Starting Over

Chapter 2 (The Light at the End of the Tunnel)

It has only been a few days since I almost got caught by someone in Hawkins. Unfortunately, I lost my Walkman, which was my gateway to another world through my playlist of songs. This has made me question whether I belong here or not. With my Walkman in the hands of a stranger, I am faced with the possibility of confronting them and finally coming out of my emotional shell.

When I don't have the opportunity to escape into music, the closest thing I can do is put on my headphones and listen to a collection of songs, but it's not the same. One day, I thought I would have a good day until I heard loud noises from downstairs. I went to check it out and found that my parents were both at work so that they couldn't have been the noise source. I wondered what was causing all this commotion. I started to search the house for anything unusual, and that's when I saw slime all over the kitchen counter. I approached the area slowly, hoping that whatever creature had produced it was gone. I felt like I was slowly losing my mind trying to figure out what creature could have made such a mess.

I encountered something entirely new for me. The slime in my kitchen was disastrous enough to get me grounded for a lifetime by my parents. I had to clean it up before they arrived home so that I wouldn't make things worse than they already were. This situation reminded me of when I was hiding from someone who sounded like they were searching for something. It made me wonder whether the recent occurrence in my house was connected to why that person was in the area in the first place.

A part of me wanted to learn more about this creature, but I hesitated to risk another encounter with someone new. If I wanted to handle this situation appropriately, I needed to escape. And what better time to do it than at night? My parents were already home by dinnertime when we were quietly having our meal. Suddenly, my mother made an unexpected remark about my father. "You're seeing someone, aren't you?" My father was silent for a few seconds before he made his case, but he remained quiet for a few minutes more while my mother cried.

The remainder of dinner was a blur of emotions, and I didn't know what to do or say. It was an ongoing mess of lost love that no longer existed. It wasn't easy to comprehend that my father had another woman in his life and did not provide the answer my mother was seeking. It was in poor taste for the relationship they had established for so long. Music would have been a great distraction to escape reality by losing myself in a song. Instead, I comforted my mother while my father had his side to share.

It was like a slow burn of fire consuming me with deep flames when my father's mask fell in front of us, revealing his ongoing affair. It had been happening for some time, and my mother slowly realized that her love for him was genuinely gone. She lost all her trust in him, a hard pill to swallow. Seeing your family falling apart in front of you and being unable to pick up the pieces to save it is a challenging experience. My father was dreading this day, and the look in his eyes showed me that he never meant to hurt us. We had a choice about what to do next and how to make things better for our family. The question is, can we fix it?

I was feeling overwhelmed by the lies and hurt, and I decided to escape and never look back. However, I knew I had to be there for my mother. As night fell, I needed to find a place to clear my head. Then I remembered an abandoned junkyard I had stumbled upon while running home to avoid getting caught. It was a perfect place to hide and let my emotions run free. I could forget everything that had happened that day.

I couldn't find an easy way out, so I thought about leaving through the window to sneak out. I planned to see the junkyard, escape from the reality of my life, and never look back again. When I finally arrived there, it was tranquil and peaceful. The night air was covered by the dense fog that enveloped the surroundings, making it a reliable place to hide from the world. However, I soon heard growling sounds nearby and realized I wasn't alone.

POV

Dustin and Steve are inside a bus in the junkyard, while Lucas and Max are on the lookout for any creatures lurking in sight. (Scene from Season 2 of Stranger Things)

Growling is heard in the background, and Dustin calls for Luca's status.

Dustin: Lucas, what's going on?

Lucas: Hold on! I've got eyes! Ten o'clock!

Steve then points out to Dustin to show him the creature lingering in the distance.

Steve: There.

Dustin: What's he doing?

Steve: I don't know.

Max and Lucas are looking at the top of the bus, trying to make out this creature in the distance.

Max: Wait. Are you sure that's not a dog?

Lucas: What?

Steve: He's not taking the bait. Why is he not taking the bait?

Dustin: Maybe he's not hungry?

Steve: Maybe he's sick of cow.

Steve then pushes back from the bus window and goes to the front.

Dustin: Steve? Steve, what are you doing?

Steve: [Showing him the lighter] Get ready. [Throws the lighter to Dustin]

Steve then starts to head out the bus door with a nailed bat, prepared to distract the creature away.

Steve: [Whistling] Come on, buddy. [Starts to swing his bat.] Come on—dinner time.

Max and Dustin look inside the bus while Steve continues to lurk the creature his way.

Max: He's insane.

Dustin: He's awesome.

Steve while swinging the bat starts to walk toward the creature within 10 feet of distance between them, Lucas looks around and finds another creature just around the bend and warns Steve.

Lucas: Steve, watch out!

Steve: A little busy here!

Lucas: Three o'clock! Three o'clock!

It was then that Steve looked over and saw another creature facing him, making him trapped in between the two monsters.

Dustin: Steve! Abort! Abort!

Steve makes a run for it while attacking the monsters in sight!

As Steve ran to safety, Linda watched from the depths of an abandoned car nearby. She had taken cover as soon as she heard the growling and witnessed the unfolding events between Steve and the creatures. It sure was unexpected, the shock that such creatures could have been the cause of the trail in her home. Panic set in, and she froze, unsure what to do next. She was scared and unaware of Steve and the others fighting off the creatures nearby. This moment was a turning point in her life at Hawkins, where what seemed like a temporary escape from reality had become a fight for survival.