A Threnody of Tears | Steve Harrington ✓

Chapter Six

Steve pulled into the trailer park with Max immediately jumping out, promising that dropping off letters for her parents would only take twenty seconds. 

"That thing's got batteries in it, right?" Steve asked, looking towards Dustin's walking talkie. 

"I'm not even answering that question."

"Hey, I'll be back in a sec," Maggie interjected looking over to her trailer. 

"Where are you going?" Steve asked, turning to her. 

"Just over there." She returned, pointing over to her trailer. "Thought I better change, don't know how you guys stay in the same clothes for days on end. I'll be right back."

Maggie walked across the trailer park, pushing open the door. "Hey, Dad." 

"Oh hi, Maggie." Peter Fulmer returned, barely looking up from the TV. Maggie paused a second, wishing and wanting him to just question where she had been, if she was alright, but the longer she waited the louder the TV got. She sighed before moving down towards her room. 

It was small, pitiful really. Her bed was pushed in the corner, still draped in blankets from the winter months when their heater had gone out, her wardrobe taking up most of the remaining space. She headed straight to her wardrobe now, quickly gathering a new change of clothes that she thought would work well for whatever she might end up doing, monster hunting or whatever, before changing. 

She paused slightly in direct view of that door across the hall, there was something about the last few days that made her view that door differently. For across the skinny hall was what had once been her sister's room, sealed over and dark with the curtains drawn shut, despite there being nothing of any worth left in the room. 

Slamming doors. Laughter. Arguments. Jokes. Music. Love. So many things were centred on that tiny strip of floor between the two doors. 

Maggie shook her head, picking up her abandoned backpack before stuffing random items into it that she thought might be useful. She knew that she had to get a move on, she was taking too much time already and the last thing Max would want to do was wait for her.

 Giving a last glance around her room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything that could be of worth, Maggie headed back out into the living room. 

"Bye, Dad." She said, leaning over to give him a kiss on the cheek. "Don't wait up for me. I'm going to be gone a while." 

Maggie moved away before Peter called her back. "Maggie... Your nose." 

"What?" She questioned utterly confused by what her Dad had said, until she felt the warm liquid pooling on top of her lip, blood, that constantly dripped from her nose. 

Back at the car, the three boys were still gathered on the outside of the car, when Max suddenly came from behind her trailer. "Hey, that was longer than 20 seconds." Steve accused, before noticing that she was upset. "Hey, whoa, whoa. You all right?"

"I'm fine. Just drive." Max dismissed, climbing onto the backseat. 

"Just in a sec, we have to wait for Maggie." Steve returned, looking towards where Maggie had gone, hoping for her to appear again. 

"I thought Maggie said she was going to be right back?" Dustin questioned, looking in the same direction.

"It's alright, she'll be here," Steve replied confidently despite both of them thinking the same thing. It was then that Maggie appeared, trying to subtly wipe her nose with her sleeve.