Chapter Text
It’s a setting that Will is all too familiar with. The red sky, the dilapidated vines, the white spores scattered about, the overwhelming feeling of death and despair. It spreads around him, covering his drenched and freezing body. The Upside Down beckons to him, wanting Will to join with it, begging him to make it whole. It terrifies him, a horror that shouldn’t be known to any living being.
The cry of the Demogorgon reminds Will that he’s not alone. It appears before him and screams, head opening like a flower, revealing the innumerable teeth and readying to tear his body apart, limb from limb. He begins running, desperate to escape the monstrous ghoul. He doesn’t have a destination in mind, but as long as he keeps moving, he knows he has a chance to live another day.
The floating spores begin glowing like fireflies. They swirl around, giving off a small warmth, morphing into a guiding light. Will follows the lights, desperate to feel any warmth in this oppressive cold. A small shelter soon appears in the distance. He wants to cry in relief, instantly recognizing Castle Byers. He’ll be safe there. Will forces his legs to pick up speed, praying he has a shot at making it.
Will dives into the fort. His fatigued legs fail him as he scampers onto the large pillow, curling into a fetal position. The Demogorgon prowls outside, confused at the loss of its prey. It soon wanders off, and Will knows for at least a brief moment, he's safe. He rocks his body back and forth, desperate to give himself some kind of comfort. He wants out of this awful, awful place. Will longs for his mother’s arms, his brother’s protective embrace, the camaraderie of the party. He begins to sob, wondering if he’ll ever make it back home. The more time seems to pass, the more likely it seems that he will die in this hellish purgatory.
His ears pick up a new sound from outside. It begins quietly at first, almost indiscernible, but slowly begins to build. Will fears the worst, dreading what kind of monster is coming for him now. But as the sounds get louder, they become more familiar. They don’t sound like monsters, but people. Human beings. Will dares to hope that his rescue has finally come.
Hesitantly, he peeks his head out of Castle Byers. Will’s greeted by the scurrying of people all around him. They go about their business, carrying shopping bags and chatting with friends. It's the Starcourt Mall, in all its splendor. The shoppers pay no mind to the childish fort, seemingly unconcerned with its odd presence. Will climbs out of Castle Byers and begins to explore the mall, taking in the familiar sights and shops. He passes by the movie theater, several clothing outlets, a RadioShack, and even a gaming store that has D&D merchandise on display. Eventually, he comes across Scoops Ahoy. A smile spreads across his face. Surely Mike and the others are inside, pestering Steve for free ice cream or to be snuck into the movie theater.
He enters the ice cream parlor, expecting to be greeted by his friends. Instead, Will finds himself in the mall’s entrance lobby. Puzzled, he turns to look at the path he just took, realizing that he just walked through the entrance doors of the mall. The shoppers are now gone, but Castle Byers is still there, sitting in the middle of the empty food court. Will begins to journey towards it.
A blast of thunder, followed by a strike of lightning. Castle Byers crumbles before Will’s very eyes. His sanctuary, his safe place, gone in an instant. Reduced to a pile of useless rubble.
Will cries at the loss of his stolen childhood. He wants to run to the fort and find some way to salvage it, but he suddenly can’t move. He looks down and is horrified to see his body ensnared with vines. They coil around him, holding Will tightly in place, preventing him from moving even an inch. He tries to scream, but a tendril appears and lodges itself into his mouth, effectively silencing him. He can’t move. He can’t speak. All he can do is struggle and sob.
The ruins of Castle Byers begin to vibrate. A groaning noise can be heard underneath the rubble. Will doesn’t have to fear what happens next. He knows it's coming. A familiar chill at the back of his neck.
The Mind Flayer rises from its resting place, sending wood flying in all directions. Its spidery form is a nauseating mix of melted flesh and bone. It stands and releases a monstrous roar. It looks down and sees its other half, his form immobile and ready to rejoin with it. If the Mind Flayer could feel human emotion, it would certainly be pleased right now.
Will shuts his eyes tight, hoping it’ll be over quick.
Another loud sound, like a second blast of thunder. Not thunder but... gunshots? That doesn’t seem right either. Could it be… fireworks?
Will opens his eyes and watches as the Mind Flayer explodes into colorful bright lights. The lights illuminate the walls of the abandoned mall in a prismatic array. Will's artistic eye can’t help but marvel at the sight a bit.
With one final scream, the Mind Flayer collapses, seemingly dead. The mall again turns dark and silent. Will hopes his ordeal is finally over, but the vines have not retracted and his body is still held tightly in place. He shudders at what terror could possibly be coming for him next.
Flames begin to sprout from the Mind Flayer’s corpse. They're small at first, but quickly become larger. The fire quickly spreads amongst the surroundings, burning along vines on the wall and the scattered wood. It doesn’t take long before the fire roars to life, setting the entire mall in total ablaze.
The heat from the flames is too much, way too much. Will wished for warmth before, but not like this. He can feel the fire in his blood, burning his body from the inside out. It threatens to consume his entire being. He cries uselessly, cursing the tendril in his throat, wishing he could scream in pain.
A dark humanlike figure is standing amongst the flames. Will narrows his eyes in an attempt to get a better look. He can’t figure who or what it is, or what it wants from him. Whether it has come to save him or to destroy him. The flames begin to dissipate, burning out of existence, and soon enough, the dark figure burns out of existence as well.