"No stragglers!" Bill ordered. The seven huddled closely together, minus Stan. He walked a couple feet behind the others, wondering how he got himself into this mess. Stan saw Pennywise move in Mike's photo album but still found it hard to believe that a demon dressed as a clown was responsible for the recent rash of murders in Derry.

'It just isn't empirically possible.'

The group kept tip-toeing through the main tunnel. They regarded the other tunnels with little interest so they never saw Belch and Henry grab Stanley and pull him away from the rest of the group. Belch pinned Stan's arms behind his back while Henry waved that dreaded switchblade in his face.

"I guess you're first," he sneered. He would've preferred someone he had a real quarrel with but wasn't in a major rush. They'd all have their turn.

Belch pressed his hand over Stan's mouth which was unnecessary because Stan was too terrified to make a sound. Henry ripped the lowest button on Stan's shirt with the tip of his blade.

"Now I want you to think about every rock you threw," he instructed. He popped another button. "And I want you to think about every insult you said." Another button. "I want you to think about that before you die."

Unable to breath through his mouth, Stan was forced to rely on the pungent smelling, sewer air for oxygen. He wanted to vomit. Henry broke the last button. A white cotton t-shirt was all that protected Stan.

A clank in the pipes took Henry's attention. Stan took the opportunity and treaded on Belch's right foot who shouted in surprise and released him.

"Help!" Stan screamed, pushing past a confused-Henry. "Somebody please help!"

Henry grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him back. "Shut up!" Stan fell silent. Somewhere, he heard his friends call his name. Henry smirked. "You'll be dead before they get here." He shoved the blade deep into Stan's gut.

"What the hell! Did you really stab him?" Belch asked, sounding mildly concerned.

Henry twisted the knife out and let Stan fall to the ground. The voices of the others got closer.

"Let's go," he said. He and Belch disappeared.

Stan shivered despite the fact that he was sweating. He felt the blood permeate through his shirt and stick to his skin. Whatever air he breathed in was lost through the wound so he breathed quicker. He was dying.

"Stanley!"

The six spotted their friend lying in a pool of crimson. Beverly reached him first. She knelt down and lifted his head onto her knees. "Oh Stan." Tears fell in rivers down her face.

"Who d-did this?" Bill asked in a strangled voice. "Did It do this to you?"

Stan struggled to speak. "B-bowers," he managed to gasp.

"Henry Bowers?" Eddie looked around nervously. "He's down here?"

"Where did he g-go?" Bill shined his flashlight all over the area but there was no sign of Henry or his friends.

"I don't know," Stan answered. Beverly rubbed his cheek with a tender hand.

"You'll be fine," she tried to assure him.

"Alright, Eddie and Mike, stay here with Stan," said Bill.

"Just us!" Eddie cried. "What if It or Henry comes back? We can't fight either of them just the two of us."

"Stan needs to go to a hospital," said Ben.

"Yeah but…" Bill was frustrated. He knew he couldn't leave Stan alone with just a couple of people and they would be too short handed to fight It if they did. "We'll just have to take Stan with us."

"Can you walk?" Richie asked. "Although that ain't no love stab."

Stan nodded. Ben and Mike both grabbed an arm and pulled him up. "I'm sorry Bill," he said quietly. "I'm sorry I straggled."

"It's o-okay Stan," Bill said in a softer voice than before. "Just hang on."