Vigilante Shit ◇ Bill Denbrough

Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Afraid Of Something

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The group is currently at the town square and the parade passes them as they're all staring at the newest missing kid, Edward Corcoran's post. Eddie has gone to get him and Richie ice cream as Richie who is busy blowing out of someone's trumpet.

"They said they found his arm all chewed up by the sand pipe." Stanley gulps.

"He asked to borrow a pencil once." Ben sighs.

Bill pulls up the missing kid's post to reveal Betty Ripsom's post underneath. "I-it's like she's been f-forgotten because Corcoran's m-missing." Putting his hand in his pocket, Bill steps away from the post, feeling sorry for Betty.

"Is it ever gonna end?" Stanley questions.

"What the fuck, dude!"

Eleanor turns to see Richie who's arguing with the owner of the trumpet before he gives up and joins the group.

"What are you guys talking about?" Eddie asks, joining them with two ice creams which he hands one to Richie, before they start to eat.

"What we always talk about." Richie replies.

"I actually think it will end. For a little while at least." Ben answers for Stanley's question.

"What do you mean?" Beverly asks.

"So I was going over all my Derry research and I charted out all the events. The ironworks explosion in 1908, the Bradley gang in '35 and the black spot in '62. And now kids being..." He takes a deep breath and releases. "I realised this stuff seems to happen..."

"Every 27 years." Eleanor completes his sentence, making them all share the look of realisation.

The group is now in the park. Ben, Beverly, Stan, Mike and Eleanor are sitting on the bench, while Bill, Eddie, and Richie are seated on their bikes.

"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?" Eddie asks.

"Maybe it's like, what do you call it... Cicadas. You know, the bugs that come out every seventeen years." Stanley comments.

"My grandfather thinks this town is cursed." Mike remarks, making them look surprised. "He says that all the bad things that happen in this town are because of one thing... an evil thing that feeds off the people of Derry."

"But it can't be one thing. We all saw something different." Stanley argues.

"Maybe. Or maybe It knows what scares us most, and that's what we see." Mike points out.

"I-I saw a Leper. He was like a walking infection." Eddie gags with disgust.

"But you didn't. Because it isn't real. Not Eddie's Leper, El seeing her mom, or-or Bill seeing Georgie, or the woman I keep seeing." Stanley explains.

Richie smiles with amusement. "Is she hot?"

Stanley looks at Richie, unamused. "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 bad dream and real life, okay?" Mike says.

"What'd you see, you saw something, too?" Eleanor asks the dark skinned boy.

"Yes. You guys know that burned down house on Harris Avenue? I was inside when it burned down. Before I was rescued, my mom and dad were trapped in the next room over from me. They were pushing and pounding on the door, trying to get to me." He closes his eyes, like he's trying to shut down his worst memories. "When the firemen finally found them, the skin on their hands had melted down to the bone. We're all afraid of something."

Eleanor holds his hand, giving him the needed comfort, as a few tears fall down his eyes.

"You got that right." Eddie says as Richie glances over his shoulder at the clowns and children on the stage behind him at the sound of a firecracker whizzing. "All right, Rich, what are you afraid of?"

Turning away from the stage as the crackers continue bursting and adjusting his glasses before looking at the others, Richie answers with a simple word. "Clowns."