Scary Love// Steve Harrington //

"I want to hold your hand"

Frankie,

Day three without you. Still super, super shitty. I dreamt about you last night. Think it was Christmas time and you were here and I got you something really nice and expensive, maybe a necklace. And you were overwhelmed with it and you almost kissed me, which overwhelmed me. Which woke me up because I've never dreamt of you like that. You're still hanging out with Jonathan and I don't know or understand why. Seems a lil weird doesn't he? I am worried about his brother though, Will? If I don't see you daily I start to worry and Will's been gone for three days. I overheard Ms.Winters talking about a project she might be giving us soon so maybe you'll talk to me then. I miss you.

Your idiot,

Steve

•••

Frankie woke up in a sweat, heart beating so fast she couldn't catch her breath. She had a nightmare, about that thing, the thing that grabbed Barb. It felt almost real, too real. She pushed her hair back and tried to slow her breathing down. She climbed out of bed and tiptoed down the stairs to go outside for some fresh air. She wrapped her arms around herself and sat on a lawn chair trying to get the image out of her mind.

She was about to go back inside when she heard something come from the woods behind just behind the white picket fence. It was a low growl, something she had heard before. Her green eyes went wide at the realization of what it was. It was that thing, from her nightmare, that took Barb. She ran back inside and into her room. She couldn't possibly sleep now, what if that thing was real? What if she was next? She tiptoed to her window to see if she saw anything but was relieved when she saw nothing. She went back to the warmth of her bed and let her thoughts consume her. Sleep was now a thing of the past because Frankie couldn't fall back into a slumber.

She was up at six and got ready for school. Today were the try outs so she packed some exercise clothes for it. Jonathan would be coming in a bit so she went downstairs to quickly eat a bowl of cereal. Just as she finished she heard a honk outside and put her bowl in the sink before running outside. She hopped into the passenger seat before pressing a kiss to Jonathan's cheek.

"Good morning." He chirped.

"I don't know about all of that." She shook her head with a sigh.

"What's up?" He asked as they drove to school.

"Didn't sleep last night, had a nightmare about what we saw the other night." Frankie pulled her hair into a high ponytail.

"Neither did I, Lonnie was there. Says he's there for moral support but I don't believe anything he says." Jonathan sighed. "I'm sorry, by the way."

"What for?" Frankie asked confused.

"You were right, about that thing. It was real, I was developing those pictures I took the night I ran into you in the woods with Nancy and you can see it clear as day. I thought you were insane and I thought my mom was too but, I saw it." He stammered.

"I think I heard it last night, in the woods behind the house." Frankie was terrified at the fact that all of this was a reality.

The car was quiet afterward, both too afraid to say anything else.

"Are you coming today?" It was the day of Will's "funeral", even though they didn't think he was really gone but that thing had him.