AUTHORS NOTE
I know Beverlys artifact comes
first but I'm to lazy to edit the
last two chapters 😔😔
[ CHAPTER XXV:
WOULD YOU LIKE SOME
TEA ? ]
JUDY STARED at the building in front of her, it seemed so creepy. It wasn't run down like most buildings but it did look run down. Beverly opened the door and waved Judy over.
The two walked down the hallway. "What if someone lives in the apartment?" Judy asked as she picked at her fingers. Ever since Beverly had filled her in on why the town was dangerous, Judy was questioning every turn and every person in Derry.
Beverly looked down at the blonde. "It's fine, none of the adults in Derry care, we've learned that lesson years ago" Beverly said before standing in front of the door and knocked on it softly.
The door opened and an old, frail looking, woman stood at the entrance. "Yes?" The woman asked.
The older woman's name was Mrs.Kersh, and Judy couldn't help but agree with Beverly that the adults in Derry just don't really care as Mrs.Kersh invited the two inside just because Beverly said she used to live in the apartment.
"Is it like you remember?" Mrs.Kersh asked.
The memory of her smashing a toilet seating onto an older mans head as she stared at a twelve year old girl with curly brown hair who was suddenly thrown onto the bottom of the tub as water started to pour on top of her invaded Beverlys thoughts. "Cleaner" Beverly said not wanting to say the horrible memories that had just resurfaced.
Beverly then looked down at the old woman. "Would you mind if we took a look around?" She asked.
"Sure" Mrs.Kersh said with a smile, a smile that Judy didn't seem to trust.
Judy stayed close next to Beverly which had eased Beverlys mind about Judy getting hurt. Judy then bumped into Beverly back as she stared at the bathroom, her hands shaking.
"Miss Marsh?" Judy asked barely audible above a whisper. "Is everything okay?" She asked resting an arm on her bicep.
Beverly looked down at the blonde. "The last time I was in this bathroom,,,it wasn't a pretty sight" Beverly said leaving Judy confused as she walked off.
Judy then caught a glimpse of bubbling in the bathtub, Judy walked towards it, maybe the old woman had forgotten to drain the tub. Judy then leaned above the tub and it seemed a girl with curly brown hair laid in the bottom of the tub. Before she suddenly sat up and took in a deep breath causing Judy to stumble back. "Please help me! It has my friend! It got B—" the girl was then thrown into the bottom of the tub.
Judy rubbed her eyes and the girl was gone. "Judy" Beverly called and Judy suddenly power walked over to the red headed woman suddenly no longer feeling safe in the house.
The blonde shoved her hands in her back pockets, she wanted to leave now.
Beverly head up a poem to the light and Judy squinted at it to read the scrambled letters: your hair is winter fire, January embers, my heart burns there too.
Judy smiled softly, it was such a pretty poem. Judy then suddenly turned around, a sick feeling of being watched was growing in her stomach. "Beverly" Judy said as she looked down at the redhead, the woman furrowed her brows at Judys fear in her eyes. "I wanna leave, I don't—I think we're being watched" Judy whispered which immediately made Beverly stand and grab her hand.
"Uh, it was really nice for you to invite us but we must be going" Beverly called out for Mrs.Kersh wherever the old woman was at. "Have you seen anything? A nightmare of sorts? Your fear?" Beverly whispered to Judy.
"A girl,,she was drowning in the tub" Judy said. "She said It got her friend and then—"
"Alice" Beverly breathed out. "We have to find Alice" Beverly said.
Soon the two rounded the corner and Mrs.Kersh stood in front of them with a large smile. "I made some tea" Mrs.Kersh said.
Judy took a small step back. "No thank you, we really must be going" Beverly said with a thin smile, it seemed so fake.
"Oh no, I insist" The old woman said before walking towards the kitchen.
"It would be rude" Judy said as she picked at her hands. "To just leave this woman alone" Judy continued.
Beverly looked down at the blonde. "If you feel unsafe tell me and we'll leave right away" Beverly said and Judy nodded.
Beverly and Judy then sat down at the couch across from the old woman. "I'm sorry it's just so very hot in here" Mrs.Kersh said as she waved her shirt to try and cool herself down.
Judy caught a glimpse of a hole with cockroaches in the woman's chest and tried to swallow down the tea that was coming for a second round. She already didn't feel safe, but it would be unkind to leave Mrs.Kersh.
"It's fine" Beverly said with a forced smile. Did Beverly see what Judy saw?
"You know, nobody in Derry ever really dies" Mrs.Kersh said with a smile, and it was silent, deadly silent. Judy went to signal Beverly that she wanted to leave before Mrs.Kersh took in a breath and she furrowed her brows. "So tell me, what's it like being back here? In Derry?" Mrs.Kersh said.
Beverly gave the woman a thin smile. "Like a big chunk of me that was missing has been found" Beverly said softly. "It's weird" Beverly said cocking her head silently to the side.
Then the oven timer went off. "Oh, I forgot about the muffins" Mrs.Kersh said as she put down the teacup and went to the kitchen. Beverly then slowly stood up and went to look at the woman's photos.
Judy then walked over to Beverly. "B—"
"Is this your family, Mrs.Kersh?" Beverly asked interrupting Judy.
Mrs.Kersh hummed. "My father came to this place with only fifteen dollars to his name" Mrs.Kersh said.
Beverly stared at a photo above another photo that had caught Judys eyes. "What did your father do for a living?" Beverly asked.
"My father joined the circus" Mrs.Kersh replied. Beverly then looked at the photo, a man with a similar face that had haunted Beverly and her group of friend when they was just twelve stared back at her.
Judy then grabbed Beverlys arm and Beverly looked down at Judys eyes that were filled with genuine fear. "I was always daddy's little girl. Are you still your fathers little girl, Bevvy?" Mrs.Kersh asked.
Beverly let out a soft gasp as she turned around her hands clutching onto Judys shoulders. "Are you!?" Mrs.Kersh shouted.
"Run!" Beverly said as she looked down at Judy.
Then Mrs.Kersh ran out of the kitchen but,,it didn't look like her. She looked like a gray monster like being, the old woman was nude as her sagging breast swung around, her eyes looked in different directions as she seemed to reach the Apartments ceiling maybe even higher.
Beverly shouted and Judy let out a scream as they back way from the monster. Mrs.Kersh outstretched her arm towards Judy but then Beverly grabbed Judys arm and the two ducked underneath Mrs.Kershs arm and ran towards the door.
Judy could hear the being run after them. Beverly then pulled open the door and shoved Judy out in the hallway before Beverly stepped out and slammed the door shut as Beverly took in deep breaths.
Beverly then grabbed Judys wrist and ran towards the door that would lead them to the exit. Beverly twisted and turned at the door knob but it didn't seem to budge. "What the fuck was that!" Judy screamed.
"It! That was It!" Beverly exclaimed.
"Run, run, run"
The sudden voice makes Judy turn to look at the male as Beverly begins twisting the doorknob while glaring at the man, Judy noticed how similar the man looked like the man in the photo: Mrs.Kershs' father.
Judy watches as his mouth opened and closed as he applied white powder on his face, he's talking but Judy can't seem to hear anything over her fear as tears cascaded down her face, her shoulders shaking. "Fuck you!" Beverly suddenly shouted.
Judy turned to look at Beverly and then looked at the man who dragged his finger nails above his eyebrows, down his eyelids, down his cheekbones and then connected the bleeding lines to the corner of his lips. "Close your eyes, Bevvy and Judy. Close them real tight" He said before letting out an agonizing shout, it sounded almost like a scream.
Judy let out a scream, then Beverly finally got the door open. Beverly grabbed the younger girls wrist and pulled her outside where they ran to the sidewalk where Judy stared at the building with fearful eyes.
The building was run down. It was boarded up and molding.
"Holy shit" Judy whispered.
ANOTHER AUTHORS NOTE
I updated 🥳🥳🥳🥳