Bowers Has A Girlfriend?

murder

She lurks in the shadows, waiting eagerly for someone to make the wrong move. Hunched over, behind an old bicycle, Erin traces the scar on her palm and silently follows the group around the junk pile. She spots something glowing Amber orange and witnesses the small orb duplicate and rise up simultaneously, they brighten up and gleam in the darkness, illuminating a wide toothy smile. As soon as they appear, they disappear back into the gloom. Erin squints and tilts her head in curiosity as she pads round the back of the junk pile, following faint voices. The losers! She darts back to safety and observes from a far,
"I'll kill you." A low murmer rises from her mouth, not her voice, but her intent, "I'll kill you all"

A sudden yell bursts from one of the boys and the silence is broken by more and more. Erin feels a violent cold rush through her body as she attempts to run but a hand pushes her back,
"Not yet-" it breathes. She watches them scramble and crowd around a dip in the ground, looks like an overflow pipe. They all peer down into the darkness into what seems to be nothing until they all let out a victorious cheer and begin to celebrate- what did they do? Erin clenches her fists tight, the blood oozing through the gaps in her fingers, as she resists the urge to run at them in raging fury-
"Come here." Her head jolts around and she spots a figure beckoning from the corner. Imideately she is under it's spell and aimlessly wonders towards it. The figure rises and seems to take a human form as it stands up, hunched and crippled, "I know where your boyfriend is..." it's voice accurately reflects it's appearance, "I can show you to him-" Erin, still entranced, lurches forward, the creature places a cold, dead hand on her chest to keep her back, "he can be brought back. At a price-"
"Anything..."
"Feed me." She tilts her head. The figure drops it's hand and steps into the shaft of musty light, it's a clown- "you feed me for the next few years, you get Bowers back." It's movements are like a marionette as it's limbs weaken, "well?" It's voice curdles under the damp bed of air.
"O- okay..."
"Good." It snakes off and she follows, it leads her down a tunnelling corridor and up into a maintenance tunnel. It takes it's place, out of the sunlight breaking through the ancient brickwork, curled up like a spitting cat and hisses, "bring me this- and I'll get him back..." he flicks a card towards her and she claps it in her palms, a Polaroid. The image, a child. Her eyes glaze over as she begins her mission, Erin climbs back into open air and surfaces just east of the main street. Her clothes ragged and looks even more so. She squints at the bright summer morning and stumbles along the road, following a flowing line. Slowly. Surely. She makes it to the end, sounds of jesting and laughter carry through the fresh air, swings and slides are the main attraction. Roundabouts and climbing frames harbour many of what it wants. But there is one. Her vision blurs suddenly until one line of sight clears and a small child, around eight or nine, plays alone in the sand pit. Her sight clears once more to see the parent, tirelessly staring at a mobile phone screen.
Erin begins her hunt. The gate swings open in front of her as her feet lead the way, dragging her towards the prey. She kneels down in front of the child and everything comes back up to speed,
"Hey kid." She smiles and the boy glances up and then back to his play, "you know. It's quite hot today, want some ice cream?" The boy nods and she takes his hand and leaves effortlessly with him, bringing him ever closer to his fate. The parent hasn't noticed. She makes it around the corner and back to the entrance, she ushers the child down and follows close behind. The boy plods around, still hoping for ice cream. She gently nudges his back and he stumbles slightly. Snatch. Gone. No fuss, no screams. No blood. The clown leans forward and chuckles, it's teeth dripping red as the child's remains flow down the drains alongside the grey water from the city above.
"Good." It rocks and it's eyes glow again, bright amber orange. "Here. As I promised." It lifts it's arm and Henry glides in. He's limp. His body floats on the air as if it were in water before dropping harshly onto the ground. Erin quickly snaps out of her trance and leaps over to him. She places his head on her lap and frantically checks his head for injury- nothing. Henry splutters and relaxes. She looks up to the glowing orbs and the clown sinks silently back into the darkness.
"Henry..." she smiles, tears already rolling in her eyes.
"Yeah-" he chokes and she places her forehead on his, her tears dropping onto his cheeks and washing the blood stains away. She sits up as he stirrs, she places her hands on his back and helps him sit alone.
"Where are we?" He sniffs and spits a blood mixed globule into a puddle,
"We're safe." He smiles, Erin lifts her hand and pulls Henry's chin to see what she sees. It lifts it's head and sits in closer, showing it's full self in the dingy light. He takes a sharp breath as he realises it's the clown and begins to scramble, Erin stops him and presses her lips against his, he relaxes instantly. She nods and he does to as the clown watches over them with a needy, ravenous soul,
"Look at me." Henry tries to lose her intense gaze, but wherever he glances to, there's eyes to meet, "look. At. Me." He does so, he feels himself loosen up, as he stares into her deep eyes he is encapsulated in It's world. No going back now. He's taken, "we are safe." He nods, Erin being his only lifeline as he gives up his losing battle. It snakes forward and holds out a hand to Henry and Erin.
"I need you to do something for me..." they both nod, "then you both will be free to go." They nod again, "for the next 23 to 25 years, I want you to-" it takes in a breath, the crackling of it's lungs echo in the tunnels. Erin and Henry sit waiting for their next command as the creature settles down, as if it were to be pampered. It's mouth opens and the stench of flesh in It's breath does not phase the hypnotized as it has them under an unbreakable spell, "I want you to." It smiles in the darkness "murder."