Home (Jim Hopper)

Chapter 7

Amelia sat in front of Joyce's sofa on the floor, her legs pulled into her chest and head resting on her knees. It was the morning after the search party. Jim tried to take her home but she asked to go to Joyce's. She was silent for the whole ride. Jim kept asking her questions, trying to get anything out of her, just to see if she was okay but she stayed quiet. Too many thoughts were running through her mind to say anything that made sense. To say anything that would put all her emotions into words. To say something that would not make her look crazy.

Jonathan kept Joyce and Amelia company for the morning, making them breakfast and coffee. Though they did not speak their feelings aloud, both the Byers were concerned and confused about Amelia. She had been sitting in the exact same place throughout the whole night. They were not even sure if she fell asleep. They all thought she was in some state of shock. When Hopper brought her to them last night he didn't say much, he wasn't even sure what happened but said he'd come back in the morning after the search.

Amelia watched Jim as he walked into the Byers house. They locked eyes for a moment but he pulled himself away to talk to Joyce who was talking about her burnt phone. Jim tried to blame it on the storm but Joyce knew better. She was convinced it was Will but Hopper doubted it as she only heard breathing. Amelia observed the argument between them for a while before interrupting.

"She's not crazy." They all turned to look to her.

"Oh, now you want to speak?" Jim spat out causing Joyce to hit his arm.

"Sorry, about that," she honestly said to him as she stood up and walked over to all three of them, "but you kept asking me last night about why I kept saying Will into the radio." Joyce tensed up at this, "Well it's because, I, I heard him too. But I heard him speak."

"What did he say?!" Joyce quickly grabbed the sides of Amelia's arms and shook her as she spoke. Amelia swallowed a lump in her throat that was forming and looked to Jim before turning her back to them.

"Amelia, what did he say?" Jim questioned, taking a step closer to her.

"H-he asked for help..." She whispered. She heard Joyce try to hold back her sobs but failed as she held onto Jonathan.

"But you didn't see him?" Amelia shook her head to the Chief.

"No, he was just on that goddamn radio an-and-"

"And what?"

"And then he just, cut off." That last bit was a lie, kind of. He did cut off, only after telling her to run, but how was she meant to explain that to anyone? She still hadn't fully understood what happened. Was she even being chased? Did she imagine the figure? Was the figure even human? 

The room became silent and everyone could feel the anger radiating off of the Chief of Police.

"Why didn't you tell me that in the car? We could have done something, anything," He tried to keep his calm but was failing. "Goddamn it!  Amelia that was, that was the chance. He couldn't have been too far for the radio to pick it up!"

Amelia didn't think about that.

"I-I'm-"

"Shut it." Was his simple statement, his finger pointing at her, for the first time she cowered under his stare because, for the first time, she was very much in the wrong. "Get in the car."

"Bu-"

"Get in the fucking car, Amelia." Jim stormed off and out the house, she felt like she just got scolded by her father, if it wasn't for his language it's something she'd say to the kids she worked with. She wouldn't tell them to get in a car though, she'd normally just send them outside the classroom. She gave a sympathetic look to Joyce before walking to the car and jumping in the passenger seat.