𝐁𝐎𝐘𝐈𝐒𝐇// 𝐄𝐃𝐃𝐈𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐍𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐗𝐎𝐂

𝐱𝐱𝐯𝐢𝐢. ✭ 𝐋𝐀-𝐋𝐀 𝐌𝐄𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐈 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔

OCTOBER, 1977; CHANCE

"Oh, isn't he perfect?!" I swooned over my carved pumpkin, wielding a jagged knife. "Look at him, Eddie. He's so sweet." Turning my creation around on the table slick with orange guts, I watched a grin stretch wide on his face. Eddie placed his hands on his own pumpkin, flipping it around to show his off.

"Like it?" He asked, his teeth as crooked as his pumpkin's. "It's a vampire!" Sure enough, two vicious teeth had been whittled into the hollow plant's face.

"I love it!" Setting the sharp blade down on the table, I cheerily asked him. "What's it's name?

"I was thinking..." Eddie wiped the slimy pumpkin entrails off of his hands, sliding out of the booth table and venturing into his kitchen. He returned with two tea lights, finishing his answer as he passed me one. "Maybe Vladimir Hendrix?"

"Nice to meet you Vlad." I patted the pumpkin affectionately, rubbing its tough skin. "My pumpkin's name is...Wisteria. Now that's a good name!"

"Hi, Wisteria." Chuckling, he placed his tea light inside the pumpkin. Vlad glowed so beautifully, a butter yellow ray emitting from the shadows of the pumpkin. Eddie's matched mine, our Jack o' lanterns lighting up the trailer. "Come on, Chance." He scooped his pumpkin up in his arms, motioning for time to follow. "Let's go put them outside."

Together we giggled as we cradled our pumpkins, bumping into each other playfully on our way out of the door. Our mood only shifted when we heard a girl's voice.

"Oh my God." She scoffed as she leaned on her bike. "Are those supposed to be Jack o' lanterns?" Her face was scrunched up, disgusted that we could do something so childish despite being children ourselves. "Ew, why is that one lopsided?"

Her gang of friends were with her on their bikes, snickering at her dig at the pumpkins. Anna Nickels, my antagonist during my last full school year in Hawkins. She ended up moving away about a year after I did. Her Daddy got some better job in Indianapolis. A real stand up position.

"Hi, Anna..." My tongue felt think and heavy in my mouth, unusable. She flicked her eyes up and down my frame, gripping tight to her handlebars.

"Nice pumpkins, Chance and whatever the heck your name is." She laughed, ringing her bell at the display we had set on the front porch of Eddie's trailer. "They look nice. Really really nice."

"Go away." Eddie grumbled, his stare stony and cold. "Get away from my house, Anna." He spat out his order, slinging a protective arm over my shoulder.

"Oh, this is a house?" Anna glanced at all of her friends, a sadistic smile peaking up her face. "Last time I checked this is a trailer, y'know, a shitty trailer in a trailer park. My bad, sorry." She snorted, her eyebrows arched. "I didn't know this was a house." Her friends cackled along with her, feeding her building ego. "Well, have a good time with those pumpkins. We're going to the movies to watch Saturday Night Fever. Bye, Chance."

We left before they started on their bikes. My face flushed, I took hold of Eddie's hand and pulled him back inside. He closed the shutters on the window so I wouldn't have to see all of their stupid faces. I started for the backpack I had brought over, gathering up the belongings I had taken out.

"Woah, hey." Eddie caught my shoulder, flipping me away from my backpack. "What are you doing? You said we were gonna watch Carrie together." Disgruntled, I turned back to my packing. "You don't have to go. Uncle Wayne's gone for the night! He won't even see we're watching a horror movie."