Gone Girl // IT Fanfiction

Eight: It

The next few days passed without incident, Kit taking it as a blessing. Neither Bower nor the clown had made an appearance, and soon it felt as though things were returning to normal. As Mike was the newest member of the Loser's club, they had all been hanging out together at multiple spots around Derry. They had returned to the quarry, hung out by the railway tracks, and spent time riding their bikes around town. Kit was beginning to find herself settling into a pleasant rhythm, and the fact that she was hanging out with her younger brother didn't seem to faze either Tozier sibling anymore. Each member had become an integral part to the group.  

Today, the group were hanging out in the center of town for Derry's annual Summer fair. According to Beverly, she had never attended, just like Ben, and Mike had never gone with a group of friends before. The atmosphere had started off relatively lighthearted, with the group snacking from various food stalls. Even now, Richie was entertaining himself by playing with some band members tuba or something. Kit wasn't too sure what it was, she had the musical knowledge of a peanut. It was funny to watch, though. However, she found herself becoming distracted by the conversation Beverly, Bill, and Ben were having about one of the missing kids. 

"They say they found part of his hand all chewed up near the Standpipe," Stan said, before Bill took a step towards the missing kid poster.

"He asked to borrow a pencil once," Ben said. Without a word Bill flipped up the poster, revealing underneath the picture of Betty Ripsom.

"It's like she's been forgotten because Corcoran's missing," he stuttered. 

"Is it ever gonna end?" Stan asked, glancing towards Kit. She shrugged, unable to answer his question. She knew as much as they did.

"What are you guys talking about?" Eddie asked, appearing with two ice-creams in hand. Richie approached from behind him, apparently having lost his impromptu audition for the marching band.

"What they always talk about," He said, taking an ice-cream cone from Eddie.

"I actually think it will end," Ben spoke, answering Stan's earlier question.  "For a little while, at least."

"What do you mean?" Beverly said, asking the question that Kit herself had been wondering.

"So I was going over all my Derry research and I charted out all the big events: The Ironwork explosion in 1908, the Bradley gang in '35, and the Black Spot in '62, and now kids being..." Ben trailed off, glancing at Bill before continuing. "I realized this stuff seems to happen..."

"Every 27 years," both Ben and Bill finished. With frowns the group stared at one another before Kit made the first move, heading towards the town square. Soon they were gathered around a park bench, discussing in detail what was happening. It was soon realized that perhaps the thing that had caused all those big events, as well as the missing kids, was the same thing. Like an animal hibernating, it would awaken only to eat before returning to its slumber. It was also decided that whatever the thing was used someone's fear against them, turning into it to frighten them.

"I saw a leper," Eddie admitted. "He was like a walking infection."

"But you didn't," Stan said next to Kit. "Because it isn't real. None of this is."

"It feels real," Kit replied, thinking about what she had seen. She dug her nails into the palms of her hands.

"No, it can't be. It's not," Stan continued, his voice shaking. "Not Eddie's leper, or Bill seeing Georgie, or the woman I keep seeing-"

"Is she hot?" Richie asked, and Kit scrunched her face up, staring at her brother and wondering why he opened his mouth sometimes. Stan did the same, replying in quick, short bursts.