9
It was odd, just watching Henry swim around: smiling, laughing and splashing me like a normal happy child. Even though this was not who he was, I could tell he was trying to be his version of normal for me.
"Hey don't look at me like that. You wanted "nice"." he said in air quotes and I chuckled and shrugged as I swam around with him.
"Isn't it fun to be nice?" I asked and he scoffed.
"I like being a jerk. I like aggression." he said and I rolled my eyes.
"Yes. I know you do." I replied and he smirked swimming up to me slowly, almost stalking like.
"And you like it when I'm aggressive." he said lowly leaning in to kiss me. I leaned back a few inches from him making him smirk and hesitate just a bit before leaning forward and kissing me again. I replied slowly to his kiss and slowly his arms snaked around my hips and I leaned in to him wrapping my arms around his neck. Our feet were touching the ground now as we drifted a bit back toward the land. He pulled back a bit, his head nuzzling against my forehead. He looked down with what looked like mile embarrassment before looking back up at me.
"I'm sorry I hurt you the first time." he said and I just looked at him for a moment reading his eyes. It sucked because I really couldn't tell if he was serious or not, but then again, he never apologized. I just nodded and leaned forward and hugged him a bit.
"It's… okay." I replied hesitantly. Of course, it wasn't okay, but not much I could do about it now. I mean he still has those pictures, and I wasn't sure if he was going to be willing to part with them. I felt henry's arms embrace me a bit firmer answering the hug. I wasn't sure what was to become of us now. Maybe after this day he won't really have a really a reason to bother me anymore. After a few minutes, we walked back to the neighborhood in silence, and once we were in a position that we had to split up, we looked at each other.
"That fair is coming next week… you going to that?" he asked nonchalantly. I shrugged.
"Most likely." I replied, and he nodded.
"Cool." he replied before just walking off down the street.
"See you later, Henry." I said lowly before going off in the direction of my house. I knew Henry was most likely not gonna change after today. He's too wired to be the way he is. But maybe there was a chance for him. I got cleaned up and washed my clothes before Mom even came home. Everything was clean and traces of my swim at the lake were gone. There was a knock on my door and I groaned wondering who it could be. I peeked through the curtains and saw it was Jarred. I groaned and figured it was time to end this little song and dance between us. I moved over to the door and opened it to him.
"Hello, Jarred." I said and he gave a light yet crooked smile.
"Hey. You busy?" he asked. I nodded.
"Yes, I am." I replied gently and he nodded.
"Right. Well look I just wanted to say I'm sorry for trying to kiss you the other day. I didn't mean to get you in trouble with your mom." he said. I shrugged and nodded.
"It's okay." I replied and he nodded keeping his hand tucked into his pockets and looked down for a bit before looking back up at me.
"I'd like to think I'm good enough with words. It's not a secret that I like you. I think you're smart and cute and have dreams that are bigger than Derry. Your art is amazing and it's what's going to get you out of here." he explained. My eyes flexed a bit not really expecting this type of conversation right now. "Anyways this carnival is coming to town next week… I think it's a ploy to life the town's spirits of the missing children, but I was just wondering if you're going to be there or maybe you wanted to go or something with me."
My lips parted to speak, but at that moment no words came out. I remembered Henry's threat, but I don't even know what to think about him. I figured it's better to just keep to myself until I can figure out how to regain control of my life. Because now that I think about it, there's a killer clown in Derry killing its children, and I think I'm thinking there will never be peace until it's destroyed.
"Jarred… I think you're cute too. And I do like your company, but right now I think I just want to enjoy my summer and not worry about boys and stuff. Already I've gotten in enough trouble. But as far as the carnival goes, I'm sure my mom and I will be there. So if you're there, I'm sure we can talk there and stuff." I explained. He chuckled some and nodded.
"I get that. I feel I should at least apologize." he explained and I smiled.
"And not many boys would even do that." I replied and smiled some. He smiled slyly.
"Then I'll see you at the carnival." he said and I just nodded.
"Okay." I replied with a smile before closing the door and groaning more. Good job, Faline. I just wanted to be alone, that was my mission when we first moved to Derry. Now I'm involved with a group of kids, a hateful boy, and a handsome older boy. Not to mention this clown. I'll definitely have to talk to Mike. He's a bit more down to earth and maybe he won't think of me as crazy. Later on that night, I spent most of the day looking for my sketchbook. I couldn't find it anywhere and I couldn't even remember where I put it. I could hear the music that was playing in the living room. Mom had some friends over and usually that just meant I hang out in my room. But I decided to come out at the song of Maxine Nightingale playing.
"Ooh and it's alright and it's coming oh we gotta get it right back to where we started from! Love is good, love can be strong we gotta get it right back to where we started from!" the music played. I came into the living room to see some friends Mom was involved with in New York. Some of them were dancing while others were drinking wine and laughing. Mom was drinking wine and dancing around. Her long locks were tied back and she was in a green tank and see through oatmeal colored robe. She had her long leather pants on from her youth. When everyone saw me they all cheered and greeted me.
"Hey! Fay!" Albert Moor called out. He was a dark man with a small fro and thick beard. He owned a record shop back in the city and his wife, Elvadeen was with him. She was a member of the Black Panther Party of Self Defense. In the corner was Alma Deer. She went to school with my mom and they were into all kinds of things I was sure. She had long brunette hair with round pink glasses on. She had on a tube top and green pants. She came with her husband Stu. I've never seen him before. He's a clean-shaven guy with a white t-shirt that covered his slender form well and black pants.
"Hey everyone." I replied, hugging those I knew. Mom wrapped her arm around my shoulder holding up her wine glass.
"Hey honey. Remember this song. Maxine was all about love and happiness." she swooned. I was used to seeing my mom tipsy when her friends came over. It was the only time she was care free and happy.
"Yes I remember. Well, I'll head back to my room." I replied. Mom whined.
"Oh but you just got here sweet heart. Here have some red wine." she said.
"Vivian, she's too young to drink." Alma said laughing. I nodded in agreement.
"True. Also, I have to find my sketchbook." I replied.
"Girl you still drawing? When you gonna put your time into something of use. Like joining the movement?" Elvadeen inquired. I rolled my eyes causing her to give me a sharp look.
"The only thing I want to do is enjoy my life. Good night all." I replied waving at them and heading back to my room and closing the door behind me. I started looking for my book again and I began to grow agitated. Hell, I even decided to look under my bed and low and behold it was under there. What would it be doing under my bed? I definitely didn't put it there. I pulled it out and looked through it before realizing a page was missing, the page of Pennywise. My eyes widened as I realized he was here, he was in my room. I looked around immediately thinking he was still here maybe? I ran to the door with intentions to call for my mom, but then I stopped. There was no way she would believe me in her current state or even any of her friends. When it was time to sleep, I kept my closet door shut and even locked my doors and made sure the windows were locked. I kept my lamp on tonight and just curled up in my blankets.
I couldn't fight the fear that was growing in me knowing that that monster was in my room. I didn't even want to be alone right now. I didn't even think I'd be able to sleep now, yet somehow my fear managed to tire me out and put me to sleep.
Normal POV
All was silent in the house. The hours belonged to darkness, the very environment Pennywise liked. He watched the child sleeping through her closet mirror. He could smell the ripeness in her body. She was scared, scared of him. His mouth widened showing his massive rows of fangs. Saliva dripped down his mouth so far as to pool into her shoes and onto her flip flops. It was ripe and she smelled breathtaking. He had to have her, he had to devour her flesh and eat her fear now. She was asleep, she's vulnerable. She can't defend herself! He had to strike now. Pennywise burst through the closet doors, with a loud maniacal laugh. His claws outstretched wide ready to rip her stomach right open. She didn't even know he was there. He had her now. He flew his arms back then swung them down to pierce her stomach, however, before his black talons could touch her, he was frozen. Pennywise's golden eyes widened.
"What?" he growled trying to push his arms forward but it was as if he was stopped. Suddenly, his arms were slowly pushed back, a transparent shadow was wrapped around his wrists pushing him back with ease. His eyes widened even more as he was slowly repelled. He watched as this force took more form as it pushed him further back, the shadow now taking the shape of hands around his wrists, long peach colored nails bore into his own demonic flesh. The arms more back and as they did, a form began to ascend from the child's body and just as fast as he attacked the girl he was pushed back against the room. Pennywise growled in utter frustration as the form began to shape before his eyes. Long braids covered the darkly face of a black-eyed woman shrouded in black robes. The face lifted its head so the clown could see her clearly.
"Poor starving little creatchuh." she swooned in a dark echoing tone. "Keep eatin' da way you are, and you'll be as obese as a human child." she teased and Pennywise growled.
"You have no right to stop me from eating." he said and the woman threw her head back in laughter.
"You may have all the humans you want, gorge yourself until you can sleep again," she said with authority, her eyes now fading from humorous to serious, "But dis' child you cannot have. Not now not ever." Pennywise stared at the entity for a moment before suddenly stopping his right foot on the ground and pouting.
"WELL THAT'S NOT FAIR!" he whined. The woman lifted her head and snapped her fingers.
"This bloodline has proven itself worthy to the gods of the bayou. Whatever child comes from her belly, will be protected, like her and her mother before her and her mother before her!" she said and began to saunter over to the clown, her hips swaying as if dancing to a song in her mind, "So you keep testin' me, you keep trying to attack dis' child, and I am going to starve you with so much love and lust that you will see me in your nightmares as your stomach eats you from the inside out." She spoke with a deep and dark lust that Pennywise couldn't help but hiss and recoil back at the thought. She was a small petite entity, but Pennywise couldn't hunt if he got on her bad side. He growled and huffed snapping his head away.
"Very well, but if she tries to fight me and save the other children, I will not hold back." he threatened and the woman laughed.
"Den get ready to play with me." she threatened and began to wave him off. "Go on obese creatchuh! Find you someone else to eat." The two creatures began to both descend back into the shadows of which they came from. Pennywise continued to watch the entity who watched him back with a smirk. She did not descend back into the child until the clown's gold eyes disappeared into the darkness of the closet as he closed it once more.
