"Something is hungry for blood. A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness. It is almost here." A boy named Mike Wheeler yelled from next to me. We were playing DND and we have been playing for 10 hours.

"What if it's the Demogorgon? Oh, Jesus, we're so screwed if it's the Demogorgon." A boy named Dustin Henderson said. I had a massive crush on him only my best friend Will Byers knew. But one thing Will didn't know was that I had a small crush on Lucas as well.

"It's not the Demogorgon." I answered for my best friend Lucas Sinclair. 

"An army of Troglodytes into the chamber!" Mike yelled.

"Troglodytes?" Dustin asked looking between the group.

"Told ya." I answered laughing. Dustin snorts from beside me and everyone joined in laughing. I am just happy my dad let me come out on a school night. Ever since I came out of the lab when I was 9 dad has been panicking because he didn't want anything bad to happen to me. I was almost adopted by Will's family before they found out Hopper was my real dad and that is where I ended up.

"(softly) Wait a minute. Did you hear that? That...that sound? Boom...Boom...(yells) Boom!" Mike yelled and slammed on the table. "That didn't come from the Troglodytes. No, that...that came from something else. The Demogorgon!" We all started groaning.

"We're in deep shit." I answered. Dustin nodded his head agreeing with me.

"Will, your action!" Mike yelled to Will.

"I don't know!" Will yelled.

"Fireball him." Lucas yelled.

"I'd had to roll a 13 or higher!" Will answered.

"Too risky. Cast a protection spell." Dustin yelled.

"Don't be a pussy. Fireball him." Lucas yelled. I was helping Mike in the campaign so I was sitting next to him not saying anything.

"The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering! It stomps towards you. Boom!" I yelled.

"Fireball him!" Lucas carried on.

"Another stomp, boom!" Mike yelled.

"Cast protection!" Dustin yelled.

"He roars in anger!" I yelled. We all started clamouring.

"Fireball!" Will yelled and the dice clattering.

"Oh, shit!" Mike yelled. I just watched the boys laughing.

"Where'd it go? Where is it?" Lucas asked.

"I don't know!" Will answered.

"Is it a 13?" I asked the boys.

"I don't know!" Will answered.

"Oh, my god." Dustin continued.

"Mike Alex!" Karen Wheeler yelled to us. The wheeler home was like my second home I had a room here just in case my dad had a night shift and I needed to stay somewhere since he didn't trust me on my own yet.

"Oh, my god! Oh, my god!" Dustin yelled.

"Mom, we're in the middle of a campaign!" I yelled. I always called Karen mom since my mom left me after my sister sadly died and I haven't seen her since. Joyce Byer was also like a mom to me since I was ether at Mike's or Will's house when my dad had to do his job as chief of police. 

"You mean end it? Fifteen after." Karen carried on. Me and Mike ran after her. We couldn't hear what Lucas or Will said.

"Mom, wait, just 20 more minutes." Mike started.

"It's a school night, Alexander Michael. I just put Holly to bed. You can finish next weekend." Karen answered.

"But that'll ruin the flow!" I answered.

"Alexander Michael-" She tried.

"We're serious, mom. The campaign took two weeks to plan. How was we supposed to know it was gonna take ten hours?" I asked.

"You've been playing for ten hours?" She asked.

"Dad, don't you think that 20 more--" Mike tried.

"I think you should listen to your mother." Ted answered. Static starts crackling on the tv. "(grunts) Dang dumb piece of junk." Me and Mike walked to the garage to say bye to the boys since I was staying at Mikes since dad was working late again and it would be late when he would be off.

"There's something wrong with your sister." Dustin started.

"What are you talking about?" Mike asked.

"She's got a stick up her butt." Dustin answered.

"Yeah. It's because she's been dating that douchebag. Steve Harrington." I continued. 

"Yeah, she's turning into a real jerk." Dustin carried on. 

"She's always been a real jerk." I answered. Me and Nancy used to be close before she got a boyfriend then she stopped talking to me at all. 

"Nuh-uh, she used to be cool. Like that time she dressed up as an elf for our elder tree campaign." Dustin tried.

"Four years ago!" I answered.

"Just saying." Dustin carried on.

"Later." Lucas said riding away with Dustin.

"It was a seven." Will piped up.

"Huh?" Mike asked.

"The roll, it was a seven. The Demogorgon, it got me. (grunts) See you tomorrow." Will answered riding away. Me and Mike walked inside and went to our separate rooms.

I went home in the middle of the night because dad wanted me home for some thing. So I went home with him. I woke up earlier then usual probably because I knew I would have to get dad up. I walked into the living room to see the news on the tv.

"Right dad get up." I said pushing him off the couch. The news continued in the background. Dad thankfully got up after a groan and he got ready. It was basically like this every morning. He would be asleep on the couch and I would have to wake him up. I left an hour or so before I would of used my Walkman to talk to Mike and rode on my bike to his house. I let myself in with the key and I could here the phone ringing I walked into the kitchen.

"That's disgusting." Nancy said as I walked in.

"You're disgusting." I answered sitting down at the chair I would normally sit at. Karen was on the phone.

"What the hell, Alex." Nancy replied.

"Hey." Ted said to Nancy.

"Quite!" Karen yelled to us.

"language." Ted said.

"Are you kidding?" Nancy asked.

"Will? No, no, no. It's just Mike and Alex." I hared Karen say to Joyce. Me Mike Dustin and Lucas arrived at the school and we hared the bell ring.

"That's weird. I don't see him." Mike piped up. 

"I'm telling you, his mom's right. He probably just went to class early again." Lucas responded. 

"Yeah, he's always paranoid Grusky's gonna give him another pop quick." I carried on walking towards school stopping noticing Troy and James walking to us.

"Step right up, ladies and gentleman. Step right up and get your tickets for the freak show. Who do you think would make more money in a freak show?" Troy asked stopping in front of us. I just looked at him. "Midnight, Frogface, or Toothless." He forgot me since he is scared of me.

"I told you a million times, my teeth are coming in. It's called cleidocranial dysplasia." Dustin tried.

"(mimicking Dustin) I told you a million times." James said. I walked up behind James and pulled his arm backwords.

"Right you will listen to me you will leave these boy's alone if I hear you haven't left these boy's alone there will be trouble got it." I started not letting his arm go. "I said do you understand." 

"Yes I understand." James answered scared. Troy looked at me scared.

"Right now fuck off before the trouble starts now." I carried on letting James arm. James and Troy ran off scared.

"Assholes." Lucas said as they ran away.

"I think it's kind of cool. It's like you have a superpowers or something. Like Mr. Fantastic." Mike said smiling at me.

"Yeah, except I can't be evil with it." Dustin answered giving me a high five. The bell rang for the end of class.

"Remember, finish chapter 12 and answer 12.3 on the difference between an experiment and other form of science investigation. This will be on the test, which will cover chapters 10 through 12 (trailing off) it will be multiple choice with an essay question." Mr Clark went on during science.

"So, did it come?" I asked as we walked up to his desk.

"Sorry, boys and girl. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...it came." Mr. Clark answered. We started walking to it.

"Yes!" Me and Mike exclaimed.

"The Heathkit ham shack." Sir carried on.

"Whoa." I said walking in.

"Ain't she a beaut?" Mr. Clark asked.

"I bet you can talk to New York on this thing." Dustin answered.

"Think bigger." Mr. Clark carried on.

"California?" I asked.

"Bigger." Sir continued.

"Australia?" Mike asked. Sir nodded and we all cheered.

"Oh, man! When Will see's this, he's totally gonna blow his shit." I continued.

"Alex." Sir carried on.

"Sorry." I continued. Dustin started laughing.

"(Australian accent) Hello, this is Mike Wheeler, president of Hawking's Middle AV Club." Mike starts.

"What are you doing?" Lucas asked.

"(Australian accent) Hello, this is Alex, and this is secretary and treasurer of Hawking's AC Club. Do you eat kangaroos for breakfast?" I asked. Mike laughs then there was a knock at the door.

"Sorry to interrupt, but, uh, may I borrow Michael, Alexander Lucas and Dustin?" Principal Coleman asked. We walked to the principal's office I saw dad and curled into the chair. The boys started talking over each other about Mike. I just said there looking at the ground. I could see dad kept looking at me.

"Okay, okay, okay. One at a time, all right? Alex what road does he take?" Dad asked.

"Mirkwood dad." I answered.

"Mirkwood?" Dad asked looking at me.

"Yeah." I continued.

"Have you ever heared of Mirkwood?" Dad asked Callahan I met him before when I used to go to the station with dad.

"I have not. That sounds made up to me." Callahan answered.

"No, it's from Lord of the rings." Lucas said getting it wrong.

"Well, The hobbit." I corrected him.

"It doesn't matter." Lucas carried on.

"He asked." Dustin butted in.

"(mockingly) He asked!" Lucas mocked.

"Shut up, guys." I yelled over the boys.

"Hey, Hey, Hey! What'd I just say?" Dad asked.

"Shut up." Lucas said looking at me.

"One at a damn time. Alex." Dad carried on.

"Mirkwood, it's a real road dad. It's just the name that's made up. It's where Cornwallis and Kerley meet." I explained.

"Yeah, all right, I think I know that--" Dad tries.

"We can show you, if you want." Mike butted in.

"I said that I know it." Dad answered.

"We can help look dad." I tried.

"Yeah." Dustin agreed.

"No." Dad answered I sighed. "No. After school you all go home. Immediately. That means no looking for your friend, no investigating, no nonsense. This isn't some Lord of the rings book." Dad answered. "Alex when you don't have AV you will be with me or at Mikes and no using your powers at all unless needed." Dad liked to have around him all the time so I'm safe.

"The Hobbit dad." I said correcting dad. 

"Shut up!" Dustin said.

"Hey!" Lucas butted in.

"Stop it." Mike tried. The boys started bickering. Dad could tell I was upset so I went up and hugged him sitting on his lap crying slightly into his neck like a little kid. 

"(Softly) Do I make myself clear? Do I make myself... clear?" Dad asked.

"Yes sir." Mike and Dustin answered.

"Yeah." Lucas answered I just nodded my head holding onto dad tight. I went with dad to Joyce's house since I wanted to be there. Because I saw something when I was biking to Mike's this morning that I think took Will. 

"It was just laying there?" Joyce asked not noticing me.

"Yeah. Cal?" Dad asked.

"Did it have any blood on it or--" Joyce tried.

"No, no, no, no, no, no...Phil?" Dad asked.

"If you found the bike out there, why are you here?" Jonathan asked.

"Well, he had a key to the house, right like my daughter has a key to my house?" Dad asked.

"Yeah so does Alex." Jonathan answered.

"So maybe he came home." Dad tried. I knew I had to get out the car.

"No he didn't come home last night or during the day my walk man would of went off in my bag if he did." I explained.

"What?" Jonathan asked.

"(sighs) When we became best friends we promised to contact each other when we arrived home we still keep the promise today. That is who he and I are talking to when we walk trough the door is each other." I explained more. 

"(stammers after Alex finished talking) You think I didn't check my own house?" Joyce asked.
"I'm not saying that. Has this always been here?" Dad asked.

"What? I don't know. Probably. I mean I have two boys and Alex. Look at the place." Joyce answered.

"You're not sure?" Dad asked. The dog starts barking I walked into the house still in hearing range.

"Hey. Hey. What's up with this guy. Huh and where did my daughter go?" Dad asked.

"Nothing, he's probably hungry and she's feeding him. Come on." Joyce answered. 

"Hey." Callahan said as I walked to dad again. 

"Jesus! Callahan trying to give me a scare." I said.

"What are you, death? I've been calling you both." Callahan answered.

"I've been feeding a dog so yes I'm death." I answered looking at him.

"What's going on? Hello? Are you sure you're okay, Chief?" Callahan asked.

"Listen, we want you to call Flo. He wants to get a search party together all right? All the volunteers she can muster. Bring flashlights too." I answered for dad, Callahan looked at me.

"Hey, you think we got a problem here?" He asked me. I just nodded. I went with dad that night since it was the first night knowing Will is missing.

"Will please." I yelled looking for him.

"Will Byers." A man yelled.

"Will." A second man yelled. 

"Will please I have that song you like for you please." I yelled again I saw Mr. Clarke so I walked up to him and dad.

"He's a good student. So is your daughter." Mr Clarke said just before I got to them.

"What?" Dad asked when I arrived.

"Will. He's a good student. Great one, actually so is miss Alex here. I don't think we met since I never see you around. Scott Clarke. Teacher, Hawkins's middle. Earth and biology." Sir answered.

"I always had a distaste for science." Dad started.

"Yeah because you say you have a bad teacher." I answer. 

"Yeah, Ms. Ratiff was a piece of work." Dad carried on.

"(chuckles) Ratiff? You bet. She's still kicking around believe it or not." Sir carried on.

"Oh, I believe it. Mummies never die, so they tell me. Sara, my youngest... Galaxies, the universe, whatnot...She always understood all that stuff. I always figured there was enough going on down here, I never needed to look else where." Dad explained I looked at sir and shook my head for him to not ask.

"Your youngest, what grade is she? Maybe. I'll get her in my class." Sir answered and he asked idiot.

"No, she, uh...She lives with her mom in the city. Thanks for coming out, Teach. We really appreciate it." Dad answered walking away. 

"She died a few years back Mr Clarke." I explained.

"Sorry?" He asked looking at me.

"My sister Sara dad's youngest." I answered. I hared my walkie talkie go off.

"Lucas Alex do you copy? It's Mike. Lucas Alex?" Mike asked. 

"Hey, it's Lucas." Lucas answered.

"I'm here over." I answered.

"I know it's you. And say over when you're done talking so I know when you're done. Like Alex over." Mike said.

"I'm done. Over." Lucas answered.

"I'm worried about Will. Over." Mike said.

"Dad got a team of people looking for Will my end. Over." I responded.

"Wait your helping looking for Will? Over." Lucas asked.

"I had to beg my ass off though how do you think I get things. Over." I answered. 

"(sighs) Yeah. It's crazy. Over." Lucas responded.

"My point is...He could've played it safe, but he didn't. He put himself in danger to help the party. Over." Mike explained. I ran to dad.

"I'm going home dad I can't be here it's cold and of the constant fear of never finding Will." I explained to dad saying half the truth.

"Just be safe and don't do anything stupid. Love you." Dad responded.

"Love you too dad." I answered running to my bike.

"Meet me in ten. Over and out." Lucas said. I biked to where Mike Lucas and Dustin were.

"Ah, man this is it." I said sighing. Thunder started rumbling.  

"Hey guys. You feel that? I think we should go back." Dustin yelled to us.

"No. We're going back. Just stay close. Come on. Just stay on channel six. Don't do anything stupid even though stupid is my middle name." I explained. 

"Will! Will!" Mike yelled.

"Byers!" Me and Lucas yelled.

"I got your X-Men 134! Guys, I really think we should turn back." Dustin said. 

"Seriously, Dustin? You want to be a baby, then go home already!" I yelled to him.

"Did you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad? And we're going to the exact same spot where he was last seen? And we have no weapons or anything?" Dustin asked. 

"Dustin, shut up." I yelled to him.

"I'm just saying, does that seem smart to you?" Dustin asked.

"Shut up. Shut up." I yelled. I hared rustling somewhere. "Did you guys hear that?" Dustin nodded and something came out and we all gasped.