Creep

Eruption

Entering the house, you call out for your parents, "Helloooo, I'm home" no voices reply, just a faint echo of your own bouncing down the cold, tiled, minimalist hallway.

You check your watch. Dad was probably still on his way home. He'd had a pretty successful local car dealership, for your whole life pretty much, until a few years ago. After that, dad said he didn't want the burden of working for himself anymore. It was easier just to work for someone else, "Way less stress, Kiddo", he'd said with a playful side hug, "Plus all that driving time, I can start listening to those Lord of the Rings tapes you got me for Christmas again. Maybe even get to the dragon this time" he'd flopped down in his favourite armchair at that point, rolling his eyes mischievously before disappearing behind The Hawkins Post, you shook your head, and feigned a smile, "That's the Hobbit, Dad".

You knew the real reason he'd taken that job, it was far enough away to be out of reach of Hawkins' gossip, and ultimately the locals just stopped buying from him. He couldn't keep the business afloat...

Mom was probably out with her friends. She went out more these days: the pool, book club, helping at the community centre, jazzercise, Spanish class, anything else. Anything that kept her busy because slowing down meant thoughts, and thoughts lead to memories...painful ones.

The spectres of past arguments between your Mom and dad float around the kitchen and living room like a 360 film screen. You can see them playing out around you. The red from the letters being thrown around, the door slamming, the yelling, the pure frustration and helplessness and not stopping until someone walked away or cried.

Another memory barges its way in now. You're sitting at the kitchen table, embraced by your blanket, being loomed over by Callaghan. Hopper is pacing around the room. The ire is palpable. Exasperated slams his hands on the table, "Where is she?! I know you know something!! Is someone paying you to keep quiet? Did they threaten you?" His finger pointed at your face mere centimetres from contact. This is terrifying. Sure, he's the law around here. That was bad enough, but he was not on your team today. You try to gulp down your feelings and force out a reply. The silence was not helping. It just seemed to be adding fuel to this bonfire of emotions.

"N-n-no, sir", you stammer, "I just don't remember."

"What? Nothing?! Nothing at all? Not where you've been for 2 days, not where Connie has been for the past 3??!!! Her parents are worried sick." Hopper's fist was pounding on the table, punctuating his words. You remember looking into his eyes, and they were purely livid.

"I-I-I'm sorry. I only reme-me-ember what I told you" You tap your hand gently across the table, reflecting the timeline, "I went to the party. I remember water ripples" Hopper scowls into your very soul, but you continue, "I remember my head hurting, the lights of the cop cars and-"

"..and you just happened to be draped in this blanket... Connie's blanket? The one her folks said was missing from her room." He pokes you a little too firmly in the arm.

"I-i'm sor-" you start, but he cuts you off.

"Help me get any of this to make sense, for the love of Christ. She's just what? Poof magically disappeared with no trace, into Oz or whatever. Is that what you are trying to tell me?" He gestures mockingly.

"N-n-n-n...." your stutter worsens as you frantically wrack your brain for anything else, but it's just a void.

"Jesus Christ. I swear to god if I find out you are covering for someone, a two-day party that went wrong, or some other kind of high school bullshit, that your stupid ass thinks is more important than your missing friend, I will make sure you never freely walk this town ever again. I will unleash an unholy amount of hell upon you!" The pungent smell of alcohol on his breath in this next moment will probably live with you forever, "The worst part of all of this is if you had just picked her up and both gone to the movies like she told her Mom, you were gonna do. Maybe we wouldn't be in here having this dumbass conversation right now. Why are kids like this?" He throws his hands up and then lets them slap down by his side in a thud.