𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘭𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮 ~ 𝐛𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐡

Chapter Fourteen

The Well

Anger. All Maya felt was anger. Pure rage at the clown that stole her best friend. Maya's head turned to the boys, pure fire in her eyes. The intensity of her stare caused them both to take a step back.

"Get your asses on your bikes, right now."  She said, pushing off of her driveway and down the rode. The two boys quickly mounted their bikes and copied her actions, pedaling quickly to keep up with her.

The trio made stops along the way to collect the remaining losers, Maya becoming more and more antsy to get to Beverly each passing minute.

She pedaled faster than she's ever pedaled before. Maya rode in the front of the group, wanting to get there first. As the Neibolt house appeared in her sight, she sped up. Determination filled her as she slowed down when she was near it. She quickly skidded to a stop and dropped her bike.

Her feet carried her up the rickety house steps. The other losers followed closely behind her, none of them wanting to get her attention.. She gripped the flashlight tightly in her hand as she took confident steps forward, until she heard Eddie and Bill's voices.

"Stan?" Eddie called, facing the scared boy.

"Stan, we all have to go!" Bill explained, stepping forward toward Stan. "B-B-Beverly was right. If we split up, that clown will kill us one by one. But if we st-st-stick together, all of us. We'll win. I promise." Stan still looked unsure as he looked around the house. Maya frowned and walked toward him. She dropped her flashlight and put a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently at him, she took his chin in her hand and turned his face toward hers.

"Hey, you can do this, Stan. I know it's hard, hard to go back in this hell house. But I know you can. You're strong, it'll be okay. We'll win together. But if you really don't want to, that's okay. You can go home." She whispered, a rubbing his shoulder. Even with her unrelenting anger, she could still sense how terrified Stan felt.

Eddie watched with jealousy, he rolled his eyes and turned toward Bill once again. Bill nodded, with a shrug. He knew of Eddie's crush on the girl,
the entire club did. Neither Stan nor Richie had the heart to tell him she liked girls.

Stan nodded after a moment of silence and followed her into the house. Maya whispered a quick thank you and picked up her flashlight. She followed the rest of the losers into the house making sure to keep a close eye on Stan, just to make sure that he was still with the group. She didn't want him wandering off and getting lost in the large house.

She looked around the house, shuddering at the memories of the last time she was here. It looked even more decrepit than the last time, if that were possible. Maya repressed the flashbacks trying to creep their way back into her mind.

She refused to be scared. She would be brave for Beverly. She would be brave to save her. She used the adrenaline and anger rushing through her veins to push those feelings of fear down.

Maya followed her friends down the old and creaky staircase. She swatted at the spiderwebs that covered the room, her blue eyes squinting in disgust. She nearly gagged at the stench of the rotting room as they leaned over the well.

"Hey, Eddie, you got a quarter?" Richie asked, as he peered into the seemingly endless well.

"I wouldn't wanna make a wish in that fuckin' thing!" Eddie retaliated, as he also peered down into the well.

Maya shined her flashlight down the well, groaning when she saw only darkness. No bottom in sight.

"Beverly?" Ben shouted, leaning over the side, causing an echo of the words he spoke to be heard.

"How are we supposed to get down there?" Mike asked, tentatively, as he watched the other's before him.

"How about that rope?" Maya spoke up, shining her flashlight on the bundle of rope in the corner.

The group nodded in agreement as Mike walked forward to pick it up. After he had it in his hands, he tied it in knots and then to the top of the well. He threw it down the well and gave it three good yanks to make sure it was stable.

Bill was the first one to go down, slowly climbing down the rope until he made it to an opening. Maya was next, followed by Eddie, then Richie, Stan, and Ben. After the losers had all safely made it down, Mike gripped the rope.

Maya's heart dropped when she heard his cry of pain.

"Mike?" She called, concern lacing her tone.

"Mike!" The losers proceeded to shout up the well, concerned for their friend. Maya gasped when she saw a psychotic looking Henry Bowers peer down the well, covered in blood.

"Bowers.."

"Mike? Where is he?" The losers continued to shout for their friend as Bowers laughed evilly. He gripped the rope and started to pull it down.

"No, no, no, no, no!"

"Grab it! Grab it!"

"Get the rope! Get the rope!" Maya's fingertips barely grazed it, but alas, not soon enough as their way out of this hellhole fell to the bottom of it.

The group continued to shout for their friend, while Maya tried to think of a way back up after they defeated IT.

Maya heard a loud crash as she looked up to see Mike hanging over the edge of the well.

"Mike!" She screamed, reaching her hand up.

"I sh-should get up there!" Bill shouted, looking around the well walls.

"Are you insane? With what?" Richie screeched, smacking him on the arm. Maya closed her eyes momentarily, only opening when she heard a loud scream and someone roughly pulling her back.

"Holy shit!" Richie exclaimed, his hand still gripping Maya's arm.

"What the hell? Is he dead? He's definitely dead! Oh, shit!" Maya gagged as the sound of his back breaking replayed in her mind.

"Mike!" Eddie screamed up to him.

"Mike, Mike are you okay?" Maya asked, as she peered up at him.

"I'm okay." He said, "I'm okay"

He started to fiddle with his gun to reload it. Maya let out a gasp as the ammo slipped off the side of the well.

The losers gasped in horror as Maya felt her heart stop momentarily. Her jaw dropped as she stared down at where the ammo, the ammo for the gun they would sue to protect themselves with, fell to the bottom of this hellhole. Maya groaned internally as her hand ran through her hair.

This was going to be a lot harder than she was expecting it to be.