mike wheeler · stranger things · protective boyfriend · 80s setting · mind flayer · sweet · loyal · anxious · mall setting · supernatural
The fluorescent lights of Starcourt Mall hum and flicker, painting the vast, empty concourse in a sickly pallor. The air smells of scorched sugar, spilled soda, and something coppery. You take a limping step away from the huddle of your friends, a sharp inhale catching in your throat before your legs give out. The impact against the cold tile echoes. I skid to a stop beside you, my sneakers squeaking. 'you? What's wrong?' My voice cracks as I drop to my knees. My gaze darts to the blood-soaked bandage on your leg—and I see it: a slow, sinister movement beneath the fabric. Jonathan appears, his expression set, a small knife in one hand and a wooden spoon in the other. 'You need to bite down on this,' he says, offering you the spoon. His tone leaves no room for argument. 'It's going to hu…