Chapter Two: The Day It Began

(The Vanishing of Will Byers, Pt. 2)

***

*trigger warning: racist and ableist language and terms*

Rowan gasped, feeling her lungs contract, like she was running low on oxygen or panicking. Wheezing and spluttering, she made herself sit upright, feeling water splash underneath her hands. She looked around, and saw that it was dark; was she awake? No, that didn't make sense, not when she felt water.

And then she saw that the darkness was not the hazy grey-black of night; it was complete and utter darkness. A void of blackness, stretching on around her endlessly.

It reminded her of her mom's shadows, but devoid of her light, her love. Rowan shivered; she wanted to look away, but she couldn't. She couldn't even close her eyes.

Standing up, Rowan noticed that below her was more darkness, making her feel like she was suspended in shadow. She ignored the sick feeling inside her and walked forward, trying to see where she was, where a way out could be. She didn't know how long she walked, searching fruitlessly, for hours or days or years.

When she was about to give up, that's when she heard it.

More splashing.

Turning her head, Rowan felt her heart stop when she saw a small, familiar form.

The shaved-head girl with the number on her wrist.

This time, she was wearing some sort of weird bathing suit instead of the hospital gown. And she looked... scared.

Concern and her older sister instincts kicking in, Rowan followed the girl, keeping a far distance; whenever she saw the girl, it was like a spectator watching in. Not this time. This time, she felt her body, felt the light weight of her pyjamas hanging on her, the fabric against her skin, the feel of water underneath her bare feet. She felt like she was actually here.

And she didn't want the girl to realise that there was another person here with her.

But perhaps Rowan didn't need to worry about that, because she heard another noise—a crunching, squelching noise, and a weird chirp-whimper. Dread squirmed inside her, but Rowan pushed forward, knowing that if she heard it, then the girl heard it too and Rowan would be damned if the source of the noise, which may or may not be dangerous, hurt her.

Soon, the source was revealed. 

A pale, hulking, long-limbed thing was kneeling on the ground, eating something that looked like some sort of large, alien egg. It's body looked humanoid, but Rowan couldn't see its face. Her dread increased and her instincts were screaming at her to run, to jump, to teleport as far as she could from the thing in front of her before it realised she was here, and before she could do anything the girl reached out, pressing her fingers against its knobbly back.

The creature whirled, and it roared, a terrible, high, shrieking roar and Rowan caught a glimpse of teeth and a mouth that opened up like some twisted, fanged flower and Rowan was screaming and the girl was screaming and electricity was twining around her body and she just wanted to run run run run—

***

Rowan screamed, jerking upright, legs twisted in her sheets, her heart ricocheting around her ribcage, terror racing through her. Dimly she registered the pounding footsteps and a voice saying, "Hey, you're okay, you're safe, it's just a nightmare, it's just a nightmare, Rowan!", and a hand touching before retracting back and a rush of expletives before a shouted, "Alistair, stay back!", and the soft voice murmuring, "You're okay, Rowan, you're okay, you're safe, it's a nightmare, you're safe, you're okay, you're okay."

Slowly, Rowan felt her heartbeat settle and the terror fade, her screaming dropping to gasps. Looking in the direction of the voice, she croaked, "Au-Aunty Aco?"

Her aunt nodded. "I'm here, kid. I'm here."

Rowan gave out a choked sob and flung herself at her aunt. Aco grunted, and she felt her flinch from the lingering electricity still coursing through Rowan, but she didn't care, only holding her tighter as she sobbed, feeling her aunt's arms come around her and hold her close. The teenager soon felt another pair of arms holding her, as Alistair hugged her, and in their arms, Rowan sobbed and shook and let herself break down, but also let her know that she was safe, she was okay; she didn't need to use her lightning or jump away.

She was with her family.

She was safe.

Even though she hadn't felt like it in her dream with the girl and the monster; even if she still did not feel like it now.

***

The whistle of the kettle woke up Rowan; her alarm was still broken.

She shambled in, avoiding the towers of records, assorted knick-knacks and the coffee table as she walked to the dining table, feeling the weight of her aunt's and brother's gazes on her.

"Morning," she mumbled.

"Morning, kid," Aco replied, but there was a tinge of worry in her voice. Alistair was still looking at Rowan, his face an open book of worry. Rowan tried to ignore it and sat down in her usual spot, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

Almost instantly, a plate with choc-chip pancakes and a cup of cocoa with marshmallows and whipped cream appeared, along with a bottle of maple syrup. Rowan felt her mouth go dry. Usually, choc-chip pancakes and Aco's "special cocoa" didn't come out unless it was hers or Alistair's birthdays, or...

Or if they were upset and needed the comfort, like after their parents died, or after Rowan came home crying after being rejected to go to a slumber party when she was nine just because she was "weird" and her aunt was a "scammer and a phoney and a criminal".

Or whenever she or Alistair had particularly bad nightmares and needed some comfort in the form of pancakes and cocoa right after.

Glancing up at her aunt, she glared and said, "I don't need comfort food, Aunt Aco."

Her aunt gave her a level look. "Yeah, that's not working, kid. Eat. Drink. You need it."

"I don't," Rowan insisted, refusing to hear that she sounded like a petulant child.

Instead of getting frustrated, her aunt gave her that look of sympathy and worry. "Rowan, you woke up at one in the morning screaming and crying with electricity wrapped around you and your body already looking it was about to jump. You... you scared me, kiddo, and I think whatever you saw scared you, too, to the point you were about to jump or let off a surge, and I know you would never do that, even after a nightmare. I think you and I both know that you need some comfort food right now. So eat up."

Rowan glared at her aunt, but pulled the plate back to her and reluctantly took a bite. The pancake was warm and fluffy and gooey thanks to the chocolate chips, and Rowan swallowed. She uncapped the maple syrup and drowned the pancakes before she took another bite, taking that moment to also drink some cocoa, the whipped cream leaving a thin cream moustache behind. And while she hadn't wanted to have the comfort food, Rowan couldn't help but feel the warmth and safety the food provided, like as long as she had this food, had her family, then it could all be okay.

Like the nightmares could just fade in the light of day like fog.

As the family ate, silence hovered over them, Rowan realising too late that the record player wasn't playing, that only the scrape of utensils against the plates could really cut through the quiet.

After a time, Aco cleared her throat, and Rowan prepared herself for what her aunt would ask her.

"So, Rowan," her aunt began in a tone that told Rowan she was expecting answers in a veiled lightness, "mind telling me about the nightmare you had last night?"

Rowan looked pointedly at her pancake and stabbed it as she muttered, "What is there to tell? It was just a nightmare. Nothing much to say."

Her aunt pursed her lips and steepled her fingers and she said, "Rowan. It wasn't just a nightmare. I know for some reason you think that you can brush them off, but if last night was any indication, then you can't, and we need to talk about them and pay the same attention to them as your brother's—"

"That's exactly why you don't need to pay attention to them. Alistair's nightmares are way worse than mine," Rowan interrupted, tension in her body, eyes an intense blue as she glared at her aunt. Aco met her glare.

Tearing away, Rowan said in a cheery voice as she tore at her pancake, "So, Al, how was the campaign last night?"

"Rowan," her aunt said in a warning voice, but Rowan charged ahead, asking in the same airy voice she heard Chrissy use when talking to her popular "friends" to her brother, "I heard the door close late. Did you guys finish, or did Mrs. Wheeler had to finish the campaign for you?"

"Rowan—"

"Did the others get home okay? Maybe we should call, just in case. I know nothing happens in Hawkins, but it doesn't hurt to double-check—"

"Rowan." This time, it was her brother who said her name.

Rowan looked at Alistair; his brown eyes were wide, and there was something in his eyes she hadn't seen since that night, when they saw their parents for the last time. Fear.

"Ro-Ro," he said, and Rowan's heart clinched at hearing the nickname he'd called her since he was a toddler and couldn't pronounce her name properly. "I don't care about my nightmares. I don't care about it. I just... I just want my big sister to be okay."

"Kid, you know we both care about you and love you. That you know I love you kids and want to make sure you can talk to me about anything, especially when it comes to things like nightmares that scare you so much you wake up screaming," Aco said, and in that moment she looked more tired than Rowan had ever seen her, her worry stark on her face. "Please. Talk to me. Tell me what happened in your nightmare."

Rowan chewed the inside of her lip, then stood up abruptly. "I've got to go. Eddie's driving me to school, and I need to get ready."

"Rowan," Aco said in a warning tone, but Rowan was already in her room, getting dressed and putting whatever seemed important for school in her bag. When she saw herself in the mirror and her clothes--her Docs, black ripped jeans, brown bomber jacket and a random shirt that smelled clean--and deeming herself ready, she marched out and to the door, ignoring the looks her aunt sent as she said, "I'm going now. See you guys in a few hours."

"Rowan, this conversation isn't over," Aco said, but Rowan just yelled, "Bye!" and walked out of the trailer, slamming the door behind her.

Once outside, Rowan allowed herself a moment to breathe, to steady herself and keep her from going inside and apologising and telling Aunt Aco everything. But she couldn't. She couldn't tell her aunt or her brother her nightmare, about the void-place and the thing she had seen, the terror she had felt, the fear that it had seen her, that it knew she was there.

That it hadn't been a dream.

But that was ridiculous. Even with her family, and the own abilities she and her brother had, there had to be a line. Monsters didn't exist, and what she had seen had just been an exceptionally terrifying nightmare. That was all it was. Nothing more. Nothing to burden her aunt with or add to Alistair's own nightmares.

It was fine. She was fine.

It was all fine.

Still, she did owe her aunt and Alistair an apology for just caring about her.

Later. I'll apologise later.

And besides, she hadn't exactly been lying; it was Monday, and Mondays usually meant she was getting a ride from Eddie, both because they were neighbours and because it was a thing that they had promised to each other that when they got their licences and cars of their own, they would give the other a ride. Since Rowan still had to wait a year to get her licence and even longer till she had her own car, Eddie was the one who got both first, so naturally, he had to fulfil the promise first. And they had chosen Mondays because while the both of them detested Mondays, at least the Monday mornings could be made more bearable with heavy metal or rock music and talking about Black Sabbath and Rolling Stones and Eddie's band and her aunt's schemes and dissing school and the popular crowd and just society in general.

Now she was marching to the trailer Eddie and his uncle lived in and banged on the door, shouting, "Eddie! Eddie! Your ass better be awake! Eddie!"

The door opened, and Rowan met the  weathered face of Eddie's uncle, a cigarette in his hand.

"Oh. Hey Wayne!" Rowan said with too much cheer for a Monday morning. "Is Eddie awake?"

Eddie's uncle grunted and said, "Barely. You here for him taking you both to school?"

"Same as every Monday morning," Rowan confirmed, shrugging her bag and brushing flyaway strands back.

Eddie's uncle turned and shouted, "Eddie! Rowan's here!"

A crashing noise came, then some muttered curses, and then the shaggy head of her best friend came into view, pulling his Hellfire Club shirt down as he did.

"Hey Rowan!" Eddie greeted as he shrugged his jacket on. "You're early."

"I had a quick breakfast," Rowan replied, arms crossed.

"Uh-huh," Eddie said, as if he was sensing the tension from said breakfast still coiled inside the shorter girl. She heard a jingle, then a shouted, "Bye Wayne!" before Eddie appeared, closing the door and twirling his keys. Catching them, he gave a cocky grin and said, "Ready to get another week at the hellhole over and done with?"

Rowan gave a matching smirk and trudged to the car, getting into the shotgun as Eddie turned the car and drove out.

As the opening music of Iron Maiden's When Eagles Dare screamed from the speakers, Rowan leaned back and propped her feet up on the dashboard, watching the scenery pass.

"Okay, what happened?" Eddie asked, not looking at her, but Rowan had a feeling what Eddie meant; seems like he had sniffed out her familial tension.

"Nothing happened," she evaded, keeping her eyes fixed on the window.

"Graveswood, you and I both know that you would never usually be at my place this early in the morning, especially on a Monday, even if it was for the ride. Something happened. Now talk," Eddie pointed out.

"You're not gonna give this up, are you?"

"No. I'm your best friend after all."

"Just because we're neighbours and you showed me how to have a good taste in music doesn't mean we're best friends," Rowan retorted, but she was smiling.

"Doesn't it? I would think that weekend alone of showing you how to give someone a heart attack in the woods would have meant we were, but I can settle with acquaintances," Eddie returned, grinning.

"If that meant we were friends, then you're crazy."

"Guess I've been crazy for these past eight years, then."

"Sorry to pop the delusion."

"Nah, I like being crazy," Eddie replied, then stuck his tongue out and gave her his "crazy face" and Rowan laughed. But his face turned serious as he said, "But seriously. What happened?"

Rowan's own good humour soured and she looked out of the window, saying, "I... had a nightmare last night. My aunt wanted to ask me what it was and I... didn't want to say."

Silence except for the roar of Iron Maiden filled the car, then Eddie said, "Do you—"

"No," Rowan said tersely.

"Fine then."

The two teens again didn't talk, as the songs changed. Shifting in her seat, Rowan turned to Eddie and asked, "How's your band going?"

"Good. We might be getting a gig soon. Next Tuesday, actually," Eddie replied.

"Oh really? Where?"

"It's someplace really cool, really big. Definitely gonna get us a record deal."

"... It's a book club, isn't it?"

Eddie glared at her, and Rowan was laughing.

"Hey, hey, don't laugh, Graveswood, it's not a book club!" Eddie admonished, but Rowan was still laughing. "It's at The Hideout, and it could mean us getting into more clubs, and then the big cities and then the record deal! It's a start, okay Graveswood? It's a start!"

"Okay, okay. Whatever helps you sleep at night, Munson," Rowan said after her laughter had died, but she was still smiling and Eddie was shaking.

"Glad to hear my friend has so much faith in me."

"Hey, I have to make sure you come back to Earth and not get lost in dreams of grandeur. Otherwise you'd get as big an ego as Harrington."

"Oh God no. I'd rather die. Kill me if that ever happens."

"I will. And I'll make it a quick one."

"You know what to play over my unmarked grave?"

"Uh, either Stairway To Heaven or Into The Void. Duh. I am your best friend, after all."

"Oh, so you're admitting that we are friends?"

"Don't get your hopes up. The jury's still out. You might still be crazy."

Eddie laughed and Rowan grinned. She liked this. She liked talking with Eddie, liked the easiness of their friendship. As much as she loved hanging out with Robin and Chrissy, Eddie was the person who really "got" her. He understood what it was like, to be raised by your parent's sibling when said parents weren't there anymore, to not really fitting in, and he was there for her when it was hard, when she couldn't talk to Aunt Aco or to Alistair, where she had told him in vague terms about her nightmares and he was there, how he would get along with her brother and Alistair would worship him, how he would ask Eddie questions about D&D and he happily obliged. While she never told him about her powers or her brother's, or about her family or past, Rowan knew she could always count on Eddie, her friend, her partner in crime, the person she could absolutely trust outside of her family.

(She didn't have a crush on him, though; as much as she could appreciate he was good-looking, she just... didn't feel anything but platonic feelings for him. And that was okay. She was just happy to have him as her friend, and that was it)

The rest of the drive continued with them sharing back and forth banter, Eddie giving her a pack of cigarettes to share between them, and comparing the more decent teachers to the absolute worst ones who seemed to be spawned from Hell and placed on Earth to torment and brainwash teenagers to follow society's norms, and jabs at the popular crowd, until the big, drab cesspool of teenage misery and boredom and death of individuality in the form of a supposed educational building appeared.

"Here it is. The hellhole itself," Eddie declared as he parked the car, turning up the radio just to blare the heavy metal music as if in defiance to the building and all it stood for. Turning to her, he grinned and said, "See you at lunch?"

"Of course," Rowan said as she got out, leaning on the car as she added, "Thanks for the cigs. And the talk. And the ride."

"Happy to be of service," Eddie replied as he gave a mock-bow, his grin breaking the facade of solemnity, before he added, "But yeah, take care of yourself, Graveswood. I mean it."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I will. See ya at lunch, Munson," Rowan replied and slammed the car door; a minute later, Eddie also got out. The two fist-bumped and while Eddie headed into Hawkins High, Rowan walked to Hawkins Middle and waited, watching the slowly-filling up car park for any sign of her aunt's car.

Sure enough, the familiar squeal of rubber on asphalt came and the slightly scratched, green-painted car came roaring into view before parking. Alistair got out, but if he noticed Rowan while he was still in the car, he made no sign of it and just started walking to where his friends usually were.

"Hey. Hey, Al, Al!" Rowan shouted, pushing the urge to jump or drag him back with a thought. Luckily, Alistair paused and he turned to her, frowning.

"What, Rowan?"

Rowan winced and said, "Look, I know I screwed up earlier. You and Aunt Aco were just being good family members and I threw that back in your faces. I'm sorry."

Alistair didn't respond for a moment, then said, "As far as apologies go, that wasn't bad."

Rowan grinned. "We good?"

"Yeah, we good. Though you do owe Aunt Aco an apology," Alistair pointed out.

"I know, I know. And I'll apologise when we get back home. I'll even grovel, on my knees and all," Rowan promised, and Alistair laughed. Rowan's grin widened.

"Have a good day, squirt. Say hi to Mike, Lucas, Dustin and Will for me," Rowan said, and Alistair replied, "I will."

Waving her hand, Rowan turned back to her high school, the smile still on her face.

Little knowing how a seemingly normal Monday would soon be turned upside down.

***

Alistair stood at the bike rack, waiting for his friends. His foot was tapping anxiously, and he kept his eyes glued on the path as more and more kids were dropped off or were walking up the path.

He ignored the whispers, the spots of unnatural cold that only he could feel, the constant loop of Look at us, hear us, see us, acknowledge us, look at us, look, look, LOOK!

"Shut up," Alistair muttered, ignoring the whispers of the dead, the cold scrape of fingers on his shoulder. He shrugged it, dislodging the fingers and kept his eyes fixed forward, trying not to hear the angry hiss of a ghost being ignored.

Trying to pretend that he was focusing on the familiarity of refusing to look or listen to ghosts so that he couldn't focus on the sick feeling of dread in his gut, that he'd been having since he woke up.

Another minute passed, and then he saw Mike, Dustin and Lucas riding up. Alistair frowned. Will wasn't there with them.

Again, that feeling of dread, of something being wrong, spiked in his gut.

"I don't see him, weird," Mike noted, as if he too noticed that Will or at least his bike wasn't there as well.

"I'm telling you, his mom's right. He just went to class early again," Lucas pointed out to the other boy.

"Yeah, he's always paranoid Gursky's gonna give him a pop quiz," Dustin replied. It was then that he noticed Alistair. He smiled. "Hey Al!"

"Hey Dustin. Hey Lucas and Mike," Alistair greeted back. He was still frowning. "Have you guys seen Will?"

"Not since last night," Mike answered. The other boy mirrored his frown. "You didn't see him?"

"No. I haven't seen him since last night either," Alistair admitted. His frown deepened. "Do you think he's okay?"

The other boys didn't reply. But Mike did eventually say, "But like Lucas said, he could be in class. He just arrived earlier than us."

"Yeah, maybe," Alistair muttered, and he wanted to believe it, but a part of him didn't think that was true.

That the dread churning in his stomach, that increased with every step he took to the school, was right.

"Step right up ladies and gentlemen!" an obnoxious voice yelled, and Alistair resisted the urge to groan as the Party turned to see the local bully, Troy, and his lackey standing there, cruel grins on their faces.

"Step right up and get your tickets for the freak show," Troy finished mockingly. Walking up to them, he said, "Who do you think will make more money at the freak show..."

The bully then punched Lucas in the chest as he taunted, "Midnight."

A shove at Mike. "Frogface."

This time a shove at Alistair, making the smaller boy stumble back. "Schizo."

Alistair glared at Troy as he moved on and shoved Dustin, finishing, "Or Toothless."

The lackey grinned cruelly, touched Dustin and said, "Tough call, tough call. I'd go with Toothless."

The curly-haired boy sighed and said, "My teeth are coming in. I told you a million times, it's called cleidocranial dysplasia."

"I've told you a million times," Troy's lackey mocked, and the two snickered, before Troy said, "Do the arm thing."

Dustin hesitated, causing Troy to shove him as he jeered, "Do it, freak."

"Hey, don't touch him," Alistair defended, getting between Troy and Dustin. "And he doesn't have to do anything you say."

"Oh look, the schizo speaks," Troy sneered. Alistair glowered, clenching his hands into fists. "What are you gonna do? Talk to your imaginary friends? Get them to fight me? Pretend that's real and not in your screwed-up head?"

Alistair gritted his teeth. "No, I'll just punch you myself. Will that be real enough?"

Before Troy could respond—or before Alistair could punch the mouth breather and possibly make his aunt and sister extremely proud—Dustin grabbed his shoulder. "Dude, it's fine. I can do this."

Alistair wasn't convinced, but he backed down, ignoring the sniggers.

Despite the protests from Mike and Lucas, Dustin still took off his jacket, and then his elbow cracked, and for a split second, it looked like his bone had collapsed or disappeared.

The bullies gagged and then walked away, shoving Dustin and Alistair and Mike and Lucas. Alistair glared at the pair of mouth-breathers as they walked away, still snickering to themselves, as Dustin put his jacket back on again.

"I think it's cool," Mike said, to make his friend feel better. "It's like a superpower or something. Like Mr. Fantastic."

"Yeah, except I can''t fight evil with it."

Alistair was silent as the conversation continued, only tightening his grip on the strap of his backpack. Though what Dustin could do was cool, it wasn't actually a real superpower like something the X-Men or Spider-Man had. But he had a real superpower, as much as he hated it, as much as people thought that it was him talking to nothing and looked like he had a mental illness that made him think that he was talking to something. His sister had powers. His family did.

But he couldn't say, not without his friends also thinking he was crazy. And besides, it wasn't like he wanted to talk or acknowledge his ability when he rather pretend he didn't have any sort of power.

And as he and his friends walked into the school, the bell ringing overhead, Alistair couldn't help but think of their missing member.

Where was Will?

***

The bell rang loudly as kids rushed out of their seats and the classroom to their next ones, ignoring Mr. Clarke as he shouted about studying chapters and how it would be in the upcoming test alongside how experimentation and the differences between it and other scientific investigations methods would be on there, too.

Alistair ignored all that as he followed his friends up Mr. Clarke's desk, giving Will's empty desk a backwards look.

He hadn't been in this class, or in their other classes, all day. It made Alistair feel worried, and confused, especially since apparently Mike, Lucas and Dustin hadn't seen him since last night, either. Where was he?

At Mr. Clarke's desk, Alistair heard Lucas ask, "So, did it come?"

"I'm sorry, but I have bad news, boys," Mr. Clarke answered in a sad tone. The four looked confused and sad, but then it changed when Mr. Clarke revealed, "It came!"

Matching grins broke out, and for a moment, Alistair forgot his worry as excitement overtook it, as the Party followed Mr. Clarke to the audio visual room where the Hawkins AV Club was held. There was the ham shack radio with the super-strong signal, the Heathkit, that Alistair knew could reach to places like Europe or Africa due to him pestering Mr. Clarke with questions about it in the last couple of weeks.

Right now, though, Alistair was joining his friends with playing with the radio, Mr. Clarke watching as they did.

"The Heathkit Hamshack. Ain't she a beauty," Mr. Clarke said as Alistair and his friends geeked out over the radio.

"This is so cool," Alistair breathed, running his hand over the boxy body of the radio.

"I bet you could talk to New York with this thing!" Dustin yelled excitedly.

"Think bigger," Mr. Clarke suggested, grinning. Alistair had his own grin.

"California?" Lucas suggested.

"Bigger."

"Australia?!" Mike excitedly guessed.

Mr. Clarke only nodded.

That incited the group of four to make noises of excitement and Lucas to yell, "When Will sees this, he is totally gonna blow his shit!"

"Lucas," Mr. Clarke admonished, though Alistair agreed with his friend as he muttered, "Sorry," as Mike and Dustin put on the headset and try to contact people in Australia, jokingly asking things like they did they really eat kangaroos for breakfast over there (Alistair didn't think so, but who knew?) 

However, the fun was cut short when the door opened and the principal appeared. And next to him...

Next to him was a police officer.

"Sorry to interrupt, but may I borrow a Michael, Lucas, Dustin and Alistair?" the principal asked.

And just like that, the sick, churning dread returned in Alistair's gut, the horrible feeling that something was very wrong.

That something bad had happened to Will.

***

The principal's office was loud with Mike, Dustin and Lucas shouting on top of each other about what had happened last night when they last saw Will and what route he took to get home. Alistair, meanwhile, was quiet, trying to comprehend what the police had just said.

Will was missing. He didn't come home. His mom and brother, Jonathan, were looking for him. The police were looking for him.

Will was missing.

"Whoa, whoa whoa!" the sharp voice of the chief cut in. Alistair involuntarily jerked at the sound, looking up to meet the chief's eyes. He shifted in his seat; the plastic was hard and uncomfortable. "One at a time."

He then pointed at Mike. "You said he takes what?"

"Mirkwood," Mike said.

"It's what Will usually uses to get home," Alistair said, finally finding his voice to speak.

"Mirkwood?" the chief repeated. He looked at the other officer. "You ever hear of a Mirkwood?"

"It's from Lord Of The Rings," Lucas piped in, and Dustin corrected, "The Hobbit, technically."

"It doesn't matter!"

"He asked," Dustin said tersely.

"He asked," Lucas mocked, and then they were in a slap-fight while Mike, who was in the middle, stared off into the distance with a long, tired look on his face. Alistair, meanwhile, resisted the urge to bury his face in his hands.

"Hey!" the chief cut in again, silencing the bickering pair. "What'd I just say? One at a damn time, okay?"

That quickly got their attention back to the chief. He then pointed at Mike and said, "You," indicating that he wanted Mike to speak.

"Mirkwood. It's a real road. It's just the name that's made up," Mike answered.

"We just call it Mirkwood so it's easier to remember. That, and it looks like somewhat like it," Alistair interjected. The chief gave him a sharp look for speaking when it was technically Mike's turn and the smaller boy shrunk back.

"What's its real name?" the chief pressed.

"I don't know," Mike admitted. "It's where Cornwallis and Kerley meet."

"It's near where the lab is, and the woods," Alistair put in, fidgeting as he mentioned the lab; he and Rowan when she used to babysit them all at the Byers' rarely used that road to get to Will's and usually took a longer way, out of the fear that they would be spotted and taken on the way. Now, he felt a twisting guilt that he hadn't been there with Will just because of stupid paranoia. If he had been there, he could have gotten Will home safely, he wouldn't be missing. "Like I said, it's just easier to call it that."

"Yeah, I think I know it," the chief muttered.

"We can show you—" Mike suggested and the chief cut in tersely, "I said I know it."

"We could help look—" Mike tried again, but the chief again cut it down.

"No. After school, you go straight home. All of you. That means no biking around, looking for your friend, no investigating, no nonsense. This isn't some Lord of the Rings book—"

"The Hobbit," Dustin interrupted. Alistair elbowed him and gave his friend a look that said, Really? Dustin elbowed him back.

"Do I make myself clear?" the chief said, then firmer, "I make myself clear?"

They all nodded their heads, but Alistair could feel that Mike, Lucas and Dustin disagreed with the police chief about not looking for Will, and Alistair was among them. He couldn't believe that the chief was suggesting that. He got that with Will missing, it wasn't safe, but it didn't mean they should be benched entirely! They should at least help with searching for Will, their friend.

It didn't make any sort of sense.

Questioning done, the principal allowed them to go. But before Alistair could leave, the police chief, recognising him, frowned and spoke.

"Hey, kid," the chief said, and Alistair stopped, looking back. The man was frowning. "You're one of Aconite's kids, aren't you?"

Alistair nodded. "I'm her nephew. Rowan's my sister."

The chief was still frowning. "Mind if I ask you some more questions? Your sister too."

Alistair jerked his head up and down in an approximation of a nod and sat down, stomach squirming like his intestines had shifted into live snakes. An officer left, to get his sister.

Alistair hoped that this was just a routine thing. He hoped this was what happened when someone was missing.

He hoped, but he had a feeling it would not be what he was hoping at all.

***

"Rowan Graveswood."

Rowan looked up. There was an officer at the door, along with the principal. 

"Yes?" Students were looking at her. Electricity buzzed in her veins.

"The police want to ask you a few questions."

Rowan's stomach knotted. The electricity buzzed louder. She plastered on a smile. "Okay."

It's probably just something to do with Aunt Aco, Rowan told herself as the officer lead her through the halls of Hawkins High. The police just want to talk about how involved I am in her scheme again or something.

Even as they walked to Hawkins Middle. Rowan was still trying to tell herself that. That it was just the police wanting to ask her questions about Aunt Aco's cons and scams. That they also wanted to ask Alistair questions too. That this was normal, this was fine, this was fine.

Then the door to the Hawkins Middle principal's office opened, and Rowan saw her brother, his face pale and eyes large and worried, another officer, and the chief, the chief looking more serious than he would be if he was just asking the siblings about their aunt's scams.

"Rowan Graveswood," the chief, Hopper, said. Rowan nodded, feeling almost numb.

"Take a seat," he instructed. The teenager did so.

The plastic was hard, but warm; someone else must have sat there recently. Rowan looked at her brother. Alistair looked sick, nervous and worried. Rowan frowned. Something must be wrong.

It was confirmed when Hopper continued, "Look, I want to ask you and your brother some questions."

"About what?" Rowan asked in a voice that sounded almost detached, her mind still screaming denials of, This is fine this is normal everything's fine, fine, fine—

"There's been a disappearance. Your brother's friend, Will Byers. He's missing."

And at that, any attempt to rationalise this as normal crashed down.

***

And so the plot begins!!

The nightmare scene was really hard to write. And then the breakfast scene, since Rowan's very guarded about her nightmares and thinks that her nightmares matter less than Alistair's do. So, yeah

And here is the Rowan and Eddie and Rowan! While I love all of Rowan's friendships, I think I love Rowan's relationship with Eddie the best (best way I can describe is that Rowan and Eddie's friendship is similar to Robin and Steve's) But Rowan's friendship with Chrissy and with Robin is amazing too and I love it just as much (we stan female friendships)

Also, Alistair is my sweet summer child who deserves the world and not to be literally haunted by ghosts all of the time. He is also very worried about Will (probably the most worried, tbh)

Fyi, as an Australian, the radio scene is always hilarious to watch. Also, we DON'T eat kangaroos for breakfast, Dustin

And now the Graveswood sibs (plus the Party) know Will is missing! And as for the questions Hopper wants to ask Rowan and Al...

Next chapter will be soon! Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!