Daughter of Pennywise

Neibolt House

"Jim" seemed to "wake up" on Saturday afternoon.

I was out the door and running before I knew what hit me. I heard Niki's started yell as she ran after me. I could hear her boots thumping against the sidewalk behind me, but I couldn't afford to slow down.

After a few twists and turns I could tell Niki was falling behind. Soon she was gone completely. Hopefully back home. I had an idea of where "Jim" was taking me and I didn't want Niki there. I didn't want her to meet him.

I was finally allowed to stop when I reached a run down street, on the worst part of town. The sign above my head read Neibolt.

I started down the cracked road and stiffened when I heard the losers club up ahead. Their bikes were dumped in front of the only house on the street.

Everything around it was dead. A gnarled tree stood in front of the boarded up catastrophe. Broken windows seemed to leer down at the kids' small forms.

I crept forward and crouched at the corner of the pointy, rusty fence. I watched as they pulled straws. Eddie, Bill and Richie creaked their way up the steps and into the house, causing my stomach to knot with unexpected dread.

Stan leaned against Mike's sturdy form, whimpering something. Mike nodded and wrapped a muscled hand around his shoulders, comfortingly.

As they continued to stare up at the house I found a hole in the side fence and wiggled through it. Keeping low in the high yellow grass I snuck the basement window I'd spotted earlier. Cautious of broken glass I wiggled through and dropped onto the cement floor, listening with bated breath.

The creaking of footsteps echoed overhead. I stayed half laying on the floor, waiting until the creaks were barely audible. I think they're on the second floor.

I pushed myself to my feet and glanced at my surroundings. The trashed basement seemed to be centered around a crumbling well. Drawn to it I walked over as soft as possible. 

Peering down I sucked my breath in. A black so deep it was velvety stretched up from the yawning mouth below. At the darknesses edge there was an almost chink in the rock.

Careful not to fall-not that it'd matter- I made my way around the circle until I could see the offset tunnel more clearly.

A loud crash jarred my bones from upstairs. Spinning around, heel grinding into the filthy floor, I jumped the five feet to the stairs. They moaned and shuddered under my feet, but held my weight grudgingly. Taking the steps two at a time I ran up and into the kitchen.

Eddie had broken the table in his fall through the ceiling. He was unconscious and for a second my heart seemed to stop, until I saw his thin chest rising and falling. 

Screams from above my head made me jump and both my feet took my different directions. My left darting towards the doorway and the right towards Eddie's prone form. Leaving me darting back and forth in a crazed panic.

Forcing myself to breathe I managed to get my conflicted feet to stand still. Pressing my fingers to my temples I tried to slow my racing thoughts and form them into something coherent.

A cracking sound and a whimper brought my attention back to the center of the room. Eddie was sitting up, cradling a, very, broken arm. Looking at him made my stomach clench and I pressed a trembling hand to my black lips.

A backed away a couple steps and my back hit the wall. My knees refused to hold my weight any longer and I thumped to the dusty floor.

Eddie was wheezing and needed his inhaler, but before he could search for it. Before I could regain my feet. There was the soft tapping of gloved fingers. My eyes were pulled to the broken down fridge pressed against the wall, not entirely unlike Patrick's. 

A scream clogged my throat and made it hard to breath. My nails bit into the meat of my palms as my father untangled his contorted form with a chorus of cracking bones and a breathy, deep laugh. Pennywise only had eyes for Eddie, who began wheezing. He leaned down slightly "Time to float."

I trembled slightly wanting to scream, but worried a laugh might cascade out instead. Pennywise's feet boomed as he began to slowly walk towards Eddie, who was trying to drag himself away. Pennywise was making a strange sound and it took me a second to realize he was copying Eddie's breathing. In the background I thought I heard the barely audible sound of kids... singing?

Pennywise lunges forward with a speed I had become all too familiar with and grabbed Eddie, who weakly tried to push him off. Eddie began to cry and sob as my father pretended to go and bite his hand. The smell of fear was so strong it was like I was drowning in it.

Pennywise places both hands on Eddie's face, mimicking his cries. I watched in horror and aw. The gut wrenching terror my father inspired. It horrifying and sickening. Raw and disgusting, but magical... black and sick and beautiful all at once.

"Tasty, tasty beautiful fear." A string of saliva dripped from his bottom lip and it took me a second to realize my mouth was watering even as my stomach growled while trying to keep down my lunch at the same time.

Pennywise got a strange look on his face and I watched in a daze as his own sharp fangs appeared and his mouth opened as wide as mine had, less than a week ago. I felt my own fangs begin to lower and I fought against my own desires.

Suddenly Pennywise stopped his face caught off guard. I felt it too. A subtle shift in the air.  Eddie began to yell for help and Pennywise laid a hand over his face.

Bill and Richie ran through the doorway and froze, staring at my father's crouched form. I tried force air in my lungs as tears of confusion and frustration began to glide down my marked face.

"Eddie?" Richie asked taking a slight step forward.

Pennywise cocked his head at Bill. "This isn't real enough for you Billy?" His voice cracked slightly. "I'm not real enough for you?" A grin came over his face. "It was real enough for Georgie."

At the sound of Georgie's name it was like a dam burst inside of me. I couldn't enough air in.  I choked and sputtered, heavy out sobs whilst gagging on the stench of fear. Drool pooled on my jeans as I tried to get ahold of myself.

They all glanced my way, but my presence didn't really seem to register to them as Pennywise giggled and lunged at Bill. Mouth ready to chomp.

I screamed as Beverly appeared and stabbed towards my father with a spike from the fence. My hands and fingernails scrabbled at the beaten wood underneath me, scratching it, as my legs jerked trying to lift me up. My brain shut down and black spots danced at the edge of my vision.

Pennywise growled deep and low, slowly turning around. Blood curled upwards as if underwater and teeth showed through his cheek even as strings drool fell to the floor. He continued to growl and snarl like a rabid dog as claws ripped through his gloves. 

Mike, Stan and Ben were crowded by the door as the others tried to get Eddie to his feet. They all began to scream as Pennywise lunged forwards and cut open Ben's belly with the sharp end of the spike protruding from his head.

Pennywise stumbled back and out the door and Bill straightened. "Don't let it get away."

I ran after Bill and my father. My shaky legs barely holding me.

We stumbled down the steps and into the basement even as my father slithered into the well like a snake. Even as Bill went to step towards the well I threw out a hand to stop him. Still thinking to protect the monster that is my father.

My legs dropped my to my hands and knees on the cement. The smell of fear and blood too much for the conflict in my gut. I heaved up my lunch, trying my best to avoid getting any on myself or Bill. Even after what little I ate was on the floor I continued to dry heave.

Finally managing to gain control over my body, I sat back on my heels and wrapped my arms around myself, trembling. I looked at Bill as he cleared his throat.

He looked down at me, frustration palatable. "You n-need to pick what f-fucking side your on."