Stranger Than Fiction

Chapter Nine

(April 20, 1986)

We got the news we had been waiting to hear, El successfully closed the gate, she was recovering at home. Will was still worried but we were taking things one day at a time.

For the first time Eddie left the house with me, he laid in the backseat while I drove.

"What if someone tries to attack me?" He asked.

"I'll kill them...." I said, bluntly.

I was nervous walking into the store, he wore a jacket with the hood up. He was so scared but I kept holding his hand and reassuring him it's okay. Some people recognized him and nodded at us with smiles, others looked terrified.

"You want some bagel bites?" He nodded. "Baby, it's okay. Everyone has been nice so far, you have nothing to worry about."

We checked out and took our stuff to the car, a pickup truck pulled in and my heart began to race. Jason's father pulled into the parking lot in a hurry, it seems that someone called him to tell us we were here.

"Baby, get in the car...."

"What's going on?" he asked.

I shoved him into the backseat and threw the bags in with him. I jumped in, slamming on the gas. He poked his head over the seat, "who's following us?"

I looked in my rear view mirror and saw the truck quickly catching up with me, so I put the accelerator on the floor, "baby, get down!" I screamed not knowing if this psycho had a gun or not. I took a curve way too fast but was able to hang on and stay on the road. I was heading to Hopper's cabin, praying he was home or Joyce, anyone who can shoot a damn gun.

Mr. Carver was tailgating me at this point and I was white knuckling the steering wheel. I saw Hop's cabin and yanked the wheel left, sending Eddie sliding across the backseat.

"Sorry babe..."

A sigh of relief came out of me when I saw Hopper's truck, I started blaring the horn.

"Eddie, as soon as I stop this car, you're getting out and running to the door as fast as you can. You understand me?" I said to him trying to manage the dirt and gravel road with the truck practically kissing my bumper. Hopper opened the door when he heard my horn, he turned back in and grabbed his gun.

I put the car in park, "come on", we ran as fast as we could. Like Jason, his dad was an athlete, he was fast and he grabbed me by my ponytail, pulling me down to the ground.

"Eddie!" I cried.

"Leave her alone you son of a bitch!" He yelled at him.

Eddie began to growl, "baby, no!" I begged him to stop.

"Leave her alone!" He said, sounding demonic.

Suddenly, a gunshot broke the tension. Hopper shot his gun in the air, thankfully Eddie hadn't shown his teeth. He helped me up and we went inside with El, Joyce, and Will.

"Lock the door," Hopper said. I did and turned to see Eddie was hunched over, his headphones and Walkman were in the car.

"Shit, Eddie, it's okay baby." I started towards him.

"Get away from me you bitch..." I stopped.

"Is he gonna kill us?" Will asked.

"No, he would never hurt us". (I hope)

We heard the truck drive off, Joyce let Hopper back in.

"He's not going to bother you again", Hop said, putting his gun down.