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NONE OF THIS MADE ANY SENSE.

Isadora paced restlessly, her mind swirling with the chaos of recent events. The Mind Flayer, Billy's possession, Eleven's extraordinary abilities—it was all too much to comprehend. Each step felt heavier than the last as she moved back and forth in the dimly lit room, her heart racing. As she continued her anxious movement, the others gathered around Eleven, who was concentrating on locating Hopper, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Are you okay?" Laura asked.

"Yes... no... I don't know. None of this makes sense! How can you be so calm? Aren't you freaked out by any of this?" Isadora's voice rose in frustration, each word tumbling out in a rush.

"Not really. Besides, maybe if I help save Billy, he'll finally notice me," Laura replied, her eyes sparkling with a mix of hope and determination.

"Seriously? Why do you even want him to notice you?" Isadora shot back, bewildered by Laura's casual attitude.

"I've had a crush on him since I was eight! I just want him to know I exist," Laura shrugged, her cheeks flushing slightly as she averted her gaze.

"Laura, Billy is way too old for you," Isadora reminded her, incredulous at the young girl's infatuation.

"I know, but—" Laura sighed, her demeanour turning introspective as Isadora halted to look at her.

"Sorry, that was harsh," Isadora murmured, feeling a pang of guilt for being so blunt.

"I found him!" Eleven exclaimed suddenly, interrupting the tension. Isadora turned to see Eleven walking toward Max, who stood nearby, and the blonde joined them.

"Where is he?" Max asked, her voice tinged with urgency.

"In the woods," Eleven replied, her tone calm and collected.

"In the woods?" Isadora echoed, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"With... Will's mom," Eleven clarified, glancing at Will, whose eyes widened in shock.

"My mom?" Will asked, his voice rising in disbelief, and Isadora looked toward Hazel, who merely shrugged.

"What are they doing?" Isadora pressed, her anxiety growing.

"Ill... annoy. They're going to Ill-annoy," Eleven explained, her tone casual as if they were discussing the weather.

"Mike, breakfast!" Karen Wheeler called from the kitchen.

"Not now, Mom!" Mike shouted back, his voice filled with annoyance. Isadora groaned, her pacing resuming as she contemplated how to confront the Mind Flayer and save Billy. Each step felt more futile than the last. In that moment, she realised that Hazel knew more than she had let on, and the revelation caused Isadora to stop in her tracks, clenching her fists as she processed the secret keeping. A wave of betrayal washed over her.

Meanwhile, Mike was still focused on Eleven, "Illinois? Like the state?"

"Ill-annoy," Eleven reiterated, shrugging as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Come on, let's get you cleaned up," Max said, taking Eleven by the arm and leading her to the bathroom. Isadora continued to pace, mentally revisiting everything that had happened. Mike remained agitated, pacing as he vented.

"Something's off. I can't get Hopper to leave me alone all summer, and now suddenly, he's hiking with Will's mom to Illinois? Dustin and Ellie are MIA? This can't be a coincidence." His frustration was palpable, each word sharp with irritation.

"What does it matter? The point is, they're not here. It's up to us," Lucas interjected, his voice steady as he tried to rally the group.

"Ellie? Wait... she knows all of this?" Isadora asked Hazel, who nodded, a grave expression on her face.

Isadora furrowed her brows and turned to Lucas, crossing her arms defensively. "So, what exactly is up to us?"

"Finding Billy and stopping him," Lucas stated confidently, his tone unwavering.

"That's great, but even if El manages to find him again—and that's a big if—then what?" Isadora countered, her skepticism growing.

"We burn the crap out of him and make sure he doesn't escape this time," Lucas replied, his determination shining through.

"And then what?" Isadora pressed, her frustration rising again.

"Then we win," Lucas insisted, a hint of bravado in his voice.

Isadora stopped pacing, turning to face him, just as Mike chimed in again.

"No, that's the issue. We don't win. We managed to get the Mind Flayer out of Will before, and he just came back. We can't just stop Billy; we have to stop the Mind Flayer too."

"How on earth do we do that?" Isadora asked, frustration creeping into her voice as she threw her hands up in exasperation.

"I don't know," Mike admitted, running a hand through his hair.

"Maybe El knows," Lucas suggested, glancing toward Eleven, who had just returned from the bathroom, her face freshly washed.

"Just promise me we won't kill him," Isadora said softly, her heart heavy. She looked around the group, meeting each gaze with urgency. They all fell silent, and Isadora nodded slowly, sensing that they might not have a choice.

"What are they doing in there?" Mike asked, annoyance creeping into his voice as he leaned against the wall.

"I don't know. Girls just like hanging out in bathrooms," Lucas shrugged, trying to lighten the mood.

"Why?" Mike pressed, sounding genuinely puzzled.

"I don't know," Lucas replied, shaking his head.

"They're conspiring against me," Mike said, clearly irked.

"That's your main concern right now?" Isadora scoffed, exasperated.

"It's not my main concern, just a side concern," Mike insisted.

"I thought it was over."

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

"She said she dumped you," Will chimed in.

"Yeah, sounds like a break-up to me," Hazel remarked, rolling her eyes at Isadora, who managed a half-smile before returning to her pacing.

"It was a break-up!" Max shouted from the bathroom, her voice rising above the chatter, "You do realise we can still hear you, right?"

"Conspiring, I told you they're conspiring," Mike muttered, just as there was a knock at the door.

"Not now, Mom!" he yelled in frustration.

"Mike, open the door!" Nancy insisted, her tone brokering no argument.

He quickly dashed upstairs to open the door, revealing Nancy and Jonathan, both looking serious.

"Oh, great. So Nancy and Jonathan are in on this too?" Isadora remarked, exasperated.

"Uh, yeah," Hazel confirmed, making Isadora frown but nod in acknowledgment. She plopped down on the couch with the others as Nancy began explaining.

"It's the same thing that happened to Will last year. Look at this," Nancy said, holding up a paper with body temperature readings scrawled across it.

"This happened to Will last year?" Isadora asked, concern washing over her.

"He likes it cold," Will replied, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Or just ignore me, that's fine too," Isadora muttered, intertwining her fingers as she rested her chin on them, frustration evident in her posture.

"Okay, so this crazy old woman eating fertiliser—"

"Mrs. Driscoll," Nancy clarified, her voice steady and focused.

"Right, Mrs. Driscoll. What time did this attack happen?" Jonathan asked, turning serious.

"Last night," Nancy responded.

"But what time last night?" Jonathan pressed, his brow furrowing.

"Around 9:00," Nancy replied, the tension in the room thickening.

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

"I was waiting for the doctors to run tests," Nancy shot back defensively, her cheeks flushed.

"You weren't there?" Will questioned, his eyes narrowing.

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

"Hallelujah," Nancy mumbled sarcastically.

"Ooh."

"So what time was your... sauna test?" Nancy asked the group, attempting to piece together the timeline.

"Uh, I think it was around 9:00," Isadora said, her voice steady.

"That proves it. That proves my theory," Nancy concluded, her eyes gleaming with determination.

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

"Flayed?" Isadora echoed, puzzled.

"The Mind Flayer. He flays people and takes over their minds. Once that happens, they basically become him," Lucas explained, his face serious.

"If there are two flayed—"

"We have to assume there are more," Hazel added, her voice laced with concern.

"Heather. Billy was doing something to her," Eleven said suddenly, capturing everyone's attention. She detailed what she had witnessed, her voice trembling with emotion, "She was scared. She was screaming. Bad screams."

"What's a good scream?" Lucas asked, his curiosity evident.

"Max said—"

"Doesn't matter," Max interrupted, shaking her head.

"Max, I'd prefer if you didn't teach Eleven about good screams," Hazel groaned, trying to lighten the mood.

"How do you know about good screams, Max?" Isadora asked incredulously, causing Max to turn towards her and raise an eyebrow.

"I'm sorry, I'm lost. Who is Heather?" Nancy queried, looking bewildered.

"She's a lifeguard at the pool," Isadora explained.

"Heather Holloway," Max added, which made Nancy and Jonathan exchange worried glances.

"Tom," they said in unison.

"What?" Isadora asked, confusion etched on her face.

Nancy and Jonathan quickly filled the group in on the situation regarding Tom Holloway, and soon they rushed outside, piling into the car.

"Seatbelts," Nancy instructed. They complied, fastening themselves as Nancy backed out of the driveway.

"Where are we going?" Isadora asked, peering out the window as Nancy knocked over the younger teens' bikes.

No one answered, and Isadora felt irritation brewing as they ignored her question. They soon arrived at the Holloway house, disembarking and heading to the front door. Isadora watched as Nancy rang the doorbell. After a brief pause, Nancy glanced at Eleven, who nodded and used her powers to force the door open. The group made their way inside, the tension palpable.

"Tom?" Nancy called out, her voice echoing in the silence.

"I don't like this. Something feels off," Isadora said, anxiety clawing at her insides as they navigated through the house.

"Heather?" Nancy shouted, her voice rising in urgency.

"Jesus, it's freezing," Max remarked, rubbing her arms as if to ward off the chill.

"Do you smell that?" Nancy asked as they entered the dining room, prompting Isadora to wrinkle her nose at the foul stench wafting through the house. She quickly covered her nose as the odour stung her nostrils.

"What the hell?" Isadora exclaimed, the scent overwhelming her senses.

"More chemicals," Nancy noted, her tone grave.

"You think they're drinking this stuff?" Jonathan speculated, inspecting one of the containers, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Yeah, or they went on a cleaning spree," Nancy replied, her gaze narrowing as she assessed the scene.

"But last year, Will didn't drink chemicals," Hazel pointed out, her voice steady.

"Did you?" Max teased, her tone light but her eyes serious.

"No, this is something new," Will insisted, shaking his head.

"Mr. Clarke, fifth grade, said that when you mix chemicals together—" Mike began.

"You create a new substance," Lucas and Will completed in unison, their voices steady.

"What if they're making something?"

"In themselves? If you drink this, you'll die," Max said, her voice edged with concern.

"Yeah, if you're human," Lucas countered, glancing around nervously.

As the group continued through the home, a pulsating sound filled the air, unnoticed as they walked past a dining table cluttered with spilled wine and leftover food, heading into the living room.

"Blood," Nancy said, crouching to inspect some drops on the floor, her expression grim. "Tom had a bandage on his head yesterday. He was attacked."

"Wait... we're not actually going to follow the blood trail, are we? Haven't any of you ever seen a horror movie? You don't follow the blood trail ... or just keep ignoring me like you have been all morning," Isadora lamented, exasperated, as the group walked past her, heading towards the blood trail. She groaned, throwing her hands up in resignation before following them into the garage, unwilling to be left alone.

"They must've tied them. They must've taken them somewhere," Jonathan told the group, his voice filled with urgency.

"Mrs. Driscoll; she kept saying I have to go back. What if the flaying, it takes place somewhere else? There must be a place where all this started, right? A source," Nancy said, her eyes filled with determination.

"Somewhere he didn't want me to see," Eleven nodded, her voice steady despite the fear evident in her eyes.

"If we can find the source, then maybe we can stop him or at least stop it from spreading or doing whatever the hell he's doing with those chemicals," Nancy said, her resolve growing stronger.

"How do we find it?" Lucas asked, glancing at the group.

"Mrs. Driscoll. If she wants to go back so badly, why don't we let her?" Will suggested, the plan taking shape.

The group nodded in agreement before leaving the Holloway House and heading to the car together, ready to confront whatever awaited them. As Isadora squeezed into the car beside Hazel, she nudged her friend, who turned to look at the blonde.

"Do Steve and Kendra know about the Mind Flayer?" Isadora asked, her voice filled with urgency.

"Uh... yeah," Hazel nodded, her tone cautious.

"And none of you thought to tell me? How long have you known?" Isadora pressed, her frustration bubbling to the surface.

"Since Will disappeared. We decided not to tell you because we thought it was the best way to protect you from everything," Hazel said, her eyes pleading for understanding.

"Will's disappearance? You mean back in '83, the same year my mom died? You kept this from me for two years to protect me? All this time, my best friends have been keeping secrets from me?" Isadora asked, her emotions swirling as a mix of betrayal and hurt settled in.

Hazel opened her mouth to respond, but just then, Nancy pulled up at the hospital. Isadora got out of the car, her heart racing, and followed the group inside, trailing them past a nurse who was on the phone at the front desk.

"No, that's not mean. That's honest. She won't find out. You're the only one who got—Whoa! Excuse me, where do you think you're going?" the nurse barked, her tone abrupt.

"Oh, um... I was just going to visit my grandma, and this—this is my family," Nancy said, motioning to the group.

"Extended," Lucas chimed in.

"I don't care who they are; you know the rules. Two visitors at a time," the nurse stated firmly, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, but—"

"Two! This child has lost her mind. She brought a whole zoo in here," the nurse remarked before returning her attention to the phone.

The group exchanged glances before deciding that Nancy and Jonathan would go to see Mrs. Driscoll while the rest of them waited in the lobby. Isadora chose a chair in the corner, sitting alone as Hazel approached. Before she could say anything, Max sat down beside Isadora.

"Hi," Max said softly, her expression sympathetic.

"I don't understand how you can all be so calm about this. How can any of you be so calm?" Isadora asked, her frustration evident.

"Trust me, I know how you're feeling. When I first learned about the Mind Flayer, I didn't believe it either. I wanted to check on you after what happened in the sauna last night," Max said, her voice filled with understanding.

"I... I want to save Billy, but what if we can't, Max? I don't want to have to kill him, but what if we are left with no choice?" Isadora expressed her fears, her voice trembling slightly.

"Can I tell you something? You have to promise not to tell anyone," Max said, lowering her voice to a whisper.

"Y-Yeah, of course," Isadora nodded, intrigued.

"Billy, before he met you, he used to make my life a living hell. Issi, I used to lie awake at night wishing something bad would happen to him, but I never imagined this would happen," Max confessed, her eyes reflecting a mix of regret and empathy.

"Max, this... none of this is your fault, and I don't blame you for any of it, not even for wanting something bad to happen to Billy. Do you... do you think we can save him?" Isadora asked, her eyes searching Max's for hope.

Max hesitated, looking at her hands, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. "I want to believe we can, like we saved Will last year, but I'm not sure we will," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Isadora nodded, the uncertainty hanging heavy in the air, before looking over to where Eleven was. She saw Eleven using her powers on the vending machine, desperately trying to get some snacks for Mike, who had been struggling to extract anything from the stubborn machine. She half-smiled at the sight, despite the fact that Eleven having powers didn't make any logical sense to her.

Suddenly, the lights started flickering above them, and Isadora looked up, her heart racing. Will walked forward, his attention focused on the flickering lights. As she watched them pulse, Isadora felt an unsettling sense of dread creeping in, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something terrible was about to happen.

"Did you see that?" Will asked, glancing back at the group, his eyes wide with concern.

"What? The lights?" Isadora replied, her heart pounding.

"They're flickering, and it feels like something's... off," Will said, his brow furrowing.

"Maybe it's just a power surge," Max suggested, but her tone lacked conviction.

"No, it feels like more than that," Will insisted, stepping closer to the group. "Like something is coming."

As the lights continued to flicker, Isadora's gut twisted in fear. She could feel the tension in the air, thick and electric, and it was as if the world around them was holding its breath. She glanced around at her friends, each one wearing an expression of concern, fear, or uncertainty. The flickering lights were a warning, and deep down, she knew it.

"We need to be ready," Isadora said, her voice steady despite the fear that gripped her. "If the Mind Flayer is coming, we need to prepare."

"But how?" Lucas asked, his voice tinged with panic.

"We fight back. We protect each other. That's all we can do," Isadora replied, determination rising within her.

The flickering lights continued, casting eerie shadows on the walls as the group huddled closer together, ready to face whatever came next. In that moment, Isadora realised they were all in this together, and together they would find a way to confront the darkness ahead.

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Is for most of this season tbh: what the hell? What's going on?

Enjoy! Xo

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