"I've realized that..." he started, then took a shaky breath. "Earlier today, when Stanley pulled you aside... seeing you two so close and secretive, I hated it." The words tumbled out in a rush. "I don't like how others make you smile..." He traile...
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°•°Vanessa's POV°•°
Eddie pulled away from our group hug, his focus snagged by something deeper in the cavern. I followed his gaze, and my breath hitched. One by one, we all turned, our collective attention drawn to the heart of the nightmare.
We found Bill standing frozen before a small, heartbreaking sight. It was Georgie, his yellow raincoat pristine, his face pale but whole. He looked exactly as he had the day he disappeared.
"Take me home, Billy," the thing that looked like Georgie pleaded, tears welling in its eyes. "I wanna go home. I miss you. I wanna be with mom and dad."
My heart shattered for Bill. The raw pain on his face was almost too much to bear.
"I want more than anything for you to be home with mom and dad," Bill sobbed, his voice thick with a grief he'd carried for a year. "I miss you so much."
"I love you, Billy," it whispered, a perfect imitation of a little boy's love.
"I love you too," Bill choked out.
Bill's breathing was ragged, his entire body trembling. Then, with a resolve that seemed to tear him in two, he raised the bolt gun Mike had given him, pointing it directly at his brother's head.
"But you're not Georgie."
The THWACK of the bolt gun was a small, brutal sound. The thing that wore Georgie's face crumpled to the ground. A distorted, guttural roar erupted from it as its small body began to shake and convulse violently. The form blurred, stretched, and melted away, replaced by the gangling, white-skinned limbs of Pennywise. The roaring ceased as It returned to Its true, monstrous size.
Pennywise gasped, a theatrical, sucking sound, and rose to Its feet, Its yellow eyes burning with ancient malice.
"Kill it, Bill! Kill it!" Eddie screamed, his voice raw.
The boys erupted, their shouts echoing in the chamber. "Kill it! Kill it!"
It just stared up at Bill, a mocking smile playing on Its lips.
"It's not loaded!" Mike yelled, his warning laced with panic.
But it was too late. Bill pulled the trigger again. Click.
It flinched, then began to make a series of maniacal, grunting noises, as if It were badly injured. "Holy fuck," Richie breathed.
