Flashlight

Chapter one

"Fuck," I said, biting my lip. Once again my toe stubbed on the stupid table we had yet to pack up.
"Nick will you move the goddamn table!" I hollered from the living room. My voice echoed throughout. I didn't want to leave Pennsylvania. But if I was completely honest it was for the best. It's not like I had many friends anyway. I'd miss Isabelle but who's to say she'd miss me.

This move was sudden to say the least. I can't even remember the town we're moving to. To shorten the story my parents were in a car crash. Nobody really knew what happened to be honest. Everything was sort of sudden.

"NICK" I yelled. I sigh and rolled my eyes. Nick was probably too intoxicated to be listening to my words.
"Jesus christ Nick will you ans-" I walk into moms old study. Boxes scattered along the floor. Mom and dad's death hit Nick like a freight train. It had affected me too, but I wasn't computing it properly. I had never been able to fully accept death.

Part of me thinks that the crash never happened and mom and dad are coming home with pizza in 20 minutes. Nick was ruffling through mom's old notes.
"Nick..."
"Don't start, Dely."
Nick had an crazed expression.
"Well then will you at least help me finish packing?"
Nick kept looking through old books.
"Where are we even moving?"
"Hawkins" Nick stammered.
"And why is that?"
"God, I don't know Delaney, maybe I just saw how much shit mom had lying around labelled Hawkins," He motioned around the room. I walked away.

Nick used to be such a sweet kid. He's in his second year of college. Or he was supposed to be. He started drinking a couple months ago after our parents died. His grades dropped and he was inevitably kicked off campus.

I believe that he wants to move into that shitty little town because he was embarrassed. I wasn't sure about jobs in Hawkins though. Small towns usually don't pay big. I was already aware we would be living in an old trailer park. I took a box and hauled it into the truck. Nick angered me a lot of the time now. I wanted to yell at Nick. Scream at him. Throw one of those stupid books on mom's shelf at him. But I couldn't. And I wouldn't.

|time skip|

Driving to Hawkins was one of the most boring experiences ever. I couldn't believe it. An old rock band playing out of the grainy little stereo and Nick singing along. 11 hours felt like 11 days. Most of the time I was reading, but it was hard to focus with the commotion of Nick. We pulled into the trailer park. Everything was sketchy as presumed. I hauled my body out of the car. Nick had made a point to not unpack until the morning. That basically meant that when I was home from school I'd do all the work.

I missed old Nick a lot of the time. I can't really remember him. The last time I was truly happy was in July. Right after school. Summer was finally here. Family time was always well spent. And I missed it.

A beat down trailer was waiting in front of us. Nick was bragging about what a good deal he had gotten and what not. All I could think about was crying. Screaming and tossing things. The thoughts clouded my head. I needed to punch someone. The clouding in my brain was only getting worse. I clenched my jaw. I can't believe it. Everything was perfect.

It was so so perfect and now its gone. I can barely look at my brother. I live in a smelly old car. And I want to kill myself right now. I'm on the verge of tears while Nick is still rambling on and I clench my fists. I feel like I could explode.

Then suddenly the street light behind me bursts.
"Holy shit what was that," Nick swung around. I looked behind me.
"Holy shit," I said with my jaw a-drawn. Did I? No. Scientifically impossible. I closed my mouth. Nick started looking through the glass shards. I shut my eyes and sighed.

Sometimes all I could think about was the fact that I was different. I didn't know what separated me from the others but I was always an oddball. I couldn't stand to watch my dumb brother look throughout the scattered glass and I opened the trailer door.

I was immediately taken aback by the smell. Like old, wet, socks.
"Mold" I mumbled to myself. Nick started yapping about which room was who's but I barely heard him. I traced my hand along the countertop and felt the dust collect on my finger tips. Mom would've hate this place I thought to myself. So why would she be so obsessed with Hawkins then?

I enter the split where two doors meet. One room that was spacious and one that was smaller and dark. Part of me knew Nick wanted me to have the big one, but I turned to my right and entered the doorway into the tiny, dark cave. I'm not sure it had a light-switch as I couldn't see one. I took the lighter out of my back pocket and lit it. No light-switch.

I go back outside and open the trunk of the truck. I ruffled through a box or two when I finally found Nick and I's old sleeping bag and a couple of pillows. I took them inside, but before I shut the door, I turned back to Nick. I watched as he examined every shard and it made me realize how much I missed him. He was right there but it felt like he was 1000 miles away. I went back inside and threw his sleeping bag and pillow into his room. I laid down mine and flattened out my pillow.

I stared at my ceiling. I missed the Pennsylvania stars. I was too manic to check if Hawkins could fill the star shaped hole in my heart. I turned to my side. I didn't bring many things with me. It was all put in a storage locker somewhere in Pennsylvania. I figured why bring the Pennsylvania Delaney to Hawkins when I could invent a new Delaney.

Glow in the dark stars would be the first thing I'd get for my new room. I'd scatter them along the ceiling and be happy again. That's what will happen.

I hope.

Word count: 1100
-🎧