HAWKINS – DAY
Rain from last night has left the streets slick. A pale sun struggles through thick clouds, reflecting off puddles. Will rides his bike down the familiar streets, the storm's memory heavy on him.
He pulls up to Mike's house, stopping outside the basement window. The door creaks as he enters. Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Max are sprawled on the couch and floor, a board game between them, though their attention drifts toward Will.
Will (catching his breath): "You guys… you won't believe me. Something… someone—someone appeared in the storm last night."
Max raises an eyebrow, chewing a chip.
Max: "You mean like… a ghost?"
Will shakes his head, voice tense.
Will: "No. She… she wasn't a ghost. She was real. And the lightning—it was purple."
Dustin drops his dice.
Dustin: "Purple? Like… plasma purple or… Stranger Things purple?"
Will: "Like… she controlled it. She was in the middle of it, barefoot, standing in the rain. And then—she disappeared. Just like that."
The basement goes quiet. El shifts uncomfortably, a slight tension in her posture. Her hand brushes the edge of the couch, hair brushing her cheek.
El (softly): "I… I feel something. Someone… near."
Mike's brow furrows, glancing at her.
Mike: "Near where?"
El shakes her head, unease growing.
El: "I don't know… just… close. Someone's watching."
Lucas crosses his arms, skeptical but worried.
Lucas: "Will, are you sure you're not just… freaking yourself out?"
Will: "I saw her, Lucas. I know what I saw."
Dustin jumps up, eyes wide.
Dustin: "I have to tell Steve!"
Before anyone can stop him, he grabs his bike and pedals furiously toward the mall.
STARCOURT MALL – SCOOPS AHOY – DAY
Steve is balancing three ice cream cones while Robin tallies an order. The bell over the door jingles.
Dustin (panting): "Steve! You won't believe what happened last night!"
Steve: "Let me guess… you saw a ghost dragon? Or maybe Will invented a new D&D character in real life?"
Dustin: "No! It's real! Purple lightning! A girl! She was in the storm!"
Steve rolls his eyes, placing cones on a tray.
Steve: "Sure, kid. Next you'll tell me she fought Demogorgons too."
Robin leans on the counter, smirking.
Robin: "Thought you didn't believe him."
Steve: "Shh! Don't—look, it's probably just—"
Suddenly, the lights flicker, then go out. The soft hum of the freezer dies.
Robin (grinning): "And… suddenly, he believes me."
Steve groans, flashlight from his phone illuminating the cones like a tiny spotlight.
HAWKINS LAB – NIGHT
Meanwhile, Hopper and Joyce move stealthily around the perimeter of the lab. Flashlights beam over cracked windows and service doors.
Joyce: "You really think we can find anything tonight?"
Hopper: "We have to. If the reports about last night are true… something's still there. Something's alive. And someone's stronger than anything we've seen."
They slip inside a side door, careful to avoid cameras. Equipment hums, papers flutter, and a faint, eerie echo drifts through the hallways.
Joyce (whispering): "This place… it feels wrong."
Hopper grips his flashlight tighter.
Hopper: "Yeah… like the whole building's holding its breath."
HAWKINS – DAY – NANCY AND JONATHAN
Nancy and Jonathan walk down a quiet street, camera bag slung over her shoulder. Rain clouds break into a faint drizzle, glistening over the pavement.
Nancy: "You really think we're going to find something?"
Jonathan: "We'll know it when we see it."
A figure emerges from a nearby alley — pale, barefoot, wearing a hospital gown. Brown eyes wide, she stares at them.
Nancy (softly, stepping forward): "Hey… it's okay. We're not going to hurt you."
The girl doesn't speak. She tilts her head slightly, unreadable, almost fragile in the daylight.
Nancy: "Do you need… help? Food? Water?"
No response. She glances toward the trees, then suddenly runs — fast, fluid, and impossible, disappearing before they can react.
Nancy kneels, picking up a discarded scrap of her gown.
Nancy (to Jonathan, shaking her head): "That's… that's the girl Will saw last night."
WHEELER BASEMENT – NIGHT
The group gathers. Will, Mike, El, Lucas, Dustin, and Max sit tensely around the board game table. Nancy bursts in, dripping slightly from the rain.
Nancy: "You guys… you have to see this. It's her. The girl from last night… she's real."
Max's jaw drops. Lucas leans forward, incredulous. Dustin's eyes sparkle with the same mix of fear and excitement he reserves for D&D dragons.
Will (quietly): "She… she was standing in the rain, purple lightning…"
Nancy: "No. I saw her today. In daylight. Her eyes were brown. Pale as a ghost. Hospital gown. Barefoot. And she ran before I could even—"
El stiffens. Her fingers twitch slightly.
El (whispering): "She's… close. Still."
The group exchanges shocked looks. The room goes silent, tension thick enough to taste.
Mike (quietly, gripping El's hand): "We need to find her… before something worse happens."
The camera pans up to the basement ceiling — rain tapping softly against the window, thunder in the distance — the storm never fully gone.
CUT TO BLACK.
FADE OUT.