Afterglow | S. Harrington

4| I keep.. hearing his name

I walk down the hall. Something just feels off. I look around to see if anything is out of the ordinary. It's more than just my eyes. I can feel it in my body, in my mind.

"Will Byers."

I get chills down my spine. I look around again. I can't pin point what's wrong.

I blink and for a split second everything is dark. It's like the hall is the hall but it's dark with vines on the ground and walls.

I blink again to try and see it. It's almost like it's real but not here. Not quite at least. It seems so familiar. I've seen it before in dreams.

"Betty."

I jump and turn around. Steve is looking at me concerned.

"I've been calling your name for like two minutes."

"Oh." I say. "What.. is up?"

"Can we be cool?"

As much as I've said aloud how much I hate him, I don't. We've been in the same friend group for years. I've considered him a friend somewhat.

"I'm sorry for Nate."

He raises an eyebrow. I never apologize for anything, especially to him. I'm never in the wrong to have the need to apologize.

"Don't give me that look, Harrington."

"Is the Elizabeth Blackwood apologizing.. to me?"

I turn around and start walking down the hall. He runs after me.

"Although I wish I could accept your apology, it's not your fault."

"Be safe, Bee."

I stop. Steve looks at me confused. Since my party everything has felt different. I've been on high alert.

"Bee."

"What?"

"Nothing." I walk the other direction. "Bye, Harrington."

The rest of my day goes by in a daze. The drive home, Josie talks about Will being missing. I try to act like I didn't know. I mean I didn't but I did at the same time.

After dinner, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling. I take deep breaths before closing my eyes. I focus. On what? I had no idea. I don't know what I'm looking for.

"Will Byers."

My eyes snap open and I sit up. Will is missing. Josie told me when she came home. Her and her friends were asked questions by the Chief. Hopper asked them when the last time they saw Will.

I change out of my pajamas and into what I wore to school today. I walk downstairs to my father sitting in his office which is right by the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I told Sophia we should go help with the search party."

"Honey, I don't want you out late until they find Will."

"But, dad-"

"No, Elizabeth."

It's very rare for him or my mother to use my full name.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

I enter his mind. His face completely changes as does his demeanor.

"Of course you can go, sweetheart."

"Thanks, dad."

I grab my keys and head out to my car. My dad has never learned of my mother's family history. He's never even met her parents. It's crazy to think about since they've been together since they were teenagers.

She wanted to shield him from the supernatural world she endured growing up. She left the coven to be with him. My grandmother pretty much disowned her, even though she was slated to become the next coven leader.

She made me promise as a young girl to never use my magic on him or Josie. I've kept that promise until today. I didn't want to but something just feels wrong.

I drive to the Henderson household. I get out of my car, grabbing a rock and looking at Sophia's window. I throw the rock. I can see her light clearly on. Nothing happens so I grab another rock to throw. I throw it just as her window opens. The rock hits her in the neck.

"Liz!" She whisper yells. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Come on."

"What?"

"Jump."

She looks at me crazy. I hold my hand up, creating an energy block right in front of her window.

"This is serious."

She turns around to lock her door before climbing out of her window. She slowly steps onto it. I lower it to the ground.

She knows I don't really use my magic. Ever since I've told her about it in sixth grade, I've used it as little as possible in front of her.

"What's wrong?"

"Will Byers." I say. "I keep.. hearing his name."

"Does that mean he's dead?"

I've explained my magic to her as detailed as I could. I'm not a normal witch. I'm a prophesied witch that was thought to be a myth. My powers are essentially that of the original Blackwood witch.

Alexandria Blackwood created many of the supernatural creatures that roam this planet. But of those creatures was a Banshee. She derived their powers from her own. A harbinger of death. Death is a part of me. Therefore I can feel those who are on the Other Side.

The Other Side is a dimensional plane in which supernatural creatures go when they die. Alexandria created it to give them peace. Not that all of them deserved it.

"It's not him.. someone else is trying to tell me something but I don't understand it."

Any sane person would look at me like I'm crazy. Sophia knows that I wouldn't talk about this unless I felt something was truly wrong.

"At my party I felt.. weird."

"Weird? Explain?"

"It felt like something was opening."

"Like the Other Side?"

I shake my head. The Other Side cannot be opened up but hypothetically there can be a rift. The power to do that is nothing any normal witch has.

Realistically I'd be the only one who can do that. However, dark magic can be used to bring those who have passed back. But this isn't it.

"It wasn't the Other Side but I think it might be something like it." I say. "And I think that's where Will is."

"So, we find it."

I hold up the back of my hand. She smiles and puts the back of her hand to mine before tapping.