xiv. 4TH OF JULY

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*outfit she wears in this chapter above !!*

*outfit she wears in this chapter above !!*

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The next day, it was the 4th of July. Elena and Ella Reign had travelled to the Town Fair together, but Ella allowed her to go off with her friends ( After a lot of persuasion from her blonde daughter ). The girl found her friends by the parade, around the side of a building looking at missing kids posters.

She sighed, watching Richie blow into a large trumpet while the owner tried vigourously to get it back from him. But Richie didn't give in a kept trying to play it, failing.

"Why are you wearing long sleeves? Aren't you really hot in it?" Beverly tilted her head at Elena. 

"I know, I am extremely warm. But certain people tore off my bandage so now I have to hide it," She glared at the group. "I have no other bandages left,".

"I have some. I can bring you them tomorrow," Eddie spoke. Elena nodded at him.

"Thanks, Eddie," She stated and looked back at Richie. She didn't know why she was finding herself staring at him like a creep a lot lately.. It was freaking her out. Was it possible she was developing a slight crush on this boy? She shook her head, trying to make the thought of her and Richie as a couple escape from her mind. Then, Bill turned his gaze back to the missing posters.

"They say they found part of his hand all chewed up," Stan stated, changing the subject. Elena turned her gaze from Richie to the rest of the group. They were looking at a missing poster of a kid called Edward Corcoran. 

"He asked to borrow a pencil once," Ben said softly from the back. Elena sighed again. How long would this go on for? How many more kids will go missing?

Bill lifted the poster, revealing another poster underneath. It was Betty Ripsom's.

"It's like she's been f-f-f-forgotten b-because Corcoran is missing," Bill stared at Betty's picture. 

"When will this end?" Elena questioned and dug her hands into her back pockets.

"What the fuck, dude?" Richie was heard from across the road. Looked like the man finally got his trumpet back from him. Just as Richie was walking back, Eddie turned the corner holding 2 ice creams.

"What you guys talking about?" He asked them, licking his own. Richie took the other ice cream.

"What they always talk about," Richie remarked. 

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

Bev furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean?".

"So, I was going over all my Derry research and I charted out all the big events. The iron works explosion in 1908, The Bradley gang in 1935 and The Black Spot in 1962," Ben explained. "And now kids being.." He trailed off, noticing the sad expression on Bill's face. He didn't finish the sentence. "I realize that this stuff seems to happen-".

"-Every 27 years," Bill finished his sentence. They all exchanged worried glances. Elena was about to suggest it was probably a coincidence, but she could barely convince herself that thought.

 ★ ★

Beverly, Stan, Mike and Ben were all sat on a green park bench while Eddie, Bill, Richie and Elena surrounded them, leaning against their bikes. The parade was still continuing on in the background.

"So let me get this straight," Eddie clarified and bit his lip. "It comes out from wherever to eat kids for what? Like, a year? And then what? It just goes back into hibernation?".

"Maybe it's like the bugs who come out every 17 years," Stan rested his hands on his knees and suggested, looking around.

"My grandfather thinks this town is cursed," Mike spoke. Elena looked up at him. "He says that all the bad things that happen in this town is one thing. An evil thing. A thing that feeds off the people of Derry,".

"But it can't be one thing," Elena replied. "We all saw different things, apart from the clown,".

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

"I saw a leper," Eddie stated. "He was like a walking infection,".

"But you didn't," Stanley breathed, shakily. The group watched him, frowning. "Because it- Because it isn't real..None of this is real. Not Eddie's leper, or Bill seeing Georgie, or Elena seeing a clown in her kitchen. ..Or the woman I keep seeing,".

"Is she hot?" Richie asked, smirking. Stan glared at him and Elena pinched his arm, harshly. "Oww!" He squeaked and rubbed his arm, trying to sooth it. "Stop doing that!"

"Stop picking such bad times for 'jokes'," Elena mumbled to him in a warning tone. But it didn't seem like Richie cared.

"No, Richie! No! She's not hot!" Stan snapped back. "Her face is all messed up! None of this makes any sense.." He lowered his eyes to the ground. "They're all like bad dreams,".

"I-I don't think so!" Mike stepped in. "I know the difference between real life and bad dream, okay?!".

"What'd you see? You saw something too?" Eddie questioned Mike. He nodded slowly.

"Yes. You guys know that burned down house on Harris Avenue?" Mike asked. Elena nodded fast, wanting him to continue. "I was inside when it burned down. Before I was rescued, my mom and dad were trapped in the room next to me..Pushing and pounding on the door..trying to get to me. But it was too hot," He gulped. Elena felt a rush of guilt run through her body. "When the firemen finally found them, the skin on their heads had melted down to the bone,".

Stan shifted in his seat, uncomfortably. 

"We're all afraid of something," Mike continued on.

"You got that right," Richie stated, turning around to face a stage that was specially set up for the fair. On the stage was a clown. It wasn't the clown, a different one. A man dressed up as one. 

"Why Rich?" Eddie questioned him.

"What're you afraid of?" The blonde girl beside him asked. Richie turned around to face the group.

"Clowns," He adjusted his glasses. 


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