Stranger Things 4

Episode 1: Reunited (Part Two)

Joyce sighed softly as she focused on the dark road in front of her that was being illuminated by bright headlights. The road seemed to stretch on for miles and miles in front of her, just as her thoughts did. Even though it would be good to visit Hawkins after being away from it for six months, the longest Joyce had ever been away from her hometown, doubts and worries planted themselves in her head. Hawkins held terrible memories for her everywhere she went. Her old house resurfaced Will's disappearance, a time where Joyce had lost herself and barely gained herself back when her son was finally found. Will's old middle school reminded her of his episodes, situations where Joyce couldn't help Will because he was stuck in the one place she couldn't reach, his mind. And then there was the Lab. The lab where she lost two people very important to her, two people she had grown to l..
"Mom, are we close?" Joyce's thoughts were interrupted by Will, who had woken up from a long nap. Joyce smiled, a ritual in which she performed almost every time Will spoke and called her mom. There was a time where she was certain that she would never hear that voice again. "Well, we are about thirty minutes away, Will. So, I would say we are close." Joyce answered, the smile still evident on her face. "Okay." Will mumbled drowsily as he allowed sleep to claim him again. Joyce craned her neck to get a glimpse of him in the back seat with El, who currently had her head leaned on Will's shoulder. At first, Joyce wasn't sure what Jonathan and Will would think of the new addition to their family. She found herself wishing and hoping that it would work out for El, and for Hopper. El needed a family and Joyce would make sure that the Byers would be that for her. For the first few weeks after the move, El was distant and sad, moving around the house in a distracted daze. However, as time passed, El's eyes became more clear and bright, and her smile transformed into something not forced, but real. She listened attentively as Joyce would tell her wild stories about Hopper as a teenager, sang along happily as Jonathan played songs for her, and giggled for the first time in months as Will taught her how to draw and make her own character for when they would play D&D again, which they named El The Extraordinary. Joyce watched as El became a happy, carefree kid again. The Byers began to develop a love for El, a love that was meant for a sister, a daughter, a member of a family. And soon, they became just that. A family.
Joyce slowly grinned and tears resurfaced in her eyes as she looked at each of them. Jonathan, Will, and El. She had admit to that had a nice ring to it. As her car passed the Welcome To Hawkins sign, the anxiety ridden thoughts of before disappeared. Instead, only one thought remained. Wherever you are, I want you to know that El is happy and safe. I hope that you are too, Hopper. And with that, Joyce drove to Hawkins, the place where everything had began and ended for her.

Will wasn't actually asleep. He was thinking, wondering. Since he was last in Hawkins, everything was different. He had a group of friends that would play Dungeons & Dragons together from sunrise to sundown, laughing and joking the whole time. That was before though. Before the Demogorgon. Before the Upside Down. Before the Mind Flayer. Even when Will had finally recovered, his friendship was ruined because of two stupid girls, girls he had grown to hate. The hatred didn't last long though, not long at all. Once he saw how El would sacrifice anything to save him and his friends and how perfectly Max fit into their party, Will began to have second thoughts. Those thoughts multiplied when El was sent to live with him after Hopper died. For the first few days after his death, El was completely broken and lost, unable to leave her room. Will knew exactly how that felt. He knew what is was like to be stuck in the dark with no light in sight. Encouraged by the feeling of loneliness he felt for all those months after being stuck in the Upside Down, he bravely journeyed to El's room and talked to her about everything. It was the first time he had heard El speak more than just a few words, and he discovered that she had a lot to say that night. Will listened to every single word she said though, and when the time came, Will spoke too. For the first time in forever, he spoke to a person who heard and actually understood what he was saying. Soon enough, their nightly talks became a daily ritual, straying from serious conversations to jokes and crazy stories being shared amongst each other. Soon enough, El was no longer just a stranger to Will. She was a friend, a sister, and Will had to admit he liked it that way.

Will smiled as he glanced over at El, who was softly sleeping with her head on his shoulder. Sure, everything was different since he had been in his hometown, but maybe, just maybe that was okay. After only a few seconds, Will's smile and happy thoughts vanished as his neck began to experience a strange sensation. It only too him a few seconds to fully identify what it truly was. The sensation on his neck was tingling. Will let his fingers graze his neck just to confirm his terrifying suspicions. All he could feel were goosebumps.

Just as Joyce's car zipped passed the entrance sign to Hawkins, a dark figure emerged from the trees on the right side of the rode. It watched observably as the car zoomed down the rode and out of sight, going straight towards Hawkins. Desperate to keep in vehicle in its sight, the figure silently jogged along the side of the rode while being successfully hidden by the dark cloak of night. The speed of the car was not something that the figure could compete with, but it knew where it was headed. It also knew something else too. Eleven had finally returned home. The figure smiled with ease and allowed itself a little satisfaction. After all, Eleven was just the person the figure was looking for.

(Author's Note) Hello, readers! I apologize if these first chapters have been boring or slow. They are just getting everything set up for the story and I promise they will get more lengthy and interesting. Anyways, thank you so much for reading! Stay tuned for the next chapter!