─── ❪ 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑: 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘❫ 𖦹

Killian didn't get a full night's sleep. His brain's gears were whirling at breakneck speed, opening up an ocean of memories and thoughts in his head. He was still perplexed by the conversation with Karen and the possibility of his father's death. He knew his father was stupid, but he always tried to keep his head down, so what could he have gotten himself into that would lead to his death? He refused to believe it. He couldn't believe it that he would never see his father again. And he wanted to be sad about it, but he couldn't because he couldn't feel anything because of the deep crack in his heart that sucked all of his feelings away. And he has no idea how to tell Rose, his younger sister. He's afraid because he doesn't know how Rose will react. She didn't show it, but she loved her father, but she was like a shell who wants to keep things inside of herself.

Later that day at school, Killian found it difficult to concentrate on what was going on around him. Everything he'd been through the day before—Barb going missing, Will's body being discovered, and the possibility of his father's death—had left him feeling overwhelmed, his chest aching.

Nancy leapt up from her seat furiously when the first lesson ended, a worried expression on her face.
"Hey, Nance." Killian greeted the young girl who took a seat in the empty chair in front of him. "Is everything okay?"
"No!" She exclaimed, oblivious to the stares she received. "I just can't believe Steve..." she shook her head, her face lowering as the name was said. "First, I told him about the thing we saw in his backyard, and I could tell he didn't believe me by the look on his face." She sneered. "And all he cares about is his father finding out about the beer!" Her fury was visible in her voice as she stuttered. "In this situation, how can he only worry about himself!"
"Nance, we need to tell the cops everything, for now, the only thing that matters is Barb."
"But, is it really necessary to tell each and every detail?" She looked down at her hand, which she was clutching tightly around her wrist. "All I did was... I'm not sure why I feel so dumb, but I don't want to put Steve in any unnecessary trouble." Killian closed his eyes and leaned forward with a sigh.
"Nancy." He exhaled and placed his hand on her shoulder. "I understand that you like Steve and are worried about him. But Barb is missing. And if he realizes how important she is to you, he won't mind if you tell the cops everything." Without insulting the girl's boyfriend, the boy tried to tell her.
"You're right..." she sighed as she returned her gaze to her seat. "I'm going back to my seat, class is about to begin."

While Killian was staring blankly at the textbook the teacher was reading aloud from, the door to the classroom opened, and the secretary stepped inside.
"Killian Wright and Nancy Wheeler?" She called out the names of the two teenagers. "Would you mind coming with me?" With his pulse racing with fear, he raised his eyes and looked at the woman as he placed his belongings into his black backpack. He paused for a brief while as he approached the door, sending a reassuring nod to Natasha, who had a frightened expression on her face and had no idea what was going on.

After following the lady with Nancy at his side, They arrived at the empty cafeteria, where two police officers were seated at one of the tables, with Karen seated in front of them. As they sat down at the two empty seats next to Karen, she sent a reassuring nod toward the anxious teens.
"Mr. Wright and Ms. Wheeler?" The teenagers nodded when the police man with spectacles addressed them. "We've come to ask a few questions regarding Steve Harrington's party." The other officer began by taking out a piece of paper and a pen, probably to make notes of the teenagers' responses. "Let's get started. First and foremost, I'd like to know more about Nancy and Barbara's fight. Mr. Wright, did you happen to see it?"
"It wasn't really a fight." Nancy interjected, stroking her arms up and down in an attempt to calm her pounding heart."Barb just wanted to leave, but I didn't, so, I... I told her to just go home." Nancy explained, recalling the night of the party.
"Then what?"
"Then I went upstairs to put on some dry clothes."
"As for myself, I had already left by then." Killian coughed, biting the insides of his mouth, which were already hurting.
"And why did you leave before Nancy and Barbara?" With his brows wrinkled, the cop with the mustache questioned.
"I was just a little dizzy, all I wanted to do was go home."
"And the next day..." the cop added, his gaze falling on Nancy. "You two went back, and saw a bear?" Nancy closed her eyes and shook her head after a few moments of thinking.
"I don't know what it was, but..." she said, taking a long breath and gazing at Killian out of the corner of her eye. "I think... I think maybe it took Barb." She said, a little hesitantly.. "But Killian saw that thing that night!"
"You saw that... "thing", at the night of the party?" The officer then asked Killian, who took a deep breath and thought back to the night in question, his memories of which were hazy.
"Yes, I think I did it. I was walking home when I heard some sticks breaking, and when I turned around, there it was, standing in the middle of the road." He rambled and worriedly shook his head.
"Then what happened?"
"I'm not sure, I started running and when I turned around, it wasn't there."
"So it just vanished?" The second officer inquired, his face filled with skepticism.
He answered, unsure if he was being taken seriously, "Yes..."
"But you went to check behind Steve's house-" Nancy interrupted.
"We did." Nancy was interrupted by a police officer who tilted his head. "There's nothing there. There's no sign of bear."
"And no car." The other cop was the last to go.
"What?" Nancy furrowed her brows, unable to believe what the officer had just stated.
"But it was there when we went there yesterday!" Killian exclaimed, his tense fingers quivering.
"We figure that Barbara came back last night, and then she took off, went somewhere else."
"Has she ever talked to you about running off? Leaving town, maybe?"
"No." Nancy shook her head, as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No, Barb wouldn't do that, ever."
"She wasn't maybe upset about the fact that you were spending time with this boy?" The man inquired, eliciting a puzzled and dubious reaction from Killian."Uh, Steve Harrington?" The cop checked down to see if the name was correct.
"What?" Nancy raised her brows and muttered. "No!"
"Maybe she was jealous because she saw you go up to Steve's room?"
"Even if Barbara was upset, why would she run away?" Leaning back in his chair, Killian scoffed.
"And it'a not like that!" Karen on her side gave the brunette girl a suspicious look as Nancy tried to convince the cops.
"Like what?" The cop responded with a question.
"Steve and me, we're... we're just friends." Nancy raised her eyebrows as she stuttered. "We... we just talked."
"Now was this before or after you changed out of your clothes?"
"What difference does it make?" Killian scoffed, his wrath building as a result of not being taken seriously and being asked superfluous questions.

Karen drove the two home when the tense interrogation was completed; the entire ride was silent, but Karen's irritation was palpable.
"You lied to the police!" Karen screamed fiercely as she chased after her daughter, who quickly entered the house.
"I didn't lie!" Nancy didn't even glance at her mother as she replied.
"How naive do you think I am?" Karen shouted as she slammed her keys on the table, while Killian followed them silently. "You and Steve were just talking? And you, too-" Karen moved her gaze to Killian, who was staring nervously at his foot. "You got a little dizzy and decided to walk home? You're kidding, right? You haven't even came back home!"
"I'm sorry Karen, I just-" Nancy interrupted the boy, the girl's voice as loud as her mother's, as Killian tried to explain with a knot building in his gut, feeling like he had betrayed his aunt's confidence.
"Me and Steve, we slept together!" Nancy screamed and turned around to face her mother. "And Killian got drunk!" The girl pointed at her cousin. "Is that what you want to know? It doesn't matter!"
"It does matter!"
"No! It is all bullshit!" She gestured with her hands, tears streaming down her cheeks."It has nothing to do with Barb and she's missing.  And something horrible happened to her. I know. I know it!" Nancy yelled, her body shivering from the rising rage she was feeling, her breathing getting increasingly rapid, and tears scorching her face crimson. "And no one is listening to me or Killian!" She finished with a huff and turned around, but Karen grabbed her arms and yanked her back slightly.
"Sweetie, sweetie, I'm listening." Karen began, her voice softening as she placed her hands on Nancy's arms, forcing her daughter to face her. "I'm listening to you-"
"No! You're not!" The crying girl screamed, flinging her mother's hand away from her and running up to her room.
"Nancy... Nancy!" Karen shouted, her gaze fixed on the girl.
"Just leave me alone!" Nancy shouted. Karen looked down with a defeated sigh, then up at the boy, who was still there with a sad expression on his face. "Killian..." she started again, her lips parting slightly to say something, but Killian interrupted her by striding towards the stairwell.
"I'll go talk to Nancy..." He mumbled as he turned away from his aunt and hurried to his cousin's room, he raised his hands and knocked on the white door, exhaling.
"It's me, Nance." After hearing nothing from inside the room, Killian told the girl.
"Come in." She sniffled. Killian pushed the doorknob down gently, being greeted by the sight of Nancy, who had her backfire during  towards the door. The boy realized this was the first time he had entered Nancy's room since he had arrived. Since he stayed at the Wheeler's years ago, the room has altered dramatically. The bright yellow paint was replaced with a baby pink, and the cartoon and drawing posters were replaced with photos of her and her friends.
Killian sat down with a sigh next to the girl, his hand on her trembling back.
"Hey..." he said, running his palm up and down in an attempt to soothe the wailing girl.
"Killian, it's all my fault..." she began to cry, clutching her bag tightly to her body and wiping a tear from her cheeks. "She went missing because of me..." the girl's face trembled, warm tears welling up in her eyes once more.
"Nance..." he said, his bottom lip biting down as he struggled to find the correct words. "It's not your fault, okay? There's nothing wrong with having a good time now and again... You had no idea this was going to happen!"
"But, I told her to come!" Her lips erupt in a desperate scream. "And now that we might know what happened to her, or who took her, they refuse to believe us! I know Barb, and she would never run away."
"Fuck..." Killian inhaled deeply, trying to come up with a solution. "I wish we could prove it that we saw it."
"Wait..." Nancy wiped the tears from her eyes and drew her messenger bag closer to her, looking within for something. "Jonathan... he took a picture of Barb. Maybe that thing is on the picture too..." She snatched up the torn-up picture and spread it out on her bed. "Give me the tape, Killian! It's on my desk." The girl began to put the pieces back together, pulling them from left to right, while Killian took the tape from the table and placed it next to Nancy, looking at the picture that Nancy had begun to tape together. "There!" Her tiny fingers pointed at a figure on the corner of the paper, and she gasped, a surprised expression on her face. "I need to find Jonathan." She said, her mouth slightly parting in realization. "I'm going to get him, and while I'm away, can you please get me some books?" She asked, her eyebrows raised.
"What books?"
"That might give us a better idea of what this thing is." She hurriedly turned around and left, putting the photograph in her bag.
"Sure... books." Killian sighed and returned to his room, where Rose was resting. "Shit! When did you come home?"
"Not too long ago. What happened to you? Have you seen a ghost or something?" She giggled.
"Yeah, sure." He rolled his eyes and reached for his jacket. "I'm heading to the library."
"Wait." Rose got out of bed hurriedly and put on the sweater that was dangling from the bed's end. "You know, you've been keeping a lot of secrets from me since we've been here in Hawkins." She took a step in front of her brother and shut the door in front of his face.
"What are you talking about?" He coughed, uncomfortably clutching the straps of his bags and averting his gaze from her.
"First of all, this." She murmured as she took a piece of paper from her denim pocket. "Even though I heard you crying over it yesterday, I was waiting for you to tell me about dad." Killian's expression dropped as she sighed.
"You heard it?" His brows were knotted together. "Why did you act as if you didn't know anything?" He inquired, trying to maintain his calmness.
"As I said—" she began, pointing to the piece of paper with her fingers. "I was expecting you to say something. And this whole nonsense is complete bullshit." She rolled her eyes and stuffed the paper back into her pocket. "I mean, don't you find this suspicious? That some random woman informed us that dad is no longer alive?"
"I didn't really think about it..." He said, the knot in his throat becoming larger.
"Yeah, I figured. We should call her." She walked out of the room with a nod.
"Wait!" Killian followed his sister, who had already reached the stairwell. "Why should we call her?"
"To interrogate her, of course." Rose slipped out the front door with a shrug of her shoulders. "To figure out what the fuck is going on with my father. Perhaps she will know more than we do. You're going to the library, right? We can use the phone there."
"Sure." He went after his sister, who came to a halt with her brows furrowed. Killian followed her gaze, seeing that Steve Harrington was leaning next to his car, uncomfortably grasping his shoulders and muttering something to himself.
"Oh- Killian!" As he turned back to see the boy approaching, Steve exclaimed.
"Harrington, what are you doing here?" He asked, his arms crossed, as he looked at the crimson automobile.
"I just came here because I said something to Nancy that hurt her feelings, and I-" he began to explain, his brows twitching slightly as he gestured with his hands.
"I know, Nancy already told me." He shrugged, returning his gaze to his sister, who stood expectantly beside the road, an unhappy expression on her face. "But she isn't here, come back later." He nodded, attempting to walk away from the boy, but a large hand gripped his wrist and yanked him back.
"Can you tell me where she is?" He inquired as Killian removed the other boy's hands away from his.
"I don't know, probably out with her friends or something." He scoffed and tried to escape once more.
"Where are you going?" Steve moved closer to Killian, who was already standing next to Rose. "I can give you a ride."
"There's no need." Rose responded instead of Killian, a phony smile on her lips.
"Hey! You're Rose, right? Please let me take you, to make up for the other day. I'm really sorry." Steve bit down on his bottom lip, nervously tilting his head.
"Fuck. We really don't need it." She widened her eyes, trying to shake the boy off.
"Please, let me just take you! I really don't want to be on bad terms with Nancy's cousins." The boy muttered, desperately glancing at the girl, who just huffed and turned around.
"Wow, you're really desperate to get a good point from Nancy, aren't you?" She rolled her eyes and dragged her brother behind her, who simply glanced at the situation with an unimpressed expression on his face.
"So, where should I take you?" As soon as they got in the car, Steve turned around with a smile as he started the engine.
"Is there a library near?" Killian inquired as he removed his backpack from his shoulder and placed it on the seat next to him, reclining back in the comfortable seat and examining the interior of the vehicle.
"Yeah, it's right in the center of the town, only a few minutes away." He started the car with a shrug. Steve coughed a few minutes into the ride, glanced back at Killian in the rearview mirror.
"So, you're both from Cincinnati?" Killian turned away from the window where he was watching the people of Hawkins and asked. "What brought you to Hawkins?"
"We're only staying in Hawkins for a short time." Rose replied, still holding out hope for his father's life.
"How did you end up here?" He raised his brows as if the inquiry had just escaped his lips.
"Our dad, he's a very busy man. He's barely home and he got so worried about us being alone, so he sent us here." As the boy adjusted the sunglass over his eyes, the girl told Steve in a mocking tone.
"Oh, I completely understand." The boy behind the wheel chuckled and paused for a few moments, unsure whether or not to tell them about his parents, who had left so many scars on his heart when he was growing up, but after hearing the siblings' situation, he decided to continue with a sigh. "My parents are barely at home. I see them once or twice a month, at most." With a toss of his head, he mocked. "I mean, there are times when they call me up, but only to check if I haven't burned their precious property down." He continued laughing, not noticing the surprised expression that Killian was making. He continued to laugh, completely oblivious to Killian's surprised reaction. The boy bit his lower lip, feeling a little guilty for judging the boy to be some type of perfect boy with the perfect family, so it surprised him that Steve Harrington wasn't exactly who he presented to the world.
"That's why you wanted Nancy to keep quiet about the beers, right? Because of your parents." who was glancing at him out of the corner of his eye but never taking his gaze away from the road.
He narrowed his eyes, the skin on his forehead wrinkling as he said.
"Shit..." The skin on his forehead wrinkled as he squinted his eyes. "Yes, my father is a jerk, but Nancy is correct. In this situation, I shouldn't have reacted the way I did." He admitted it, a sigh escaping his lips. And Killian began to realize that he wasn't such a bad guy after all.
"You know..." Rose began with a set of curved brows. "You're actually decent when you're not around those friends of yours." Raising his sunglass to his brow, a strand of his neatly styled hair fell in front of his eyes, that looked like they melted into golden rays as the sun shined on them.
"My friends—" he shifted his gaze away from them, contemplating for a second. "They are actually pretty decent too." A nervous smile appeared on his lips as he knitted his brows together. "Their humor is just different." He murmured, earning a disgusted look from Rose, that Steve decided to ignore. He pulled the car over as they arrived to the library. "We're here."
"Thanks." As he and his sister exited the car, Killian patted the seat.
"I can wait for you here." As he rolled down the window, Steve suggested, glancing at the boy's golden-tinted face, the rays flowing through his curly hair, which was swinging back and forth in the breeze.
"There's no need to. Thank you for the ride though." Rose grinned as she swiftly exited the vehicle, pulling the piece of paper from her pocket. Killian glanced around with wide eyes as he walked into the massive building, which had a somber and frigid atmosphere to it.
"What are you exactly looking for?" Rose inquired of her brother as she began looking for the phone they needed.
"Nancy asked me to bring some books for her... about animals and stuff. But this is a long story I'll explain to you after we talk to that woman."
"But you better tell me everything, and this time no lying." Killian groaned, worry rising in his throat as he remembered the little girl who was still in the Wheeler's basement.
"Of course." They spotted two dingy yellow phones at the rear of the library after a few minutes of searching. Rose took one in her hands and dialed the number, her brother approaching the phone so he could hear the dialogue as well. The line continued to ring, and with each buzz, Killian's heart began to race. The woman on the other end of the line picked up the phone with a cracking sound, a bored voice coming through.
"Good afternoon! My name is Charlotte Bailey, and I'm  from Indiana's Central Foster Care Agency. How may I assist you?" The sound of heels striking the tile from the other side of the line bothered the boy's ear, so he hissed with d frustration.
"Hello, Miss Bailey?" Rose nervously said, clicking her nails on her hand, the confidence she felt at home slipping from her hold. "My name is Roseanne Wright, I believe my aunt, Karen Wheeler called you yesterday." With a trembling breath, she informed the woman, staring at her brother, who was engrossed in the talk.
"Oh... yes, Karen Wheeler did call me." Charlotte said after a few moments of contemplation. "Roseanne Wright, right? What can I help you with?"
"I want to know what happened to my father, Kristopher Wright. You said you're a good friend of his, so I'm sure you know what happened to him." Rose lifted her brows in anticipation of the woman's response.
"I'm sorry, but I can't help you with that. Goodbye. " Charlotte responded instantly, her voice dripping with earnestness.
"Wait a minute, don't hang up!" The adolescent girl exclaimed, completely oblivious to the fact that she was in a library. "Listen." She spoke quietly and solemnly. "As I previously said, since you're such a good friend of my father's, I'm sure you'll be able to help me. You know him, maybe even better than us. And from the sound of your voice I'm pretty sure you know something we don't. There were times when he would vanish for weeks, goddammit! But he never gave up on us after just a few days! I have no idea what kind of fucking shit he's gotten himself into, but don't you dare leave me hanging!" Rose spat the words, her brows furrowed and her lips shaking with rage as she sank her nails into the sensitive flesh of her palm.
"Stubborn. Exactly like Kristopher." The woman sighed and paused for a few moments before continuing. "All well, then. I'll tell you a couple of things. Your father, as you know, is from Hawkins; has he or your aunt ever told you about his life there?"
"No, they didn't." Rose, immersed in the talk, shook her head.
"When he was young, he began to work in a place ran by the government, which has since been closed down. And it was there that he first met your mother. That facility ran a variety of shady business, which he refused to participate in, so he left with your mother. However, he has recently begun to believe that the facility is functioning again, and that they have taken your mother. During the time he was missing, he tried getting information about this place, but about a month ago, he called me to say that he had finally found a way into the place, and he asked me to check on you and your brother and place you in the care of someone I believe would be the best for you and him." The woman began explaining, leaving the teenagers mouth hanging open.
"What kind of place is this? Where the hell is it?" Rose inquired, her face baffled.
"I'm afraid I've already said too much, I can't tell you any more. However, if he truly found it and tried to enter, he could be in great danger... In a few days, I'll be in Hawkins, and we can meet up. I'll look for you, but don't trust anyone." The woman finished, and the connection terminated before Rose could respond, the beeping sound resonating in Rose's hazy thoughts, questions haunting her mind.
"What the fuck..." she exclaimed as she slammed the phone back into its original position. "What the fuck!" She screamed as she hurried away from the phone.
"Rose!" Killian jerked her arms, causing the girl to spin around, her face flushed with rage.
"How could she just say all of these things, and then hang up?"
"She promised she'd look for us!" The boy sought to soothe the girl, burying the rage in he felt in his bones.
"I know, but, fuck..." she gasped as she slid down the wall. "Why did dad had to get himself into this shit?"
"Maybe when we meet Charlotte, we'll learn more."
"She better tell us everything." she exhaled as she closed her eyes. "Now that we've gotten this out of the way, you'd better explain what the hell is wrong with you." The boy took a few steps back and looked at the table in front of him. "Let's have a seat."

"So, that's it..." the youngster sighed as he told the story of the little girl they found in the woods, Barb's disappearance, and the creature he saw that might have kidnapped Barb.
"Alright, what the hell." With a wide eye, she gazed at her brother. "So, there's a girl you don't know anything about... in Mike's basement." Rose inquired, and Killian replied with a nod. "Why didn't you tell Karen about it? The cops?" With an even more perplexed expression, she questioned.
"She said the "bad man" would kill us." He looked around to check if anyone was there and muttered.
"Killian..." Rose's eyes glowed with idea as she remembered her talk with Charlotte. "What if the bad man the girl was talking about is the same bad man dad got in trouble with?"
He narrowed his eyes and said, "It's possible... but let's be realistic Rose, we can't do anything. We're nothing against those people. If they were able to hide shady government experiments, imagine what they'd do to us."
She leapt off of her seat and turned away from Killian, saying, "I know, Killian... but at least I need to try. I can't just sit around like everything is fine. I'll try to talk to the girl." The girl said, walking towards the exit without even glancing at her brother. With a sigh and a bitter taste in his mouth, Killian rose from his chair and began looking for books that could aid Nancy and his investigation into the creature's identity. After checking out with the books, he clutched them close to his chest so they wouldn't fall on the ground. He tried to lock the door as he slipped out, but the heavy books shifted his weight to his right, and he nearly fell to the ground, but he was stopped by a hand pushing his back, steadying his posture.

"Let me help!" Killian's head turned in surprise as he heard a familiar voice behind him exclaim.

"You're still here?" He questioned, turning his body as Steve Harrington helped him in closing the large doors behind them.
"Well, yeah..." he said awkwardly as he snatched one of Killian's books from his grip and rubbed the back of his head. He looked at his car, attempting to signal the other boy to enter, but Killian remained stiffly standing there, attempting to grab the book. "I figured I'd wait and see whether Nancy was back by the time you wanted to go back." With a hesitant tone, he said, his voice cracking from the sorrow he still felt for hurting his girlfriend.
"Okay?" Killian shook his head and knitted his brows together as he finally snatched the book from Steve and went down the steps to return home with the heavy books, but the taller body in front of him stopped him. "Wait, you were waiting for me? How romantic " He asked, rolling his eyes.
"Oh my god, yeah, sure, please, just get in." Steve chuckled, his cheeks tingling with embarks as he looked away from the tan boy. "I'm trying to make amends for being a jerk." As they got back into the car, Killian placed the books in the backseat, he said.
"For being a jerk?" Killian leaned back in his seat, his gaze fixed on the boy seated next to him, whose focus never strayed from the road.
"Yeah, because of the joke about you being poor and stuff..." He told the boy, remorse tingling on the tip of his tongue, leaving a metallic taste in his mouth that was burning his esophagus.
"Oh my God, Steve." Killian laughed and rolled his eyes. "It's not, like, you made fun of me for being poor. I was just, probably overreacting, I was drunk so I don't really remember." After noticing how polite he was acting towards the boy he wasn't supposed to be friendly with, he shook his head and squinted his eyes.
"You don't remember?" The white of the boy's teeth could be seen between his lips as he laughed. "You really can't hold your liquor, can you?"
"You're right, I can't." He chuckled and shook his head, recalling the occasions when he was drunk. "It's just something I'm not used to." He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.
"Well, if it makes you feel better, I'm not much of a drinker." Steve shifted his gaze to Killian's smiling face.
"I never felt bad about it. Maybe once when I was like, thirteen or something."
"You were drinking at thirteen?" Steve's eyes widened and a smile appeared on his lips.
"It's not that I wanted to drink, but there was this group of kids who I thought were really cool, and I really wanted to fit in for some reason," He began the story by squinting his eyes and recalling his stupidity. "So I stole some liquor from my father's cupboard, and everyone was drinking like crazy, but I passed out after only one cup, and then I got bullied because apparently, I'm a pussy."
"Wow, Cincinnatians are crazy." He lifted his brows, causing Killian to laugh uncontrollably.
"Yeah, well Hawkins is wild too. I've only been here for less than a week and now there's already two persons missing? Crazy."
"This town is not usually like this, it's mostly chill." As he peered out the window at the Wheeler's house, Steve concluded his sentence. "We've arrived." He clicked his tongue.
"Yeah, thank you. I'll check if Nancy is back home." He reassured the boy with a nod, after he got out of the car. Going in the house and putting all of the books on his bed to give to Nancy later, he went into the girl's room, but found no one there. Opening the window, he signaled to Steve with a shake of his head that his girlfriend is not back yet.
"Can you tell her that I'll come back later?" Steve yelled, shielding his eyes with his palm so the sun wouldn't blind him.
"Sure."

⌗  CHAPTER FOUR '  –  THE BODY  ᵎᵎ

He put on his shoes and ran to the school after receiving a call from Nancy telling him to come immediately. He found the two of them in the dark room, Jonathan standing in front of one of the machines, and Nancy standing by his side.
"Killian!" Nancy pushed herself away from the table and dragged her breathless cousin over to the boy who was concentrating on lightening the picture Nancy pieced together. "Jonathan told me that his mom it that thing too." As Jonathan turned his gaze to the tan boy, Nancy told Killian. He sighed and leaned close to Jonathan, ignoring the tension between them.
"Did your mom say anything other than that she had seen it as well?" Killian questioned, his eyes wide with wonder at what Jonathan was up to with the equipment.
"Yeah, like, um, where it might have gone to, or..." Nancy went on, her gaze falling on Jonathan's back.
"No, just that it came out of the wall." As the machine made a 'ding' sound, the boy responded. He took it from under the machine and placed it in a tray of water, tilting the edges of it.
"How long does this take?" Nancy inquired, her gaze fixed on the piece of paper.
"Not long." As Killian leaned forward, waiting for the picture to appear, the gloomy boy replied.
"Have you been doing this for a while?" The girl asked.
"What?"

"Photography." Instead of Nancy, Killian responded by gesturing at the piece of paper.
Jonathan shrugged and answered, "Yeah. I guess I'd rather observe people than, you know..."
"Talk to them." Nancy smiled as he concluded his words and looked up at Jonathan's face.
"I know. It's weird." He turned away from the girl, mumbling.
"No, it's not weird at all." Killian commented, his eyes saddened somewhat as he looked at the boy. "Some people have a hard time using words, and you and I are both one of them."
"Killian is correct." Nancy attempted to reassure Jonathan. "It's not weird."
"No, it is." He stammered. "It's just sometimes..." he stopped for a moment to think. "People don't really say what they are thinking. But you capture the right moment... it says more."
"What did Nancy's photo say?" Killian remarked without thinking, without thinking, straightening his back to gaze at the teenager, whose cheek slumped as the weight of shame hit it.
"I shouldn't have taken that." He hung his head as he brushed his palms across his face, then sent an apologetic look to Killian before turning back to meet Nancy's gaze. "I'm sorry." He whispered. "To both of you... It's just..." Killian's eyes widened as he returned to the tray, the snapshot of the image fully developed, as Jonathan wanted to begin explaining his actions. "That's it." Killian pointed at the tray, catching the other teen's attention. "That's what we saw."
"My mom..." Jonathan muttered shakily as he stared in awe at the photo. "I thought she was crazy, 'cause she said, that's not Will's body. That he's alive."
"And if he's alive..." Killian shifted his gaze away from the tray, focusing on Nancy and Jonathan's surprised expressions.
"Then Barbara's alive too." Nancy exhaled as the three of them exchanged glances, the creature's image gleaming in the dim red light of the dark room.

(2023 April update: Edited and rewrote some part of this chapter, but I'm thinking about rewriting the whole book and then continuing, since my ST obsession is back🤞)