THE EYE OF THE STORM, strangerthings.

iv. afterthought.

CHAPTER FOUR.
afterthought.

PETER'S BREATH WAS HITCHED IN HIS THROAT, ALL OF HIS FEAR AND ANXIETY BUNDLED UP IN HIS EYES. he'd returned home late, extremely late, 12 minutes past midnight to be precise. he couldn't help it, he had been helping mike with the girl they found before cycling home. he found himself terrified the whole way home, ducking and running out the way of any small noise from the woods. he didn't know what took will but he didn't want to be next.

however any noise in the woods would never compare to the build up of fear in him as he looks at his house. it was at the end of their street, a bit further away than he'd like. for the full road up he noticed that not one house had its lights on, all the inhabitants either asleep or out on the night shift. that was until he got to his. his parents room was pitch black, his living room/kitchen also engulfed in darkness, but his sisters room radiated light and the front porch still had its wall light on.

underneath it, an illuminated figure sitting on the foldable chair that sat outside their house. elizabeth's hair was tied into a messy bun, threads of brown hairs escaping at every angle. she wore her dads old dressing gown that drowned her in length as well as her mothers old slippers that fit her to a tee. most present though, was the scowl dressing her face.

peter gulps as he jumps off his bike and brings it up the porch steps. when he reaches the top of them he looks up to elizabeth standing with her arms crossed. he knew what she was angry about, he easily suspected it was because he snuck out the house.

"where the hell have you been?!" she exclaims, her voice no higher than a whisper still. she's shivering, her teeth chittering, obviously having had sat out for far longer than necessary either out of pure fear or spite for her brother.

"i was with mike, lucas and dustin" is all he says at first. he makes a run for the front door but elizabeth reaches out her hand and entraps it around his upper arm.

"looking for will?" she asks, her voice much softer when she mentions the boy's name.

"yeah, just in the woods" he explains as he looks to the side. he's avoiding all eye contact, not wanting to see how furious she looked up close.

"that he disappeared in?! jesus peter" although he keeps his eyes trained forward, he can tell from the way that her grip loosens slightly that she isn't completely angry at him now. if he were to look up he'd see wide fearful eyes and an open mouthed frown. it's him who gets angry, furious that she's about to lecture him for searching for his friend.

"we needed to search for him elizabeth" he states through gritted teeth. he tries to wriggle out of his sisters grip only to end up with one tighter around him. elizabeth's brown hair falls past her shoulders. peter notices it's dirtiness, unwashed for a few days too long. now wasnt the time to mention that nor bully her for it.

"no you didn't!" she shouts, her voice finally exceeding its murmuring level of tone. she quickly gulps down a nervous breath, looking around in a moment of silence to see if she'd woken up any of her neighbours. she's glad to say she hasn't as she readjusts her tone back to its former, more calm self, "look i get it, we all want will found, but you need to leave the searching to the adults. we don't know what took him, and if it's only targeting kids then i can't have you, nor mike, lucas and dustin running around searching for him okay? the police are doing all they can".