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Daydreaming isn't new for him; maybe it's his hobbies getting just a tad bit too descriptive for him. However, these new little waking dreams he's been having? They're outright terrifying. Although they're doing wonders for his inspiration.
Eddie came into their lives without warning. He wasn't there, and then one day he was. They all quickly came to learn about his powers, although they were still unsure if he was aware of them. They didn't seem to be anything like El’s powers, and she couldn't sense any similarities. Which meant he likely wasn't one of the kids from the lab. He had some type of power; it was just something not connected to the Upside Down. Possibly, none of them wanted to think about there being something else out there. Or the possibility that Eddie was a Lab kid but had been kept separate from Eleven, or had escaped long before she was old enough to remember. Dustin tried mentioning that she might just be blocking the memories to shield herself from the trauma she faced, but El had admitted to not wanting that to be true because then it meant Eddie went through the same things she did.
After everything that happened back in ‘83, they've witnessed time and time again where Eddie would seem to lose focus on his surroundings, on reality itself. It always began with him staring off into space before he started singing softly. He never sang above a whisper. There was no rhyme or reason to what triggered him.
It was Dustin who came up with an explanation for it, Canticumancy. Some sort of ability to interpret the future through music.
For a lack of any other explanation, they assumed that was his ability.
Eddie Munson was one hell of a singer— except for the fact that his voice sounded so haunting. Every time he had one of those, as the kids started to describe it, episodes, and began to sing, he sounded otherworldly. Something about him sent a chill down their spines and caused their hair to stand on end. The haunted quality came from the way his voice echoed throughout the area, no matter how quietly he sang. The emotions? It was as though they could feel everything Eddie felt in that moment with a foreboding sense of ‘DANGER’, ‘RUN,’ ‘GET AWAY FROM HERE’. Some songs were stronger than others, like that one time when they were down in the tunnels with the whole Demodog fiasco, the tunnels were burning, and they all ran out before a horde of Demodogs came towards them. All thanks to Eddie singing. It happened before that, too; it was how Eddie got involved in all of this.
Will was the one to notice how sometimes it seemed like Eddie was only singing short verses rather than full songs, but Mike thought it was because Eddie didn’t need entire songs to get his point across.
Back in ‘83, when this whole mess began, sometimes Jonathan would turn around at school, and Eddie would just be there, his voice merely a whisperer, singing about Will missing, running, surviving, and being found. Nancy heard him singing about Barbara before, and Steve overheard him singing about his pool, death, and creatures.
Of course, it does take time to decipher the meaning of his songs. He never states things outright, leaving the true meaning hidden beneath metaphors, symbolism, and hints with nicknames. Something's were easier to find out than others.
Honestly, at first, a lot of them thought he was just constantly high off his ass, mostly Hopper and Nancy.
It was the kids, initially Dustin, Lucas, and Mike, to figure out what was going on.
When he was eventually brought into the fold and told about the Upside Down, he wasn't surprised by anything they said, although he denied it whenever they asked if he knew before they said anything. It's why they're all so sure he is unaware of his power to predict the future. They just weren’t sure how he was able to remain calm about the Upside Down.
Meanwhile, Eddie is pretty damn sure he's losing his mind and is trying not to let it show. Especially when just the thought of trying to talk about it leaves him with that empty feeling inside his gut and spreading throughout his body.
The daydreams are getting more frequent, and he's not stupid enough to believe that it's a coincidence that his dreams are so similar to the shit the others told him about the Upside Down. Music helps; he doesn't feel safe anymore unless he has music playing, or he starts singing.
He doesn't like how hard it is to focus anymore; he was already doing horribly in school, and he didn't need any more setbacks. The only good thing to come out of this is the sense of belonging he felt as each of the others tried reaching out to him over the past two years. Although becoming friends with Wheeler and Harrington was definitely not on his bingo card. Still, he wouldn't want it any other way. Wheeler, Harrington, Byers, Joyce- as she insisted he call her, and all of those kiddos grew on him like fungus. He kind of hates just how quickly he grew to care about all of them. Even the chief became someone he started subconsciously looking out for.
A cop, a prep, and a jock. No wonder his friends looked at him like he had gone mad when he finally admitted to being friends with the others.
Although it was definitely a lot to get used to, he's never had so many people paying attention to him before without some sort of wary malice or disdain in their gaze. He's just not sure why they all seemed to be so on edge anytime he zones out; it's not like he does it on purpose. It's just sometimes it's hard to focus on anything, and his mind just wanders off. He never smokes in front of any of them, not wanting them to start thinking his zoning out is because he’s high, and not wanting the kids to associate him with drugs.
The jittery, anxious dread he would feel most of the time only ever seems to ease up if he soothes himself. Singing always worked, music meant safety, and it was kind of really fun getting to try and see just what new song his mind provided him with. Even if the songs didn't always make sense to him, and he could tell that he was changing the words without meaning to. It was like something compelled him to sing it how he did; there was no harm in singing, so he ignored it. However, that did make it a bit harder to make sure to create his own, original songs for the band to play. After all, there is no way all of the songs that come to mind are completely made up on the spot. Especially since quite a few of them aren't his style.
Although he still hasn't been able to find any record or tape with the songs he keeps thinking about… maybe they are original?
Eddie doesn't like seeing Harrington outside the ‘hangouts’ the kids keep forcing them into. He doesn't like running into him at the market or happening to see him while he's out on a deal. He doesn't like how lonely Harrington looks. He hates looking at him and thinking of how there's someone missing, how Harrington's other half should be here. The thing is, he doesn't know who Harrington's other half is, only that someone should be there. Every time the kids want to hang out, they get Harrington to drive them around, and then they invite Eddie too. Because he can't say no to those adorable little shitheads, Eddie's stuck seeing Harrington up to three or four times a week. Harrington, who is nothing like the King from high school, something that was both surprising and not.
For some reason, Wheeler and Byers, the older ones, not the kiddos, keep trying to meet up with him, too. It’s extremely awkward since most of the time it happens when the kids run off, and he was left by himself with Harrington. He could practically feel the weird tension between those three. Of course, he’s heard the rumors.
Apparently, Byers stole Wheeler from Harrington and even beat Harrington’s face in. There was the one where Wheeler dumped Harrington cause she loved Byers. Or the one where Byers and Wheeler both wanted Harrington, but he was grossed out by the idea and has been avoiding them. Maybe it was a mutual break-up, who knows. It’s not like it’s any of his business, regardless of how curious he is.
Maybe one day they’ll tell him themselves.