Strange as IT Seems

Chapter 39: Dear Stan

Mike Hanlon goes down the dirt path of their family farm to the mailbox, its faded red flag up to signal that it had been delivered. It was a relief to get some time to himself after helping feed the sheep all morning. Lugging the feed bags around had left him stiff and sore; the excuse of getting some water and walking to the mailbox was enough for his grandfather to grant him some reprieve from a hard day's work because he was still being useful.

He opens the mailbox and removes several letters. Most were bills and the daily water survey. While the farm was not in Derry, it still surrounded it and likely used water from the same system. Every week, the family had to fill in the survey to see if anything had changed with the taste, smell, colour etc., of the water. It was kind of tedious because to the young teen, it was all the same and nothing was different. What was it that made the water so dangerous?

He then notices another envelope, with his name on it. He looks at the return date and a smile spreads across his face when he realizes that it's from Stan. Out of all his friends in the Loser's Club, he was surprised that only one had written to him. Had their battle with that thing from the sewers meant so little? What about their club? He knew that he was the newest member, but did that mean he didn't deserve to get something from them? Even a card for his birthday, which was coming up soon...

He wants to read it so badly, but he knew that his grandfather would not allow it during the workday. He tucks it into his jeans pocket for later.

...

The sun is beginning to sink towards the tree line, indicating it's close to dinner. After cleaning out the sheep's pens and giving them another round of food, Mike was ready to throw in the towel but knew that there would be something to do very soon. He stood at the kitchen sink, trying to clean up a little bit.

"Michael?" his uncle says, coming into the kitchen.

"Yes, Uncle Howard," he says, scrubbing grime off his upper arms.

"I want you to take your bike into town and buy some cigarettes for me and also a gallon of milk back for dinner."

His uncle then places the money on the table.

"And I want to see exact change. Don't go spending it on shit you don't need. With the town almost shut down and little need for meat, we're going to have to wise with our cash."

"No problem, Uncle Howard," the teen says.

He goes for his bike from the shed and takes off towards town.

The sun is still baking down on the gravel road, making the stone very hot, but with night coming, the shadows were long and pointed toward Derry, as if they were long gnarled fingers directing the boy to the destination.

Only a few people remained in Derry, those who ran essential services such as the pharmacy, one restaurant, and the grocery store, though the orders for meat had become rare due to the reduced population. These individuals ran the town for the crew that was cleaning up the water and sewer systems. It was always deathly quiet when Mike was there... it felt so wrong for the town to be so empty. He was so used to seeing people driving around or coming in and out of stores. Granted there were people, especially the Bowers gang, that he was glad that he no longer saw but his friends... perhaps it was the curse his grandfather always talked about coming to fruition.

Everyone wanted to leave Derry... so why was he stuck there?

As he approaches the yellow tape, he sees a worker in what looks like a yellow hazmat suit coming toward him. He has a clipboard and pen in hand.

He looks like a man from space, like those old movies he used to see on TV late at night, and he speaks to Mike through his suit, but the kid can't understand him.