Monstrum - Jonathan Byers (discontinued)

•Chapter Three•

The next morning was quiet and felt strange to Sloane, as she ate the breakfast she and Jonathan had prepared. Joyce was refusing to eat and got upset as she stressed about the 'missing' posters she needed to print and hang around town. Jonathan was comforting his mother as Sloane pushed the bacon around her plate, deep in thought. A sharp knock broke the teenager's trance. Her eyes locked with Jonathan's and then with Joyce's as the older woman frantically put out the cigarette she was smoking and stood up from her chair, hurrying to the front door with Jonathan and Sloane hot on her heels.

Joyce yanked the door open. "We've been waiting six hours!" She exclaimed to the tall, dark haired man in the doorway.

"I know. I came as soon as I could." Chief Hopper replied, stepping into the house and closing the door behind him.

"Six hours." Joyce repeated in an annoyed tone.

"A little bit of trust here, alright?" The Chief told her. "We've been searching all night. Went all the way to Cartersville."

"And?" Sloane piped up from behind Joyce.

The chief turned his attention to the green-eyed girl. "Nothing."

"God." Joyce cried out, putting her hand to her mouth as Sloane slumped slightly in disappointment and worry.

"Flo says you got a phone call?" Hopper questioned the upset mother, who removed her hand from her mouth and nodded her head.

"Oh, yeah." She led Hop to the phone, which sat on the wall, completely fried from the bolt of electricity the night before. Hopper picked it up, examining the dark burn marks.

"Storm barbequed this pretty good."

"The storm?" Joyce asked in disbelief, her voice rising, like the hairs on the back of Sloane's neck as she heard the older woman's tone.

"What else?" The Chief replied.

"You're saying that that's not weird?" Joyce exclaimed, gesturing to the phone again.

"No. It's weird." Hopper agreed.

"Can we, like, trace who made the call?" Jonathan spoke, "Contact the-"

"No, it doesn't work like that." The Chief interrupted. There was a short silence before Hopper spoke again, "Now, uh, you're sure it was Will? Because Flo said that you just heard some breathing."

"No it was him." Joyce told him adamantly, "It was Will." Her voice broke as she went on, "And he was scared. And then something-"

"It was probably just a prank call." Hopper tried to reassure her, "It was somebody trying to scare you."

"Who would do that?" Sloane asked angrily, "That's vile."

"Well, this thing's been on TV." Hopper told her, "It brings out all the crazies, you know. False leads, prank calls, uh..."

"No Hopper, it was not a prank." Joyce argued, "It was him."

"Joyce-"

"Come on, how about a little trust here?" Joyce interrupted, "What you think I'm making this up?"

"I'm not saying that you're making it up." Hopper reasoned, "All I'm saying is it's an emotional time for you."

"And you think I don't know my own son's breathing?" Joyce countered, "Wouldn't you know your own daughter's?"

Sloane was surprised that Joyce had brought up Hopper's child. The poor girl had passed away a few years earlier and it had taken a large emotional toll on the Chief.