[COMPLETED UNTIL SEASON 5]
Ana Thompson always seems to wind up in the strangest predicaments...
A perpetual victim of Murphy's Law, Ana finds herself arriving in Hawkins, Indiana just prior to the events of November 6th, 1983.
And, just prior to f...
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"I WAS WONDERING who it would be," Ana commented tonelessly, her arms crossed tightly across her chest as if keeping her body so compact would make her impervious to any external harm. A large tear sat in her left eye, but she refused to blink, refused to allow it the opportunity to create a stream down her cheek.
"I already know. I knew the second none of y'all could look me in the eye, but I wondered who they'd send. Wouldn't be one of the kids. No, that's too much of a responsibility for their young shoulders to bear. I am surprised, however, that they chose you."
Murray Bauman stood before her, defeated.
The parking lot was filled with emergency vehicles and military personnel, but the volume of her surroundings was turned down to zero. The only sound Ana could hear was that of her own shallow breathing.
"I'm assuming Joyce didn't come because she figures I'd blame her. She's not wrong, honestly. And, Dr. Owens feels guilty for being too little too late. He should, you know. Feel guilty, that is. He was a day late and a dollar short. So, that leaves you, Murray. The only adult they could be certain I wouldn't immediately lash out at when they broke the news."
Said man visibly deflated before her at the assessment. Shoulders sagging more and more with each forthright word that escaped her lips.
"Get on with it then, Murray. Tell me what I already know." Ana's timbre never fluctuated, neither rose nor fell. She spoke as though they were discussing something innocuous like the weather, when it was anything but.
Somewhere deep inside her subconscious, Ana always knew it would come to this. Her life wasn't built for blissful contentment. Her existence had always been, would always be, some perverted version of Murphy's Law. That night was just the culmination of all her frivolous pursuits meeting their tragic ends.
"Jim. He-" Murray hesitated, considering how best to rip off that particular bandaid. It would hurt regardless, no matter the efforts he took to soften the coming sting.
It brought him no comfort that Ana stood eerily calm amongst the surrounding chaos. He'd only known her a short while, but she'd always appeared strong-spirited, a real spitfire, truly. Now, though, she seemed empty. Detached from their now harsh reality.
"Jim. He didn't make it," Murray finally admitted, dejectedly. "I'm so sorry, Ana."
She didn't breathe, her lungs pained and filled with air she didn't dare release. Her eyes stung, too, from a lack of blinking and the emotion she was trying desperately to contain, but it was an easy pain to ignore. Glancing around the crowd, she registered several faces watching her, awaiting her reaction. Ana felt like an animal locked in a zoo, a crowd of spectators waiting for her to perform for their amusement.
"I want to see it," she announced suddenly. Murray looked visibly confused by her command, his brow scrunching in uncertainty, so she clarified. "I want to see where it happened."
