The sun dipped below the horizon, casting a warm, orange glow over the town of Hawkins. Steve Harrington, clad in his signature jean jacket, made his way to the Family Video store, ready for another uneventful evening shift. He sighed, running a hand through his carefully styled hair. The monotony of his day-to-day life had become almost unbearable, especially after the adrenaline-pumping adventures he had been through with his friends.
Inside the store, the fluorescent lights buzzed faintly as Steve settled behind the counter. He glanced at the clock; it was barely six, and the evening stretched ahead of him like a never-ending road. Just as he was about to start restocking the shelves, the bell above the door jingled, and he instinctively looked up, expecting a customer.
But no one entered. Steve shrugged and turned his attention back to the task at hand. The minutes ticked by, and the store remained eerily quiet. Too quiet.
A sudden, chilling breeze swept through the room, making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. He looked up, and his breath caught in his throat. Standing in the doorway, towering at twelve feet tall, was a creature unlike anything he had ever seen. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent red light, and its skin was a sickly gray, covered in pulsating veins.
Steve's instincts kicked in. He grabbed the nearest object—a VHS tape—and hurled it at the creature. The tape shattered harmlessly against its chest. The creature moved with terrifying speed, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. Steve tried to run, but a massive, clawed hand grabbed him by the arm, lifting him off the ground as if he weighed nothing.
"No! Let me go!" Steve yelled, struggling against the iron grip. His protests were met with a guttural growl, and he watched in horror as the creature produced a syringe filled with a glowing, green liquid.
"No! What are you—" Steve's voice cut off as the needle pierced his neck, the venom coursing through his veins with a burning intensity. He tried to fight it, but his vision blurred, the room spinning around him.
The last thing he saw was the creature's glowing eyes before everything went dark.
When Steve finally awoke, he was lying on the cold, hard ground. The world around him was a hazy blur, but he could feel hands on his shoulders, shaking him roughly.
"Steve! Wake up, man!" It was Dustin's voice, filled with a mix of fear and relief.
He groaned, his head pounding as he tried to sit up. Dustin’s face came into focus, his eyes wide with concern. Lucas and Max were there too, their expressions mirroring Dustin's.
"Are you okay?" Max asked, her voice softer than usual.
Steve nodded weakly, trying to gather his bearings. "Yeah, yeah. I'm fine," he muttered, rubbing his neck where the needle had pierced his skin.
"Are you sure?" Lucas pressed, his brow furrowed with worry.
"Yeah, just a little dizzy. Must have tripped and hit my head or something," Steve lied, not wanting to worry them with the truth of what he had seen. "Help me up, will you?"
Dustin and Lucas each took an arm, hoisting him to his feet. Steve swayed slightly, but managed to stay upright. Max dusted off his jacket, her eyes never leaving his face.
"You really should see a doctor," she insisted, but Steve shook his head.
"No need for that. I'm good. Just need to shake it off." He forced a smile, trying to mask the lingering fear and confusion.
The group began to walk back towards Steve's car, the evening air cool and crisp. Steve couldn't shake the feeling of the creature's eyes on him, nor the burning sensation where the venom had entered his body. But he pushed it aside, focusing on the warmth of his friends' presence.
As they reached the car, Dustin clapped a hand on Steve's shoulder. "If you start feeling weird or anything, you let us know, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, I will," Steve promised, though he wasn't entirely sure he believed it himself.
They helped him into the driver's seat, and Steve started the car, the engine rumbling to life. As he drove away, he cast one last glance in the rearview mirror, half-expecting to see the creature lurking in the shadows.
But the night remained still, and Hawkins seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. For now.
As Steve drove into the darkness, he couldn't shake the feeling that something dark and sinister was just beginning. The venomous shadows of Hawkins had returned, and this time, they were targeting him. But for now, he had his friends, and that was enough to keep the fear at bay.
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
More by this author
