Shadows of the Night •a Stranger Things story•

Nothing Ever Happens in Hawkins

•
•
•

Steve, dressed in his Flinstone best, walks up to Chris, who is leaning against her father's truck. Chris smiles when she sees him, wearing her own costume. Her hair is tied up in a large bun on her head. Fake white pearls are wrapped around her neck, matching her white dress that is ripped at the bottom. She's wearing dirty white converse to complete Wilma Flinstone's look.

"Oh, Fred," she teases.

Steve spreads his arms, revealing his orange and black-spotted costume that falls just below his knees. A large crooked blue tie hangs loosely around his neck and his brown hair is in a mess. He puts his hands on his hips. "No one wears cartoon costumes anymore, Chris."

Chris rolls her eyes. "I think they're much more creative than everyone dressing up as the same three people in Risky Business. Besides, you look good."

"I'm gonna freeze my ass off."

"I'll warm you up." Chris gives him a wink before looking back at her father.

Steve wraps an arm around Chris's shoulder, staring out at the moldy pumpkin patch. He swats at a fly and sniffs at the smell of rotting plants. "What are we doing out here, anyway?"

Chris glances over at Powell and Callahan who stomp through the muck in displeasure. "Waiting for my dad. He's supposed to be done around five."

"Well, I can't imagine they have much more work to do out here. What are they gonna do about a bunch of rotting pumpkins?" Steve squints against the low-hanging sun, feeling the October breeze drift under his legs, he shivers.

"Nothing ever happens in Hawkins. This is big," mumbles Chris. She glances up at Steve, who gives her a pointed look. She turns back to Powell and Cahallan who radio for Hopper. He's walking towards the tree line. "For people that only care about carving pumpkins—this is big news. It's been slow at the station, Dad's just trying to keep himself busy."

Steve sniffs once more, scrunching up his nose in distaste. "With rotting pumpkins. C'mon it smells disgusting out here. Let's get going before I freeze my balls off next."

"That'd be a real tragedy, wouldn't it?" Chris scoffs, shaking her head. She follows Steve to his car, where he wraps his arms around her squeezing her tight. She giggles a little, caught off guard. Steve sighs heavily, opening his mouth to say something. He catches himself, and plays off his moment of contemplation by tapping Chris on the butt. She opens her mouth in surprise, hoping her father didn't look over at the wrong moment.

"Steve."

He shrugs. "It was Fred. Cavemen gotta entertain themselves somehow." He ducks into the driver's seat, winking at her as he goes. The two of them leave the rotting pumpkins behind, not thinking about the weird scenario for the rest of the night.

Will Byers sits silently in the passenger seat of his brother's car as Jonathan drives from the backroads of town to the suburbs. Will, although glad he and his brother are closer than ever, wishes he didn't have to have Jonathan tag along for the night. They both have places they'd rather be. Jonathan chuckles to himself, causing Will to look over at him.

"I just don't get what she sees in him."

Confusion peeks at Will's interest. Could Jonathan be talking about Nancy? Chris? Their mother? "What?"

"Bob," replies Jonathan, looking over at his little brother for a moment.

Will shrugs, silent for a second or two. He looks out the window. "At least he doesn't treat me different." Jonathan frowns, and noticing this Will continues, "I mean, I can't even go trick-or-treating by myself. It's lame."