through the dark; vic criss

Eleven.

Eleven.

"Really, Haley, another party?"

"What's the problem? I don't drink the alcohol, and when I do I stick around sober people in case something goes wrong. I never wander off with someone I don't know, all the people throwing the parties are my friends,"

"Eric was your friend, too," her father remarked drily, not looking up from his paper. Isabelle resisted the urge to kick him from under the table. She knew why Haley wanted to go to more parties. They were kind of fun, and aside from Haley genuinely being able to enjoy herself at them they served as a distraction from the quarry incident. She still couldn't wear anything that showed her legs thanks to whatever had been down there.

Haley fell silent before spinning around to look at their mother instead. "Mum, please, Therese and Natalie are going to be there the whole time and they both promised not to leave me alone,"

Her mother observed Haley for a few seconds. "Jack, I think she should be allowed to go,"

At this, Isabelle's father's eyes finally left the newspaper. He folded it and pushed it towards the centre of the table.

"Lil," he said, voice softer than it had been before, "what if it happens again? What if something else happens? What if..." their father shook his head. Isabelle and Charlotte locked eyes. "It's her fourth party in two weeks,"

"You can't say you didn't expect this once they became teenagers. Haley's seventeen, she should be able to enjoy herself,"

Isabelle studied the newspaper on the table. The front page showed a young boy. It was his school picture, she assumed because he was smiling and she didn't know how many people took pictures of their kids like that. His name was Ethan Madsen, and he looked to be a few grades below Isabelle. She remembered him having a twin brother, and that on her first day they'd helped her find her classroom. They were so sweet and welcoming. She felt sick to her stomach.

Isabelle's father ran a hand through his hair. He looked at Haley's hopeful face.

"Have fun,"

Haley grinned. "Thank you! I promise I'll be safe!" She hugged him tightly, moved on to do the same to their mother before running out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Isabelle's mother glanced at the clock, making her way out of the kitchen. "Girls, are you coming to church with me today?"

"I was thinking of going to see Lucy," Isabelle said, twisting in her chair to watch their mother lift one of the necklaces out of the bowl by the front door and put it around her neck. "I haven't seen her since we went to the park,"

Isabelle's eyes met her mother's through the mirror above their 'jewellery bowl'. "Of course, love, she sounded like a nice girl,"

"Meet somewhere public," her father put in.

Isabelle nodded. Charlotte stood up. "I'll brush my hair and then we can go,"

Once Charlotte was upstairs and Isabelle's mother had gone to start the car, her father spoke. "You're not thinking of 'investigating' the missing kids, are you?" The quotation marks he made with his fingers didn't fool Isabelle. He didn't take it as lightly as he was trying to let on.

"No, dad, I just want to spend some time with her. She's... kind of my only friend," that was a bit of a stretch. She and Lucy had only had one conversation. If Lucy didn't want to hang out with a girl she hardly knew, which Isabelle would completely understand, Isabelle could just explore Derry.

Lucy was at the park, seated beneath the same tree from last time. She had a different book this time, but it looked just as old and fascinating as her last. She was so engrossed in it she didn't seem to hear Isabelle coming until she coughed. Lucy looked up, eyes wide before she recognised Isabelle and smiled softly.