As it was | Richie Tozier

008

"'Cause I don't think that they'd understand"

"Ok so let me get this straight. It comes out from wherever to eat kids for like a year and then what? It just goes into hibernation?" Asked Richie as we sat next to each other. "Maybe it's like- what do you call it, cicadas. Ya know the bugs that come out once every 17 years." Says Stanley looking around the group

"My grandfather thinks this town his cursed. He says that all the bad things that happen in this town are because of one thing an evil thing that feeds off of people of Derry." Says Mike informing us.

"But it can't be one thing. We all saw something different." "Maybe or maybe it knows what scares us most and that's what we see."

"I-I-I saw a leopard, he was like a waking infection." Says Eddie reminiscing. "But you didn't because it isn't real. None of this is not Eddie's leopard or bill seeing Georgie or the women I-I keep seeing." Says Eddie before Richie cuts in. "She hot?" I elbow him as Stanley looks scared. "No richie! She's not hot! Her face is all messed up. None of this makes any sense, they're all like bad dreams."

"I don't think so. I know the difference between a-a bad dream and real life, ok?" Says Mike getting defensive. "What'd you see? You saw something too?" Asked Eddie curiously.

"Yes. You guys know that burnt down house on Harris avenue? I was inside when it burnt down... before I was rescued my mom and dad were trapped in the next room over from me. They were pushing and pushing on the door. Trying to get to me but it was too hot when the firemen finally found them. The skin on their head had melted down to the bone... were all afraid of something." Says Mike looking down at the ground like he wanted to cry.

"Got that right." Richie and I say at the same time as Richie looked at a clown behind us. "Why rich? What are you afraid of?" Asked Eddie putting everyone's attention on Richie.

"Clowns." Richie admits to the group as he fixed his glasses.

<3

The group walks into Bill's garage as he sets up a map on the board. Richie and Eddie set up the projector.

Ben brought the old map of the town so we could compare the maps.

We all sit down as Richie and I share our seat. "Look that's where g-g-Georgie disappeared. There's the ironworks. And the black spot. Everywhere IT happens it's all connected by the sewers and they all meet up at the-" says bill before getting cut off. "The well house!" Ben says looking back at Bev looking to see if she was impressed. Asshole. Don't get me wrong I love Ben but they're both trying to hard for the girl.

"It's in the house on nybalt street." Says stanley his voice cracking. (I have no clue if that's what it's called lol.)

"You mean that creepy ass house where all the junkies and hobos like to sleep?" Asked Richie as Eddie grabs his inhaler.

"I hate that place. It always feels like it's watching me." Says Beverley "that's where I saw IT. That's where's I saw the clown." Adds Eddie.

"Th-that's where IT lives." "I can't imagining anything wanting to live there." "Can we stop talking about this. I-I can barely breathe. This is summer we're kids. I can barely breathe I'm about to have a fucking asthma attack and I'm not doing this!" Yells Eddie ripping the paper off the wall as the projector starts to move on its own. "What the hell p-put the map back."

I grab on to richies hand as everyone starts to panic. The projector starts to move in on Georgie's face as everyone looks around. The projector started to go faster zooming in on bills mom showing a clowns face. Richie jumps up panicking as everyone starts to yell. Mike kicks the projector over. It landing and keeps moving but slower this time. The clown getting closer then jumping out of the screen.

"What the fuck!" I yell somehow getting separated from richie and backing up into a corner with Beverley. The clown crawls over the us reaching out to us as the boys screamed.

Light hits the garage and Richie comes rushing over to me. He hugs me looking over my body making sure I'm ok.

"When things like that happen you hold my hand and don't let go." Says Richie sternly showing me how to fucking hold a hand like I didn't already know. "Ok." I say silently trying to get the clowns face out of my head.

"It saw us. It saw us and IT knows where we are." Says Eddie panicking. "It always did." Says Bill walking out fo the garage. "S-so let's go." Bill says turning around to look at us.

"Go? Go where?" "Nybalt. That's where g-g-Georgie is."

"After that?!" Asked stanley looking at bill like he was crazy. "Yeah it's summer. We should be outside-" starts richie before getting cut off by me. "If you guys say it's summer one more fucking time." I say letting go of richies hand and walking aver to Bill who was grabbing his bike.

I knew that if I went Richie would go then Eddie would go then stanley and everyone would join behind.