#bears stuff

March 22nd 1986. Hawkins Indiana was no longer a place of peace and joy. Even though these past few years it never really was that way to begin with. When Chrissy Cunningham was found dead in the Munson’s trailer. Grief, misery, confusion, anger and hate spread through the small town like wildfire. Eddie Munson being the main person fingers were all pointed towards.

Higgins always new he was a rotting apple amongst the others in a thriving tree. Infecting the lot of good students with satanic practices and worshipping sessions. Whatever gave the man a sense of power over people like the Munson family. Sure Eddie played a supposed game of fantasy that apparently “corrupted” your mind. He did pot but it’s the 80s who didn’t. They were escape from the realities his life had to offer him. 

Eddie never really let people’s words get to heart, after all they didn’t hurt him as much as physical treatment had. He learned to stop watching his tongue since Tommy H elbowed him in the stomach two years ago for simply being involved with a person. Making him throw up rather quickly not long after. They were gonna push him around no matter what he did or didn’t say. 

And here he was sitting in a rocking boat in Rick’s shed from people like Jason. His fingers curled against his shoulders tightly, he could feel the bruising pressure through his black leather jacket. An empty beer bottle at his feet slowly rolling every few seconds against his feet. 

He couldn’t get the image of the strawberry blonde covered in blood out of his head. The way her once blue ocean eyes turned dark and unfocused. Her poor broken fingers and shattered bones. How could he have just left her like that? Over and over and over again he thought this. 

He interacted with the cheerleader maybe two times prior to yesterday. Middle school talent show they spoke for the very first time. An 8th grade boy being forced into a required competition and an excited sixth grade girl more than happy to perform. When Jason and Eddie were beating the shit out of each other and she alongside Ronnie were the only people who tried to stop it. 

They hardly knew each other and yet he couldn’t help but feel an intense wave of guilt. Knee bouncing up and down. Eyes squeezed shut. He couldn’t take much more of this. All his senses were heightened in every way possible. He hated it. It’s not like he was going to have any sense of safety soon. Every hour cops drove past Rick’s property, and bolted to cover himself with the tarp in the boat. He might as well get used to the bleeding solitude.

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Like every Saturday morning Lindsey was a rather stubborn person to wake up. 7:30 and her eyes slowly fluttered open at the sunlight gracing her eyelids. Tews sleeping by her feet, rubbing its face against the soft fabric. Her stuffed shark in arms. She always needed to have something in her arms to get her to sleep. Her hair rather messy and frizzed from her sleep. Pulling a few strands from her mouth and stretching her arms above her head. Crackling a few joints. 

She quickly jumped at a rapid knocking on her door followed by multiple repeated chants of her name. A voice she knew way too well. It quickly became unbearable for her to stand. Leaping from her blankets to slowly pull her door open, facing her brother and leaning against her door frame.

“Dustin…it’s not even eight o clock yet what is it.”-

The usual witty teen grabbed onto his sisters wrist pulling her into the living room with rapid pace. Nearly tripping over poor Tews as he ran behind the two siblings. 

“Lindsey!- Please just look, you can go to sleep later this is important.”

He stopped in front of the television with Lindsey now standing beside him. 

The local news being broadcasted with a reporter stating how a Hawkins High student was found dead. From what Lindsey could make out it was at the trailer park…right outside of Munsons trailer. Wayne was in the background outside of the trailer smoking a cigarette. And Eddie was no where in sight.

The girl’s previously tired eyes quickly widened at the words she read out sacross the lightened box. Sprinting back to her room nearly slipping against the hallways carpet. Quickly changing into a pair of black cargo pants , a thin sweater and hoodie tied around her waist. 

There’s no way in hell she was going to believe that Eddie or Wayne did that to Chrissy. Wayne had practically become her dad over the several years she knew him. 

Pulling her backpack up off the floor and dumping out all her school supplies. Replacing it with different items she soon shoved inside. 

Trying not to make much of a panicking ruckus she pushed her window open, sliding outside the window and nearly getting stuck with her backpack on her. Catching herself before ruining her mother’s flowers. 

She paused however before bolting to her bike at Max on her porch. She quickly waved to her friend before holding a finger up to her mouth almost as if asking for the red head not to tell Dustin or her mom. Max dramatically rolled her eyes with a scoff and pressed the doorbell a few times. Waiting however until Lindsey was out of sight.

—————————————————————

A few hours had passed as late morning began. Yet Eddie hadn’t moved from his spot hardly at all. Still curled up almost like a soldier in the fetal position. Staying attentive for any new sound, quickly catching however as the rubble down Ricks driveway began to make noise. It wasn’t an animal like last time. He got up so fast out of the boat he nearly got his foot soaked in the water. Scampering to wrap himself with the other piles of tarp and covering his mouth with his hands. He didn’t even bother to look out the window to see who it was. Anyone could be a danger to him. He couldn’t trust a single person right now. 

Said person outside was Lindsey, rolling alongside Reefer Ricks house she leaned her bike up and against the side. Eddie had only taken her here once but she knew this is where he went sometimes to free his mind. While Rick was in jail it was a decent place for someone not to turn a blind eye to hiding. She knocked on the front door. Once…twice…a lot of times. She wasn’t going to just break into someone’s house. She wasn’t a hundred percent positive he was even here. 

There’s no way he would have stooped so low to get Al to pick him up. She already stopped by Garreth’s garage and talked with the rest of Corroded Coffin. He hadn’t stopped by her home at all. This was her last shot at where he could be. 

She pressed her cheek against the glass to try and see inside. No lights were on, nothing was out of place, no sign of life. With a sigh she jumped downwards from the porch to the ground. Kicking at a rock as she reached to pick her bike up again. Her eyes soon catching sight a light coming from the nearby shed at the end of the driveway. He would be dumb enough to keep the light on…and if Rick was really in jail, how would a light be on in the first place. 

She places a hand above her eyes to try and see into the shed, no one inside that she could see. Just some wrappers and beer bottles spread through out the work bench. She didn’t even need to jiggle the doorknob open as she stepped inside. Pulling her bike into the shed and resting it up against the wall. Tapping her foot anxiously against the floor she didn’t know much what to do other than start talk and just…hope. 

“Eddie I know you’re here…it’s Lindsey if you can’t tell- I mean of course you can tell but just for clarification…I mean if you’re not here then I don’t know where else you could possibly be. I’m worried about you. I get if you don’t wanna talk to me or that if you came here to be alone after everything that’s going on. That is if you even know.” Lindsey paused. Blowing some strands of hair from her face and walking around. 

“Eddie please just- I’ll wait til you’re ready to come out…or if I loose my mind first waiting for you.” She leaned her back up against the wall and slid downwards to the floor. Her heart ached at the racing thoughts in her head. What if the police already got him? What if he’s somewhere you’ll never be able to find him? What if he really did kill Chrissy?- no that’s stupid he would never. But…what if he did….No no don’t think like that Lindsey…Just try and think positive. 

Only that was nearly impossible. Lindsey threw her head back with a slam against the wall in defeat not knowing what else to do. She couldn’t just go home. The cops were gonna be at her house eventually, they probably were already. It wasn’t a secret she was dating him. People at school gave her enough crap for it but she didn’t care. They’d go to her immediately if they knew she was one of the closest people to Eddie. But that was the least of her concerns right now. 

As Lindsey wrapped herself further and further in her own head a sound caught her attention. The shuffling of a nearby tarp, rolling off of something in a nearby boat. Just like that revealing the person she had been searching for all morning. Lindsey practically sprang to her feet up off the ground, bringing herself closer to him. “Oh gods Eddie what the fuck!- Why didn’t you call or anything where have you-“ 

“Lindsey. STOP.” Eddie spat out holding his hands out towards her.

The girl immediately planted her feet at his words. Nearly stumbling back just a bit and freezing in place as well as her words. 

He almost sounded as if he had a rock in his throat. His brown doe eyes wide and filled with something she’d never seen from him. Fear. 

“Just…don’t come any closer to me…Lindsey please…” 

She backed herself up just enough to give him more space. “Okay…okay I am…Eddie what…” She couldn’t even find the words. 

A painful silence fell over the two. Both trying to find the words to what the had to say. Eddie spoke first. 

“I don’t want you to get hurt.” Eddie could hardly get the words out. Almost as if his lips couldn’t keep up with his mind. 

Lindsey’s face changed to confusion and then concern. “Eddie I’m not going to, if you’re afraid of that you should have stopped me from joining Girl Scouts in 8th grade.” She tried to crack a joke. Eddie didn’t smile. He always chuckled at her stupid jokes unless he was really out of it. She’d never seen him so shaken up. It looked as if he just saw someone get killed right in front of him. Except that’s exactly what happened. 

“You’d never hurt me Eddie. And I’m staying right here…with you. There’s nothing you can do to make me leave.” 

His eyes finally met with hers. His head told her again and again to make her leave, scare her, to tell. But he couldn’t do any of it. He didn’t know what to do. God he needed her right now but he couldn’t get her involved in any of this. He couldn’t let anything happen to her. She promised Chrissy he’d keep her safe and yet he turned heel and ran. Who does that? Eddie Munson apparently. The big scary freak of Hawkins High who shouldn’t have a single relationship with anyone in the world. Just another rotting piece of garbage. 

She inched herself closer to him, waiting to see if he’d flinch to ask her not to. But he didn’t. So she inched closer and closer to him. Eventually sitting down next to the boat he rested in. 

“Eddie…sweetheart. I’m here.” 

That was the last snap in the breaking dam, he couldn’t keep this up any longer. He let out a shaky sigh that soon flowed into tears. His head sinking low as he looked down to the floor of the rocking boat in the shed, his sight growing blurry and hand combing and soon gripping into his strands of hair. 

“Oh Eddie, hey hey hey none of that.” Lindsey gently pulled his hand from his hair. Instead taking his hand to hers, holding it gently in her palm. The metal head quickly ran his fingers against her soft phalanges and intertwined them with his own. Taking one of her palms to reach for his cheek. Hesitating because she didn’t want to push him contact wise. Yet didn’t have to question very long as he pressed his cold cheek against her warm hand.Sniffling softly trying to keep himself quiet. Longing for her touch and embrace so badly. 

“Please don’t go L-Lindsey…I’m sorry I’m so…”

 He shakily stepped out from the boat to stumble beside her. Lying down on his aide and practically tumbling into his arms. Quickly catching him she held him tight and close to her. Adjusting him in her lap so he could be more comfortable. “Don’t apologize, don’t even speak just focus on breathing right now sweetie. One step at a time and we’ll go from there…okay? Give me a squeeze if yes.” He did quickly after, it was very tight bringing a squeak from her but he quickly let up. 

His nose face buried into his shoulder as he squeezed his eyes shut tight. Hands gripped tightly with fabric from his girlfriend’s hoodie. He hugged her so tightly as if he let go he’d never be able to take her in again. Her soft clothing, the soft scent of flowers he loved so much, the sparkles in her eyeshadow, the blue in her hair he helped her pick out the box for. He couldn’t loose her. He just couldn’t. 

She cradled his head softly against her hand, bringing it up to her lips and kissing his hair so gently and soon letting her fingers comb out the brown curls. Taking out the few leaves and fuzzies sprinkled throughout. A soft hum spilling from her lips almost in sync with her heartbeat. Both such soft sounds that Eddie could regulate himself with. He took in a deep breath as he opened his soft brown eyes, pressing his cheek into her chest and relaxing in her arms. Letting out a long sigh of relief. 

“There we go…theres my sweet boy.”