you are not alone → stranger things

xxi. the sewer

Thursday morning, January 11, 1984
Hopper's POV

I was running late.

I had stayed at Joyce's until almost midnight, comforting her. She was a wreck. And for good reason.

I slammed the car door and ran inside the door. I was immediately ambushed by Flo. "Why are you so late?" she demanded. I muttered an apology, and she plowed on. "Two missing people were reported this morning, Mark Peterson and Henry Russell. Both sewage workers. Families said they never came home from work. Talked to them for you since you weren't here," she added pointedly. "They're very upset. The Petersons have young children, too."

I took my hat off. "That's three missing in two days. Is this happening again?" She nodded, and I sighed. "Well, a search party would be pointless if this is anything like last time..." I suddenly realized that Flo didn't know about the other world and stuff, and quickly changed the subject. "Any ideas?"

She was looking at me strangely, but let it slide. "If the workers were in the sewers when they disappeared, I would check there. Maybe their kidnappers left clues."

I grabbed a cigarette and, lighting it, jammed it in my mouth. After a few breaths, I instantly felt calmer. "Maybe you should be a detective, Flo."

She smacked my arm. "Hurry up. You have a lot of people to talk to."

***

The only sounds I could hear were the soft drip, drip of the pipes and some distant splashing. There was an occasional echoing clack from my shoes on the concrete if I stepped too hard. This sewer was nothing like the movies; it wasn't too dark and mostly clean. Still, something about the silence made me nervous about it. I wished I hadn't come alone.

There was a sudden loud splash from behind me, and I spun around, my grip tightening on my flashlight. But there was nothing.

Swallowing, I decided to continue this later and go talk to some of the workers. This place was too damn creepy.

***

"I just don't get it," the guy said, shaking his head. He had a five o'clock shadow that somehow made him look like he was smirking, but his forehead, creased with worry, told otherwise. "Mark an' Henry was there one second, then I left fo' a minute to get some tools, came back, and boom- both gone without a trace. Figured they went home or somethin'."

This guy was the only person who had seen them last? Wasn't there anyone smarter I could talk to? The man didn't seem to have much common sense. "Did you hear anything coming from where you had left them?" I asked, rubbing my jaw tiredly. It was too early in the morning for this crap.

"Maybe a splash," he admitted after thinking for a few minutes. "Can't say fo' sure. Damned strange," he added, shaking his head again.

I nodded shortly. I wasn't getting anywhere with this. "Thank you for your help," I said, standing and shaking his hand.

He grinned broadly, obviously thinking that he had helped much more than he had. But all he had done was give me more questions. "No problemo, Chief."

Sorry for the boring chapter, I've been kind of busy lately