"Okay, so what do you mean that you've seen us all die?" Eddie asks, finally pausing from his pacing.
"Cus I gotta be honest, that's a fucked-up thing to just drop on somebody." Richie nods from where he stands. Bev wipes some tears from under her eyes.
"Deep breaths, Bev. Just explain." I try my best to comfort her while still getting to hear what she means.
"Every night since Derry, I just- I've been having these nightmares. People in pain, people dying, people-" She cuts herself off with a choked sob.
"Okay, so you have nightmares. People- I have nightmares- people have nightmares. That doesn't mean that your visions are true." Eddie tries to make sense of it all.
"I've watched every single one of us just-" She stops.
"Every single one of us what?" Bill walks in and stops her. We all look to him and Mike. Bill slowly sits down next to Bev.
"That place that Stanley wound up, that's how we end." Bev's voice breaks as she tells Bill and Mike.
"Yeah, how come the rest of us aren't seeing that shit? I mean what makes her so different?" Richie asks, his voice a little shaky.
"The deadlights," Mike answers instantly.
"Deadlights," Bill says breathlessly. "She was the only one of us that got c-c-caught in the deadlights that day."
"We were all touched by it," Mike speaks up and walks closer into the group, "changed, deep down like an infection or a virus. A virus, you understand. Slowly- that virus, it's been growing for 27 years. This whole time metastasizing. It just got to Stan first because-"
"He was the weakest." Richie cuts Mike off.
"Fuck you." I spit as my eyes fill with tears.
"Jesus Christ, Rich." Bill shakes his head at Richie's insensitivity.
"I was just saying what everyone else was thinking, man." Richie defends.
"I mean, Rich, come on." Bill puts a comforting hand on my shoulder.
"What Beverly's seen will come to pass. It's what'll happen to all of us eventually unless we stop it." Mike says passionately. I wipe some more of my tears away and hold Bill's hand that is still on my shoulder.
"Well, how are we supposed to do that?" Eddie asks as he resumes his nervous pacing.
"The ritual of Chüd. The Chacopiwa, the first ones who fought it, they have a saying 'All living things must abide by the laws of the shape they inhabit.'" Mike explains.
"A tribal ritual?" Richie yells. "Are you fucking kidding me, man?"
"It is a little out there." I nod in agreeance.
"Alright, there's got to be another way. This thing comes back what every 27 years? Just kick the can down the road and do it then." Richie proposes.
"Wait, we'll be 70 years old, asshole." Eddie shakes his head at Richie.
"It doesn't work that way." Bev shakes her head. Bill walks over to rub her back comfortingly.
"None of us make it another 27 years and... the way it happens." Bev whispers and shakes her head. Richie knocks back a shot.
"So if we don't beat it this cycle then..." Ben trails off.
"We die. Horribly." Eddie finishes for him.
"I don't need the horribly part," Richie says.
"I didn't say it, she said it, not me." Eddie clarifies.
"Alright guys look, I've seen w-w-w-what he's talking about and its- it's all true. If we want this ritual to work-"
"We have to remember." Mike cuts off and finishes for Bill.
"Remember what?" Richie asks from the other side of the bar.
"It's better if I show you. We don't have much time, the cycle will end soon, and once it does..." Mike slowly stops.
"We're fucked." Eddie throws his arms up in exasperation.
"So then tomorrow. Tomorrow we'll set out to remember." Bill plans.
"It's too late, I need to rest. It's already been a long day." I nod as I agree.
"Okay, tomorrow. Bright and early. I'll meet you guys here at 7 am sharp." Mike nods. He waves goodbye as he leaves.
"Richie, let me stay with you. I don't want to be alone right now." I shake my head and look up at him through my tear-brimmed eyes.
"Yeah, but sad sex is just pitiful." Richie shakes his head.
"I'm not fucking you, dumbass." I scoff.
"Fine." Richie rolls his eyes. I shake my head as we head upstairs. I don't even change as I lay down in Richie's bed, leaving him to the couch.
"Night, Richie." I softly call.
"Night, Dee." He says back. I curl up on my side and hug myself as the tears silently fall down my face.
YOU ARE READING
All Alone | Stanley Uris
Adventure"That's what adults do. They only think about their problems... And when they don't have any, they make one up. Us kids, we can see the reality of life more than they can, and that's what's truly terrifying. Something they'll never want to come to t...
