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Joan really felt like she was going insane.
All the conspiracy stories about Hawkins, the craziness of the 80's, and the adults in her life refusing to talk about any of it all made sense now. Fucking real life DnD monsters from a different dimension a-and Aunt El has super powers!?
"Shit." Joan let out shakily, the mall coming up in her vision and her heart started to race even more. She pulled up at the front this time - ready for a quick getaway - and got out the car to take in the scene in front of her.
A burning Camaro, a trashed mall, debris everywhere.
"...around... its turning around!...." Joan quickly reached into her car to grab the Walkie Talkie, speaking into it clearly. "What's turning around? Steve?"
"T-the monster! Joan, where are you?!"
"U-uh outside? ...Alone?"
"...Get the hell inside and hide! Find the kids and tell them the-the Mind Flayer, its coming and HIDE!" Joan didn't need to be told twice, running into the front of the mall with the hand gun in hand and the radio clipped to her belt.
The first thing she saw made her heart stop at Billy - her almost murderer - holding onto an unconscious El. "O-Oh, oh my God." Swallowing her fear she pointed the gun over at Billy and steadied her aim, feeling a mirage of feelings at everything that he had done to her.
"Alright, Jo. These things are not a joke, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah, uncle Lucas. Gimmie the shiny!"
"Oi, Hargrove! Let the girl go and go fuck yourself."
Billy turned slowly, looking at Joan like she wasn't even a threat. Carefully, he set El down and walked over to Joan. "Or what, Henderson?"
"O-or I shoot." Joan snapped out, taking the safety off and hoping he could hear the action just as loudly as she did. Billy didn't make any move to calm his walk and Joan grew nervous. "I-I'm serious, Hargrove. I'm not fucking around after what you did to me!"
Billy studied Joan as if she were a specimen under a micro glass, head tilted and eyes dead to the world. It made Joan shake, trying to remember the times Uncle Lucas brought her to the gun range and his words to just breathe, stay calm, aim, and.....
"Do you remember Heather, Henderson?"
A flash of a familiar face worried turned panicked. A soft question of are you okay because Heather cared about people, that's why she chose lifeguarding. Heather was a good person who ran towards the drowning 10 year old instead of freezing up like Joan did.
"I do." Billy chuckled darkly, eyes deeper than ever and voice more dangerous than Joan had heard it before. "How could I forget? She screamed so lovely." Billy let out a fake sigh of remembrance, watching in seemingly satisfaction as Joan's face crumbled. Joan didn't see the tear go down his face as she shut her eyes and tried to get the image she conjured out of her mind. "Oh, she was terrified. Called for mommy, daddy, begged me for mercy, then she called for you Joan..."
