N
The small baby cooed.
She was the most perfect person Lily had ever seen, curled up in a soft pink blanket, with porcelain like skin and hair as dark as the night. She was beautiful.
At the tender age of six, Lily had promised her sister right then and there as she stood on her tiptoes to see her sleeping inside of the bassinet that she would always be safe and loved and protected, no matter who and what came into their lives. Tessa would always have her and she would never, ever have to feel alone or wonder about her self worth. She would be reminded daily of her importance and purpose and Lily promised not only Tessa but herself that one day she would take her away from all of the bad things to come.
And she didnt intend to ever break that promise.
Not even in the face of death.
/
With a desperate scream, Lily grabbed a hold the closet thing she could reach and pushed herself to her feet, lunging forward in hopes to make contact with what appeared to be a mouthful of razor blade teeth.
"Hey!" A familar voice stung her thoughts.
"Peanutbutter Cup! It's me! It's Richie!"
Lily suddenly stopped and gasped, her hands shaking uncontrollably and her eyes brimming with hot tears.
"Richie, I-" she sharply inhaled and then dropped the jagged piece of the broken lamp she had grabbed. "I'm sorry. You weren't there. You weren't-" she then began to sob.
Richie looked at her and then awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck before slowly taking a few steps towards her and putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's-it's going to be okay."
Lily's hands covered her face and she continued to cry. "I just want my sister."
"We'll find her." Richie reluctantly and slowly put his arms around her and then pulled her into a hug. "Dont worry, Peanutbutter Cup, we'll find her."
/
Five days had passed and Lily found herself in the middle of the town, watching as hundreds of people from in and around Derry laughed and enjoyed each other's company. There were people playing instruments and selling cotton candy and popcorn. People were dressed up in clown suits and other carnival characters. Lily was sure the different varieties of music being played could be heard from hundreds of miles.
A few mornings before, a missing poster with Tessa's picture and information appeared along side the ever-growing list of other children who seemingly vanished into thin air. Her poster was only a few away from Georgie Denborough's.
Lily's heart felt heavy and she had barely spoken a word to anyone. She knew deep down that these kids were gone, and they were never coming home. Reality was a harsh lesson to learn at such a young age. She just didn't want to believe that the only person who kept her going was one of those children.
"Lily! Hey!"
Turning slowly, Lily's eyes met a pair of excited and happy green ones. It was Bev. Surrounding her was the gang of everyone from the quarry, including a boy named Mike; they were officially dubbed the Loser's club. She gave her a half-heartened smile in response and turned back around.
Bev quickly sat beside her and the boys unhurriedly circled around them. There was silence for a few minutes. Everyone wasn't sure what to do to break the awkward tension, including Lily.
Ben sighed and his attention went to Lily, who sat on top of a picnic bench with her elbows digging into her knees and her head hanging low. "I'm really sorry about your sister. Maybe she just got lost in the woods and will be back any minute."
The eye's belonging to everyone in the Loser's club darted to him, almost as if trying to tell him he was dumb for saying anything and to take it back.
"Way to go Hamburger breath." Richie scoffed.
"Richie, you're not helping. Just shut up." Eddie spat in lower tone.
"Oh, like that's going to help any either. Eat shit, Eds."
Mike went to speak, as did Bev but Lily silenced the impending fight by quickly jumping to her feet. She looked around at everyone and couldn't help but give a small smile. She had never had any real friends, so it was different to realize that she was surrounded by them. Shyly brushing some of her blonde hair from her face, she gave them another smile as they all stared at her, waiting to see what came next.
"I don't know when, or how, but they are gong to find Tessa. I just know it." Her eyes flicked over to Bill. "Georgie too."
Bill nodded and beamed at her. "Y-you're r-right, Lily. They will be f-fine."
Richie shifted uncomfortably and pushed his large glasses up his nose. "Whose up for some cotton candy? I would die for some cotton candy."
Stan smirked, tussling some of his golden curly locks. "Guess you're buying then, hmm Trashmouth?"
Before Richie could protest, everyone let out a laugh and within a minute, he, Stan and Eddie went off to find a carnie that was making cotton candy and naturally, Richie had no shame in loudly complaining the whole time until they were out of ear shot.
The rest of the gang sat together at and on the picnic table Lily had been on. Bill sat on one side of Bev and Ben sat on the other, and Mike sat on the front bench. Lily stood in front of them and kicked at some lose grass beneath her sneakers.
"Hey, look it was great running into you guys but I'm going to head home. Tessa will probably be home any time now and I would hate to not be here." Lily gave them a fake smile. "I hope I see you all around soon."
Bev looked sad but nodded understandably as did the boys. "I can walk you home?" She offered.
Lily smiled for real. "That's okay. Stay. Have fun. Enjoy it for me. I'll see you around."
With a sharp turn, Lily sped off into the trees, her heart heavy but thumping a mile per minute. The further she went, the quicker the sounds of loud horns and never ending instruments playing together slowly started to drown out and fade away.
Eventually, Lily ended up at the top of the quarry, her eyes swimming along with the ripples in the water below. She didn't know how she got there, but with a sigh, she sat down and let her feet dangle. As if on auto pilots, her eyes eventually wandered to the beautiful blue sky. There wasn't a single cloud in sight.
She adjusted her tattered dress and frowned at the hole that had appeared. "That figures."
Lily closed her eyes and let the sun warm up her skin. She could feel the warmth on the roots of her hair and for a moment, she was at peace with herself.
Flashes of memories with Tessa flooded her mind and soon the colours inside of her eyelids that mimicked the suns colours turned into pictures and videos. It was like she was watching home videos if there had ever been.
Spinning in a circle was Tessa, giggling uncontrollably as Lily spun with her. They began giggling along with each other so much that their balance was suddenly wobbly and they could barely stand. Tessa was wearing a bright pink dress and her eyes danced with joy.
Lily giggled out loudly. "First one to fall, loses!"
"You're on!"
The girls spun faster and faster, each trying to use their own theories on what would keep their balance the best, despite getting dizzy.
Tessa's eyes widened as the dizziness suddenly took over and she began to fall to the grass. The grass however changed quickly as she fell. The ground beneath them turned black and they both began falling into what seemed to be a pit of nothingness.
"Tessa!" Lily screamed, reaching for her sister as they continued to fall.
Tessa cried out as they fell further.
"Tessa, grab my hand!"
Tessa was reluctant at first but did reach out. Their fingers brushed together before suddenly Tessa fell faster and right directly towards what appeared to be a large pit of bleeding razor sharp teeth.
Panicked, Lily tried to fall at Tessa's speed to catch up to her and grab her.
"Lily!"
"Tessa!" She shrieked, reaching desperately, her chest aching. "NO!"
Tessa cried out loudly and right before they hit the jaded surface that screamed nothing but a painful death, Lily's eyes shot open.
Letting out a squeal, she sat up quickly and then felt her heart drop as she almost slipped off of the edge of the quarry. Lily scrambled frantically and winced as the randoms shards of rock tore at her hands, but after what felt like an eternity, she got fully back onto the rocky core. Gasping slightly, she collapsed and hardly noticed the small rocks that tore up her elbow. Her hands were on fire.
It took a few minutes for the rhythm in her heart to go back to normal and when it did, she bit back hot tears. She was tired of this. She was sad and alone and all she wanted her sister. Why was that too much to ask? Why did they deserve this?
Instead she was left to have constant nightmares and hallucinations and live like an abused animal, and why? Probably because her mind couldn't and wouldn't process her sister being gone and no one cared to hear her story as it was. Who knew, but she was just plain exhausted in every way she could have been. Lily swallowed hard and let her tears flow freely.
After several hours of crying and watching the sky blacken and be blanketed with bright stars, Lily got up and headed out of the area and back into the main town. She watched her surroundings closely as the streets were deserted and quiet.
As long as she didn't run into Bowers, she was sure she would be fine. Lily got home and watched through a window as her mother lay sprawled out on the couch in the living room, yet again either unconscious due to too much alcohol or other substances. Lily didn't even know what half of them were called.
She so badly didn't want to go home.
Lily bit at her thumb nail for a few minutes. Flashes of her childhood best friend invaded her mind and she knew. She knew she would be safe there, even if time had tried to separate them. She knew she was always safe around them.
Since kindergarten they had been as close as two people could be. They were almost impossible to tear away from each other and the other kids around Derry seemed to forget that.
It was the 3rd grade that it finally happened, however. Two years in kindergarten and three years in public school they were constantly with one another; and watching her best friend truly be ripped away from her due to who her mother was broke a piece in Lily that she knew she would never get back.
It took her fifteen minutes to get there but when she did, she didn't even hesitate to rap heavily on the window. Something started to feel weird and that scared her. Lily wasn't sure if it was just because it was so late at night and she was breaking the town's curfew, or if it was something else but she didn't want to stick around and find out. She just wanted to be inside somewhere, anywhere at that point.
When the curtains suddenly flew open and a confused boy appeared looking around wildly, Lily couldn't help but smile. He opened the window and finally their eyes met. His large brown eyes widened.
"Lily? What are you doing here? Are you okay?"
"Hi Eddie," Lily smiled again.
