Little Dark Age

The Emperor

  A day had passed, and our plan (or Bill's plan) to get to the Barrens had been scrapped.

 "Take everything but the Delicious Deals, guys. My mom loves them," reminded Eddie, as Richie and Bill rummaged through the kitchen cupboard of his home. I stood next to Eddie, laxed in my pose. 

 We were preparing ourselves for the trip, and considering that Eddie's mother, Mrs. K, had plenty of snacks in her home, it would be a shame to not have some of it eaten. 

 It was as if Mrs. K was stocking herself up for the apocalypse, with the countless brands and snacks there were. I've thought about stealing some for myself, but Mrs. K probably wouldn't approve. 

 "Bill, you said we were going to the Barrens, and now it's the sewers?" I pointed out, "Why the sudden change of plan?"

 "Yeah, what if we get caught?" said Eddie, his voice dropping to a low whisper.

 "We won't, Eds," said Bill simply, "The sewers are pub-public works. We're the public, aren't we?"

 Just as I was about to point out that he didn't answer my question, there was a creaking sound of another cupboard that had been opened. I turned back to see Richie, who had suddenly opened another cupboard behind me and Eddie's back. 

  In the cupboard were various pills of sorts, all labelled with doctor's handwritings. I couldn't see most of them, but the bright orange bottles annoyed my sight slightly. 

 "Hey, Eddie, these your birth-control pills?" Richie joked with a grin. Eddie rolled his eyes.

 "Yeah, and I'm saving it for your sister. This is private stuff!"

 I merely shook my head as Eddie closed the cupboard, before reprimanding Richie a bit more. I turned to Bill while the other two were busy.

 "I guess we'll have more luck in the sewers," I said to him in a low voice. When Bill did not give me any answer, I added, "Are you okay?"

 "Yeah, j-just fine," said Bill, but as he closed the cupboard in front of us, I noticed that he was avoiding my eyes.

 I gave him a small pat in the shoulder, opting to not prod more out of him. Whatever it is that had made Bill changed his mind, maybe it was best that I minded my own business.

 After we were all done, me, Bill, Richie and Eddie were about to leave, until Mrs. K's voice interrupted our silent march.

 "Eddie Bear, where are you kids off to in such a rush?" drawled out Mrs. K, just as we were all at the doorway. She was lounging on a chair, and her posture oddly reminded me of the mafia boss in The Godfather. 

 We all looked at each other, like deers in headlights. Bill took the fall for us.

 "J-just my um, my backyard, Mrs. K," he slightly fiddled with the straps of his bag as he answered. Mrs. K looked up from polishing her nails, her gaze oddly suspicious. From my eyes, I saw Bill slightly falter, "I got a new ..."

 A beat of silence hit the room, and Richie immediately swooped in, "A new croquet set. Jeez, spit it out, B-B-Bill!"

 I knew he was trying to make it look convincing, but I still felt a bit wary as Mrs. K's piercing eyes doesn't seem to drop. After another beat of silence, Mrs. K slightly nodded. 

 "Okay," I tried not to show too much relief from her approval. Then, Mrs. K turned to Eddie, "Oh, and sweetie, don't go rolling around on the grass, especially if it's just been cut. You know how bad your allergies can get."

 Despite her motherly warning, I couldn't help but felt as if something was off. Nevertheless, I ignored this feeling as Eddie heeded his mother's advice, and just as I'd thought we were finally leaving, Mrs. K's voice reached our ears again.