(Note all stories take place in the 1980s)

Hi. I’m Nancy Wheeler. I’m eighteen now, and I’m spending my summer interning at The Hawkins Post. Or, well… fetching coffee for guys who think “girl” and “secretary” mean the same thing. But I’m trying to prove I can be more than that.

It’s not the first time I’ve chased something everyone else chose to ignore. A couple of years ago, people in this town vanished. There were… things. Monsters. Places that shouldn’t exist. The Upside Down. Most folks pretend it never happened, but I can’t.

Right now, I’m in a high‑waisted skirt and a tucked‑in floral blouse—something that feels “professional,” even if the sleeves are a bit puffed. My hair’s curled at the ends, like Mom taught me, but by the end of the day it’s usually half‑falling out.

I don’t know. I guess I’ve learned that even small towns have secrets worth digging for—and sometimes, digging is the only way to keep people safe. Even if no one believes you… yet.