𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑶𝑻𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝑺𝑷𝒀 - Dustin Henderson

002. Trick or Treat, Freak

    CINDY WOKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, NEEDING SOME WATER. The glass on her side table was empty. She groaned, rubbing her eyes.

She walked into the kitchen, filling the glass up. She then felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, she stopped the tap and slowly lifted her hand to the back of her neck and shuddered. She jumped when a creek came from the front door. She placed the glass down on the bench and walked out slowly.

Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw the door burst wide open and the Upside down seeping through.

She wanted to move away but something was telling her to go towards it, her legs carried her over to the door just like in the Arcade.

Once she stepped out of the doorway, it felt like she crossed the border between their world and the Upside-down, a shiver ran down her spine as the cold weather returned to her body.

She looked up in the red sky, something was trying to show itself through the storm. Another flash of lightning ripped through the sky and there it was, a giant shadow in the sky. She gasped, stepping back only to trip in the doorway. Her eyes didn't peel away from the sky. She had heard about that thing before, he told her about it.

When it disappeared, she quickly got up and slammed the door.

She leant her back up against it, breathing sharply and quickly.

• • •

Today was Halloween, and it was Cindy's first Halloween since she went missing. She never really liked Halloween, but the boys were super excited and they invited her trick or treating and she couldn't really say no to free candy.

Although she should be thinking about the fun day ahead of her, the only thing on her mind was the episode she had last night. Something about the fact they are becoming more real makes Cindy terrified.

Steve dropped her off, but this time Cindy didn't waste anytime getting out. "Bye Cindy-" she closed the door before he could finish.

"Is she okay?" Nancy asked, opening the door.

"I don't know, she has been acting really strange lately." He answered, hopping out as well, "I mean, stranger than normal."

"I'm sure it's okay, maybe she's just excited for halloween." She shrugged, but Steve wasn't convinced.

"Yeah, maybe." He replied half-heartedly.

Cindy found the boys standing by the bike rack, they were all in ghostbusters costumes. Since when did kids wear their costumes to school? She wondered.

"Hey guys!" She calls out.

"Cindy!" Mike and Dustin exclaim.

"What are you guys doing in costumes?" She questioned.

"Everyone wore theirs to school last year, remember." Dustin reminded matter-of-factly, forgetting she wasn't at school last year.

"I wasn't at school last year..." She reminded him.

His eyes widened and his cheeks turned a slight pink. "I'm so sorry. I forgot."

"It's okay," she smiled. She then looked around at the kids now exiting the bus. Seems as though no one else was in costumes. "Uh, noticed how no one else is in costumes?" She pointed out.

They stepped up beside her, looking at the kids getting off the bus. No kid was in costumes, "well shit." Dustin sighed.

Kids kept staring at them and laughing as they walked past, Cindy felt slight second hand embarrassment, but also felt bad for them, they'd have to wear that all day and deal with kids laughing.