Home (Jim Hopper)

Chapter 6

Joyce and Amelia sat together in the kitchen, both smoking in silence. It hadn't been like this since she arrived though. When she first got there Joyce was losing it, constantly pacing, talking to herself and in general unable to stay calm, but Amelia couldn't blame her. She had no idea what it was like to lose a child, she'd never even had one before, but she did work with kids and was close to Will herself so there was some part of her which could relate.

Amelia was able to calm Joyce down by cooking food and making her sit at the table. She felt like she was talking to a kid at times, telling her to stop fidgeting and walking around. She needed to sit down, smoke her cigarette and try taking deep breaths, a shower would also help but she wasn't about to do that.

The bell rang as Amelia was finishing washing the dishes, Joyce jumped up and ran to the door.

"Who is it?" Amelia asked as she pulled off the yellow rubber gloves and turned. It was Jim. Amelia rolled her eyes and made her way out the back as Joyce and he talked, a cigarette in her hand as she approached the back shed. Her eyes glanced back to the window to see Joyce close to tears again and yelling something to Jim.

Amelia sighed and opened the shed door seeing the latch unlocked, she was sure it was normally locked. She inspected it quickly before opening the door and entering the small shed. It was dark, she turned on the light, which flickered non stop. Her eyes immediately met the shotgun that laid on the side, a bullet box next to it and multiple bullets across the side and floor. Amelia picked up the gun and checked the magazine loading port, she felt her breath get caught in her throat when she saw bullets loaded.

"Jim?" She called to the house as she stepped out of the shed. "Jim?" She called again, louder this time. A moment later Jim opened the back door. "Come look at this..." He quickly made his way over to her and followed her into the shed. He examined it just like she did and they locked eyes for a moment, they had the same thought, but both didn't want it to be true.

"I'll meet you back here in an hour, I need to get changed first." She simply stated, he nodded and she walked off.

"We need to get a search party together," Amelia heard him say into his radio as she put out her cigarette.

Amelia headed home in record speed, her mind racing of the new possibilities that could have happened to the young boy.

"Dad," she stated as she walked into the house.

"Yes?'

"I'm sure you've heard but Will Byers is missing and there is a search party happening and I just, I don't know. Thought I'd let you know." She didn't look to him as she spoke, sprinting around her room looking for warm clothes. She wasn't sure how long she'd be out there but she was sure it would be cold.

"Are you okay honey?" He asked, standing off the sofa and going to her bedroom door.

"Yes," she answered far too quickly, her eyes scanning the clothes in her wardrobe. Her father didn't say anymore, simply walking off as she got ready, which Amelia was happy for. She didn't want to be asked any questions. After 20minutes she was ready to go again.

"Torch, check. Jacket, check. Hat, check. Keys...keys," Amelia kept mumbling as she rummaged through her room again. "Where the fuck did I put them!"

A jingle to her left made her look up, her dad stood at her doorframe, dressed in warm clothes and the keys dangling from his hand. "You looking for these?" He asked with a smile. Amelia sighed in relief and went to grab them, only for him to pull them away from her grasp. "I'm driving."

Amelia tried to argue with her father, but he wasn't having any of it, saying she was too chaotic to drive. She needed to have a cigarette and a quiet drive to calm herself down. The last thing Will Byers needed is Amelia seeming like a nut job when trying to look for him, could scare the poor child.