The sound of heavy, muffled breathing arises throughout the pitch-black no where. For some reason, a massive weight of terror seems to drop upon you. You know you've felt this feeling before, though you can't quite grasp where. All of sudden, every thought, every memory drains from your mind. Until every last bit of background you once had has disappeared. Your dull eyes go wide, as a terrible thing you thought was gone forever comes to haunt you, right before your eyes. A horrid sight you never wished to never see in the first place. You begin to shriek, but hollow waves of nothing comes from your mouth, anyway, there's no one to hear you scream.
Jane "Eleven" Hopper shoots up from her feverishly hot bed. Gasping for air, beads of sweat streaking down her cheeks by the second, Eleven recalls the life-like dream she has just experienced. She cries out a pitiful wail.
Elsewhere, three more restless children snap up, as straight as boards in their beds at their respective homes. Each, with a pang of loneliness, sweat rolling down their cheeks like tears. They all know something is extremely, extremely wrong.
[Title Sequence]
Bustling voices of middle school goers flood the halls. These ordinary kids know nothing about their peers that are behind the door of a large poster that reads "Hawkins A.V. Club".
Inside the small area, a stash of radio technology surrounds five young people. Eleven Hopper, Michael "Mike" Wheeler, Dustin Henderson, Lucas Sinclair, and new girl, Maxine "Max" Mayfield. Otherwise known as the A.V. club. The group is quiet today, avoiding eye contact with each other at first. They can all sense something is terribly wrong.
Mike is the first one to break the awkwardly strange silence. He takes a deep breath. "Guys, listen. I had a dream last night," he whispers, wincing. The group looks from face to face, except Max, keeping her gaze straight down. They share the same thoughts. The looks on their faces are serious. Beyond serious.
"I had a dream last night," Eleven echoes Mike, with a sorrowful scowl. Her wig disguise covers the corner of her eye, hiding a thin tear.
Mike tilts his head to the others, who barely nod. Max's head stays still. She stares down at her Vans, with a painful look.
"Max?" Dustin looks to her, as do the other members.
"No." She replies, keeping her head still.
Everyone's eyes meet with a truly worried look, as Max lifts her head up, concerned for her friends.
"What does this mean?" Lucas trembles.
Mike reaches a hand out to comfort Eleven.
"Let's just try to forget about this for now, okay?" He sadly mutters.
The others shrug reluctantly, still keeping their serious expressions.
"Anyone up for some D&D?" Mike offers, in an attempt to change the subject.
Everyone smiles, a hint of optimism slipping into their eyes.
"You know that's an offer we can't refuse," Dustin points at Mike.
[End of scene]
Later that evening, a lady is frantically trying to clump wallpaper
onto her living room wall. Just then, the wall phone rings, and Joyce Byers, the mother of Will lets out a dramatic sigh as she runs to get the phone.
"Hello?" She pants.
"Hi…" Stretches a voice from the other end of the phone.
"Uh, who is this?" Joyce is unfamiliar with the voice at first.
"Hey, it's Lonnie. I was wondering if you had a minute." Lonnie begins to sound impatient.
"Um..you know, I'm kind of busy right now, actually, sorry." Stutters Joyce.
"Joyce, it's important." Lonnie says firmly.
Will's brother, Jonathan is quietly eavesdropping from his room.
"What can I help you with?" Joyce asks hastily.
"It's about the boys. I was thinking that they might need to get out of the house for awhile, y'know, let loose a little, come stay with me for a weekend." Lonnie suggests.
Joyce throws her hand up.
"Okay, no. Lonnie, where were you all this time? When Will was missing, where did you go? Huh? Where were you when we needed you?" Joyce's voice descends, her face stuck with an appalled expression.
"Joyce, I have the right to see my own damn kids!" Lonnie rages.
Joyce slams the phone to hang up on him.
Jonathan sits on his bed, his hands so his forehead. He wants himself and his brother to have nothing to do with his poor excuse of a father.
[End of scene]
Jonathan knocks on the door of the Wheeler family's perfectly average suburban home. Karen Wheeler, your perfectly average suburban mom answers the door, Little Holly in her arms.
"Hi, Jonathan. Nancy is up in her room," She welcomes him in.
Jonathan knocks on Nancy's door.
"Come in!" She yells.
Jonathan opens the door to reveal a girl who is anything but average to him. She gets up to hug him.
Jonathan takes a seat on the edge of Nancy's bed.
"Nancy, earlier, I heard my mom and dad on the phone. It sounds like he's going to force me and Will to go stay at his hell hole for his pathetic idea of bonding." Jonathan lets out.
Nancy looks concerned.
"I'm nothing like him. Will is nothing like him. We're nothing like him. For goodness sake, all he does is make things worse. The last thing I need to see is Will getting hurt again," He rants.
"Hey! Jonathan, it's okay." Nancy whispers, putting a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "He can't make you or Will come if you don't want to. I know your Mom won't let that happen, and I know Hopper will be on your side, too," Nancy comforts Jonathan.
Jonathan nods, his mind clearing.
"Thanks," He says quietly.
Just then, their moment is interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Nancy, can you get that?" Karen shouts.
Reluctantly, Nancy jogs downstairs, Jonathan swings the door open, only to see a familiar outside is Steve Harrington, Star athlete of Hawkins High School, and Nancy's ex boyfriend. Nancy and Jonathan look at each other confusedly.
"Steve?" Nancy says, with a bewildered expression on her face.
"Chill your grill. I'm not here for you, Nancy. I'm here for the kids. Can I come in?" Steve asks, hands on his hips.
"Um, yeah, sure," Nancy gestures towards the basement, still confused.
[End of scene]
Meanwhile, "Here I Go Again" by Whitesnake blares in the Wheelers' basement.
"Ready for your first Dungeons and Dragons lesson, Steve?" Mike yells enthusiastically.
"Ready as I'll ever be," Steve mumbles.
Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Max all have their game faces on. Eleven watches, munching on an Eggo.
"Are you guys sure about this?" Steve groans.
"Of course! Don't you want to be in our party?" Dustin insists.
"Yeah," Steve says casually, even though he secretly wants the kids' approval more than anything.
Time flies by, and after what seems like an eternity, Steve Harrington, former high school jock has gotten the hang of Dungeons & Dragons; Taught by five middle schoolers in his ex girlfriend's basement. Now he doesn't want to stop.
[End of scene]
"Well, I better be getting home. Thanks for everything, Nancy," Jonathan smiles. They kiss goodbye.
Jonathan opens the basement door to collect Will. He never meant to see what he did. There was Steve Harrington, formerly the popular guy at school, yelling and playing with dragon action figures, accompanied by a rowdy bunch of pre-teens.
He was just about to close the door, when Will noticed him.
"Hi Jonathan, want to join us?" Will asks excitedly.
The rest of the kids, including Steve look at him expectantly.
"Oh, uh...yeah, why not?" Jonathan decides. Jonathan loved to see Will happy, and if this would make him happy, he was all in. Plus, was the secret master of D&D, after all.