I and the remaining unharmed members of the group had descended on him. With Bill, Richie and myself on his back and the rest on his arms, it seemed like we were slowly wearing him down, until I remembered that this was a creature with far more strength than four children, even with the addition of my own adult self.

He flung his arms free before making quick work of the three of us on his back. I was the first to go, then Richie, and Bill should have come after but he was holding on so tight that instead of being thrown like we were, he was about to lay himself into the creature's arms.

I watched all of this from a position flat on my back, and to this day I don't know how I reached him in time. Apparently i'm very quick when it comes to a child's mortality.

I scrambled up and launched myself at Pennywise, grabbing Bill just as he was being flung over the the clown's shoulder. Turning, I hurled the child back to his friends and, simultaneously, felt those rough, cotton-gloved hands cage around my breasts and neck as the creature flipped through the air.

While Pennywise's landing was executed with some amount of grace, he didn't seem to give my own much regard. And considering that my head was being held against his torso, my legs were a foot or two below his feet, which could only end in my toes being cracked against the concrete floor and my knee hitting me in the jaw.

I reeled for a moment, wondering if I would have the luck to pass out, but my body seemed content to stay acutely aware of the situation.

The kid's eyes were shifting between me, the clown and then me being held by theclown, all with varying states of panic. Bill seemed to be the most horrified of them all, considering he was the one supposed to be in this situation.

Mustering a shaky but imposing voice, Beverly was the first to speak. "Let her go."

At this point, Pennywise was hunched over me, shaking. And when he heard Beverly's command his hands began twitching across my face and neck, not being able to decide how best to hold me, in case I tried to bolt. This wasn't much of an option now, considering I couldn't even get my jaw to unlock.

He smiled an awful smile and said, "No, I'll take her. I'll take all of you! And I'll feast on your flesh as I feed on your fear . . ."

He paused, raising a shaky finger, "or . . . you'll just leave us be. I will take her- only her- and then I will have my long rest . . . and you will all live to grow, and thrive and live happy lives, before old age takes you back to the weeds!"

Silence seemed to stretch on forever, except for the continued muttering from the creature holding me. The children, on the other hand, were very quiet and very still. Some of them looked like they would cry.

"Go." I said. The clarity and confidence in my voice surprising not only myself and the children, but the clown as well. In fact, now that my jaw had stopped spasming, the only thing making it difficult to talk was Pennywise's fingers unconsciously finding their way into my mouth with their anxious fidgeting.

"Do not feel bad, do not feel like this is your fault, and know that you did not make this decision."

Beverly looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel. Bill looked like he was about to faint. The rest looked like they desperately wanted to go home. But it was Richie who spoke first, slowly getting up off the ground. But he wasn't talking to me.

"I told you Bill. I fucking told you . . ." Bill looked over with an anguished 'why me?' look. Richie continued,

"I don't want to die. It's your fault . . . you punched me in the face . . . you made me walk through shitty water . . . you brought me to a fucking crack-head-house . . . you got Mary captured!"

He grabbed a bat that had been hidden in the pile of relics.

Oh no.

"And now, I'm gonna have to kill this fucking clown."

No, this couldn't possibly work.

"welcome to the-"

I grabbed Pennywise's jaw and jerked his head to look at me, "I will go with you!"