Stick With Me - Bill Denbrough

0.8

The next day, Nina and the rest of the losers went into town for the summer fair. It was amazing as usual. This was only Nina's second year going, but they had definitely topped last year. There was a band and balloons everywhere. The group dumped their  bikes in an alley, but on the way out, there was a new sign up. Edward Corcoran. 13. All of them except Richie and Eddie were gathered around it. Eddie had gone to get ice-cream and Richie was harassing some poor band player, by stealing his baritone and trying to play it.

"They say they found part of his hand all chewed up near the Standpipe," said Stan, as they looked at the poster.

"He was a really nice kid," Nina sighed.

"He asked to borrow a pencil once," Ben sighed. Bill lifted up the poster, revealing the Betty Ripsom poster underneath.

"It's like she's been f-f-forgotten because Corcoran's missing," he said.

"Is it ever gonna end?" Nina asked sadly, glancing over at Richie. The band player had succeeded in snatching his instrument from Richie.

"What the fuck, dude?" He exclaimed, walking back to join them just as Eddie reappeared with two ice-creams.

"What are you guys talking about?" He asked, handing one to Richie.

"What they always talk about," Richie shrugged.

"I actually think it will end," Ben told them. "For a little while, at least."

"What do you mean?" Stan frowned.

"So I was going over all my Derry research and I charted out all the big events," Ben explained. "The Ironworks explosion in 1908, the Bradley Gang in '35, and The Black Spot in '62. And now kids being... I realised this stuff seems to happen..."

"Every 27 years," Nina finished. They decided moved into the park to talk about it more. Ben, Bev, Stan and Mike were squashed together on a bench in front of the Paul Bunyan statue, while Bill, Eddie, Richie and Nina sat on our bikes in front of them.

"OK, so, let me get this straight: It comes out from wherever to eat kids for like, a year, and then what? It just goes into hibernation?" Eddie asked, looking slightly confused.

"Maybe it's like, what do you call it... Cicadas," Stan suggested. "You know, the bugs that come out every seventeen years."

"Does that mean that crusty ass clown sheds?" Nina asked, looking disgusted. A horrid image of a big, dried out clown skin filled her mind.

"My grandfather thinks this town is cursed," Mike said. "He says that all the bad things that happen in this town are because of one thing... an evil thing that feeds off the people of Derry."

"But it can't be one thing," said Stan. "We all saw something different."

"Maybe," Mike sighed. "Or maybe It knows what scares us most, and that's what we see."

"You mean, it shapeshift's into whatever scares us?" Nina asked. Mike nodded.

"I-I saw a Leper," Eddie stammered. "He was like a walking infection."

"But you didn't," Stan said, beginning to sound scared. "Because it isn't real. Not Eddie's Leper, or-or Bill seeing Georgie, or the woman I keep seeing."

"She hot?" Richie asked playfully. Stan turned to Richie, completely unamused.

"No, Richie," he exclaimed. "She's not hot! Her face is all messed up. None of this makes any sense! They're all like bad dreams."

"I don't think so," Mike said, sounding slightly exasperated. "I know the difference between a bad dream and real life, okay?"

"What did you see?" Nina asked softly.

"You guys know that burned down house on Harris Avenue?" Mike began. "I was inside when it burned down. Before I was rescued, my mom and dad were trapped in the next room over from me. They were pushing and pounding on the door, trying to get to me. When the firemen finally found them, the skin on their hands had melted down to the bone. We're all afraid of something."

"You got that right," Eds sighed. "All right, Rich, what are you afraid of?"

Richie glanced at the stage behind them, looking nervously at the clown, before turning back and adjusting his glasses.

"Clowns."