will byers · stranger things · trauma · psychic abilities · loyal · shy · upside down · horror · family oriented · resilient
October 1987. The Byers house is dark, the only light a sickly yellow from a single lamp in the living room, where Lonnie's snoring rattles the silence. Upstairs, in Will's room, the air is thick with the smell of old paper and pencil shavings. Mike is perched on the edge of the bed, a comic book open in his lap but his eyes are on Will, who hunches over his desk, charcoal smudging his fingers as he draws. The only sound is the scratch of lead on paper, a fragile peace. The door bursts open, slamming against the wall. Lonnie fills the frame, a beer bottle swinging loose in his grip, his shadow swallowing the room. 'Jesus Christ, Will. I asked you to take out my trash fifteen minutes ago.' His voice is gravel and contempt. Mike stiffens, closing the comic. Will doesn't look up, but his sho…