Two days later
A soft knock on my door made me open my eyes, if only slightly.
"Hey, it's me," Dustin called in a low voice. He didn't come in. "I'm heading to the Wheelers' and then to school, now. If you wanna come down, you know where to find me," his voice was muffled by the door.
I could picture him pressing his forehead to the door, his eyes closed, inhaling deeply. He knew I wouldn't be coming. Nor would I be answering at all.
I sighed and turned to the other side, facing the wall. Only a couple of sun rays filtered through my closed blinds, swirling around the darkness that reigned in my room. I had been lying in my bed ever since I got home. My clothes, my body, everything about me was dirty. Dry blood still stained my hands, the last reminder of Eddie on my skin. My fingers had curled in a tight fist, holding his pick tightly. I hadn't removed it from my hand either.
Dirty tissues rested on every piece of furniture around me. My eyes were bloodshot, rogue tears occasionally falling from my eyes despite having cried nonstop for forty-eight hours. I hadn't been able to sleep, eat, or leave my bed ever since we got back. Dustin and I had cried our hearts out for the longest time, holding Eddie's body as the warmth finally left. He had practically ripped me off of Eddie, knowing we couldn't carry him back with Dustin's broken ankle.
The sight of him laying there, cold and alone, still haunted me every time I closed my eyes. I hadn't even been able to sleep without nightmares plaguing my mind, waking up immediately in a cold sweat and loud sobs. Dustin hadn't been better, either. Our mom had oftentimes come running into our rooms, rushing to our beds, and calming us down as we sobbed uncontrollably. Even Dustin had done the same with me.
We had come back with broken hearts to a broken Hawkins.
"Okay, well, I'm leaving now," Dustin said with a defeated tone.
"You shouldn't walk," I managed to call after him, still from my position in my bed.
I heard him stop right outside my walk, and slowly turn the doorknob to the side, opening it slightly and sticking his head inside. "Your ankle's still healing," I said.
My voice was weak, hoarse from crying, and husky from barely breathing. My eyes met him despite the darkness.
"Mom's taking me, I'll be fine," that was all he said before closing the door again.
I heard his retreating steps into the living room, the sound of the front door closing, and the car driving off.
I took a big breath when they left, enjoying the few seconds of relief at the silent house before my thoughts were led astray to the absolute horrors I had been fighting against. The lack of noise contrasted with the outside, the city in shambles after what the authorities called 'an earthquake.' But we knew better.
Turning around one more time on my bed, I looked at my mirror, one of the sunbeams falling perfectly on the little corner where the polaroids had been collecting dust these past days. Eddie's smiling face shone in the dark, the light casting a glow on his picture. It killed me to know I wouldn't be seeing him again.
Another tear fell, but after two days I finally stood up, not ready to face the chaos that our Hawkins had turned into, but doing it anyway.
···
I parked the car just outside the school gates, taking a big breath before stepping out. After showering and eating I did feel better, but the sight of broken families lying in cots at the gym was enough to send another wave of guilt down my chest.
I quickly caught sight of Dustin, helping out by giving water to those who needed it. It sent a warm feeling through my chest, seeing my little brother helping out, despite the dangers we had faced not long ago.
I walked around on the sidelines to avoid the injured people, my eyes scanning in search of Steve and Robin, knowing the three of them had come together. But my heart dropped in my chest at the sight of Wayne Munson, walking with a defeated posture to the board where missing persons had been reported.
He picked one of the papers and threw it to the ground, changing it instead with a clean copy of what I already knew was Eddie's missing file. My feet approached him on their own accord, and I found myself calling out his name even before I could stop.
"Mr. Munson?" he turned around, his eyebrows lifted at the sound of my voice.
"Hello, kid," he nodded his head in my direction.
Both of us stared at each other, not sure how to proceed. I knew I wouldn't be able to deliver the news, but thankfully for me, Dustin appeared behind me, his hand squeezing my forearm tightly as he limped to my side.
"Mr. Munson? I'm Dustin Henderson, her brother," he introduced himself. "Can we talk?" he began.
Wayne immediately shook his head, his words heavy and filled with emotion. "I can't imagine we got anything to talk about," he stared at him with a harsh look. "My nephew is innocent. He's still innocent," he glanced at the paper on the floor, where nasty comments and doodles had been added to Eddie's face. "I'll put up as many posters as I need until he's found," he picked up his bag, about to leave. "Good day to you. It's nice to see you again, kid," he said to me, but Dustin called out to him once more.
"We were with him," he said with his voice trembling, struggling to turn around at a fast pace before Wayne could leave. Both of our eyes were already red. "We were with him when the earthquake hit," I looked to the ground. I couldn't bear to look at Eddie's uncle, the only person that had cared for Eddie for so long.
"And... where is Eddie now?" Wayne asked although the way his eyes didn't meet Dustin's let me know he knew what had happened.
Dustin tried to keep his sobs in as I stepped forward, pulling his pick out of my pocket and handing it to him.
"I'm... I'm so sorry," I cried as he took it in his hands.
Wayne too breathed shakily, trying to contain his own tears as he turned around, sitting down on the nearest cot, letting the information sink in. Dustin sat beside him, the three of us mourning our loss.
"I wish everyone had gotten to know him," Dustin stated. Wayne had his back to him, while I stood in front of them, keeping my eyes on the floor. "Really know him. Because they would've loved him," he continued.
We knew this would be the only closure we would ever get. This little eulogy was only meant for us.
"Mr. Munson, they would've loved him," I agreed with him, feeling his eyes on me for a split second before returning to his pick.
"Even in the end, he never stopped being Eddie. Despite everything. I never even saw him get mad," Dustin continued with glossy eyes. "He could've run. He could've saved himself. But he fought. He fought and died to protect this town. This town that... hated him," the three of us were crying, together. "He isn't just innocent... Mr. Munson, he's..."
"He's a hero," I finished, my voice cracking.
Mr. Munson kept weeping, overcome with sadness. Dustin too sobbed by his side. I thought I had run out of tears, but more kept coming.
We stayed like that for what felt like hours, mourning and crying together. Nobody said anything, for our tears spoke volumes – we would never get Eddie back. And knowing the entire town hated him was enough to break the little pieces my heart had broken into over and over again.
After a while, Wayne stood up, his shoulders dropped and his steps lazy. With one more look at Eddie's pick, he handed the necklace back to me.
"Keep it," Wayne said. "I know he would've wanted you to have it."
"But..." I tried to protest, but he waved his hand.
"No buts, kid. I got an entire trailer full of his junk. Feel free to come whenever. I don't play Dungeons and Dragons," he took my hand and dropped the pick in it, forcing my fingers to close around it.
His hands rested on mine for a few seconds too long, and I quickly embraced him in a final goodbye.
"Take care, Wayne," I whispered as we parted.
"You too, kid. Thank you for everything you've done for him," another tear fell from his eyes while he nodded at me in appreciation.
He straightened his back, grabbed his bag, and left.
Dustin and I stared at his retreating form, seeing him leave the gym among the many citizens. Dustin rubbed his eyes, softly crying into his hands as he remained seated. In a hurry I walked to the board and grabbed Eddie's poster, carefully folding it and keeping it in my pocket. I was determined to keep his memory intact. I put his necklace around my neck, and felt the pick slide down my chest, next to my heart, where Eddie would always be.