Sympathy For The Devil

Awakening

Bill Denbrough ran.

He didn't necessarily know where he was running to but he was running none the less. Kicking up weeds and dust in the abandoned car lot as he weaved between the broken down vehicles heading turning with his strides to see how far ahead he was of Bowers and his gang.

He hadn't done anything. You didn't have to do anything to get picked on in Derry. He'd been walking out of the ice cream parlor with Richie and Eddie. He didn't want to third wheel their little date so as they had gone ahead to the movies he had headed home. Until he turned the corner and ran in to Henry Bowers, Belch Huggins, Victor Criss, and Patrick Hockstetter.

And now here Bill was running for his life.

Because if they caught him they'd do worse then what they'd done to Ben on the bridge. He'd be like the animal corpses Patrick liked to keep in that old abandoned fridge. And to Bill that thought was terrifying.

"You're a dead man Denbrough!" Patrick shouted the knife clenched in his right fist glinting in the sun causing Bill's blood to run cold. If they caught him they'd kill him.

But if he could make it through. If he could somehow stay ahead and make it over that fence then he could take a right and head straight for home. Or at least seek refuge in one of his friends houses if he couldn't make it that far. His legs were burning and his lungs screamed for Bill to stop and catch his breath. but he couldn't. If he did then he'd never get away. Bill's fight or flight instinct was in full swing and fear surged through his veins. The only thing keeping his feet moving.

Bill wondered how long he'd have to do this. How long he'd have to high tail it around every corner. Keep his head low when he was in public alone. How long he'd have to wonder if he'd make it home from school in one peace.

In his heart he knew how long he'd have to wait till he was completely safe again and that thought was terrifying.

"BILL!"

He froze in his tracks head turning mouth agape to see his brother Georgie clinging to the fence at the end of the lot. He was fresh from a friend's house. No doubt alerted to his location by curiosity as to why people were screaming. His chin barely cleared the fence.

A new fear consumed Bill.

"Georgie get out of here!" Bill started running again waving his arm wildly. He knew what the Bower's gang was like and they wouldn't take Georgie's age into account. They'd fuck him up with that knife to. Georgie who still cried if he dropped a piece of candy on the sidewalk and still thought that blue was only a boys color.

"BILL!" George bounced on his feet. Probably not understanding the danger they were now both in.

"Go home!"

Georgie's attention now averted to the gang of boys chasing his big brother and the severity of the situation hit him. Bill could see the wheels turning in his head as he recognized them as the "bad people" that Bill had told him about. The reason why he was not allowed to walk out by himself. Which also meant that the friend's parent that had been watching him hadn't escorted him. The little boy promptly turned around and took off his skinny legs pumping a mile a minute. But he was not headed home he was headed towards the Barracks in the opposite direction.

"Georgie no not that way!" He jumped tripped over a tire and went flying his face hit the dirt his hands immediately scrabbled in the dirt searching for purchase. The sewer was the worst option. Down there no one could hear them and it would take weeks before anyone would find their bodies. He was on his knees when he felt something slice his arm.