𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐭

xiii. THE FUNERAL

The next day, Charles got ready with his mom helping him. He sighed as he put on the bowtie with a grimace, "Charles?" His grandpa came up the stairs. "I think you'll like this one better." The man said, holding a tie, it was black and not much special but Charles did very much prefer to wear it.

"Oh, he's already got the bow tie on, dad," Sarah explained but the man simply waved him off. "Doesn't mean he likes it." He said and she sighed, rolling her eyes but she smiled anyway.

She watched as her father help by taking the bowtie off her son. "This is old." He said then he wraps the tie around his neck, "this will suit you more." He said before tying it as Charles smiled up at him. He looked at his mom with the same smile and she smiled back at him instantly.

"Are you sure you're alright, bud?" Sarah asked as she fixed her son's hair. "Yeah.. I'm okay." He said with a nod and then they were all on their way, getting into the car. Charles sat in the back with his grandma as his grandpa sat in the front passenger seat while his mother drove them.

The whole way there, Charles was quiet as he stared out the window. The thought of Will being dead was still hanging around in his mind, though he knew that Will can't be.

"Fear not, for I am with you. Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you. Yes, I will help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. It's times like these that our faith is challenged. How, if He is truly benevolent... could God take from us someone so young, so innocent? It would be easy to turn away from God.. but we must remember than nothing, not even tragedy, can separate us from His love. We are here today, to find comfort in the truth of scripture, and to surround Will and his family.." The other three boys, his friends, were looking at someone behind Charles, so he looks to see what they were looking at.

Jennifer Hayes was crying, "just wait till we tell Will that Jennifer Hayes was crying at his funeral." Dustin said but is shushed instantly by Mike's mom, Karen. As everyone threw the roses in, Charles stared at the coffin in the ground.

"Hey, come on," Dustin nudged him and he sighed, following him instantly. "That's not him in there, you have to remember that. He's still alive." Dustin whispered into his ear and he nodded but he still didn't know if he believed that.

At the service inside the church, Charles went to Joyce, "hey, Mrs. Byers.." He said, sitting down next to her and she looked at him. "Oh, Charles," she whispered as she grabs his hands. "You'll believe what I saw, won't you?" She whispered to him. "What? What did you see?" He asked.

"You can't tell anyone, not even your mom." She whispered as she leaned closer to him. "I saw Will.." She whispered and he leans closer. "What? When?" He asked with worry evident on his face. "He was in the wall." She said and he looks down, confused.

     "Mrs. Byers.. what do you mean?" He asked as he looked back up. She sighed, moving closer as she looked all around. Her hands are shaking as she looked at Lonnie and Jonathan talking to everyone. "He was in the wall, Charles. You have to believe me. Do you believe me?" She asked with a desperate tone as she spoke and he sighed.

     "What do you mean, exactly, by in the wall?" He asked as he glanced at his mom. "Like.. like.. like, he was there, like right there, he told me he was at home, well, like, like, i-it was like home, b-b-but it wasn't." She kept stammering as she explained and Charles thinks of the other day with Eleven in the audio visual room when he heard Will.

      Empty, dark, cold. He looks at her in the eyes, he can't blame anyone who thought she was acting crazy, especially his grandparents who thought so after her public meltdown in town where she yelled at Jonathan, she did look crazy, but Charles believed her. "Empty, dark, cold?" He whispers and she nodded her head frantically.

      "You know what I'm talking about, of course, you do. You're a really smart kid, Charles." She said to him and he smiled at that. "Wha-what did you mean by he was in the walls then?" He asked and she sighed. "I can't describe it, but I have to know, do you believe me?" When she said it in a loud clear voice, she caught Lonnie's attention. He was walking over as Charles looks at Joyce again.

     "Yeah.. Yeah, I believe you, Mrs. Byers." He said and she nodded, smiling at that as she looked down, patting her hand on his. "I knew, you would, I knew." She repeated as Lonnie got closer to them. "Joyce, why don't you, um, leave little Charles alone?" Charles looked up at Will's dad and he looked up at him with an annoyed look.

"He believes me," she whispered to the man and Lonnie gave a warning look to the boy and that's when Charles walked away, crossing his arms. "Lonnie's a dipshit. Can't believe that's Will's dad." He said as he approached his friends.

"Relax, Charlie, besides, that's not we're here for," Dustin said as he looks at Charles who sighed. "Yeah, bashing on Will's dad is the last thing on our list right now, man." Lucas said as he also looked at Charles and the boy just looks at Mike who sighed. "Let's just go talk to Mr. Clarke, the reason why we're here anyway." Mike tells them.

"Mr. Clarke?" Mike said as he walked away from them, the other three following behind right away. "Oh, hey, there." The man said as he turned to them. "How are you boys holding up?" He asked and Charles sighed as Dustin starts to eat one of the snacks, his crunching loud.

"We're.. in.. mourning." Lucas said before they all looked down, especially Dustin at the snack in his hand. "Man, these aren't real Nilla Wafers." Dustin says with disappointment. "We were wondering if you had time to talk?" Mike suddenly said as he looks at Mr. Clarke. "We have some questions." Lucas said and Charles nods. "A lot of questions."

   

    

     

    

authors note hehe so fun! :-)