The Dark Of You: Sequel to What Lies Beneath

Chapter 3

The tall man that stood before you wrapped his arms around your frame, pulling you into a tight embrace. For a moment, you couldn't move, taken aback by the affectionate action of the human... until your arms instinctively started to hug him back, inhaling deeply into his chest as the familiar smell of him washed over you.

In an instant, your entire past flooded your mind like a tidal wave. All of your memories as a human had been buried in your brain, scattered in a way that made them nearly impossible to find until now. You remembered everything leading up to your long rest as if it were yesterday. To say that it was jarring to see Richie now almost three decades older was an understatement.

"Holy shit," Richie mumbled into your hair, releasing a choked sob. "I never thought... I mean... I figured you were dead."

He released you then, keeping a firm grip on your shoulders as if he were afraid that he would lose you again if he let go. "Richie," you uttered, your voice hoarse with the urge to cry. "I can't believe it. You look..."

"Handsome as fuck?" he interjected playfully with a wide grin.

"I was just going to say that you grew into your looks," you teased, reassuringly rubbing your thumb over his cheek, still not quite sure that this wasn't all just a dream.

"What the fuck does that mean?" he asked, eyeing you suspiciously before chuckling and brushing it off. His eyes searched yours for a moment before his grin faded into a grim expression. "You haven't aged a day." Typically when people say that, it's meant as a compliment, but you felt the devastation in his voice as he said it, knowing that it could only mean one thing. You were no longer human.

Releasing his grip, he stepped back from you, his brow furrowing in distress and resentment. The others slowly came forward, wanting to inspect you for themselves. It was then that you realized you knew them, too.

Eyes welling up, you placed your hand over your mouth in shock as you realized that the majority of the Losers Club was standing before you. They were now much older than you, their features still so similar, and yet so simultaneously different. "Oh my god," you lamented, trying to contain yourself from having a mental breakdown.

It's not that you didn't know this would happen when you agreed to be Pennywise's mate but to expect something and then to actually live it were two very different things. To witness those kids change from adolescents to full-on adults overnight was jarring, to say the least.

Swallowing thickly, you cleared your throat before speaking again. "You... you never left?" you asked, disappointment flooding through you. "You were supposed to leave and live your life away from this place. Why did you stay?"

"We did leave," an attractive man remarked from the back of the group. Examining him closely, it took you a moment to finally realize who it was.

"Jesus Christ... Ben? Are you shitting me?"

His lips curved into a shy, humble grin as he replied, "Yeah, it's me."

"You look so great!" You approached him in an attempt to embrace him, but he immediately flinched, deterring you from coming any closer. "I... I'm sorry," you stammered, stepping back and avoiding his gaze.

"N-no," he stumbled over his words, obviously feeling guilty of hurting you. "It's fine. It's just... you're..."

"A monster," you finished for him, the taste of the word bitter on your tongue.

He grimaced at your use of the blunt phrase. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sorry."

You smiled sadly at him, wanting to give him a reassuring hug, but knowing that it would only make him, and probably everyone else, uncomfortable. It was a relief to see that though Ben had physically changed so dramatically, he was still the same sweet boy you knew.