Chapter Text
Will woke up to the sound of screaming.
For a few seconds, he didn’t know where he was.
The sound was loud and terrifying, a deep, broken scream that filled the room. It felt like it was coming from somewhere far away, like it belonged to someone else.
Then the fog of sleep slowly disappeared.
It was him.
Will’s hand flew over his mouth, cutting the scream off before it could get any louder. He sucked in shaky breaths through his fingers, his chest rising too quickly. His shirt stuck to his skin, damp with sweat, and his heartbeat raced under his shirt.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
But it didn’t help.
The nightmare was still there.
The darkness.
The voice.
The feeling of being trapped all over again.
"I will come for you, William."
The words echoed in his head.
"And anyone who tries to stop me will suffer worse."
"No," Will whispered.
His voice cracked.
"No. Get away from me."
A black fog surrounded him. He couldn’t see anything. Couldn’t move. Couldn’t escape.
Just like before.
"Do you feel helpless again, William?"
The voice was everywhere.
"Like all those years ago? When I sat inside your mind and tortured everyone you loved?"
Will shook his head, even though he knew it wasn’t real.
"Go away."
A cold laugh answered him, echoing in the darkness.
"I did it once, William."
A pause.
"I will do it again."
"Go away!"
Will ripped his hands away from his mouth and grabbed his hair instead, pulling his curls forward until they covered his face. His fingers trembled as he tried to breathe.
He was awake.
He was in his room.
He was alone.
At least, that was what he told himself.
Slowly, with a shaking hand, Will reached behind him. His fingers grazed the back of his neck like he had done hundreds of times before.
He froze.
For a second, he was terrified of what he would feel.
But there was nothing.
No strange sensation.
No crawling feeling beneath his skin.
No sign that he was back.
A tiny bit of relief slipped through him.
And then it was gone.
Will buried his face into the blanket, curling into himself as silent sobs shook his body.
———
Will knew better than to make noise in the morning.
The house was quiet, but it wasn’t peaceful. It was the kind of quiet that made Will pay attention to every little sound, every creak of the floorboards, every movement from another room.
Today was Wednesday, meaning school started two hours late today. It also meant Lonnie would be awake by the time it was ready for him to leave.
He moved through the kitchen with his backpack already on his shoulder, trying to get out before anything could happen. He kept his eyes down as he grabbed a piece of toast from the counter, barely making a sound.
He was almost at the door when a voice stopped him.
“Where are you going?”
Will froze.
Slowly, he turned around.
Lonnie was sitting at the table, coffee in one hand, staring at him. Will hated that look. The one that made him feel like he had already messed up before he had even said anything.
“School,” Will answered quietly.
Lonnie”s expression didn’t change.
“School.”
Will looked down.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, immediately regretting it.
Lonnie’s eyes narrowed. “There it is.”
Will’s stomach dropped.
“What?”
“That attitude.”
Will swallowed.
“I wasn’t trying to—”
“Of course you weren’t.” Lonnie shook his head. “You never are, are you?”
Will stayed silent.
He knew better than to argue. He knew how quickly things could get worse when Lonnie was angry.
Lonnie leaned back in his chair and looked him over.
“Look at you. Sixteen years old and you still look like some scared little kid.”
Will’s fingers tightened around his backpack strap.
He hated that the words still got to him.
He hated that some part of him still believed them.
“I’m just trying to go to school,” Will said again.
Lonnie scoffed.
“You’re pathetic.”
The word hit harder than Will wanted it to.
He kept his face blank.
That was something he had learned a long time ago. Don’t react. Don’t give him anything.
Lonnie leaned over his coffee, looking Will dead in the eye. Even from a few feet away, it made Will squirm.
“You think you’re better than everyone now? Running around with your little fairy friends, playing hero?”
Will looked away.
“Leave them out of this.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he wished he could take them back.
Lonnie’s expression changed.
“What did you say?”
Will’s heart dropped.
“Nothing. I didn’t mean—”
“No, you meant something.”
Will went quiet.
Lonnie shook his head.
“You’re so damn sensitive. Always acting like everyone’s against you.”
Will stared at the floor.
“Sorry.”
The apology came automatically. Quickly. Like he had said that word countless times.
Lonnie noticed.
“Yeah. You always are, you little shit.”
Will grabbed the door handle with a shaking hand.
“Can I go now?”
For a few seconds, he wasn’t sure what Lonnie would do. To be honest, he was never sure what Lonnie would do.
Then Lonnie rolled his eyes.
“Whatever. Get out.”
Will didn’t wait.
He stepped outside and closed the door behind him, walking down the driveway before he finally let himself breathe.
His hands were still shaking.
He shoved them into his pockets so nobody would see.
Because by the time he got to school, he would be fine.
He would smile.
He would joke.
He would act like nothing happened.
And when Mike Wheeler looked at him and asked if he was okay, Will would say the same thing he always said.
“Yeah.”
Because Mike couldn’t know.
No way.