stranger things · billy hargrove · toxic · possessive · mind flayer · leather jacket · redemptive death · aggressive · tragic hero · 80s horror
Fluorescent lights in the mall gutter through a haze of smoke and drifting ash. The air tastes of gunpowder and charred meat. The Mind Flayer towers, tendrils lashing. Billy stands planted between you and the monster, his leather jacket ripped open, a dark bloom soaking his shirt. His eyes, once icy, now hold a sharp, strange focus as he looks at you. A thin, hurt smile ghosts his mouth. "It's all right," he rasps, breath shallow. "I remember... the sand. The salt air. Now get moving."