This one is mostly setup, but we do meet a new character and Will accomplishes something.

Best Wishes,

-Amateur Critic

High above Will, Six and Mono was a looming city. On the window ledge of a tall tenement stood a small person in a sheet. A noise drew his attention, turning around to confront two Viewers with faces that would surely suck away his life like, life-stealing vacuums. Or something. Looks like there's nowhere to go but down. Hopefully this worked. He clutched his new friend close to his chest and jumped.

It was a long way down.

"C'mon, c'mon, c'mon." He clenched his eyes shut, trying to turn it on. It had to work. Please. Please. He suddenly felt awash with queasiness. He'd fallen through the street. His body flickered like a projection as he fell. He was still falling, surrounded by rocky soil. Uh oh. The dirt gave way to an...attic? Underground? Into a bedroom. Wait. Wait, this is an okay place. Stop. Turn it off. Turnnit off. "Turnit off!"

Thump.

He'd missed the bed. Heck, he'd missed the second floor. He was alive and that's what mattered.

How was rat friend? Rat friend was fine, besides still being sick. Ghost got to his feet. He wore a sheet so he called himself Ghost. Incidentally he'd landed in a laundry hamper.

Suddenly the door to the room banged and clattered. A sound of wind and yelling forced him to hide among the dirty shirts. He figured he could preoccupy himself for a little while.

Most of the clothes were obviously too big for him, but some rifling revealed a strip of fabric that, once tied, made a nifty holder for rat friend.

The door swung open with a creak. He ducked. A girl and a boy snuck in, soon followed by another boy who immediately wrapped the other two up in a hug. The girl was the first to pull away with a sound like gently tearing paper. Ghost cringed, but the others didn't seem to notice it. The first boy parted with the same noise. While the second boy followed the other two to the next room.

Ghost carefully climbed from the hamper and snuck after them while they weaved their way throughout the house, stopping in the kitchen to raid the pantry. Despite Ghost's worry about these three, he eavesdropped on their conversations instead of running away.

"Why aren't you eating?" Asked the first boy, tallest of the group.

"NOT HUNGRYYYY." Screeched the second boy. Ghost ducked and tucked his head between his knees. The siren echoed on until calming into an squealing drone. Ghost looked up. The shorter boy was pulsing, or at least, a very thin transparent film around him was. Not a lot, but still. That wasn't normal. His friends acted like it was normal, but it wasn't.

Know what else wasn't normal? The look the squealing boy got when they were walking through the living room. He stared at the television with a familiar fascination. Like the Viewers. Ghost was suddenly very happy he didn't tell them he existed.

Unlike the Viewers the boy put a grimy hand directly on the screen. The Transmission ebbed and flowed, revealing a picture of an actual show on the screen.

Mono added the other hand to the glass and leaned forward, slowly sinking into the T.V. He was almost all the way in when his friends grabbed him by his feet and tugged him out.

"Why did you do that?" Complained Mono.

"We had to save you. You were in a T.V.! How are you? Did it hurt?" Said Will.

"Of course not. It's just a T.V."

"That was sucking you in!"

"Calm down. Don't you ever travel by television?" Will blinked in confusion.

"No?"

"Really? That's kinda weird."

"Why?"

"I just figured you'd try it to get home." Will looked lost.

"How...?"

"Just put your hands on the screen like this." Mono placed Will's hands on the screen. "And widen your stance." He instructed, gently nudging Will into the correct position. Was that whistling sound that followed Mono around a little louder, or was it just Will? "Now tune the frequency. Or think about moving it around until it feels right." He added, seeing the other's confusion.

Will tried, honestly he did. Nothing happened and he got a headache before he gave up.

Six pointed at the television, then at the Mono, then at the Will.

"You want me to go with him?" Asked Will.

She nodded.

"Gee." Said Mono. "How did you know what she meant?"

"I got to know Six while you were gone." Mono's eyes widened."Her name is Six?" Six nodded and rolled her eyes. "Wow...I guess I never asked." She pointed to the T.V. again. "Yeah. Yeah, I'll try to get him home." He replied, grabbing Will's hand. Pressing his fingers against the cold glass. "I just want to say, in case this works...I've never had a friend before." Will smiled and Mono's heart ached.

It took awhile to tune. The signal they were looking for was nearly impossible to find and even then, following it was hopelessly confusing.

"Will! Push me! I don't know if I have what I need." Will pushed with all his might, muttering.

"You can do it. It believe in you."

Mono typically wasn't even this good at identifying signals. This was probably the best he'd ever done. "Are you getting closer?" Called Will.

His voice echoed around the space inside the television. It echoed down the frequency Mono was trying to tune. It interrupted another broadcast, taking its place as the crackly sound coming from an electronic box. Which widened the eyes of a worried mother.

"Will! Will, honey?! Where are you? Are you safe?!" Joyce Byers echoed back.

"Wait. Is that my mom? Mom! Can you hear me??" Joyce scrambled to the television, putting her ear against the speaker.

"Yes, baby, I can hear you! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah! I'm okay. I'm fine! I'm trying to get home!" Mono grunted with effort. His unusual amount of energy was quickly draining.

"Oh, Will. Stay right where you are. I-I'll get someone. To help you!" Her voice was softer. They were running out of time.

"I can't stay here. It's not safe. I-I have to go. I love you, Mom!"

"I love you-" The T.V. switched to an advertisement. "-too..."

~

Ring ring. Ring ring. Went a yellow phone.

"Yes?...No ma'am...He's busy...Yes ma'am. Yes ma'am, I'll patch you through."

Ring ring. Ring ring. Ring ri-. Went a black phone.

"Who is this?...Joyce, you can't be serious...Why don't you talk to Jonathan about this?...I see...I see...I'm sorry, I can't help you...Look, this is all very far fetch- I didn't say crazy...Yes...I do have better things to do...Like find out who kidnapped your son and two other people... I don't think the T.V. had anything to do with it...Goodbye Joyce." Chief Hopper hung up quickly. Joyce was really losing it. She needed help.