Blood Rose (Completed)

Chapter 6

'Do you want a balloon?' - Stephen King, IT

Katherine's POV
The small, wooden house Robert lived in was cosy and charming. The first thing she noticed when entering, was the sweet scent of something sugary. Something Katherine couldn't quite place and was still thinking about when his long, gracious fingers held her hand in his. She wasn't looking at was he was doing, only that the burn on her hand slowly ebbed away. With that the pain slowly subdued until it was just a hint of a sting anymore. 

"Finished," he said and sounded out of breath. 

Her gaze caught his and Katherine noticed the little sweat drops on his forehead. Her first instinct was to reach out to him, but she thought the better of it because Robert seemed to loath physical contact. 

"Why did you come back?"

Her voice was soft, barely a whisper but Robert heard her more than clear in the silence of the house. The question that came out of her mouth wasn't the one she had been meaning to ask. Katherine had intended to ask if he was feeling fine. Maybe he had a fever that caused him to sweat like this.  

A grin spread on his lips and Katherine leaned a bit away from him when he came closer with his face. Sometimes, just when the light hit his face just in an angle, Robert's grins seemed creepy to her. 

"Are you afraid of something?"

She arched a brow and slowly shook her head. 

"No...," voice uncertain and confused. 

"Good!" Robert practically jumped up from his chair, swivelled around himself before he stretched out his hand to her. It was like an awkward little dance and Katherine couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips. "I promised to take you to the fair, didn't I?"

Her lips opened and closed again when, with one arm behind his back and the other still stretched out towards her, made a bow while his blue gaze was glued on hers.  A wink was given to her.

"And there's a spooky house that I just adore," he added. 

Katherine caught herself grinning the whole time and finally took his hand. His skin was cold against hers, but it didn't bother her at all. 

"So, you came back to take me to the fair?" Her question lingered in the air while Robert frowned, yet his smile never left his face. 

"Yes, dear," and he came a bit closer to her face, "Robert Gray always keeps his promises. I'll even get you a balloon! One that floatsssss! I love those!" 

She could feel his breath on her face when he spoke, so close he was to her and Katherine closed her eyes for a moment. He smelled like the house...sweet, sugary... honey perhaps? She couldn't lay her finger on it. 

Opening her eyes again, she saw the twinkle in his eyes; playful, expecting an answer. She nodded slowly. 

"Okay, take me to the fair. Make me see another side of Derry that I haven't seen before," her heartbeat in her chest like a monster held in a cage because he was still close to her. 

Her answer liked him, because Robert created some distance between them again by taking his knee-long coat from the chair. 

"Let's go, you'll need a coat. It'll get chilly later tonight," he said, voice suddenly serious and he put his collar a bit straighter. "We'll pass by your house on the way to the fair. It's close by the library."

That made her hold her pace and grab him by the shoulder. Robert glanced at her with a confusing frown between his brows. Katherine shook her head slowly. 

"How do you know where I stay? I never told you that," she said, and Katherine thought about Mike. "And how did you know Mike's last name?"

Her voice didn't sound suspicious, just curious and Robert his smile that came around his lips, reassured her. Katherine didn't see it coming, but his hands were both on her face in the next second. Cold, big hands cradled her face and she locked eyes with him. The smile around his lips was gone and his eyes flickered over her face. 

Katherine held completely still inside his hold. It was like Robert was taking in her features, investigating her and she felt her heartbeat speed up again. She hadn't noticed she held her breath until his eyes finally found hers. Her breath escaped in small, soundless gasps her lips. 

He let go of her and there was that grin again. Yet, it was more of a smile this time. A warm and sincere smile while he kept her gaze. 

"Derry has little secrets for me," he murmured. "I've been here since...forever. I know everything of the people in Derry. I know every crook of this town, every dark secret..." He wiped away a strand of hair out of her face with one finger. A fast act and Katherine already missed his hands on her face. "Also, Mike's the town librarian. Everyone knows him. As for your address, my dear, I asked your co-worker where you lived because I went to the Pub yesterday, but you weren't there." 

Suddenly, she felt silly, practically feeling her cheeks heat up and she looked away from him. "Right, I forgot you lived here since you ... were born," she stuttered and followed Robert outside. 

Katherine glanced to her right where a blond, elderly woman was looking at her. 

"Your neighbour," she started, but Robert waved her question away. 

"Nothing to be worried about. Weird old hag," he replied before he put his collar even more up. 

It was only then that Katherine realised it was slowly getting dark already and the chilly wind touched her face. She walked next to him towards the house she stayed in. All the way there, they talked, laughed and she felt no pain from her hand. He even touched the small of her back when a toddler with A tricycle suddenly appeared out of nowhere. 

She forgot she didn't like Derry, forgot his outburst from a week ago in the Pub, forgot everything for as long as he was next to her. As if her mind blocked everything else out when Robert Gray walked next to her and told her about Derry; how the big, plastic woodchopper statue came to be and that the townsfolk were outraged when that ugly thing decorated their square.  He told her about the big fire at the Blackspot, a tale that send Katherine a chill up her spine. 

Robert Gray even told her about the Barrens and that the sewer system was so old, that every time it rained in Derry (which was quite a lot) the town was flooded. The Barrens that weren't barren, Katherine noticed when she looked down from Main Street towards the fields beneath. 

She was enchanted by the way Robert talked. His deep voice made her feel like in a trance and Katherine felt relieved he knew the way to her house because she just followed his lead. 

The pair hadn't noticed the pair of eyes that watched them from a distance. 

Mike, one of the seven kids now grown up who was part of the Loser's Club 27 years ago, had followed Robert out of the Pub towards the house on Neibolt Street. And although Robert had made sure that Mike also forgot about Neibolt Street, Mike Hanlon had felt something quite off about the young man he met in the Pub. He couldn't say what yet...only that it felt they had met before.