More Than The Upside Down - An IT (2017) & Stranger Things Crossover

The Boy

Bill

Darkness swallowed Bill whole as a bitter, acrid flavour flooded his mouth. For a second, he thought he was dreaming, trapped in a nightmare that refused to let him go from its sinister tendrils. And he couldn't breathe, oh God, he couldn't breathe. Surely, he would fall unconscious soon if he couldn't get a sliver of air.

Finally, he was pushed onto a moist, rough surface and he vomited out the membrane that had enveloped his mouth. The contents of his lunch followed after and he stayed there for a few minutes, hunched on his hands and knees. His throat burst into a fiery pain as he forced himself to breathe in the air. His limbs were weak and when he could finally stand up his stomach ached in remorse.

He could see but only barely, like when you turn off the lights in the house to go to bed and you need your eyes to adjust before you can move. As an unfortunate bonus, the air was icy and unforgiving as well. He began to shiver violently because of it, despite having a jacket on.

Bill began to walk around, calling his friend's names, "Richie! E-E-Eddie! S-Stan! Cassie!" but all they did was echo back at him through the darkness.

As he walked the membrane restrained him mildly. Its sticky contents cause his arms to be glued to his sides and every time his feet touched to the ground a squelch sounded.

In the distance he could see something, or someone, shaking. Georgie, Bill thought. He raced towards the figure despite the remnants of the membrane trying to hold him back. He fought against it though, and the closer he got to the figure, the more its shape turned into one of a boy.

His heart began to swell with hope. Please let it be Georgie, please. The thought repeated in his head.

But it wasn't Georgie, this boy was slightly taller than Bill's brother and had a bowl haircut. Despite his chest deflating in disappointment, Bill still ran towards the him. After all, he couldn't possibly leave him all by himself in such a strange land. The boy was curled into a ball and his lips were a dark purple from the cold.

Something screamed in Bill's brain not to take a step further. It argued that this could be a trap and he didn't know it. But who would set such a fragile boy up as a trap and why? And most of all, who would leave him to freeze, even if they both had sinister intentions?

Once Bill reached the boy he asked him "Are you-you alright?"

The boy looked up at him with eyes almost as big as Richie's. "Run" He whispered.

This made Bill's heart turn cold, this wasn't a trap. "Wuh-Wuh-Wuh-What's wrong? Leh-leh-let me he-he-help you."

A tear began to fall down the boy's cheek. "Please just run, run while you can!" The boy pleaded.

A deep growl sounded in the distance, making the air appear heavier with it. Bill began to pick the boy up.

"No! Put me down and run! Just run!" The boy snapped.

"I-I'm not leaving you behind," Bill replied.

"Please! Just let me go!" The boy cried.

The growl began to quickly creep closer towards them. The boy was snatched out of Bill's hands with a scream.

Bill ran as fast as he could. Speeding back to the tree and into the membrane again. But not before something strong grasped on his foot and tried to pull him back.