. His voice filled with uncertainty, "I doubt it was anything, I saw a squirrel not to long ago."

     Dustin spins in a circle, something wet gathers from under his eyes. Possibly rain water. "that was too loud for it to be a squirrel."

     He rolls his eyes and shoves Dustin lightly on the shoulder, "what, you scared?" he mocks.

     Dustin nods his head, "h'yeah? we are in the middle of nowhere, it's raining, and there could possibly be someone else here with us."

     "There's no one else here!"

CRRRACK!

     "guys?" Mike calls out to behind him, he had left the two arguing some feet away, and was wearily walking towards the sound. "guys?" he calls out again, but the two had already stopped talking, looking towards Mike. "you seein' this?"

     Dustin walks up closer to Mike, flashlight shinning on the thing Mike had stopped to stare at. At first he was confused, then his confusion contorted into one of fear. "Lucas?"

     "...Holy Shit."