Chapter Text
Four years passed. 1983.
I push myself out of bed, yawning. The sun rises with me, light streaming into my room. I pull on a pair of wool tights, a pale blue skirt, a white blouse, and a light pink cardigan, braiding my hair in the mirror. The smell of eggs and toast fills the house as I brush my teeth. I hurry downstairs, finding Henry in the kitchen by the stove, wearing a simple brown waistcoat with matching trousers, glasses perched on his nose. The whistle of the tea kettle grabs my attention and I carefully pour out two mugs.
“Good morning, Thirteen,” he says calmly, voice deeper than usual.
“‘Morning!”
I cross out yesterday’s date on the fridge calendar, checking if anything’s planned for today. Nope. November 2nd is completely clear. Henry serves up two plates of food and I carry them to the table, sitting down. He comes up behind me, placing down the mugs and taking the chair next to me.
“Any word from Him?”
He shakes his head. “Unfortunately, no.”
“It’s really been awhile.”
“Be patient. When the time is right, he’ll call.”
“I know… I just feel like we’ve gotten strong enough that we’ll be able to open the portal no problem! We practice all the time.”
“I understand your annoyance.”
I turn to my food, taking a bite of toast.
“Why don’t you go into town today.”
I nearly choke-WHAT?-forcefully swallowing it down before I do. He’s never let me… “Really?”
He nods. “I’m sure you can manage a walk to the library by yourself. Return your textbooks and get some new ones. You successfully completed the tests I assigned on history and science.”
“Yeah? I really felt like I was straining my brain with those…”
“Your studying paid off.” He takes a bite of food, chewing thoughtfully. “Now, when you reach the town, you should be able to ask anyone for directions. The books are under my other name, Peter Ballard. Go and get the next set in the series. If you’ve finished any of your own novels, you may replace those as well.”
“I finished The Blue Sword last night!”
“Congratulations. How did you find it?”
“Pretty good. The main character has the same initials as you. Actually, the whole name was similar. Harry Crewe. Just made me think of you whenever I was reading.”
“Oh? Quite a coincidence.”
I nod, finishing up my breakfast. I wait until Henry’s done too, filling the quiet with ramblings about the book’s ending, then clear the table.
“You may head out when you’re finished with the dishes, alright? Place them on the rack, I’ll dry them later.”
“Okay!”
I turn on the sink, the running water rushing out as I grab the soap and rubber gloves. I go as quickly as I can without being sloppy, then wash my hands head back upstairs, packing the books away in a brown messenger bag. I find Henry down in the living room, sitting down by the fireplace as he coaxes a flame out of the logs there, face slightly too close. He’s always been drawn to the heat.
“Bye, Henry!”
He glances back. “Have fun. Remember, if you turn left and follow the main road, it should take you straight into town. If you have trouble making it back, just stay at the library. If you aren’t back by 11am, I’ll assume you’re there. Understood?”
“Understood.”
“Good.” He turns back to the fire. “And also, don’t talk to anyone for longer than necessary, and don’t use your abilities.”
“Of course.”
"I'll know if something happens."
I step outside, staying to the side as I walk up the street. There’s an autumn chill in the air, but otherwise it’s bright and sunny out. I hum to myself, trying to calm my excitement. It’s only going into town. To get books. Nothing more. Buuuuuut… the walk isn’t that long and it’s only 9am right now… so I have two hours before Henry gets worried. Going to the library won’t take that long. Plenty of time!
I walk past rows of houses, front yards covered in pumpkins, plastic tombstones, and spiderwebs. Weird, but who am I to judge how people decorate their own homes? The forest gets sparser the further I walk, the amount of people on the street going up, and I know I’m getting close.
Just ask for directions. Easy. Talk to someone who isn’t Henry. I can do that. Totally. I stop in front of a store, “Melvald’s General Store”, and poke my head inside. Someone here can probably tell me where to go. I walk up to the front desk, noticing a pretty looking woman behind the counter. Her brown hair is shoulder length, and she wears a dark green sweater with a blue, short sleeved button-down overtop of it, left open. Her nametag says “Joyce”.
“Hi, how can I help you?” she asks brightly.
“Hey…”
“Did you need anything?”
“I’m, um, looking for the library.”
“Oh! Of course. Just head up the road and make a left at the diner. It’s a very large, red brick building so you should be able to recognize it easily.”
“Thank you, miss.”
She smiles. “Are you new around town?”
“No… I um- I don’t come into town much.”
“Shouldn’t you be in school? You look around my son Jonathan’s age. He’s sixteen, goes to Hawkins High School.”
I blink. This conversation is too long. “No.. no. I’m.. I’m homeschooled by my.. father… and yes, I am his age.”
“You look so young! Homeschooling is great, but it can get lonely. I hope to see you around town more.”
“Uh, yeah, maybe, thanks.”
“What’s your n-”
I hurry away. Up the road. Left at the diner. Up the road. Left at the diner. That went well, I think. Successful conversation. Great. Awesome. I think that’s the diner. I turn, hurrying up the street. It feels like everyone’s staring. They aren’t. Probably.
The library comes into view and I step inside, walking up to the front desk and dropping the books on the counter. The woman stares down at me skeptically.
“Name.”
“Um, I think these were taken out under my.. my father’s name.”
“Which is…?”
“Hen- um, Peter Ballard.”
Her face brightens somewhat in recognition. “The well-dressed blond man? Yes, I think I recall..”
I nod. “Yeah. I want to return these and take out others.”
“Well, I’ll sort these out for you and you can bring the ones you pick out to my desk.”
‘Thank you. Where are the textbooks?”
“Just in the back over there. Very studious of you.”
I pick out the needed volumes then rush to the fantasy section to pick out another novel, lugging the pile back to the librarian. She checks them out for me, making small talk that I answer with vague noises of agreement. People are very friendly here. Strange.
I refill my bag, quickly leaving the building. Alright. It’s only like, 9:45am. Logically, I should just head back home, but who knows when I’ll get an opportunity like this again! I’ll look around a bit, that’s all. It’s not too busy, given it's a Wednesday morning, so I’m free to explore, unquestioned.
…
Okay wait. Where am I? I.. made a right… then cut across a park and um… wait no… I went back into town and then I- no. I glance around. I feel like I was completely in my head for the last… who knows… staring at everything, amazed. I’ll get back to the library. I’ll ask for directions again from… from…
The street’s deserted.
Okay. That’s fine. That’s cool. There’s just a bunch of shabby looking houses sparsely decorating the streets, all the lights off. Okay. Retrace my steps. I’ll turn around and go back the way. That should lead me back…
No. Where am I? What time is it? I look up, the sun high above my head. Oh shit. Henry is never letting me leave the house again. I speed up, looking for any sign of life. Anything at all. Where is everyone? All simultaneously out to lunch? All-
I hear laughter in the distance. People. I run towards the sound, turning the corner to find a big building surrounded by a green yard. Picnic tables dot the lawn, groups of teenagers chatting as they eat. Hawkins High School. They probably know where the library is.
I go up to the first people I see. There’s a boy with impressive hair, his arm wrapped around a thin girl in a blue sweater. Next to her is a redhead with glasses and across from them sits a freckled boy and a girl with lighter, loose curls. They stop talking when they see me, eyeing me curiously.
“Um. Hello.”
“Hey..?” says the first boy.
“I’m looking for the library..”
The freckled one snickers. “Like the school one? You new or something?”
I shake my head. “No, no. The one in town.”
They share a glance. “Why do you need to go to the library?”
“I’m lost. I need to get oriented. From the library, I can get home.” They’re judging me, laughing under their breaths. I grit my teeth. “I really need directions.”
The redhead gives me a sympathetic look. “Yeah, of course.” She rummages around in her bag, pulling out a notebook. “So, this is the school.” She draws a circle. “You go straight up until the road starts to curve, then go right…” She explains the way, drawing me a sort of makeshift map. Finally, she rips the page out and hands it to me.
The two kids across from her are still chuckling, but I take the paper. “Thank you.”
“Are you new in town? My name’s Barbara. This is Nancy, Steve Harrington, Tommy, and Carol. Will you be joining the school?”
I shake my head. “I’m not new… I’m… I’m homeschooled.”
“Well that explains a lot,” Tommy scoffs.
“Oh fuck off, man,” Steve says with a grin, just as amused as he is.
“What’s your name?” Nancy asks, her smile awkward, not fully sincere.
I stare at her. Thirteen. I don’t think I can say Thirteen. “It’s.. um… Th- Um.. Tina.”
“Thhhum-Tina?” Carol mocks.
My eyes narrow. “Tina. Just Tina.”
“Tina what?”
“Tina… Ballard.”
“Nice to meet you,” Nancy sighs.
I nod once, then turn and walk away. Too long. That conversation was also too long. I hear them laughing. I will follow the map. If it doesn’t work… my hand grips the paper. No. No abilities.
Thankfully, it does actually work, leading me to the library. I see it in the distance, running towards it. Please don’t be past 11am. Please don’t be past 11am. Please don’t be-
A hand grabs my arm, pulling me to a stop right before the steps. I flinch, almost falling over, and whirl around. Shit. Henry stares down at me, his face twisted in that expression he makes when he’s trying to hide how annoyed he is. I’m never coming into town again.
“Car. Now.”
I follow, hands gripping at my skirt, and get into the passenger seat. His hands grip the steering wheel, tightening and loosening as he breathes. Scratch that, I’m never leaving the house ever again.
“Thirteen, do you know what time it is?”
“...no.”
He glances at his watch. “12:34pm.”
“Oh.”
“Yes. Oh.”
He starts the car and the ride back home is silent. Nevermind. I’m never leaving my room again. He parks in front of the house, getting out and walking inside. I follow. He sits down on the couch, legs crossed. I stand awkwardly in front of him. Damn it.