𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐔𝐍, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐋, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐑, e. munson✔︎

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡, 𝟏𝟗𝟖𝟔. 𝐈𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟗 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭...

I crawled out from under the rocks. The morning air felt cool humid air felt damp. The sun shined bright as it began to reach over the trees. I bring my hand up, blocking the light and looked around. I don't remember where I am. My head is pounding my my face hurts. My skin feels tight. Am I bleeding.

I touch at my cheek, hissing. I touch under my nose, feeling how crusty it was. I look at my fingers and see dry blood. I wrap my arms around my torso and begin to walk through the trees. As I walked, I felt tears fill my eyes and I begin to sniffle. I could feel my bottom lip quiver and my hands grip at my own skin on my arms, making my own nails dig into my skin. I begin to crying as I walked.

The sounds of me crying, birds chirping in the morning air, leaves crunching under my feet and soon, the sound of cars driving by could be heard. I started jogging further to the sound and soon, I was out of the wooded area. I walked down the road until I found a phone booth.

I quickly stepped in and started checking my pockets for any change. Fuck. Nothing. I step out and look around. I only have five 100 dollar bills I got from Chris. I see a little kid walking down the sidewalk, licking their ice cream.

"Hey, kid..." I called and when they turned to look at me, they looked a bit taken back by my appearance.

From my messy hair that carried twigs and dead leaves with tear stained cheeks to the bruises and dried blood on my face, I wouldn't blame him for being a bit frightened if someone approached me looking like that.

"I uh- I'll give you 100 dollars if you give me a quarter?" He just stood there, looking up at me. I looked at him, anxious as I held the 100 dollar bill out to show him.

He reaches into his back pocket, finding nothing. He checks his other one and there was nothing. So he checks his front pocket and pulls a quarter out. He holds it out for me and I take it and trade him the 100 dollars.

"Thank you." I let out. He walks off now, tucking the 100 dollars in his front pocket as he continues eating his ice cream. I stepped back into the phone booth, slipping the quarter into the slot.

I dialed Eddie's number and I didn't have to wait long.

"Hello?" An eager Eddie answers.

"Ed's?" I whispered.

"Oh my god, Ronnie. Are you okay? Where are you?" I sniffle while wiping my tears as I begin to cry into my hand. I sniffle and look around to tell where I am.

"I-I'm on the-the other side of town...wha-where the laundromat i-is." I struggled to breathe properly as I was panting rapidly. I gripped the phone tightly while closing my eyes and wiping my face.

"Okay, okay, just calm down, babe. Breathe, kay? Breathe. I'm gonna go get you, okay? I'm on the way." He says.

"O-okay." My voice cracked and I hung up. I wipe my eyes and step out, walking over to the building and sitting on the ground by the entrance as I bring my knees to my chest.

I watched the cars driving by, waiting for that familiar van to just drive up. Minutes later, the loud sound of a vehicle engine revving grabbed my attention. My eyes shoot towards where the sound was coming from and I saw his van. The relief I felt in my chest. The breath I've been waiting to take in.

Eddie brakes and immediately hopes out his van, rushing around the front and coming towards me. I got up, crying as I jogged over to him. He grabbed me by my shirt and pulled me into him, hugging me tightly as he sighs in relief.