Joyce took a long drag of her cigarette. Jonathan had told her he would be back by Sunday evening. It was now two in the morning of Monday, with no sign of his return.

She knew he wasn't at a photography workshop like he'd said. He'd left his album at home, the one Nancy had gotten him for his birthday last year. He never shot anything without it nearby.

She had let it slide because she assumed he was doing something with friends. He'd mentioned a couple of kids that were nice in his classes. She'd hoped he was sneaking out with them, doing normal teenager stuff.

El, too. The girl had claimed she was having a sleepover with a girl in her AV club. But she, too, had assured Joyce she'd be back by that evening.

However, a call to the house in question had confirmed that El had not been there all weekend.

She would have been willing to look past one or the other. Let them be rebellious kids. But for both of them to disappear and not return when they were supposed to? They should know better than anyone that would send her into a panicked frenzy.

"Will, for the last time," Joyce had sighed, pulling at we hair. "Are you sure you don't know where they went? I don't care if he told you not to tell me; I need to know where he is."

Will had shaken his head. "I swear, they didn't tell me anything," he had promised. "Can I go to bed now? It's almost midnight."

Joyce had nodded in defeat, the wide eyes he'd sent her an indicator that Will was also worried about his brother and sister. And the hurt in his voice made it clear that they really hadn't told him a thing.

Finally, Joyce stood from her chair and made her way over to the phone. The urge to call was too overwhelming. She couldn't stand it.

Punching in the numbers to the local police station, Joyce leaned against the wall, a new cigarette in hand.

As soon as the line picked up, she said anxiously, "Hi, this is Joyce Byers, I'm looking for Chief Jim Hop-" she cut off, pain stabbing through her chest. The instinctual request had slipped out before she had time to think about it.

"Don't know who that is, but we got a Chief," came a slow, annoyed voice of a woman from the other end.

Joyce pursed her lips. "Can I speak to him?" she asked, tapping on the phone with unrestricted anticipation.

"This is she."

"Oh," Joyce said, caught off guard. "Well, two of my children have, uh...have gone missing. A 17 year old boy and a 14 year old girl. They were out with friends and-"

"What time were they supposed to return?" the Chief asked.

Joyce paused. "5:00 PM yesterday," she answered.

The Chief sighed. "As in nine hours ago?"

"Yes."

"Can't help you until they've been missing for 24 hours. Have a good day, Ms. Byers."

"But-"

The line went dead. Joyce threw her phone against the receiver in frustration.

Then something caught her eye. It was a small slip of paper sticking out of the trash can.

Joyce approached the garbage and snatched the note. Uncrumpling it, she gasped.

Packing List

- Two outfits each

- Shampoo

- Hairbrush

- Body Wash

- Credit card

- Indiana drivers license (just in case)

- Protection

- 50 dollars cash

Two outfits each. So they had gone together. Wherever they were, they were together. It both calmed and heightened Joyce's nerves.

Indiana driver's license. There was a possibility he was going to end up in Indiana? A suspicion started creeping into Joyce's mind.

Protection?

Joyce's hand closed angrily around the note. "Hawkins," she muttered. "They've gone back to damn Hawkins."

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Because it wouldn't be a true Stranger Things story without Joyce losing her mind a little bit. We'll have more of frantic Joyce in later chapters. She's my favorite of the Stranger Things moms (excluding Steve, of course).