I don't know how it happened but we had all been convinced to stick around and we were now traipsing around town like we used to as kids. All Mike had to do was get Bill on his side, and then we all seemed to follow. Bill always was the leader of the group... and Mike must have known that. He had told us all to go our separate ways to find something special for the ritual... what a fucking stupid idea...
I wandered around the streets of Derry wondering what the fuck I was supposed to be looking for when I spotted the arcade. I walked slowly over to it and saw that the door was broken, so I let myself in and walked over to the machines. I picked up an old token that was on one of the games and studied it. I remembered the day that the boy called me a fairy... and then Henry called me a faggot.
I shuddered at the memory and left the arcade, taking a short cut back through the park. As I passed a bench I frowned. I went this way on that day too... and the statue... it came to life...
I hesitantly looked up but there was no big scary creature and no clown.
Someone pushed a flier into my chest and I jumped. I held the paper out in front of me and I saw my face plastered across it-it was for a memorial service. My blood ran cold as I stared down at the flier and I swallowed hard.
When I looked up again I saw Pennywise sitting on the shoulder of the statue and I froze in fear.
"Did you miss me, Richie? Because I missed you!" He giggled, "no one wants to play with the clown anymore... play a game with me will ya?"
I could feel my heart pounding as I tried to back away, but my legs didn't want to go.
"How about street fighter? Oooh yes you like that one don't you? Or maybe... truth or dare..." he grinned and my eyes widened in fear. He knew.
"Jesus," I muttered under my breath, feeling all the strength drain from my legs.
"Oh you wouldn't want anyone to pick truth, though, would you, Richie? You wouldn't want anyone to know what you're hiding," he chuckled and started chanting, "I know your secret! Your dirty little secret!"
It was too much to bear, I knew that only I could see him but I was terrified that someone else might hear.
I turned and ran from the park before he had a chance to say anymore.
I kept running until I was back at the inn, sweating and panting, and Eddie shuffled over to me.
"You okay?" He asked but I didn't look at him.
"What's going on?"
"I'm leaving."
"But... Bev said if we don't do this then we'll all die."
"I'll take my chances, we're gonna die anyway," I said flatly and he grabbed my arm. I did look up at him then and saw that he was covered in black goo.
"What the fuck, man!" I shouted and took a step away from him, "You fucking reek!"
"Yeah well that's what happens when I leper throws up on you."
"Are you okay? What happened?"
"... a leper threw up on me... I thought I made that obvious? What happened to you?"
"I saw Pennywise."
"And? What happened?"
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Uh... Okay...? What about your car?"
"Fuck my car, I'm leaving this shit hole," I stormed inside and up to my room.
Fuck this fucking town.
