THE GHOST IN YOU - IT [2]

chapter thirteen

The eight of them hoist back onto the platform, clothes heavy with water. They form a neat circle around a hole that seems to be covered with a piece of wood that depicts ancient symbols. Mike quietly chants a mantra to himself, likely something he learned from the Native Americans.

"Is he okay?" Ben asks cautiously.

"I think at this point that's a relative question." Richie responds.

"What's on the other side?" Beverly says, peering down at the covered hole.

"Not sure if I'd like to find out..." Victor grumbles.

"We don't know for sure. No one does." Without warning, Mike leans down and peels open the lid, resulting in everyone jumping back fearfully. He ignores everyone's verbal protests as he shines his flashlight into the deep, narrow hole. "Alright, see ya down there."

Mike is more than prepared to lower into the hole, his shoes pressing against the ridges on the stone. Victor gulps audibly. Jaime glances at him pitifully, knowing how much he despises small spaces.

"Uh-- is there really no other way? 'Cause you see, I'm not as scrawny as I was twenty-seven years ago, and I'm just not sure if--"

"Vic. C'mon. Don't let your guard down." She reminds gently. Jaime already is impressed he decided to tag along anyway, so she doesn't blame him for being apprehensive. He didn't already go through this twenty-seven years prior.

"We'll s-s-stay together." Bill tells him, then seeks approval from everyone else. They nod as he follows Mike into the pit.

"Guys, I don't think I can do this." Eddie shakes his head vigorously, backing away from the hole. Victor mutters something along the lines of "tell me about it." "I can't do it. You saw what happened up there, I almost... almost let you die. I can't go down there, I'm gonna-- I'm gonna get us all killed." He pops his inhaler into his mouth and inhales deeply. Richie makes a beeline over to him before Jaime can blink.

"Hey-- give me that. No, listen, give it-- give it to me... Eddie, give it!" Richie struggles to snatch the placebo inhaler from Eddie's iron grasp, but eventually grabs a hold of it and keeps it in his hand. "Listen to me. You had a moment up there, fine. But who killed a psychotic clown before he was fourteen?"

"Me." Eddie says bashfully.

"Who stabbed Bowers with a knife he pulled out of his own face?"

"Also me."

"Who married a woman ten times his own body mass?"

"...Me."

"Yeah," Richie smiles softly, "you're braver than you think."

Eddie sighs reluctantly, holding a feeble gaze with the man in front of him. His face softens briefly, almost quick enough to where Jaime doesn't catch it. His eyes glisten over in a look she knows all too well...

"Oh." She whispers to herself. "Ohhhh."

Victor, having heard her, nods in surprised agreement.

"Alright, thanks, Richie." Eddie says to him. Richie smiles wider and pats his cheek two times, the injured cheek that had a bandaged-over wound engraved in it. He mumbles an apology when Eddie winces. They return to the group and Beverly gives Eddie her fire iron she had grabbed in Neibolt. Meanwhile, Jaime raises her eyebrows suggestively at Richie, who has the decency to feign ignorance. She discreetly points to Eddie and mouths, 'go for it.' Had Eddie not turned around after that, Richie would've silently protested. Still, Jaime smiles, a supportive yet guilty little smile. She chooses to ignore the influx of questions that swarm her head as she descends into the pit after Richie and before Beverly.