Chapter 22

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Adeline's POV:

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Adeline's POV:

"I only remember parts, but... I thought I was dead. That's what it felt like. I saw us, saw us together, back in the cistern, but we were older... I mean our parents ages." Beverly explains what she saw when she was under the deadlights. We were all sitting beside the river in the grassy area. Everyone had been treated when they went home, Stan was the worst and he had a bandage around his head and his face. A small tuff of his hair was sticking out the top, which was a funny sight to see.

"W-w-w-what were we all doing there?" Bill asks.

"I just remembered how we felt, how scared we were, I don't think I can ever forget that." Beverly says. Bill then turns to me.

"W-w-what did you see?" He asks. I look at him from my place beside Eddie and Mike. They all look to me.

"Umm, mine was weird. It kept switching to a bunch of different scenes over and over. It started with an older version of Mike." I take a shaky breath as Mike put his hand over mine. "He was sitting on an old chair beside a phone, he had some papers scattered and some books on top. But on top of it all was a single piece of paper. With seven phone numbers on them, he looked like he was debating something, and then her picked up the phone. The scene then started to change. First was a scene of an older Stan. He picked up his phone and his expression changed from a smile to an expression of sadness, fear and horror. He looked to something on the other side of the room and then walked out the room with a grave expression."

"Did you hear the conversation?" Stan asks. I shake her head.

"Was there more?" Mike asks. I nod and he gestures me to continue.

"The next scene changed to show an older version of Richie. He turned to a phone as it rang, he picked it up and, like Stan's, his expression changed to fear. Then there was an older version of Ben, his scene was different. He picked up the phone, his expression changed, but then it changed to him in a bar. He was drowning his sorrows in alcohol, the guy behind the bar was looking in worry but Ben didn't take any notice. Then it changed to an older version of Eddie, his expression changed also. But there was something else. There was a change in focus and then he picked up his inhaler that was on the side, gathering dust, with shaky hands. Then it changed to an older Beverly. Her phone call made her face go from happy, to remembering something with a smile, and then the fear that the others held. She then lit a cigarette and paced around the room. Then it changed to an older version of Bill, once again there was the same reaction from the phone call, but there was more shock and horror. Then it changed to an older version of me, I picked up the phone and had the main expression of happiness and then the same response of fear. I hung up and put the phone down and then it would flick through them again, but I could feel the fear, feel the pain. It was too much." I finish, and the tears they pour down my face. The others have taken in my words and look down in grief and thought. There is one thought that runs through my mind- and I assume the others' minds as well-, we all separate and move away. We don't stay together. We lose the friends that we always thought we would have forever. Bill suddenly stands, gaining the attention from everyone.

"Swear it. S-s-s-swear that if IT isn't dead. If IT comes back, we'll come back too." Bill says, standing and holding a piece of glass from the floor. Beverly and I are the first ones to stand, followed by Richie and Eddie, then Mike, Stan and Ben. Bill cuts a single line across his palm with the glass, and then he moves on the next person. He cuts Richie. Then Eddie, who has to look away. Then myself, but I barely flinch. He then moves on to Mike, then Stan, then Ben, then Beverly. He goes back to his position and then we all join hands. I hold Eddie's bloody hand, while Mike holds mine. We stand here for a moment, letting the wind blow past us as we make the pact that will dictate our future. We drop our hands and look to each other.

"I have to go. I hate you." Stan says to Bill, but then Stan struggles to hold back a smile, which makes everyone laugh.

"See you later, Stan." I say, and he walks away. We then leave one by one, first it's Mike, then Richie then Eddie. But before Eddie can go too far, I run up to him.

"Eddie!" I yell for him to stop. He turns to face me.

"Yeah?" He asks.

"Want to walk back together?" I ask. He nods and together we get going.

"What happened when you got home?" He asks me cautiously.

"I told my mother. She said that he'd been angry and he actually hurt her that night. So, she filed a complaint with the police. He's gone to jail for a while." I tell him. He smiles.

"That's good, so you're staying in Derry?" He asks. I nod.

"Mother said she's got a good job here, and the people are nice, so why throw that away." I explain. He nods. As we get to the point where we spilt up I turn to him and pull him into a hug. "See you later." I say. He smiles. Then I go to walk away, but as I do, I stop. I turn back and see him walking away. "Eddie?" I call, he turns back to face me. I then walk up to him and plant a kiss on his cheek. He blushes madly and I give him a small smile. We say goodbye to each other and go to our own houses.

Adeline feeling she was no longer the broken child she always was...

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