Stranger Things Novels & Stories

Almost instinctively, I pulled out my phone and checked my browsing history for the video from last night. In it, the side profiles of the two elderly people were identical to the faces of my in-laws standing before me now. If the clip hadn't flashed by so quickly, I would have recognized them right away. And in other videos—those fleeting, fragmented moments—my wife, Cynthia Muller, appeared again and again, holding a child in her arms. The little boy called her "Mom" with intimate affection. Under a sky lit by fireworks, the man held her close and kissed her.

--- ### Somewhere Outside the City A black SUV rolled through the deserted docks at Blackwood Harbor. Inside, a small boy slowly opened his eyes. Noah blinked in confusion. The last thing he remembered was hearing his aunt scream. He looked around the dark vehicle. No masked men. No ropes. Just one man sitting quietly beside him. The man smiled gently. "Did I wake you?" Noah rubbed his sleepy eyes. "Who are you?" The stranger hesitated before answering. "My name is Jonathan." Noah tilted his head. "My mommy says I shouldn't talk to strangers."