𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐂𝐔𝐄! ✽ 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

12

𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐃𝐀𝐍 𝐂𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐇𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐄'𝐒, changed into pjs, downed a pack of wine coolers, and laid down for a nap. drool dripped from her mouth. tears and mascara had crusted around her eyes. she would do anything to see will's mop-top head running around the house, quickly getting ready for school because he woke up late. to see him in her passenger seat, jamming out to some of her cassettes; he particularly enjoyed david bowie's let's dance and billy joel's glass houses. she missed family movie nights and d&d campaigns at mike's. she missed will. and she hoped more than anything, despite how odd it was, that eleven could use her powers to track him down and bring him home.

the landline ringing startled the girl out of her sleep. "hello?... hello? who is this?" sherrie stretched her back upward and glanced around the room; her lamps were still on, and limited her sight. the ginger flopped into her pillows and rubbed her eyes, attempting to buff the tiredness right out of them. "...will?... will, it's me! talk to me!"

sheridan furrowed her brows as she jumped from her bed and stumbled into the hall. a few feet in front of her was joyce, frantically wailing into their new phone. "mom?"

"i'm here! j-just tell me where you are, honey! i can hear you! please!" dani neared joyce quickly, gripping the woman's arms. she didn't know if it were for joyce's safety, or her own concern.

"mom, what is it? who's on the other line?!" tears continued slipping out of joyce's drowsy eyes and her heart was beating so violently that sheridan could feel it through her fingertips.

dani grew panicked as the lights around the home began to flicker. joyce's sobs grew harder and harder, and she fell to the floor upon hearing her youngest son's voice cry out to her. sherrie continued to hold joyce, crashing onto the ground along with her. the ginger hastily looked between the rooms around her. she noticed that the lights continued to flash in each and every one. "will!" joyce cried out, placing a hand on her chest and clawing at her own skin. sheridan's eyes widened; there's no way. "yes, i-it's me! it's me!" dani tightened her grip on her mother. tears of her own fell onto the floor. "where are you? where are you?! just talk to me-"

the shaffer girl saw an electric flash emit from the phone, causing joyce to let out a painful scream and toss the phone to the side. joyce's breathing had slowed, and she noticed her daughter's bloodshot eyes. sherrie's lips quivered and another tear slipped as joyce hugged her tighter, and ran a soothing hand over her ginger waves. sheridan closed her eyes and wept into her mother's utility jacket until she felt as though she has cried herself dry.

abruptly, the thunderous sound of the clash's "should i stay or should i go?" blared from jonathan's stereo, the muffled music seeping from his closed bedroom door. dani's breath caught in her throat. her heart stopped. the ginger scurried to her feet. she wiped tears away with the back of her hand as she inched towards her brother's bedroom. below his door, sherrie could see the light from his lamps quickly dim and brighten once more. her heart had not only started beating again, but it was thumping out of her chest. she could feel it graze her ribcage with each pulse.

joyce carefully followed behind her daughter. the two stood still for a moment, feeling the bass in the floorboards beneath them. what was once one of sherrie's favorite songs had quickly transformed itself into a bad omen, a nightmare. sheridan mustered up all the courage she had left, and reached for the doorknob without a second to waste.

the women stepped back as the door swung open. to their surprise, there were no monsters or ghosts or invaders or anything of the sort, as they had expected: just jonathan's boombox, playing the clash, and the desk lamp that had presumably caused the flashing. sherrie let out a breath of relief. "will...?" joyce questioned aloud. sheridan's relaxed expression faded as her head snapped in her mother's direction. suddenly, the other lamps in jonathan's room began to flicker.

"oh good christ..." sherrie peered around the room, sighing once she realized she had to do. she wasn't sure if it'd work, but after the incident with eleven today, she was sure that anything was possible. "will?!" the girl called out. the clash grew louder and the lamps brighter. "will, it's dani! we're here, will! we're right here!" tears streamed down sheridan's cheeks as the lamp and stereo abruptly turned themselves off.

sherrie walked over to the lamp on jonathan's desk, picking it up and examining it for any signs of damage or even simple use; use by someone who wasn't them. the ginger began to turn back around to face joyce in the doorway but became confused upon seeing the terrified expression that was frozen on her mother's face. on dani's right was a creature in jonathan's wall, creeping towards her with a smoothness that was eerily human-like. it had bumps and ridges that melted against the beige wallpaper, causing the girl to tense up and her stomach to turn. but she couldn't make out a face. "oh. my. goooooooooooooood!" sheridan shouted, dashing out of jonathan's room. she nabbed joyce's hand in hers and the two made their way out of the house.

dani could see her own breath in the november air. "get in my car!" joyce hollered. sheridan did as told, and ran to the passenger seat. the women quickly strapped themselves in, joyce muttering panicky nonsense while she started up the engine. the two watched through jonathan's window with complete terror and awe as lights continued to flash inside their home.

suddenly, joyce shut off the car and opened her door.

"mom?! what the hell are you doing?!" sherrie questioned, leaning over the center console. joyce slammed the door shut and began up the gravel towards the house. "are you fucking psychotic?! i will leave you!" the ginger watched as her mother entered the house and shut that door behind her, as well. sheridan wanted to get the hell out of there more than anything at that moment, but she knew she didn't have the heart to leave her mother behind.

sheridan snapped her eyes shut and bowed her head, taking a deep breath before running out of the car and up her driveway.

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