Chapter Text
The group stepped out of the familiar school building on the last day of school in high spirits, the hot sun beaming happily on their grinning faces.
“Well, guys, three whole months of worry free days!!”
Said Amber,spinning happily as she walked so that her skirt flayed out in a circle.
The group cheered and whooped at her words as they made their way over to the rusty metal bike racks, their Converse sneakers padding softly on the cracked concrete sidewalk. It was the summer of 1987, Port Visscher, Missouri, known as home to the entire group since birth,was a small, cozy average suburban town. As the group rode their bikes down the sun- dappled streets heading towards the arcade, an old dirty stuffed bear lay on the side of the road, the sun reflecting slightly on its black plastic nose. The group reached the arcade and they kicked the stands of their bikes up, wheeling them into the bike racks.
“They still haven’t found her yet, have they?” Said Thomas, gesturing to the faded poster hanging on the inside of the arcade window.
‘MISSING-Andrea Larson-Age 8-Last seen June 13th 1987’
“I don’t think so, not unless she’s been kidnapped or something.” Said Lucas
“Oh! Speaking of that, did you hear? They found her baby doll in the street gutter the other day!” Said Thomas.
They all stood there, not knowing how to respond to this information, so they silently decided to drop this sensitive subject and head into the arcade. The rest of the afternoon went fast, with the group burning through their paper bag of quarters within the first hour, then, spending the next looking under and behind the machines for more.
“YES!!” Said Finn, jumping into the air like a child at Disneyland.
“I JUST WON THE HIGHSCORE!!”
“Big deal. ” Said Amber, who was grumbling.
She had just used up all her quarters trying to win at Dragons Lair. After they had used up all their quarters and could no longer find any, they left The arcade, riding their bikes down the streets of Port Visscher with the sun hanging low in the orange and yellow sky. The group slowly widdled down, one person at a time, yelling their good byes before turning onto their street. Everybody had gone, except Thomas, riding his bike calmly, silently appreciating the beautiful sunset, with swirls of pink, yellow and orange.
A child’s laugh echoed eerily through the faded empty street.
Thomas slowed his bike to a stop in the middle of the street and looked around.
“Hello…?” Said Thomas, his heart beat hard in his chest, so hard he could hear it, as if his heart was beating inside his skull.
“A-Andrea…?” He said, stumbling over his words.
As the hairs stood up on the back of his neck, he had a gut feeling that he needed to go. he swung his legs back over the bike and pedaled home as fast as he could, the wheels of his bike were a black and silver blur. When finally he reached his house, his breath was tearing his lungs into shreds. he wheeled his bike to the side of his house and let it fall over with a crash as he turned to run into his house. He ran up the stairs to his bedroom, skipping every other step.
He sat on the edge of his bed and told himself,
“it was just a kid playing in their yard, that’s all.” But a small voice in the back of his mind said,
“No it wasn’t…”
He bounced his leg and put his head in his hands, then, his walkie crackled to life, making him jump. Ambers crackling and slightly distorted voice came through.
“Did yall know we had summer homework?!” She yelled, obviously furious.
”yeah! Oh course dipsh!t! These teachers don’t ever wanna let us relax!” Said finn.
Thomas slunk back onto his bed, his friends bickering over their walkies in the background As he gaslighted himself into into thinking that the laugh of the little girl, was just a kid playing in their yard. He pressed his pillow on his face, and snatched his walkie up, forcefully pushing the radio antenna down and his friends voices died.
“What are y’all doing tom-…….” Said Amber as her voice died.
Thomas threw the pillow off his face and it landed on the floor with a soft “flump”. He rolled over and looked at a photo of him and his friends. Finn, Lucas, Amber and himself. They were at the spring dance, all of them wearing nice outfits with even nicer shoes, except Amber, who had stubbornly refused to wear heels or dress shoes and wore her heavily gratified converse instead.
When Thomas’s eyes landed on Amber, his heart gave a little flip and he couldn’t stop a goofy smile spreading across his face. Thomas had a crush on Amber since 7th grade. He rolled onto his back and covered his hands over his madly reddening face, still wearing the goofy smile that he couldn’t get rid of when he was around Amber. He picked up his walkie, and pulled the antenna back up again, and his friend's voices burst back into life again, arguing about what to do tomorrow.
“Guys! Listen! What if w- LUCAS GODDAMMIT JUST LISTEN- what if we like go muck around in the woods behind the middle school tomorrow? I heard someone hung up a rope swing somewhere!” Said Amber.
Thomas pushed down his other ideas of what to do tomorrow and immediately agreed with Amber.
“Alright! So we meet at the school attttt… 11am?” Said Amber
“yeah sure!” Said Thomas, that goofy grin spreading across his face once more.
The next morning, the group rode their bikes down the old gravel path into the woods, and getting off and leaving them at the entrance, slumped against a tree.
“alright!” Said Amber, stretching her arms over her head, then nudged Finn, who was zoning out against a tree, with his Walkman planted firmly over his ears, the infamous tune of Friday I’m in love by The cure playing faintly through it. Finn looked up,
“what’d I miss?” He said disorientedly.
“Noth’n, why you listening to that popular crap anyway?!” said Amber, flashing her ever so familiar grin playfully.
Finns arguement that his music taste was not “popular crap” was cut off by Lucas.
“Let’s do this!!” Lucas, exclaimed, punching his palm with his fist.
The group went trudging into the woods, leaving their rusty bikes leaning against a big oak tree. They walked along, stumbling occasionally on tree roots and wet patches of grass, Amber ran forward, yelling, waving her arms, causing several small birds to scatter.
Finally, after a half hour of walking along and scaring birds and squirrels, they reached the swing. It was better than they could’ve hoped for, a big rope swing, with a slight slope so you could bring the swing up to the top and get some serious air without having to ask anyone to push you.
“WHOA, COOL!” Yelled Amber, running forward.
“I CALL FIRST DIBS!” Shouted Finn, chasing after her to get to the swing first.
Thomas and Lucas laughed as they watched Amber and Finn fight over the swing like a pair of elementary school kids fighting over toys.
Thomas threw a glance over his shoulder, and did a double take, he was sure he saw the shadow of a little girl cascading over the forest floor. He shook his head vigorously, shaking away his uneasiness.
“Not now.” He mumbled under his breath.
“What’dga say?” Questioned Lucas,
“its nothing.” He replied.
They both looked over and their eyes were met with the hilarious sight of scrawny little Finn, trying to lift Amber to get herself situated on the swing.
Then Finn, whether on purpose or not, adjusted his arms, which were hoisting up Amber's feet, causing Amber to wobble and tumble backwards. They all laughed until they realized Amber hadn’t gotten up and laughed with them. She was still on the ground, laying on her side.
Thomas ran forward and dropped to his knees next to her, where her eyes were closed, she appeared to be unconscious.
Thomas looked up at Finn with wide eyes and yelled
“what did you do to her?”
“I don’t know!! i just needed to adjust my arms! She was cutting off my circulation!” Finn yelled back,
anger twisting into his face and tone.
“Amber! Wake up!” Said Thomas, adjusting Ambers unconscious form so that her upper half lied in his lap, shaking her slightly. After a moment, Ambers eyes flew open.
“What the hell, Finn?!” She yelled at him, pushing Thomas back to get to her feet.
“Why’d you drop me?!”
“You were cutting off circulation to my arms!” Finn yelled back,
“YoU wErE cUtTiNg OfF cUrCuLatiOn tO mY aRmS!!” Amber mocked back in a annoying whiney tone
“at least I can lift someone my weight!!”
“AT LEAST I DON’T HAVE TO MAKE JOKES ALL THE TIME TO COPE!!” Finn Screamed back, his voice echoing around the forest clearing.
Amber's angry expression fell off her face faster than butter melting in a hot pan. Amber ran forward and pushed Finn in the chest, hard.
“F*CK YOU!!” Amber screamed as Finn’s body hit the ground.
Amber sprinted out of the clearing, into the trees and out of sight.