( darkest before dawn / act one )
episode one | stranger things

❛ WILL IS MISSING ❜

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AURORA BRIAR WAS EXACTLY what the parents of Hawkins, Indiana told the children to act like. Aurora was sweet, thoughtful, kind and had a big heart. She had weaved herself into the hearts of the entire town, with just a bright smile and a helpful hand.

The girl lived with her three aunts - no one knew exactly how she was related to any of them - Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, in the middle of the woods.

Aurora groaned rolling from her bed, only to miscalculate her distance from the edge, as she fell to the ground. Her tailbone taking the harshest of the hit.

"Rory! Are you - darling," Flora, her eldest aunt stood in her doorframe, and bright pink outfit fitting right in with Auroras pink and white room. "You need to be out the door within ten minutes, and you haven't even gotten out of your bed!"

Aurora faked a cough. "I don't feel good." She had turned her face to the cold floor as she closed her eyes again, sleep creeping into her bones once more.

Flora just sighed, "You're going," the pink skirt bounced around her ankles as the tall woman quickly flicked her white curtains open in one fluid motion. "Now up."

"Aurora," Auroras favorite aunt ( though she always said she loved them all equally ) Mary - or Merryweather - spoke as she leaned against the door, her long blue dress always dragging on the floor as it usually did. "You should've been up thirty minutes ago, Flora is right."

Aurora grumbled but slowly pushed herself off the floor. "I feel so bullied." Flora muttered as few choice words as she left Auroras room. Mary left with a smile sent towards Aurora, who was now rushing around her room to find an outfit.

She didn't have to ponder for a long time, and she pulled her favorite soft pink skirt from her dresser and paired it with a long sleeve, white turtle neck. Pulling on her pink converse, Aurora rushed out of her room.

"Aunt Fauna!" The blonde girl shouted, pushing herself into the kitchen, where the blonde was dressed and green blouse and brown pants. "Can you braid my hair before school?"

"Of course," Fauna placed a plate into Auroras hands before pushing her to the dining table. "Hurry onto the table, and I'll be there in a second."

Aurora nodded, and rushed to the table. Shoving herself into her seat and began eating.

"Rory!" Flora spoke, "please take a breath darling, or you'll choke!"

"Sorry." Aurora slowed down, as Fauna started on her hair. She finished quickly, and began to slowly start moving around as Fauna began to finish on her hair. Once she had finished, Fauna added a bow to the end of each braid and Aurora rushed to her room, grabbing her backpack and running to the front door. "Bye, love you!"

Aurora rushed out of the house, and jumped on her bike - a gift from a few years again. Her bike had a pink basket and pink tassels hanging from her handlebars. As she pulled on to Mirkwood, Aurora slowed, waiting for Will to pop out and finish the ride to school together. Though, after ten minutes of waiting, Will hadn't showed up.

"He's normally not late," Aurora mumbled to herself, looking at her watch. "Maybe he was just early, and headed off without me."

Shaking off a weird feeling, Aurora started peddling to school. Pulling into the bike rack as her other friends pulled up as well.

"Where's Will?" Dustin Henderson questioned as she locked up her bike. His words slightly messing together and his front two teeth were still missing.

"I assumed he was already here," Aurora answered, "he wasn't at Mirkwood where we normally meet."

"Yeah! His mom called me this morning asking if he had stayed the night." Mike Wheeler spoke and Aurora turned to him. He had always been slightly taller than the girl, and though Aurora wouldn't ever admit it, but she had a slight crush on the boy.

"He probably just went to class early again." Lucas Sinclair threw an arm across Auroras shoulders, pulling the girl into a hug. "Hey Rory."

"Yeah, he's always paranoid Gursky's going to give him a pop quiz." As Dustin finished, the annoying sound of Troy and James filled all of the friends ears.

"Step right up, ladies and gentlemen! Step right up and get your tickets to the freak show." Troy shouted, and Aurora sighed as she pushed herself slightly closer to Lucas, clueless to Mike stiffing up next to her. "Who do you think would make more money at the freak show; 'Frogface,' 'Sleeping Beauty,' 'Midnight,' or 'Toothless?'"

Troy grinned, as his friend answered, "Tough call," Glancing towards each of the friends before landing on Dustin. "I'd have to go with Toothless."

"My teeth are coming in, I've told you a million times, it's called cleidocranial dysplasia-" Dustin started, his lisp more pronounced.

James rolled his eyes and began to mock the boy, "I've told you a million times-"

"Do the arm thing," Troy cut his friend off and made a shove at Dustin's shoulder, who hesitated at the request, "do it freak."

Dustin sighed, before twisting his arms. Due to his lack of collarbone, the boys arms went around extremely far, causing the two boys to shiver in discomfort.

"Gets me every time! Every time!" Troy laughed, before pushing through Aurora and Lucas, heading into the school.

"Numbskulls." Lucas mumbled under his breath as Aurora went over to give Dustin a hug.

"I think it's cool," Mike started, as Dustin gave a sweet smile to Aurora, "it's like a superpower or something. Like Mr. Fantastic!"

"Yeah except I can't fight back with it." Dustin sighed, as the four of them pulled on their backpacks and began walking to class.

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WILL WASNT IN CLASS when the group of four arrived; in fact, he never came to class at all. Aurora was particularly fond of Mr. Clark, she liked the way he taught, and that fact that he ran their AV club was an added bonus. Which caused the girl to normally be an active percipient in class, but her mind was somewhere else. Someone else.

The bell filled the school, but was quickly drowned out by students rushing to meet with their friends for lunch. The group of four slowly packed their things, until they were the last ones in the class. Where they all rushed Mr. Clark, all do the kids asking the same question.

"Did it come yet?"

The it was actually relating to an extremely powerful HAM radio, with radio waves that could reach Australia. Basically nerd central.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news kids," Mr. Clark gave the four a solem look, "but it came!"

The kids all jumped with excitement and quickly rushed over to the AV club room, as Auroras movements began to feel sluggish, like a weight was bearing down onto her shoulders. With Will gone, Aurora moved to Lucas's side, who caught onto the signs and helped the girl to the chair in the AV room - one Will had brought for Aurora specifically. Once Mr. Clarke had sent to four up in the AV room, he stood to oversee the four of them - really two of them, with Aurora and Lucas in the corner.

Lucas had helped Aurora when Will wasn't around, so after a while, he learned her actions that usually pointed to her falling asleep. He hadn't caught onto most of her triggers, as they could caused by mostly anything, but extreme emotions normally caused what Aurora called "her sleeping spells".

Auroras head lolled to the side, hitting the headrest softly, before her eyes fluttered closed. Lucas stood by her, not knowing if this would be a five-second nap or five-minute, so he stood by, giving his input to his friends from afar. He didn't seemed to noticed the glanced Mike would send the girl every once in a while.

Auroras eyes opened as Lucas grinned, "welcome to the land of the wake, Rory." Aurora laughed at the joke the boy seemed to make every time she woke up again, she stayed seated for a little while longer, wiggling her hands and feet as she tried to move the fuzziness from her limbs.

Two quick knocks on the door before it opened, revealing the chief of police a deputy, and the principal. Aurora could recall that the chiefs name was Jim Hopper - her aunt Flora had spoken very poorly of the man.

"May I borrow, Micheal, Aurora, Dustin and Lucas, please?" The principal grumbled as the chief spoke up.

Mr. Clark nodded and motioned for the kids to follow, "it'll be here when you guys get back." Aurora mumbled something not being able to even mess with the radio before followed the three older men down to the principals office. She took everything in as she had never been in there before.

"This looks familiar?" Aurora giggled to Lucas, as he looked at her wide eyes. The other two boys had walked ahead but Lucas had stayed at the girls side to help.

"You're mean when you wake up," Lucas grumbled, pinching the girls side before the officers ushered the four kids to the couch, Aurora was squished between Lucas and Mike.

All of the boys began talking at once, before the chief shushed them and pointed to the girl, "you," Aurora pointed to herself in confusion, "you haven't said anything, so explain."

"I know the boys were hanging out last night-"Aurora started.

"You weren't there?"

"Um, no. My aunts wanted me home," Aurora started, "but I normally ride to school with Will because Mirkwood is right by the backroad to my house. Will didn't show up this morning."

"Mirkwood?" Chief Hopper turned to his partner, "you ever heard of Mirkwood?"

"Sounds made up to me," the officer responded.

"It's from Lord of the Rings-"

"The Hobbit-" Dustin and Aurora both corrected Lucas with a grin.

"It doesn't matter!"

"He asked!" Was Dustin's witty response.

"Hey! One at a time," Chief Hopper was now pointing at Mike this time, "you."

"Mirkwood," Mike started, "It's a real road, just the name thats made up."

"And what is its real name?" Hopper was annoyed with the group now, and Aurora was getting stressed out.

"I don't know," Mike shrugged his shoulders, moving Aurora with the movement as well. "It's where Cornwallis and Kerley meet. We can show you."

"Yeah I know it." Hopper dragged a hand across his face.

"We could help look-"

"No," Hopper looked sharply at Mike, "after school, you kids go straight home. All of you." Hoppers look then panned to each of the kids, making sure all of them were listening. "That means no biking around looking for your friend, no investigating. This isn't some Lord of the Rings book."

"The Hobbit-" Dustin corrected again, as Hopper sent him an icy glare, causing the boy to shut his mouth quickly.

"Do I make myself clear?" Hopper received no answer, "Do I make myself clear?" Worried and shaken by his tone, the four share a look before nodded to his words, and all of them quickly filtered out.

Before leaving, Aurora paused at the door, making eye contact with both of the cops in the room. "Do you think Wills in danger?"

Neither of them answered.

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AURORA CALLED MIKE ON her walkie-talkie later that night. Her walkie-talkie had been a gift from Mike for her birthday a couple years back, so now that they could all communicate.

"Hey Mike? Over." Aurora called over the radio. She had finished eating dinner over thirty minutes ago. She had spent those thirty minutes wondering what to do.

"Hey Rory, what's up? Over."

"I'm worried about Will." Aurora fell onto her bed now dressed in a white top and grey sweatpants. "I want to help but what about what the Chief said? Over."

"Yeah, he said no investigating. What if we just happened to all be riding over to your house, and take a trip through the woods while we're at it? Over."

"Mike, you're a genius! Okay, call the others and I'll meet you by Mirkwood in fifteen. Over and out!" Aurora slammed the antenna down on her walkie-talkie, and quickly grabbed a jacket before slowly opening her window before climbing out.

The walk was slow, and Aurora would have preferred to ride her bike, but it was in the garage and her Aunts would have heard it opening. Aurora didn't want to risk getting caught before she could even help, so she took her chances walking. All she had was a small flashlight that she had from years ago, which barely worked, and her walkie-talkie.

Aurora was the first one to get to the police tape, and waited quietly for the others to arrive. Every once in a while, she would hear an animal that would make her jump in fright. She kept taking steps closer to the streetlight on the other side of the road.

She had fully crossed the street but the time the screeching of tires filled her ears and the three boys pulled to her side quickly. The mood was tense and the only sound was thunder rumbling above them as they climbed down the embankment.

"Maybe we should go back?" Dustin voiced the opinions of everyone, and just as Aurora was going to agree, Mike butted in, thrusting a walkie into Dustin's hands.

"No splitting up or anything stupid like that, but stay on channel six. Just in case," he ignored Dustin's comment as he headed farther into the woods, Aurora stayed by his and Lucas's side. Her flashlight slowly flashing in and out. Another strike of lighting had Dustin running to catch up with them.

Rain began pouring more, and Mike paused for a moment. He scrambled to pull off his jacket before thrusting it into her hands. She glanced down at the jacket with a smile before pulling it on and kept walking. Warmth already counteracting the cold that had seeped into her bones.

"Will?" Mike would periodically yell, "Will are you out there?"

"Byers?" Lucas had joined in, moving his flashlight through the thick of the forest around him.

"I've got your X-Men," Dustin shouted, and Aurora smiled. The boy had mentioned the little bet he and Will had made the night he went missing. "One-thirty-four!"

"William Byers!" Aurora joined, though her voice was mostly drown out by the noise of rain and thunder.

"Guys," Dustin started, his voice shaky and almost unheard over the weather, "I really think we should head back."

"Seriously, Dustin, if you want to be a baby, just go home already." Lucas scoffed, and Aurora smacked him lightly on the arm, before hooking her arm through Dustin's.

"Maybe we should just head back," Aurora voiced her thoughts as Dustin spoke over her.

"I'm just being realistic, Lucas." The boy rolled his eyes.

"No, you're just being a sissy."

"Guys." Aurora tried to stop them, but her efforts went unnoticed.

"You ever think Will went missing because, you know, he ran into something bad? And now we're going to the last place he was seen, and we don't have any weapons or anything." The group had stopped walking by this point.

"Dustin, shut up." Mike shushed the boy hearing something in front of them.

"I'm just sayin', does that seem smart to you?" Dustin ignored the boy to get in the last word.

"Shut up!" As the group quieted down at Mikes request, the sound of rustling filled all of their ears, "Do you guys hear that?"

Mike's flashlight landed on a person.

Lightning lit up the sky as thunder boomed.

And Aurora quickly lost consciousness, without a warning. The girl dropped to the ground, and for a moment pure terror filled Mikes veins.

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( LET ME SPEAK : )

FIRST CHAPTER!!! i'm trying a new format
for this book, as i go through and edit this
because i can't write season three🤡.
let me know your thoughts and opinions
on this!

credit goes to fivehxrgreeves