𝖕𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖔𝖗𝖒𝖆𝖑 || 𝘀. 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻

S1E4: The Body

TW: Mentions of death

Death is permanent. There is no coming back from it. It's like a black hole at the end of the tunnel of life, drawing people in with its inescapable pull. It leaves everyone who loved the person who was taken distraught, shrouded in grief. Shocked. Some lose their minds over the loss of their loved one, others become numb. Voids. Nothing more than a shell of who they once were.

I only found out yesterday that Will's body had been found, drowned in a lake. He was like a little brother to me. Actually, they all are. Dustin, Lucas, Mike, Will, they've all been like little brothers to me since we all have grown up in the same neighborhood together.

It feels surreal that this happened.

But it also makes me wonder about the monster. It opened its face, mouth, whatever it was at me and snarled—obviously wanting to attack me. It was clearly a predator.

I know Will pretty well. He's quiet and careful, doesn't go off and do dumb shit like Dustin might, or even Mike. The lake at the quarry is a good distance from his house, he wouldn't have gone that far off at night, especially since he was just on his way home and that lake is far out of his way. So it makes me think, this thing shows up, and now a person is missing and another dead.

It just seems a little suspicious to me.

"You can come with me to Joyce's if you feel like it," my mom says with a sorrowful, apologetic look.

I pick at my breakfast, feeling a little sick at my stomach. "No..." I shake my head. I'd much rather stay at home and try to sleep, but... I guess I should go with her to see Joyce. She's going through a shit ton right now. "You know what? I think I will."

"Okay, sweetie. Whatever you feel like." She kisses me on top of my head and goes to get her purse. I grab a jacket and follow her out the door.

✶
3rd person pov
✶

Multiple caskets are situated in the middle of the funeral home, surrounded by different beautiful bouquets of flowers. Some pink, some yellow, each bursting with vibrant life. Unlike the people it'll surround.

A man leads Jonathan Byers to each coffin, showing him the different options to buy for Will's funeral. Neither of the guys notice Nancy standing in the doorway, watching and debating if she is going ask Jonathan the question that has been burning her up. Jonathan catches sight of her and excuses himself from the seller. Nancy knows there's no turning back now.

"Hey," Jonathan says to her, walking her way.

"Hey," she says softly. "Your mom, um... she said you'd be here. I just..." she takes a deep breath and relaxes a little. "Can we talk for a second?" Jonathan agrees to and the two sit down in some chairs in the hallway and Nancy shows him the photo he took that's been bothering her all day.

"It looks like it could be some kind of perspective distortion, but I wasn't using the wide angle," Jonathan says, looking at the torn, but taped back together photo in his hands. "I don't know. It's weird." He hands it back to her.

"And you're sure you didn't see anyone else out there?" She asks, hoping for answers to what she saw, and also hoping he might know where Barb could've gone.

"No. And she was there one second and then, um... gone. I figured she bolted."

"The cops think that she ran away." She shakes her head, looking straight ahead. "But they don't know Barb. And I went back to Steve's... and I thought I... saw something. Some... weird man or... I don't know what it was." She breathes out, then realizes Jonathan is trying to plan his brother's funeral—that it's a bad time to bother him with this. "I'm sorry. I... I shouldn't have come here today. I'm... I'm so sorry." She grabs her purse and stands up to leave.