MY LUCKY PENNY | EDDIE MUNSON STORY

PROLOGUE

Chicago, Illinois | 19th of July 1985

'See, nothing to be scared of,' a girl mumbled through her teeth.

Her thin fingers ran through the bandages around the waist of a young boy. He was lying on the hospital bed, dirty white sheets paling his skin, and wrinkling his nose from pain.

'How did you manage that anyway?' the girl continued trying to distract him while she pulled the bandages to wrap them tighter. Her pale skin almost fusing with the bandages reminded a corpse. Blonde hair, usually curly and long, were now tied in a ponytail and hidden underneath a nurse cap. 'Four broken ribs, huh, Charlie? That's not something that happens every day.'

The boy fidgeted in his place.

'I fell off my bed,' he said finally.

'Fell off your bed?' girl's blue eyes widened in mocking surprise. 'Has your mother never told you not to-'

'Jump on the bed. I know, I know.'

'Apparently, not well enough,' she chuckled.

The boy pouted.

'It was a dare. I needed to reach the ceiling with my hand.'

'Who managed to come up with something like that?'

'My sister,' Charlie beemed.

'Well, I guess this is what sisters are for, right? Pulling their brothers into adventures...'

Charlie frowned.

'How would you know?'

The girl froze for a second with her fingers on the bandages.

'I... have a brother, too.'

Charlie smiled.

'Where is he now, then?'

'Far away, I am afraid. All the way in Indiana.'

Charlie contemplated the distance.

'That's not half-bad. My uncle lives in California. We visit him on holidays sometimes.'

The girl smiled and stroke the boy's cheek.

'We are all done.' She stood up and covered the boy with the blanket.

'Thanks, Penny.'

The name forced her to lose her smile, as she quickly turned away and walked off into the hospital hall.

Pen stopped for a second in front of a large window, pushed it open, admiring the quiet of the night, and pulled out a pack of cigarettes she was hiding inside her nurse clothes.

Throwing a quick look around, she lighted one and inhaled the smoke with an exhausted sigh.

A sudden telephone ring disrupted the complete silence of St Morgan's Hospital.

Pen swore and quickly put the cigarette out at the window sill and threw it outside. She closed down the window and hurried to the reception hall.

In a small room lighted by a half-working lamp, Rodriguez, her supervisor, was holding the phone and looking quite unpleasant.

'Grove,' he called as Pen entered the room. 'How many times do I have to tell you? No calls from the boyfriend at work. This is a phone for emergencies.'

'He's not my boyfriend.' Pen corrected out of habbit.

'Whoever he is, make it quick and go back to work.'

'Yes, sir,' Pen said taking the phone from him.

Rodriguez stormed out angrily, not noticing the smell of cigarettes on her.

Pen turned away to hide her face in the darkness.

'Hey, B,' she said quietly. 'I thought I told you. You can't call me here.'

'That's the only number I knew,' a weak male voice sounded back. 'Pen... I...'

'You okay?' Pen frowned. 'You sound unwell.'

'Please, Pen. I need your help.'

'What's happening?'

'I don't know. It's just something is seriously wrong with me.'

'How do you mean?' Pen grabbed the phone harder.

'I don't know what's happening with me. It's like something is in control. I did some things. I... I... It's not my fault.'

Pen swallowed.

'B, if that's another of your jokes...'

'It's not! I swear! I didn't mean to! It's not my fault.'

'B, you're scaring me.'

The voice on the other end sobbed.

'Please, Pen. I need you. I think something big is about to happen. And... and I can't stop it.'

Pen looked around desperately as if trying to find an excuse not to go. There was nothing she could hold on to.

'Ple-e-ase, Pen! I need... I need it to stop!'

'Fine! Fine,' Pen breathed.

She put down the phone for a second before gathering her thoughts.

'Hold on, Billy, I am gonna be on the next bus out, okay?'

No answer.

'Can you hold on until then?'

Billy sobbed again. Pen could have sworn he nodded his head, dirty blonde curls thrown around his face.

'Yeah, yeah. I am waiting for you, Pen. Thank you. Thank you!'

She ended the call and looked around once again looking at the half-working light on the table.

Pen knew what coming back meant - she would never be able to leave again. But if Billy was begging her for help, it must have meant he was truly scared for his life. Or for someone else's.

No matter how much she tried, she couldn't remember a single time when she heard his voice so scared. Not even when mom left.

She pressed her lips together and nodded to herself. The decision was already made.

Pen reached out her hand and turned the light off signifying the end of her shift.

Grabbing her bag, she stormed out of the room, aiming for the bus to Hawkins.