SERENDIPITY | WILL BYERS ³ ✔

The Flayed - [Pt.1]

"Up to us to do what, exactly?" Mike asked.

"Find Billy and stop him."

"Okay, yeah, that's a really nice sentiment, but even if El could find him again, and that's a pretty big if, then what?"

"We burn the shit out of him, and make sure he doesn't escape this time."

"Okay, then what?"

"Then we win."

"No, see, that's the problem. We don't. We don't win. We got the Mind Flayer out of Will before and he just came right back. We don't just have to stop Billy, we have to stop the Mind Flayer."

"How in the hell do we do that?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe El does." Will suggested.

Then everyone looked at the door.

"What are they still doing in there?" Mike asked.

"Why does it matter?" I muttered. Mike scoffed at me.

Lucas got up. "I don't know. Girls just like hanging out in bathrooms."

I got up. "Wha-- That's so random," I stated. I, of course, was ignored.

"Why?" Mike asked.

"I mean, I don't know."

"They're conspiring against me." Mike said.

I rolled my eyes.

"That's what you're concerned about now?" Will whisper shouted.

"It's not my main concern, it's just a sub concern." Mike retorted.

"So the Mind Flayer's back, your friend's brother is flayed, and you're worried about your relationship status?" I questioned.

"It's none of your concern!" Mike snapped.

I tried not to show it, but every time he said that, it stung.

"I thought it was already over!" Will continued.

"It's not over, okay? We're just taking a break."

"She said she dumped your ass, that doesn't sound like a break!"

"It wasn't!" We heard from the bathroom. It was Max. "You guys do realize we can still hear everything you're saying, right?" She giggled.

I also heard El giggle.

Honestly, what the hell am I still doing here?

"Conspiring." Mike concluded. "I told you, they're conspiring."

Then there was another knock at the door.

"NOT NOW, MOM!" Mike shouted.

"Mike, open the door." It was Nancy. She sounded desperate.

Mike went up to open the door.

-

So now, Nancy and Jonathan are with us.

So apparently, a Mrs. Driscoll went crazy after getting poisoned by some rat.

"It was the same thing, the exact same thing that happened to Will last year." Nancy said. She the showed us some tests. "And look at this. Look at the body temperatures." It showed... 95˚? That's freaking cold!

"He likes it cold." Will said.

"Okay, so this crazy old woman who was eating fertilizer--" Mike began.

"Mrs. Driscoll." Nancy corrected.

"Right, yeah, Mrs. Driscoll, what time was this attack?"

"Last night."

"Right, but what time last night?"

"Around 9:00."

"You waited all night to call?" Jonathan asked.

Wait, he wasn't with her?

"I was waiting for the doctors to run some tests." Nancy replied.

"You weren't there?" Will questioned Jonathan.

"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Jonathan replied.

"Hallelujah," Nancy said, sarcastically.

"Ooh." Lucas said, making a painful face.

"Um, so, wha-- what time was your... sauna test?" Nancy asked, changing the topic.

"Around 9:00," Everyone answered.

"Well, that proves it. That proves my theory."

"She's flayed, just like Billy." Mike said.

"Flayed?" Jonathan asked.

"The Mind Flayer. He flays people. Takes over their mind." Mike responded. "Once they do that, they basically become him."

"If  there are two flayed--" Lucas began.

"We have to assume there are more." Will finished.

"Heather," El said, as if in thought. "Billy was doing something to her. She was scared. She was screaming. Bad screams."

"What's a good scream?" Lucas asked.

"Max said--"

"Doesn't matter." Max interrupted.

You know, I have a thought on where that was going.

"I'm sorry, I'm lost. Who is Heather?" Nancy asked.

"She's a lifeguard at the pool." Max said.

"Heather Holloway?" Nancy asked, shocked.

We all nodded. Nancy and Jonathan looked at each other. "Tom," They said.

Then they ushered us out to the car, because we decided to head to their house.

And before I got a seat, they were all taking, so now, I was stuck with Will and Mike in the back.

Great.

"Seriously?" Mike said.

"Welcome to my world," Will said, and I sighed, as we headed into the trunk.

Wow, deja vu.

I was next to the backseat, and next to Will, and Mike was across us.

"Deja vu," I said to myself, remembering the time last year, when Max was driving, and I was stuck in the trunk, and nearly died.

"What?" Will asked.

"Nothing," I said. "Let's just say Max nearly killed me while driving last year."

"But she was only 13," Will said. "How was she driving?"

"Another story for another day," I said. He looked confused, but brushed it off.

"Seat belts," Nancy said, and everyone buckled, except for me, because I HAD NO DAMN SEAT BELT.

Great!

Nancy then started driving, and I tried to refrain myself from flying around in the back, all over Will and Mike, like last year, when Max almost killed me.

It's already bad enough by the circumstances.