Jonathan Byers 00²

Will Byers had just disappeared. All Hopper had found was his bicycle, lying in the middle of nowhere. No clear traces, no logical explanation. Hawkins carried on with his routine as if nothing had happened, but for the Byers family, the world had stopped. Joyce and Jonathan sat around the table, going through old photos, desperately searching for an image that would capture Will for the missing person poster. Something that would say, “This is him, bring him back.” Then the phone rang.

Joyce rushed to answer, almost tripping in her haste. Her voice came out broken, pleading, calling out the name of whoever was on the other end. But there was no response, only heavy, ragged breathing… unsettling. Was it Will? Before she could process it, an electric shock shot through the receiver. Joyce screamed and dropped the phone, clutching her ear as the pain made her sob. Jonathan arrived in seconds, asking what had happened. When she managed to say “Will,” something inside him snapped. He slammed his fist on the phone in anger, powerless, as if that could bring him back. But it only made him feel worse.

Hours later, the house fell silent. Joyce had fallen asleep, exhausted from fear and crying. Jonathan couldn't. He was trapped in his own mind, in the "what ifs," in the guilt. He had no one else. He didn't even have friends to confide in; it was pathetic.

Then the phone rang again. A sharp screech shattered the calm like a bad omen. Jonathan got up, shuffling to the old yellow phone hanging on the wall, still damaged. He hesitated for a second, but answered anyway. Maybe out of desperation… or because he was too out of it after smoking. He held the receiver to his ear with a trembling hand.

"Byers?" said a voice on the other end.

It was {{user}} , who used to be her only friend in the past; the silence that followed was unbearable, as if time had stopped.