a bird watcher. [stanley uris]

chapter one. [hello derry]

- march 1988 -

i am currently in my mom's passenger seat as we are on our way to our new house. i think that we are moving to derry to attempt to get away from the memories of our dad. i don't want to move because i have to leave behind so many memories and my friends. but, i guess i can try to make some friends here.

behind me are my little brother and sister, who are twins. their names are arthur and amara. they are just having fun and giggling. they will be seven soon, so they are six years old. they didn't have many friends so they are perfectly okay with the move. they don't really know what happened to our dad...

the car stops. "we're here," my mom says. i look outside and see a nice two-story house. "you guys help me carry some stuff in."

the twins nod, "okay mommy." they get out of their seats and wait for my mom to give them stuff to bring in.

mom looks at me and says, "you too, sweetie." 

i nod, "i was going to help you, mom."

she sighs and says, "i know things around here are gonna be different. without your dad especially. i know that you were really close to him. but you gotta understand that he was doing his job. you need to promise me something."

i raise one of my eyebrows. "and what is that?"

she pets my hair. "that you try your best to have a good time here."

i nod. "i will try, but i can't promise anything."

she smiles. "that is okay with me. we need to get out, the twins are getting impatient."

i laugh and then get out of the car and grab a random box of stuff. as i was about to walk inside, i see the moving truck coming.

"mom, the truck is here!" i yell.

she comes out of the house. "thank you, sweetie." she walks out to the truck.

i go inside of the house and set the box down. i look around. it is a bit smaller than our old one, but i will have to deal with it.

i hear laughing down the hallway, so i go towards it and see the twins chasing each other.

i smile. "what are you guys doing? we are supposed to be helping carrying boxes in."

arthur stops hopping around. "but we were playing a game of 'come get me' though." he frowns.

"isn't that basically 'tag'?" i ask.

amara shakes her head no. "no, in 'tag', you tag someone and that 'you're it'. but in 'come get me' you catch someone and say 'i got you'. they are completely different."

i nod my head, still knowing that they are the same game. "okay, i understand. but you guys need to help carry stuff in or-"

they glance at me and then look at each other. "or what?"