Hey, whoever's reading this. It's Billy Hargrove here, and I guess you could say things have been a little...crazy lately. Let me just start by saying that being controlled by some freaky-ass Mind Flayer is not exactly the kind of thing I had in mind when I moved to Hawkins.
The Arrival
When my mom bailed on us, my dad thought it would be a good idea to uproot our lives and move to this small town in Indiana called Hawkins. Yeah, real smart move there, pops. But whatever, we made do with what we had. And then Susan came into the picture - his new wife - and brought her brat of a daughter Max along for the ride.
Mistreating Max
Look, let me be clear about something: Max deserved every bit of mistreatment she got from me. She was constantly getting in my way and trying to prove herself as some badass skater chick or whatever nonsense she believed about herself. So yeah, maybe I pushed her buttons a little too hard sometimes.
But hey, who am I kidding? Life was dull before all this supernatural crap started happening anyway.
Becoming A Lifeguard
Once summer rolled around and school ended (thank god), I landed myself a gig as a lifeguard at the community pool alongside Heather Holloway – blonde bombshell extraordinaire if you ask me! Not gonna lie though; that job paid off pretty well since it gave me ample opportunity to show off my perfect physique while saving drowning kids or pretending they needed saving just so chicks would stare at me like helpless kittens begging for attention.
And speaking of attention...
Karen Wheeler Affair
Now don't get any ideas twisted here; flirting with married women isn't really my style… usually winks. But Mrs.Wheeler? Damn! That woman knew how to make heads turn even after popping out three rugrats. I couldn't help but notice her subtle glances my way, the lingering touches when she handed me a towel, or the sly smiles exchanged in secret.
The Mind Flayer's Arrival
But all that changed one fateful day. The Mind Flayer arrived and everything started to go downhill faster than you could say "Wild Ride." Suddenly people were acting weird - like they were possessed or something. And before I knew it, I was under its control too.
A Vessel for Evil
The Mind Flayer used me as its vessel to gather up unsuspecting civilians of Hawkins – friends, neighbors... everyone was fair game. It needed them to create this massive physical body called the Spider Monster which would be its new host on Earth.
I gotta admit though; being under the Mind Flayer's command wasn't all bad. Sure, it messed with my mind and made me do some pretty messed up things (which we won't get into right now), but it also granted me these superhuman abilities that made me feel invincible.
Superhuman Abilities
Being able to run faster than any human could ever dream of or having strength beyond belief? Yeah, sign me up! It had a way of making you feel powerful – untouchable even – like nothing else mattered except serving your master's will.
And let's face it; power is addictive.
Fighting Against My Will
But deep down inside there was still a part of me left fighting against this evil force controlling my every move. There were moments when flashes of memories from before crept into my mind - memories filled with sunshine at the beach or goofing around with friends back in California… moments where life felt normal again without creepy monsters lurking around every corner ready to devour innocent souls!
Those flickers reminded Billy Hargrove who he really was beneath all this darkness consuming him...
Struggling To Break Free
As the Mind Flayer's hold on me tightened, so did my determination to break free from its wicked grip. I could feel myself slipping away – losing who I was bit by bit. But dammit if I wasn't going down without a fight.
The Final Battle
Finally, the day came when all hell broke loose in Hawkins. It was time for one last showdown against this nightmare-inducing creature that had turned our town upside down and inside out.
In the midst of chaos and destruction, there we were - a group of misfits united in a battle against evil. And you know what? We kicked its slimy butt back where it came from!
Redemption
When it was all said and done, when the dust settled (quite literally), I stood among those whose lives had been affected by my actions under that damn Mind Flayer's control... Max included.
I knew then that there would be no easy redemption for me after everything I'd done while possessed by pure darkness. But hey, life is about second chances right? Maybe someday people will see beyond Billy Hargrove - monster with superpowers - and recognize something more human beneath it all.
Until then… well… let's just say Billy Hargrove has some unfinished business to attend to before he can truly move forward into whatever future awaits him.
End journal entry.