Savior In The Rain
I groggily turned in my bed. I slowly opened my eyes and looked to my right.
I saw a window with a single red rose in a vase sitting atop a vent.
I looked at the rose petals slowly falling off the bloom.
It reminded me of blood drops.
I looked at my hand and saw that I had an IV strapped onto my hand, rehydrating my body.
I heard beeping coming in steady tones and I saw my heart rate was being monitored as well on a screen.
I moved around in bed. I noticed I was in a light blue hospital gown.
I recognized where I was. I was in Derry Memorial Hospital. I was safe and alive!
I gazed down to examine my body.
My arms were wrapped in bandages and I wasn't covered in sewer water anymore. I was clean.
I removed the sheets from my legs and glanced down at my feet which were bandaged up. I wriggled my toes and sure enough they moved. I wasn't paralyzed.
I wanted to get up, but I decided against it.
I put the sheets back over my legs.
I looked around the room, seeing if my mom was here but she wasn't.
"Mom?" I called out the open door.
No one came.
I looked for the call button and pressed it until a nurse showed up in the doorway and walked into the room.
"Hey there how are you feeling?" she asked me sitting down on my bed.
She took my temperature.
"Tired," I said.
The thermometer beeped.
She smiled.
"Temperature normal," she said.
Then she checked my blood pressure.
"Breathe normally," she said.
I did and she smiled again.
"You are a strong girl," she said.
I tilted my head to the side.
"Hey I know you! You're Nurse Stephanie. We met a while ago," I said.
"Yes I was talking with Officer King when Georgie was brought in after that animal attack," she said.
"Yeah I remember," I said, letting my hair fall to the sides of my face hiding my fear.
I looked outside the window and listened to the birds chirp outside.
"Where's my mom?" I asked Stephanie.
"She just stepped out for a minute to get some lunch from the cafeteria," replied Stephanie.
My stomach grumbled loudly.
"I take it your hungry too?" asked Stephanie.
"Famished actually," I said giggling.
"You were gone for three days. I would imagine so," said Stephanie.
I looked away sadly.
"Yeah I was," I said almost ready to break out in tears.
"I also am going to call the police. They have some questions for you," said Stephanie as she got up and walked out the door.
"Yeah I imagine so," I said.
I'd have to lie again.
As Stephanie left the room, I laid back on my pillow, putting my hands on my stomach, thinking up a believable story.
Now that I knew I was safe, I felt some of my strength returning. Even if was just the drugs I wanted to feel strong.
Now I wasn't a victim. I was a survivor!
All the while I wondered about the children who had really saved my life. And I also thought of Pennywise.
I knew I might have had to tell the police where the missing kids were. I dodn't even know if I should have to travel back down the sewers.
Would they think I was the one who killed the kids if I lead them to the bodies?
And how would the adults react to see them floating?
They'd freak out.
If they could see that damn demon clown, they'd probably flip their shit.
Pennywise's face made its way into my mind.
What did he mean my blood was tainted? Did I have Aids? Cancer? Hepatitis? I hadn't the slightest idea.
"Hey there stranger," came a familiar voice from the door knocking me out of my thoughts.
Then more voices came. Loud voices.
It was Bill and his friends.
My saviors!
I smiled widely.
"Guys hi!" I said smiling. I sat up in bed.
They brought in a small bouquet of daises and roses. They gave me the bouquet.
"Oh how thoughtful. Thanks guys," I said as I sniffed the flowers.
"Are you feeling okay? You looked like shit when we found you," said Stan.
"Not surprising since she came out of the sewer," said Ritchie.
"I'm fine now, thanks to you all," I said ignoring Ritchie's comment.
I hugged each one of them. It was a little awkward but they deserved the world.
"So what happened to you?" asked Ben.
"I have to talk to the police first," I said to the kids.
"You were almost killed," said Bev.
"Yeah but I'm alive. Here and now," I told her.
"Yeah thanks to us!" said Ritchie raising his hands and pointing to Bill, Ben, Bev, Stan, Eddie and himself.
"I don't think you guys would believe me if I told you," I said.
"Try us," said Ritchie.
I looked at all of the kids, their eyes pleading with me to tell them the truth.
"Close and lock the door," I said.
Eddie did as I asked.
Then all the kids sat on my bed except for Ben and Stan. They stayed standing.
I looked at Ritchie.
"Ritchie you have a fear of clowns don't you?" I asked him.
"Yeah," he said nodding his head. He fixed his glasses that were sliding off his nose.
Then he looked me dead in the eyes.
Realization hit him like a bird smashing into a telephone pole.
"Have you seen him too?" he asked me.
"I've done more than seen him. He's the one who did this to me," I said showing them my bandaged arms and I touched my shoulder.
"He's the one who bit you?" asked Bill.
I nodded my head.
"He's an animal isn't he?" I asked Bill, hoping he understood what I was implying.
The kids all looked at each other.
"So wait Georgie's animal attack; was the clown?" asked Stan.
"Yes," I answered Stan.
"I guess I was in the right place at the right time. A savior in the rain," I said.
"Have you all seen him?" I asked.
"Ben I know you have. I was with you that day in the library," I said.
Ben nodded his head.
"That was the first and last time I saw him," said Ben. I could tell he was scared. We all were.
"What else have you seen?" I asked the kids.
"I saw a leper," said Eddie.
"He was like a walking infection," he stated.
"We all have been seeing something different. None of this makes any sense. Not even the woman I keep seeing," said Stan.
"What woman?" I asked Stan.
"Is she hot?" asked Ritchie.
I looked at Ritchie. There was that mouth again.
"No Ritchie. She's not hot. Her face is all messed up. Its' not normal," said Stan.
"None of this is," I said to Stan.
"Bev have you seen anything?" I asked her because she was oddly quiet.
"No Nothing, not yet," she said.
"I hope you don't," I said squeezing her hand.
"Why did he ta ta take you in the first place?" asked Bill.
"He said I was the most fun one. He wanted to scare me more and more because I kept fighting him. I guess the more scared we are, the better we taste. That's how he feeds. He feeds on our greatest fears. He's a shapeshifter as well. He transformed himself into my cousin to try to trick me," I said.
"Who's your cousin?" asked Ritchie.
'Oh crap now I've said too much,' I thought.
"Um, well…"I started to say getting embarrassed about this information.
"Carrie White," said Bill.
"Bill," I said sternly turning my head to him. I can't believe he told them.
The kids all looked at me with fear and uncertainty.
"I am blood related to her but I am NOT her," I said to the kids, trying to keep the peace.
"You're related to that monster?" asked Ritchie.
"She wasn't a monster. She was just a girl," I told him
The kids were very unsure of me now.
"Listen guys I know she seemed like she was a murderer but you all don't know the whole story," I said.
I pleaded with them with my eyes.
"Tell us then," said Eddie.
I sighed.
"I only know bits and pieces of what happened that night 13 years ago," I said.
"It was the night of the prom. More than half the senior class died that night. It was all a prank. The bullies dropped pig's blood on Carrie at the prom after they had planned for her to become prom queen. That was her limit of being bullied all her life. She apparently set fire to the gym. No one got out that I know of. The doors were bolted. And the school burned down. How Carrie got out I'm not sure," I said telling them the tale of what happened that fateful night.
"And that's what the newspapers had said," I told them.
"And you're absolutely sure she's dead?" asked Eddie.
I glared at Eddie.
"I was 3 when my mom had to identify the bodies. I accidently followed her into the morgue and I saw both Carrie's body and my Aunt Margaret's. Seeing those bodies isn't something I will ever likely soon to forget. She's dead and she is never coming back," I said.
"Now this clown that kidnapped you, how did you escape?" asked Bill bringing us back on subject.
"I thought for sure I was going to die down there in the sewers. He had me and I was dying," I said, clutching the bite wound on my shoulder.
I started to cry a bit.
"That's not the worst of it. All those kids that are missing, they are all there. He has them floating around on top of a garbage pile," I cried.
The kids jumped back in shock of this new information.
"He made me look at their bodies. He killed little Tim Clancone right in front of me," I sobbed hugging myself as I remembered seeing Tim being ripped to pieces right in front of me.
"How did you get out?" asked Bev. She put her hand in mine and I squeezed it tightly.
"Wasn't by luck or fate. He started choking and gagging saying some shit like my blood and skin was tainted," I said.
"Tainted?" asked Eddie getting nervous.
"Take it easy Eddie. I believe my blood is pure. I don't know. The doctors haven't told me anything yet," I say trying to calm the germophobe down.
"No this isn't right," said Eddie, hyperventilating.
He took out his inhaler and took a deep breath.
He walked into the bathroom and turned on the light. He took his meds out as his watched beeped, signaling it was time to take his medication.
"He's always been like that," said Stan.
"Yeah no doubt. I've seen his mother," I said.
She was an overweight nasty ass bitch trying to keep Eddie all to herself.
"After Pennywise let me go, I just got up and crawled my way out of the sewers and that's when I found all of you. Thank God I did because if I didn't I'm sure I'd be out there right now dead in the woods," I said.
"Is that his name?" asked Ben.
"Yeah Pennywise the Dancing Clown. That's why I was in the library that day. I was looking for any information on him I could find. But then you told me about the past events that have happened in this town," I said to Ben.
"I've been going over all my Derry research. Everything that's been happening here in this town from the Ironworks Explosion, to the Black Spot fire; it all seems to happen 'every 27 years'," said Ben and Bill in unison.
"So wait this has been going on since October? So this clown or thing, whatever it is, what? Comes alive every 27 years to feed for a year before going back into hibernation for another 27 years?" asked Ritchie.
"And right now it's feeding time," I said.
"Geo Geo Georgie would have been the first victim," said Bill.
Bill was right. The town had been quiet all this time before Georgie was attacked.
"Until I interrupted his meal," I said linking all the events together. I laid back on my pillow.
"To me, this seems to be personal," said Bev.
"So you think this clown will finish what he started?" asked Eddie who exited the bathroom, turning off the light.
"Do you think he's going to go after her again?" asked Eddie pointing to me,
"I don't know," said Bill.
"Maybe it'll try to finished what it started," I said looking at Bill.
"Where's Georgie?" I asked him.
"Home with mom and dad," said Bill.
"Are you sure?" I asked him
Bill's eyes went wide and he ran out of the room.
"Guys go with him," I said.
"But what about you?" asked Ritchie.
"I can't move. And my mom is nearby. I doubt that clown will attack in a crowded hospital. I believe for the time being I'm safe," I told him.
"Stick together. Together you are strong. Don't separate," I told Ritchie.
"That's how he got me. I was alone," I told him.
Stan, Ben, Bev all left the room and I was left alone with Eddie.
"What's wrong Eddie?" I asked him.
"Are you going to be alright?" he asked me.
"For now I think I am," I said.
He silently turned red.
I think he was blushing.
I took his hand in mine.
He looked uncomfortable at the gesture.
"Eddie go. I'm safe here," I reassured him.
He looked at me with those big brown puppy dog eyes.
"Go!" I said to him.
I let him go and he left the room.
I sighed, leaning back on my bed
My stomach growled again.
'I wish that nurse would hurry with some food,' I thought.
On the other side of the door, my mom was sobbing on her ham sand which.
She had heard everything I said to the kids.
"It's happening again," she silently cried.
Unbeknownst to any of us, there was a single red balloon floating right outside my room.
AN: YOU ALL ARE AMAZING THAT I AM POSTING TWO CHAPTERS TONIGHT!
MUCH LOVE TO YOU ALL! THIS SHOULD BE A FUN ROLLER COASTER RIDE!
KEEP READING! IT'S GOING TO GET BLOODIER AND IT ALL GOES DOWNHILL FROM HERE!
LOSERS CLUB-WE ARE HEADED TOWARDS A FINAL SHOWDOWN SOON!
