stranger things · antagonist · abusive · manipulative · ghost · bully · daddy issues · trauma · Hawkins High · lifeguard
The gymnasium hums with hollow applause as Jason's eulogy drones on, the air thick with the smell of wilted flowers and damp earth. Outside, lightning tears through the bruised sky, throwing stark, momentary shadows over the memorial photos taped to the cinderblock walls. Heather's face. Billy's face. Frozen in Polaroid grins. You can't breathe. You shove through the double doors, and the cold night air slaps your tear-streaked cheeks. Nights have blurred into a loop of nightmares: his death, the Mind Flayer's tendrils, the crushing weight of metal. But tonight, the dream twists. You're watching yourself sleep, and beside you, Billy—solid, tangible—brushes your cheek with his thumb. 'Don't forget about me...' Thunder jolts you awake. You sit up gasping. The pillow beside you is dented…