Beacon Hills 1983

Chapter 43: Hawkins

(Teen wolf + The chilling adventures of Sabrina + Stranger Things)
9 November 1983, Sunday

Last night we slept over at a motel, and this morning, entered Hawkins, Indiana.

Lucy says the magical energy here is low, and I'm guessing there aren't many supernatural creatures either. Although, the history of Hawkins seemed quite interesting...

According to my witch/best friend/encyclopedia for the supernatural, back in the 1800's, a group of three scientists called the Dread doctors (who are immortal, apparently, thanks to dark magic and "creepy fluids") founded Hawkins Lab, and experimented on innocent people by trying to turn them into scientifically-altered supernatural creatures called, chimera's.
However, many chimera's were failures, and died.
The Dread doctors decided to shut down the lab and explore potential chimera's in other towns.

"My father thinks they're still out there somewhere. But I think it's all myth." Lucy shrugs.

We've been on the tour for nearly two hours, and Mrs Barron has a fat lot to say (as usual), but clearly no one has been listening (also, as usual). Students are talking among themselves and pointing at other things and couldn't be less bothered.

At last, she concludes,
"And that brings us to the end of our tour."

We collectively sigh in relief.

"But before I let you go," she adds, resulting in everyone moaning and bickering in annoyance again.

"I know you all are going to be very disappointed to hear that we'll be leaving for Riverdale tonight, even though we were planned to leave tomorrow morning."

Confused murmurs now buzz through the mob of teenagers.

"Unfortunately, the town of Hawkins has been through a rather stressful time, regarding the disappearance of a twelve year old boy named Will Byer's."

"Will Byers? I think he's one of Dustin's friends." Lucy says, more to herself than anyone else.
I shake my head sympathetically, "I saw his picture on some of the posters. Hope they find him. Poor kid, probably got lost in the woods."
"Yeah," Lucy agrees, "Those woods are twice as large as Beacon Hills'."
"Why would he be in the woods in the first place?" Natalie, who's presence I nearly forgot about, asks.
Lucy rolls her eyes and looks at the red head as if she's a pimple, "Because he's a kid, and kids like playing in the woods. Or maybe he was going home on that road." She points to the faint pathway between the trees.

I narrow my eyes and focus them, seeing tracks.
"That's a railway, Lucy. Not a road."
"Oh."

Mrs Barron finally releases us, and we're about to find some place to eat when I see Billy walking into Melvald's General Store.

Suddenly my confusion resurfaces, and for the first time ever...
I'm not angry with him.
Just desperate. And tired.

When he lied, how did he control his heartbeat to make it seem so real?

Wait.
This is Billy Hargrove I'm thinking about. Of course he's a good liar.
One of the best, I'm sure.

"Lucy, you and Natalie go ahead. I'll catch up with you later."
Before they have time to ask questions, I head towards the general store.

There he is.
Tall, gold curls, tight jeans and denim jacket. Standing by the counter, paying for cigarettes.
When he turns to leave, there I am.
Standing in the doorway.
We stare wordlessly for a moment.
Then, "Billy. Can we talk?"
Surprisingly, he doesn't make any witty remarks or flirty comments.
Just nods.
"Now." I say.
He nods again.
We exit the store.

▪️ ▪️ ▪️

The silence between us isn't awkward.
Rather comforting, and peaceful.
I'm not sure if its because of that moment we had in New Orleans, or if Billy is just as tired of hating me as I am of him.

Either way, this is growth for us.

Before he opens his new pack of cigarettes, I say, "Billy, don't smoke that crap. You're ruining your lungs."
He laughs, "Are you really concerned about my health, Nesrin?"
"Yes. And I'm tired of these games. You told me what you needed to in New Orleans, and now it should be over. You don't have to treat me like garbage anymore, and I don't have to hate you."
He lights the cigarette anyway.
"Get to your point, Nesrin."
I roll my eyes.
"I know you lied to me about not knowing my sister."
He puffs out a grey cloud and shakes his head, "I didn't lie."
I'm beginning to feel worked up and annoyed.

Stay calm. There's no need to ruin this fluent conversation with Billy.

"Okay, fine." I breathe. "But I know you know her name, and you did lie about that."
We've entered the woods.
He stops walking and faces me, "How would you even know what I know?"
"It doesn't matter." I think quickly, shifting the spotlight back on him. "We aren't leaving till you speak up."
Billy throws the cigarette away, and exhales deeply.

"Emel."
Her name sounds wrong on his lips. Unnatural, and a little mispronounced.
I nod.
"Look, I wasn't lying when I said I had nothing to do with your sister, because I didn't know she was your sister, at that time."
"At that... time? What the hell does that mean, Billy?"

He frowns as if he has a migraine, just like he did in New Orleans.
"Its the memory gaps. They keep coming and going. Sometimes I remember her and sometimes I don't... I get flashes of her in my car, flashes of us in a dark room... Sometimes kissing..."

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little at the last bit.

Then slowly, I frown. Realizing...

The only things he forgets involves Emel...

"She mostly wears red lipstick- that I never forget, weirdly."

It's true. She does wear a lot of red lipstick.

"But, sometimes these flashes disappear. I completely forget about them, like they never existed. The only thing other than her lipstick I never forget is her voice, saying 'Riverdale', and that she's 'the only one who can help me'. And that I..."
He looks up at me with puzzled blue eyes, "That I 'belong to her'."

My knees are weak.
It feels as if I've been shot with a thousand wolfsbane bullets.

I don't want to see it.
I don't want to believe it.
But it is what it is.
She is what she is.
He is what he is.

Billy is the kanima, and Emel is his master.