A Threnody of Tears | Steve Harrington ✓

Chapter Two

Darkness had started to loom by the time they reached Reefer Rick's house, the location taking Maggie a little while to find with the setting darkness and considering that she had only been there a couple of times. 

The group had gathered outside the front door, Dustin ringing the doorbell multiple times only to get no response. "Okay. Well, that's settled. I guess he's not here." Steve sighed. 

"Eddie! It's Dustin!" Dustin continued, repeatedly rapping the door with his fist. "Look, we just wanna talk, okay? No cops, I swear. We just wanna help. Eddie!"

"Is he always like this?" Maggie questioned quietly, her head beginning to pound with the persistent knocking. 

"Unfortunately yes." Steve returned, Dustin too invested in knocking to notice the dig sent his way. 

"Rick! Reefer Rick!" 

Maggie followed Robin around to the side of the house, sticking close as they looked in the uncovered windows to see no sign of life. 

"Hey, guys?" Max called, her gaze centred on a shed on the side of the house. 

"Hello?" Robin called, opening the door to the shed hesitantly. "Is anyone home?"

From the second that the door was open, memories came flooding back to Maggie. Laughter. Her sister's geninue smile enhanced by her slightly tipsy state as she swatted playfully at the arms that had encircled her waist, the boy's smile equally wide as he began to tickle the girl in his arms. They were happy and carefree. 

"What a dump," Steve complained, grabbing an oar from the wall, before prodding at a tarp-covered boat that sat in the middle of the room. 

"What are you doing?" Dustin questioned. 

"He might be in here." Steve explained with a shrug, continuously poking the tarp. 

"So take the tarp off."

"If you're so brave, you take the tarp off." Steve retorted. 

"Someone was here," Max concluded, picking up some food wrappers that had been left behind on a table. 

"Maybe he heard us. Got spooked and ran." Robin shrugged. 

"Don't worry. Steve will get him with his oar." Dustin assured. 

"I know you think you're being funny, but considering everyone in this room has nearly died a hundred times, personally, I don't find it funny in the slight..." Steve started, interrupted by Eddie bursting out from the tarp, grabbing and pinning Steve to the wall, a sharp object held dangerously close to Steve's neck. 

"Eddie! Eddie! It's me, it's Dustin." Dustin screamed, holding his arms out carefully. "This is Steve. He's not gonna hurt you, right, Steve?"

"Right. Yeah." Steve returned, his gaze entirely focused on the object in Eddie's hands. 

"Steve, why don't you drop the oar?" Dustin suggested, calmly. The thud as Steve dropped the oar causing Eddie's grip to tighten. 

"He's cool. He's cool." Dustin continued. 

"I'm cool, man. I'm cool." Steve added in agreement. 

"What are you doing here?" Eddie questioned, looking around the room with wide eyes. 

"We're looking for you. We're here to help." Dustin reassured, turning back to the group that had gathered behind him. "Eddie, these are my friends.  You know Robin, from band." Dustin started, Robin intimating her trumpet in response. "This is my friend Max. The one who never wants to play D&D. And I'm assuming you must know Maggie, her being your dead ex's sister and all that."