The Haunting - Stranger Things [UNDER CONSTRUCTION]

17 - Comfort and Hand Holding

I stare at my reflection in the mirror of the bathroom. My eyes are watery with tears seconds away from sliding down my cheeks. I couldn't stop my chin from quivering with every breath I take or how my hands wouldn't stop shaking.

The shower only made me more of a mess. In my mind, I could still hear the sounds of the monster following us and Jonathan shouting my name. Every time I shut my eyes, all I saw was the monster chasing after us in the woods. The tears won't stop falling and it seems, like, I couldn't catch my breath. 

I twist the doorknob and step out into the hallway. Mom and dad were already in bed. We didn't have to worry about them asking any questions about where we have been. I walk down the hall to Nancy's bedroom, nervously glimpsing over my shoulder half expecting the monster to be hiding in the shadows.

Nancy is standing by her dresser drawers, holding her own pajamas to go in the shower next. I weakly smile at her as she leaves the room, shutting the door behind her. 

"Better?" Jonathan asks from where he has a blanket laid out on the floor at the end of the bed. 

My eyes dart to him where he is standing by the makeshift bed. His shoes are near the window along with his jacket that he shed. I nod, worried that if I open my mouth, I'll start to sob uncontrollably again. 

Jonathan motions to the blanket and pillow. "I figured you didn't want to be alone." He watches me by the door, trying to figure out how I'm feeling. "I can go home, if you want. Nancy said it was okay-"

"Yeah, no." I stop him from saying anymore. I fold my arms over my chest. "I don't-" I sigh, "I don't wanna be alone." My feet carry me to Nancy's bed and I sit on the edge of it, facing the wall. "Do you?"

Jonathan shakes his head and peels his flannel off. "No," He answers, walking over to the side of the bed I'm sitting on. The flannel in his hands drapes over my shoulders once he sees the goosebumps on my arms. "Here." Jonathan sits down beside me. "Are you okay?" 

The concern and softness in his voice is all it takes for me to break down into another wave of sobs. Jonathan wraps his arms around me, coaxing me into his body. My face falls back into his neck and the sobs pour out of my body. 

"It's okay," Jonathan comfortingly whispers in my ear. "I've got you. You're safe, Reagan."

His head rests on the top of mine. My fingers brush over his black cotton shirt. I'm not sure who acted first, but our fingers intertwine with each other's. Jonathan's free hand rubs my back in slow movements. 

We sat there for a while. We didn't move from that position the whole time I cried into his body, hands tightly grasping onto each other in a way of comfort. After being in those woods and having the monster nearly catch me, I simply felt safe when Jonathan was around. Maybe that was why I was screaming for him so desperately when I was trying to find him in the woods. When he pulled me out, a wave of security washed over me as he held me in his arms. 

The fear of the monster finding us at home is still in the back of my mind, yet I feel a little bit better just being with Jonathan. What if the monster followed us through the hole afterwards? How do we know that it won't come after us?

The bedroom door gently pushes open. Nancy steps inside of her bedroom,clad in her blue, matching pajamas set. Her eyes float onto the two of us on her bed. I keep my head buried in Jonathan's neck, letting the tears continue to flow. After a couple of seconds, I wipe my tear streaked face with my fingers and stand up. 

Awkwardly, the three of us move to our own areas to fall asleep. Nancy locks the door before she climbs into her bed on the right side, leaving the lights on in her bedroom. None of us want to be alone. I can't even imagine sleeping in my own bed tonight with no one around.