Worlds Turned Upside Down: Will Byers x Reader

Chapter Fifteen: The Science Fair

Jonathan, Joyce, and Mrs. (L/N) had returned extremely hesitantly back into the Byers' home. Joyce sped to the phone and called Flo, who relayed the message straight to Hopper. Turns out Hopper was just about to do the exact same and call Joyce, but for an entirely different reason.

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Officer Callahan stands, making small talk with Joyce, Jonathan, Mrs. (L/N) and Mr. (L/N), who had coaxed the police into thinking that he was worried for his wife who'd gone berserk and left him to conspire with Joyce Byers about their missing children.
He said he'd followed her to keep her safe which was true in his mind. He wanted to keep her safe from any outside influences. He wanted to keep her his unbroken, porcelain doll. When Mrs. (L/N) had spotted him she'd nearly jumped out of her shoes. It definitely wasn't healthy to be afraid of your own husband. Nevertheless, she acted as normal as she could. She needed to keep up a good impression, especially in front of the Hawkins sheriff and deputies.
Mr. (L/N) had gotten real close to her and threw his arm around his wife's shoulders, showing his dominance. Showing her that he wanted to keep her safe under his wing. She hadn't spoken one word to him and stands uncomfortably under his grip. Do I smell booze? What the hell.
The group all simultaneously snap their heads toward the front door as Hopper exits, holding an expression of both dread and incredulity. He'd just searched through the house with Powell for any trace of the thing both women had difficulty describing. They both hysterically told him that a large, human-like, animal had ripped through the living room's wall and nearly attacked them. There was no tear in the wall and certainly not a trace of any giant animal. The state of the home, lights strung everywhere, newspapers covering the windows, everything in disarray, suggested that both mothers had gone crazy with grief. Now he had to rub salt into the wound.
Hopper steps out and clears his throat. "Can we all step inside for a second?" The Chief disappears back inside of the house, not checking for any sign that the group is going to follow him in. Joyce and (Y/N)'s mother make eye contact before they are led inside the home by Jonathan and (Y/N)'s father.

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Hopper stands in front of Joyce who is perched against the edge of a couch. Jonathan leans against the back of that same couch. Mr. (L/N) led his wife to the sofa sitting below the alphabet wall after Hopper suggested they all take a seat. Mrs. (L/N)'s husband had looked at her as if she was a patient at Pennhurst asylum when he saw the home's disorderly state.
Hopper starts to speak but Joyce and (Y/N)'s mother can barely hear him over all of the thoughts building up inside of their heads. However, Jonathan and Mr. (L/N) are entirely engulfed in the Police Chief's words.
"A trooper found something in the, uh...water that's at the quarry," Hopper looks at the ground as he explains his recent findings to the families. Joyce stares blankly at the wall which the monster emerged from. "Our working theory right now is that Will and (Y/N)...crashed their bikes, they...made their way over to the quarry and, uh...accidentally fell in," Hopper, although being the rugged man he is, says every word with an underlying tone of defeat and devastation.
Joyce continues to stare on. So does (Y/N)'s mother who's absorbed in the dull lights which hang to the left above the crawl space. Mr. (L/N) takes the hand which was draped over his wife and brings both his hands to his forehead. Jonathan's stomach churns, he feels like his heart has just been shredded mercilessly. "The earth must have given way," Hopper continues on, attempting to give the group as much clarity as possible, he isn't in the mood for being bombarded with grief-filled questions.
Hopper shifts his gaze to Joyce who's been staying awfully quiet. Instead of a face of heartbreak she wears an expression of utter confusion. "Joyce?" She still stares confusedly ahead, seemingly not hearing him, "Joyce? Do you understand what I'm saying?" Joyce let's out an audible breath and shakes her head.
"No," Mrs. (L/N) snaps her focus towards Joyce, her thoughts clearing away with hope that the woman would explain how wrong Hopper is rather than herself having to do it. "Whoever you found...they are not our children," Joyce's voice becomes stronger as she speaks, gaining reassurance that her and (Y/N)'s mother really had spoken to the children.
"Joyce," Hopper's usually booming voice is a meek whisper, he knows the woman is in a state of denial.
"No, you don't understand...I talked to them...We talked to them," Joyce gestures towards Mrs. (L/N). Mr. (L/N) shakes his head which is still buried in his hands. How could I have let this happen? It's my fault. I was supposed to watch for her. It's my fault. His toxic masculinity crumbles.
Mrs. (L/N) nods rapidly attempting to justify Joyce's statement, "We talked to them. A half hour ago."
Joyce stands up and rushes over to the crawl space. She opens the doors. "They were...They were here," She bends down and picks up the small tangle of white lights, "They were...they were talking with these," Joyce shows the lights to Hopper.
"Talking?"
"Uh-huh," Joyce responds. Jonathan can feel his pent up rage and utter sadness boiling up inside of him whilst his mother continues to speak. She has lost her mind.
"One blink for yes, two for no," Mrs. (L/N) says to Hopper from the couch, her voice trembles. Mr. (L/N) sighs and frustratedly brings his fists down upon his thighs lightly. (Y/N)'s mother looks at him then back at Joyce, the only person she can share her current grief with.
Joyce places the lights back into the crawl space. "And...And, uh...And then we made this so they could talk to us," Joyce goes over to the alphabet wall and gestures to it, "'Cause they were hiding...from that...from that thing," Joyce gestures to the wall.
"That thing that came out of the wall? The thing that chased you," Hopper asks the woman, who appears to be out of her mind. Jonathan has a look of confusion on his face which is illuminated only by dim lighting.
"Yeah, yeah," Joyce answers, she's shaking from the amount of trauma that's been implanted into her mind. She also hasn't slept for a few days which adds to her strange behavior.
"Mom, come on, please," Jonathan walks over to Joyce and grabs her forearms, "You've gotta stop this," He's already lost his brother, Jonathan is terrified of losing his mother too. Joyce protests against Jonathan's words. She knows Will and (Y/N) are alive. Joyce grabs Hopper's arms pleading.
"They're in danger. We have to find them!"
"What exactly was this thing? It was some kind of animal, you said?" Hopper wants clarity so that he can try and help the women the best he can.
"Uh, no, it was...it was almost...human, but it wasn't. It..." Joyce struggles to get a clear picture of the monster they saw and has difficulty explaining it.
(Y/N)'s mother steps in to try and help. She stares at the ground as she speaks, "It had these long arms and...it didn't have a face," Her husband is deep in thought, he too stares at the floor and doesn't react.
"Uh-huh, yes," Joyce points at Mrs. (L/N) and nods.
"Didn't have a face?" Hopper says in disbelief. Jonathan turns away brokenhearted and retreats to his room, slamming the door. Joyce reaches out for him but Hopper takes her and eases her onto the coffee table, "Joyce."
"It didn't have a face," Joyce murmurs, terrified.
"Joyce, Listen to me," He looks to Mrs. (L/N), "Listen to me," Hopper's expression becomes one of tenderness and heartache, "After Sarah..." He begins to tell the tale of his daughter who departed from Earth much too soon, "I saw her, too. And I heard her," Joyce looks to Hopper tearfully.
"Chief!" Mrs. (L/N) tries to protest what Hopper is implying. Mr. (L/N) continues to blankly look around the Byers' living room. Hopper continues calmly on with his speech," Just listen. I didn't know what was real. And then I figured out it was in my mind. And I had to pack all that away," Joyce breaks eye contact with Hopper and looks down to the ground. "Otherwise, I was gonna fall down a hole...that I couldn't get out of."
"No, you're...you're talking about grief," Joyce sniffles and looks back at Hopper, "This is different."
"I'm just saying that you--"
"No, I know what you're saying, Hop. I swear to you, I know what I saw," Joyce sniffles again, "And I'm not crazy. We're not crazy."
"I'm not saying that you're crazy."
"No," Joyce stammers, "You are," Mrs. (L/N) lets Joyce speak for her, the woman is much more forward than she is anyway. She's saying all the right things. "And I understand, but...God, I...I need you to believe me," Joyce begins to cry even harder, she's wallowing in the frustration of not being listened to. For the sake of her boy and a little girl, she needs Hopper's help. "Please."
"Please," (Y/N)'s mother whispers from behind. The Chief frowns at the two soberly.
"Listen...I think you all should go down to the morgue tomorrow and see them for yourself. It'll give you the answers that you need.
"Oh, God," Joyce whimpers thinking of her child's lifeless body lying on a cold metal table at the morgue.
"But tonight...I want you to try and get some sleep, if you can," Joyce gives Hopper an incredulous expression, blinks hard to get the tears out of her eyes, and shifts her gaze to the floor. How can she sleep when she now knows there's a monster after her child? Hopper let's go of Joyce's hand as he rises from his position crouched in front of her. Joyce stays put on the coffee table with her hands on her knees. "Take her home," Hopper says to Mr. (L/N). The man is drawn from his trance and stands up. He guides his wife up by her arms and walks with her to his truck. Mrs. (L/N) throws Joyce an "I'll-be-back" look as she is brought out the door. Her husband clearly has been hit harder than her by the news. She's currently not very afraid of him, as it should be. She believes that the fact of her leaving him to be with Joyce Byers has left his mind entirely. All that's there is the haunting of their daughter's "death".
Joyce watches as the group leaves. She stands up.
The (L/N)s slowly pull away and drive down the dirt road.
Hopper sits in his car and considers something deeply. He pulls his hat down to cover his eyes and lays back in his seat, looks like he'll be staying the night.
Jonathan lays face up in his bed with a large pair of headphones over his ears. He touches his red face and pulls his arms around himself in a self-hug.
Joyce raises her arm to knock on Jonathan's door but stops herself. She decides it's best to let him cool off.
Joyce stomps out of the back door of her house and makes her way across the backyard over to the wooden shed. She disappears inside but a second later, bursts out with an axe in hand.
Joyce goes back inside of the house and sits on the couch in front of the alphabet wall. She positions the axe at the ready and stares ahead at the wall in front of her. Prepared to strike before something else does.