CHAPTER 4: The Hawkins Theory

FLASHBACK: November 6, 1983 – Hawkins, Indiana

Will abandoned his bike and sprinted home. He burst through the door, calling for his mom or his brother, but the house was empty. From the shadows, he heard a rhythmic, wet growling. Outside, the porch light began to glow with an unnatural intensity, pulsing against the windows.

​Will ran to the phone to call for help. He pressed the receiver to his ear, but the line was filled with loud static and a deep, guttural breathing.

​Terrified, he rushed to the front door and slid the lock into place. But as he watched, the metal bolt began to move on its own. It slid open slowly, as if an invisible hand were pushing it from the other side.

​Will ran out the back and into the yard shed. He grabbed a rifle and fumbled with a box of shells, his hands shaking. He aimed the gun at the door, his breath hitching in his chest. Above him, the lightbulb began to glow blindingly bright, pulsating faster as the creature drew closer.

​Will felt something behind him and turned to look. The back wall of the shed began to ripple like water. By the time the light finally dimmed and the shed door swung open, the room was empty. The rifle lay alone on the floor, and Will was gone.

PRESENT DAY: Hamlet

The scene shifted to a somber group gathered around Mr. Scott. In the center of the room, Iz lay unconscious on a makeshift cot, her body still and her face unnervingly pale. Sarah, John, David, Owen, Apollo, and Rose stood in a tight circle, listening intently to Scott’s grave testimony.

"So, how did they find him? The boy?" Sarah asked, her brow furrowed with a mix of skepticism and desperation.

Mr. Scott’s expression remained heavy. "They found him in an alternate universe—at least, that’s what I’ve heard."

Apollo’s eyes lit up with a spark of scientific interest. "Like the Dark World?"

"This isn't a game, Apollo," Rose interrupted, her voice stern and protective.

John stood up abruptly, his patience finally snapping. "Enough of this fantasy. Thank you, Mr. Scott."

Scott nodded solemnly and exited the room, followed closely by Owen, Apollo, and Rose. John remained behind with Sarah and David, the silence of the room amplified by the hum of the medical monitors.

"Why?" Sarah asked, her eyes searching John’s face for a truth he wasn't giving.

John’s jaw was set like granite. "That man doesn't know what he's saying."

David stepped forward, frowning. "How can you be so sure?"

"I’ll find Charles, and that’s it," John replied, his determination unwavering. He nodded toward the girl on the cot. "Take care of her."

Scott’s House

The air in the small study was thick with the scent of old paper. Scott leaned back in his chair, his eyes clouded with memories. "So, what do you want to know?"

Rose leaned in, her voice barely a whisper. "What happened to Will?"

Scott hesitated, the weight of the secret pressing down on him. "I don't really know. All I know is that he was kidnapped by a monster from an alternate reality of Hawkins."

Rose tried to interject, but Owen’s hand clamped onto her arm, stopping her mid-sentence. He flung her arm away, his eyes blazing with a sudden, sharp anger. "Stop it already! We don't want you here, so just stop pretending like Charles is your friend and go away."

Apollo added coldly, "Yes, maybe you should just go."

Rose’s face contorted in a mask of sudden pain. She spun around, the sharp click-clack of her heels echoing off the floorboards as she stormed out. Apollo watched her go, a flicker of regret and sadness momentarily crossing his features.

Hamlet High School

Maria stepped into the classroom, her eyes scanning the rows of desks for a familiar face. Laura was nowhere to be seen. A cold flicker of concern sparked in her chest. She pulled out her pager and dialed Laura’s home landline, but it was Mrs. Thompson’s worried voice that answered.

"Hello, Mrs. Thompson. Is Laura there?" Maria asked, trying to keep her tone light.

"No, she hasn't come home," the woman replied, her voice laced with panic. "I thought she was with you?"

Maria’s heart sank into her stomach. "Yes... maybe she’s just in the bathroom. Thanks." She hung up, her mind racing with terrifying possibilities.

She spotted Frank chatting with Rebecca and marched toward them. "Hello, my darling Ria," Frank said, though his smile faltered as he saw her face.

Rebecca gave a hushed, snide laugh. "It’s like the Princess is still intense about last night."

The group’s laughter was contagious, but Maria’s anger cut through it like a blade. "Stop it," she snapped. "Laura didn't go home last night."

Frank remained nonchalant. "So?"

"What if something happened to her? Like Charles?" Maria’s eyes were wide with fear.

Rebecca rolled her eyes dismissively. "Come on, Princess. Laura obviously went out to have some fun outside of town with some guy." The others snickered, but Frank’s face finally turned stern as he looked at Maria.

"Stop it, guys. This isn't funny," Frank said firmly.

Maria didn't wait for a consensus. "I’m going to look for her." She turned and walked away.

"Cheer up, King Frank!" Jordan called out, trying to salvage the mood.

"Let’s go, guys," Frank muttered, and the group reluctantly followed after Maria.

Iz's Mind

Inside the darkness of her own mind, Iz was trapped. The faded, distorted sounds of Billie Jean filled her ears. She saw Charles sitting on a chair, swaying and singing along to the tinny music. "It's Billie Jean, not my lover," he crooned softly. Iz reached out to touch his shoulder, but he vanished into thin air like smoke.

"Charles! Charles!" she screamed, her voice echoing through an endless, black void.

The vision shifted violently. Suddenly, Iz found herself strapped into a cold metal chair, her head shaved completely bare. She struggled against the leather restraints, her throat hoarse. "Let me go! Who are you?"

Through the haze, she saw a familiar figure approaching: her adoptive father, Mr. Kendrick. "Pa, help me! I'm just trying to find Charles," she pleaded.

Mr. Kendrick’s expression was unreadable, devoid of warmth. "You will soon understand who you are," he said, his voice sending a primal chill down her spine.

Before she could scream again, a needle pierced her skin, and her world went black.

FLASHBACK: The Lab

A younger boy, his head also shaved bare, sat trapped in an identical chair. "Give me the power," the boy begged, his eyes wild with a desperate, hungry fire.

A doctor’s voice came from the shadows, calm and detached. "Search for it. You have it in you."

The boy’s face contorted in frustration. "How? I'm only seven years old!"

"You are a boy, but not like any other boy," the doctor replied cryptically. "Find the power, boy."

The sound of a syringe hissed, and the boy’s eyes fluttered closed.

PRESENT DAY: The Hardy Mansion

Frank’s backyard was a scene of chaos. David was pinned to the ground, Frank and Jordan’s faces twisted in a mask of elitist rage as they hovered over him.

"What are you doing here, freakshow?" Frank sneered.

"Are you stealing from the mansion?" Jordan added, his voice dripping with accusation.

David held up his hands, trying to stay calm. "Sorry, I was just looking around and I heard something."

Maria pushed past the boys, her voice urgent. "What did you hear?"

The laughter of Frank, Rebecca, and Jordan grated on David's nerves until he couldn't take it. "Screaming," he said firmly.

Maria’s face was inches from his. "Is it Laura? My friend? You know her, right?"

Frank smirked, leaning in. "Hey, Ria, this loser is lying. He’s just going mad because his pathetic brother is missing."

David’s anger finally boiled over. He lunged upward, punching Frank squarely in the jaw and sending them both tumbling into the dirt. The two boys traded blows, yelling insults as they tumbled across the manicured lawn.

The Woods

Deep in the forest, Owen and Apollo were scouring the undergrowth for any sign of Charles. Suddenly, Jason emerged from the shadows like a predator, a knife glinting wickedly in the moonlight.

"Owen, run!" Apollo yelled, grabbing Owen’s arm and pulling him into a sprint.

But they weren't fast enough. Jason tackled Owen, his grip cruel and immovable. "Let him go!" Apollo demanded, his voice trembling with terror.

Jason’s smile was maniacal. "Sure. I’ll let him go... only if you cut your own wrist."

Apollo’s eyes widened in horror. He looked at the blade, then at Owen's terrified face. "Okay... please don't hurt him," he whispered.

"No, Apollo, don't!" Owen screamed.

Jason began to count with sadistic glee. "One... two—"

Apollo’s eyes flashed with a final, desperate determination as he moved to do it. But suddenly, a surge of invisible force ripped through the trees.

Iz appeared out of the darkness like a ghost. With a sharp flick of her mind, she wrenched the knife from Apollo’s hand and sent it flying toward Jason. It didn't strike him, but a secondary wave of force hit his arms with a sickening crunch, snapping the bone instantly.

Jason fell back, howling in agony, as the woods fell into an unsettling, supernatural silence.

The power has finally awakened.

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