Everywhere

The three of them stepped out of the funeral home in silence. Jonathan lead the way, his posture was stiff, and his hands were shoved into his Jean pockets. They reached to the Hawkins High Dark Room. The red light cast shadows along the walls, reflecting on their faces.The only sound filling the room was the hum of the machines.

It wasn't much—a cramped space filled with stacks of papers and trays of water. At that moment, it felt like the most important place in Hawkins—the place where they would find their answer.

Jonathan moved with ease, his hands steady as he worked on the photograph. He barely acknowledged Natalie or Nancy, his focus was on developing the image.

Nancy stood nearby, her gaze fixed on Jonathan. She watched him handle the photo paper. There was something satisfying about his work, and how
he moved in silence. Natalie stood a few steps away, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the developing photograph. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the recent events.

The slight glimpse of the creature they saw in the woods, the one that abducted Will and Barb - was it truly the same one in the photograph? Was this just  a theory, or could it be the evidence they seek? Evidence that something strange is occurring in Hawkins.

Nancy broke the sudden silence " And you're?"

Jonathan didn't look up" Brightening. Enlarging." He mumbled.

Natalie nodded and pursed her lips. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess, struggling to make sense of the situation. The creature, whatever it was, must be fast. It had taken Will, and it had likely taken Barb as well. But what exactly were they dealing with? Why was it here? And why Hawkins, out of all places?

" Hm. Did your mom say anything else? Like um Where it might have gone to or."Nancy spoke up again.

Jonathan hesitated, His jaw felt a bit tense " No, just that it came out of a wall."

Natalie furrowed her eyebrows. " Out of a wall?"

The idea sent a shiver down her spine. It didn't make sense. How could something emerge from a wall? Was that how it moved, explaining its incredible speed? Could it be here right now? A sudden wave of unease washed over her. The thought of that thing slipping in and out of their world like a shadow made her stomach churn. Jonathan gave her a subtle nod.

Before anyone could utter a word, the machine made  a beep, indicating that the photo was ready. Jonathan approached the image and slowly removed it from the machine. He gently placed it into the tray of water, observing as the liquid rippled across the surface. Although the image remained blurry and in the process of developing, they would soon be able to view it more clearly.

Nancy stepped closer, her eyes flickering between Jonathan and the picture " How long is this going to take?" She asked

" Not long" Jonathan murmured, his eyes locked onto the photo. His fingers trembling slightly as he gently swayed the tray side to side.

Natalie remained focused on the image , she shook her head. "Let's not rush the process, things come out bad when it's rushed." She said quietly

Nancy nodded, tapping her foot against the floor. They all waited patiently, waiting for the truth to be unveiled. They wanted proof that their experience wasn't just figments of their imagination, but what they had witnessed was real.

Nancy tilted her head, a bit curious " Have you been doing this a while?" She spoke up

Jonathan blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

" Photography?" Nancy clarified, raising her eyebrows like it was obvious

Jonathan hesitated, he glanced at the tray, watching the image take its shape. " Yeah. I guess I'd rather observe people than you know..."

" Talk to them." Nancy finished with a knowing smile on her face.

Jonathan let out an exhale, nodding  " I know. It's weird."

Nancy shook her head.  "No"

Jonathan let out an awkward chuckle. "No it is." He paused for a moment. "It's just, sometimes, people don't really say what they're really thinking." But you capture the right moment, it says more."

Natalie leaned against the corner, crossing her arms to her chest. "No, I get it. Sometimes it's better to watch from afar, than to actually talk to someone. She gave Jonathan a side eye.  "Just maybe not from the bushes with a camera.You look like a creep,"

Natalies fingers tapped absentmindedly against the corner of her desk. Her mind was still racing, trying to place the pieces together, but there were so many gaps. "Where did that thing come from? Was there more than one? And what does it want?"

Nancy's voice cut her out of her thoughts " What was I saying?"

Jonathan looked up  confused " What"

"When you took my picture."Nancy teased. 

Natalie rolled her eyes " Now, why the hell do you want to know that. She crossed her arms again and gave Jonathan another side eye. "Which by the way, I'm still kinda disappointed about."

Jonathan sighed " I shouldn't have taken that. I'm uh, I'm sorry. It's just-"

He didn't finish his sentence, Natalie let out a slight gasp. "Is that?"

The image had fully developed now, and what they saw sent a shiver down their spines. A figure stood in the background, barely visible yet it was not a human.

" That's it." That's what we saw" Nancy whispered

Jonathan shallowed a lump in his throat, his grip tightening on the edge on the counter. He let out a shaky breath. "My mom .. I thought she was crazy cause she said. That's not Will body's. That he's alive."

Nancy's voice was barely a whisper " And if he's alive?"

Jonathan gaze darkened as he stared at the picture. "Then Barbara"

Natalie's stomach twisted as she leaned forward, her fingers gently touching the picture, careful not to smudge it.  She pulled out her history notebook, and showed a messy doodle of the shadow of the creature. It matched the picture perfectly. It's the same one she saw last night.

"That thing got her, chances are she could be alive." Natalie murmured

She looked up, her gaze goes to Jonathan and Nancy. "We just need to find it."

A/N: Hey everyone! Another short chapter. Thanks for checking out this chapter. I really wanted to dive deeper into Jonathan, Nancy, and Natalie as they piece together the mystery of the creature.

I loved exploring Natalie's perspective here—how her mind races to connect the dots, Jonathan quietly working on the photograph and Nancy's determination make such an interesting dynamic.

Let me know what you think! I appreciate every read, comment, and bit of feedback. More to come soon!