Pennywise's Neverland

Chapter fourty two: Reflection upon ourselves.

The group lay scattered along the riverbank, the icy water rushing around them as they struggled to their feet, soaked and shaken, their breaths coming in uneven gasps. The world felt unreal, as if they had been thrown from one nightmare into another. Just moments before, they had been in the dark tunnels, surrounded by the cold, damp walls of Derry's underworld. And then... he had appeared, that monstrous, towering figure with yellow eyes and a twisted smile that seemed to fill every shadow, blocking every way out. The way he'd spoken to them, the ease with which he'd thrown them back to the surface-it made their heads spin.

Richie scrambled up first, his face pale, eyes wide with fear, his glasses askew. "Did you see that? Did you see that?" he stammered, his voice shaking as he turned to Eddie, who sat beside him, clutching his inhaler, his face ashen.

"Y-Yeah, I saw," Eddie whispered, his hands trembling as he lifted the inhaler to his lips, taking a long, shaky breath. "He... he threw us out. Like we were... like we were nothing."

Bill was silent, his eyes fixed on the now-sealed entrance they had come through. It was blocked, covered in thick, twisting vines that clung to the stone like fingers, as if nature itself had conspired to lock them out. He couldn't believe it-the tunnel was their only chance of getting to Georgie, and now it was gone, shut off as if it had never existed. His jaw clenched, his fists tightening at his sides as he fought to keep his emotions under control, the fear and helplessness rising like bile in his throat.

"Georgie..." he murmured, his voice barely a whisper, a look of raw desperation in his eyes. "I promised I'd find you. I promised..."

Stan placed a hand on Bill's shoulder, his own face pale but steady, his voice low and calm. "We'll find another way," he said quietly, though he sounded uncertain. "There has to be... some other way in."

Mike and Ben were nearby, both of them looking at the group with concern, their expressions mirroring the quiet resolve they'd come to share since joining this search. Mike, ever practical, was already glancing around, taking in their surroundings, trying to piece together their next step. "Let's get everyone back," he said gently, his voice calm but firm. "We need to regroup, figure out what we're really dealing with."

But Beverly stood a little apart from the rest, her gaze shifting between the sealed entrance and the group, her face a mixture of frustration and exhaustion. She had done what she'd promised, taken them to the tunnels, led them as far as she could. But now, with the encounter fresh in her mind-the way the creature had looked at her, that mocking smile that seemed to cut straight through her resolve-she felt a weight settle in her chest, an overwhelming urge to leave, to go back to her own life, her own struggles.

"Beverly," Ben said softly, noticing her distant look, his own face reflecting a quiet worry. "You... you okay?"

She hesitated, glancing away, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. "I did my part," she replied, her voice barely audible. "I got you all in... got you as close as anyone's ever gotten." She forced a small, bitter smile, though it didn't reach her eyes. "But that thing... it's too strong. You saw it, didn't you? It threw us out like I was... nothing."

Ben looked at her, sympathy softening his gaze. "I know. But we need you with us, Bev. You know these tunnels better than anyone."

She shook her head, her expression conflicted. "I just... I can't keep going down there. I thought... I thought we'd just find him and be done with it, but this? This is..." Her voice trailed off, a flicker of fear darkening her gaze.

Richie, still trembling, looked up at her, desperation clear in his eyes. "Wait a sec-," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "you can't just leave! If we don't get Georgie... if we don't find him-"