wasteland, STRANGER THINGS

one.

CHAPTER ONE:

THE VANISHING OF WILL BYERS

Cassie was in her math class when she got called down to the office. Throughout the day she had heard low rumblings from other students about a boy in their class, Will Byers, had gone missing. When Cassie entered the room she saw the chief, a police officer, and her principal. Cassie took a seat on the couch in front of them.

"Hey, so, a classmate of yours has gone missing, Will Byers." The chief informed.

"Oh, is he okay?" Cassie wondered.

Cassie groaned internally as soon as the words left her mouth, the kid was missing, of course he wasn't fucking okay.

"Well....he's missing. So probably not." The other cop said.

"Do you have any idea where he may be? Any hiding places?" The chief ignored the other cop's comment.

"Sorry, no. I don't really know him that well. He's normally hanging around with three other boys though. Lucas, Mike, and Dustin I think." Cassie answered.

"Okay, well, thanks for your input. We'll talk to them next. You can leave." The chief nodded.

❁

After school, Cassie biked her way to her father's diner. She entered through the front door and spotted her dad instantly.

"Hey dad!" Cassie smiled. This caught the attention of the older man and he pulled her into a hug.

"Hey sweetheart." Benny smiled back and then pulled away from the hug.

Cassie sat at one of the tables.

"The usual?" Benny asked and Cassie just nodded. She looked at the kitchen and saw a bald kid rummaging and munching on some fries.

"Uh, dad?" Cassie pointed in the direction of the kitchen. 

"Hey, come here!" Benny yelled and stormed off to follow the kid. Cassie was intrigued and followed them too.

"You think you can steal from me, boy?" Benny grabbed the kid's shoulders.

It was then that they both realized that the kid was wearing a hospital gown.

"What the hell?" Benny whispered.

A few moments later, the three were sitting at a table in the restaurant. The bald kid was now wearing an oversized t-shirt that Benny supplied and was now munching on a hamburger.

"Geez. Your parents forget to feed you?" Benny joked.

"Dad!" Cassie slapped his shoulder. 

"...Is that why you ran away?" Benny crossed his arms, "They hurt you?  You went to the hospital, you got scared, you ran off, you wound up here, is that it?"

The kid just looked up and didn't say a word. 

"All right." Benny grabbed the basket of food and brought it towards him, "I'll give this back, all right? And you can have as much as you want. Maybe even some ice cream. But you gotta answer a few of my questions first, all right?"