For Those Who Are Afraid

Chapter 1.

    It's lips curled back into a cruel imposter of a smile, long twisted nails raking gently across Henry's skin, making goosebumps rise up in their path. The teenagers eyes were glued to his feet and his hands quaked, as much as he desperately tried to quiet them.. The nails finished their journey at his hair, toying with it, almost tenderly coaxing out knots. Humming, the creature was monotonous in its self assigned task, keeping Henry in place until every strand of hair moved individually from the other. Henry flinched every time his roots were tugged against his scalp. The minutes crawled over each other, feeling more and more like hours. His foot tapped and a cold bead of sweat dripped down his brow, but he didn't dare to move in that moment any more than when his father stood before him, belt in hand. Henry Bowers knew his place and what was required of him in these types of moments, when he was in the grasp of monsters that would just as soon break his bones than hear his voice. "Shut the fuck up and show your damn belly" as his father, Oscar Bowers would put it so poetically. These were learning moments that, if he played his cards right, would be taught with words rather than fists. Finally, Pennywise released him, seemingly content with his work, as Henry's dirty blonde hair returned to place. The clown leaned close and bloodied lips traced the shell of Henry's ear, sending icy shivers down his spine.

"Heeeenry," the voice mocked playfulness, as Henry recognized the tone of a spider trying to coax its fly into the web. Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly... those words with a sing songy tune turned over in his head. Where did he hear that? It sounded poetic, so it must have been something he bothered to listen to in literature class. Henry wished for a second..that he could recollect the rest of it. The teenager sensed the slap just a few seconds too late as Pennywise's hand sent him spiralling and landing on his ass on the floor, having no choice but to stare up at the clown who held an expression undecided between annoyance and amusement.

That's what you get for thinking, Henry. He thought. Always gets you knocked on your fucking ass.

"Henry, Henry, Henry," the clown cackled, "You should know to listen when your elders speak." He lets himself fall to a crouch, bells that Henry never could seem to see jingling with his descent. Even hunched over, It towered over the seventeen year old, who tried to puff out his chest in an effort to combat how weak and trapped he felt. Henry wasn't afraid. Why should he be afraid of a clown... a clown that a stuttering little pansy had shot right in the head while a bunch of other losers made it cower and howl. A stuttering little pansy. A stuttering Bill- "H E N R Y." This time the clown did not hide the growl in its throat, snapping Henry out of his thoughts. Pennywise's mouth twisted back as long needle like teeth edged out of It's gums. It lunged forward making Henry yelp and fall back, many years of fists being thrown at him causing his arm to impulsively be thrown out in front of his face.

"I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU!" He screamed making his throat ache.

The monster stopped, hunched over him, maw gaping wide enough to swallow Henry whole with a single gulp, and a gurgling chuckle came deep from within It's throat. "Perhaps, perhaps." The mouth began to sew itself back into its normal position, skin weaving into skin to mend the gaps. "But you are afraid. So terribly afraid. You're practically overflowing." It sat back grinning crookedly, it's mouth reformed. "Your fear is still so deliciously powerful even if it's not coming from me, little one."

Henry gritted his teeth. "Don't patronize me, fuck-face," lingered on his lips but what escaped was "What do you want. I've got better things to do than sit here talking to a nightmare."

It's eyes flashed a sharp yellow as it croaked. "We had a deeeeeal, Henry. A true deal between men, though I suppose I shouldn't expect a weak snivelling child to remember something like that."