Black, eerie shadows danced across the desecrated chamber of Derry's main cistern like a mascarade of darkness. The all too familiar shapes and silhouettes of young, broken bodies drifted across the eyes of the seven Losers as they stood solemnly, gazing upward at the dozens of murdered children who were slowly making their final descent to the ground, floating down gently in a dreamy, unnatural way.
Bill's breathing and heart rate were slowly returning to normal as he recovered from the adrenaline rush caused by the battle against the clown-faced demon, his clothes sticking to his sweat-damp body as he looked on. Beverly's warm presence at his side helped him calm down, and now that the reality that the monster stalking Derry's young was defeated sunk into his conscious he felt his body grow weak with relief, shoulders sagging slightly as he unconsciously leaned closer to the redhead.
Shifting his skyward gaze his breath suddenly hitched, getting caught in his throat as his heart dropped and his blood turned cold upon spotting a familiar shade of gold drifting down along the invisible tide of floating limbs and indecipherable objects. Bill watched on, almost like he was in a trance as the small mass fluttered slowly towards the ground a few meters above and a handful of feet away from where he stood.
His six friends seemed to sense something was wrong and all turned to look at the stunned brunette. Following his gaze Richie, Eddie and Stan's eyes all widened upon fixating on Bills reason of distress. Beverly, Ben, and Mike all stood with their brows furrowed as they tried picking out what was upsetting their friend among the mess of airborne corpses.
Shakily Bill moved forward weakly with a dazed look reflected in his green eyes. He felt as though all the life and warmth in his body had been stolen, and he dared not blink as he and the small, stiff mass came closer and closer to one another. Lifting his arms up towards the sky in what almost felt involuntary Bill reached forward to catch the tangled bundle as it came into his reach.
As its weight was slowly nestled into his arms once the supernatural gravity finally lessened its hold Bill fell to his knees with a choked sob as the slick yellow cloth that covered the child-sized mass slipped away, uncovering a face.
The face of the one he had been looking for restlessly ever since that day almost a year ago who had gone missing through the fog and transparent veil of the spring rainstorm.
The face of the one he would constantly bolt out of bed after seeing in his dreams and nightmares, begging for his help or smiling at him from ear to ear as they played together and told stories.
The face...of his dead little brother.
It was almost as if Georgie had been preserved in time. His skin, though pale, was blemish free and showed no signs of decay. His golden hair still held its handsome shine even in the dark light and his natural curls looked no duller than when he was alive. Those once laughing big brown eyes that would always glow when he grinned were still slightly open as if he were still somehow alive.
Yet Bill knew better. His kid brothers gorgeous hazel eyes were misty as if covered in light fog, and his body was as cold as ice even through the thick fabric of his torn raincoat. His right arm had been completely severed at the shoulder, leaving a blood-crusted hole behind that had surely been the blow that killed him.
Even after all his searching, all his wishing, all his praying, and all his endless devotion in trying to find his little brother alive and bring him home...had been for nothing.
Bill shook uncontrollably as sobs wracked his body, his mind finally breaking. The tears came hot and fast, and soon he had his face buried in his dead brother's neck as he finally allowed the stormclouds over his heart to finally unleashed their agony and grief.
He cried out pleas and apologies, holding Georgies face in his hands, pressing their foreheads together.
"I'm so sorry I failed you! I wanted to find you and bring you home so bad! I should never have let you go out alone that day! I should have been there with you! Then-! Then you would have never-! Never-!..."
Bills words died in his throat before he could finish them. Letting out a cry of misery that echoed around the shadowed chamber Bill slumped forward with Georgie cradled close to his chest. A vicious wave of anguish and bereavement struck him so hard he felt as though his heart wouldn't be able to take it.
As he broke down Bill didn't hear the several pairs of footsteps approaching him from behind through his uncontrollable sobbing, and didn't become aware of the presence of his friends until he felt six pairs of arms wrap around him and his brother as his fellow Losers crowed around him in a protective circle. They clung to him like all their lives depended on it, tears stinging the corners of their eyes as they listened to their friend's wails of sorrow.
They would stay there with him for as long as he needed to grieve over his brother's body. They would keep him safe, and make sure his fragile heart wouldn't shatter as he cried. They would protect him from the chill of the subterrane chamber and they would help him carry his burden of bringing Georgie back to the surface one last time so he could be put to rest.
Despite the cold despair in his heart Bill gradually began to feel the warmth of his friends love and support as they let their precious friend cry his heart out in between them while holding him together. Through the pain and inescapable feelings of guilt and regret, Bill knew someway, somehow, he was going to be okay. They all were going to be okay.
So there, down in Derry's dark, crooked, subterrane soul Bill finally got the closure he may have never wanted, but needed.
~~The End~~