sugarcoat it | bill denbrough

chapter twenty four: missing

"I can't believe you guys made me come in here," Richie mutters. We look around at the rotting, unkempt house.
"It smells like death," I say, gagging.
"Don't breathe through your mouth, then you're eating it." Richie says. Eddie sputters and uses his inhaler as Bill leads us upstairs. My breathing quickens and my heart beats fast, I try to control it but that just makes it worse.
"Nevie, are you okay?" Bill asks as we reach the second floor. I try to speak but all the comes out of my mouth is a strangled cry. "Shhh," he pulls me into him and presses his lips to my forehead soothingly. "Stick by my side, it'll be okay." He says.
"Don't worry, Nevada." Eddie says, but as he says it his voice shakes.
"Where's Rich?" I ask. Eddie nods toward him, he's got his hand in an overgrown tree limb coming through a window and pulls out a paper, his face goes white.
"It says I'm missing," Richie says, with panic in his voice.
"Richie, you're not missing-" Bill begins.
"That's my hair, that's my face, that's my name!" He screams.
"Richie, no-" I try.
"THATS MY NAME, THATS THE DATE," Rich screams.
"Calm down, it isn't real," Bill exclaims, trying to grab the paper from Richie, who just keeps shouting.
"It can't be real!" I scream over the noise.
"IT SAYS IM MISSING, IT SAYS IM MISSING! I'M GONNA GO MISSING!" He screams. "WHAT THE FUCK AM I MISSING?"
"Richie, Richie," Bill says calmly, grabbing his shoulders. He quiets a bit and turns to Bill. Eddie and I just stare. "Look at me, Richie. Look at me, th-that isn't real. It's playing tricks on you, okay?"
"Okay," Richie says softly, taking a deep breath. Bill puts an arm around me asks me if I'm okay, I just nod and he kisses my forehead. Somehow he's able to bring some calm into my panicked feeling.
"Help me!" I new voice echoes through the house, "Help!" It shouts again, an unfamiliar girl's voice. A shiver runs through my body.
"Who the fuck is that?" Eddie asks.
"I don't fucking know," Richie responds.
"It came from over here," I say and walk down a hallway.
"Nevada!" Bill says, running after me and grabbing my hand, "Don't go anywhere alone, what are you doing?!"
Before I can respond, I see Betty Ripsom laying on the ground in the room in front of us, staring with terrified eyes. "BETTY!" I exclaim. She opens her mouth to say something, but all of a sudden she's dragged away across the floor, out of sight with a terrifying scream. I scream along with her and feel Bill grab me and pull me away from the room.
"What the fuck, what the fuck, what the FUCK!" I exclaim, tears pricking my eyes.
I look up at Bill, who looks just as scared. "Where are Ed and Rich?" He asks slowly.
"SHIT!" I scream, looking around. "Oh God, oh God, WHERE ARE THEY?"
"Nevada..." I hear a voice sing from the room next to us.
"They must be in there," I say, pointing to the room and rolling my eyes. "It's not time for games, boys!" I sing back, stepping inside and looking around. A couple steps into the room, I hear a slam and whip around to see the door closed. My heart drops and I run to it.