Stranger things: The Ghost of Hawkins

After hearing Zero's warning—the calm, cold seriousness in his voice—both Nancy and Jonathan felt the weight of reality settle in. They had acted on instinct and courage, but courage without direction was a good way to die. So they listened.

For now, they would follow his lead.

The car hummed down the empty stretch of Hawkins' backroads, the headlights slicing through mist and memory. Zero leaned his head against the cool window glass, the breeze sneaking through a crack in the window and brushing against his skin. It was the first time in years he'd felt something so simple, so real.

"You guys know any place I can lay low for a while?" he asked, eyes still fixed on the darkness outside.

Nancy thought for a second. "Maybe... our basement. It's usually empty."

Then her face tensed. "Wait—my brother Mike and his friends hang out there sometimes. If they show up—"

Zero shook his head. "No good. Kids don't belong in this. It'll get them killed."

Jonathan glanced over. "You don't have any ID, do you?"

Zero chuckled softly, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Do I look like someone who's got ID."

Jonathan nodded, his expression unreadable. "Then I'll book a motel room for you. Under my name. Just for a couple of days. I'll pick you up tomorrow morning. We'll figure out the next step."

Zero turned toward him, the hard edge in his expression softening. "Appreciate it. But just know—once you are in, there's no backing out."

They arrived at a rundown motel on the outskirts of town, the kind of place where no one asked questions because everyone had secrets. Jonathan went inside to handle the paperwork while Nancy stayed in the car, glancing over at Zero.

He looked like someone pulled from a war zone—tattered clothes, blood-smeared skin, a haunted stare that didn't blink often enough. Yet he was here. Still breathing. Still fighting.

Jonathan came back and handed over a plastic key card. "Room 12. It's not much, but it has running water."

Zero smirked. "Luxury. Got anything to eat?"

Nancy gave him another once-over. "You need more than just food. You need a shower, new clothes... and sleep."

An hour later, they returned with takeout, a clean change of clothes, and a bag of toiletries. Zero disappeared into the bathroom, and for a long while, all he did was stand under the hot spray of water. It rolled down his back, washing away grime, dried blood, and fragments of something deeper—trauma that clung to him like a second skin.

He stepped out eventually, wrapped in a towel, steam curling around his face. He stared at the mirror.

The reflection looked older. Sharper. Like someone who had lived too many lives in one lifetime.

When he came outside, freshly dressed and carrying a rare sense of calm, Jonathan chuckled. "You clean up surprisingly well."

Zero bowed with mock grace. "Thank you. Still ugly on the inside, though."

For the first time in days, they laughed. Not forced. Not sarcastic. Real.

They stopped at a diner on the edge of town. Zero inhaled the burger like it was sacred. Nancy, watching him with curiosity, finally asked the question that had burned inside her for hours.

"How did you end up there? That place—the monsters, the darkness... what is it?"

Zero wiped his mouth and sighed. "Guys, at least let me finish my damn food first."

They chuckled. But then, as the silence returned, he leaned back, voice lower, colder.

"I don't know exactly what that place is. An alternate dimension, maybe. A reflection of ours. A prison built from nightmares."

He paused, fingers loosely gripping the coffee mug.

"I was part of an experiment," he said flatly, voice giving away nothing. "Some secret government project. Messed-up science. They were trying to push boundaries they didn't understand."

He looked away for a second—just long enough to make it seem like remembering hurt.

"I ended up trapped in that place. Don't ask how. First one in… maybe the only one who ever crawled back out."

He left out the part about 001—the truth was too heavy, too dangerous.

Nancy and Jonathan exchanged a glance but stayed silent.

"After I vanished, the door must've sealed shut. But something tore it open again.

That's how those things came through. And you two…" He paused, eyes narrowing slightly. "You just walked into the middle of it."

Jonathan rubbed his face. "Jesus."

Zero leaned forward. "We can't just fight them off. We have to find the gate. Close it—for good. Otherwise, more of them will come. Worse ones."

He saw the anxiety blooming in their eyes and waved a hand.

"Not tonight. Go home. Rest. We'll talk tomorrow."

They drove in silence, the weight of what they'd learned pressing on them like a second gravity. At the motel, Jonathan handed Zero another small bag—extra supplies, just in case.

Nancy lingered. "You sure you'll be okay?"

Zero gave a faint smile. "You trusted me. That means more than you think."

They nodded and left, the car's taillights fading into the dark.

Zero stood alone, then turned and walked into the motel room. As the door clicked shut behind him, he leaned against it, head resting against the wood.

One day out… and he was already knee-deep in something ugly again.

But this time—he wasn't alone.