𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙖 ➹ 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙯𝙞𝙚𝙧

17.

SEVENTEEN.

❝FEAR . .❞

THE YOUNG BOY FELL STRAIGHT to the ground. We watched as he lay still for a minute, before violently shaking and screaming. His limbs contorted outwards into long arms and legs. His small yellow raincoat shaped into clothes of a clown. It was pretending to be Georgie.

The shaking stopped and hands and feet popped out from It's limbs. The clown sat up, gasping wildly for air. Bill stood gaping at the clown who now was on both feet in front of him. "Kill it! Kill it Bill!" We all screamed at Bill to pull the trigger on the creature.

Mike spoke up, "It's not loaded . . It's not loaded!" Bill lifted the gun to It's head while it grinned from ear to ear. "Wait! Stop!" Mike called but it was too late for Bill to step back now.

He shot the gun at the clown, it clicked but no bullets left after pulling the trigger. The clown teased and left a large, crimson hole in it's head to mock a gun wound. The creature's torso flung back before it started shaking it's shoulders and leaning back up.

It sprung at Bill when we all started scrambling back. Richie's hand clutched onto mine and yanked me back, away from the attack. The clown attempted to bite the boy but he held the gun up, blocking It's razor sharp teeth. The monster growled and threw the gun to the side.

"Leave him alone." Beverly jumped at the clown, targeting the spear at It but It just grabbed onto it and rocketed it down into the water. I felt Richie's hand leave mine. Mike dashed in front of the girl, taking the hit when the clown flung him to the sewer wall.

He fell to the ground, groaning lowly. From behind the clown, Bill forced a spear into It's mouth which prevented It from chewing anyone's limbs off. "Richie!" I screamed when I saw him jump onto the monster's back, holding him down.

I grabbed a spear that lay on the floor, preparing to slash the clown. Ben and Stanley held the arms down. My spear went flying into It's side, erupting a roar from It, causing the clown to toss Stanley to the ground and sling Richie down as well. I ran to Richie, seeing him grunt to the harsh sewer floor. "Are you okay?"
"Fine."

Ben lost his grip along with the others. The clown now had Bill's head locked in with It's hand. "Bill!" I shouted. "No! Don't. Let him go," Beverly demanded.

The clown shook his head and smirked. "No." It's voice was laced with amusement from the fight it had just endured. "I'll take him. I'll take all of you . . And I'll feast on your flesh as I feed on your fear."

It held a finger up, shaking it. "Orrr," The killer clown dragged out the 'r', "you'll just leave us be. I will take only him, and then I will have my long rest and you will all live to grow and thrive and lead happy lives. Until old age takes you back to the weeds," It compromised, voice low and haunting.

"Leave," Bill choked out. "I'm the one who dragged you all into this. I'm s-s—so sorry."
"S-S-Sorry, hah!" The clown chuckled and mocked him. "Go!" He yelled to us but we stood our ground. We would not- will not, leave without our leader. "Guys, w-we can't!" Beverly stated. "We're not leaving you, Bill," I agreed.

Richie stood to his feet, previously being on the ground. "I told you, Bill. I fucking told you." His voice was sharp and stern, talking to the boy in the clown's grip. "I don't wanna die. It's your fault."

He turned listing what Bill had done to him. "You punched me in the face, you made me walk in shitty water, you brought me to a fucking crack-head house!" He paused and I genuinely believed he was going to leave his best friend here. "And now," He grabbed a bat from the mountain of children's possessions. "I'm going to have to kill this fucking clown."

The clown let go of Billy, then pounced on Richie. "Welcome to the Loser's club, asshole." He swung the bat and knocked the clowns head to the side. Mike then tried to attack, getting ready to shove a spear down It's throat, but the clown jumped on him first. The spear defended Mike while hands covered in soot and ash clawed from It's mouth, reaching for Mike.

Stanley picked up a weapon and slashed down the hands away from Mike. It's head morphed into the woman from earlier. Stanley and Mike hit it away but Mike missed. Sharp crab-like legs sprouted from the clown's torso, aiming to pierce Mike with them.

Ben stabbed the creature in the back, drawing a long shrill from It. The killer's limbs shaped back to normal and we all took goes hitting at it while it shape-shifted from each fear. We all struck it with our weapons and it wailed around trying to get us back. The clown managed to slash my shirt, ripping it, but it failed to cut me.

The clown coughed out before letting a pile of black ooze out, letting it fall all over Eddie's face. The boy abruptly stood to his feet, mortified from whatever disgusting liquid was dripping down his face. "I'm gonna kill you!" He shrieked and kicked the creature, sending it down to the floor.

The monster tumbled before It's face twisted into a middle aged man. Beverly stepped forward, grabbing her spear tightly in her grasp. "Hey, Bevvy. Are you still my little gi-" She let out a large cry, cutting off the man as she shoved a spear down his throat, forcing it down with anger.

The pink-toned skin of the man faded into pure white as it shifted back into the clown's natural form. Beverly backed away from It, while it gurgled out, spitting the spear into the air.

Richie pulled me back by my waist to make sure I didn't get hurt by the flying spear. He pulled off his Hawaiian t-shirt and placed my arms through, leaving him in his plain white shirt.

The clown was now on the ground, crawling backwards and pulling itself towards a deep well-like hole. It gasped, gurgling and shook at us. "That's why you didn't kill Beverly. 'Cause s—s-sh—she wasn't afraid, and we aren't either. Not anymore." He stood towering over the clown. "Now you're the one who's afraid. Because you're gonna starve."

The clown flipped back into the shadowy hole, gripping onto the edge to stay up. He muttered out some rhyme. Stanley handed Bill his weapon and he accepted, holding it high above his head. The clown's grip slipped and It was now holding on with just It's fingertips.

Bill lowered the weapon as the clown's head started to slowly break apart, bits floating up into the air. "Fear . ." It let go of the edge, falling down into the dark abyss. We all panted, the clown was finally gone.

"I know what I'm doing for my summer experience essay," Richie breathed out, now holding tightly onto my hand. I pulled him in and wrapped my arms around him, sobbing lightly into his shoulder. He soothed me and rubbed my back, "It's gone now, we're alright," he cooed gently in my ear.

Eddie spoke but I didn't bother to look up from Richie's shoulder. "Guys, the missing children."
I let go of Richie, still grabbing his hand though. Bill walked over to a little yellow raincoat, clutching it tightly against his chest and weeping into it. We all surrounded the boy, knowing it was his young brother's.

Everyone embraced him in a group hug, comforting him as best we could. The monster was gone now; we were safe.