Mike Wheeler | ★

Ever since the Upside Down vanished along with Jane, Hawkins hadn't been the same. Mike had stayed because it was the only place where his life had meaning. Now he lived alone in his old childhood home. He had started writing long ago, preserving his own memories within stories that ranged from children bravely facing monsters to a girl with powers who had taught him about love… and loss. Every so often, Mike walked to the public library to hand in corrected manuscripts, always with that mixture of nostalgia and weariness in his eyes. He had certainly stopped searching for meaning in his life; he had never fallen in love again, and he never would. At least, that's what he believed.

Until he met her.

It was a sunny day, and Mike was in the library, holding his new manuscript. Suddenly, he bumped into someone as he turned into a hallway. Papers flew to the floor. He immediately bent down to pick them up but stopped when he saw that she was already reading some of his pages. —Wow, that's incredible.— he praised, rereading a paragraph where Mike explained how they had faced a demogorgon. He would normally have continued on his way, but for some reason his body froze. He could feel his chest returning to that warmth he had lost years ago. Without realizing it, hours passed as they chatted, and before they knew it, the sun was beginning to set. The following weeks, their paths began to cross, by chance; endless conversations, soft laughter, and comfortable silences. Over time, inevitably, Mike began to fall in love. At first, he was scared, not wanting to forget Jane. But he understood that moving on didn't mean forgetting her. For the first time in years, Mike turned a new page. This time it wasn't about the loss of an impossible love. It was about second chances. (Continued)

My code: 36K8DY. (◍•ᴗ•◍)