One couple has already won Halloween by perfectly recreating iconic 'Stranger Things' scene
No one can figure out how they did it.

Excuse us while we pick our jaws up off the floor.
Yep, we already have a winner for “Coolest Halloween Decor” this year, and this one’s a doozy.
Dave and Aubrey, a “horror prop making family” in Chicago, have left horror fans stunned with their hyperrealistic recreation of arguably THE most iconic scene from season 4 of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.”
If you haven’t seen it (um, where have you been?), the season’s main monster antagonist, Vecna, traps Max and other characters in the alternate dimension of the Upside Down, and just before they meet their doom, these characters begin to float midair in the human world.
Luckily (spoiler alert) our heroes are able to figure out how to save Max before it’s too late, by playing “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush—her favorite song.
Dave and Aubrey somehow managed to make their own life-size replica of Sadie Sink’s character that, no joke, looks like it’s levitating using nothing but some kind of dark magic.
@horrorprops ♬ Stranger Things - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
More than 14 million people have been mesmerized on TikTok, including Jimmy Fallon, who called the trick “amazing.”
Dave and Aubrey mentioned in the comments that nothing in the video was edited, which left folks baffled as to how the heck this image was made possible … especially without a tree or a telephone wire to attach a wire to.
“There’s clearly a string connected to a satellite in outer space. How don’t y’all know this?! 🙄🙄,” one person joked.
Though he wouldn’t disclose his secret, Dave did tell WRAL News that it’s “not drones, helium or balloons.” He also shared that he and his wife “go big” every year for Halloween. This year, in an attempt to outdo themselves, they began their project on Aug 1.
Unsurprisingly, a floating Max isn’t the only thing that Dave and Aubrey have up their sleeves this year. It’s actually part of a massive, all encompassing “Stranger Things” display, which includes:
A glowing, smoking Upside Down spire…
@horrorprops Upsidedown spire... it's looking strange here #halloweendiydecor #vecnascurse #strangerthings #strangerthings4 #upsidedown #halloween2022 #diyhalloween #horrorprops #transworldhauntshow #CHB #horrortok #spookytok ♬ Bfg Division - Mick Gordon
“Excuse me, I thought my house was gonna be the spooky one on the block this year w/ my dollar tree props, maybe I’ll just be the Christmas one. Jk lol,” one person quipped.
Vecna’s other victims…
@horrorprops We took Spirits Miserable Marie and tossed her right into Vecnas Layer. #horrorprops #vecna #strangerthings #daveandaubrey #fyp #fypシ #halloween2022 #halloweenprops #horrortok #diyproject #vecnascurse ♬ Chrissy Wake Up (gregorybrothers & Schmoyoho Remix) - Chrissy
Unfortunately, Chrissy (played by Grace Van Dien) wasn’t as lucky as Max. But it makes for a rad haunted house!
Sprawling house vines…
@horrorprops How we created our House Vines!! #upsidedown #halloween2022 #diyhalloween #spookytok #horrorprops #vecnascurse #halloweendiydecor #CHB #diyproject #strangerthings #halloweenprops #transworldhauntshow ♬ Cool Kids (our sped up version) - Echosmith
These were made with spray-painted aluminum foil.
And a creepy cuckoo clock…
@horrorprops Times Up Max. #vecnascurse #diyproject #horrortok #fyp #trending #strangerthings #strangerthings4 #upsidedown #timesup #halloween #transworld2022 #venca #saddiesink ♬ Stranger Things - Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein
Yet another well-known image from season 4.
"There's so many people out there who are fanatics like we are, so we wanted to make something that was the most iconic scene from the show; something maybe no one else could try and do," Dave told WRAL News. Mission successful, Dave. Well done.For folks in the Chicagoland area, this amazing “Stranger Things” display will be part of a haunted tour for Chicago Haunt Builders. For everyone else: Have no fear, TikTok provides.
Inspired to create your own haunted masterpiece? We’ve rounded up some easy, unique decor ideas to make your house effortlessly spooky this year.- Children with special needs now have more options for Halloween ... ›
- Three men create amazing Halloween photos with their baby sister ... ›
- Three-year-old took her creepy Halloween doll to Disney World ... ›
- People share what made them believe in ghosts - Upworthy ›
- Family's hilarious skeleton decorations - Upworthy ›
- How realistic wigs are made for movies and television - Upworthy ›
- Neighbor asked woman to remove 'morbid' Halloween decorations because of dying family member - Upworthy ›
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."