Mother Cut

8: Jen and Alex

8, Jen and Alex

Hawkins, November 1983

She's scared to move. There's a cop outside her door, it's the young one with the glasses too big for his boneyard face. He's always here and always smells like chips. The greasy kind that makes Jen queasy and Alex want to gag.

Jen hides behind the door, she just about peaks through the small glass cutout every now and then. "Jennifer, open the door! We know you're home!" She wishes she wasn't home, because she knows why they're here. They're here for the same reason they're always here for.

(She should sneak off the next time this happens.)

   Also, don't call her Jennifer, please.

The girl shuffles gently, she's quiet. She peaks between the blinds now, there's two cop cars. She can see her sister's hanging head in the back of the first one. Her stomach growls. "Jennifer!" She hasn't eaten breakfast, or lunch. "Jennifer Leadison!" She flinches and shakes her head. She's gotten so good at being quiet. At being invisible. But Alex makes that impossible, she sticks out like a sore fucking thumb.

She hears shuffling outside and mumbles of male voices. Callahan moves towards the first cop car, "she ain't coming out, Jim." The driver door then opens and Jen curses when she sees Hopper. She's going to throw up for real now. There's a heavy knock on her door. (She's really fucking hungry.) "Jen, come on now. Just open the damn door. You know you're not the one in trouble."

  If Alex is in trouble, Jen is in trouble. There's no in between.

Her fingers drag across her eyes, bringing mascara with them and down her skin. "Jen." She frowns and stands, she messes with the dead lock and then the dead bolt. The doors heavy to pull open, she has to use two hands. Jim Hopper stands there. There's a cigarette behind his ear and his hat is in his hands. "I don't want her back." Jen's voice cracks as she says it and her eyes move around behind Jim.