For Those Who Are Afraid

Chapter 4.

First it was Eddie, his chilling scream almost inhuman as It splintered his rib cage, gouging through his abdomen before throwing his limp form back like a Raggedy Anne doll. Just seconds ago he had been standing over Richie a grin of pure childish joy plastered across his dirt-stained face.

"I did it Richie! I killed It!"

Pennywise had always loved cruel irony. Richie had been the second, his expression shifting from pride to twisted horror instantaneously as Eddie was impaled in front of his eyes and practically torn from his arms.

"EDS!" Agony filled his cracking voice as he jolted forward trying to reach out, to grab hold of Eddie's hands, as though if he could just touch him he could pull him back to life. "EDDIE!"

Eddie's body was hurled off of Pennywise's claw and slapped against the stone wall with a sickening THUD as the giant spider-like monstrosity turned to Richie, it's smile only stretching over its maw of pointed teeth.

"Broke his back and broke your heart didn't I Richie?" Its right claw dropped through the air, causing Richie to scramble back, just barely avoiding losing his leg as the curved bone crashed into the ground, the impact so great the entire chamber moaned. "And you didn't even get to tell him your secret? Huh Richie? Always the funny man and always the coward."

Richie emitted a noise somewhere between a low moan and a cry, tears beginning to pour down worn wrinkled cheeks as his back connected with wall. There was nowhere left to go.

"RICHIE I'M COMING!" Bill really had tried. He sprinted faster than he ever knew he was capable, leaping over Eddie's mangled body, keeping his eyes locked on the one he could save...only he was across the cave and human legs could only travel so far. Distantly he was aware of Beverly, Mike, and Ben doing the same. But they were all only human. That was their biggest fault. They weren't even kids anymore, time had stolen the only advantage they had ever had against It. How could they have possibly fathomed that they would be able to do this?

Hands shaking and a mixture of tears and snot running over his cheeks and chin, Richie Tozier turned his face upwards to stare Pennywise dead in the eyes, the clown raising its reapers claw once again.

"RICHIE!" His legs burned. Bill had just managed to reach the top of the incline. 50 feet...40 feet... Their eyes met as Bill ran towards him and time seemed to slow if not stop altogether. A thin smile spread across Richie's face as he stared at Bill, and all at once a peacefulness filled his eyes. It was worse than any shriek or cry he could have made because in that moment Bill realized he was too late and Richie knew it too.

"Kick this bastard's ass, Big Bill." With that Richie tilted his face back towards the clown- no- towards heaven, and muttered: "I love you Eds." As the claw swung down.

Blood splattered across Bill's face in fast stinging drops as Richie's upper body was separated from its lower half and for a moment Richie's eyes went wide before the life left them. His top side hit the ground with an almost sickly comedic SPLAT and his glasses clattered across the stone, coming to a mocking stop at Bill's feet. For a moment all he could do was stare at them as the other breathing Losers wailed in the background, their hearts breaking twice within a span of seconds. For all he knew he was wailing with them- hell, he could be screaming with rage, but the only reality Bill was truly aware of in that moment was the cracked glasses that lay in front of him and the blood that soaked his skin. That was why he never saw the other claw coming.

It was the impact he noticed first, the blow shooting him back. By all means he shouldn't have survived, the blade ripped through his stomach, eviscerating him, but then fate never really did smile on Bill Denbrough. He was pinned to the ground, like a stuck bug, left to squirm as It turned its attention to Beverly, Mike, and Ben.