INT. HAWKINS LABS - SUB-LEVEL CORRIDOR & ELEVATOR – NIGHT A scientist rounds a corner. Up ahead: a freight elevator. He mashes the call button. As he waits for the elevator to arrive, he keeps looking back over his shoulder… down that long corridor. Terrified.  The elevator arrives. The doors grind vertically open. The scientist leaps inside. He hits the button for the top floor. As he waits for the doors to close, he hears: A strange rumbling noise. Coming from above him.  He looks up at the ceiling. His eyes grow wide and watch through the flickering lights as he is sucked up towards the ceiling by something. His legs kick violently in mid-air and he screams in horror and then —  The elevator doors snap shut. JUMP CUT TO: INT. THE WHEELER HOUSE - BASEMENT – NIGHT A group of boys, 12 years old, play Dungeons and Dragons. They sit around a card table. A grid map is spread out on the table before them, along with a nearly empty pizza box, canned Cokes, and the all-important Dungeons and Dragons Monster Manual. MIKE WHEELER, 12, is the “Dungeon Master” and de facto leader of our group. @MIKE … A shadow grows on the wall behind you… swallowing you in darkness… *it *is almost here... The other boys lean forward. Riveted. We survey them: LUCAS SINCLAIR, 12, playing as a knight. He is very small but his loud mouth more than makes up for it. DUSTIN HENDERSON, 12 playing as a dwarf. He is the most fearful — and least confident — of our group.  WILL BYERS, 12, playingg as a wizard. He is soft-spoken, gentle, delicate.  @WILL … What is it? @DUSTIN What if it’s the Demogorgon? We’re in deep shit if it’s the Demogorgon — @LUCAS It’s not the Demogorgon – MIKE waits for them to settle down. Then: @MIKE An army of Troglodytes charge inot the chamber!  He slams six winged miniatures onto the map.  @MIKE Their tails drum the floor. Boom! Boom! Boom!  @DUSTIN Troglodytes?! @LUCAS Toldja. @DUSTIN *Pfff.* MIKE looks over his shoulder. His eyes grow wide. @MIKE *Wait**…* do you hear that? Boom! Boom! BOOM! That sound… it didn’t come frmo the Troglodytes. No. It came from something else... MIKE slams a large two-headed monster miniature onto the map. @MIKE THE DEMOGORGON  The boys stare.