Aftermath - The Black Phone & Stranger Things || Hiatus

Chapter Two - Family Dinners

    I talked to Jane and Will for a while more before heading to my new room to unpack. I took some pins and stuck up the little posters I owned.

I pinned some different things above my bed. I pinned up the pictures of the other kids that The Grabber took. I never wanted to forget them. I don't think I would, even without their missing photos. But this just made sure I wouldn't.

I sighed as I stepped back and looked at my room. It was a lot more habitable now. I reached a hand up to mess with my hair.

I probably needed to shower. I felt gross. My clothes felt like it was sticking to my skin. I shuddered slightly and took off my shirt, able to breath much easier.

I sighed in relief, chucking my shirt in an empty corner. I fell against my bed, sighing. The feeling of dread was all that I could focus on. I shuddered again, getting the feeling that someone was here.

I sat up. I saw a boy with pale skin and black hair with a bandana. I smiled. "Hey, Robin." "Hey, Finney! How you doin', buddy?" He sat down on the bed next to me with a lopsided grin. "I'm doin' okay, how's the afterlife?"

He groaned. "I don't want to talk about that. It's lame. It's boring. You're not there." I blushed slightly. "Robin!" He smiled and laughed. "Sorry. It's funny seeing how red you get even by the simplest compliment."

I huffed.

We talked  for another hour or so before Joyce called me down to dinner. "I'll see you later, Finney." I smiled and squished my eyes closed as he ruffled my hair. "Robiiiinnnnn." I whined and shook my head to get his hand off. 

He chuckled before he disappeared as I stood up. 

I opened the door and walked down the hallway to see more people than I had already talked to. There was a tall, scruffy looking high schooler sitting next to someone who looked about the same age but had really, really long black hair. 

"Yo, Byers' mom, who's that?" The long haired guy pointed at me. I shrunk back slightly. "Argyle, that's Finn. Jonathan and Will's little cousin." Joyce smiled and waved me to stop hiding and sit at the table. 

I sat in the open seat and waved slightly. "Hey, Finn." Jonathan waved back. "You okay, Finney?" Will tilted his head. I realized I was still trying to make myself look smaller. "Y-eah.. sorry. Not used to family dinners..." 

I smiled awkwardly as Joyce gave me a look that looked both pitying and worried. "Why not?" "We just... didn't." I shrugged, trying to stop the conversation to make it change to where I wasn't the center of attention. 

"Well. You're having family dinners with us now." Joyce smiled warmly and I smiled back. The conversation was successfully changed and everyone started eating. "Oh, by the way, Finn, we set you up with the school, so your first day is tomorrow." 

I nodded. I didn't want to go to school. Hopefully it's better here though. At home, everyone stared. Everyone knew. They knew everything, what I did and what happened to me. I hated it. I hated how they looked at me. They pitied me. 

And they didn't know all of it. 

I poked at my food slightly before starting to eat, eating a lot less than what I used to. I felt dread creep in and shivered. Something was wrong. No.. someone was here. 

I looked up and gasped slightly. "Finn? Are you okay?" I couldn't answer. I was staring at someone. A dead someone. They looked vaguely similar to Vance, their dirty-blonde, blond stained hair was the same. 

"Who the hell are you?" The dead man's voice spoke in a growl. "Finney?" "Finn? What's going on?" The other's voices all sounded muffled I could only focus on the dead man. I tried to stay focused on his face. 

If I looked down, I'd see the gaping maw that used to be his stomach. "You're Finn? That's a stupid name." The man snarled. "W-who are you..." I asked, trying to piece together who he is.  He spoke in a gravely tone. 

I tore my gaze away from the dead person, and felt his presence disappear. 

"Finney?! Are you okay?!" Joyce was shaking my shoulder. I fell back into the physical world and flinched away from her. "Yup. All fine. I'm great." I spoke sarcastically and stood up. "I think I'm done eating. Thanks for the food, auntie."

"No, Finn. Explain what just happened." Joyce crossed her arms. She wasn't going to budge until I told her. "Fine. What would you think if I said that I could see dead people and a dead person was in your kitchen?" I deadpanned. 

She wouldn't believe me. And that's what I wanted. I didn't want her to believe me. But I would keep saying that until she found out I wasn't lying. "I would ask if you got their name." I blinked. 

Everyone besides the long haired boy was pale. "What was their name." Jane spoke quietly, but I could still hear her. I gave them all confused looks. Why were they so nervous? "Hargrove. He said his name was Billy Hargrove."