Stare.

🔆Chapter One: The Hellfire Club

"Dear Robin,
Today is day 185. Feels more like ten years. Mom says time is funny like that. Emotions can make it speed up or slow down. We're all time travellers if you think about it. For instance, this week is going very fast. I think it's because I'm so busy. I got a new job at a pizza restaurant. It's called 'Surfer Boy Pizza', and I work with this dude that smokes a lot of weed. He's pretty cool though. 

Also, Mom got a new job as well. She works at home. She says she loves the 'freedom'. But I can tell she hates the job. Will's painting a lot, but he won't show me what he's working on. Maybe it's for somebody. I think there is someone he likes, because he's been acting different. Jonathan's been acting different too. He's still waiting for his college acceptance letter. I hope him and Nance get to go together. But I don't know how he'll get to college because he's car is still broken. 

The dude that I work with, Argyle, he's close with Jonathan, and he's been taking the kids to school. Him and Jonathan like to smoke together. Jonathan says it's super safe because it comes from the earth, but not tell Mom. 

Me? I'm happy here. You were right, it takes time. I think I've finally adapted. At first, I missed all the spring flowers, but now I find it pretty here too. I'm so ready for spring break, mostly because I get to see you. I'm so excited, I can't wait to see Hawkins again. I think we will have the best spring break ever.
Miss you. Love, Y/n."

I sat in the kitchen eating my bowl of cereal, reading a book. Mom was talking to a woman on the phone. "Mrs. Ergenbright, let me ask you something. Have you ever wished you could have the answer to any question right at your fingertips?" I scooped up a spoonful of cereal and put it into my mouth as I continued to read.

Mom chuckled and said, "Yes. It's just like those...those big fancy books you see on tv." The doorbell rang and I looked up from my book to Mom, who turned to look at me. She made a hand signal to go answer it. I placed my book facing down on the table and got up to answer the door.

I opened the door and an older man with glasses held a large box with letters on top of it. "Anything?" I asked. "Nothing. Acceptance letters tend to come end of week to make you sweat." I grabbed onto the box and letters. "It's coming, Y/n. Don't worry about Jonathan." He smiled. "I always worry. Thanks." He turned away, walking back to his car. I closed the door with my foot and walked back into the kitchen. Mom was still talking on the phone.

I sat the box down. The stamps on the box, caught my eye. I threw the letters off of the top of the box. The stamps were all Russian. Mom walked into the kitchen also seeing the stamps. "Carol, uh, can I call you back?" She said from behind me. She placed the phone onto the table and I stepped aside to let her see the stamps.

She grabbed scissors from the draw and cut the rope that was wrapped around it. She then opened the box. Inside was brown paper. I removed some of the brown paper from the top and Mom grabbed a Russian doll that was underneath. She looked at the doll and turned it around. Nothing was wrong with it.

~~~

I sat down at the table. Mom waiting for the phone to ring again. When it finally did, she quickly picked it up and answered it. "Where the hell have you been?" She shouted into the phone. She placed it down and put it on speaker. 

(IDK if phones had speakers back then, but whatever)

"I have karate from 1 to 3 on Fridays." Murray spoke through the phone. I could hear music playing in the background. "So let me see if I have this right. You both received a doll in the mail." I sat looking at the doll. "Yes." Mom said to Murray. "And it's creepy." "Oh, yes." I said, still staring at the doll. "And you both believe it's from Russian, huh?" "We know it is." I said to him. "The..the stamps on the packaging have that hammer with the hook thingamajig." Mom spoke looking at the stamps. "Sickle." "Whatever." "Sounds like it came from Russian." "Wow, I am so glad we called you, Murray." I sighed. He chuckled. 

"Should I be worried?" Mom asked. "I would be..could be a threat." There was splashing sounds through the phone. "After all, you did sabotage their U.S. operation and killed about two dozen comrades." There was more splashing. "But how would they know my name?" "If it's the KGB, Joyce, and they wanna find out who you are, they will..Wait can you undress her?" I furrowed my eyebrows and said, "What?" "The creepy doll. Can you remove her dress?" I looked up at Mom and she raised her eyebrows. 

"I don't..okay." I lifted up the dress. "Jesus." I said. "What?" Murray questioned. "She has nipples." Murray let out a groan and then shouted, "Yeah!" I looked over at Mom with furrowed eyebrows again. She also shared the same look. 

"Okay, now, do you see anything taped to her?" I looked around the doll. "Wires or a bug or something?" Murray continued. "I don't know. It's..it's cracked." I say. "Cracked?" He questioned. "Yeah, like, the porcelains' cracked and they tried to glue it back together." I answered him. "Okay, okay. Uh, do you have rope and something heavy?" "What for?" Mom asked him. "Smashing."

~~~

I helped Mom lift the paint can up into the air with the rope that was attached to it. After a few seconds, the paint had hit the tree branch. I looked over to the 2 kids who were standing in their driveway watching us.

"Come on, kids. Don't stare." The mother said, pulling the kids back towards the house. "Oh, hi." Mom said to the woman. 

"Was this really necessary?" I said into the phone. "If that porcelain belly is pregnant with an explosive device, you will soon be thanking me. And remember, you are not lowering this bucket. You are.." "Releasing it. Got it." I said to Murray. "We want to make sure that we destroy that doll with as much force as possible." "Yep. Got it." I looked over at Mom and we both dropped the paint bucket.

The phone fell from my shoulder that it was leaning against. "Y/n. Are you there? Talk to me! Joyce! Y/n!" Murray shouted through the phone that was laying on the ground. "Joyce! Y/n! Joyce! Joyce!" 

Mom picked up the phone from the ground. "Yeah." "What happened?" I heard Murray scream. "It broke." Mom replied. We both walked over to the broken doll. Mom leaned down, placing the phone on the ground. I leaned down next to her. She lifted the dolls dress and underneath was a letter. She unfolded it and took off her goggles. The first 3 words on the paper were 'Hop is alive' written in cutout letters. I looked over at Mom. My mouth gapped in surprise. She smiled at me and then looked back down at the letter.