Unforgettable Memories/ Henry Creel

008

"I'm Sheriff Hopper, with the Hawkins Police."

———

   I sat next to Eddie on my couch as the police bombarded him with questions.

   "I don't know what happened!" He yells at the officer.

   The officer sighs and turns his attention to me, "What were you doing in the events leading up to the accident?"

   "I was at the craft store down the road buying paint, I came home and went to go to my bedroom. A few minutes later I heard a knock on my door and it was Eddie."

   The officer nodded and asked Eddie, "You got any family you can stay with?"

   "I called my uncle, but he didn't pick up."

   "Where does your uncle live?"

   Eddie inhales deeply, "Forest Hills Trailer Park."

   The officer nods, "Let me go get the chief."

   I wrap my arms around Eddie, letting him sob into my arms.

   The poor boy was only fourteen and he had to go through all of this.

   Eddie was at the arcade down the road. His mom was supposed to pick him up, but after an hour of waiting for her, he decided to walk home. Poor boy walked into to his mother dead on the floor with a bullet through her head.

   Who could have done this?

I wanted to comfort him, but I didn't know what to say, so I didn't say anything. I just hugged him and let him cry.

"Who would do- who would do something like this?" Eddie asked, still sobbing.

I shook my head, "Some sick bastard."

"Ms. Morgan? Can I speak with you for a moment?" A man with a beard and brown hair asked me.

I nod, patting Eddie's back before moving myself away from him and following the police officer out of my apartment.

"I'm Sherif Hopper with the Hawkins Police. I know you've already been bombarded with enough stuff, but considering we have no way to contact her brother, you're our next best bet."

I nodded, "Alright."

"Did Katherine have any enemies? Anyone who would want to hurt her?"

I shook my head, "I'm not sure, I never really knew her that well. We only interacted twice before her death."

Hopper nodded, "What were these interactions about?"

"The first one was her wanting to welcome me to the building, and the second was me asking her a question."

"What type of question?"

I debated with myself on whether or not it was a good idea to tell him, but I decided that it could possibly do more harm to the situation if I stayed silent.

"Well, I had an accident recently and developed amnesia, my boss told me that I had been living in this apartment for eight months, but then Katherine welcomed me to the building. She said that she had only heard about my moving in recently, and was told only a few weeks ago that I moved in."

Hopper nods, prompting me to continue with the story.

"I was confused to say the least, so I went over there earlier today and asked her about the situation."

"Alright," Hopper sighs, "sorry to drop this on you, but do you think you can keep the kid tonight?"

I nod, "Yeah, of course I can."

Hopper smiled faintly, "Yeah, thanks. We will drop by his uncles house in the morning and let him know the situation."

"Right."

Hopper gives me a pat on the shoulder, "Thank you, Ms. Morgan, you're a good person."

I smile slightly at the comment, "Just trying to help."

He walks back into my apartment and sits down next to Eddie. They speak for a while before Hopper gathers the officers in my apartment and orders them not to bother us for the rest of the night.

Then just like that, it was just me and Eddie.

———

   Eddie was in the guest bedroom, I'm not sure if he was asleep or not, but I wasn't going to try to enforce anything. He's been through a lot today. Stuff I couldn't even imagine.

   I was sitting on my couch, head in my hands. This was not how I planned for today to go.

   Finally, I let myself cry. I've been holding it i. for a long time. I couldn't cry in front of Eddie
because that would just be selfish. To shed tears over someone I've only interacted with twice, when it was his mom who died.

  I wasn't just crying for Katherine, I was crying for everything that's happened recently. My memory, Peter, the children at the lab, Eddie...
Everything felt like it was falling apart, but how can that be when nothing was together in the first place.

   God knows how long passes before I finally settle down. I got up and made my way towards my bedroom with the intention to go to bed, but I stop myself when I hear muffled sobs coming from the guest bedroom.

   I sigh, deciding that I should go check on him.

   I knock on the door thrice, and then open it, "Eddie?"

   His sobs come to a halt for a second, he was lying on his back staring at the ceiling. He turns his head towards me, and sits up, letting his legs hang off of the bed.

   "Was I- was I keeping you up?" He chokes out.

   I shake my head, "No, you weren't."

   I sit down on the bed next to him and he immediately starts crying again. I wrap my arms around him, letting him cry into my shoulder once again.

   "It- it should've been me!" At this I immediately detach from the boy.

   "Hey, don't talk like that, ok?" He sniffles at my words and nods, "It shouldn't have been anyone."

   He continues to cry for most of the night, and I stay there with him until he cries himself to sleep.

   I walk out of the room, turning off the light and closing the door.

   Inhaling deeply, I find myself in my bedroom. I look I look over to the clock on my desk.

   2:53 am.

   Laying down on my bed, I don't bother changing my clothes. I close my eyes, trying to fall asleep, but instead I find myself staying awake until my alarm goes off at six.

   I sigh to myself, getting out of bed, reluctant to start another day.

———
this chapter makes me wanna throw up

i hate it sm