"this tainted love you've given,
I give you all a boy could give you,
take my tears and that's not nearly all,
oh, tainted love,
tainted love."
Hawkins was a place where nothing happened. Everything was routine. High school football ga...
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MALLORY TWISTED HER fingers between themselves nervously as she paced the short distance of her old treehouse. Every now and then, she would cast an anxious glance at the girl who sat in the corner, contently munching on cereal in Mallory's old clothes she had been planning on donating. Even though they were from Mallory's pre-teen years, they still hung loosely on the girl. Every time Mallory looked at her frail frame, anger surged inside her. How could anyone to something so horrific to a child?
Unfortunately for Mallory, the answer lay in the house behind her, frying eggs in the kitchen.
By now the sun had risen, somewhat making the woods warmer. Whilst it was still dark, Mallory had snuck back into the house and fetched as much food as she could steal without her Dad noticing as well as some fresh clothes for the both of them. She had also phoned Jonathan, to which there was no answer. As her final hope, she got out the phone book at dialled a new number.
"Hello, Wheeler's residence," a drowsy, irritated voice answered. Mallory assumed it belonged to Ted Wheeler.
"Hi! This is Mallory O'Neil, I go to school with your daughter Nancy," Mallory explained quickly. "I'm doing a... science project with Nancy and we have to present today. We totally forgot to do part of it-"
"Mallory?" Nancy's voice cut her off over the phone and Mallory sighed in relief though she quickly remembered Nancy's last words to her and how harsh she had been and she became cold.
"You need to meet me at my house, bring Jonathan," she demanded. "But don't park in the driveway and don't go inside! Meet me in the treehouse, Jonathan will know where that is."
"Mallory what are you-"
"I'll explain when you get here. Please, trust me, Nancy," Mallory pleaded. On the other end, Nancy sighed.
"O-okay, we'll be there soon," Nancy agreed begrudgingly. With that, Mallory promptly hung up the phone and hurried back outside into the woods, cradling cereal boxes, fruit and a pile of clothes in her arms. She made sure to be quick as she didn't want to catch her father when he got up to get ready for work. She wouldn't be able to bite her tongue.
That left Mallory waiting for Jonathan and Nancy in the treehouse as the sun rose and she watched the girl devour the foods she had brought for her. Mallory smiled fondly as she poured herself a third bowl of cereal, which was clearly her favourite. Mallory abruptly halted in her pacing, which alerted the girl and she stopped with a spoon halfway to her mouth. Mallory sighed and crouched down to her eye level.
"I know you can understand me -sort of- so don't pretend otherwise," Mallory said, her voice an even mix of gentle yet firm. The girl nodded slowly and placed the bowl of cereal on the ground, crossing her arms. If she didn't know better, Mallory would laugh at the girl's attempt to seem strong. "Who are you?" Mallory asked.
The girl blinked dumbly. Mallory sighed and her shoulders deflated.
"My name is Mallory," Mallory started, but the girl still seemed confused.
