A Clown's Daughter

Chapter 8- The Projector

"Guys, what are you doing here?" I asked, looking around my room and seeing the losers.

"You're a monster. You let Georgie die, and you didn't even bother to tell me?" Bill's voice echoed as he held up Georgie's crystal ball.

"We're going to kill your father, then, we're going to kill you," Eddie said.

"How do you sleep at night, you slut, when you know those kids are dead, floating in the mortuary?" Beverly questioned.

"You asshole, making us think that you were one of us," Stanley scoffed.

"I kissed you, I thought I actually liked you," Richie said, looking at me in disgust. "Now I know why you react so badly to blood. It's because you want to eat us!" he shouted. He took a knife he had in his hand and cut a long strip down his wrist and up his arm. Blood oozed out of his arm.

"Eat me up, you cannibal."

I woke up with cold sweat running down my forehead and shaking aggressively. I shot out of bed. I needed to tell them. I needed to tell them or they would never forgive me.

Bill set up a map as Ben and I walked in, Mike shutting the garage door and making it dark in the room. The projector flickered on and Bill walked over to it. Ben handed him a filter and he pushed it into the projector, making it appear on the map. He made it align with each other as we gathered around the projector. I sat down next to Richie with a smile. He smiled back and grabbed my hand, squeezing it.

"Look. That's where Georgie disappeared. That's the ironworks, and that's the Black Spot. Everywhere It happens, it's all connected to the sewers. And they all meet up at the-"

"The well house," Ben finished for Bill.

"It's in the house on Neibolt Street," Stanley said quietly.

"You mean that creepy-ass house where all the hobos and junkies like to sleep?" Richie asked as Eddie unexpectedly took a puff of his inhaler.

"I hate that place. I always feel like it's watching me," Bev said nonchalantly.

"That's where I saw it. That's where I saw the clown," Eddie said.

T-t-that's where It lives," Bill stammered as Eddie took another puff.

"I can't imagine anything wanting to live there," Stanley said.

I looked down at the ground. That's where Dad and I used to live before we had to move underground.

Eddie stood up, standing in front of the map. "Can we please stop talking about this? I-I-I can barely breathe. This is summer. We're kids! I-I can barely breathe! I'm up here having a fucking asthma attack! I'm not doing this!" Eddie screamed, ripping the map off the wall.

"What the hell?! Put the map back!" Bill demanded.

Eddie shook his head no.

All of a sudden, pictures of Bill's family started to show up.

"What happened?" Bill asked.

"What's going on?!" Stanley asked.

"Dad?" I whispered.

"Hold on, I got it," Mike said, walking up to the projector. "Guys..." Mike trailed off, staring at the screen.

A picture of Bill, Georgie, and his parents showed up.

"Georgie," Bill said.

The picture zoomed in on Georgie's face, frame by frame.

"Bill?" Stanley asked in a meek whisper.

Then it showed Bill's mom, her face covered by her hair.

"Guys, get back," I said calmly. They stood there, frozen as the woman's hair in the photo moved by each frame. "I said get back!" I screamed.

They pressed themselves against the wall as Bill's mom's face began to show Dad's face instead of her normal face. I stood there calmly.

"What the fuck?!" Richie yelled.

"It's it!" Bill yelled.

"What the fuck is that?! What the fuck is that?!" Richie repeated.

Everyone was freaking out except Bill and I. He stood there, while I stared down Dad.

"Turn it off. Turn it off!" Beverly yelled as the projector started back up.

"Yeah, turn it off! Turn it off!" Richie screamed, trying to grab me from behind.

"Let go of me, Richard!" I yelled sternly.

He backed away at my voice as Mike kicked the projector, landing on the floor and flickering.

"Don't you-" I got cut off.

Dad came out of the picture and grinned at us, showing his razor-sharp teeth. "I thought I told you to leave them alone!" I yelled at him.

"But where's the fun in that, sweetheart?" he asked, his feet hitting the ground.

"You know I could kill you, Dad," I said, letting the word slip out.

"You could try, my daughter, but you and I both know I'm immortal, and so are you," he said, growling afterward.

Dad went after Bill and Mike just as the lights turned off. Richie fell to the floor and Dad started going after him. I jumped in between them, and Dad turned to Bev. She started to cry, covering her face. Dad lunged at Bev just as Ben and Mike opened the garage door.

Dad disappeared as light filled the garage. Bev got up after uncovering her face, going over to Ben and thanking him. She then went over to Bill and hugged her.

I stormed out of the garage as Richie called my name. Then Stanley, then Bill, then Bev. I ran away, tears flowing out of my eyes mercilessly. I ran into town and to an alleyway, where I hid. I guess this is going to be where I sleep. I just didn't want to be anywhere near my Dad.