dark red- max mayfield

i. dig dug

☆★☆★→ ←☆★☆★

JOSH NEWBY had always lived in Hawkins with his parents. Of course, after his mom's death, it became harder.

She'd been dead for four years— since 1980. Every weekend, Josh and Bob would go up to the cemetery to visit her. She was beautiful, although her headstone didn't show it. Josh hated the headstone, which was cracking and covered in moss. He tried to clean it every time he was up there, but it would always grow back again.

Josh's mother was a wonderful woman, so it was no surprise that Bob Newby was practically the piece of a puzzle that she was missing. They met and almost immediately fell in love. That was just how it worked.

But then she got pneumonia when Josh was ten. He had just turned ten when she was diagnosed, and she spent a few days in the hospital. It seemed like it had passed.

And then, one night, she couldn't get any air into her lungs at all. Bob tried to take her outside to get some fresh air, but that didn't work. Then, he rushed her to the hospital, leaving a note for a sleeping Josh that told him where they were at.

Josh's birthday was November 13, 1970. It was fitting enough— it was a Friday that day. Josh was born on Friday the 13th. No wonder he always had such terrible luck. The boy couldn't fathom it— why was it him?

That evening, October 29th, 1984, Josh Newby was on his way out the front door. His father was working that evening, but Josh left him a note saying where he'd gone off to— the Palace Arcade. He and his friends loved the arcade, even the part of their day where they had to scrounge around for cash. That night, Josh came up with three dollars, seventy-five cents. It was enough for him.

Josh lived a few streets down from Lucas Sinclair, one of his best friends. The two, and Dustin Henderson, were by far the closest in the party considering how close they all lived. It wasn't like the other two lived far, but Josh, Dustin, and Lucas practically lived on the same street.

"Hey, Lucas." greeted Josh as he ran into the boy, nearly colliding into him on their bikes. "How much cash did you come up with?"

"About five dollars." shrugged Lucas, grinning proudly.

Josh's mouth gaped. "No way! How the hell long have you been saving up?"

"Hey, guys!" screamed Dustin loudly, making Josh skid to a stop and put his hands over his ears sarcastically.

"Good evening, Miss Henderson," Josh teased, riding up beside him, "you look pretty tonight."

"Oh, shut it." growled Dustin, pedaling ahead of his friends. "I'm a faster rider than you, dipshit!"

"In your dreams, jerk!" yelled Josh in return, grinning ear-to-ear. He turned to Lucas. "Are we really going to let him get such a distance on us?"

Lucas smiled. "Hell no, hurry up!"