#my grandma who just passed had the ability to call my landline the MOMENT i walked into my apartment. without fail.

[youremyonlyhope]

My uncanny ability to accidentally specifically predict bad things now means that for the second time, a supervisor has told me to stop making predictions while at work since they keep coming true.

This has happened in two different jobs in two different fields now. Yay.

[this-is-allison]

Hawkins Affairs

I’m sorry I haven’t posted any writing in a while. My grandma suddenly fell ill and passed away so June was a big struggle for me and I’ve been having a hard time finding inspiration to write. 

I’ve been working on this for about a month now and think I finally have it ready to share. This is set about 8ish years before Will disappears, right after Hopper comes back from the Vietnam War. Yes, there is smut. Please let me know what you think!  Hawkins, Indiana: May 1975 -

Hopper rolls away from the woman who’s name he never bothered to ask for. Sitting up he grabs his jeans off the floor and slides them on. He fishes in the right pocket, retrieving a few pills from its depths. Not bothering to blow off the lint, he pops the red and blue tablets in his mouth, swallowing them dry. Hopper finishes dressing, takes one look back at the sleeping form before quietly leaving the dingy motel room.

He’s been back in Hawkins for a few months now. It’s still just as shitty as he remembered. The war had just ended. He’d been discharged early with the news that his mother had fallen ill. She’d declined the past few weeks and is now taking up permanent residence at Hawkins Memorial. Thoughts of the war and the things he’d seen kept him up at night. When he wasn’t tending to his mother, he typically spent his time sleeping with nameless women and drinking himself into a stupor. His dream was to get out of Hawkins after high school and never look back, yet here he is. Right back where he started.

His first run in with Joyce takes about a week and a half, but he knew it would happen sooner rather than later in such a small town. The last time he’d seen her she’d told him about her impending marriage to Lonnie Byers after high school. He was less than supportive, but why in the hell would she think he’d be anything but? All the memories come flooding back as he walks through the doors of Melvald’s General and sees her standing behind the counter. Their eyes meet for a brief second, a look of shock crossing her features, before she turns her attention back to the customer in front of her.

He grabs a 12 pack of beers out of the cooler on the far end of the store and heads back up to the front. It’s hard to miss the shiny gold band on her left ring finger. His thoughts instantly turn bitter at the sight of it.

“How’s Lonnie?” his tone is anything but friendly. The first time he sees her in years and he asks about her piece of shit husband. Joyce wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked in, but that wasn’t it.

“He’s…” she clears her throat, “er...um...fine,” she fakes a smile. She doesn’t want to talk about Lonnie. Not with anyone, especially not with him. “How’s your mom?” Joan Hopper is a well liked woman among the townspeople so news of her illness had gotten around quickly.

“Fine,” he mimics her response offering nothing more than a tight jaw and dark eyes.

“Can we maybe...talk some time?” she offers. They were good friends at one point. She misses that.

“I don’t think your husband would like that,” he bites before he lays his money on the counter, grabs the case of beers, and walks out of the store. He’ll have to go to the larger store from now on for his beer runs.

It’s 6am when the landline at his mother’s house starts ringing throughout the house. She always keeps the ringer louder than normal due to her lousy hearing. He wakes with a start having just dozed off after an extra dose of Tuinal. He makes his way to the phone quickly, grabbing it off the hook on the fourth ring, “s’wrong?” no one ever calls except his mother and the nurses on occasion. Never at this hour before. Something must be wrong.

“Mr. Hopper? It’s Doctor Smith. I’m really sorry to have to tell you this over the phone, but your mother went into cardiac arrest early this morning. We tried everything we could, but the attack was massive. I’m sorry for your loss,” the doctor explains.

“Thanks,” Hopper grunts out before hanging up the phone abruptly. He knew this day would come, but somehow it doesn’t feel real.

The next week goes by in a blur; making funeral arrangements, meeting with a lawyer, cleaning up the house for the wake, and packing up some of his mother’s things. His drinking has gotten worse. He takes more pills than medically recommended. There’s nothing left to care about so why in the hell should he care about himself?

He hosts the wake at his mother’s house the Friday after her death. He knows his mother was loved having lived in this town her entire life, but the number of people crowding in the small house overwhelms him. He retreats to his bedroom; thankful for the peace and quiet. He takes the flask out of his suit jacket and enjoys a drink. That is, until there’s a soft knock at the door. He looks up as it opens before he can respond. His eyes travel from black heels, up bare pale legs, to a simple back dress, and finally meet wide brown eyes.

“S’wat’re you doin’ here?” the alcohol ignites his anger among other things. Fully taking her in for the first time in ten years, he sees she’s only gotten more beautiful. She looks beat down and tired, but somehow more beautiful than ever. It pisses him off.

“I couldn’t find you...I figured you’d be hiding in here,” she walks towards him slowly, stopping abruptly as his fiery gaze meets hers.

“Found me. Ya should leave,” he burps taking another drink from his flask.

“I don’t think you should be left alone right now,” she explains, making sure to keep her distance.

“House’s full,” another drink down. How much can that small flask hold?

“You could use a friend,” she knew it was the wrong term to use to describe their relationship as soon as it left her mouth. If his anger wasn’t evident before, it is now.

“You think...we’re friends?!” he’s on his feet towering over her in seconds, but she refuses to let him intimidate her.

“Of course. We practically grew up together,” she reminds him. They’d met in elementary school and even though Joyce was two grades below Jim, they were practically inseparable. Until Lonnie Byers came along. He’d transferred into Jim’s grade senior year from another school and was obsessed with Joyce from the moment he laid eyes on her. He didn’t care that she was taken. He’d somehow managed to wedge himself between them, something he thought was impossible.

He isn’t sure if it’s their close proximity or the mixture of grief, alcohol, pills, and anger, but he suddenly wants to take what’s Lonnie’s. He looks down at her, their bodies mere inches apart, “10 years we haven’t talked,” he reminds her. Friends don’t not talk for a decade.

She can smell the alcohol emitting from his body due to their close proximity, “I’m sorry,” is all she can choke out. Her breath hitches when she looks up and catches his eye.

Words evaporate between them when suddenly he kisses her harshly. He swiftly picks her up and she takes the cue to wrap her legs around his waist, hooking her arms around his neck. Slamming her up against the nearest wall their kissing only grows more intense. Their tongues battle for dominance as their hands work on finding skin, desperate for contact. His suit jacket is quickly discarded. Hopper doesn’t waste any time as he pushes her dress up her thighs to bunch at her hips then yanks her underwear down enough so he can rip them off. Joyce unbuttons his dress pants, pushing them down with the toes of her heels as far as she can while he sucks on her neck. She brings his mouth back to hers as her hand wanders down his fully shirted chest, into his boxers. Hopper groans into her mouth when she wraps her small hand around his hard, thick member. Luckily alcohol had never affected his ability to perform.

Deciding he doesn’t want to wait anymore he pushes his boxers down letting them pool around his ankles. He lines himself up with her hot entrance and pushes in, not bothering to check if she’s ready. Joyce screams out surprised, wrapping her arm around his neck, using his body to muffle her cries. Hopper’s surprised how tight she is - Lonnie must not being fucking her right. Or at all. Smirking into her mouth at the fact, he grabs her hips fucking into her harder and harder with each thrust not giving her anytime to adjust to the size of him.

He isn’t going to last long in the state he’s in with her as tight as she is. Seems like Joyce won’t either.

Joyce screams out at the simultaneous feeling of being stretched and fucked so deep. Hopper uses his mouth to muffle her cries. He keeps up the pace, moving his thumb to massage her clit,  and after a few minutes she spasms violently around him. Her orgasm lasts longer than he’s ever experienced before. It really must have been a while for her - it came quick and hard. The feeling of her walls constricting around him causes him to burst before he can pull all the way out. He didn’t mean to as he wasn’t expecting to cum so fast, but the thought of her going home to Lonnie with his seed inside her fills him with a sense of pride. He’d fucked Lonnie’s wife. His ex. The woman who he still has very contradicting feelings for. Is it possible to love and hate someone at the same time? He does.  They try to regain control of their breathing still not saying a word. Hopper places Joyce back on her feet after a minute. She pulls her dress down from around her waist, takes one look at her torn underwear on the floor, and leaves. Not minding to say anything or even look at him. Without her underwear, his cum drips down her thighs leaving an uncomfortable sticky residue between her legs. Hopper adjusts his clothes figuring he’d better get back to his guests. He needs another drink.

Joyce’s days off usually consist of running errands. Lonnie works nights while she works days so there’s always someone home with the kids. When she isn’t working he refuses to watch the them so she’s left to drag the boys around town. Something they hate. There’s only a few more weeks until school lets out so she just has Will for now. Although, sometimes having one four-year-old is more exhausting than having both of them. Jonathan is more of an introvert than his brother. An observer.

Will loves comic books so Joyce brings him to the library so they can check out a pile for the week. At four years old he isn’t able to read yet so he usually looks at the pictures, having Joyce read to him before bed. They’re gonna have to start working on that. She’d planned her day out keeping her mind busy to avoid guilty thoughts of events that had transpired a few days ago. She needs to focus on her boys, her family. That’s it.

Walking into the library she’s met with the exact person she’s trying to avoid. Jim Hopper is leaning over the counter, on a stack of books, whispering to the librarian. Of course. She can’t hear what he’s saying, but his body language and the way Marissa is giggling makes it quite clear he’s flirting. She rolls her eyes, holding Will’s hand tighter, “C’mon, baby,” she smiles down at him as they walk to the kids section.

When she comes back up a while later, after Will’s made his selections, she’s disappointed to see him still in the same spot. She sighs, looking around for another librarian, but there’s only ever one at the desk. The other usually floats around the building organizing and whatever else. Keeping hold of Will’s hand she steps behind Hopper and clears her throat. Hopper turns around, startled to see Joyce. His eyes move down to the child and back to her.

“Surprised to see you in a library,” she remarks stepping up next to him, putting Will’s selections on the counter. Will keeps his arm hooked around his mother’s leg. Marissa begins to scan the books out, looking between Hopper and Joyce.

“Jus’ donatin’ some of mom’s old books. Marissa needs to look them over,” why does he suddenly feel like he owes her an explanation? He can flirt all he wants, she’s the married one.

“Funny she just had me drop them and go when I donated,” Joyce smirks knowingly at Marissa as she scans out the books.

“We’ve since changed policies,” Marissa smirks at her, “you’re all set, Mrs. Byers.” Joyce doesn’t miss the way she places extra emphasis on her title. She grabs the books off the counter, glancing at Hopper as she turns to leave, “C’mon, baby,” she takes Will’s hand leading him out of the Library. Hopper watches her go, remembering the last time he watched her walk away, until a voice breaks through his thoughts, “So, I’ll meet you at Benny’s when I get off around 7?” Marissa flirts, batting her lashes behind thick rimmed glasses.

“Yeah,” he clears his throat, “sounds good,”

Joyce drives to the edge of town to pick up the food Lonnie had insisted on ordering for dinner. They hadn’t eaten out in a while so she thought it would be a nice treat for the boys. Not that they need to be spending the extra money.

Hopper is leaning against his truck finishing a cigarette in the parking lot of Benny’s when a familiar car pulls up next to him to him - and not the one he’s waiting for. Are they going to run into each other everywhere they go? When she steps out of her car she’s clearly agitated to see him once again.

“Are you following me or something?” she bites at him, crossing her arms.

“How would that be possible? When I was here first?” he doesn’t want to deal with this right now. He just wants to eat, have a few drinks, and then hopefully get laid.

“Twice in one day?”

“It’s a small town, Joyce.” Hopper points out. There’s only so many places to go. Trapped between their cars he looks her over, slowly moving closer, “if I were a betting man I’d say you’re the one followin’ me,”

“And why in the hell would I do that, we’re not friends, remember?” she throws his comment from earlier back in his face.

“I don’t know,” he keeps walking forward as she backs up until she runs into the side of her car with him towering over her, “maybe you want me to make you scream again,” he whispers in her ear, his hot breath making her shiver. There’s just enough space between them that they aren’t touching, but damn near it.

She places her hands on his chest to keep him at a distance, “I’m married...that can’t happen again,” her resolve is weakening. Luckily the dinner crowd has died down by now so Benny’s is practically empty and they’re hidden in the small space between their cars. Hopper has completely forgotten about his date at this point. 

“But you want it to?” he ghosts his lips over hers. They’re playing with fire.

Her resolve crumbles as she pulls him closer, crushing her lips against his with a fierce passion. He presses her back against the car as their kissing intensifies. Slipping one of his hands underneath her shirt, he pushes the cups of her bra up, grabbing one of her breasts he begins to massage it and tweak the nipple. Joyce moans into his mouth working on the belt of his pants with one hand as she slides the other inside his jeans. He hisses when she comes in contact with his cock, pushing his jeans and boxers down to his thighs to give her better access.

He unbuttons her jeans, sliding them down her legs to bunch at her feet, shocked by her lack of underwear, “you naughty girl,”. He picks her up. She takes the cue to wrap her legs around his waist, and they are once again in the same position as a few days prior. He rubs himself against her wetness before he slips inside her a bit gentler than the last time.

She moans out at the feeling of him stretching her, “fuck me, Hop,” she pleads looking into his eyes for the first time. He slowly starts to move, developing a rhythm when they suddenly hear a car coming down the road.

“Fuck,” they break apart, both scrambling to redress and fix clothes as quick as they can. The car parks and out steps Marisa, “Hey, Jimmy. Sorry I’m a little late,” she smiles widely at him before noticing Joyce, “Oh hello, Mrs. Byers,” there she goes again using her married name, “what’s going on?” she looks between the pair of them suspiciously. 

“Just picking up dinner for my family. Jimmy here was smoking a cigarette while he waited for you I’m guessing. I should get going,” she cuts between them as she makes her way into Benny’s. She can’t believe she’d let that happen again. At least last time she’d gotten to come. Now she’d cheated for nothing. She’s had her suspicions about Lonnie, but nothing has ever been confirmed. He’s the father of her children and cheating is not something she does. She feels horrible about it. 

The waiter places her food on the counter, picking up her money, as Hopper and Marisa enter the diner. Marisa blabbers on about something, but he’s focused on Joyce who’s intent on keeping her gaze away from them; him specifically. She picks up her food, throwing him a quick glance, and bowing her head as she walks out the door and disappears.

[annalysapostmaria-blog]

Good news and bad news

About a week post Maria we were (and are still) out of water, power, and cell service. Being used to frequent power and water outages, we were still doing alright. However, ice became non existent and everything in the fridge had spoiled.

When tropical afternoon storms roll over us, we quickly get swim suits on and shower in the rain. Running around the yard to keep warm. Buckets and trash cans fill our yard to collect rainwater for cleaning and flushing toilets. When the rain stopped unexpectedly, Javi cursed the sky. Still lathered up with soap and no more water to rinse. It was weird that so many neighbors could see right into our property now, but there's nothing to be embarrassed over. Everyone is taking rain showers these days!

Gas lines were 8 hours long or more! Some people waiting the full 8 hours just to be told the station was out of gas and didn't know when they would be receiving more. Javi and I still had half a tank but we were cutting back on the driving. This meant we would go visit his parents one last time until we were able to find more gas.

As usual we were delighted to see his parents. I asked Mama Zulma if it was possible to use the neighbor's landline to call my family again. Still haven't hearing a word from them since our first phone call. She responded with the worst news that the landline was down. We still went over and I tried every number I knew! Nothing. I wanted to talk to my mom so badly but with her being out of the country at the time I knew she would be difficult to reach. We returned to Javi's parents house and played board games together to pass the time. As Javi and I were leaving I begged him to pull over to the neighbor's house to try and use the phone one last time. It was my only chance of talking to them for God knows how long! Once again I heard nothing but an annoying dail tone of a failed call. One last try. I punched in Katie's number and finally a ring. When she answered I could have burst into tears of relief but I tried to hold back so she wouldn't worry.

She had good news and bad. The wonderful news was she had started a fund for Javi and I so we could survive while we were completely out of work. She shared some amazing comments left from friends and family who were concerned and sending love. Javi and I would never ask on our own but with no money coming in and banks unavailable we weren't sure how we were going to make it. We are beyond grateful and thank you so much to people who donated. We absolutely promise to pay it forward and do everything in our power to help people who need it more than us. This was so comforting during such a hard time and made us feel safe to know we are surrounded with love from such amazing humans.

The horrible news Katie was regretting to tell me was that our grandmother who we call "Lady GaGa" was dying of cancer. My heart collapsed with my head into my lap. We sat on the phone crying.

She 3 way called her parent's home, scared to loose the call if we hung up. The phone was passed from my auntie, then to my dad. After so long, I wished him happy birthday and we tried to catch up as quickly as we could forgetting everything we planned to ask each other while we awaited this call. I demanded to speak to Lady GaGa and he rushed me to her bedside. "Hello, Darling." She said in her lovely British accent. It was so good to hear her in good spirit although I could hear tiredness in her voice. I asked if she had received the post card I sent out before the storm., trying to keep a steady voice from breaking into tears. Turning the conversation to excitement, she said she loved it and cursed herself for forgetting to send out the response card. I reassured her in a joking manner that it wasn't her fault. "The card wouldn't have made it anyway, our ports and airports aren't even working anymore." She laughed a little. I soaked it in. She told me Puerto Rico was usually safe from hurricanes because of the mountains. Knowing what she was talking about having lived in San Juan with my Pop Pop while he was stationed there as an aircraft engineer early in their marriage. Even having her first 2 babies (my aunties) born on the island! She apologized for being out of breath and said her last words "miss you, love" before handing the phone back to my dad. I couldn't stop telling her I love you. I love you. I love you.

We headed home without a plan to return to Mayagüez since we were on about a quarter tank. I prayed for GaGa and my family. With gas being in such short supply the lines remained, Javi and I decided to bite the bullet and wait in line. We invited my two best friends, Jim and Christy, to make the best out of the situation.

With books and snacks we followed each other to the back of the line about 80 cars away. Not bad! The sun was just starting to come up and the gas station wasn't even opening for another hour or so. Cars lining up behind us until we could no longer see around the curve of the road. We sat on the top of Javis jeep and watched the sun come up over the mountain, lighting up the valley, making roosters crow, and showing us the damage of Maria's winds. We slowly snaked our way up the hill to our final destination at the top! We were only allowed $30 of gas in each car which was great, having heard the limit was $20.

Still having no phone service pushes you to constantly check in on people. We are so used to texting or calling in advanced but in our case you just show up whether you like it or not! It forces people to physically be there for each other and I love it!

On a routine check in with my friends, Jim and Christy, we saw the first glimpse of phone signal. I immediately called my dad and I heard a big greeting from all of my family members echoing off the walls of the home I know so well. I could even tell you where each person was sitting in our family room. I was passed around sending and receiving love to everyone. When passed back to my dad he broke down and told me Ga Ga had passed away the night before and they were all together by her side during her last moments. My dad had just lost his mom and his daughter was unreachable. My heart broke and I wept for him and GaGa. I would have done anything to be with them. She was such a wonderful woman, even her slogan was "the perfect Grandma". Everything she did was perfect. Details to perfection. I'll always admire her strength and ability to love her family unconditionally. I wish I could have held on to her forever, however I know how she's thrilled to be with the love of her life again. Pop-Pop and Ga-Ga, you are my Caribbean idols and I hope I can instill the lessons you've taught me into my future family. I love you both, forever and always.

I said good bye to my sweet family and just like that, our signal was out again. I'm so blessed I was with Javi, Jim and Christy when I received this horrible news. They comforted me and made sure I knew I wasn't alone through this hard time.