Book Two: Adaptation

•3•

•Nava•

4:15 AM

Sitting downstairs in the dark, I lounge on the couch eating from my container of Breyers Rocky Road ice cream while I read IT on my phone. I read somewhere on Twitter that a remake is supposed to come out next year and already knowing I'm going to want to see the movie, I decided to read the book to know the real story since movies leave certain scenes out. When I started this book, I recalled how much this clown scared me as a child on TV, so I was kind of excited to see if it's even worse off screen and in deeper detail. To tell you the truth, I'm actually pretty creeped out so far.

It's actually because of this movie that I have a fear of clowns in the first place and the book isn't helping.

A spoonful of ice cream in my mouth, I read this part about a night club that was built by a couple of black men who were in the Air Corps. Apparently the club had gotten very popular in the short time it was around which made this legion of the towns people jealous so they went and burned the place down along with everyone who was inside. Reading this, a shudder crawls its way down my back at the gory details of a soldier, along with two others, who fought his way out while people died around him.

The scene playing out vividly in my mind, I jump when the lights pop on.

"What are you doing? It's four in the morning"

Turning my head I find a shirtless Abel standing at the foot of the stairs with his arms crossed.

"Reading. I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep" is my answer.

A look, he comes over to the couch lifting my feet up to sit down beside me, "Are you okay? You still feel sick?"

"No, I'm fine. I guess I'm still on Japan's time" I reassure him. When we got home from the party I got sick like I knew I would which made Abel really worried and I don't blame him. I haven't been able to keep anything I've eaten down for over a week now.

A sympathetic expression, he reaches over to tuck a stray strand of hair behind my ear before he takes my face, "Yeah, I know what you mean but like I said you'll feel better when you're back on regular time"

"I know." I lean into his touch and he smooths his thumb along my cheek. "Doesn't make jetlag any better though"

"Hmm, what are you reading?"

"Um, IT" I look down at my phone.

A laugh he arches an eyebrow, "You mean that killer clown? How is that supposed to put you back to sleep?"

I giggle, "Reading makes me sleepy sometimes so I figured I'd give it a try"

"And how's that working out for you?" He leans back in the seat absentmindedly drawing circles on my leg.

"Not as well as I hoped. I'm more paranoid than sleepy" I admit.

"Why you ain't wake me?" He wonders squeezing my leg. "So you wouldn't be up alone"

Knowing this, I shrug a shoulder, "I was okay. I had this book to keep me company"

Dark eyes fixed on mine, Abel slowly smooths his hand higher up my leg as he watches me take my last bite of ice cream.

"How long have you been down here" he licks his lips.

"Not very long, maybe an hour" I look down into my empty ice cream cup kindly squeezing my thighs together.

"Hm, the book any good?"

"Yeah so far. Nothing like what I saw in the movie though"

"That's how it usually is. Though in my opinion books are better than the movie"