The Silent Heart

Chapter Two💕

I walked home alone, the streets empty and silent as I made my way to my house. I grabbed my bike and readied myself for the ride. Richie had given me a number and an address, but since I was new to Derry, I had no idea where I was going. Eddie had promised to meet me in front of the church down the road, which was a relief.

"Hey, Eddie!" I called out as I spotted him pedaling around the corner.

"Hey," he responded quietly, almost as if he were lost in thought. "Do you know where we’re headed?"

"No clue," I admitted, "Why?"

"Well, I guess I’ll just take you there as a surprise."

Eddie and I rode downtown, then up a street, and finally into a driveway. I assumed this must be his house. I stopped my bike, dismounted, and left it in the driveway. Just as I was about to follow Eddie inside, Richie, Stanley, and Bill showed up.

"Hey," they all greeted us with waves.

"Hi!" I replied, trying to sound cheerful.

We entered the house and were greeted by the sight of an oversized woman lounging in a recliner chair. Eddie, Bill, Richie, and Stanley moved quietly into the kitchen. Eddie leaned in and whispered, though loud enough for us to hear, "Take everything except the delicious deals, guys. Mom loves those."

"I heard there’s a quarry nearby. Do you guys want to check it out today?" I suggested.

"Well, we… we have something planned already," Bill stammered.

"Okay, that’s fine," I said, trying to mask my disappointment.

After collecting what we needed from Eddie’s place, we hopped back on our bikes and rode toward a deep lake. There, we noticed a sewer entrance.

"I’m confused... why are we here?" I asked, trying to make sense of our destination.

"Well, Bill here wants to find Georgie. It’s been six months; he’s still missing," Richie explained.

Richie and Bill continued toward the sewer, but Richie stopped and turned back. "C’mon, guys!"

"No way, that’s gray water!" Eddie protested.

"What the hell is gray water?" Richie asked, clearly baffled.

"It’s basically piss and shit," Eddie retorted. "So I'm just telling you, your  walking in billions of gallons of Derry pee."

Richie and Bill exchanged a look but remained resolute. The atmosphere was tense as they prepared to venture further into the darkness of the sewer.