Summer of '93 - Stozier

10

Richie sprang up with a scream. His cheeks tear streaked and a wet patch on the pillow from his crying. Wait- pillow? Where the fuck am I? this isn't my room- The room was dark. Curtains drawn closed, light switched off, door closed. Richie began to panic even more than he already was, breathing speeding up as his chest tightened. He'd had another nightmare but he couldn't remember falling asleep.

His thoughts were cut off by Beverly bursting into the room. "Richie?! What's wrong? I heard you scream.." She asked, sitting on the bed.

"Can't-" Richie gasped, feeling as if he was drowning. "Can't see! Can't see! Glasses- Too dark-" He was yelling, his breath whistling as he gasped for air.

"Richie! Rich! Calm down!" Beverly grabbed his hand.

Richie pulled his hand back and covered his ears, squeezing his eyes shut and bringing his knees up to his chest. He dropped his head onto his blanket covered knees, still yelling.

"Shit! Fuck! Its too dark! I can't see! Fuck! Its gonna kill me! I can't-" 

"Richie!" Beverly didn't know what to do. "GUYS! MIKE! BEN! GET IN HERE!" 

Mike and Ben both ran into the bedroom.

"What's happening?" Ben asked.

"I don't know!" Bev yelled, concerned. "I think he had a nightmare??"

"Shit." Mike switched on the light.

"Go get his glasses!" Beverly told Ben, who left to find them. "Mike, call Stan. He knows what to do- i think."

Mike ran down the hallway and into the kitchen. He picked up the telephone and began dialling Stans house number.

The phone rang a few times before a woman spoke.

"Andrea Uris speaking, who is this?"

"Hi, Mrs Uris, its Mike Hanlon. Is Stanley there?" 

"Oh, no, I'm sorry, he's at his girlfriends house." Mrs Uris informed him.

Mike bit his lip and mouthed 'Fuck' before sighing and asking, "Is there any way I can contact him? Its really important."

"Uh, Yeah, call this number, he should be there." Mrs Uris told Mike a phone number, which he wrote on his hand with a black pen from his jeans pocket.

"Thanks, Mrs Uris, Have a great evening, Bye!" He said quickly before hanging up and dialling the new number. "Two, nine, eight.. okay." He mumbled the last numbers and brung the receiver up to his ear.

"MIKE! HURRY UP! ITS GETTING WORSE!" Ben yelled from the room.

"GIVE ME A SEC-"

"Hello?" It was another female voice.

"Hey, is Stan Uris there?" Mike asked.

"Hm, yea, who is this?" The girl asked.

"Micheal Hanlon- listen could you just put him on the phone its sort of an emergency!"

"Okay, jeez-" Mike could feel her eye-roll. "(babe, someones on the phone for you.)"

Mike tried not to snort at the pet name.

"Hello? Stan Uris sp-"

"Stan! Hey! So, listen, Richies having sort of like- a panic attack? I don't know what to do. Help." Mike blurted as Ben yelled at him to hurry up again.

"Oh- Shit- Uh- What happened? Did he have a nightmare?" Stan asked.

"Probably, but that's not really important right now! What do I do?" Mike asked urgently.