Pennywise's Neverland

Chapter twenty six: Balancing Act.

The next morning came with the familiar chill, the creeping sense of dread as Pennywise's presence filled the bedroom. Georgie opened his eyes to see the clown standing in the doorway, a twisted grin on his face and a tray of breakfast in hand—fruit, some bread, and, to everyone's surprise, three small cups of warm milk.

“Good morning, my darlings!” Pennywise cooed, his tone sickly sweet as he went around and passed each one their cup and placed the food on the middle bedside table between Finn and Georgie. Watching them with a sharp, assessing gleam. “Sleep well?” He asked, eyes flicking to Georgie for a moment longer than the others.

Georgie forced a warm smile, pushing himself up to grab some bread. “Yes, Mr. Pennywise. Thank you for the breakfast,” he said, letting his voice sound soft, almost shy. He kept his bread close as he ate, acutely aware of Finn passing the food to Sofia and feeling grateful for it.

Pennywise’s grin widened, his gaze never leaving Georgie’s. “It’s good to see you’ve come to your senses, Georgie,” he murmured, his voice smooth and mocking. “Shall we continue our… quality time today? Perhaps even visit to our little library?”

Georgie’s heart skipped, but he nodded, letting himself look excited, grateful. “Yes, please. I’d like that,” he replied, keeping his voice steady with a feigned eagerness that he hoped was convincing. He took one last look at Finn and Sofia, giving them a reassuring nod as he slowly slipped out of bed and allowed Pennywise to hold his hand as they left.

When they arrived at the little library, he caught glimpses of the familiar trinkets reflecting off the soft glow of the lights. Cozy, mesmerising and casting long shadows that flickered across the walls. The normality of it, a room entirely made for learning and curiosity, almost made Georgie forget where he was. Almost.

Pennywise settled onto the starry carpet, patting the spot beside him just like last time, his gaze still sharp, like he was measuring each of Georgie’s movements. Georgie lowered himself down, close enough for Pennywise to reach him, but not so close as to seem entirely eager.

“Mr. Pennywise,” Georgie started, letting his voice dip with an apologetic note, “I wanted to say sorry about yesterday. I didn’t mean to make you feel like I didn’t appreciate you.” He looked down, feigning shyness. 

Pennywise’s grin stretched wide, his gloved hand reaching out to tilt Georgie’s head up, the touch lingering, firm. “That’s very wise of you to say, Georgie,” he murmured, his tone laced with satisfaction. “I knew you’d come around. You see, I’m the only one here who knows how to care for you. Your little friends can’t keep you safe, but I can.”

Georgie nodded, swallowing as he pulled back a bit and glanced up at the shelves. “This place is very pretty,” he murmured, letting his voice carry a tone of wonder. “It feels.. different from everywhere else. Brighter. Did you make it for yourself?” He asked.

Pennywise, in return, chuckled and shook his head with a wry grin. “Oh no, I already know everything there is to know about the universe. No, I built this place for one of my other special children a few years ago.” 

Georgie tilted his head, feigning interest, his gaze fixed on Pennywise’s face as he tried to read the strange expression there. “Another favorite?” he asked, trying to keep his tone light. “What happened to them?”

Pennywise’s smile sharpened. “They’re gone now. But the room was special to them.” He shrugged, his tone casual. “So I left it standing. Still useful, isn’t it?”

Georgie nodded slowly, his mind racing as he filed away each piece of information. The idea that Pennywise had once gone to these lengths for someone else unsettled him, though he kept his expression neutral. “It’s a nice room,” he murmured, letting a small smile play on his lips. “You can… make anything, can’t you?”