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UNDERWORLD
stranger things III.
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❝One summer can change everything...❞

— The 'Hawkins Rejects' Series,
Book Three

SUMMER of 1985 is rife in Hawkins, Indiana. It brings a warmth, excitement and freedom that the town sorely needs after a harrowing two years gone by. Underneath the shining sun, the townspeople try and look to the future...

CATH is fitting into her new friendship group... almost.

School's out and she thinks she's happier than ever, finding her kindred spirits in Will and the others. Fun in the sun, ice cream days and the freedom of youth releases her after the darker years. It is nearly perfect — except there is someone missing. Her lost friendship with Andrea still remains a question mark, neither of them sure how to come back. Of course, that's not the only thing on her mind. Cath counts the days before Daphne goes to college with dread. Existing with her is all she's ever known, so how can she live any different? Then the cherry on the cake is the strange rollercoaster of puberty and new feelings — both parts exciting and confusing — as the fourteen year-old looks to the terrifying prospect of growing up.

Everything is changing, and Cath can't do anything to stop it. It scares her. But as if the turning tides of growing up weren't enough, some strange activity overcoming the residents of Hawkins inevitably drags Cath and her friends into the mix. Will they ever be free of this evil?

DAPHNE is two steps away from cashing in her golden ticket out of here.

So why is she feeling a sudden pull of nostalgia now? What has Hawkins given her, other than pain and loss? While working two summer jobs to rake in extra money, Daphne finds herself reflecting in the last months before she moves out. Everything from the innocent desire to stay young, to the feelings she's developing for a certain ice-cream slinging boy across the mall — she thought the whole point was to get out, not to yearn for this hellhole she calls home. Maybe it's because Hawkins feels somewhat free for once. She's rekindled her closeness with Felix and Amy, and the Lab has been shut down. It is over. Perhaps she can finally enjoy things for what they are, without anticipating the darker layers hidden beneath.

Therefore when Dustin Henderson intercepts a 'secret Russian communication' and implores Daphne to help, she goes along with it. What could it possibly lead to that's worse than what she has already endured? In a few days, it turns out she spoke much too soon; her life is in fact about to change forever...

     ANDREA is trying to go with the flow.

     But it's not exactly easy. Not since her father got sick and still hasn't recovered, now on a Sabbatical of ambiguous length. And certainly not since she took out her anger on Cath and pushed her away. Nevertheless, Andrea tries putting on a smile and bounding through life as usual. She has always been the most radiant sunshine of her family — that's what her father has always called her. Sunshine. Her optimism, however, isn't as infinite as she used to believe it was. Andrea hates to think about whether he gets better or worse, but she knows what she can do to make herself feel useful... get a job. So it's off to the Starcourt Mall to go job-hunting (which is easier said than done, when you're barely 5 feet tall and pretending you're sixteen).

With no luck in the job department, where else can she go when Dustin Henderson ropes her linguistically-skilled mind into translating Russian? Even if the reasons are murky, Andrea accepts, and with that opens a trapdoor to a plethora of dark happenings right under Hawkins...

     THOMAS isn't feeling the same blockbuster summer everyone else is.

     That may be true for the Starcourt Mall, but thanks to that new commercial paradise, the turnout for the Hawk Theatre is dismal and has left them with a dwindling selection of movies. But aside from the enraged small businesses of Hawkins, Thomas is at various crossroads this summer — his eldest daughter is leaving for college, all grown up, and his sister Peggy is due to have her baby any day now. On top of this, the urgency to keep up with places like Starcourt offers Thomas a new job opportunity, one which could signal better prospects. Indeed, things are changing rapidly before his eyes.

He is quite happy to have this as enough on his plate. However, what was only intended as a strongly-worded complaint to Mayor Kline drags Thomas into a whirlwind of chaos — one that includes old friends bickering like a married couple, a nonchalant private investigator and a plucky Russian who stumbles into their lives...

     AMY is just trying to lay low this summer.

     Sure, working for Mayor Kline at the town hall is not ideal. Sometimes she would prefer to staple his mouth shut if he asks her to buy coffee one more time. But it sure places her in the beating heart of the town — with irate citizens suddenly flocking to her for advice, the eighteen year-old secretary now deals with multiple problems a day. She has to admit, however big or small they are, it does give her a sense of worth. Not to mention it's all a perfect distraction from the ticking clock before she leaves for college, and the nagging worry over whether leaving her mother behind is right to do. Busy, busy, busy. That has always been Amy's life, between being plagued by chronic headaches and migraines.

However, laying low was never going to be an easy task. One step into a strange case with Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers soon has Amy firmly in the clamp of the dark events in Hawkins — and no matter how she fights it, it may end up consuming her...

     IT'S a summer to change everything. Friendships, love and loss. Even the very weight of the world. It seems the Upside Down cannot be outrun, especially as it invades the lives of the townspeople more viciously and personally than ever... can anyone make it out without being forever changed?

╔═══════════════╗
THE MAIN CAST
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Kyla Matthews as
Catherine ❛Cath❜ Delaney

— ❝It'll be okay, because... it just has to be. We didn't come all this way just to lose each other again.❞

Britt Robertson as
Daphne Delaney

— ❝Summer doesn't last forever, like most things. But I've never wanted it to last more than this time.❞

Dalila Bela as
Andrea Sandoval

— ❝Calm down, Dustin, really? Says the dying hyena from the elevator?❞

Bill Hader as
Thomas Delaney

— ❝This is your town, Larry, just as much as it is mine. Why don't you care that it's on its knees?❞

Karen Fukuhara as
Amy Nakamura

— ❝Look, I don't have time for this; Mayor Kline needs yet another coffee, and somehow my job depends on it.❞

[ + additional cast... ]
théodore pellerin as felix rancourt
claire foy as peggy delaney
oscar isaac as samuel sandoval
alice braga as juliana sandoval
raphael alejandro as pedro sandoval
audrey tautou as colette rancourt &
tamlyn tomita as rin nakamura

[ + recasts... ]
milo parker as will byers
eric lange as murray bauman

—— DISCLAIMER.

I do not own the original characters of Stranger Things, nor do I own their related plots, dialogue, etcetera. I only own Cath, Daphne, Andrea, Thomas, Amy and every other character you don't see on the actual show.

Underworld will contain violence, supernatural elements, some gore, character deaths, coarse language and themes surrounding mental health & PTSD. If these are potential triggers to you, please proceed carefully — in general I'll try to put a warning at the beginning of a chapter if it contains explicit scenes of any sort.

     And finally, I would like to note Underworld is a sequel. It is the third book in my Hawkins Rejects series. Please finish reading Paranormal and Whistleblower before getting into this one! Things will make a lot more sense...

—— FOREWORD.

I can hardly believe we've made it to book three! Since there are/will be five seasons, that means we're at the halfway point of this series as well, which is... mindblowing. Season three is my least favourite from the show (although it's all still levels of greatness, aka: still top tier television) so I'm both excited and nervous to get into this fic. I look forward to having a new time of year and setting to play with, that can always freshen up the writing.

Some things you can expect from this fic are more summer vibes, as well as an overall lighter and comedic tone to fit with season three. But equally, there is some horrific stuff, plus things that will tug on your heartstrings. Lots of themes of growing up and coming-of-age in this instalment. The Delaneys are all back, plus there will be not one but TWO new POVs with my original characters, and they are... *drumroll* Andrea and Amy! Andrea in particular is getting a spotlight in this book, while Amy is getting a better introduction to you guys, since she hasn't actually appeared a whole lot. Oh, and finally, you may or may not see more love interests/ships being set up (even if it's just the early/platonic stages) so stay tuned there...

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the third book!

— Imogen

—— DEDICATIONS.

To some fellow Stranger Things fans/fic writers and people I admire on here:
heartofhugs ∙ bIumenthaIs ∙ stilestastic ∙ Iydiamartin
ROGUEANDOR ∙ wishfuIthinking ∙ dash-of-clarity
kamalaskhan ∙ bananapopsicIes ∙ vecnas

And to anyone who's been reading so far! There are too many of you
to count, but I'm thankful for every one of you guys.

—— IMPORTANT.

[ Started: October 31st, 2019 ]
[ Published: January 10th, 2023 ]
[ Completed: November 26th, 2025 ]

© starryeyedturtle 2023