The Girl With The Flamethrower

I.IV.I

Dustin ran into the living room, not stopping to eat breakfast.

"Hey, you going by Mike's again this morning?" Kimberly asked, from her spot at the kitchen table eating her cereal.

"Uh ya, see ya!"

"Love you Dusty!" their mom spoke, placing a few dishes away.

Kimberly shouted after him as he ran out the door, "Be careful! Love you!"

"What's got him in such a rush this morning?" Her mom quirked an eyebrow, picking up Mews since he meowed at her.

"I have no idea," Kimberly thought for a moment, "Maybe the boys are planning something to honor Will and want to work on it? I really don't know though."

Mews jumped out of her mom's arms and onto the table, wanting Kimberly's milk, which she gladly passed over to the cat.

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Kimberly was sitting in class just working on her sketch of the creature she saw the night before, not caring at all about the lesson having already finished all the work beforehand.

"Sorry to interrupt but can I steal Ms. Henderson for a few moments?" the principal asked the teacher, who just nodded in response.

"Kimberly?" She shot her up head and hesitantly got up when they motioned for her to follow.

Once outside the class, she recognized the two cops, with the principal, "Oh hey Callahan, Powell... is everything ok? Is Dustin ok?"

Callahan spoke first, "Well Nancy Wheeler thinks there was this bear in the woods last night and took her friend Barbara Holland. Chief said to ask you if you'd seen anything unusual?"

"Wait wait hang on, Barbara's missing?"

Powell says, "Two nights ago Nancy said her and a few friends were at Steve Harrington's house and Nancy hasn't seen Barbara since."

"Barbara has never missed a day of school in her life, no wonder Nancy is worried. Um no there hasn't been any bear tracks or anything like that. What exactly did Nancy say?"

Callahan answered, "Just that it was some creature thing and that she thinks it took her friend."

"So where are you getting bear from?"

Powell shrugs, "Reasonable assumption for some creature in the woods, wouldn't you say?"

"No actually I wouldn't. I would never just assume I know something without definitive proof." She thought for a moment thinking about the creature she saw, "You said it was last night that Nancy saw this creature?" They both nod, "Well I did see this hairless, pale, gray creature last night. I haven't been able to identify it since I didn't get a good look at it, but it was big. Definitely big enough to take down a human."

"Hairless bear?" Callahan suggested.

"Possibly, maybe. I doubt it though, a hairless bear is practically unheard of." She sighed, "I'm sorry I don't have any definite answers for you. I really hope Barbara's ok."

"We think maybe she was just angry and took off for a few days since we haven't been able to find her car. Thank you for your assistance though," Powell patted her shoulder.

She watched as the two walked down the hallway. Theories started flying around her head, each one worse and worse. But one thing she did know was that she needed to talk to Nancy. 

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