When we Finish Moving

Chapter 10 - Visiting

August 1988

Will and Ziggy are together now after a few months of dating.  Their senior year starts in a week and then it's either college or work afterwards.  Will was driving his 'new' car which was a Plymouth Reliant wagon Bob and his Mom bought.  Jackie bought his green Ford Pinto so it didn't go far.  Ziggy was sitting next to Will jamming out on his Walkman.  Will thought he was listening to his own creations. 

"Byers, are you paying attention to the road up there."  Will kind of forgot Max and Mike were in the backseat.  "Yes Miss Maxine, I'm paying attention."  "Smartass.  When are we stopping?  Mike and I have to use the ladies room."  Will giggled while Mike got angry.  "What did I do to get this type of treatment?"  Mike whined.  "You exist."  Max quipped and Mike kissed her with a peck on the lips.

Mike and Max moved to  Bloomington last April after Spring Break.  They were done living in Hawkins and hated their Junior year there.  In Bloomington they were the mysyerious new outsiders in the circles Will runs in.  Mike and Max fit in and they are happy about it.  Mike and Ziggy get double looks from students and teachers alike.

Will drove into Hawkins from the west side of town and saw a Welcome to Hawkins sign as he drove past.  "Take a right at the next stop sign."  Max told Will.  Will drove to the South part of town toward Merill's Farm.  Next to Merill's pumpkin patch was the county cemetery.  Will drove in the crossing to the county cemetery and the group unloaded from the car.  "Grab the water Mike and Ziggy, I'll bring the other stuff and paint stripper."  Will opened the hatch on the back of the wagon and Mike and Ziggy each grabbed a 5 gal bucket filled with water.  Max found both Dustin and Eddie Munson's graves.  Vandals spray painted and trashed the headstones.  It was a sickening sight seeing epithets and untrue things said about two good people.  Will didn't know Eddie at all other then seeing him one time at a music store.  Since he is a half-brother to both Mike and Ziggy, he automatically is on Will's friends list.  If Dustin cared for him, he is worth knowing and liking.  Dustin had a talent of picking good people to be around. 

Eddie's headstone was the worst as far as graffiti is concerned.  Hellfire are Murderers is one of the comments spray painted on his gravestone.  "I'll start with this one and then you can scrub after I get this paint knocked down."  Will knew he would only get half of the paint off but it will make it easier for Mike and Ziggy to scrub the rest off.  Ziggy followed Mike to Dustin's grave and then they visited Jane's grave. 

Will worked on both stones for a while.  Now he was scrubbing off Dustin's grave with Max beside him doing the same thing.  Max had a Walkman clipped to her pants listening to her unique music.  Will felt tears rush to his eyes as he thought how much Dustin should be here with the group living life instead of being murdered.  Will wishes he tried harder to keep contact.  "Are you okay Byers?"  Max uncharacteristically said softly to Will.  "I..I should of kept in touch with Dustin more.  I gave up after a short time and now there is no more time."  Max came near Will "I feel just as bad as you, maybe worse.  I had to see his face every time I pretended he didn't exist.  All we can do now to make up is to make sure he can rest in peace."  After 5 more minutes his grave was cleaned off.  "It looks like it might rain soon, we should get this stuff in the car."  Will and Max carried their stuff back to the car while Ziggy and Mike were finishing up.  "Oh shit!"  Mike cried out.  A black Jeep Cherokee was pulling up next to Will's car while Will and Max were next to Ziggy and Mike.  A blond haired man in a white polo shirt along with a darker-haired man stood in front of the 4 friends.

"Well what do we have here?  A group of losers trying to revive their leader.  You should of left their graves alone, they were appropriately marked and warn people what happens when you practice Dark Magic in Hawkins."  Mike had enough "you really are stupid Carver.  Dustin and Eddie were not practicing 'dark magic' or whatever dumbass thing you are on about.  You made that shit up so you could get the town behind you as you hunted Hellfire down."  "Yeah, you are a piece of shit Carver."  Max screamed at Jason.  Jason Carver stepped in front of Ziggy and had a weird face.  "What, do twigs reproduce asexually or what?"  Jason laughed at Ziggy until Ziggy threw out a punch and hit Jason square on the nose.  "Ow you fucking sonofabitch."  "Is your nose broken?"  Jason's friend asked.  Jason checked "no, this twig doesn't have the power to hurt a real man."  Ziggy smirked and his eyes went wide and his mouth dropped.  "Any one of you try that shit again and I will drop you."  Jason was holding a nickel plated .357 revolver at Ziggy.  Ziggy turned grey and Will had to do something.  "Who do you think you are Carver, picking on my friends?"  Will hoped to get his attention.

"I know who you are William.  The high priest of evil.  The person who is the start of everything bad that happened here in Hawkins.  Are you here to kill more of our Christian kids to satisfy your bloodlust?"  Maybe I should eliminate you once and for all."  Jason held the barrel a few inches from Will's forehead.  Will sat still and didn't flinch.  Unbeknownst to all the people Hopper was coming in on an angle with his revolver out and pointed at Jason.  "Drop your gun, NOW!"  Everyone swung around to see Chief Hopper and Jason's face went white.  "Chief Hopper, we caught William Byers and his gang of Satanists trying to bring back the spirit of Eddie Munson and finish what Hellfire started."  Hopper came closer ready to drop the hammer "gun down, on your knees, hands on your head, NOW."  Jason reluctantly put down his revolver and went down to his knees.  "The rest of you, hands on your head."  Everyone else obeyed.  Hopper cuffed Jason Carver and read him his Miranda rights and then took possession of his firearm.

"What's your name son?"  Hopper asked the darker-haired boy.  "Ryan Benson sir."  "Come with me Benson."  Benson followed.  "Wheeler, come over here."  Hopper barked.  Mike followed after.  The two boys were loaded into the Blazer and Hopper sat in the driver's seat talking to Mike through the window.  "Bring your group to the station, I need to take statements.  Nice seeing you again kid."  Hopper radioed Flo that he was coming in with two suspects.  Mike walked back to the group.  "Ziggy and Max, clean up this stuff and put it in the car.  Will, can you give me the keys, we have to go to the Station."  Will handed his keys to Mike and helped load up the cleaning supplies.  The Party left.

At the Police station Hopper questioned Jason and Ryan separately and then questioned the Party, especially Will.  "So kid, why was Jason Carver holding a gun on you?"  Will told Hopper what he saw happen which matched the rest of the Party and Benson's accounts.  Jason thought bad things were going to start happening again since Will was in town, but Hopper knew better.  After the Hoopla calmed down the Party was free to go.  Jason was locked up and so was Ryan for the time being.  "Will, I need to talk to you?"  Will went to Hopper's office while the Party waited.  After 15 minutes Will walked out.  "Let's go and get home.  I could use some food." 

Mike drove out of Hawkins with Will and Ziggy sitting in the back seat.  Ziggy held Will close "how were you calm when that psycho pulled his gun on you?"  The rest added in their comments also.  "Uhh, that wasn't the first time a gun was pulled on me.  My dad Lonnie got drunk one night when I was young and pulled his Smith and Wesson on me.  It happened actually a couple times.  It's no big deal, now since I knew Jason wouldn't shoot."  "What!"  Ziggy and Mike said in unison.  "You could of been killed."  Ziggy cried out.  "Yeah, why didn't you tell me Will what Lonnie did to you."  Mike asked because Will told him most things when he was younger.  "Uhh, I didn't want to worry you Mike."  Ziggy held Will next to him.  Will could tell that Ziggy was shaking but Ziggy felt protective over Will so Will obliged Ziggy and enjoyed the close contact.  The group had a story to tell now about Hawkins.

One week later Will read in the Indianapolis paper that Jason Carver was sent back to Pennhurst for a year-long sentence.  Will breathed easier knowing he is gone for a time.