Drown Hearts

Chapter 5

You couldn't move. As water came tumbling through the old quarry, fear began to rise into your throat. It was like you were stuck in a glass box, you couldn't get out. The came pouring faster and faster. You screamed and tried to get away but you couldn't. At this point you screamed for anyone. You knew this was all in your head, that it was fake, but it felt so real that you couldn't help but feel terrified.

You sobbed as you felt the water begin to pool around your feet in your unseen enclosure. This was it. You would die here. Drown from illusions created by your childhood terror. You would never tell Ben you loved him. You would never get to start over with him. All these thoughts passed through your head. You kept screaming. You pounded on the unseen walls. Was this was pennywise meant? This is how he would get you? At this point the water is up to your knees and it just wouldn't stop. In the back of your mind you could hear something. You thought it was just another trick, a cruel ploy from pennywise to convince you to give into death, but it wasn't. It was Ben. You could hear him yelling to you. Trying to break through to you from outside your illusion.

"Ben?!" You yelled. The water now to your chest. You could hear him. Or at least you thought you could. Was he not in his own illusion? Was he trying to wake you from yours? Fear coursed through your veins as the water began to rise faster. It was up to your chin now.

(POV Change)

Ben grabbed your hand and booked it towards a cavern. He had to protect you. He wouldn't let Pennywise carry out his threat. Ever since the incident at the Neibolt house, Ben wouldn't let you from his sight. He loved you. He wanted a chance with you after all of this was over. As he ran with you behind him he could hear the clown coming. He ran faster but not fast enough. The both of you were so close to escaping the clown's grasp. But within feet of cavern entrance, he was taken down. Pennywise had swept his long claws underneath your legs and you had taken him down with you.

Ben took a second to collect himself and looked to see that you lay on the rocky ground unconscious. You must have hit your head during the fall. He crawled to your side. He tried to shake you awake. In the midst of this problem you were mumbling his name.

"Ben..." you kept mumbling. He could barely hear you but he could tell what you were saying. He scooped you up bridal style and ran to the cavern. He laid you down gently and tried to wake you.

"Help!!" You screamed. Your body jolted up as you keeper screaming for help. It was then he realized that you weren't unconscious. You were stuck in an illusion in your own mind.

He shook you more. He had to wake you up. You were in Pennywise's grasp and he had to get you out before you were hurt, or worse killed. A few minutes of this went on until you suddenly began choking on water. The liquid spewed from your mouth and it wouldn't stop. This wasn't and illusion, this was real. You were drowning and he couldn't stop it.

(POV change)

You were going to die. This was it. Those were the only thoughts going through your head as you choked on water. You had tried to hold your breath but you lungs burned too much so you gave into the water. Your body was shutting down.

"PLEASE! DON'T TAKE HER! PELASE TAKE ME!" You could hear in the distance.

Everything was cloudy and slowly fading. You knew you weren't going to win this fight.

As you slowly sunk to the ground, a figure appeared outside of your entrapment. It was him. The clown, here to finally claim you.

"Time to float!" It giggled while it moved its long fingers against the structure that was keeping you in. It's pale white face and sinister red lipped smile making you scream and letting all the remaining air your body held left your mouth. The scene around you fades away back to the the cavern you were in before. Ben was on the ground holding your limp form in his arms. You were tired and fading. You could feel it and so could he. Once again you choked on water, making Ben aware that you were back with him.

"Y/n! Stay with me! Please stay awake!" He said to you as your eyelids began to droop. He looked to the entrance of the cavern and yelled

"GUYS! Help! We need help!" He was crying. He knew he was going to lose you. As you slowly slipped away you found Ben's hand and held it. After a few seconds your vision faded to black and you no longer moved. Death had finally taken you.

(Bens POV)

As you too his hand he couldn't help but cry. He was losing you and he couldn't save you, just like Pennywise had said. It was only a few minutes after you took his hand that you finally passed. You closed your eyes with a light smile on your lips and whispered your last words to him.

"I'm glad we had a second chance." These were the last words you said to him as IT took you. Just like it took those kids in the past.

As he sat on the floor crying and cradling your limp form. He didn't know what to do. He tried to protect you. He tried to get you out of the clowns grasp, but he had failed you.

The rest of the group ran into the cavern that Ben was in. At first they thought you were just hurt, until Beverly got a closer look and sobbed. She turned around, unable to look at her best friend dead. No one was expecting this. Mike came forward and put his hand on Ben's shoulder.

"We can't just sit here. We have to make her death mean something." He said, almost a whisper.

"You have to let go man." Richie says. Eddie is nodding in agreement next to him with tears slowly streaming down his face.

Ben couldn't say anything. He was in shock and just couldn't let you go.

The atmosphere outside of the cavern seemed to cool down enough for them to go and try to attack, or at least for the remainder of the club to kill the clown. Your death, and Stanley's death would not be in vain.

"I can't leave her." Ben muttered.

"I'm sorry Ben. We all are, be we have to leave her. We can't bring her with." Bill says. As the leader of the group he was being very quiet. You could he was hurt from the sudden loss, but he was definitely trying to stay strong for the others.

"I c-can't" Ben sobs again. This time he begins to grip you tighter, determined to get you out of this hell.

After a few minutes, Bill nods to Mike in silent agreement and they begin to pull Ben away from you body. Richie and Eddie take you gently away from him and lay you down on the rocks. Your still body looked peaceful, almost like you were only resting from the whole ordeal. But everyone knew you were gone.

"I can't leave her! She can't stay down here! Not with IT!" Ben screamed at his friends.

He tried to get back to you but the loser's hold on him was too strong. He eventually gave up, growing exhausted from grief. The group slowly makes their way out of the cavern, not looking back to were your body laid.

The huge cavern where they had previously tried to perform the ritual was silent. It was eerie and it made the group proceed with caution. Nothing had changed in the minutes that had passed since the failure of the ritual. The three glowing orbs still floated at the top of the cavern and cast their odd blue glow around the room.

"So what now?" Richie asks, breaking them silence that was surrounding the group.

"We kill it. Plain and simple, we go along with the plan just like before." Mike says.

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A/N: hey guys! Long time no see! Now that my short story is done, I can work on this more! Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and don't worry, it's not over quite yet. 😉
(I also don't proofread so sorry for the grammar errors here and there ✌🏻)