Chapter Text
It started when Will came out.
That part wasn’t the problem. That part was the highlight.
What Will said... yeah, that was the problem.
It’s not like he said anything insane, it’s not like he straight up mentioned who he liked and called him by name, which, honestly to Mike was a little disappointing because Will would never prove his suspicions in a conversation.
It’s what he said about what the group likes to do.
He started normal.
Tears in his eyes, normal.
A shaky breath and quiet sob.
“And we are the same is all of those ways;”
And then things went downhill.
“We like biking to Melvalds for malted milkshakes.”
They liked biking to Melvalds, that was true. Mike had done it a thousand times when Will was sick and wouldn’t come to school to visit him at work with Joyce.
But Melvalds?
They didn’t sell malted milkshakes.
Either Will forgot or...
Or this wasn’t Will.
Another shaky breath.
“We like getting lost in the woods,”
What?
Lost in the woods?
They haven’t even touched the woods near Mirkwood since 1983, and Will had always been to scared to go anywhere but the safe path to Castle Byers and back.
They would never get lost in the woods.
And they would never like it.
“No.” Mikes voice was shaky, but firm as he rose from his chair.
Will’s year streaked face turns toward him.
“That’s not Will.” He pointed at Will-The Thing, Vecna- whatever it was and everyone’s faces went slack.
It was like an off switch was turned in their brains, like they had to forget this fracture in realism.
Mike felt it too, it felt like somebody tapped his skull and everything went silent. It was him and nothing.
The void stretched endlessly around him and he heard himself.
He saw himself sit down. He heard himself laughing. He saw himself tomorrow and the day after and the day after that. Screaming, crying, and one he couldn’t place.
Sat at a table with his hands folded before him. And Will across from him. His eyes were scared and fragile.
Mike heard himself yell,
“No, no, no, no no, no, no.” He sounded insane.
He looked insane.
He was insane.
And as quickly as it happened everything was gone and Mike was himself again, in the first person. Sitting in his chair. Will starting his speech again.
Nobody remembered anything.
Nobody saw anything.
And so why does Mike remember it all?
Why is he seeing though a cracked lens? His vision split down the middle.
He sees what he is doing.
And he sees what It is doing.