Lover| IT

I Swear, Bill

B.H

They're rambling. I'm barely listening. I'm at my dining room table, in the comfort of my home, watching a zoom call about a meeting to do with something I have planned for my company Hanscom&Associates. But I'm not listening. To be honest, I'm still half in my pyjamas.

"If we put in walls here, and all along here..."

"Close them." I say. I'm so bored.

"With all due respect, Mr Hanscom...

"Ben, please, and with all due respect to you. I'm getting claustrophobic just looking at this model, aren't you?" I suggest." Look, throw up more walls, it's gonna feel like a prison and what do people in prison wanna do? Get out, right. This should be a place that brings people together. A meeting ground."

My mind is wondering and I look at my wallet, pulling out the page from my old year book. I smile.

"What the dick is this? How'd you build it?"

"When did you build it?"

"Here and there, I guess."

"A clubhouse." I grin as the memory flashes in my mind. It's just voices, no faces. I don't even know who the people talking are." And? If ,while people are there...

My phone starts to buzz and I glance at it. What the hell? It's an unknown number. I glance at my laptop screen.

"Excuse me for one second." I say, turning my camera off and standing up. I press answer and put the phone to my ear." Hello?"

"Ben? It's Mike Hanlon. From Derry. You gotta come home."

Home. To her. To them. The people I can't remember but who I feel like I know. I wince in pain and then check my hand. A scar is there and I sigh. What the fuck is going on?

S.U

It's a typical night in the Uris household. I'm sat doing a puzzle whilst my amazing wife is debating on wether we should go on vacation or not. I want to. It'd be fun.

"Should I just book it?" Patty asks as I do my puzzle, glasses on my face. She's wearing her glasses as she reads the laptop screen." Are you sure you can get away from work?"

"It's summer, why not?" I reply with a smile.

"Okay, we are Buenos Aires-bound." Patty cheers and I grin at how happy she sounds. There's a bright side to not having kids. We can afford this shit. But...I'd rather have a child than a vacation.

There's a piece of my puzzle missing. I sigh and spot it under the coffee table, so I bend down, placing my glasses in my breast pocket, and I grab the puzzle piece with furrowed brows. Just as I sit up, my phone buzzes. I glance at Patty, who is smiling at her laptop screen, looking as gorgeous as ever. I smile and pick up my phone, pressing answer and pushing it to my ear.

"Stanley Uris speaking." I say with a happy tone of voice.

"It's Mike."

"I'm sorry?" I question and I'm filled with instant dread. My palms are sweaty.

"Mike Hanlon...from Derry."

I sit in silence for a second, just thinking. I vaguely remember and then it all comes flooding back. All of it. That summer, fighting Pennywise...the college years. Every single bit.

"Mike...God. Sorry. Yes. Hi...I didn't- I don't know why I didn't um...how longs it been?" I ask, filled with fear and stuttering my words. I chuckle nervously. Patty glances at me.

"A long time....27 years."

I stand up, shaking all over. I cannot do this. I can't go back. I...I'm not strong enough. I'm forty now...not 13. These things have plagued my dreams for years! Pennywise has plagued my dreams.

"IT's come back, hasn't it?" I mumble, voice tearful, praying Patty can't hear my distress. I don't want her to worry." That's why you're calling?"

"It's starting again, Stan. Bad things are happening."

"Did you uh...did you call the others?" I ask. I wouldn't expect Richie to come. Nor Eddie." I mean...I don't- what if...what if they don't come, I mean...

"We made a promise! Remember?"

How could I forget? There's a sharp pain in my hand and face. The scars are back. My facial ones from Judith and the one on my palm due to the blood oath.

"How soon can you get here?"

"Um-well, I,uh...I would need to do a few things...first-" I begin.

"Tomorrow? We don't have much time."

I close my eyes. Willing not to cry. I'm so scared and filled with anxiety and dread. I can't do this again!

"I'll text you everything you need. See you soon, Stan the Man."

Oh, Mikey. You won't and I am so so sorry I couldn't be stronger. The line goes dead and I place my phone down on the coffee table with a blank expression on my face.

"Who was it?" Patty asks and I jump slightly. I shuffle over to her.

"No one important." I lie and I hate lying to her." You know I love you, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" She chuckles. I nod solemnly." Stanny, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing, baby-love. I'm fine. I'm just...gonna have a bath." I state and she furrows her brows, looking at me, highly confused.

"It's early." She states and I kiss her gently.

"I know." I reply and I walk off upstairs to my study. I pull out a notepad and seven envelopes. I address each and every one to each loser and one for Patty. I have not got the courage. I have to do this.

After writing the letters, I head off to the bathroom. I run the bath and sigh, fiddling nervously with my wedding ring. Patty had looked stunning that day. I love her so much and I'm sorry I have to hurt her in this way. But if we aren't all united. Then the others will die.

I shrug off my clothes and get into the bath, sighing as the warm water blankets me. I start to cry, remembering the blood oath. Remembering my promise.

"Duh-do you swear?!"

"I swear, Bill." I mutter. I have to take myself off the board.

P.U

I'd screamed so loudly my neighbors called the cops. How else was I supposed to react to finding my husband like...like that. His wrists...in the bathtub. Olivia, our neighbor, has an arm around me. My throat hurts, my face is numb from crying and I'm gripping some herbal tea tightly. I cannot believe he's gone. I knew something was up! I knew it. If I was a few seconds earlier I-Stanley would be alive. My beautiful husband. My best friend. The man of my dreams. He's gone. He's gone and I don't know why.

"They found these." Olivia says, handing me a wad of letters. Some of these are to famous people. Like comedian Richie Tozier.

"Richie wants to be a comedian!"

"Oh awesome, go for it. Don't give up your dreams."

I know all of these people apart from Mike. College. We all attended college together. A tear falls down my face and I'm sobbing into Olivia's shoulder again. Why? This isn't fair! I just want him back. I want my Stanley back!