Basic Instinct [stranger things]

8. Broken Bones

CHAPTER EIGHT
BROKEN BONES

Only thirty minutes later did Kimmy's steps come to a stop, a sense of dread seeping deep into her stomach as her heart strings tugged.

For a moment she was frozen, the sight of the old beat up car just up the street from her old beat up house.

It was her fathers car, no doubt. Which meant nothing but that he was back- sooner than Kimmy had expected.

Sooner than she had hoped.

If Kimmy knew one thing, it was that she was completely fucked. Worst case scenario, and there she was living in it.

Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to move forward - one foot infront of the other slowly until she reached the heavy door.

Pushing it open slowly, a shiver ran up her spine at what she heard. Or, perhaps what she hadn't heard. The young girl was greeted by silence.

Utter silence.

The two adults weren't arguing, that's what scared her.

Cautiously, she shuffled into the living room tilting her head from side to side in hope of catching a glimpse of someone.

And nothing.

For a second Kimmy felt relived, perhaps no one was home.

Carefully, she creeped over the living room at an alarming rate before beginning to tip-toe up the stairs in hope of locking herself in her room.

"Where have you been, Kimberley?" The drunken slurs came so abruptly that Kimmy flinched violently and snapped her head up from her feet to meet the pissed off glare she was receiving at the head of the stairs.

She froze, her eyes widening as she debated on whether or not to take a step back, though it were as if her feet would not let her.

For a moment a horrifying thought pushed its way into her mind.  Had he known she'd skipped school?

The second Kimmy as much as acknowledged that thought, one that made her heart drop.

What if he had known she'd skipped school - with a boy?

Sure, Kimmy and Aaron were only friends - but her father hadn't known that. And Kimmy knew he wouldn't let her explain herself, he never would.

Kimmy soon forced herself to push those thoughts down, there was no way he knew about her skipping school - he couldn't have.

Kimmy went to reply, but she couldn't. She had no idea what to do. All she knew was that she felt incredibly panicked, as well as scared- no scratch that. She felt absolutely terrified.

"Well," her father pressed. His voice much more hostile than it had been the first time he had asked. "Where have you been?"

"I-" Kimmy hesitated before swallowing and meeting his stare. "I'm just home from school."

"D-don't lie to me, Kimberley." He slurred and stumbled as he began to make his way down the stairs due to his drunken state. "I am your father. You will not lie to me."

If it had been anyone else, Kimmy would have scoffed and laughed in their faces. But this was her father. And she knew better than to speak back, she'd done it before and couldn't say she was exactly thrilled over the black eye she had gotten for it.

"I'm not lying." She responded as calmly as she could with a blank expression. "I was just-"

The events which followed - anyone could have predicted. Kimmy was a fool to have been taken by surprise.