Here For You

Holiday Season (14)

A Few Months Later
1992
Your POV
•-•-•-•-•

I cover my mouth as I cough into my sleeve, sniffling a little. I glance out the cracked window of the cottage, watching the snowflakes fall ever so slowly.

Tugging my hoodie closer to my body, I swallow some saliva as I get up and head downstairs. I sit on the couch between Bill and Ben, getting under the soft blanket that Bill shares with me.

He carefully puts his arm around my shoulders, as if he's afraid I won't like it. Instead, I snuggle up to his side, loving his warmth and this serene moment.

I smile lightly as everyone chats about the holidays, trying to get my mind off of both being a bit ill and from the nightmares I've been having.

We left the city a few months back, and kept walking until we found this small cottage in the slightly wooded fields. It took a few weeks to get here, and with it getting colder out, we chose it best fit to stay for a while.

My shoulder healed up nicely, of course it's still a bit iffy sometimes, but at least I have mobility. Later that day at the trailer park, Eddie fixed me up. He had apparently done the same for Ben pre-apocalypse because of Henry or something.

Richie had even imitated the voice he used to bug Eddie back then, and proceeded to act out the same thing for me to keep my mind off of the pain of the stitches.

Resting my head on Bill's shoulder, my breathing evens out and my eyes begin to droop. My gaze trails to Stan as he adds more fuel to the fire, then to my other friends who are all gathered around.

A pang hits my heart as I remember my parents and Kyle, then to Melanie, Kenneth, and Jenna. I shove the thought aside and just focus on the present, listening to the cheerful laughter of my group.

I close my eyes and shift as I lay my left arm over Bill's stomach to hug him, and he pulls me closer to him as I find myself drifting off to sleep.

I look around, my stomach dropping and my heart racing as I brace myself to experience another nightmare. Except this time, I'm actually aware of it from the start.

There stands It in the woods, waving at me with a red balloon in it's off hand. He's giving me that same damned smile as always, reminding me of the multiple other occasions I've spotted him.

He seems to enjoy patterns.

I blink as something cold nips my nose, and I look up to see that it's raining. When I look back down, the ground is covered in snow and the raindrops are now snowflakes.

I look around in confusion at the weather change, then tell myself that it's a dream. This wouldn't happen in real life.

The snow then melts away within seconds and I'm burning up under the suns rays. I fan myself as I begin to sweat. It disappears, but I don't take notice until moments later.

Wind then begins to blow strongly, causing me to fall to the ground. The sky goes black and a huge tornado forms, and all I can do is watch it with wide eyes.

My glasses go flying, and I somehow manage to catch them in my hand. How they haven't broken over the past few years, I'll never know.

I block the wind with my arm, and when it stops I remove it. Only to see It standing in the eye of where that storm had been previously.

I had been so preoccupied with watching the scene play out before me, that I didn't realize that walkers were closing in on me slowly. They weren't affected by the weather, as if their feet were glued to the ground.

They're forming a circle around me, but leave a small gap so I can still see It clearly.

Before I can do anything, the walkers stop in their place and It opens its mouth to reveal its many rows of bloody teeth as it charges at me. I gasp in terror.

My eyes shoot open and I'm breathing heavily, clutching onto Bill's jacket. I calm myself down as I realize I'm back in the overworld, my friends all still talking and having fun.

Bill holds me a bit tighter and whispers in my ear, "Are you a-alright?"

I nod a little, relaxing myself back into him. "Yeah," I whisper back, flustered, "I'm fine."

"YN, you look like you've seen a ghost!" Richie exclaims, cutting in. His sudden voice makes my gaze snap over to him.

"Are you okay?" Beverly asks, worried.

"Guys, I'm fine," I reassure them. "Just had a nightmare, is all."

"Haven't you been having those for a while now?" Eddie inquires.

I pause then reply, "Yeah. I have been."

"What are they about?" Stan questions, looking back at me.

"They ain't important," I brush off with a small smile.

"What about your hallucinations, then?" Ben presses further.

"Those are still happenin' too," I tell them with a nod, almost nonchalantly.

"Are t-they all i-i-including It?" Bill stutters out, and my eyes trail up to his for a split second.

"If ya'll really want ta know," I start, "then yeah. They're all 'bout It."

Everyone stares at me in concern.

"Though now ain't the time ta worry 'bout 'im," I state. "Now's a time ta relax. We'll deal with it when It comes."

The stern yet chill tone in my voice is enough to make everybody listen to me and nod, untensing as well.

No matter what happens, we'll be okay.

Even if another one of us is lost along the way.

•-•-•-•-•

-CastrarWolf