𝟬𝟲
𝗰𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻!

    𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐀𝐒𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐓 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐋𝐃. Dimly lit by the single overhead lamp, the shadows it cast flickered and danced across the room, making it seem far more dramatic than it actually was. The familiar smell of slightly stale air mixed with the lingering scent of pizza boxes stacked on the edge of the table. Old board games were shoved in the corners, half-forgotten in favor of the boys' true obsession: Dungeons & Dragons.

    Tessa sat on the couch just outside the circle, her legs tucked beneath her, observing the scene unfold like an outsider peeking through the cracks of a window. She somehow agreed to at least spectate after Dustin's shameless pleading. She didn't quite understand it all—the frenzy with which they talked, the way their voices jumped in excitement and tumbled over one another in anticipation—but there was something magnetic about it. It was like the entire world had vanished beyond the confines of this basement, leaving only the story that Mike spun for his friends and the thrilling uncertainty of dice rolls.

    Mike stood at the head of the table, his face a mask of concentration and excitement as he described the next steps of the campaign. Lucas, Dustin, and Will were all hunched forward, completely captivated. Their eyes followed Mike's hands as they moved across the map, placing figurines with a precision that made it clear they had done this countless times before.

    Mike's voice, low and ominous, cut through the thick air like a sword. "Something is coming. Something hungry for blood. A shadow grows on the wall behind you, swallowing you in darkness. It is almost here."

    Tessa shifted in her seat, the eerie tone sending an unintentional shiver down her spine. She pulled her legs up beneath her, hugging her knees. Though she still didn't fully get the game, Mike's storytelling was hard to ignore.

    Will leaned forward, eyes wide, as though he was preparing himself for whatever horror was about to emerge from Mike's imagination. "What is it?" His voice came out shaky, a perfect match for the tension in the room.

    Dustin, who had been eyeing the board nervously for the past few minutes, finally cracked. "What if it's the Demogorgon?" His words came in a rush, his tone filled with that sort of half-serious panic he used whenever the game seemed to tip into real danger. "Oh, Jesus, we're so screwed if it's the Demogorgon."

    Tessa caught a glimpse of Lucas rolling his eyes. The flicker of his sarcastic smirk played on his lips as he leaned back in his chair. "It's not the Demogorgon," he said with casual certainty, as though that single statement was enough to dismiss all their worries.

    Mike leaned in, milking the tension for all it was worth. He grabbed a figurine from the table, holding it up for a dramatic pause. "An army of troglodytes charges into the chamber!" He slammed the figure down on the board with a satisfying bang.

    Dustin blinked at him, unimpressed. "Troglodytes?" he asked, his voice dripping with disbelief.

    Lucas smirked again. "Told ya'."

    The three boys snorted, the heavy atmosphere lifting for just a moment. Even Tessa cracked a smile at the ridiculousness of it all. Still, there was an undeniable magic to what was happening. The way Mike wove the story, pulling everyone into this shared fantasy, was something special. Despite herself, Tessa found it fascinating to watch.

    But Mike wasn't done yet.

    "Wait a minute..." Mike's voice grew quieter, the laughter at the table instantly dying down as they leaned in once again. "Do you hear that?" His eyes shifted around the room dramatically, landing on each of them in turn. "That... that sound... boom... boom... BOOM!" He drummed his fingers on the table, louder with each beat.

    Tessa's heart skipped a beat, though she knew it was just a game. It didn't matter. The tension in the air was thick, almost tangible. Even she could feel the pulse of anticipation thrumming beneath the surface.

    Mike paused for effect, savoring the collective held breath around the table. "That didn't come from the troglodytes... No, that... that came from something else..." He slammed a new figure onto the board with a resounding thud. "The Demogorgon!"

    Dustin's reaction was immediate. "We're in deep shit!" His voice was high-pitched, half serious, half joking, but there was real fear in his eyes.

    Mike's eyes flashed as he leaned across the table. "Will, your action!"

    Will hesitated, his fingers hovering over his dice, uncertain. "I don't know what to do," he admitted, the stress clear in his voice.

    "Fireball him!" Lucas urged, his excitement bubbling over. "Come on, Will!"

    Tessa leaned forward too, her gaze flicking to the dice in Will's trembling hand. She wasn't invested in the game itself, but she couldn't deny the rush of adrenaline in the room was contagious.

    "I'd have to roll a thirteen or higher!" Will's voice cracked slightly, the weight of the decision pressing down on him.

    "It's too risky," Dustin countered quickly, shaking his head. "Cast a protection spell."

    Lucas scoffed. "Don't be a pussy, fireball him!" His eyes flashed challengingly as he glared at Dustin.

    "Cast protection!" Dustin insisted, his arms crossed in front of him like he was daring anyone to challenge him.

    Mike interrupted the argument, his voice booming. "The Demogorgon is tired of your silly human bickering! It stomps towards you." He slammed his hand on the table again. "BOOM!"

    "Fireball him, Will!" Lucas was almost out of his seat now, his voice loud and urgent.

    "Cast protection!" Dustin argued back, the boys' voices overlapping in a frenzy.

    Mike's grin widened as he slammed his fist on the table again. "Another stomp! BOOM!"

    "Fireball him, Will!" Lucas shouted again, his eyes wild with excitement.

    "Cast protection!" Dustin repeated, equally determined.

    Tessa felt her heart race, not from fear but from the sheer energy of the room. The intensity of the moment was infectious, pulling her deeper into the game despite her earlier disinterest.

    Will finally grabbed the dice and shouted, "Fireball!" He hurled the die across the table, sending it flying through the air. The boys' eyes followed it as it bounced off the table's edge and vanished beneath the piles of wrappers and snacks littering the floor.

    Pandemonium ensued.

    "Where's the dice?" Lucas was on his feet, frantically searching the ground.

    "I don't know, I don't know!" Will's voice was shaky as he dropped to his knees, patting the ground in search of the runaway die.

    Dustin joined in, practically diving under the table, his hands rummaging through half-empty bags of chips. "I can't find it!" he yelped.

    Tessa, sitting on the sidelines, felt the urge to help but stayed where she was, not wanting to disrupt the boys' frantic search.

    The basement door creaked open, and Karen Wheeler's voice floated down the stairs like a sudden reality check. "Mike!"

    Mike sighed, shoulders slumping in frustration. "Mom, we're in the middle of a campaign!"

    "You mean the end," she called down, her voice firm and final. "It's fifteen after."

    Mike groaned, throwing an apologetic glance at the others before running upstairs to try to negotiate a few more minutes. "Just 20 more minutes, please!"

    While Mike was upstairs, Will suddenly let out a triumphant shout from under the table. "I found it!" He emerged, holding the die high above his head. "Does a seven count?"

    Lucas raised an eyebrow, eyeing him suspiciously. "Did Mike see it?"

    Will hesitated before shaking his head. "No..."

    "Then it doesn't count." Lucas stood, brushing off his jeans as if the matter was settled.

    Tessa chuckled softly from her corner, watching as the energy in the room shifted. The game was over, and reality began to seep back into the basement. She felt a strange sense of relief, though part of her wished they could've continued, if only to see how it would play out.

    Dustin, never one to let food go to waste, picked up the leftover pizza box. "Does anyone want this?"

    A chorus of "no"s echoed through the basement, and with that, the boys began gathering their things. Tessa watched as they shrugged into their jackets, the glow of the game night still lingering in the air.

    As they headed up the stairs, Lucas threw a glance over his shoulder at Tessa. "You coming?" he asked casually.

    For a moment, Tessa hesitated, the thrill of the game still buzzing in her veins. She wasn't sure why, but something about it had gotten to her. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all.

    "Yeah," she replied, standing up and following them, leaving behind the troglodytes and Demogorgons in the shadows of the Wheeler basement.

    "I'll teach you how to play sometime," Lucas offered, turning to Tessa.

    "Um, sure," Tessa acquiesced with a nod. She didn't mind, no, not really. She was just shocked at the change of events of being seated alone at a middle school cafeteria table to witnessing an intense Dungeons & Dragons game with a group of boys she didn't really know.

    Well she'd have to know them soon—either way.

.ೃ࿐ IRIS SPEAKS !

i procrastinated the shit out of writing the starting plot and it shows, like 5 chapters lmfao

anyways im writing this from only memory, only after rewatching everything 14 times so if anything is inaccurate, pretend it isnt

anywaysss, dont forget to comment n vote, kissess xo as alwayss