OPHIDIOPHOBIA - IT

NINE

The next day, Bill called the Losers to his house to show them something, it was probably clown-related, but Alexa was still excited to be invited over. Even her sister asked her about the stupid grin on her face, but she just brushed her off and headed out. 

The bike ride was 15 minutes, which was longer since Bill lived two neighborhoods over from Alexa. Even if her legs were a little sore, she paid it no mind. 

When she arrived at Bill's garage, everyone was there and she was greeted with a warm smile from Ben. 

But, she unfortunately didn't even get a glance from Bill, it was strange since she thought she was good friends with Bill. However, Alexa didn't take it to heart since the young teens have been going through a lot lately. 

"Alright, every-everyone! Let's black o-out the room." Bill shouted over everyone's chatter.

At that, everyone started covering up windows and Bill hung up a map of Derry, and once Mike closed the garage door everyone sat down the group sat down on the boxes made for chairs.

"Okay, look." Bill pointed at the map. "T-That's where G-G-Georgie disappeared." He pointed at another part of the map. "There's the Ironworks. And the Black Spot." He took a breath, "Everywhere it happens, it- it's connected by the sewers, and they all meet up at the-"

"The Well House!" Ben interrupted, shocked and Bill's discovery.

Alexa gulped, that place always gave her the heeby geebies, and she avoided that place at all costs.

Stan turned to the group, almost in a whisper saying, "It's the house on Neilbolt Street."

"You mean that creepy ass house where all the junkies and hobos like to sleep?" Richie questioned. 

"Yep," Alexa answered, popping the "p". In the corner of her eye, she saw Eddie rummaging through his fanny pack.

Eddie pumped his inhaler.

Gasping, Beverly adds, "I hate that place, it always feels like it's watching me.

Alexa would have agreed with her if she hadn't been watching Eddie take shaky breaths and continuously pump his inhaler.

"That's where I saw it." Eddie's voice in a whimper, he took a shaky breath, "That's where I saw the clown." 

That sentence gave Alexa goosebumps. 

"Fuck, fuck fuck. This clown shit is really starting to get to me." Alexa muttered, she stood up and started to slightly move back and forth on her heels. She started holding on to the cross around her neck and whispering prayers.

"Th-Th-That's where It lives."

Eddie took another pump of his inhaler.

"I can't image anything wanting to live in there." Stan breathed. 

Alexa turned towards him, "Well it's a creepy child-killing clown, that house literally screams that." Her voice was harsh and blunt, but she didn't mean to sound like that. The overwhelming anxiety this clown gave her was overstimulating her.

"Can we stop talking about this?" Eddie stood up, his voice demanding and loud. 

Everything stopped and all eyes were on him. 

He stuttered out the words, "I-I-I-I-I can barely breathe. Th-Th-is is summer. We-We're kids. I can barely breathe. I'm up here having a fucking asthma attack." He gasped, "I am not doing this!"

He turned and ripped the map off the wall.

Most of Alexa was glad he did that, the map was daunting and Alexa didn't like what the map told.