#strangers things choose your own adventure

[sattlersquarry]

libby's review of the official "stranger things" choose-your-own-adventure novel, heroes and monsters (+ a relevant fic rec)

before i get into my thoughts, here's an overview of the book:

you are a high schooler at lenora hills high school and an aspiring journalist. for spring break 1986, you're headed to hawkins, indiana for a student journalism conference hosted by hawkins high schooler fred benson. unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse and you might just have to help save the world.

onto the pros/cons! spoilers ahead!

pros:

in one of the story options, the reader actually figures out that henry creel and vecna are one and the same before nancy's vision. i like that the journalism subplot makes the reader smart and observant in that way.

it's fun seeing the reader interact with the characters. in one of the stories, robin takes them to the empty base under starcourt mall. in another, they bond with steve over the fact that they don't have flashlights at the creel house. it's a small moment but it's cute!

so far, there have been two endings that i've liked: one that follows season 4's ending exactly and one that is a happier au of the season 4 ending.

cons:

i knew that the book is targeted toward younger audiences before buying it, but i was still surprised at how the tone reads like a book for elementary-aged readers. (also there are rarely any contractions in the descriptions which is very weird to me personally.)

some of the characterization is just...bad. robin is very mean to the reader in the library scene which is just SO unlike her it's not even funny!!!

i haven't read all the endings yet, but the majority of them are bad endings. :/ i get that that's classic for a choose your own adventure, and that season 4 has a pretty sad ending anyway, but it still sucks when you make all the "right" choices and do the smart things and still fail.

it seems impossible to get a good ending if you stay in california instead of going to hawkins, but i haven't done all the endings yet so maybe there is a way...

there are also some choices that just infuriate me. e.g. in one, you can choose to snitch to jason that lucas is lying about eddie's whereabouts (which ew, why would anyone do that), and THEN LUCAS GETS BEAT UP BY THE TIGERS AND THE READER CAN'T STOP IT. it's just horrendous! i refuse to read any more of that plot, that's just terrible.

i'm going to keep reading to try and discover all the endings, but so far, it's not as fun as i thought it would be. :( i'm tired of dreading every choice, knowing that one misstep and every character i love is killed OR i'm 1. killed horribly or 2. hated by the characters because of a dumb choice.

i'm honestly tempted to rewrite this book myself, which would be a HUGE undertaking and would take a lot of planning and brainstorming to get it right, but i might just do it. i think there's a lot of potential to make a choose your own adventure that follows the plot of the show really fun, despite the dark subject matter!

also! if we're talking choose your own adventure and stranger things, and if you're looking for something less stressful and more fun, @upsidedownwithsteve has a choose your own adventure type steve x reader fic that gets updated weekly on mondays. at the end of each chapter, you vote on the choice you want to see next week and the choice with the most votes is incorporated into the story. it's an enemies-to-lovers au about arcade workers and is very good and a fun read!

okay brb, gotta keep reading this book and try not to die. again. 🫡 if i can't find any more good endings i am rewriting this and sending my draft to penguin random house, wish me luck team!

[myosotisa]

‖ tags: smut, somnophilia, size kink, p in v, praise kink

‖ word count: 380

the two of you have had sex 3 times and you've never been able to take all of him because you just get too in your head about how huge he is. he's so patient with you, never rushing you, prioritizing your comfort over anything else. making suggestions to try to make it better, or saying he'll just fuck you with half so it doesn't hurt you, or that the two of you don't have to do anything at all if you don't want to.

you feel bad, self conscious, slightly ashamed, apologetic. he assures you it's more than fine, sex with you is amazing even if you can't take all of him. but. he knows it's all in your head. he knows your body can take it. he asks if you trust him and of course you say you do.

you wake up on your stomach, naked from the waist down and your shirt rolled up to your armpits. it's hot and sweaty and disorienting but holy shit what is that feeling?!

"there she is," he says in a deep voice, rough from how quiet he's trying to be. "good morning beautiful"

you go to say good morning back but it's cut off with an unexpected moan, a feeling deep inside you shifting. "feel that?" he murmurs, sounding a bit cheeky but so utterly pleased. to make his point more clear he rolls his hips, adjusting his thick cock inside you, and holy fucking shit he's balls deep.

"knew you could take it, baby," he says proudly when you gasp, fingers twisting in the sheets beneath you. he pulls back an inch or two and pushes back in, your back arching as you let out a choked moan. he's so deep, you've never felt anything like this before.

"just had to take your big, nervous brain out of the equation. knew it the whole time - your pussy was begging for it, crying for it. and now you're soaking me, sh-iiit, like you were made for my fat cock," he groans, continuing to slowly shift in and out of you, your muscles clenching around him on each drive forward. "so fucking perfect baby. just keep taking it like a champ and I promise to make you feel so good you'll never worry about me fucking you like this ever again."

[sparkle-fiend]

I think Steve is gonna need a bigger bat 😬

(So @piratefishmama came up with the idea that demobats could be the early stage form of something bigger- like a demodragon. Which was so friggin cool I immediately wanted to draw one)

[sarcasticassian]

Steve and Robin come out to see Corroded Coffin at their Vegas stop and they have a great time and after the concert they and the band go out for drinks because when in Vegas right? and they all maybe go a little too far and get blackout drunk and Steve, Eddie and Robin all wake up in a bed together, fully clothed of course, but incredibly hungover and it takes them a while to notice the rings but then Steve finds the certificate and all hell breaks loose

Robin and Eddie got married last night

Steve has never felt more betrayed in his LIFE, he was supposed to drunkenly marry Robin one day, they're soulmates, how has she ended up married to Eddie?? the two of them shrug as Steve storms around the room, Robin totally apologetic and willing to make it up to Steve, Eddie relaxing back into the bed because now he has a wife and a boyfriend

Eddie has to leave for his next tour stop so they can't annul it straight away but when they do they gleefully tell everyone who can hear that they never consummated their marriage thank you very much and headlines hit the next day about the lead singer of Corroded Coffin getting a divorce from his secret wife, an ex wife who left hand in hand with another man and all hell breaks loose again when Steve realises this means people think they can just hit on Eddie now they think he's single

[estrellami-1]

I want to try something… tagging my permanent taglist plus a few others who I think might be interested, but let me know if not.

This heavily relies on participation, so if that’s not your thing, no worries! But I’m hoping it doesn’t have to be all on one person.

Essentially, someone sends me an ask with a (vague) prompt. I write as much as I’m inspired to, post it (probably with a title), and someone else (or same person, idc) sends me an ask with the name of the fic and the next thing you want to happen. Please let me know if this doesn’t make sense, I think I’m still jet lagged, but hopefully someone wants to do this!!

It’s important to note that I will develop a specific tag for the fic, and I will not be tagging anyone, so if you want to follow along, please subscribe to that specific tag. I’ll let y’all know what it is in the first part. I’ll also post it to my Masterlist.

@justforthedead89 @ilovecupcakesandtea @madigoround @bookbinderbitch @suddenlyinlove @nburkhardt @artiststarme @paintsplatteredandimperfect @i-less-than-three-you @alyelf @quarble @messrs-weasley @littlewildflowerkitten @vankaar @starman-jpg @bornonthesavage @steddie-there @goodolefashionedloverboi @mischivarien @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @platinum-sunset @just-ladyme @steddiestains @swimmingbirdrunningrock @imhereforthelolzdontyellatme @martinskis-lydias @notaqueenakhaleesi @sleepyboosstuff @bestwifehaver @m-owo-n @thatonebadideapanda @finalmoondragon @velocitytimes2 @callmeanythjing @ajeff855 @ilikeititspretty @knitsforthetrail @sillysparrow @that-one-corvid @ace-is-bored @muricel-rambles @harpymoth @weirdandabsurd42 @finntheehumaneater @hbyrde36 @steddieas-shegoes

[eightfifteen]

rewriting season 4 Choose Your Own Adventure style!

Mike has decided to go to Max for help.

Mike arrives at the trailer park after only a short walk. The sun is just starting to rise and the park is quiet this early in the morning. He's pretty sure he knows which trailer is Max'. Now he's actually here, however, he's not quite sure what he's doing or what he's even planning on telling Max.

He's still trying to figure out what even happened or how he got to the other side of Hawkins without remembering anything.

[byleranalysis]

I am sincerely asking for anyone to perhaps— share the new Stranger Things book: Heroes and Monsters (Choose your own Adventure): Stranger Things

I am a college student and already penny pinching as is but love this franchise so so much. I’d really appreciate it if someone were to share <3 Thank you!

[ryan-waddell11]

MY ST CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE CAME TODAY AND IN ONE SCENARIO YOU SAVE EDDIE AND BRING HIM BACK TO HAWKINS INSTEAD OF LEAVING HIM THERE??

Am I delusional? Absolutely, because did they seriously just leave his ass there??

[lucalicatteart]

Poll adventure (paventure? lol) Day 12: read the small story tidbit below the poll for more details, OR just vote based on initial impression

(✦ see past poll results + further information HERE (link) ✦)

Yesterday's poll decided that The Adventurer should rest for the night in an abandoned barn ...

~

Somewhat nervous about being out in the woods alone at night, he decides to try finding a more hidden sleeping spot, further off from the path. Though with his injuries, and his exhaustion, he knows he shouldn't walk too far. He tells himself that he'll just adventure a little, only an hour or so, and if he can't find anything better by then, he'll just give up and set a tent in some bushes somewhere......

After 30 minutes, he finally stumbles across an old barn. He can't see it very well with just a trickle of moonlight and the dull glow of his flickering lantern, but it seems to have not been used for many years. Structurally sound enough (at least he hopes), yet shrouded in moss and blankets of various overgrowth.. It takes a few moments to pluck away all of the ivy blocking his path, but he soon closes the rickety doors behind him to focus on the interior. There's no space to light a fire or set up a real tent, and he'll have to block a few holes in the walls so wild animals don't sneak in, but, there are a few surprisingly clear looking sections scattered amongst all the musty hay bales and cobwebs. He chooses a "cozy" spot in the corner, hidden behind a few dusty crates. Though he tosses about uncomfortably in his bedding for quite a while, he's eventually able to fall into a peaceful sleep.….....

.. Suddenly, he's startled awake by rustling, catching a dark blurred movement in front of him. He's smart enough to always sleep wearing his backpack over his chest so nobody could just grab it without him noticing, but it seems for the first time in all his travels... someone is actually trying to. Still half asleep, he clings to the bag and yelps, pushing and tumbling away into a moldy wooden barrel after an initial struggle. He pulls himself up to face the hooded figure now looming above him, entirely obscured aside from their vague cloak-ish shape outlined by the faint moonlight behind them.. The Adventurer calls out in a shaky attempt at an aggressive tone, "Wh-wh.. whAT are YOU DOIng? WHo-whu..UHHH??? aahhhG" "Give me the bag." The hooded figure speaks in a smooth, stern, yet calm voice, slowly taking a step forwards. The cat scrambles to The Adventurer's side, hissing and giving a low growl.. "w-WELL , uh,, sORRY , n-NO , I would rrrather not DO THAT, I h-- I uh-- I don't have even anythi- I don't even have ANYTHING, I mea- wh-wh HWaAt d-do I look RICH to you?? EUggh-" he gulps loudly, holding back nervous vomit, "B-BACK OFF!! you-.. f- uh.. THIEF!!!!!" The hooded figure pauses for a moment, as if re-strategizing how to approach the situation. "Look, kid, I don't want to hurt you. But I need you to give me that egg." "WHWh-what egg? I-I don.. DON'T have an EGG, I'm uh…aCTUALLY a-allergic to eggs, s-sso-" "The egg that's in a wooden box. In your bag. Don't waste your time bullshitting me.. Come on, let's make this quick." The hooded figure extends their arm, motioning to be handed the egg. Still desperately fighting not to throw up everywhere, The Adventurer simply sits on the floor, staring up at the hooded figure blankly as he tries to think.. Is he seriously being robbed for the first time? Is that like, a cool milestone, or a bad one? He's read about it in adventuring books before but... the reality feels so much different.. How can he get out of this? Strategies scatter through his mind, but he's too shaken to find any clear answers.. What should he do?

-

Additional Information

the adventurer's current main quest: follow his map to reach the abandoned castle ruins and see the rare animal specialist about the mysterious egg he has

[kiibo-is-flustered]

Decide my next fic!

There will be a series of polls following this one after I get the results :]

[sattlersquarry]

the view between villages, part one: good bones (summer, 1985)

Summary: (Season 3) Armed with nothing but a GED and a small sum of inheritance money, you move to Hawkins, Indiana in March 1985 for a fresh start. ... It seems that the town has a strange history with science experiments and government cover-ups, but that’s all in the past...right?

Word Count: ~38k (I'm not fully sure final word count! but the fic is a choose-your-own-adventure with about ten potential storylines)

Warnings: Language, grief, depression, thoughts about death/dying, death of a parent, mentions of fire, burns, canon-typical violence and peril, angst with a (somewhat) happy ending. This is a Steve Harrington x Reader fic, but it's pretty light on romance.

A/N: IT'S HERE!!! I had a blast writing this and I really, really hope you enjoy it. There will be a part 2 that takes place in season 4. The choices you make in this part can directly affect your story in part 2, but you are also able to go back and remake new choices (using the curved arrows in the top-left corner. You’ll see the arrows appear after you make your first choice so you can go back as far as you need to).

You can play the story more than once! However, some of the options converge, so if you try to do all the possible choices you will read some of the same scenes more than once. The final scene is also the same every time, just a heads-up. I had to do it that way to set it up for part 2.

Now, here's the tricky part: ACTUALLY READING THE DAMN THING. It's too convoluted to post each passage and section as a separate Tumblr post, SO TO READ THE FIC, GO TO THE LINK BELOW.

If you enjoy, please reblog this and lmk what you think!

tag list: @aloneinthehellfire @hollandweather @starry-eyed-steve @a-dealwith-god

[rindecisions]

🔞Stranger Tales: 20🔞

A poll based Stranger Things fanfiction

Read all of it on AO3

Steve shook his head and rolled onto his face, groaning into his pillow. How could he think about men like that? What’s the point? What good would come from finding out he likes men… if he likes men? What would it prove? What would it change? Would he suddenly start wanting to date men? He sighed heavily and rolled onto his back again. Regardless, he had to know for sure. A slow, nervous breath calmed him as he closed his eyes and let his mind wander.

The first person to come to mind was Tommy, because of course it was. He had a long history with Tommy, and thinking back, there may have been a few less-than-straight moments between them. They did spoon at least once at a sleepover, and he’d had the misfortune of witnessing his morning wood more times than he would like to count. Unfortunately, thinking about Tommy bummed him out more than it turned him on. He shook the uncomfortable feeling away and turned his attention to someone else.

Why Jonathan was the next person on his mind, he couldn’t say. He sighed and rolled his eyes, deciding to just continue letting his mind wander wherever the fuck it decided to go. It lingered on the thought of Jonathan’s lips, specifically his smile. Why the hell was he suddenly so obsessed with Jonathan’s smile? Had he always been and just not known it? He did have a nice smile though, and it was a shame he rarely ever showed it. Nancy was about the only person that could coax a true smile out of him. Apparently, thinking about Jonathan bummed him out, too.

“Who’s next?” he grumbled to himself, running his hands through his hair. Billy. Fucking Billy was next. “Fuck it, why not?” he groaned loudly to his empty room. At least Billy was undeniably hot, and he’d inadvertently seen the whole package… the whole package. Steve had to face the fact that he could easily recall most of the details of his body as well. The way his necklace always stuck to his pecs was particularly enticing, and surprisingly satisfying to watch it pop free.

Now that he thought more about it, Billy stared at him a lot. He thought it was because he hated him, but maybe not. The eyes Billy gave him induced goosebumps that he equated to heebie-jeebies, but what if it was because he liked the look? His narrow-eyed gaze and the way he crudely licked his lips. His body was well built… and the way it would grind against him while they played against each oth- Shit! Steve groaned and covered his face. He was actually starting to get hard. “Fuck,” he sighed in annoyance. Then again, if he thought of an equally hot girl doing that, he’d get the same reaction, so it still might not count.

He needed something more solid. Something he could only experience with a man. Something with his dick… a blowjob! That was the first thing he could think of, anyway. Although he couldn’t be on the receiving end. Women can give blowjobs as well. No, he had to be the one sucking. That idea scared and somewhat thrilled him. He swallowed and thought of looking up at Billy from his knees. “Nope,” he cringed and cleared the creepy image. Something about Billy gazing down at him from that angle was too weird and threatening.

Who else was there for him to think about, though? His mouth suddenly went dry. Eddie… that’s who was left. The thought of looking up at Eddie’s face wasn’t nearly as scary. He could tell that Eddie put up a hard front, but was actually a fairly gentle person. His deer-like reaction in the parking lot was all the proof Steve needed to know he was right. Plus, it was easy to picture those large eyes of his with a caring expression. It was a little hard not to mix him up with his drag persona at first, but eventually, he was able to simply imagine Eddie as he’d seen him at the mall and after he cleaned up. Part of him regretted not talking to him before he left. Not that he knew what he’d say even if he did.

He forced his attention back to its original path, finding out if he actually wanted to sleep with men. Eddie was easy on the eyes, that’s for sure. His smile was infectious, too. Do I have a thing for smiles? He sighed and returned to trying to look at Eddie sexually. Instead of jumping straight into the idea of blowing him, Steve decided to take things a little slow. Just the thought of kissing him spiked his heart rate. His lips looked so plush and kissable. He bit his lip at the thought, trying not to be annoyed that his dick twitched. It did again when he thought about their tongues tangling.

Kissing had always been something that Steve enjoyed and was an easy way to get him going. Kissing a man couldn’t be too different from a woman, right? Great, now he was curious. He ran his tongue over the roof of his mouth for some form of sensation on it as he continued thinking about making out with Eddie. He wondered what’d it feel like to hold Eddie’s narrow waist. A soft groan escaped him at the memory of the dimples on his lower back. Those dimples killed him. There was just something so sexy about them. The thought of running his fingers over them while holding him in a kiss was enough to make his cock grow a touch more.

It was still difficult to accept that thinking about Eddie was making him hard, but the proof was almost staring back at him from under his briefs. He soldiered on and returned to the idea of making out with Eddie, but he took it a step further and undressed him. Other than his midriff and legs, Steve didn’t have any idea what Eddie’s body looked like. He didn’t seem like the sporty type, so chances are he wasn’t ripped, and he seemed rather thin, too. As he thought about taking Eddie’s clothes off, he gave him a generic slender body.

Next was the scary part, facing his dick. No! You’re not supposed to get excited at the fucking thought! He mentally scolded his own dick for twitching. He groaned and cringed, rubbing his hands on his face. Now that he had the image of him standing in front of a naked Eddie, he had to go further. He swallowed and closed his eyes tightly as he thought about kneeling in front of him. An electric sparkle danced over his skin when he met Eddie’s eyes staring down at him. He scanned down his flat chest until his eyes landed on his dick. What would his dick look like? He shook his head, trying not to think too hard about the details, and gave him a generic one. Fuuuck… He liked the idea of holding it and stroking the soft skin. In all honesty, why wouldn’t he like that idea? He has a dick and enjoys the feeling of jerking off, so why would holding another guy’s be all that different?

Putting it in his mouth, though, that was another story. He rubbed his tongue on the roof of his mouth as he tried to imagine what that would feel like. He’d handled his own dick plenty to know what textures to expect, but feeling them on his tongue was hard to imagine. A deep shame fell over him as he pressed his thumb past his lips, thinking about doing the same with Eddie’s dick. He ran it over his tongue and cringed when his body reacted. His heart raced, his breathing picked up, and there was no denying his dick was now at full mast. A thumb was far smaller than a dick, but it was the closest thing he could think of. He enjoyed the soft pressure of the pad of his thumb running over his tongue. Shit.

Maybe it was the fact that there was less blood in his brain, but he couldn’t come up with a reason to dispute this one. His free hand stroked over the thin cloth that held his erection flush to his body. When he started wishing that his thumb was actually Eddie’s dick, he had to accept that he was without a doubt interested in men sexually. He created a suction around his thumb as he took his dick out of his briefs and gave it a firm stroke.

“Damit,” he grumbled and removed his thumb from his mouth. He officially wanted Eddie. He’d felt this same way when thinking about women he wanted to sleep with, so there was no denying it. The fantasy continued, and he thought of Eddie staring up at him with his large doe eyes while seductively sucking his dick. Fuck, it was hot. He wondered what his hair would feel like as he ran his hand through his dark waves. He recalled doing the same with women, and how sometimes they liked him taking control. It made him wonder if Eddie would like him to be a little rough. Would he like his hair being grabbed, maybe pulled a little? Would he like being puppeteered? What face would he make if I pushed him all the way down?

Steve furthered the fantasy by imagining Eddie riding him, his slender body bouncing erotically on his dick with bright pink cheeks and shoulders. If only it was Eddie’s ass stroking him instead of his hand. He bet it would squeeze him like a goddamn vise and tightened his own grip to match the thought. A fun realization crossed Steve’s mind. He could imagine he was stroking Eddie’s dick instead of his without breaking the immersion of Eddie riding him. He bit his lip and picked up his pace, getting his hips into it. The only thing missing was knowing what he’d sound like. Eddie’s moans would probably be deeper than a woman’s, harsher, less elegant. He wanted to hear them so badly. With a soft groan, he came on his stomach, wishing that it was Eddie’s and not his. He relaxed his body as he coaxed the last of the cum from his dick.

Fuck… I’m bi.

He heaved a heavy sigh and ran his hands through his hair, cringing when he realized he still had cum on one of them. He sat up, annoyed, and went to take a shower.

More fics by Rindecision

[rindecision]

Stranger Tales Part 2 - A vote based Stranger Things fanfiction

Read all of it on AO3

Part 1

“Alright, fine,” Steve sighed, taking off his hat and walking out from the backroom.

“Good luck, stud,” Robin teased.

Steve gave her a mocking smile as he passed. He rolled his eyes at Billy’s spreading grin as he approached. “What do you want?” he said, staring Billy down.

Billy’s grin cocked to the side as he stood. “Wel-”

“That goes for you too, Munson.” Steve cut off Billy but kept his eyes on him.

Billy’s face fell into a near rage at the disrespect of Steve’s action. Eddie froze and stared wide-eyed at the D&D notes on the table in front of him. Shit, shit, shit.

Billy sneered. “What does-”

“It is Munson, right?” Steve cut him off again.

Billy’s lips twitched and pursed, reminding Steve of Dustin’s turtle.

“Ye-yeah…” Eddie called back tentatively.

“Then get out here.” Steve broke eye contact with Billy and looked at Eddie between the foliage.

Eddie swallowed and closed his eyes, trying to regain composure. You can do this, Munson, he thought to himself as he collected the notes into his bag and swung it over his shoulder.

“The fuck do you want with that freak?” Billy spat, finally getting out a full sentence.

“If he’s a freak, then so are you,” Steve said plainly, turning his attention back to Billy, whose face was clearly telling him to choose his next words wisely. “Both of you.”

Eddie froze mid-step when Steve looked up at him briefly.

“Have been staring at me for some reason and I’d like to know why,” Steve finished.

Eddie managed to properly compose himself and walked up to the pair. The sparks of hatred between the two were borderline visible, making him kind of feel like a third wheel that showed up after the car wreck. Eddie took a breath and started to speak calmly, “I thi-”

“I’m fairly certain the freak wants to bone you,” Billy cut him off and blindly pointed his thumb at Eddie, who was looking at him with shock and offense. Steve’s face contorted into a blend of surprise and horror as he glanced over at Eddie.

Eddie looked back and forth between them. “I do n-”

“Personally,” Billy spoke over Eddie. “I came here to see just how far the king has fallen from his throne.” He stepped closer to Steve, standing to his full height, so he was eye to eye with him, and flicked the uniform’s red tie.

Steve glared daggers at Billy and his smug face, a face he’d hoped he wouldn’t have to see after graduation.

Eddie wanted to oppose Billy’s accusation but didn’t want to interrupt… whatever they had going on. He had a feeling that if he even spoke a word, a bomb would explode between them. He saw this as an opportunity to slip away.

[eddiessidegirl]

i’m gonna get this so i can feel something again.

[softasawhisper]

I think it would be pretty interesting if stranger things had a choose your own ending. They film a few scenes differently, and the viewer can click if they want option A or B. A cyo ending would make it so things just aren't so definitive, they can kill off who they want to in one and then let them live in another,let Vecna win or make him lose. Then the audience goes away believing what they want to be true, plus it has the fun game vibe of multiple scenarios.

I mean they are already shoving some last minute lore in with the canonical stage play, so it makes me afraid they are going to write into a corner anyway with too much going on so why not just go ham?

[eightfifteen]

PSA: if you don't want this clogging up your feed block the tag 'season 4 rewrite'

Mike tells Max the truth.

He tells her about the nightmares. The sleepless nights. And this morning. After he's done explaining how he came to in the middle of the forest, with no memory of how he got there, Max is frowning at him.

"Have you ever sleepwalked before?"

"All the way across town?" Mike asks, incredulous, "No!"

"Yeah, no shit, Wheeler, but I don't know!" Max looks like she wants to pace, mind clearly working a mile a minute. "But did you, like, see anything... I don't know, Upside Down related? I mean..."

Max pauses, and Mike frowns as he watches her chew her lip. "I mean it's normal, right? Trauma and stuff."

"So you're saying I'm crazy?" Mike stares at her pointedly. "After everything?"

"Well it would be nice if you were!" Max fires back, mumbling something under her breath. "Lot better than the alternative! What are we even supposed to do? El isn't even in the state! The gates are closed!"

Mike sighs, tiredly rubbing his eyes. He thinks about his plane tomorrow morning. Thinks about finally seeing Will again, a thought that for the first time isn't accompanied by dread and a burning anxiety. He wishes Will were here.

Hell, he wishes Mrs. Byers were here. She always seemed to know what was going on one way or the other.

"I didn't see anything," Mike admits. "I don't even remember if I was dreaming. Maybe we shouldn't jump to conclusions."

They continue going back and forth for a while, but eventually decide on a game plan.