𝑲𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 | Eddie Munson

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ sɪx

I would be lying if I said there wasn't a small part of me that hopes Eddie shows up before I leave. You know, like one of those romantic comedy movie moments where the guy runs after the car or is waiting for the girl outside with flowers and a big heartfelt apology.

It's sad how pop culture has embedded into our minds that our life should be a movie and that love is bigger than it actually is. Because I shouldn't be laying in bed dreaming of scenarios in which Eddie would hand me the world and apologize while on his knees. That's crazy, right?

I bury my face into the pillow and exhale a breath. There is a heavy weight on my chest that won't go away. I know it's the anticipation of tomorrow. The what-ifs fill every inch and crevice of my mind. I'm going crazy. It's almost one in the morning and sleep has yet claimed me. The thought of laying here another second has me on my feet.

If he won't be here to say goodbye then I'll bring myself the closure I need. I pull on Eddie's leather jacket, running my fingers over the hem of the jacket before quietly sneaking out of the Wheeler's basement. Mike's bike is on the lawn and I walk straight to it, looking over my shoulder at the house full of sleeping people. I'll be back before they realize I'm gone.

The air is cool against my face as I pedal down the road. Hawkins is quiet and it feels like I am the only person awake in this town. It's not hard to imagine that I'm the only person in the town at all. Sometimes I wish I was. I wonder if I scream if anyone would hear me. Would he hear me?

Forest Hills trailer park is dark with only a few lamp posts lighting up parts of it. My hands tighten around the handles on the bike as I roll up to my house. This wasn't the reason I came here, but I can't ignore it. A small light peaks through the curtains and I know instantly that my father is passed out on the recliner with a beer in his hand. I don't need to see it. I've seen it enough. The only good thing that came out of me being stuck in The Upside Down is that my life here —in that house with that man, is over. He thinks I'm dead and it's exactly how I felt for years anyway. It's fitting. I doubt he even shed a tear when he heard the news. So, I don't waste any on him.

I roll the bike down the road to the only home I felt like I belonged in. Three houses down and I'm standing in the street staring up at Eddie's trailer. It's empty, broken, and wrapped in caution tape. I heard Wayne moved a few trailers down after his home was destroyed during the "earthquake". The only damage I see when I look at Eddie's home is another thing ruined by Vecna. He took everything from Eddie, his life, and his home. Vecna took my life, but I was happy to give it up. I just wasn't happy to give up Eddie.

I step over the caution tape and push open the front door, it's barely holding on by the hinges. Everything is covered in dust, broken pieces of the trailer, broken furniture, and abandoned belongings. My stomach twists as I imagine memories of movie nights, long conversations on the kitchen counter, and secrets shared within his bedroom walls.

His bedroom.

The broken floor creaks as I walk toward the back. There is a massive gap in the middle of the trailer. I look up and see the night sky before I jump over to the side that leads to his room.

My breath catches as I take in his room. It's almost the same as before. It's covered in a layer of debris, but beneath it all, I can see it as it was when Eddie vacated it. He is everywhere in this room and it brings me a small comfort. I brush my fingers over the items on his dresser and stop when I notice his guitar hanging on the wall. I stare at it because it's the cleanest thing in the room.

I spin around and scan the room. "Eddie?"

No answer. No movement. I say his name again, but I'm only met with silence. Maybe Dustin brought it back here. Maybe I'm going crazy. I'm desperate for something— anything. It's ridiculous. I close my eyes and remember why I'm here. Closure. It's time to say goodbye and accept that my new life awaits. A life without Eddie. Why? Because he didn't want to be in it.