Chapter Text
Whenever I return home, I feel it in my bones. The eeriness, the dampness, the small town pettiness. I left immediately after graduation and didn't look back. My parents understood, they'd known for a long time my goal was to move away and study something not offered in small town Indiana. So, I chose Chicago. It was far enough away that coming home often wasn't easy, but, close enough to come home in the event of an emergency.
I drove home to be with my parents for the holiday break. It was the first Christmas we were all together since I moved away. The snow had recently fallen, leaving a white blanket untouched by busy coming and goings. It was nice, Chicago never had a slow moment to where one could appreciate fresh fallen snow. That was the small town life, slow and easy. I did miss it, even thought I didn't say it out loud. I mainly missed the never ending woods that surrounded my childhood home. So many wonderful memories were made in those woods, that I longed to one day own my own home in a similar setting.
I pulled into the driveway, greeted by Christmas decorations and the warmth of the glowing windows. It was a little after five in the evening and the sky was starting to turn dark. Grabbing my bags from the trunk, I made my way up the steps, opening the door. Before I could open the door my mother opened it with a swift pull, greeting me with a huge smile.
"Cora!" She embraced me in a hug. I was still holding my bags, unable to return the hug.
"Hi mom." I said, muffled into her shoulder.
"Oh Honey, you brought so much stuff! Are you moving back?" She asked, grabbing some of my bags to help me inside.
"No mom, I'm coming back for a while, but not permanently." I stepped inside and closed the door behind me.
Looking around, my childhood home was a picture in time. My parents, more so my mother, didn't do much to update it. It was just as they bought it in 1959, a two story farmhouse with original wood interior and heated by the very wood stove currently heating the living room. While no interior designer had their way to update the original fixtures, my mother did make the house a home by adding photos of the family on every inch of open wall and shelving she could.
"Hi sweetie." My dad pulled me into a hug, kissing the top of my head. "I hope the drive was okay. It just stopped snowing here."
"It was good, therapeutic. It was nice to drive in falling snow that wasn't followed with honking horns and angry drivers." I sat my bags down and began to take off my coat and boots.
"Even more reason to move back!" My dad said, hanging my coat up.
"I still have two more years before I graduate. After, we'll see." I smiled at him.
My mother had cooked a large meal in anticipation of my return. It wasn't even Christmas yet, but she cooked all my favorite foods. As we made our way to the dining room, we exchanged life updates and local gossip. My father's job at the local lab was going well. He had just been promoted to lab manager, and they were working on a new study he couldn't tell me much about, but he was excited for the potential outcomes. My mother had recently quit her job at the local high school in order to pursue her dream of being a librarian. She seemed happier than I've ever seen her, and I was happy to see my absence was not felt as much as I worried about. Being an only child meant that leaving the nest was final, and both myself and my parents had a sudden adjustment to acclimate to.
"You should come by the library tomorrow. The town has really invested in it, and you'll be amazed by all of the updates that have been made." My mom said as we began clearing the table.
"I will swing by tomorrow after I wake up. My schedule is pretty open now that I'm on break." I helped my parents take the dishes and leftovers into the kitchen.
As I settled into my childhood bedroom, the drive of the day really started to get to me. I laid down on my bed, and before I knew it, drifted off to sleep.
The next day I woke up to the sounds of nature outside my window. It was peaceful, and I stayed in bed for a while soaking it in.
Around noon, I decided to visit my mother at the library. She was right, the town did spend a considerable amount of time and money updating the dilapidated building, turning it into a sight to behold.
"Cora!" My mother exclaimed as I walked through the front doors. "I was wondering when you'd show up. Did you sleep well?"
"I did, it was nice to wake up to chirping birds for a change." I said approaching the front desk. "You weren't kidding, this place looks like a completely different building."
"The town came into some money from an anonymous donor, and the donor said the money was to go to the library. They wasted no time in getting started either." The phone began to ring at her desk. "Go look around, I have to take this." As she picked up the phone I made my way upstairs.
Not only did the library get a remodel, they also got new books and technology. My university didn't even have some of the technology as the Hawkins library, and it was the biggest university in the city. I couldn't help but gawk. I began to peruse the new book shelves, running my fingers down the spines. I was startled out of my trance by a deep voice behind me.
"Amazing isn't it?" I jumped at the voice. I turned around to see a tall, thin man, with his blond hair neatly quiffed to the side exposing his blue eyes.
"I'm sorry?" I said, still a bit discombobulated.
He smiled, "The books, we recently got those in. Brand new, I don't even think they've been opened yet." He pointed to the shelf where my hands had stopped.
"Oh..." I laughed, "Yeah, it's a sight to behold that's for sure. When I left Hawkins, this place couldn't even get in new books, let alone new versions of the classics."
"So you're from here originally? I was about to ask, I've never seen you before." The man stepped closer, lowering his voice as he did so.
I was mesmerized. I had never seen this man before, but looking into his eyes, it was like I'd known him my entire life. I felt that he could also feel this, and he broke the silence.
"I'm Henry..." He held out his hand.
I slowly reached out my hand to grab his, "Cora..." As I touched him, he raised an eyebrow. "What is it?" I asked.
"Oh, it's just that..." He let go of my hand and took in a deep breath, "I believe I'm mistaken. I do know you."
I didn't know this man. I had never seen him before in my life, yet, this connection was undeniable. My breath faltered, as a chill ran up my spine. Before I could respond to this mysterious man, the library fire alarm began to sound.