𝟬𝟵
𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗸𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱

    𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐈𝐑 𝐅𝐄𝐋𝐓 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐃, and Tessa's whole being was alive with a nervous energy, her senses on high alert. She was ready—every fiber of her being was coiled, prepared to spring into action, ready to step into the dark unknown with the boys at her side. Her flashlight lay within reach, an old, metal casing that held an extra bulb just in case. Her sneakers were laced, dirt-streaked and rugged, the way she liked them, her feet itching for the familiar earth beneath the trees.

    She had anticipated the trees and shadows, the twisting branches clawing at the sky like skeletal hands, and the eerie quiet that would have swallowed their every footstep. Every moment since Will went missing had felt like one long, drawn-out heartbeat, pulsing in her veins with something she could only define as an uneasy thrill, and Tessa was poised to plunge into it headfirst.

    Which is why, instead, she was restless in her home.

    The plan was to be out, searching for Will. 

Will.

    She just hadn't seen the particular group of boys that were crucial for the search since they parted, so she stood, stuck in the house. Stuck in the house, unlike Lena. 

    Lena.

    Lena was social, Tessa knew. She was probably out with new friends, chugging some beer, not caring about anything else. She was like that. 

    The house was painfully quiet without Lena, a silent, stifling prison compared to the vast, haunted unknown of the forest where Will had disappeared. She paced the room, glancing out the window as if it would change, as if somehow her restless mind could pull her beyond those four walls by sheer force of will. She checked her watch, then glanced at the landline, half-expecting it to ring.

    Just then, a shrill sound split the silence, slicing through her anticipation. Her heart jumped as she reached for the phone, snatching it up with a hand that barely shook.

    "Tessa," Lucas's voice crackled through, his tone slightly breathless.

    "Lucas!" Relief washed over her, but his quick, urgent tone stopped her from relaxing completely.

    "Tessa, listen," he started, his words tumbling over each other, and she could practically see his brows knit in that way they always did when he was serious. "You missed a lot."

    "Missed what?" she asked, already feeling the knot of regret twisting tighter in her chest. She was aware that they were called to the principal's office with Hawkins' Deputy. Police's presence would be filling the room with a kind of authority that even she, in her stubbornness, wouldn't have dared to challenge. "Tell me everything."

    "The Chief of Police, Jim Hopper was there," Lucas said, lowering his voice as if afraid of being overheard even over the phone. "He said we're supposed to stay at home, not go looking for Will. Says he'll handle it."

    Tessa was taken aback. Of course the chief would want them safe, but why order them to stay indoors?

    "Right. A missing kid... makes sense he'd want to control things." She replied, more to herself than to Lucas. "But then... why are you calling me?"

    There was a pause, just long enough for her stomach to drop. She heard Lucas take a breath.

    "Because we're going anyway. I'll meet you by Mirkwood," he said, his voice carrying an edge she hadn't heard before, one that ignited something deep within her, reigniting the embers of anticipation.

    "Are you serious?" She felt the words leave her in a near-whisper, the weight of what they were doing settling on her shoulders. But Lucas had already hung up, leaving her alone with her own heartbeat pounding in her ears.

    In a flurry of movements, she changed out of her worn, everyday clothes, slipping into her sturdiest pair of jeans, and threw on her thickest jacket, the chill of the woods already creeping into her mind. Her fingers flew, tying the laces of her sneakers tighter this time, as if the act itself solidified her resolve. In her mind, she could already see the trees stretching up, could feel the weight of the darkness as it wrapped itself around them.

    Finally ready, she slipped out the front door, and the chill of the late autumn air hit her, crisp and bracing, a prelude to the darkness that lay ahead. The sky hung heavy with clouds, casting a muted grayness over the world, a shadow creeping across Hawkins as if it, too, sensed the impending storm.

    As she approached the agreed meeting spot, the boys came into view, clustered together under the tangled limbs of a sprawling oak tree, looking like explorers caught in the calm before the storm. Mike stood a little apart from the others, his hands shoved deep in his jacket pockets, his eyes fixed somewhere in the distance, jaw set with a determination that seemed older than he was. Dustin was shifting from foot to foot, a nervous energy rolling off him in waves, his mouth opening and closing as though he were rehearsing words that never made it out.

    And then there was Lucas, standing tall, arms crossed, his gaze steady as he looked up at Tessa. He gave her a brief nod—a silent affirmation that they were all in this together.

    "I can't believe you guys dragged me out here," she muttered, a half-smile tugging at her lips. But the weight in her voice betrayed her. They were in this, and she felt the tether between them tightening, binding them all into this night, this forest, and this mystery.

    Dustin glanced around, his brow creased. "Are you sure about this? Hopper's, like, really serious."

    Lucas huffed, rolling his eyes as he pulled a flashlight from his pocket. "Someone probably took his donut. But we can find things he can't. We know these woods better than he ever could."

    The ground beneath them was uneven, blanketed with a layer of fallen leaves that crunched softly underfoot, their colors muted under the waning daylight. They moved deeper into Mirkwood, the trees growing denser, forming a canopy that swallowed the pale light, casting long shadows that reached for them, dancing in the soft glow of their flashlights.

    Tessa kept her flashlight trained on the ground, avoiding the tangled roots and patches of slick mud that threatened to trip her up. Every so often, a branch would creak above them, or a gust of wind would rustle the leaves, filling the silence with sounds that made her pulse quicken. The familiar woods seemed foreign now, as though they had crossed a threshold into another world—a world of shadows and whispers.

    "So," Dustin's voice broke through, his tone shaky, "how far do you think he could have gone?"

    Mike shrugged, his voice low and tense. "We don't know. But if he was scared, he might have run in any direction, not even thinking."

    They continued their trek, their flashlights casting eerie shadows on the trunks of ancient trees, branches twisted and gnarled, resembling long-forgotten souls trapped in the wood. Tessa felt the cool night air pricking at her skin, seeping through her jacket, making her acutely aware of the space around her, of every inch of darkness that pressed in closer with each step.

    Lucas, leading the way, paused at one point, sweeping his flashlight in a slow arc across the forest floor. His face was set, unwavering, his gaze sharp. She could see the determination etched on his brow, a fierce resolve that was tempered by the quiet tension in his posture.

    Tessa caught up with him, her own breath coming in shallow puffs. "You really think he's out here?"

    Lucas met her gaze, his eyes dark, glinting in the flashlight's beam. "I don't know," he admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "But if there's even a chance, we have to try."

    They trudged on, the darkness pressing down on them, growing thicker with every step. The trees seemed to close in around them, their twisted branches reaching out like skeletal fingers, casting shadows that twisted and writhed in the faint glow of their flashlights. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and decaying leaves, a smell that seemed to cling to them, filling their lungs with the taste of autumn's slow decay.

    Mike's voice, sharp and hushed, broke the silence. "Look." He pointed to a spot ahead, where the ground was disturbed, leaves scattered and crushed. There was a sense of urgency in his movements as he crouched down, examining the marks with a scrutiny that was almost reverent. "Could this... could it be him?"

    Tessa knelt beside him, her heart pounding. The marks were faint, barely visible in the dim light, but there was something about them—a shape, a weight—that hinted at the possibility of Will's presence. Her fingers traced the ground, feeling the damp earth give beneath her touch, grounding her in this surreal moment.

    As they straightened, a sound sliced through the silence—a soft, barely audible rustling that seemed to come from deeper within the woods. They froze, their breaths caught in their throats, eyes wide as they strained to hear. It was a sound that didn't belong, a whisper that didn't echo, a movement that was too deliberate to be the wind.

    Dustin's voice was a barely contained whisper, his face pale in the moonlight. "Did... did you guys hear that?"

    They stood still, their flashlights trembling in their hands, the beams casting flickering shadows that seemed to grow and swell with each passing second. The forest held its breath, the trees standing sentinel, watching as they held onto the fragile thread of hope, each heartbeat echoing in the vast silence.

    The sound came again, closer this time, a faint whisper that sent a shiver down Tessa's spine. It was there, lurking in the shadows, waiting—just beyond the reach of their flashlights, just beyond the edge of reason. And as they stood, rooted to the spot, the forest closed in around them, and the silence swallowed their whispers whole.

.ೃ࿐ IRIS SPEAKS !

hi guys um idk what to say to yall so bye guys

wait no i know, chromakoooooooooopiaaa

kisses xoo