"I've read your book."
She looks up, surprised by his sudden appearance. She has to squint her eyes to see him, the sun building a stark halo around his head. She deciphers if she should answer him or not, maybe he would go away if she wouldn't?
S...
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ONE THING August Marlowe's parents can't stop are the nightmares. They didn't leave her alone when she took the pills and now in Hawkins they're still here.
The first night in the house is awful, August wakes with a horrified scream, so bad, it makes her parents rush into her room. The looks on their faces tell her that they hoped the nightmare's would be gone once they left Chicago.
"It's alright. You don't have to come every time." August mumbles into the dark, her cheeks flushed in embarrassment. Her skin feels sticky with sweat and her hair clings to her neck. She is seventeen and still suffers under severe nightmares. "Are you sure, I can stay—"
"I'm fine." August replies quickly and her moms face sinks. Her parents tell her goodnight with a kiss to the temple before they retreat again.
August knows she's not going to get any sleep anymore that night. So she settles back on her bed and stares up at the ceiling. Her eyes travel along the cracks in the cement until her body feels numb, hollow.
The next morning her parents have found their new excitement and hope again. August hopes she could fake a cold or sleep deprivation to somehow get out of the worst of it. Going to a new school.
"I'm almost eighteen, I think I've learned enough in my life." She says around a mouthful of pancakes while her father turns the page in the newspaper. What does Hawkins need a newspaper for? Nothing happens in this town anyway.
Her mom turns from the kitchen counter and raises a brow. "I doubt there is nothing you can learn. The human learns his whole life."
"Then let me learn while working." August pushed the blueberries to the side of her plate.
"Stop being ridiculous. Who knows maybe you're going to meet someone nice. You need some social contact besides your parents and an educational certificate to work." Mrs. Marlowe turns back around to pour her coffee and doesn't catch her daughters eye roll.
"I can work with dad, can't I?" Mr. Marlowe looks up, surprised by the sudden involvement in the conversation. "Your mother is right. Come on finish up and I'll drive you before I have to head to the newspaper."
August drops her fork, her appetite suddenly gone. "I think I forgot a book in my room I'll be right back." Her father calls after her as she already dashes into her room.
"Ten minutes, Gus."
Once in her room August starts to pace around, her breathing quickening, her heartbeat thundering in her chest. She feels her hands turn clammy as she claws at her collar before running over to the window. She bursts it open trying to get some fresh air into her lungs but it's too late.
Her skin flushes and pebbles, her head starts to spin and the cold claw is back, squeezing around her heart. "Oh god, oh god, oh god." She breathes as she paces and paces.
Her eyes fall onto the mountains of books still perched on the ground because she hasn't had any time to go look for a bookshelf in town. She lets herself fall to her knees and digs through the books. She claws at the covers trying to find the light pink one, with the sunburnt pages and kinked cover.
Books fly everywhere and she seems to make more noise than she thinks because her mother bursts into the room. "What are you doing, honey?"
When August turns her head to meet her mothers eyes, her face is tear stained, her eyes red and wide. "I can't find my copy of Emma. I would've never left it at home but I can't find it mom, I can't find it!" A sob escapes the girl and Mrs. Marlowe's heart breaks at the picture.
She squats down quickly and tries to hug her but August trashes. "I need to find the book I can't leave without the book—" another sob escapes her before she finally lets her mother hug her.
"Christoper!" Mrs. Marlowe calls for her husband while she runs her hands soothingly through her daughters hair. "It's going to be alright, honey." She whispers soothingly.
"Christopher!" She calls again and after a few grumbles, Mr. Marlowe bursts through the door.
"What is—oh—what happened?" August can feel her panic subside as fresh embarrassment flushes her cheeks. She's still in her mothers arms when she dries her cheeks of her tears.
"Didn't you put August copy of Emma on the moving boxes in the living room?" Mrs. Marlowe asks and it's the only words needed before her dad dashes away before returning with the copy in a matter of seconds.
The second August catches sight of the torn up cover her lungs expand a little more, making more room for the oxygen she lacked seconds ago. "Here you go." Her dad gives her the copy and she wraps her fingers around it.
"Maybe you're right. Maybe you need a little more time before going to school." Her mom says as she flattens the hair on the top of her head but August shakes her head. After this she definitely needs to get out of the house. It's too depressing inside, everything reminds her of the fact that she's not home in Chicago anymore.
"No, I'm ready."
Her parents watch her warily making the wish to escape expand even more. "I'm ready. I swear, sorry I threw such a tantrum over a book." August brown eyes flicker towards the empty walls, embarrassed.
She can feel her mother wanting to say no and her eyes flicker quickly to her dad. Being in this town in this new home is not what she wants but to actually stay in this empty lifeless house alone would be worse.
She'd much rather sit in boring classrooms and listen to teachers babble on about nonsense. Her father must see the desperate glimmer in her eyes and nods. "Come on, we're already late."
She gives her mom—what's supposed to be—an encouraging smile before she grabs her backpack and rushes out the door after her father, before anyone can change their mind.
She doesn't let go of the copy the whole ride to school.
