Everyone held their breath at the same time, making the sound of a faint vacuum.
But you didn't notice.
It pained you knowing how you were at the brunt of any attack, but even if you wanted to move back you couldn't. Your whole body was shaking and you felt adrenaline piercing through you. You just knew that any movement towards the kids behind you would end up with you running past them and towards the safety of your own home.
You'd leave them behind like dead meat.
As tempted as you were to just flee, you decided to play shield. After all - you were the one that had made Henry angriest last. If anyone deserved to suffer his wrath it was you.
A little stream separated your group from the Bower's gang. The water gurgling softly.
Henry stood right on the edge of the stream, about some five feet away from you. Victor, Patrick, and Belch formed a wall behind him.
He was still looking right at you. Into you.
Oh how you regretted leaving your house so soon after the fight.
The light blonde hair on Henry's head was slightly disheveled, as if he'd been running his hands through it constantly. Thin lips curved into a taunting smile that did not sit well with your stomach. The weird glint in his eyes didn't help. Usually his blue irises held a level of coldness to intimidate people, but now they held an emotion you couldn't quite put your finger on.
Like a hunger.
Your shaking increased and he noticed.
You were scared.
A low laugh left his lips.
"What's wrong (Y/N)?"
You cast your gaze down.
"Why do you look so scared?"
Ripples of water painted the stream beneath Henry's shoes. They stopped an inch away from yours.
The cuffs of his pant legs were wet from the spraying stream. You could see that.
Dry cotton hung around his legs. An imprint of a belt peeked through the material of his shirt. You could not see his face as he was taller than you, but his chest was level with your head. The sound of his heart thumping crazily echoed in your ears.
"I'm talking to you." He stated roughly. His breath ghosted over your being like a biting wind. You could feel goosebumps forming on your neck and your bare shoulders, your arms. Still you did not look at him or respond to him.
He moved his hands without warning.
You flinched, thinking his fists would pay you your own taste of a beating. But to your surprise there was no blow placed on you.
He placed a hand firmly on your chin, forcing your gaze upwards to meet his. His eyes still had the weird glint from before but there was also a gentleness in his look.
A warm feeling ran through you as Henry's other hand softly stroked your hair.
He leaned down a bit, face an inch from yours.
For a second you lost yourself in his bright blue eyes.
If he weren't such an ugly person on the inside maybe you would have noticed how attractive he was on the outside before.
The soft pinkness of his lips.
His porcelain skin.
He smiled at you.
Something you'd never seen before.
A genuine pure smile with no hidden evil.
Then his hand yanked your hair back and you cried out as he threw you into the stream.
In the background you could hear the Loser's Club cry out with you as Henry yanked you down to the stream.
It wasn't deep but you were drowning.
You could still see his warm smile.
Maybe it was the lack of attention you'd received from people your age for so many years, but something in you held onto that smile.
The feel of his hand through your hair.
His breath fanning over your face.
Now his foot digging into your back felt like a pat of security.
The water rushing around you like kisses to the newly formed scrapes on your skin.
"Where's the brave (Y/N) now?" You could hear Henry laughing. "Where's these losers' protector?"
You let the gurgling around you absorb your own.
"Let her go!" Beverly shouted but she was just met with laughter.
"What did you say slut?" Patrick shouted back.
When you heard that you snapped out of your trance.
The water entering through your nostrils was taking your breath away.
It filled up your lungs like balloons.
You tried to push yourself up out of the stream as the throbbing in your head became unbearable, you needed air.
Henry wouldn't let you though.
You managed to raise your face to the side and got a glimpse into the shrubbery surrounding The Barrens. You heaved, a thrill of delight filling you as you realized you could escape with some effort.
Then you saw it.
Golden eyes peeked out from a bush - like the ones you saw in your dream.
The bush shook a bit then a gloved hand peeked out. Its fingertips dripped blood and wagged at you. The other hand followed and they both came together like puppets meeting in a kiss. Once the hands disconnected again, a strand of blue and red stretched between them.
You gasped, losing control of your will to escape Henry. It was enough time for him to push your face back into the stream.
He grabbed your arms and held them behind you with one of his hands, kneeling next to you with one of his feet still remaining pressed into the center of your back.
"Now, now (Y/N). Why don't you stay wet for me?" It was Henry but all you could hear was the clown from your dreams muttering it into your ears.
You tried to kick your feet and shake yourself free but your body grew weaker by the second.
"L-let her go!" You could hear the clamor of the Loser's Club faintly, Bill's voice standing out the most.
Henry still wouldn't let you go. He and his henchmen simply laughed and laughed.
"You losers are trying too much," he said, "What do you want (Y/N) for? You can do Beverly, just ask nicely like I did."
His hold on you loosened for a few seconds and it seemed that whatever he had just done was enough to end one of the losers' patience.
A heavy crack could be heard next to you and you felt Henry's hold on you disappear completely.
"What the fuck?" Henry uttered, angry but shocked.
Several thuds followed and you heard both the Losers and the Bower's Gang grunting at each other alongside them.
Weakly you brought your head up from the stream. You coughed like crazy, tears in your eyes as the water expelled from your nose and mouth.
A movement in the corner of your eye made you look towards the shrubbery again.
The golden eyes peered at you ominously.
You brought yourself into a sitting position, lungs and sides burning.
The Losers and Bower's gang were having a rock war that seemed to be being lost by the ladder. You didn't join or even feel any satisfaction from seeing the horrible bullies struck down like birds though.
You were far too distracted by the golden eyes.
Entranced.
Its hand peeked out again, beckoning you towards it with a bloody finger.
You stood up.
Then a thud hit the back of your feet.
Alarmed, you turned back towards the rock fight and realized that only Henry was left from his gang.
He lay on the ground bleeding. Outdone.
You looked back down at the rock laying besides your feet.
"(Y/N)! Come on!" Beverly called out to you.
"Earth to (Y/N)!" Richie echoed.
You ran towards them but sneaked a look back at Henry before leaving the Barrens.
He looked livid. In obvious disbelief at the fact that a bunch of kids had just beaten him and his gang with a rock fight.
"I'll get you and your little losers bitch."