[ He's grateful in that moment that Arthur can't see his face, because the expression that passes over it is just Billy. Tight jaw, nostrils flaring as he draws in quick, sharp breaths. All this time and that thing still has such power over him. He hates it. It's been a long time since Hawkins, and the Mind Flayer. He'd never even known it had a name until much later.
All that time and he can still feel it clawing at him if he lets himself. He can remember how it thought, how it felt. The things it made him do.
(But this, he reminds himself, is different. They don't have a choice.) ]
Don't. [ Quiet, but firm. Then, because he's still Steve, a gentler: ] Sorry. I don't wanna talk about it.
[ He pauses only briefly before swiftly moving on. ] Do you think we could tie Smith up? He's pretty strong.
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All that time and he can still feel it clawing at him if he lets himself. He can remember how it thought, how it felt. The things it made him do.
(But this, he reminds himself, is different. They don't have a choice.) ]
Don't. [ Quiet, but firm. Then, because he's still Steve, a gentler: ] Sorry. I don't wanna talk about it.
[ He pauses only briefly before swiftly moving on. ] Do you think we could tie Smith up? He's pretty strong.