HAUNT✦reddie

t h i r t e e n

eddie could see everything that it could. he just couldn't move anything nor feel anything. but at the same time, he could feel everything. he could piece together every situation briefly but he found out quickly that it hurt too much to do anything but be blank.

every inch of his being was in excruciating pain. it was like every piece of him was ripped into tiny shreds before being put back together over and over again, a shred getting replaced by one of its. continuing and continuing until he was no longer anything.

forgotten and dissolved into it.

eddie was afraid, probably as afraid he had been when he was shoved into that closet in his room, left to rot 27 years ago.

he let his eyes slip shut.

***

"okay, it's crucial that we take this slow, nothing to invite spirits and, uh, anything else, into our world, okay? simple. nothing too specific or about our lives."

ben was rambling nervously, eyes glancing over the group. he breathed out, "are there any sp-"

"where's eddie, you ugly ass clown bastard!"

"holy shit, richie!" mike gasped, his voice nervous and quiet. richie stayed determined, his fingers planted firmly on the planchette.

minutes passed by of only heavy breathing and short intakes of air.

c'mon, come back to me, eds. . . richie thought urgently, his fingers tapping against the piece.

the planchette suddenly pulled towards the r, causing richie and beverly to extend their arms from their relaxed positions.

"r-i," ben read nervously and richie felt relief flood his entire being. "c-h-i-e."

"eds? is that you? are you okay? where are you?" questions spilled out of richie's mouth before he could even stop them. beverly had to tell him to stop.

nothing happened for a couple seconds before the spirit pulled them to

'n'

'o'

't'

'h'

'e'

'r'

'e'

"'not here'," mike read incredulously, him and beverly sharing a look of fright.

"what does that mean?" richie asked, eyes darting around the group then back at the board. "where is he, where's eddie?"

suddenly the planchette flew with such force that both mike and ben's hand darted off of the piece. "f, l, o, a, t, i, n, g. floating?"

the piece quickly started to pick up the pace, repeating the same word over and over again. beverly yelped as the piece began to heat up and burnt her fingertips. richie grit his teeth through the pain, holding the red-hot piece down as the board started to rattle as if it was trying to twist away from richie. but he wasn't budging.