A New Beginning

Chapter 4

      Richie was in his apartment when he got the text in the group chat Mike had set up after they all started to settle back into their lives again after the reunion.

Bev
   Guys, you're not
going to believe it.
Billy Boy
    What?
Mikey
     What is it?
Trashmouth
     yeah whats the
sitch bevster
Bev
     It's Stan.
Bev
     He's alive.

      As if the world had quickly caught up to them, they all had a moment of stunned disbelief.

Billy Boy
    How?
Mikey
    I was about to ask
the same thing
Trashmouth
  wtf you said he was dead!
you even saw it in your
nightmare!!
Bev
    I know, I know. Ben
and I are getting updates
as we speak from Patty.
Bev
     She was told from the
  hospital that they heard him
breathing in the morgue-
which is something that dead
bodies normally do-but then
they heard banging and
screaming so something
was wrong.
Eddie Spaghetti
    Holy Shit.
Billy Boy
    God, that sounds like
  a nightmare.
Trashmouth
okay so no one else is
going to talk about how
bodies breathe after death?!
Trashmouth
also someones late to the party
Eddie Spaghetti
   Shut up.
Eddie Spaghetti
    It's hard to type, talk
    and wheel at the same
   time.
Mikey
    Good to know you're
    out of the hospital,
    Eddie
Eddie Spaghetti
    Thanks Mike
Bev
    The medics got his
  shivering cold body out
of the morgue and into
some warmth before
calling Patty. The doctors
  had many questions as
Stan was a living miracle.
Patty said Stan was dead for
four to five days before he was
brought back. He's still being
examined and talked to by the
doctors even though he-well-
started up again for about
3-almost 4-weeks now.
Billy boy
      Wow...
Trashmouth
christ all mighty
Eddie Spaghetti
     God. I know what
  that feels like.
Eddie Spaghetti
     I hope he's feeling well.
Bev
    Patty says he is. He's
    a bit homesick and
    restless, but he is well
Mikey
    That's good to hear
Eddie Spaghetti
    Wait, how did Patty
    know to call you?
Eddie Spaghetti
    Stan shouldn't remember
    us because he hasn't
    gone back.
Billy Boy
    Like we said at the
    townhouse, he was
    more susceptible to
    IT's tricks.
Bev
    Actually, Patty said
    he asked to call Mike
    first. Then he listed off
    all of our names before
    Patty remembered mine.

        The chat was silent. They were all stunned. Stan remembered. He remembered all of them. He remembered everything.

Trashmouth
what the hell
Eddie Spaghetti
   So he remembered
   all this time
Bev
   Apparently. I thought
   Mike and I were the only
   ones.
Mikey
    It could be something
    else and not that he is
    just susceptible to IT
    because of his fear.
Billy Boy
   How could that be?
   I thought you had to be
   in Derry or saw the
   Deadlights to even
   remotely remember
   anything.
Mikey
    Those are both true,
    but Stan almost fell
    victim to IT once before.
Eddie Spaghetti
    Oh god
Eddie Spaghetti
    Oh fuck
Eddie Spaghetti
    I remember her
Trashmouth
shit that painting
Bev
    I remember you guys
    talking about that and
    his wounds.
Billy Boy
     Right. He was so afraid.
Mikey
     His face was in IT's
     mouth, but what else
     lied there?
Bev
     The Deadlights.
Bev
     Oh god.
Mikey
     It's just a theory
Eddie Spaghetti
     Shit
Eddie Spaghetti
     Shit
Mikey
     It could be false, but
     I don't know how else
     he would remember.
Trashmouth
thanks for bummering us
out with that theory Mickey
Mike
Billy Boy
     Beep beep, Richie.
Billy Boy
     Mikey was just trying to help.
Trashmouth
well I dont see anyone else
typing anything besides
'oh god' and 'shit I'm gunna
crap my self'
Bev
     Bill's right. Even if
     the theory was
     emotional, Mike has
     spent years studying
     IT, but correlation
     doesn't equal
     causation.
Trashmouth
oh everyones a wise guy now
Eddie Spaghetti
    Dude, you still act
    like we were 13.
Eddie Spaghetti
     Of course everyone
     would be a wise guy
     if you never grow up
Billy Boy
     Bev, do you know
     when we'll be able to
     see Stan?
Bev
     Patty isn't sure.
Bev
     They want time to
     talk about what
      happened and why
      Stan did it before
     anything else.
Mikey
     That makes sense
Trashmouth
we could still like...add him to the group chat 👀👀👀
Bev
     You'd have to ask
     Patty about that.
Trashmouth
boooo girls and their rules make nothing fun
Billy Boy
     Just wait until you
     get in a relationship
     Richie
Trashmouth
but I have been in a relationship
Eddie Spaghetti
    With who?
Trashmouth
your mom 😏😏😏
Bev
     Oh my god
Eddie Spaghetti
     I'm leaving this group chat
Eddie Spaghetti
      Goodbye
Mikey
      How come he always falls
      for this?