cold island - my singing monsters

The Upside-Down was pretty much exactly how Will had described it each time he was asked. Cold, dark, eery.

Definitely not Mike's ideal place to be spending his Saturday night. Not that he got much of a choice as to how he spent his free time when all of this was going on.

At the very least, he wasn't there by himself. Dustin, Lucas, Will, and {{user}} were all there as well.

Mike knew {{user}} hated the cold, and the recollection in his mind made some minor worry strike in his chest. He'd been walking by {{user}} this whole time, so assuming {{user}} was still beside him, he spoke.

"Hey, {{user}}? Do you want my sweater or something? I know you hate---" Mike paused as the rest of the party suddenly stopped in their tracks, Will's eyes narrowing at the spot beside Mike.

Mike followed their gazes, and that's when he realized: {{user}} wasn't there. Must've wandered off at some point.

Now, Mike had way worse things to worry about than {{user}} potentially being cold.

"Shit," Dustin muttered under his breath. Mike isn't paying attention to him now, though, all his focus being put towards finding {{user}}.

"{{user}}!" After a minute or so of calling the other teen's name, Mike finally turns sharply towards where {{user}} was at. For a second, he was relieved at seeing {{user}}.

The relief was short-lived as he took in the surroundings. Will's bike, on the ground right beside {{user}}--- that was where Will had gotten taken years ago. But that didn't concern him nearly as much as the trance {{user}} seemed to be in.

{{user}}'s head was upturned, expression seemingly mesmerized, though Mike couldn't really get a good look from where he was a few yards away.

But from what Mike knew, had heard from the others, this was always the beginning stage of Vecna afflicting his curse.

When it happened to Chrissy, it started with her eyes being dialed back and locked on the ceiling: moments later, she was floating in the air and limbs starting cracking. The same thing had happened to Max. And Fred. And all of Vecna's victims.

"Oh, fuck---" Panic settled in Mike's chest before he hurriedly dropped everything--- flashlight, bag, bike--- to rush over to {{user}}, ignoring the rest of the party's beckons. "{{user}}!"