Take time to enjoy this chapter and the build-up it has!

October 30, 1985

Hawkins, Illinois

Billy drove his blue Camaro down the road and parked right at the front of the gas station. Just another day to check his car and fill up the tank. On top of that, the next day would be a Halloween—making mullet head thinking it is about to be more than a year since they came this rundown town.

Well, at least Derek and Ken were competent mechanics to help with the gas and sometimes when he would come to them for help to fix his car. Better here where his jack*ss dad won't yell at him.

He went towards the garage. Kind of strange how the boys weren't out to see him, unless Ken was stuck in the bathroom and Derek was slacking off in his office. He turned right towards the door to the office.

"Derek? Hello? Are you there? I just need a quick fill—"

What Billy saw next when he stepped into Derek's office—he staggard back and almost yelped in terror.

"OH MY G**!"

Derek had his head slunk on the desk his body unmoving—but the most horrifying part was—his jaw. What the hell happened to his jaw? Billy couldn't bear to look down at the dark pool that dripped from the desk to the ground. The sight made Billy the need to throw up.

The Hargrove boy turned away and back into the garage. He felt the need to throw up, but just as he was about to—there was another body in his direction. It was Ken—in his undergarments—now dead in a pool of blood. Billy had to swallow back his own bile.

"WHAT THE—WHAT THE?!" Billy put his hands to his head to contain himself. The other day these guys were happy and going—now they were dead? Murdered? But that meant—how long have they been like this?

Before Billy could speculate further—he started to smell something—it took his mind off of the bodies—it smelled like—gas.

Oh sh*t!

Billy ran out of the garage and hurried back to his car. He didn't care to take out the gas tube still plug in—with a turn of his keys and step on the gas, Billy drove his Camaro out of the lot and not without violently ripping out the glass plug.

Billy drove as fast as he can—in just seconds later, just behind him—the gas station exploded.

Hopper thought he felt something snap, and it was bringing him back to consciousness. He slowly opened her eyes—and saw a masked face looking down on her.

"OH!" Jim almost scrambled for his gun, only to scramble for his blankets. He realized the mask looked familiar—it was in the shape of a baby—the baby mask from El's room.

The person wearing her mask giggled. The child removed the mask to reveal the face of blonde girl with blue eyes, giggling in triumph. It was Karen, Laurie's daughter.

"Gotcha!" The toddler teased.

Right when Hopper rubbed his eyes, he seemed to smell something in the air.

"C'mon!" The toddler tugged at Hopper's arm. "It's time for breakfast!" The toddler left his room.

Hopper got dressed and departed out of the room. What surprised him was in the kitchen, the woman named Laurie Strode from last night—was cooking breakfast with El. While the woman was stirring eggs in the frying in the pan with a wooden spoon, El made sure pull out Eggos out of the toaster into a plate.

Loomis had set up plates and utensils at the table. Karen came over to the man, and he patted her head, and helped her into her chair.

The Chief was even more baffled when he saw Owens opening his fridge and examining a carton of milk.

"Morning, Chief," Owens said to him. "I have to say. If we have time, we better get more milk."

"Wait, stop." Hopper came over to where Laurie was cooking. "What are you doing?"

Laurie looked at the chief incredulously. "You don't know what breakfast looks like?"

"Look… uh… ma'am. I get it you and your family had the spend the night here. But you could have at least told me if you were going to make breakfast. I mean, you are guests in my home."

"So, we should wait for your sleepy bum to get up, and until then we starve?" Laurie responded. "How long do you normally sleep for?"

Hopper reddened at her response. This woman was bold like last night and he wondered if she already started to get on his nerves.

El passed by with a plate full of toasted eggos and place them on the table. Karen looked at them and said. "Waffles?"

"No," El said. "These are eggos."

"What El here is trying to say, Karen, is that Eggos are like waffles, but different." Loomis said.

Karen looked at the eggos with eagerness. "Can I have one now?"

"As long as you have your eggs, honey." Laurie said as she came with a plate of fried eggs. Hopper felt like dropping his jaw at how not only Owens, the former director of Hawkins Lab, sitting with El, but also three strangers that only appeared last night. And one of them had made breakfast.

Owens gave him a look. "Are you joining us, Chief?"

Hopper sighed and took a seat at the table. Usually the first table was smaller. Almost every day—it had only been him and El eating at a small table. Now it seems El had told the adults were the other small table was in order to conjoin it with the other table in order to make a big table for everyone to eat around.

"Grace?" Karen said, catching everyone's attention. "We say Grace, right?"

"What's Grace?" El said. Hopper realized El didn't know that much about anything about religion. They would always eat their breakfast without saying anything—but with what that girl just said…

"It's customary before we eat our meals." Loomis said. "A way of blessing it and the rest of the day."

El became curious about it.

"Yes, we clasp our hands together," Laurie said, while displaying it. "And we close our eyes, while one of us says it."

El looked at Hopper, who didn't exactly what to say. The Chief looked at Owens, who gave him a look. It would be polite go along with it.

All six of the at the table, put their hands together and closed their eyes, while Laurie said:

"Oh Lord, bless this food we have this day. We thank you for bringing us under this roof of this man and his daughter.

Even with their eyes closed, Hopper felt appreciated by that part, and El felt a bit touched.

"We ask you protect us in these times and from the horrors of this world.

Loomis and Owens shifted a bit uncomfortably, as to who Laurie was indirectly meaning in her prayer.

"We say these things and give thanks onto you. Amen."

"Amen." They all said. El was confused.

"Why didn't we say Grace?"

"El," Hopper said. "It's just a term. You don't really say it."

Karen started to cut into her eggos. "You know, this place looks just like home."

"Really?" El said.

Hopper looked at Laurie. "You live in a cabin, too?"

"Yes. Have been for a long time." Laurie said.

"It's in the forest like this place is." Karen said. "And Mommy says it's safe."

"Safe?" El said. "From who?"

Karen looked at El and said: "The Boogeyman."

While Karen went back to her food, her words sent an uncomfortable vibe to those sitting at the table. Loomis and Owens looked at each other, unsure. Laurie stood a bit still and tried to avoid eye contact with Hopper.

El looked at the mother and daughter; they much like her and Hopper. They as well spent their lives living in a cabin like her and Hopper. El thought she the girl was going to say bad men—but instead she said the Boogeyman. What was the Boogeyman? Did she mean…

Suddenly, there was a static sound—coming from Hopper's radio in his belt, hung on the wall. Hopper immediately got out his chair and went over to grab it.

"Yes?" Hopper answered it. Hopper listened to what Callahan radioed him, and his eyes widened a bit before closing. "Okay. I'll be there." He turned the radio off.

"Well, what happened?" Owens asked. The rest of the table were looking at Hopper.

"The gas station outside of town." Hopper said. "It blew up."

Loomis looked at Laurie and she understood his look. This couldn't be a coincidence.

Hopper went to put his belt on. "I'm going over there, now."

"Not alone, you're not." Owens said, as he stood from his seat.

"I as well." Loomis did the same.

"Look I appreciate it, but—" Hopper tried saying.

"Chief Hopper," Loomis said. "We drove cross the state to get here, because… a man who is on the loose is here in your town. And I know him better than most. So, I insist."

Hopper gave the doctor a look and then looked at Owens. The Chief sighed. "All right, you can come. The more the merrier."

El stand up from her seat. "What about going to Mike's place?"

Hopper remembered now what they said to Mike and the other kids. He thought of something. "We'll go to the gas station first, then we'll bring Steve, Joyce, Jonathan, and Nancy and we'll up at Mike's place. We'll there when their school is over."

"Wait," Laurie said. "What about me?"

"We'll be driving my station wagon." Hopper said as he looked Owens. "You think she can take your car?"

Owens understood and went over to get his keys and handed them Laurie. "So, you're going already… you barely ate any of this."

Hopper looked down guiltily at his barely touched plate of eggs and eggos. He almost felt his stomach grumbled, which Loomis noticed. "We'll really need to go." Hopper said kind of awkwardly. "Sorry, next time."

The chief, the psychiatrist, and former directors went out the door. Following them out, but stopping on the porch, was El—looking worriedly at Hopper.

"Will you be careful?" El asked.

Hopper looked at his adopted daughter and nodded. "I'll be okay, I promise. Make sure that lady gets to Mike's place, and I'll see you there."

El understood, and then nodded at her adopted dad. With that, Hopper, Loomis, and Owens got in the station wagon and started to drive away from the cabin.

El watched as they drove further away. Memories of what she saw last night were coming back to her—the people screaming—and the man—and his mask. She didn't want Hopper to see that man. She didn't want what happened to those people happen to Hopper or any of her friends.

She heard Laurie exclaiming from inside.

"Oh, c'mon, Karen. You were supposed to eat the eggs first, not all of the desert."

"This eggos is delicious! I love eggos!"

The gas station was like a box that was blasted inside out with smoke and ash. The fire department had arrived to spray away the fires and an ambulance had arrived and was bringing four bodies in bags.

"What was weird—were the last two bodies were in the bathroom." Powell said to Hopper as they walked through the situation. "I didn't think the bathroom would have been affected, but still…"

"Unless this was all set up." Owens said. Powell and Hopper turned to see Owens and Loomis behind him.

Powell gave Owens a look. "Hey? Do I know you?"

"It's no doubt this wasn't an accident. It was set up." Loomis said, with a grim tone.

"Who the heck are you supposed to be?" Powell said looking at Loomis.

Hopper thought to cut in to prevent Powell from asking doctors who they were, then he saw something weird. He saw a distance away Steve and Robin having a talk—well, an unpleasant talk—with a guy their age—and he was sitting down with a blanket over his shoulders. He must be the witness. He walked closer to them, and then realized who the guy was—Billy Hargrove.

"Can you at least say what else happened?" Robin tried asking.

"I will—if you get this jack*ss out of my face." Billy said, as he meant it at Steve.

"Aw, c'mon, Billy," Steve said frustrated.

"You think with that uniform I will answer to you, Harrington?" Billy angrily said. "Will stick for a fork in yourself. I ain't telling anything to you."

Robin sighed in frustration. She knew about the heated rivalry between Steve and Billy during their last year in High School—but right now was a crime scene—couldn't they just…

"Hey," Hopper said as he approached them. "Mind telling me what is going on? Why you have a blanket on? Too cold?"

Billy glared at the Chief of Police. Powell came in to say. "This guy… was here when it happened. Miracle he didn't blew up with it. We wonder why?"

Billy glared at Powell. "The hell you talking about?! Why the hell would I do something like this? I told you! They were DEAD! Derek and Ken they…" Billy looked down a bit, remembering the sight of the bodies. "Then I smelled the gas. My instincts kicked in and hopped back into my car. I didn't even bother to take out the hose! I SWEAR!" After that he went to put his head in his hands.

Hopper felt grateful Powell didn't say anything else. By the look of it, Billy looked traumatized.

It felt weird for Steve, to feel a bit sympathetic to the guy who kicked his *ss almost a year ago.

Robin didn't know what to say. She knew almost better that Billy was one of the those stuck-up *ssholes but still. It would even be stupid for Powell to keep thinking Billy was responsible.

"Steve, come here." Hopper took Steve by the shoulder and dragged him away from Robin and Billy. Robin looked to see Steve and Hopper making their way to the two strange men. What were they doing?

"What's going on?" Steve said as Hopper led him in front of two men… but then he realized. "Hey, I know you guys. From last night."

Owens smiled a bit. "Yes, of course."

Hopper said to Steve. "Steve, I think you remember Dr. Sam Owens, he was once in charge of Hawkins Lab." He gestured over to Loomis. "And this is Dr. Sam Loomis."

"Wait a minute? Both of you guys are named Sam?" Steve asked.

Both Owens and Loomis rolled their eyes.

"Do we have to say it." Loomis said annoyed.

Hopper looked Steve seriously. "Steve, this is not a joke." Steve looked at him concerned. "This may not be an accident. If point being a fact, this may have to do with someone dangerous."

"Someone… dangerous?" Steve said, a bit worried now.

"Yes." Hopper said, adamantly. "After, were all going to meet at the Wheeler House."

"Wheeler House? You mean Nancy's place? Why?"

Hopper didn't say anything and looked at Loomis. They will explain everything, soon. But first…

The doorbell rang in Melvad's, causing Joyce to turn around and see Hopper.

"Hopper!" Joyce exclaimed and started to walk towards him. "I didn't see you yesterday! I heard what happened to Greg Cole! I'm so sorry I didn't…" Joyce stopped when she noticed not only Steve behind Hopper, but it was Dr. Sam Owens.

"Dr. Owens?" Joyce said.

"Hello, Joyce," Owens said. "It's been a while." What was Owens doing here? Was here just to stop by? Joyce didn't understand, not even when there was another man beside Owens, and he wore trench like coat and seemed as old as Owens.

Joyce looked at Hopper. She saw the grim expression on his face, and she knew it couldn't be good.

"I tried again, Jonathan, and there is no answer." Nancy said to Jonathan. She was baffled after what happened with Mrs. Driscoll last night on the phone. Now, in the Hawkins Post, she tried calling again hoping it would be different. But time after time—Mrs. Driscoll wouldn't answer the phone.

"She's an old lady, Nancy. I'm sure…" Jonathan tried saying.

"But she said that the rat from yesterday was gone. She even said that the cage was locked. What if…"

"Just take it easy."

"If she doesn't call back, then we have to go back to her house."

"Nancy…"

"She could be hurt, Jonathan. I had a feeling when she was on the phone last night."

"Well, okay, but what if…"

"Jonathan?" The boyfriend and girlfriend looked behind them—and saw who they didn't expect—Jonathan's mother Joyce—and right behind was…

"STEVE?!" Nancy and Jonathan both said at the same time.

"Hey… guys." The jock-turned deputy said awkwardly to his former girlfriend and… well he didn't like to think about how he felt about Jonathan before.

"What are you doing here?" Jonathan said to his mother.

Joyce had a grim expression on her face. "We need you to come with us."

"What?" Nancy said. "But we are in the middle of—"

"That can wait." Steve said. "We need to go to your house."

"Guys," Jonathan said. "If we just leave, Tom is gonna—"

"Sweetie," Joyce said. "This is serious." The mother whispered into her son's ear. And Jonathan's eyes widened.

Getting out of the Hawkins Post, the four of them were walking towards Hopper's station wagon that was parked across from the post. Outside of it were Hopper, Loomis, and Owens—the latter Jonathan and Nancy immediately recognized.

"DR. OWENS?!" Nancy and Jonathan said at the same time.

"Well," Owens smiled a bit at the couple. "Long time since, you two."

Nancy glared at the former director. "What are you doing here?"

"Listen," Loomis said. "We don't have time. We need to—"

"Who is this?" Nancy pointed at Loomis. "Another one of your lying cronies?"

Hopper had enough of this. "Just-get-in-the-car." He said through gritted teeth.

Nancy could the Chief was serious. She finally consented, and so did Jonathan, though it did not stop them from being weary about the former Hawkins Director.

There were now seven people in the station wagon.

"So," Owens said. "Taking the same the job, you two." He was talking again to Nancy and Jonathan. "How long have you two been—"

"Can we just go." Joyce said, a bit irritated. Hopper pulled back from the space and started driving.

Steve was glad Joyce silenced Owens from talking to Nancy and Jonathan. It was a bit rare times for them to come together like this. It was all the weirder to be riding in the same car with your ex-girlfriend and her current boyfriend. Steve knew it has been a year—but still.

Nancy had a reason to be angry at Owens—as he was part of the organization that was responsible for… well for all the craziness that poof up in Hawkins almost two years ago—and that led to Barb's death. Steve just hoped Hopper had good explanation for what was happening.

They parked next to the Wheeler house. It seemed Mike was right; his parents weren't home—as their car wasn't there. And speak of the devil—Mike, Lucas, Dustin, Max, and Will rode their bikes right into the scene. And soon, another car came into the scene. When it stopped, coming out of it were Eleven, Laurie, and her daughter Karen. And coming out of the station wagon were Hopper, Joyce, Owens, Loomis, Steve, Nancy, and Jonathan.

"Will?!" Joyce and Jonathan said at the same time.

"Hey guys," Will said coming over to his family.

"HENDERSON!" Steve cried out in joy at the sight of Dustin, almost spooking out Loomis and Hopper.

"HARRINGTON!" Dustin cried in joy as well as he came toward his friend.

El, Laurie, and Karen were confused by the joyful nature. While Mike and the others just rolled their eyes.

"Here we go again." Max said.

"You're here!" Steve said.

"You got the job!" Dustin said.

"I got the job!"

Hopper rolled his eyes.

What they next, made everyone looked baffled and weirded out. Steve did a mock of a trumpet with his fingers before he and Dustin did their signature handshake. Then the handshake turn into them acting like their were clashing lightsabers and Dustin making a slash at Steve's chest. Steve mockingly acted like he was dead and was dropping out guts from his stomach. The two laughed it off, and when they were done—they noticed the group with weird expressions on their faces.

Nancy and Jonathan had their jaws open. Since when Steve became this… well so carefree and a bit ridiculous? They would know the old Steve back in High School would be embarrassed to his core to do something like that with a kid like Dustin.

Loomis, Owens, and Hopper had the same expressions as well.

Loomis didn't know what to think of it. Why was a deputy so much friends with a kid? And why would he do something like that?

Hopper felt embarrassed. Did they had to right now in front of everyone? Especially, in front of new people? And especially Joyce?

Joyce almost chuckled at how carefree and fun the two were with each other. She kind of thought it was adorable.

Mike was annoyed that Dustin and Steve would have to do this sometimes when they would meet. And they just had to do it in front of everyone—especially in front of El?

El didn't know what to say of it. She was a bit speechless like Laurie next to her.

Little Karen kind of like the performance they gave and was a bit curious about it.

"What?" Steve and Dustin said at the same time to everyone.

"I think we should all go inside." Nancy said clearing the air. Everyone agreed immediately. Everyone started following Mike and Nancy as they went not to the front door—but around to the back door that would lead to the basement. El stopped for a moment—as if she were feeling a vibe.

"Are you okay?" Will said to her. He had not gone inside yet.

"Yeah, I just…" El tried to say.

"I feel it, too." Will said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Let's just go inside."

El decided to listen and nodded to the boy. They were the last ones to go inside. Unknown to all of them, now in the basement of the Wheeler Residence—someone was watching them.

Sorry if you were expecting the basement talk—but it is right next chapter!

This Halloween—it is Karen that spooks Hopper instead! With El's baby mask from "The Lost Sister" episode! I had Karen say her line from Halloween (2018) "Gotcha!" You should also know the line "Gotcha!" was also used in Halloween: Resurrection (2002) as well. You can consider this an homage to both installments.

So, we get to some Billy in the plot… you'll how this goes for him later on.

I hope I made that breakfast scene right. I had them say Grace, because I think Laurie would try to set an example for her daughter. I know in 2018 film, they were estranged because Laurie was obsessed with security and training her daughter how to fight—remember Karen is still a toddler, she is still used to life in the cabin and hasn't been trained how to fight, yet.

Interesting it is how Laurie and Karen living in cabin away from town like Hopper and Eleven do! Though I wonder which situation is serious. Hiding from the bad men? Or hiding in wait for the Boogeyman?!

Nancy and Jonathan screaming STEVE at the same time? Sound familiar from Season 2?

Remember that Nancy and Jonathan weren't on good terms with Owens, and they used evidence to expose the lab. So, well this is where the Rat plot diverges a bit.

I couldn't resist to put the Dustin-Steve friendship handshake in—this time not in front of Robin—but in front of everyone! LOL!

Next chapter is going to be something you waited for! Telling the Party about Michael Myers! Review what you think and I will see next time!