Vines

HAWKINS MIDDLE SCHOOL

Dustin Henderson parked his biked in front of the school. He looked around for his friends not seeing them, until he heard mikes voice in the distance.

"Stop being a baby, and do it already!"

He ran around the corner seeing his friends by the dumpster as he heard banging inside of it.

Max, Dylan, and Mike were standing outside the dumpster long sticks in their hands.

"This is so disgusting. Is this really necessary?" Max complained

Dylan gently jabbed her with his elbow "Hey! At least we're not the ones doing it." He chuckled.

Dustin ran out in front of them"What the hells going on?" He questioned.

"What do you think? We're looking for dart." Mike replied

"Don't worry! We're gently trying to jab him out of the trash, as to not hurt your baby." Dylan said sarcastically, as Dustin rolled his eyes.

At that a large pile of trash flung out of the dumpster, and Lucas jumped out.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up. After I drew the short straw. Real convenient." Lucas told Dustin crossing his arms

"You stink!" Max said backing away from Lucas, bumping into Dylan, who just smiled as she apologized.

Mike judged max for this. Judged her for everything. he still wasn't keen with her being apart of the party and now she's getting so touchy with Dylan. He was annoyed.

"Where's will?" Dustin asked

"He'll be here." Mike responded

Dylan had a bad feeling about Will, he didn't know what happens to him but whatever it was he hoped it wasn't linked to dart being here, he hoped it really was just PTSD.....as horrible as that sounds it's a lot  better then the other possibility.

"Are you just gonna stand there?" Lucas asked throwing Dustin a stick "or are you gonna help?"

The whole group then used their sticks to poke in the garbage trying to find Dart. Little did they know Dart was safe and sound eating nougat in his cage.

Or cats...........

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SCIENCE

Dylan was dozing off as usual in science as he hasn't gotten a good nights sleep in a while, except today he gave in and passed out

_______________________________

Visions of tunnels, blood, and screeching

All Dylan could feel was coldness nothing else like he was floating in space, not being able to move only see.

People dying and.........fire

But then it all stopped and he saw Will sitting on his bed, he was only wearing pajama pants and he was looking at the wall, Dylan inched closer to Will cautiously

"Will?" Dylan asked

The small boy slowly turned his head towards Dylan. 

He could see wills left side profile, it was normal  he looked like Will until he face Dylan completely and he saw the gruesome scene of Wills face.

It was bloody and ripped his eye was grey and blind as half his jaw was gone, Dylan could count the muscle in Wills face.

Dylan was shaking as his eyes teared up at the sight of his friend

"Dylan...." Will whispers as he stood up walking towards the boy.

Dylan coward to the wall to afraid to face himHe could feel wills hot breath as he inched closer and closer to him.

"Dylan." Will repeated

"Dylan!"

_________________________________

"Dylan!" Mr Clarke yelled, Dylan jerked upwards awake as he screamed. Dylan could feel the eyes of the class on him especially his friends

"Dylan? Are you okay?" Mike asked

Dylan turned to look at Mike before standing up from his desk. "I need to use the restroom!.....please" Dylan asked his voice still trembling

"But Dylan-" Mr Clarke tried to talk to Dylan but the boy just picked up his stuff and rushed out of the classroom.

Dylan ran outside and jumped on his bike, pedaling as fast as he could, he needed to get there, to make sure he was okay.

______________________________BYERS RESIDENCE

Dylan dropped his bike as he ran up the porch pounding on the door."MS.BYERS! ITS DYLAN PLEASE LET ME IN! ARE YOU OKAY? IS WILL OKAY?"

Hopper opened the door and saw Dylan once again breathing heavily.

"Hopper?" Dylan questioned before shaking his head "I don't really care, where's will?" Dylan asked as he stepped inside the house.

Joyce was surprised to see Dylan as she was standing in the living room. The boy looked around to see papers of vines all around her house.

"What the hell." Dylan mumbled as Joyce walked up to him.

"Hey this isn't the best time right now, wills a little sick-" Joyce explained

"I saw him." Dylan said, Joyce face formed to confusion

"I saw Will in my visions." Dylan repeated as he looked up at Joyce's.

The mother grew horrified as Dylan explained what he saw.

"And I saw these tunnels......a-and dead plants." Dylan finished when hopper spoke up

"Vines. What you saw was vines" The man grabbed his coat and hat "Wills drawing vines." Hopper walked out slamming the door.

________________________________

Dylan was walking around the house looking at the vines seeing if they have more meaning.  When he heard knocking at the door, he then heard a familiar voice.

He ran to the door opening it.

"Mike." Dylan said

"Dylan?" Mike asked as he looked Dylan up and down "This is where you went? What happened? Are you alright."

"I'm okay, I'm really okay now that you're here." Dylan smiled as he let Mike in.

Mike looked around seeing the drawing, as Dylan explained what was going on

"Somehow, they're connected and Will can see these things." Dylan explained

"So it is the shadow monster." Mike said looking at Dylan fear in his eyes

"Yea" Dylan responded

______________________________

Joyce was taping parts of the vines together on the walls while Mike and Dylan were in Wills room listening to him. Mike was standing next to Will as Dylan was leaning against the door frame.

"It's like......I feel what the shadow monsters feeling. See what HES seeing." Will was sweating profusely and his eye bags were so heavy, he looked pale and sick.

"Like in the upside down?" Mike asked

"Some of him is there." Will responded

  "Where's the other part of him?" Dylan asked raising his eyebrow.

"Here." Will said "some of him is here too."

Dylan sighed at this fact, he knows there in deep shit but he still didn't know what to do and it bothered him.

"In this house?" Mike asked again

"In this house....a-and......in me." Will shuddered

Dylan walked closer to Will. Is the shadow monster controlling him? Or is he just watching?

"It's like he's reaching into Hawkins.....more and more." Will said as Mike sat down next to him and Dylan crouched down to his level."The more he spreads the more connected to him I feel."

"And the more you see these now memories." Mike said

"I used to forget, ignore it, but now....i remember  all of it, all the time." Will replied

"Maybe.....that's a good thing." Mike reasoned with him

"Good?" Will asked

"Yea you're like a spy! A super spy! You can help figure out how to stop the mind flayer by watching him." Mike said

Dylan thought about what Mike was saying, Will being a spy? It didn't sound good. It made Dylan worry.

"What if he spies back." Will said

"He won't." Mike said

"How do you know." Will questions

"We won't let him." Dylan spoke up as he gently placed his hand on wills. Will immediately flinched and drew his hand back violently.

Mike and Dylan were shocked at Will reaction, he never responded to physical contact like this before

"S-sorry, your hand is just......warm." Will said

"You're alright......" Dylan sympathized hiding his concern. Dylan and Mike then left Will alone to go help Joyce.

"Is my hand hot?" Dylan asked Mike.

The boy grabbed Dylan's hand. "No, I mean your hands are usually warm, but not like 3rd degree burn warm." Micheal chucked

"Yea.. heh" Dylan blushed at this contact before he walked to Joyce helping her put the drawings up.

_________________________________

The next morning.  Will was sleeping as Dylan and Mike were in sleeping bags next to him. They had been awake just talking.

"You said that night at Halloween that you've been having these visions right?" Mike asked

"Yea, only when I sleep. I didn't have one tonight though, thankfully." Dylan replied

Mike paused just looking at Dylan"You can talk to me, you know that right, I'm learning things about you that I never knew about. I just want you to know that I'm here for you."

Dylan thought about telling Mike where eleven is .......as much as Dylan wished Mike liked him like his sister, he wasn't gonna stop their happiness.

"I-I know, Mike I need to tell-" Dylan was cut off by Will sitting upright gasping as sweat was dripping down his body.

"Whoa Will are you okay?" Dylan asked as he sat up along with Mike.

"What's wrong?" Mike asked as Will just stared at the both of them.

"I think hoppers in trouble."

_________________________________

The three boys went to Joyce who was sitting in her living room surrounded by drawings looking like she didn't sleep the whole night.

As Will was explaining to his mom how hopper was in trouble. Dylan went to go grab his medicine as he felt a headache start to form.

He took them dry and heard running as Joyce, Will, and Mike came running in wills room, Will sitting at his desk taking the piece of wrapping paper his mom gave him and scribbling on it.

"Hey, is this where you saw him? I-is this where you saw hopper?" Joyce stuttered

"I think so. Yeah" will responded

Joyce then picked up the drawing and started trying to find its place on the wall, Dylan joined in on the puzzle piece looking around, he trailed down the hallway to the kitchen, he started to recognize the patterns but he couldn't put his finger on it.

Dylan saw how the picture matched on the fridge "Here!" He yelled as Joyce came running over tapping the piece on

"Okay...so hopper is here?" Joyce questioned

"Yea. Now we just need to find out where here is, right?" Mike said "did he say anything before he left?"

"Vines....he talked about how these are vines." Dylan replied waving his hands around the drawings

They then heard a car pull up Joyce sped to the window to see her boyfriend's, Bob. The women went outside to try and get him to leave.

"I can't put my finger on it....it's killing me. I wish she could help" Dylan mumbled referring to Eleven.

"What was that?" Mike asked

"Nothing. I just these drawings are so familiar." Dylan said "I just...... I don't know."

"Dylan?" Mike asked as Dylan looked at him"What did you want to tell me? Before Will woke up."

Dylan was stuck again he built up the courage to tell Mike but it crumbled down again. "It's not really important." He smiled softly guilt in his eyes, so many secrets....too many secrets.

Bob walked in with Joyce a stack of games in his hand as she led him to look at the drawings.

"You drew all these? Yourself?" Bob asked Will as the boy nodded. "Why exactly?"

"I told you the rules you can't ask any questions." Joyce reminded him. "We just need your help to figure out...what.. Bob? Bob!" Joyce yelled for the man in the kitchen.

Bob handed mike the brain teasers as Dylan took it away from Mike setting it down on the coffee table, Dylan remembered when he wanted brain teasers for his birthday but was given his orange converse instead, he was grateful for them but he just hated how his parents never listened.

Dylan looked up seeing a certain shape on the wall it looked like a lake in Hawkins, Dylan couldn't remember the name but he remembers the shape.

The boy ran around following the vines in some frenzy. Dylan ran into the bedroom, where Bob and Joyce were talking the two adult looked at the boy who shoved his way in between them as he pointed at the wall.

"Lovers lake! I knew it! I knew this was familiar!" Dylan yelled as he ran back to the kitchen finding another lake in the kitchen.

"Dylan, what are you talking about?" Joyce asked confused

Dylan had a smile on his face"It's a map! A map of Hawkins........that goes around Hawkins." Dylan eyes darkened

"They're in Hawkins." Dylan said looking at Joyce as her face dropped as well.

________________________________

As the group was trying to find where x was or where hopper was Dylan was in wills rooming getting out his super comm he thought if there some time he needed his super comm working it was now

He grabbed some batteries and put them in extending the antenna when he got a signal

*Code red! I repeat I need someone to pick up! I'm with Steve! Can anyone pick up!* Dustin's voice sounded through the super comm.

*shit!* Dylan thought, the vines were everywhere and his brother and Dustin were doing something. He needed to help them.

He ran into the living room his backpack on

"Dylan! Where are you going?" Mike asked

"I need to go Dustin and Steve are in trouble somewhere, I need to find them!" Dylan panicked as he opens the door

He felt a cold hand grab his "Dylan! It's dangerous right now you can't go!" Mike said

"Mike Dustin and Steve need my help.....I'll be fine, stay safe and stay by Will.......oh and Mike will isn't himself right now, okay? Don't trust him. I know that sounds horrible, but don't." Dylan said as he looked at Mike his face serious

"But-" mike tried to say

"You trust me right?" Dylan asked

Mike paused looking at the boy"Always" he let go of Dylan hand

Dylan smiled at Mike before running to his bike riding away, he grabbed his super comm

*Dustin! Do you copy this is Dylan!*Dylan said as he waited for someone to answer

*yes! I do! Thank god! Dylan meet me and Steve by your house!*Dustin responded

*copy that. Over and out!* Dylan said turning his super comm off as he quickly made his way to his house.

_________________________________STEVES CAR

Dylan was second guessing his choice to leave Mike and go help Dustin and Steve. He was riding backseat in Steve's car as music was playing on the radio.

"What a sec. How big!" Steve asked

"First he was like this." Dustin made his fingers be 4 inches apart "now he's like this!" Dustin then inched his hands at least 10 inches

"You know I love how Dart conveniently managed to be in your house." Dylan said sarcastically as he put his head in between Steve and Dustin

Dustin glared at Dylan.

"If this is just some lizard I swear.." Steve said

"It's not a lizard!" Dustin argued

"How do you know!" Steve asked

"Because his face opened up and he ate my cat!" Dustin said. As Steve grew quiet, finally convinced that dart wasn't just some lizard.

"And what's going on with you Dylan?" Steve asked his brother

"I'm not too sure, but it's something with the upside down, we've got a lot of problem, well we would have had less problems if Dustin let me kill the son of a bitch in the first place!" Dylan yelled

"Don't blame me!" Dustin argued as the two boys go into an argument

"Hey. Hey! HEY!" Steve yelled as the boys shut up "if we're gonna kill this thing we need to work together! Alright!"

"Yea""Whatever"

The car ride was silent as they made their way to Dustin house.

__________________________________HENDERSON RESIDENCE

  Steve parked his car, and made his way to the trunk grabbing his baseball bat with nails

"Why do you need that?" Dylan asked

"Protection, duh" Steve responded

"Um dude, I'm the protection, if that thing tries to lunge at us....." Dylan waved his hands around trying to motion powers

"You think I'm gonna let you handle the monster? No way." Steve said as walked towards the basement Dustin following.

Dylan had no time to argue as the two walked away. The boy just sighed and caught up with them.

_______________________________

They were at the basement cellar the doors locked and bolted, while the three guys all had flashlight.

"I don't hear shit." Steve said "He's in there." Dustin replied as he stepped away from the doors

Steve paused as he hit the doors with the bat trying to get a noise out of the creature.

Steve then pointed the flashlight at Dustin "If this is some prank, you're dead."

"It's not a prank, Dustin used code red we don't use code red as a joke." Dylan said as he crouched down near the lock

"Get it out of my face." Dustin said as Steve pointed the flashlight down

"You got a key for this?" Steve asked, he then turned to see his brother grab the lock with his hands and pull the metal until it broke off

Dylan then took the chain off and threw it on the grass opening the door, Steve immediately ran in front of him

"Hey! I told you I'm not letting you go down, and I mean it I don't care how powerful you are!" Steve said as he looked down into the darkness, Dylan just rolled his eyes.

"Hey look it's dart over there!" Dylan yelled pointing out into the forest, Steve looked up to see where he was pointing when Dylan ran past him into the dark basement.

"Dylan! DYLAN!" Steve yelled as he followed his brother.

Steve saw Dylan standing in the middle of the  room the single lightbulb turned on, he walked to where Dylan was seeing a piece of skin covered in slime on the ground.

"Steve..." Dylan mumbled as he looked up, Steve followed his gaze to see the brick wall was now a hole leading to god knows where.

"Shit."