Through the Looking Glass ⇒ Alice the Amazing Short Stories

[X] Horror Fiction in 11 Spooky Steps // part one

Or, The One With The "Homicidal Tendencies"

A/N: This is based on Season 3 Episode 5 of Community. Enjoy!

{December 1985 \\ post-season 3}

HORROR FICTION IN ELEVEN SPOOKY STEPS // PART ONE
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For New Years 1985, the Byers family came back to Hawkins to visit with their friends.

Mrs. Wheeler, ever the diligent wife and mother, planned a special holiday to celebrate their temporary return. She had everything planned: the food, the games, the music. It was going to go off without a hitch—

—until Ted's appendix burst just minutes after Joyce, Jonathan, Will, and Eleven arrived.

"Joyce, I'm so sorry to run out like this," Karen said breathlessly, grabbing her purse with one hand and her keys in the other. 

"Oh, it's fine!" Joyce said. "Please, go get Ted the help he needs. I can watch the kids."

"This was supposed to be your party!" Karen said. "I just feel so bad—"

"Honey?" Ted said through clenched teeth, one hand on his abdomen. "Can we hurry this along?"

"Right, sorry!" Karen said. "Joyce, I'll call you later. Sorry again!"

"Feel better Ted!" Joyce called as the couple raced out the front door, Ted moaning the whole way.

Joyce returned to the kitchen. Nancy, Mike, and Holly looked nervous.

"Is my dad going to be okay?" Holly asked, rubbing tears out of her eyes.

"Oh, absolutely," Joyce said, giving the young girl a hug. "It's an easy fix. No one needs an appendix, anyway."

"If he doesn't need it," Eleven asked quietly, "why does it need to be taken out?"

"It exploded in his abdomen," Jonathan explained.

"Exploded?!" Holly said, lower lip quivering.

"But the kind of explosion that doctors can help with!" Joyce corrected, giving Jonathan a dark look. "Right, Jonathan?"

Jonathan nodded and blushed.

"Should we cancel the party?" Will asked.

"No!" Mike said. "Max, Lucas, and Dustin really want to see Will and Eleven."

"Yeah," Nancy said. "And Alice told me that she has a surprise to show us all."

"Why does that not surprise me," Joyce said with a chuckle. "She's full of surprises."

"I like surprises," Mike said. "Maybe it's a card for...someone."

Having a birthday so close to Christmas meant people usually forget Mike's special day. He usually wouldn't care, but Alice had a great memory. She always remembered important dates and loved to give out beautiful hand-drawn cards. When she sat with Mike for a whole lunch period and didn't say anything about his 15th birthday, he felt offended.