27 years of slumber is a long time.
The Losers Club think they defeated Pennywise after the clown has put them through a grinder of fear and horror.
Years go by and the Losers club drift apart while thinking Pennywise is dead. Most of them move ou...
'Once you get into cosmical shit like this, you got to throw away the instruction manual' Stephen King, IT
(Trigger warning for language)
The hot summer's air reached his nose as soon as Bob took a step outside the old house. The stairs of the porch creaked under his weight which made his neighbour look up from her book. The eyeroll behind his sunglasses was unseen by the woman who shot up as soon as she laid eyes upon him. A curse was muttered between his lips when she crossed the lawn and made her way towards Robert.
"Bob," her voice sweet and with a slur that gave away she had been drinking. It wasn't even five o'clock in the afternoon yet.
If the rules of the Universe were different, if that stupid Turtle would've given him his powers during his 'slumber', Robert Gray would have killed her already. Her biggest fear was snakes. He could have worked with that! Oh, how wonderful it would be....
He had to wait, though. Wait for cataclysm happening in Derry, one excisting pure out of an act of violence before he could rise again and embrace his true nature. He...fucking...hated...to...wait.
He hated that Turtle too.
And the blonde, middle-aged woman who now stood before him with a drunk grin on her face that he would happily wipe off. Yet, Robert took off his sunglasses and his lips curled up into a smirk.
"Liliane," he muttered between his lips. "Sunbathing, I see."
His voice wasn't carrying a happy tune, nor did it betray his irritation he felt. It was flat, emotionless and Robert was already looking around him to see how he could get away from her. Without killing her. That was out of the question. He couldn't, even if he wanted to.
The red-dotted bikini was so fifties and vintage, that even Gray thought it a fashion crime. And he couldn't give a shit about fashion.
"Where you going, Bob?"
"It's Robert," he looked at her, eyebrow raised and his hand disappears into his pocket to find the pack of Lucky Strikes hidden there. He couldn't die and he loved smoking. So why the fuck not?
He didn't answer her question, just turned on his heels, lit up his cigarette and left the lovesick neighbour to stare at his back while he made his way into Derry.
26 years was a long time and his knuckles ached. His body didn't age, but nobody asked questions. Robert Gray was doomed to roam Derry without having any playtime. He could still sense what people feared the most, yet he couldn't do anything with it. The sweet scent of despair that lingered when a human felt the lovable sting of angst, could reach his nose and make his mouth water. Yet still, Robert would stay hungry until he could rise again.
He felt famished.
His long legs carried him through the hot streets of Derry. The asphalt radiating of the heat of the Sun and he wasn't bothered by it. Passing by the drain he took Georgie in without even looking at it. The smoke of his, now almost gone, cigarette travelled up and clouded his vision.
In the distance Robert saw the library and lowered his pace. His tongue clicked into his mouth when he saw an adult Mike running up the stairs and into the building. The only Loser who remained in Derry. The only one who remembered Pennywise and was slowly going insane while keeping track of Pennywise's past.
He missed the Loser's Club...Beverly, the red-haired girl with the fear of blood. Bill, the stuttering boy, who blamed himself for Georgie's death. Stan, afraid of the woman in the painting that hung in his father's office. Ben, the fat kid who loved Beverly. Richie, the foul-mouthed boy who was afraid of...clowns (how easy to scare Richie!) And Eddie, the hypochondriac who was scared of...everything that could carry a microbe.
His body trembled and Robert had to shake the thoughts off. His stomach grumbled angrily, his muscles contracted in his arms. The hunger was back when he thought about them. He diverted his gaze from the library towards the small pub a little further down the street.
He hated human food, it tasted dull in his mouth. Yet he needed it to keep this body alive.
When Robert entered, the music reached his ears and he took of his sunglasses while he took place in the farthest corner by the window. Because of the town's fair, the Pub was busier then other times and he cracked his fingers while he turned his back away from the people.
"Robert," the waitress said. "How are you today?"
"Fine," he looked at the girl who he couldn't seem to remember the name off. He just called her Miss Claustrophobic because she feared small spaced. "Just bring me something to eat."
Everyday he would ask the same and every time again, she would ask : "Anything you like from the day menu."
And he would sigh while leaning back into his chair. "Just bring me something. It all tastes like shit anyway."
The girl would dart away and her smile would fade because of his rudeness.
Every day was the same. Over and over again. An endless torment.
"You can use Tabasco, you know," a woman's voice echoed in his ear from behind him while a slender hand put down a small, red bottle before him. "Instead of being rude to her, spice up your food."
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He saw a silhouette appearing next to him and Robert turned his head slightly. A brunette stood next to him, her hand resting on her hip while green eyes stared back at him. Features serious and when she wanted to turn and walk away, Robert Gray sniffed the air around her.
Peculiar.
Leaning forward and resting his elbows on the table, Robert chuckled darkly. That caught the attention of the young woman who stopped her actions to walk away from him.
"Never saw you before," he spoke, while turning his head so he could lock eyes with her. He sniffed again, tried to pick up a scent. Any scent that would float around her. He didn't smell anything except some perfume of flowers that he wasn't interested in.
There was no fear hanging around this woman. And she looked back at him with a stubborn gaze fixed in her green orbs.
"Arrived this morning," her short reply came and she took a step out of the way for the waitress who brought him some eggs with bacon. "Use the Tabasco," the strange woman said again, "you'll see, it will taste better."
She flashed him an awkward smile before she turned on her heels again.
"Your name," he asked, before she could fully disappear into the crowd.
The woman turned, the movement made her long hair dance around her shoulders. "Katherine Miller," she replied and then left him to his food.
His long fingers curled around the little bottle she left for him and he let the red liquid drop on his food. He liked the colour red. Reminded him of blood... When Robert took a bite, a smirk appeared around his lips.
Katherine was right, it did spice it up a little and he looked over his shoulder to see her sitting by the bar. Idly playing with her bottle of coke, deep in thought and not paying attention to him anymore.
This hot summer's day, was other then the days that passed him in those 26 years. This day, Robert Gray met Katherine Miller who, at first sight, seemed to fear nothing. And he damned well knew every human feared something.
