I hop off of Bill's bike as we pull in front of the house on Neibolt street. My hands are still shaking, either from the events at Henry's house or fear of the house in front of me, I can't be sure.
"Guys, spikes," Bill says. He starts grabbing the spikes that have fallen off the old gate and puts them in his backpack. I clutch the bloody meat cleaver, but hand Bill another spike just in case.
Then I hear a shatter and turn to Richie who holds a broken bottle. Glass fragments glitter in the sun as they rain down. We all give him a stare, making him toss the bottle to the side.
Slowly, we approach the door and I feel everything in my body screaming to turn back. Swallowing my nerves, I step over a board and into the threshold.
I turn and see Stan still on the porch. "Stan?" I motion for him to come in. He stays still. The rest of the boys turn to him.
"Stan, we all have to go," Bill says. The curly haired boy looks ready to cry. "Beverly was right. If we split up like last time, that clown will kill us one by one." My heart races at the thought. "We'll stick together, all of us. We'll win." Bill's words fill me with a newfound courage.
"Come on, Stan." I reach for the boy's hand. After a moment, he takes it and climbs over the board. We walk to the stairs that lead to a basement. When we get down there, I get hit with strong déjà vu.
"This is it?" I ask Bill. He nods and looks at me. "I've been here before." I just couldn't remember when or why.
We start to walk towards it, Richie's voice breaking the silence. "Hey Eddie, got a quarter?"
Eddie scoffs. "Yeah right, wouldn't wanna make a wish in that fuckin' thing."
I look down into the deep abyss of the brick well. I know I've seen it somewhere, where the fuck have I seen this thing?
"Beverly?" Ben shouts into the void. He receives no answer.
"How're we supposed to get down there?" Mike asks. That's when Bill turns and illuminates a cobweb ridden rope in the corner.
After tying some knots in it and hooking it to the top of the well, the boys all take turns climbing down and into a concealed side passage. Mike and I are the last ones.
"Mike, I can hold the rope,"
"I got it, don't worry." He tries to give me a reassuring smile but I sense his fear is as strong as mine. I slide the meat cleaver into the waistband of my jeans and climb on top of the bricks.
"Shit." I mutter, looking down at the drop. I quickly wipe my sweaty hands on my pants and grab the rope, trying my best to keep my tennis shoes on a knot.
Slowly, I climb down and into the passageway with the boys. They scoot further inside to give me room as I kneel and wait for Mike to come down.
Then I hear a loud crack and Mike screams in pain. I crawl to the opening and yell his name. Looking up, I didn't see him. "Mike!" I holler. The boys crawl to me, only Bill being able to see anything as we crowd the entrance.
"What's going on?" Bill demands. I look up and see Henry's bloody face, I freeze.
"It's Henry," I say.
He bleats like a sheep at us. I try to grab for the rope but he snatches it out of the well. I yell up at him from down below.
"Don't fucking touch him!" The boys and I start yelling Mike's name.
I look around as I hear Henry's voice. "I have to get up there!" I say, protruding from the entrance a bit more. Eddie grabs my shoulder, stopping me from going any further. "Are you insane?! With what?!"
