"I didn't need a hero, Billy." Darian sneers, dusting off his coat, eyes glaring.
Billy only smirks, reaching over and untangling one of Darians dark curls, quickly catching himself, pulling his hand back. "It didn't seem like that a minute ago." B...
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Hawkins, Indiana
July 1985
。.✦ ☾
Holloway's House.
。.✦ ☾
A car comes to a stop at the mailbox. The girls stare at the same white mailbox that El saw in the black void. Below the mailbox: the address marker: 1438. Heather Holloway's house. Billy's coworker.
"Is this it?" Jamie asks
El nods.
....
The bolt lock disengaged and the door swung open. El had used her powers to unlock and open the door. The three girls walk into the hall and notice a large family portrait hanging on the wall. Heather, Tom, and Tom's wife, Janet are smiling. It's clearly a professionally taken photo. "This is Billy's coworker's house." Jamie says
Max and El turn to her. "What?" El asks "Heather's house, I had a school project and Heather was my partner." Jamie states, she doesn't mention that she and Heather had a fling.
The three suddenly turn when they hear Janet's laughter coming from the dining room breaking the momentary silence.
....
Billy, Janet, and Tom are sitting at the dining room table having dinner while Billy is uncharacteristically charming. "Isn't that cute, huh?" Billy asks with a creepy grin. Janet, holding a glass of red wine, is laughing at Billy's jokes. Janet turns to Tom. "He's so funny." Janet exclaims.
Their nice meal is interrupted when Tom notices the three girls.
"Max." Billy says, tilting his head and peering up at his sister. El, Jamie, and Max are standing in the living room, which is situated next to the dining room, staring in disbelief at the pleasant social gathering.
"We didn't mean to barge in." Max says
Tom puts down his glass of wine, not very happy about the intrusion. "We tried to knock, but maybe you didn't hear us over the storm." Jamie says, swallowing harshly under Tom's glare. "I'm sorry, who is this dripping all over my living room right now?" Tom asks
Billy chuckles, swallowing his food. "I'm sorry. Janet, Tom, this is my sister, Maxine." Billy says with a wide smile. Billy stands from the table. Janet is pleasantly surprised. Tom, though, is still not happy. "Oh!" Janet says
Billy walks over to Max and El. "What on earth are you doing here?" Billy asks with gritted teeth, a smile still on his lips. Billy is standing opposite El and Max. "Is something wrong?" Billy asks
Max shakes her head, nervous. "We just wanted to make sure everything was okay." Max says
Billy tilts his head with fake concern. "Okay? Why wouldn't it be okay?" Billy asks, Jamie glares. "Where is he?" Jamie asks, Billy turns to her, eyes dark and filled with hatred. "I'm sorry -- where is who?" Billy asks
Darian suddenly emerges from the kitchen carrying a tray of freshly baked cookies. He looks - good as new! Jamie gapes at her best friend.
Heather appears from behind him. "Well, they're a little burnt, I'm sorry --" She pauses when she notices El, Jamie, and Max. "Heather! This is my sister, Maxine." Billy says. He knew Darian knew the three so he didn't address him. Billy looks at El. "And, I'm sorry, I did not quite catch your name." Billy says "El." Eleven answers nervously. "El. Now what is it you were saying, El? You were looking for somebody?" Billy asks
El looks over to Darian, who flashes her a forced smile that doesn't quite meet his eyes. "I ... I saw ... you --" She stutters "Your manager at the radio store said you didn't come in to work today, so we got worried." Max says "Darian wasn't feeling so hot today, so we thought we'd take the day off to nurse him back to health and Heather offered to bake him some cookies." Billy says, looking at Darian. "But you're feeling just fine now, aren't you, Darian?" Billy asks
Darian nods rapidly. "I'm feeling so much better." Darian says
El and Billy lock eyes. "Do you girls want a cookie?" Janet asks
Darian raises the cookie tray. "They're fresh out of the oven." Darian says, eyes unblinking, staring into El's.
Jamie, El, and Max say nothing, just stare in disbelief.
....
Billy is standing at the doorway as he watches El, Jamie, and Max leave. He closes the door but continues to watch through the window. Billy's pupils are fully dilated. He knows.
....
Jamie sits in silence in the passenger seat, hands on the wheels as she thinks. "That's not Darian....he's never that quiet." Jamie states
....
Janet, Darian, Tom, and Heather are sitting at the table enjoying the freshly baked cookies when Billy walks in and sits at the table. "Is everything all right?" Heather asks "Yes. Everything's fine." Billy says, unconsciously he grasps Darian's hand underneath the table, making him look up and meet his eyes. "Your sister really didn't want to stay?" Janet asks, catching Billy's attention.
Billy shakes his head. "No. She's just not, you know, really a people person." Billy states "Well, I just don't like the idea of them out there in the storm like that." Janet says with a worried frown. "Oh, they'll be fine." Tom says. He didn't really care.
Janet reaches for her glass of wine, but she misses and knocks the glass over. Tom chuckles, shaking his head. "I told you to slow down on that wine, Janet." Tom says
Janet quickly dabs at the spill. "Yes, darling." Janet says, but something is off. Heather tilts her head, looking at her mother. "You okay, Mommy?" Heather asks "Yes, I'm -- I'm just feeling a little lightheaded is all." Janet says, her fingers curling and uncurling over the table. "It's all that wine." Tom dismisses
Heather and Billy lock eyes. "I'm sorry. Um, if you'll excuse me. I'm just gonna go upstairs and lie down for a bit." Janet says
Janet stands and leaves the table. Heather and Billy meet eyes once again. Janet takes three steps into the living room before fainting. "Janet!" Tom exclaims
Tom quickly stands from the table and rushes to the living room. Darian reaches down beside his chair and grabs the bottle of chloroform he used to spike Janet's wine. He unscrews the cap and pours some on his dinner napkin.
Tom steps out of the dining room to see Janet lying lifeless on the floor. "Janet!" Tom exclaims, and kneels beside Janet, shaking her. She's alive but completely unconscious. "Janet. Janet!" Tom tries again. Heather grabs the empty wine bottle by the neck and stands from the table, her face void of any emotions.
Panicking. "Call 911!" Tom yells out to his daughter. Heather approaches Tom from behind. Tom looks at Heather. "Call 911." Tom yells, still shaking his wife. Heather swings the empty wine bottle onto her father's head. Tom falls flat onto his stomach, grunting.
....
Hearing the sound of solid glass hitting bone and flesh, Billy and Darian stand from the table and make their way to the living room. Tom, bleeding from his head, stumbles as he tries to crawl away. Darian hands Heather his dinner napkin filled with chloroform. Heather kicks Tom, sending him back down onto his stomach. Then she kneels beside him and grabs a fist full of hair from the back of Tom's head. She gets close to his face. "I'm really sorry about this, Daddy, but it'll all be over soon, I promise." She whispers
She cups her hand and napkin over his nose and mouth. His muffled screams are futile. Billy watches from behind with an evil grin, grabbing Darian's hip and pulling his body towards him.
