Raising Hel | a Stranger Things fanfiction

Chapter 25

Timeline check: sets after  the 2 days gap at the end of ST4 episode 9, on Saturday 28th of March 1986.

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Wayne sighs as he reaches the missing-person board. Some idiot drew satanic signs on Eddie's poster. He wonders if there's anyone left in this town to believe his nephew is innocent. Still, he carefully replaces the poster with a new one and pins another one underneath it. He doesn't have any picture of Hellen but he put as many details as he could remember from the last time he saw her.

He went to his trailer as soon as he could after the earthquake and the sight still gives him the chills. The police wouldn't even let him close to it, said it was too dangerous. A large rift had split the trailer park in two, swallowing half of his home. There was no way of saying if Hellen's car was gone because she left with it or because it had fallen into the crevasse.

But if she left, then why didn't she come back to the hotel and gather her stuff? He lied about her being his niece to the receptionist so she'd give him the key to her room and everything was there. She promised to tell him if she came back and he understood from her glare that if she didn't, he'd have to pay for Hellen's stay.

There's still a chance that she was scared and drove away from Hawkins, she might come back later. Wayne's not even sure it's his business to declare her as missing. But if it was the other way around, if Eddie's fate relied on someone else's parents to look for them, he'd want for them to do it.

He looks up at Eddie's photo, bitter. Such a parent he makes.

– Mr. Munson?

Wayne turns around to find a teenager smiling awkwardly at him.

– I'm Dustin Henderson. Can we ... talk?

Anger bubbles inside his guts. He won't take anymore of their bullshit.

– I can't imagine we got anything to talk about. My nephew is innocent, he's still missing, and I'm gonna put as many posters as I need until he's found.

The boy nods, still smiling.

– I know where he is, he says in a lower voice.

A rock falls in his guts.

– If this is some sort of sick joke, it ain't funny.

– I would never joke about that. Please, can we talk somewhere...

He looks around him and adds 'safe'. Wayne wants to believe that kid with all his heart, but what are the odds? As if the boy realizes Wayne needs something else to be convinced, he pulls out a tiny object from his pocket. Wayne recognizes it immediately. Eddie never gets that thing off his neck. With a shaking hand, he reaches out and takes the guitar pick.

– He's safe, says the boy. Both of them are, you can take the posters off. I'll tell you everything, just... Not here.

Wayne sniffs and looks up.

– What did you say your name was again?

– Dustin Henderson.

*

Eddie can't believe what's happening.

– Let me get this straight. You want to steal a wheelchair and push me all the way through the parking lot so we can get in your car and leave.

– I'm borrowing the wheelchair, she corrects.

Eddie rolls his eyes.

– My point is, I'm not sure I'm fit to leave the hospital!