Stranger Things Fan fiction, "It's Been to the Upside Down"
"Look!" Mike screamed from one end of Mr. Clark's Science room. He was standing near the aquarium where Mr. Clark's pet frog resided. It was the end of the school year at Hawkins Middle School, and the boys were helping Mr. Clark clean up.
"What happened?" Mr. Clark and the other boys made their way over.
"Your frog. It croaked!" Mike pointed. "As in, 'he died.'"
"No way!" Dustin reached in and picked it up, much to the disgust of Mr. Clark, Mike, and Lucas.
"Dustin, you don't know what killed it. I'm not sure you should be handling it." Mr. Clark put a hand on his shoulder.
"Will, get me some gloves, will you?"
Mr. Clark pointed to the third drawer in his cabinet, and Will retrieved some gloves, bringing them over to Dustin.
"You're awfully brave," Will said.
"Brave or stupid," Lucas added. "He could've had a disease, Dustin. Tell him, Mr. Clark."
"I'm afraid he's right." He put on some gloves and peered at the frog. "But, judging from my observation, it looks like maybe his heart gave out."
"Mr. Clark! We can dissect it! Or you could dissect it and show us!" Dustin' eyes got wide, and Lucas gave him a nod in agreement.
"You know, I hear we'll have to do some dissecting in Science next year. This could really help prepare us," Mike joined in.
Will just stood there, quiet and pensive.
"You don't have to be anywhere right away, do you, Mr. Clark?"
"Well, no. Oh, you've got me. Let's do this!"
With all hands clean, gloves and other materials gathered, and a table prepped and ready, Mr. Clark began. He carefully sliced the frog's chest open.
"Ew, what's that smell!?" The guys all backed up, except for Will.
"That's the smell of Science, boys. Dead things decay, you know," he said, catching his breath. "Still, this one seems awfully ripe. I know he was alive just yesterday."
An almost fluorescent green sac near the frog's heart looked out of place.
"This is interesting," Mr. Clark said.
Will moved closer. "That frog's been to the Upside Down," he whispered.
"Why do you say that?"
"That's not right," Will answered. He shook his head. Mr. Clark turned to look at him, and Will grabbed the frog, guts spilling out on the floor.
Heading over to a Bunsen burner, he had no regard for the mess. The fluorescent sac seemed to almost shimmer now.
He lit the Bunsen burner and grabbed a notebook. "Mr. Clark, don't try to stop me! If you come near, I'm gonna burn my hand." He held it up next to the burner, frog in the other hand. "We have to destroy him."
"Please, Will, I understand you're feeling panicked about this. It's a dead frog. It can't hurt you."
"You saw it, Mr. Clark. Something's not right. The demagorgon did that to him."
"But, how? Was the frog in the Upside Down?" Mr. Clark was partly humoring Will, hoping to buy time, but a curiosity was brewing in him.
"He had to be. I don't know how. It doesn't die. I know." He threw the notebook and then a piece of paper onto the burner, and a flame started. Grabbing a can of hairspray that he'd just seen Mr. Clark take from one of the girls that very day, he sprayed the fire. He broke every rule of safety he could recall. As the flame grew higher, he tossed the frog onto it, causing a burn on the bottom of his hand.
"Will, I can't let you burn down my classroom. Please move away," Mr. Clark warned, approaching with a fire extinguisher.
Tears streamed down Will's face. "I don't know how it happened. The demagorgon got to it. Back a few months ago, remember. It must have. Just like it got to me."
Mr. Clark sprayed the fire and it eventually died down. An alarm sounded in the hallway.
"You'll be alright, Will," Mr. Clark sat, straightening up as the principal came through the door.
"We're going to have to curtail your after school activities with students if this is what happens, Mr. Clark."
"It was an accident. Will is sorry. Right?" Mr. Clark moved to hide the can of hairspray.
"Yes, I apologize, it was an accident," Will answered, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the crisp frog on the burner. Was it gone? Did he burn the Upside Down or the demagorgon out of it?
Mr. Clark asked, "Mike, can you take Will home? Lucas and Dustin, I'll need your help. We need to bury this poor fellow."
The principal muttered something about calling Will's mom tomorrow, and Mr. Clark just nodded. The boys were glad he didn't tell the whole story.
Mike replied, "I'll take him home, Mr. Clark. Come on, Will. See you guys later!" Mike put his hand on Will's shoulder and Will shrugged it away.
"Sorry," he said. "That just really creeped me out."
"I know, Will. I get it." They walked out of the room in silence.
Lucas whispered, "Dustin, what do you think he meant by, 'just like it got to me?'"
"I don't know, Lucas, but we need to try and find out."
As Mr. Clark conversed with the principal, they worked in silence, feeling a dread in their hearts.