infinitedc

Part Four              Rink-O-Mania was one of the most popular hangout spots for teens in Lenora Hills; a roller-skating rink that was the choice location for Angela and her friends, with Jane in tow. The parking lot itself was proof of its popularity, seeing how difficult it was for Jim to find a spot. Ultimately, he had to settle for one that was a long but tolerable distance from the entrance. “This is the place, huh?” he checked with Will.              “Yeah,” Will confirmed, feeling uneasy about what he and Jim would find inside.              “Pretty colors!”              “Jeez!” Jim jolted, as did Will, when he heard someone speak out from the backseat. They hadn’t expected anyone else in the car with them, the entire ride over. But, apparently...

  Part Three              Much as Dobby annoyed Hopp, Joyce started to take a liking to the little house-elf. She helped him feel comfortable in their home, treating him like a child and giving him cookies and milk as he watched cartoons on television. Meanwhile, Hopp worked exhaustedly to reach Si, only to get a recorded message that said, “Hi, you’ve reached Si. Sorry that I’m not available right now, but if you leave me your name and number in a voicemail, I’ll make sure to get back to you.”              Defeated, Hopp hung up for the seventeenth time. “I can’t get her,” he told Joyce. “All I’m gettin’ is her answering machine. What’s ‘voicemail’ anyway?”              Joyce shrugged. “Call her again and leave a message.”              Seeing no...

Part Two              Hopp had never been so relieved to be back at the house. He practically stormed his way in through the front door, not exactly slamming it shut but certainly loud enough to alert Joyce that he was back. He knew she would have questions about why he came back home and not go to work. Bracing himself for that conversation, he grabbed a can of lite beer out of the fridge, switched on the living room television set, and lounged in front of it.              “Hopp?” He finally heard Joyce call from the other side of the house.              “I’m in here, hon,” Jim called back, taking a sip. Lite beer didn’t have the same zest as the real thing. He really needed that buzz to take the edge off, but Joyce kept buying the “diet” stuff to help with his put-on fitness regimen.     ...

  Part One One Year Later             The results of Jim Hopper’s daily morning jogs through the Lenora Hills suburb really showed in his physique. Not since his Vietnam days had he been in such fantastic shape. No longer was he that pudgy sheriff that he was back in Hawkins. Now, he was down to more than a few belt notches. He knew how happy it made Joyce and Jane, but it wasn’t actually for them.             Jim’s jogs were a result of a lack of sleep, brought on by PTSD.             He hadn’t been in a right frame of mind since taking his first trip in Si’s TARDIS to other worlds – ones with wizards and giant monsters that he knew only existed in fiction, yet somehow were a reality beyond his own. It was one thing to deal with a kid with mind powers like Jane; it was something else entirely dealing with a kid who was...