Shadowy Figure Standing On Quiet Suburban Street ( Photo Credit – Netflix )
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From the beginning, Hawkins appeared to be just another quiet Midwestern town. Safe, familiar, and far from the kind of chaos that would eventually rip through its streets. But beneath that peaceful surface, Hawkins wasn’t just ignoring the signs, it was helping hide them.
When Chrissy’s body was discovered in Season 4, a woman on the news gave more than just an interview. She hinted at something deeper. “After Barb, it’s been one tragedy after another,” she said. The strange part was Barb’s death. It wasn’t even made public at the time. So how did the town already start building this idea of a curse?
Because deep down, Hawkins had always known. And it chose to stay quiet.
Back in Season 1, when Will went missing, the entire town sprang into action. But when Barb vanished, no one seemed to care. Then came the fake Will body from the quarry, a lifeless decoy in a cover-up. And what did the people of Hawkins do, they accepted it. No questions asked.
By Season 2, the official explanation was that the body belonged to someone else. Another tragic case from another town. Convenient, easy, and clean. It gave Hawkins the perfect excuse to move on and stop digging.
Will’s return should have raised doubts, but it didn’t. It was easier to believe in miracles than in something darker lurking beneath their feet. The town wanted to pretend nothing ever happened. That was the story they clung to. And so, they forgot — willingly.
How Hawkins Turned Fear Into A Weapon
When Chrissy died, the town didn’t search for the truth. It looked for someone to blame, Eddie was the perfect target. He didn’t fit in, played Dungeons & Dragons, and wore the wrong clothes. Hawkins labeled him a killer without a second thought.
The same thing happened with Eleven. One wrong move, and she was a threat. Angela ended up with a bloody nose, and suddenly Eleven wasn’t a grieving girl, she was a monster. The town saw what it wanted to see.
Instead of facing facts, Hawkins leaned into fantasy. Dungeons & Dragons became Satanic. Kids with powers became villains. That fear of the unknown gave people something to point at. It made them feel safe.
But Vecna didn’t sneak in through spells or shadows. He found the cracks already there. Apathy, silence, denial. The Upside Down didn’t need to force its way in. Hawkins left the door open all on its own.
This was never about a curse. It was about complicity.
