✓ | LOSERS CLUB → richie tozier ¹

eighteen

"OH MY God." Ash breathed, looking up at her.

"Bev!" Mike said, running towards her, Ben on his heels.

"H-how is she in the air. . ." Richie asked, trailing off as Ash tugged him towards Bev, the rest of the group behind them.

"Guys." Eddie squeaked, and they all turned towards him to see him staring openmouthed at the celing, the beam of his flashlight shining into the air.

Ash looked up, and a cry escaped her mouth. "Are those-"

"The missing kids." Stan said shakily. "Floating."

They were all gazing blankly up at the sky, obviously dead, and a shiver went down Ash's spine.

Abby was up there.

Richie gripped her fingers tighter in his. "That's fucked up."

They all slowly walked towards Bev, and boosted Ben up so he could reach her.

He tugged her down, her cotton dress softly swaying in the breeze, until her feet were firmly planted onto the ground. Bev, however, didn't move.

"Bev! Beverly!" Ben said frantically. Her eyes had rolled into the back of her head, and she wasn't moving. "What's wrong with her!? Why isn't she waking up!?"

Ash watched, feeling pain at the way Ben was reacting, and she felt Richie stiffen against her.

It was a couple of seconds later that she realized this was probably the way he had felt when he was down in the well and Bowers had cornered her, unable to do anything to help protect her.

Ben had now tried to hug her, and when she still hadn't moved, he pulled away.

Ash reached a hand forward to comfort him, feeling close to crying herself, when Ben's face became steely and the next thing she knew he had leaned in and kissed Beverly firmly on the lips.

"Oh, God, geez-" Ash said, wrinkling her nose, and she heard the rest of the Losers say, "Ew."

When he pulled away, Eddie let out a "Wow."

At first, nothing happened.

And then Beverly let out a gasp, her eyes becoming clear and focused, and the Losers all heaved sighs of relief.

Her eyes found Ben. "January embers."

He grinned hesitantly. "My heart burns there too."

They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Richie said, "Jesus fuck!"

He pulled Ash into a tight embrace and wrapped his other arm around the pair as they all hugged, their bond of friendship sealing itself into a unity unlike any other.

Bev broke apart, and looked around, her forehead creasing. "Where's Bill?"

Ash glanced up too, swiveling her head around, and Bev pulled away, starting to walk past the huge piles of toys and missing kid items in the center of the room.

The rest of the Losers followed, and Ash stopped in her tracks when she saw Bill standing a couple of paces in front of her.

In front of him was a kid who looked about 6, in a yellow rain slicker and clutching a paper boat in his hand; the other was a bloody stump.

Ash realized this was Georgie.

She glanced nervously at Richie, who had seemed to have realized the same thing and was looking at Bill apprehensively, who appeared not to notice anything but Georgie.