GHOST - IT [1]

TWENTY THREE.

They all crept through the sewers, shouting Stan's name and trying not to gag at the putrid stench of what Eddie referred to as 'greywater'. Eventually, the small tunnel they had found themselves in lead to what appeared to be a course of sewers. Jaime hopped out of the tunnel, grimacing as her sneakers sunk into the sludge below. She shined her flashlight around the area and jumped as a nearby rat scurried off at the light.

"I don't like this." She mumbled timidly. This time, she got no sarcastic reply from Richie or a word of reassurance from Bill. They all kept their mouths locked shut.

Over the distant sound of water dripping and splashing, a scream bounced off the walls and shocked the group to their cores. They jumped up and headed towards the sound.

"Stan? Stanley!" Jaime shouted, directly behind Bill who was running toward what appeared to be a large door blocking the sewer system. He grabbed the handle and, with the help of everyone else, pushed the door open with a few disgruntled groans.

"Stan!" Everyone shouted, flashlights shining the room frantically. Eddie suddenly pointed to a stray flashlight on the ground and rushed forward to grab it. Once he grabbed it and shined it forward, however, the sight was enough to make Jaime sick for days.

The painting Stan had feared so intensely was there, but it wasn't just a drawing. The lanky, disfigured woman was there, her razor sharp teeth sunken into Stan's face. Her long fingers grasped Stan's head and body, keeping him pinned to the ground while she feasted.

"Oh shit!" Richie exclaimed. Jaime felt her face grow warm with incoming tears. Before she could even think about killing the thing, it stood, snapping its jaw back into its mouth and shrinking away. It let out a high-pitched scream, causing the six kids to reflect that scream. Its soulless eyes peered at them menacingly as it pulled itself into a large drainage pipe. It didn't disappear, though, because it soon popped back around the corner. It wasn't the woman. It was a clown, the same clown that was behind all of this.

"Shit!" Jaime exclaimed, just as the clown disappeared for good this time. She fell to her knees and crawled towards Stan, who was bleeding profusely from the bite wounds in his face.

"Stan, Stan, are you okay?" She asked distraughtly. All of the other boys shrunk down, surrounding Stan and asking the same thing.

Stan suddenly shot up with an abrupt scream. His face was blotched red, not only with blood but with tears of fear. "You left me! You aren't my friends! You made me go into Neibolt! You made me go into Neibolt..." He choked out with a sob.

"Stanley, no! We're sorry, we're so sorry!" Eddie insisted, grabbing his arm as if trying to shake him back into the real world. A tear slid down Jaime's cheek. Although none of this was her idea, she couldn't help the feeling of guilt and despair in her stomach. Stan, her own best friend, the boy she was just slurping a milkshake with yesterday, was near dead. His own life has flashed before him in a matter of seconds.

"We would never let anything ever happen to you." Jaime spoke softly, her own voice strained and weary. "We love you, Stan."

"We're here for you." Mike consoled.

Eddie looked up for a moment. "Bill!" He shouted, jumping to his feet. Jaime looked around, noticing Bill had run off unannounced. Eddie, Richie, and Ben took their flashlights and raced after him. Jaime put a hand on Stan's shoulder.

"We-we gotta go, Stan." She smiled through her tears. "I'll b-buy you so many milkshakes when w-we get out of here..." She stuttered out, hiccuping slightly.

He didn't appear to want to make eye contact with her, or anyone. She looked up at Mike.

"Help me." She said. He nodded, and together they helped Stan to his feet. She kept her arm secured around his waist, guiding him carefully to where the boys had ran off to.