STICKS AND STONES ↝ S. HARRINGTON

[16]

As the months passed and winter finally drew to a close in the town of Hawkins, things finally began to settle into what its citizens would call normalcy, even if the select few who knew what really happened behind the closed doors of Hawkins National Lab would beg to differ. Aside from Will going for weekly appointments with the new scientists in charge, to make sure he was alright after everything he faced, the rest of them had agreed to put the events behind them, and instead focus on cherishing the time they now had to celebrate together.

As for Anna Henderson, this new pattern simply meant tricking herself into thinking that everything was finally okay, that whatever events had taken place the week Will had gone missing were in the past, and didn't need to be discussed any further. Stolen glances at the empty desk chair in Mr. Kaminsky's chemistry class that had previously been occupied by Barbara Holland were simply passed off as a force of habit, or staring at the spot in the Byers' family living room where the Demogorgon had knocked her into the wall were excused as zoning off into space when asked about it.

"Anna," Claudia's voice pulled her daughter from her slumber, as she gently shook her awake. "Annie, dear, you're going to be late for school if you don't get up."

"Hmm?" Anna asked, groggily, her eyes opening to reveal her mother looking down at her, rather than Anna's alarm clock that usually went off on her nightstand.

However, as Anna's vision grew more and more into focus, the sleep wearing away from her eyes, she noticed that the alarm clock wasn't on the nightstand next to her; nor was the nightstand itself. Instead of lying in her bed, as she'd remembered doing when she'd fallen asleep the night before, she now lay on the couch in the living room, with Mews curled up at her feet. Below her, her left shoulder grew stiff from the uncomfortable sleeping position, and she grimaced as she sat up on the sofa, trying to stretch out her arm and get some of the feeling back.

"It's time to get ready for school." Claudia repeated, and Anna could faintly hear the muffled sounds of the alarm clock sounding through her closed bedroom door. "Was your room too hot last night? Is that why you came and slept out here?"

Anna's eyebrows furrowed together as she rose from the couch, but nodded finally in response. "That must've been it." she said with a slight shrug. "I could've sworn I fell asleep in my bed last night, but I probably just came out here to get some fresh air and was so tired I didn't remember it."

"Are you feeling okay, honey?" Claudia asked, reaching a hand up to feel Anna's forehead. "If you feel sick, I can always call Karen to have her daughter pick up Dusty for school."

"I'm okay, Mom, I promise," Anna assured her, already making a beeline for her room to hurriedly get ready for school. "Just needed a good night's sleep, was all."

Anna quickly searched through her closet for something to wear, settling on a gray sweater and a pair of jeans as she combed her fingers through her hair, suppressing a yawn. Despite having fallen asleep nearly an hour earlier than she normally would that night, it felt as if she'd gone days without sleep, her energy nearly depleted. As she pulled the dark strands up into a ponytail, she tried her hardest to remember something, anything from the night before, but all she could get were flashes of a dream she couldn't completely piece together.

She remembered seeing Barb at Steve and Becca's party, long before she'd cut her hand and unknowingly lured the Demogorgon to the Harrington house that evening. Rather, she'd been looking at the Barb that was simply bored of the party and desired an escape, instead of the one who'd been forced into the spotlight and had hurt herself because of it. But somewhere, in the deep recesses of her mind, she could faintly recall the same growling sound she'd heard from the monster at the Byers house the night they found Will, the low, guttural sounds that emanated before the creature attacked.