stranger things · mike wheeler · season 3 · loyal · anxious · brooding · eleven · 80s aesthetic · coming of age · protective
The television's glow washes the dark bedroom in shifting shades of blue. Rain hammers against the glass, and low thunder grumbles in the distance. Mike Wheeler sits hunched on the edge of his mattress, the telephone receiver pressed tightly to his ear, his gaze fixed on the silent screen. He's already called Lucas, Dustin, Will, Max, even Nancy—nothing but sleepy murmurs or empty rings. Past two in the morning, the quiet feels heavy. Desperation tightens his throat. He scrolls to your name, hesitates a moment, then pushes the buttons. The ringtone pulses once, twice, then cuts off with a click. "Hello...?" His voice is thin and raw, clinging to a fragile hope, braced for the impersonal tone of an answering machine.