What A Time To Be Alive: IT 2017/2019

n i n e

The remaining group arrived at the decrepit house just before Bill stepped inside. "Bill! You can't go in there! This is crazy" Beverly said. "Look, you don't have to come in with me, but what happens when another Georgie goes missing, or another Betty, or another Ed Corcoran, or one of us?" Bill asked.

"Are you just going to pretend it didn't happen like everyone else in this town? Because I can't. I go home and all I see is that Georgie isn't there. his clothes, his toys, his stupid stuffed animals, but he isn't. So walking into this house for me...it's easier than walking into my own" Bill said.

"Wow" Richie whispered. "What?" Andrea asked. "He didn't stutter once" Richie said. Bill turned around and Stanley spoke up. "Wait!" he said. "Shouldn't we have some people keep watch. Just in case something bad happens?" Stan asked. "Wh-wh-who wants to stay out here?" Bill asked and everyone except Beverly raised their hands.

-

After a game of straws, Bill, Eddie, Richie and Andrea ended up going inside. "I can't believe I drew the short straw. You guys are lucky we're not measuring dicks" Richie said. "Yeah, because mine would be bigger, dipshit" Andrea shot him a look and Richie smiled.

"Shut up, Richie. Ugh, I can smell it" Eddie groaned. "Don't breathe through your mouth" Richie advised and Eddie frowned. "How come?" Eddie questioned, sticking close to Andrea. "Cause then you're eating it" Richie replied and Eddie gagged, taking a puff of his inhaler.

"Ignore him" Andrea said, placing her hand on his shoulder. Richie walked into another room and Andrea watched as he picked up a piece of paper, a frown on his face. "Richie, what is that?" she asked cautiously. "It-it says I'm missing" he croaked and the other three walked up to him. "Y-you're not missing, Richie" Bill said. "Missing from the city of Derry! That's my shirt! That's my hair! That's my face!" Richie cried.

"Calm down! This isn't real" Bill tried to grab the poster. "That's my name! That's my age! It says it! It says it! Fuck!" Richie was on the verge of hysteria now and both Bill and Andrea were trying to calm him down. "I'm gonna go missing! We're gonna go missing! We're gonna go fucking missing!" Richie ignored them. "Richie!" Andrea yelled and Richie stopped, looking her in the eyes.

"It's not real, okay? It's messing with us. It's just trying to scare us. But it's not real. We're here. Bill, me, Eddie. We're all here and we won't leave you alone, okay?" Andrea reassured him and he nodded. "Hello?" a muffled voice called out, startling Eddie.

"What the fuck?" he whispered as he grabbed on Andrea. "Hello?" the voice called again. They walked out of the room and to the staircase since the voice was coming from upstairs. "Help me please!" the voice called out desperately. "It's not real, right?" Andrea asked no one in particular and Bill started climbing the stairs. "Fuck" Eddie breathed, grabbing Andrea's hand.

Richie walked up the stairs next and Andrea and Eddie walked up the stairs hand in hand. The floor creaked underneath their feet and cobwebs brushed against their faces before they stopped in a hallway. There was a door at the end with a light on. The door was ajar and someone was lying face down on the ground.

"Oh my god. Who is it?" Eddie whispered. "Betty?" Bill said. "Ripsom?" Richie asked. The girl then screamed as she was pulled backwards, disappearing from view. "What the fuck?!" Richie squeaked. The group started walking towards the room when Andrea felt Eddie stop, causing her to turn around. "Eddie?" she asked softly. Eddie started walking the other direction towards a different room and Andrea went with him.

The door slowly creaked open and Andrea and Eddie watched with wide eyes. "Guys" Eddie said, his voice barely audible. "Go, go" Andrea started walking backwards slowly, dragging Eddie with her. Eddie looked over his shoulder and saw the door to the room Richie and Bill were in was closing. "Guys. Guys! Guys!" Eddie screamed, running for the door with Andrea.