Blood Rose (Completed)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26

"So," Eddie scratched the back of his neck. "Where do we have to do this ritual of Chüd?"

After Katherine had agreed to help them kill IT, Big Bill had explained about a ritual of Chüd. She had listened, shared some confused looks with Bev and Ben, and had fallen back into one of the sofas.

"So," Katherine sat up straight again and felt all eyes on her. "Chüd is a ... turtle who is ... good and made the universe," she started. "And Pennywise is the bad thing that roamed the universe before our world was here. Decided to crash land on Earth in the time of the Dinosaurs. That place is now Derry and IT just...decided to stay here and feed?"

Everyone was silent and Katherine started laughing.

"You know how ridiculous this sounds, right? I can't be the only one who thinks this is completely bonkers?"

Bev chuckled dryly and admitted the same.

"But it is true," Ben added and Katherine nodded.

"I know," she said and leaned back again. "We will do this turtle ritual.... I'm still not sure how that is going to kill something that, apparently, is immortal and has seen the fucking dinosaurs."

She arched her brow while she felt like her brain was completely forsaking her. "What did Robert feed on when there weren't humans yet? Did he scare dinosaurs?"

Richie laughed loud, holding his stomach and dried his tears.

"I'm starting to like you."

Katherine nodded, but didn't reply. Her gaze found Bill's, who was still waiting and tense.

"Like Eddie asked," Katherine smiled weakly, feeling nervous herself all of a sudden, "where will we do it?"

The thought that flashed through her mind was that Katherine would probably end up in an asylum after this. Maybe she was already and was hallucinating everything. Maybe she never even got to Derry and met Robert. Because no matter how hard Katherine was certain that killing Pennywise was the right thing to do, she couldn't get Robert Gray out of her thoughts.

The clown had murdered so many children that IT wasn't allowed to live much longer and continue IT murderous rampage.

Yet, Robert Gray had treated her well.

".. house on Neibolt street," she heard Bill say and Katherine snapped her head up.

"Neibolt Street?"

Bill and Ben looked at her.

"That's where IT lives. Underneath it. In the sewers that lead to the Barrens."

As if that was all the explanation she needed, Katherine stood up and went towards the door. Unaware the others followed her slowly.

"What are the chances we survive this a second time around?" Richie asked.

"W-w-e got to tr-y-y," Bill replied. "F-f-or Geor-g-gie."

"And the others," Eddie said right before he used his inhaler.

Katherine felt a sudden sense of deep respect for all of them. They were about to face their worst fear and there was a chance none of them would return.

"W-w-e can't e-e-expect you to r-r-isk your lif-f-e, Kkkkatherine," Bill said when they started their walk towards Neibolt.

"It's worth little to me," she said, her voice barely a whisper and shrugged. "I spend most of my life in a state of depression. The first time I got out of it, a clown out of a Cosmic circus popped up."

Bev held her by the shoulder and had the most serious look in her green eyes that Katherine had seen. "You're so brave," she spoke and Katherine her eyes widened. "If you survive this, you have to do what you always wanted to do."

"I don't know what that is," Katherine admitted and Bev smiled.

"Then figure it out."

The woman left it at that and Katherine watched Beverly go and walk next to Ben.

The Loser's Club, which suddenly Katherine felt a part of, walked in silence through the streets. The town of Derry was shrouded in a heavy stillness that seemed to weigh on their shoulders. All the way to Neibolt House, they didn't see anyone.

Finally, they stood still before the old, iron gates that were broken. And Neibolt House, old and rotten, stood behind it. It looked so different then Katherine was used to seeing it. It felt different. The white roses that were blooming not so long ago, lay dead on the ground. Their white petals coloured deep red at the edges.

Her gaze travelled up from the roses to the door not so far away. She could still run. Change her mind and just leave.

Bill moved first, then Ben and Bev. Richie followed Eddie. They reached the door and Katherine took a deep breath in. Her hands trembled, her heart beated frantically in her throat. Yet, she followed. Because she saw the Loser's Club as children again. Because they were the bravest young kids she would ever meet. They faced IT once and were now going to do it again.

Katherine followed....through the rotten, wooden door that was once painted a bright red. Into the house and into the darkness that was Pennywise's lair. And she could have imagined it, but in the distance, far underneath the house, laughter reached her ears.

Author's Note : This is a short chapter. After this, there's no return and the story will be going towards the end really fast. I hope you enjoy the story <3 thank you for reading. Feel free to leave a comment if you like it (or not lol) xoxo Aysline