Strange things are afoot in Hawkins, Indiana, where a young boy's sudden disappearance unearths a young girl with otherworldly powers. On his way home from a friend's house, young Will sees something terrifying. Nearby, a sinister secret lurks in the depths of a government lab.
In 1983, in a US Department of Energy laboratory in the town of Hawkins, Indiana, a scientist is attacked by an unseen creature. Will Byers, a 12-year-old boy, vanishes after encountering a strange creature while riding his bicycle home from a Dungeons & Dragons session with his friends.
The next day, a young girl with a shaved head and a hospital gown appears at a local diner. The owner, Benny (Chris Sullivan), takes pity on her and feeds her before calling the social services. A woman posing as a social worker arrives and shoots Benny. Armed men search the diner for the girl, but she escapes. Will's friends Lucas, Mike and Dustin find her in the woods as they search for Will.