CHAPTER ONE: the vanishing of Will Byers

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EMILY WHEELER LAID ON HER BED. He shared a room with Nancy, but they had twin bed  sets. The girl looked up when there was a knock on her shared door only to see Dustin Henderson standing there, holding a pizza box and smiling at the two. "Hey, Emily,Nancy. There's a slice left if you want it. Sausage and pepperoni!"

Nancy had gotten up, and closed the door on his face. Emily immediately stood up. "Geesh, you didn't have to slam the door on him."

Emily quickly got up, opening the door and heading toward the boy. "Dustin, hey, sorry about Nancy. That was rude of her." She told him.

"Do you want the slice of pizza?" Dustin smiled, holding up the box again.

Emily smiled back at the younger one. "Sure. Thanks."
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Murphy Byers had been laying in his bed, unaware of his surroundings. He had been having a cold for a few days, and had decided to sleep the rest of the day in. Although, his mother had a late shift, he had assumed that Jonathan would pick up Will.
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Murphy Byers woke up, annoyed and tired. The brunette haired boy rolled out of him bed, collapsing on the floor. "Ow." He spoke, monotone.

His door swung open, Jonathan Byers sighed when seeing his twin brother laying on the floor. "Murphy," he called, moving over and helping his brother up.

Murphy swatted his hands away. "I'm fine. I think sleeping for two days straight-"

"You're not going to school," Jonathan told his brother as he walked back out, only to walk back on with a plate of eggs.

"You're so dramatic," Murphy muttered as he got up, walking into the kitchen.

"Where's Will?" Joyce Wheeler questioned her two sons.

"Oh, I didn't get him up yet," Jonathan replied. "He's probably still sleeping."

Joyce sighed. "Jonathan, you have to make sure he's up!"

"Mom, I'm making breakfast. And I went to make sure Murphy didn't smother himself in his sleep."

"Geesh, you do something one time while having a flue at seven years old and no one lets you hear the end of it," Murphy muttered.

"He came home last night, right?" Joyce asked.

"He's not in his room?" Jonathan questioned back.

"Did he come home or not?"

"I don't know."

"What?" Murphy asked, trying to remember if he heard the door opening or closing.

"You don't know?" Joyce asked.

"No." Jonathan says. "I got home late. I was working."

"You were working?" Joyce asked.

"Eric asked if I could cover for him, I said yeah, I fig we could use the cash."

"We talked about this, I told you not to take shifts on nights I'm tending, I specifically told you. And Murphy, you didn't hear him?"

"I can barely hear you, mom," Murphy told his mother.

"He was over at the Wheelers all day. I'm sure he just stayed over."

"I can't believe it." Joyce started to walk over to the phone, dialing in the Wheeler's number. "Karen it's Joyce."

"Hand me a knife," Murphy whispered to Jonathan.

"Why?" Jonathan asked back.

"So I can kill myself before mom does."
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Emily walked by her sister's side into the school. "What is wrong with you? Steve pays attention to you and you're a dick to everyone."

"So, did he call?" Barbra asked as she walked up to the two.

"Keep your voice down," Nancy immediately scolded the two.

"Did he?" Barbra asked, then turned to Emily when Nancy didn't answer fast enough. "Did he?"

"I told you, it's not like that," Nancy replied to the other girl. "Okay, I mean, yes, he liked me, but not like that. We just..." Nancy went to her locker, unlocking it. "made out a couple times."

"We just...made out a couple times," Barbra mocked. "Nance, seriously, you're gonna be so cool now, it's ridiculous."

"No, I'm not." Nancy replied.

"If you ditch him for us I'll throw you out of a window," Emily threatened her sister.

Nancy rolled her eyes.

"If you become friends with Tommy H. or Carol-"Barbra started.

"Oh, that's gross!" Nancy said. "Okay. I'm telling you, it was a one-time-" then she smiled. "Two-time thing." She opened her locker, only to find a note in her locker.

Emily scrunched up her nose in disgust as she read the note that Steve had left. "The bathroom? Gross."

"You were saying?" Barbra sarcastically asked Nancy.
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"That's absolutely disgusting," Emily says, looking at Barbra. "She's going to the bathroom with him. To make out."

Barbra laughed at the grossed-out look on the other girl's face.
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Jonathan and Murphy were looking at photos to pick out of Will for the missing photos. Joyce was in the phone, calling Lonnie.

"Bitch!" Joyce cursed as she slammed the phone back down to hang up.

"Mom." The twins called.

"What?" she snapped.

"You have to stay calm," Jonathan says.

"Lonnie, some teenage whore just hung up on me. You don't call me back in the next hour, I'll report you for not playing child support. I swear to God i will and I'll make sure you rot in jail where you belong-" Joyce slammed the phone back down.

"Mom." Jonathan called again.

"What?"

Murphy looked to where his brother was looking. "Cops."

Chief Hopper walked out, holding Will's bike.

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"and it was just sitting there?" Joyce asked.

"Yes." Hopper replied.

"is there any blood or-" she trailed off for a moment.

"No."

"If you found his bike out there, why you here?" Jonathan questioned.

"Does Will get the keys to the house?"

"Of course he does," Murphy answered.

"So maybe he came back here."

"Don't you think we would have noticed?" Murphy snapped at him. Or at least mom and John would have noticed. He was still feeling a bit sick, but, not that much. Murphy coughed, stopping his glare.

"So what? You think I haven't checked my own house?" Joyce asked at the same time.

Hopper was walking around the place, pausing when he had seen a part of the wall chipped. "This always here?"

"Probably. I got three boys. Look at this place." Joyce replied.

Hopper opened the door, showing the chipped part lined up with the door nob. "But you're not sure?" A dog started to bark.

"How stupid does he think we are?" Murphy questioned Jonathan.
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"We should be out there helping with looking for Will," Mike speaks.

"we've been over this. The chief said—" Karen Wheeler tells her children.

"I dont care what the chief said." Mike replied.

"Michael."

"He is not even a real police mom. We have to do something, Will could be in danger!"

"More reason to stay put." Karen told him.

"Mom!"

"End of discussion."

"So... me and Barb were gonna study for the chemistry test at her house tonight. That's cool right?" Nancy asked.

"No not cool."

"What why not?" Nancy questioned, disbelief.

"Why do you think? Am I'm speaking Chinese in thIs house? Until we know Will is okay, no one leaves."

"So were under house arrest?"

"That's a bit dramatic Nancy, a kid is missing," Emily told her sister.

Nancy glared at her.  "This is such bullshit."

"Language!" Ted scolded.

"Barb lives 2 minutes away, just because Mikes friend got lost on his way home-" Nancy says.

"This is Wills fault?" Mike exclaimed.

"Stop being such a bitch Nancy!" Emily yelled.

"Nancy take that back. Emily, watch your mouth," Karen told her daughters.

"no!"

"Go to bell Nancy," Emily tells her.

"Your just pissed because you wanna hang out with Steve." Mike exposed, which gets everyone to look around.

"Steve?" Ted asked.

"Who is steve?" Karen questioned.

"Her new boyfriend."

"Your such a douche Mike!"

"And you're a whore," Emily shot back, annoyed with how Nancy acts since dating Steve Harrington.

"Language!" Ted shouted.

Nancy storms off.

"Nancy come back! Nancy!" Karen ordered, but wasn't listened to. Holly cries silently. "There There, shhh..."

"See Mike this is what happens." Ted says.

"What happens when what? I'm the only one acting normal here. I'm the only one who cares about Will!"

"That's not fair Michael. We care." Ted says, eating his chicken.

Mike storms off, and Emily follows in order to calm him down.
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"What are you doing?" Emily asked as Mike was packing up, he hide the book bag behind his back.

"Uh, studying," he told her.

"You're going out to find Will," Emily said, zipping you her coat. "You got an extra jacket in there for him?"

Mike looked at her, surprised.

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"Mike, what is Emily doing here?" Lucas asked.

"She's here to help," Mike replied.

"Plus, it was obvious what Mike was gonna do. If we get caught. I would just say we went out for ice cream or something." Emily says.

They come to a stop when they get to the part that was sectioned off.

"Ah, man. This is it." Lucas says.

"Hey, guys. You feel that?" Dustin questioned, it had started to lightly rain. "I think maybe we should go back."

"No. We're not going back. Just stay close. Come on." Mike walked under the set up barrier, shoving his bike on the ground. "Just stay on channel six. Don't do anything stupid."

"Hey, guys, wait up. Wait up!" Dustin called out.
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Murphy sat next to Jonathan on the couch, looking through the photos of Will in order to pick one out for the missing posters.

"Jonathon, wow. You took these? These are great. Wow they really are." Joyce tells him, amazed.  "I know I haven't been there for you two. I...I've been...working so hard and I...I just feel bad. I don't even...barely know what's going on with you. All right? I am sorry about that."

Murphy looked up from the pictures, but, was unsure of what to say. Jonathan sobs softly, which makes Murphy wrap an arm around him.

"Hey, what is it? What is it, honey?" Joyce asked.

"Nothing." Jonathan sniffled.

"Tell me. Tell me. Come on. You can..."

"No. It's just... I should've been there for him."

Murphy shakes his head. "You can't blame yourself."

"No. Oh, no. You can't do that to yourself. This was not your fault. Do you hear me? He is... close."  Joyce says. "I know it. I... I feel it in my heart. You just have to... You have to trust me on this, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, look at this. Look at this one. Look at this one." Joyce takes a picture of Will smiling. "I mean, that's it, right?"

"Yeah."
The twins agreed.

"That's it. That's the one." The phone rings, which makes Joyce get your and run to the phone. "Hello? Lonnie?"

"Dad?" The two question.

"Hopper?" Joyce asked. "Who is this? Will? Will?"

Both Jonathan and Murphy moved off of the couch and towards their mother.

"It's Will? Mom, it's Will?" Jonathan asked.
"It's Will? Where are you Will?" Murphy asked.

"Who is this? What have you done to my boy?"

"What? What?"

"Give me back my son!" Joyce yelled, then screamed in pain when she was electrocuted.

Jonathan grabbed the phone as Murphy grabbed his mother's hand, looking over it. "Hello? Hello, who is this? Hello? Who is this?"

Jonathan put the phone back. "Mom, who was it? Who was it, Mom?"

"It was him." Joyce tells him.

"Will? Was it Will?"
"Look at me, Mom. Was it Will?"
The twins asked at the same time.

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"He just breathed. He just breathed."

"And was someone else there?"
"Could you tell if someone else was there?"

"Mom, who was there? Who was it?"

"It was him. I know it was his breathing. I know it was his breathing."

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"Will! Will!" The four called out.

"Byers!" Lucas yelled.

"I've got your X-Men 134!" Dustin tried before he looked back at his friends. "Guys I really think we should turn back."

"Seriously, Dustin? You wanna be a baby, then go home already!" Lucas yelled at him.

"I'm just being realistic Lucas."

"All right, enough arguing!" Emily yelled.

"No, you're just being a big sissy!" Lucas shot back at Lucas at the same time.

"Do you ever think Will went missing because he ran into something bad? And we're going to the exact same spot he was last seen? And we have no weapons or anything?"

"Dustin, shut up." Mike ordered.

"Should've let you guys come out here by yourselves," Emily muttered.

"I'm just saying, does that seem smart to you?" Dustin says.

"Shut up. Shut up. Did you guys hear that?" Mike asked.

They all turned to see a girl on a over-sized, yellow t-shirt.

"Shit," Emily removed her jacket.

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