Love Me More; Byler

42 - Missing

WILL POV -

---- One Week Later; Wednesday 1:32 PM ----

Poking his head around the figures blocking his view, the brunette waited in line patiently, barely noticing the crowd as he advanced forward with a basket of groceries in his hand; mostly just instant-made foods and dog treats – he tried cooking, but it was difficult with a cast.

This routine had become a staple at this point, once a week gorging himself in simple tasks he was familiar with; grocery shopping, collecting parcels, doing laundry... all things he found oddly comforting... but he couldn't help but feel an itch, like something was missing, something that was pulled away so violently it left a scar.

Tapping his foot up and down growing slightly impatient, the boy watched as the person before him was rung up.

Life had become boring ever since school ended... part of him actually wanted to go back! He never thought he'd say that, but with the way his senior year went, he wouldn't mind repeating the entire year all over again.

But why had things changed so drastically this past year?

Absentmindedly, Will took the items out his basket, carefully setting them down on the conveyer. The line behind him grew. He rummaged his wallet for cash he had earnt from his job; something about it felt euphoric, using the money he earned to buy items he needed...

And yet, he promised himself to make enough money to give someone else an easier life – it was someone outside his family, a friend maybe? He promised to work so they never had to, so they would rely on him... it didn't help that he couldn't remember who.

Will thanked the worker with a friendly smile as he handed over the money, taking his bags, the task difficult due to his splint. His wrist was luckily healing at the rate it was supposed to, and hopefully it would be fully healed by graduation; that was the dream, at least.

Shaking his head, he started his commute home, making the long, but necessary journey; he couldn't even ride a bike in the condition his arm was in. When he did try, he got quite far, well at least until Dustin caught him and confiscated the bike until the splint was removed.

As he passed the train station, he couldn't help but glance inside, seeing the quiet hum of the place seeping into his senses. The station was near-empty at this hour, but then again, it was nearly-empty at all hours. Will wasn't sure why there even was a train station in Hawkins... it felt oddly specific, as if to fill a checklist of landmarks in the town, but he'd never questioned it before.

"Hey, Will!"

The brunette whipped his head around; did someone call him? The same familiar voice continuing to talk, "Let me at least help you with your bags. They look heavy."

Bags? What bags? His grocery bag?

For a second, Will worried he may be going crazy; he kept having these visions, or hallucinations or whatever one may call them. Just short, almost missable moments when he felt as if his past and future tangled, congealed into one.

He found himself slowing, spending just a few extra moments near the entrance, remembering when he was at his lowest point, wanting to leave town and do something drastic... what made him stop?