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WILLIAM BYERS AGE 19, MYSTIROUSLY VANISHES FROM THE SAFETY OF HIS HOME
William Byers, known lovingly by friends and family as Will, was an average 19 year old NYU art student who was visiting home on break, when he seemingly disappeared from his back yard in the blink of an eye. While authorities cannot claim foul play at this time, it is highly suggested. The victim's family all claim the same narrative that the last they saw of him was at 7:15 P.M walking out their back door, distressed, though none could expound on why. Authorities say they are doing all they can.
THE SEARCH FOR WILLIAM BYERS CONTINUES
Will Byers, age 19, has been missing from his home in Hawkins, Indiana for over three months now. While authorities claim they are doing all they can, the victim’s family grows restless. If anyone has any information that could help with the investigation please call 219-***-**** .
WILLIAM BYERS CASE HITS A DEAD END
After upwards of ten months of searching, local and governmental authorities have decided to place the Missing Will Byers case on the back burner. Rest assured there is still effort being made, however fruitless it may be. If you or anyone you know has any information, please contact the victim’s family immediately.
I pressed the heels of my hands into my eyes, a flash of light shooting through my retinas. One whole year of searching and the police have gotten nowhere, and, if Lucas’ groans of frustration were anything to go off of, his field search was not going too well.
“It’s like this kid never existed!" He had complained over takeout Chinese only a few nights ago. “Anyone who knows him is just as confused, literally no one has any theories."
Of course there was the obvious theory. The one that shouted in the thoughtful silence, the one that everyone was thinking. The awful, sad possible and very likely reality of this whole situation. Maybe, on the night his family saw him walk out the back door looking distressed, Will Byers ran away somewhere far far away. Maybe, the the depths of some far away place, in the quiet, peaceful hour of twilight, Will Byers committed suicide. This idea was woven in the unspoken footnotes of any conversation about Will, its haunting echo filling in the unknowns.
Dustin refused to accept this line of thinking. He worked tirelessly, gathering up the dregs of any information open to the public. His relentless dedication, whether it was to bring justice to Will and his family or impress Jane I still haven't decided yet.
It made me feel a little guilty. Of course I want to help Will’s family get the closure they need, and a selfish part of me just wanted to know what happened, but the idea that something supernatural had a hand in his disappearance seemed a bit out there to me.
But a job is a job, and if Ted Wheeler taught me anything, it was to do the very best you can in any task you have been given. That in mind, I threw myself into the research I was instructed to do. The work was tiring and repetitive at most. I threw envious looks at Lucas and Dustin when they walked in and out of the red front door. I practically live at the old firehouse now, claiming territory over the beaten green corduroy couch. Over and over I read through the same articles, all with the same vague, and avoidant “information”. Authorities say they are doing all they can. The victim’s family grows restless. The more I painstakingly scoured for many missed details the angrier and angrier I got. Will has been missing for a year and no one knows anything?!
Yeah, right.
I flopped down on the old couch, my right cheek slamming against the worn fabric. I was just about to throw in the towel for the day when my eyes caught on a clipping of paper pinned under the back table leg. I shot my arm out, snatching the paper up with a snap.
MATTHEW BARR, AGE 19, REPORTS INFORMATION ON WILLIAM BYERS
Matthew Barr, a freshly apprenticed welder, reports information on the missing William Byers. “He’s a friend of mine, a good friend. He was acting really strange the week before he went missing. Looked paranoid and almost afraid. I’m not sure what had him so riled up but whatever it was, I hope it didn't get to him”. Barr gave no further statement claiming he had nothing more to say on the matter. Despite his compliance authorities have placed Barr on the leading suspect list.
My heart raced. A lead! My feet acted faster than my brain, and before I knew it I was up the stairs and in the doorway of Dustin’s office. Like the day I met him, he sat on the floor, only this time his boards were filled with pictures and articles of Will.bHe looked up through his messy, curly mop of hair. I cleared my throat.
“Hey, I think I found something.”
___________________________________________________________________________
Yesterday was a blur. After a flurry of papers, un-thought out plans and many cups of coffee, the three young men found themselves in an eleven hour car ride from New York to Indiana.
“This is crazy,” I said for what seemed the hundredth time.
“Welcome to the job, Mikey!” Dustin said from beside me in the passenger seat. The three of them have been taking turns driving, whoever just drove got to take a nap in the back. “Its a never ending string of crazy adventures.”
We drove on for another fifteen minutes before stopping at a sketchy looking gas station for coffee. Dustin advised we let Lucas sleep, since he's a bear if woken involuntarily. As I stepped out of the brand new green Ford Four Runner, I gazed down the stretch of flat road and tried to imagine Will in a place like this. I didn't really know anything about the guy, other than bits and pieces we got from his sister, Jane. I tried to imagine Hawkins. We couldn't be that far now.
We walked into the dinky station, the musty air hitting our noses like a train. The whole store was only the size of a kitchen, with very limited selection of drinks and other necessities. I turned my eyes to the counter and noticed that the cigarette bar took up most of the store's limited space.
“I’m gonna grab a Red Bull, I need something stronger than coffee.” Dustin patted my back in a friendly way, before moving towards the small cooler. I had a hard time getting used to all the contact that his two coworkers displayed. They were always touching me in some way. A hand on a shoulder when walking past, punching me lightly in the arm when something was funny, patting on the back for nearly any emotion and the hand shakes. The endless handshakes!
The coffee was in a suspicious looking metal jug. I turned my eyes away, revolted by the un-cleanliness of the whole place. I decided instead that a pack of cigs would do the job. I took the short walk over to the counter, the man behind it had a huge, red handlebar mustache and thick forearms. I reminded myself not to piss this guy off.
As I waited for Dustin to come back, I asked him how much further Hawkins was.
“Goin’ way out there, ey?” The man asked, with a sober look on his face.
“Yeah, why?” Suddenly a cold sweat broke out on my back. Dustin stumbled to the counter, arms full of energy cans and pre-packaged muffins.
“Why?” I asked again while the man rang Dustin up.
“Ohhh no reason, it's just, they don’t get much visitors, if you know what I mean.” He replied gruffly.
“Where, Hawkins?’ Dustin asked, voice muffled by his mouthful of blueberry muffin.
“Lets just say, once you go in,” The man leaned his broad shoulders over the counter, speaking darkly. “You rarely ever come back out again.”
A shiver ran down my spine and Dustin’s chewing quit. Pleased with himself the man straightened up again, soberly looking down at us. Before bursting into a deep belly laugh.
“Oh! I’m just joking with ya! If Hawkins is anything, it's sleepy. Worse than Naptown! It's just down the road, about cornfield away!” He said, pointing in the direction.
We mumbled our thanks, trying to get out of the small shop as quickly as we could. When we got back to the Four Runner, Lucas was sitting up in the back, blinking away sleep. Dustin threw him a can before starting the car. As Lucas and I made the switch from back seat to passenger I found it hard to relax. The man's words kept echoing in my mind.
Will got out for a while, but maybe Hawkins caught up with him. I lit a cigarette and opened a window. From the backseat, I watched the endless cornrows fly by, thinking of Will and Matthew and Jane, and anyone else in this state. How could anyone live out here? I've always been a city lover and the thought of the country made me itch. A worn down sign caught my eye. Its chipped golden paint signifying the greeting into the smallest town in Indiana.
WELCOME TO HAWKINS
While Lucas watched the map and barked out directions to the Reservation just out back of the town, I watched idly as the place slowly faded by. Most of the town looked like homes, with a stretch of road filled with practical shops and places of business. I quietly cursed the police station as we passed it, but not surprised that a place so far couldn't solve the case. Hawkins was gone as quickly as it came, and the car jolted around when Dustin pulled on to a dirt road.
“Hold on to your butts!” He called out, cackling at his own joke.
Lucas swiveled around to look at me, his eyebrows bunched in concern. “Are you sure about this?”
“No, but it's the first lead we've had, so hopefully we get something.” I answered honestly, hoping my own doubt wasn't showing. Slowly, small houses began peppering the side of the roads until they were in a small neighborhood like “town”. The people who were outside peered into the car, some faces were confused while others were aggressively judgy. We pulled into the lot of what looked like a town hall, hoping to get the information on where Matthew lived.
Lucas led the way on this one, as he had the most experience in questioning and field work. We opened the large green doors, and walked up to the desk in the front. An elderly woman shuffled over, her eyes on guard.
“You boys aren't from here.” She said, looking at us up and down.
“No, Ma’am. We are here as investigators, we'd like to speak to Matthew Barr.” Lucas said politely, bowing his head slightly.
The woman's face turned to stone. “No. You and anyone like you are never allowed to bother Matthew about that boy William. Ever. He's had enough hurting already."
“Please Ma’am, we only need to speak with him for a little while, he can kick us out whenever he wants!” Dustin chimed in, wringing his hat in his hands.
“Absolutly not! You must leave!” She raised her pointed fist to the door. “And tell those good for nothing cops that they can-”
“Nokmes, calm down.” A calm, warm voice came from the office behind the counter. “I will speak with them.”
A tall, handsome young man stepped out. His long hair, black as night, was tucked behind his ears.
“I’m Matthew,” He explained, shaking each of our hands. He led us to the hall, where rows and rows of white plastic folding chairs provided seating. We awkwardly pulled four into a circle, making the conversation easier.
“So, what do you wanna know?” Matthew locked eyes with me, the image of confidence. He set his ankle on his knee and leaned back, crossing his strong arms across the faded Star Wars logo on his chest. He really was handsome. I shifted slightly. Matthew smirked.
“Well, first of all, how did you know William?” Dustin asked, pulling out his note book.
Matthew’s confidence faltered for a second, a deep sadness taking its place. But it quickly returned.
“Will was,” He searched for a word, “A very good friend of mine”
“How did the two of you meet?”
“His older brother, Jonathan, was in a band with my older brother,” Matthew talked with his hands, waving them around. “We met at one of their gigs, we hit it off real well.”
“How long have you two known each other?" Dustin’s pencil scratched against the notebook paper.
“We met when we were 13, so just about six years.” Matthew yawned.
On and on they went, Lucas and Dustin taking turns asking shallow questions, never getting to the point. As the minutes passed I grew restless, my leg bouncing up and down.
“How well did you–”
“Why was Will so upset before he went missing?” I shot out, regretting it almost immediately. Shock flooded Matthew’s sharp features.
“Wha-” His word seemed to die halfway on its way out.
“What my colleague means to ask is, did anything unusual happen before Will went missing? Did he mention anything strange or unusual? Any changes in his behavior?” Lucas rushed to fix my mistake, shooting a withering look my way.
Matthew was quiet for a while, I could almost see the cogs in his head turning. Finally he spoke.
“I didn't want to tell the police this because I didn't want them to think Will was crazy or anything, but,” He heaved a sigh and dropped his leg from its perch. “Will always had a good sense for the supernatural. We used to call him the ktthemokman wabshkyabgêk, or White Sage. Anyway, he had this fifth sense, he could feel the very earth move he used to say. A few weeks before he went missing he had come to my house in the middle of the night, really upset.
I tried my best to figure out what was wrong but he kept speaking nonsense. He went on and on about the cold, dark world. About the shadow that was following him. He said that he needed to talk to the shadow to figure out what it wanted. He seemed so scared, so upset. I just wanted to make him feel better.”
“What do you mean?” Dustin leaned forward.
“I told him I would help. I asked every elder on the reservation to tell me anything they knew about shadows. We read through countless reports, folklore and urban legends. Eventually we figured that the best way for Will to talk to the shadow was to approach it next time it appears, rather than run from it.”
“Why would you encourage him to do that?!” Lucas snapped, palming his forehead.
“I know it was wrong to feed into his delusions! But you didn't see him! He was normally so beautiful and full of life, but the last few weeks he was hollow and like a ghost. I had to help him in some way.”
“No no, you were right to help him. I don't think he was being delusional. I mean why would you tell him to talk to the shadow?” Lucas looked like he wanted to punch something.
“You're telling me you actually believe in the shadow thing?” Matthew raised a thick, dark brow. “Besides, talking to it was Will’s idea, not mine.”
“Of course we believe in the shadow! And why would you let him talk to it?!” Now Dustin was getting heated. I sat there, sifting through the new information. Will must have been going to speak to the shadow when his family saw him leave through the back door. Dustin and Matthew argued over the ethical concerns of indulging in loved ones "hallucinations" while Lucas and I went over the notes.
“Is it inappropriate to visit Jane while we’re here?” I asked quietly, leaning towards him.
“Inappropriate? Yes, definitely." He paused for a while, glancing down at the notes again. “Nessisary? Also yes.”
It took a lot of apologizing and agreeing to speak again to convince Matthew and Dustin to put a pin in their small disagreement. The four men spoke a quick farewell, before promptly walking out the building, sparing a polite nod for the woman at the front desk.
“It's late,” Matthew commented as we shook hands. “You should check in at a motel,”
“Yeah, you're probably right,” I agreed, pushing down the heat in my ears that his iron stare was producing. “Besides, we still have work to get done.”
We walked slowly behind Lucas and Dustin, who had already gotten in the car. Just before we reached the front of the car, Matthew grabbed my arm fiercely.
“Just a word of advice,” His ebony eyes bore into mine with an undetectable emotion. “Be careful what kind of questions you ask around here.”
His grip left an ache in my bicep, the pain throbbing as I watched him walk back in the building. My mind raced a hundred miles a minute but of two things I was sure. Firstly, Matthew has a whole lot more he's not telling us, and two:
Will Byers is dead.