WARNING: DO NOT ENGAGE [stranger things] [1/2]

XXXIV - Road Rage

"If all you've got to prove today is your innocence,

Calm down, you're as guilty as can be."

•

"Hoppers lookin' in the boot of your car, Byers. Got a body back there or something?" Rosemary returned to Nancy and Jonathan, and glanced momentarily at the pacing Joyce, who was rambling to herself about something or the other. There was a bag on Rosemarys shoulder that wasn't there before. It was black, and barely out of place with her outfit. Things were about to go down, she could tell, and fast. She needed to make sure she was ready to go at any time.

Nancy didn't humour Rosemarys inquiry about the contents of the car, just pointed to her bag. "What's tha-" She was cut off by Hopper slamming a box down on the table, making her jump. Nancy and Jonathan seemed to sink in their seats, but Rosemary and Joyce leaned over to see what was inside. She felt a chill go down her spine at the sight of bear traps and other weapons or tools. She knew those types of things all too well. She had the scars to prove it.

"What is this?" Joyce asked, confused. Rosemary swallowed the lump in her throat, turning er head away.

"Why don't you ask your son? We found it in his car." Hopper deadpanned, staring Jonathan down.

"Jesus Christ." Rosemary muttered, cringing at the thought of whatever punishment would be coming Jonathan and Nancys way. Protests arose from Joyce and Jonathan, Joyce being more shocked than anything and Jonathan immediately getting cagey. Wrong move, in Rosemarys opinion. She could practically smell the distaste coming off of Hopper in waves. "Is that really the question you wanna be asking right now?" He asked, leaning across the desk. "I want to see you in my office. All three of you."

"Wait a damn-"

"You won't believe me." Jonathan said, ignoring Rosemarys protest about being summoned.

"Why don't you give me a try?"

Rosemary didn't sit, despite being told to multiple times. She stayed standing, bouncing on the balls of her feet in an attempt to release even a fraction of her pent-up energy. "You say blood draws this thing?" She froze.

"Blood?" She repeated, looking over at Nancy. "When did you figure this out?" The dried up marks on her biceps and palms seemed to burn at the thought of this. Like it or not, she was terrified, and the idea that she could be a beacon for this monster make her breakfast curdle in her stomach.

"This morning." She replied, before suddenly getting a worried look on her face. "You washed the blood off of you, right?" She scanned Rosemarys arms, as if she could see an inch of skin when they were crossed and her hands buried in her armpits.

"Of course-"

"Blood?" Jonathan asked.

"Not important."

He blinked at her. "Okay.." He looked back to Hopper. "Well we.. we don't know. "

The both of them were avoiding eye contact, and Nancy wouldn't even lookup at Rosemary anymore. "It's just a theory." She said softly, shaking her head slightly. Rosemary felt her skin prickle, and resisted the urge to clench her fists at the feeling. It was like an omen, she thought. A sign of something bad about to happen.

If only she had known how right she was.