graveyard﹔ ( nancy wheeler )

newspaper scandal

Nancy knocked on the front door of Ms Driscoll's small home. The outside walls were an eggshell white, and the roofing was made of black shingles. The lawn looked like it had been cut only recently, and the garden looked well attended to.

Johnathan stood beside Nancy, waiting for what Nancy described to be an older woman, likely in her late seventies, early eighties. A few minutes later, the door opened to reveal a shorter and stubbier woman with short grey-white hair. Her eyes were a lifeless blue, and she wore a floral pair of teal pyjamas, multi colour flowers littering the button up shirt and pyjama pants.

"Hi, Ms Driscoll! This is Nancy Wheeler from the Hawkins Post, we spoke briefly on the phone yesterday?" Nancy spoke, the lady took a minute to think, the sentence only clicking a moment later. "Of course! Come in, come in!" She rushed the two teenagers inside of her home.

Nancy's eyes wandered around, looking at the decor on the walls, and the way she decorated her living room. It was old fashioned, a cartoon like cat clock hung up on the wall. She looked like the kind of woman to be the stereotypical crazy cat lady.

"Welcome to my home," she greeted them as they walked around the house "Sorry for not cleaning up earlier! I forgot i was having guests today" She unnecessarily apologised for what she called a mess. To Nancy, the house was moderately tidy. Nothing seemed out of place.

"No worries about it! We don't mind" She accepted her apologies, as the sweet old lady lead them to the basement. "Does anybody else live with you?" Nancy asked, nonchalantly. "No, not since my husband died. The quiet used to be unbearable, but now I enjoy it." She spoke, her energetic voice turning the sentence positive.

They walked down the steps leading to the basement once they arrived there. The wooden steps creaked underneath their feet, worrying them with the idea of them snapping from below them. "Well, at least I used to enjoy the silence" She gestured to the rat, which was repetitively slamming its head against the metal bars of its cage.

"I even caught one!" Ms Driscoll's voice was slightly alarming, sending a pang of uneasiness through Nancy and Johnathan's bodies. They glanced at each other, questioning if this lady was slightly out of her mind, before focusing on what the lady had to say once again.

She rambled on and on about the most random of things before remembering that the two teenagers weren't there to socialize, but were there to do their job. Despite this story not even being a part of their job. She apologised once again, beginning to walk up the stairs. "Do you mind if I take a few pictures of it?" Johnathan asked. "Knock yourself out!" Ms Driscoll spoke enthusiastically, motioning for Nancy to follow her up the stairs.

Brea walked into Scoops Ahoy, the face of Robin behind the slider window with her classic whiteboard in her hand. Steve was behind the counter, slinging ice cream for the people who ordered. "Brea!" Robin exclaimed. Ever since Brea had started working at Scoops', her and Robin had become close.

"Robin!" Brea shouted back, annoying the customers in the small space. She swore she even saw some people roll their eyes. Brea walked behind the counter, entering the back room, completely ignoring Steve. She stood beside Robin, watching her best friend complain and sling ice cream.

Once the customer was gone, Steve rested his head on the counter. "Fuck this, I'm going into the back, one of you two take up the till" He demanded, "Jeez Dingus, couldn't be anymore kind?" Robin asked rhetorically, to which Steve mockingly laughed, walking through the double door.

Robin walked into the front, standing behind the counter, waiting for a needy child to come and order some ice cream. But instead of a needy child, an unrecognisable face showed behind the counter. He had light brown curly hair, and doe brown eyes, a smile visible on his face. The face belonged to none other than Dustin Henderson, but Robin didn't know that.

"Hi!" He spoke in a cheery voice. Dustin was always polite, his mothers manners always leading him to be polite in public. "Hi...?" Robin spoke unsure. "Is he here?" Dustin asked politely, looking around the colourful ice cream shop. "I'm sorry, is who here?" Robin asked.

Steve heard the sweet voice of his friend, running to the front and busting through the double doors not even minutes after heading to the back for a break from his job, and Robin. "Henderson!" Steve cheered, Brea rushing to his side to see the face of her younger brother.

Dustin laughed, pointing at Steve. "Hes back!" He cheered once again, walking in front of the till "You got the job!" Dustin spoke in a proud voice, he was proud of Steve. Especially since Steve didn't think he would even get the job. "I got the job!" He placed his hands over his mouth, pretending to play the flute, or clarinet even.

Robin witnessed them do their weird handshake, watching as she pieced it together that Harrington was in fact best friends with two of the Henderson's. "Hey Steve?" She asked getting his attention. He hummed. "How many children are you friends with?" Steve's lips pursed into a line, he gestured to her, covering his face and whispering the word yeah, not knowing what to say in the moment.

Nancy hung up the phone, frustrated with the people she had called previously. Nobody had gotten any calls about rabid rats whatsoever. She sighed, "Do you mind if I call one more place?" She asked Ms Driscoll. "I don't mind! I enjoy the company" The lady answered. Nancy picked up the phone, dialling the number she read in the phone book.

"Hello! This is Nancy Wheeler from Hawkin's post, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" She asked whoever was on the other line. They answered with a short sure, allowing Nancy to ask away. "Have you gotten any calls about 'Rabid Rats' by chance?" Nancy asked them, tapping her pen on the counter. "No sorry" They answered.

"Okay, well, have you gotten any calls about missing home supplies? Like bleach, fertilizer, just general cleaning and gardening supplies?" Nancy asked them, getting antsy, just wanted answers for why this rat could possibly acting how it was. They responded with the same answer as last time, a simple no.

"Thanks for your ti-" She got cut off by the sound of the phone flat lining, the person had hung up the phone. She hung the phone up, going to lean on the counter. All she was waiting for now was Johnathan to be done with taking the pictures. As if almost one que, he walked up the stairs.

They scheduled a follow up with the lady before leaving for the Hawkins Post, where they were supposed to be spending their morning. They said their goodbyes, and walked to Johnathan's car. "Are you sure we aren't gonna get in shit for this, Nancy?" Johnathan asked, unsure. "Maybe you won't, but if they find out I surely will" She stated, as Johnathan drove off in direction of downtown.

"Thats why we just don't tell them" Nancy spoke. "We just don't tell them about this story, and then neither of us will get fired, or whatever you're worrying about."