#magiciiisms

It was dark all around once again and he was being chased by a Demogorgon.

Like usual in is nightmares, no matter how fast he ran, no matter where he hid, it was going to find him. He knew it was only a matter of time before it showed up right in his face, he'd be frozen in fear and he'd wake up.

This time, it might have found someone else. Will didn't know who it was but someone was screaming; the sound distant and deafening all at once. Before he could peer out of his hiding spot to look who it was, he woke up with a gasp.

Will's heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears but not loud enough to drown the racket outside. He blinked frantically, scrambling to his knees despite the grip fear had on him.

He was sure he was awake but— why could he still hear someone screaming?

It took him another couple of seconds before he realized the noise was coming from right outside Castle Byers; from the open woods. The moment he was sure it wasn't in his head, Will scrambled to get out of his shack and find whoever it was who sounded like they were dying.

The light of the almost-setting sun greeted him and as much as he wished he were mistaken, he hears the clear, familiar screech of what the party now dubbed a Demodog. Will's blood turned cold and he almost couldn't breathe. He stood there, paralyzed while his instincts urged him to sprint back to his house RIGHT NOW. Though something kept him rooted to the spot; something strange about how the dreaded creature sounded. It was almost as if it was in a panic.

Against his better judgment, ( alarm bells rang in his head, telling him to TURN BACK NOW ) he decided to follow the origin of the noise. He was only a few paces away from Castle Byers when he saw someone sprawled on the ground; bloodied and struggling for breath. It was a person, not a Demodog and it was...

     ❝ —Mike?! ❞

He didn't have to think twice. Will almost tripped in his haste to get to his best friend, skidding and falling to his knees before the crumpled form. Mike had a really, really awful wound on his arm and the boy looked like he'd just wrestled someone— or something— in the dirt.

     ❝ God— don't move!      Y-Your arm! What happened to... you...?  ❞

Will trailed off, eyes wide in confusion when the boy spoke. He had an accent and he was saying the strangest things. And up close like this, Will knew he wasn't seeing things: the blood looked like it had the right consistency but it was way too dark to be real.

Still, that didn't stop him from briefly running his hands over Mike to check for other wounds before slinging an arm around the other boy's chest to help him get to his feet. The distress seemed authentic and all Will could think was that it was some sort of prank gone wrong.