It had been a week since Rachel had seen Pennywise. All that time, she had gone about her daily routine, her heart not into anything she did. Two days after her last talk with Roman, a woman had come on the news saying that Chris's body had been found in his parent's cabin. Another family torn apart by Pennywise. This one by me and Pennywise, Rachel reminded herself. Every time she thought of that day, her heart would clench in her chest.
She was sitting at the desk cataloguing some magazines when she got the phone call that
would completely shatter her world.
"Good morning, Derry Public Library, this is Rachel."
"Rachel, this is your mom."
Sarah was crying.
"Mom! What's wrong?"
"It's your brother…he's missing."
Rachel felt like she had been punched in her gut.
"What? What do you mean missing?"
"I left him in his crib for just a few minutes. And when I came back…" She sobbed some more. "Oh Rachel, the window was open. He wasn't anywhere. I looked. Someone stole your brother. They stole Toby!" Sara started wailing.
Rachel banged the phone back down on the hook and grabbed her keys. To hell with her job. She knew exactly who had taken her brother.
And there was no way Pennywise was going to get away with it.
Rachel got to the Denbroughs in record time. She didn't even bother to knock on the door. This was her family. Uncle Zach was on the phone when she came rushing in. Aunt Susan was standing next to him. She was crying.
Rachel froze in her tracks. "Aunt Susan?"
"Rachel?" Susan came to Rachel and put her arms around her. Rachel hugged her back.
"Shh. It's gonna be okay. He's gonna be okay. We'll find him."
"Oh, Rachel. He just vanished. We don't know where he went. One minute he was out playing in the back yard, and the next he was gone."
Rachel narrowed her eyes and slowly pulled away from her aunt. "Wait…Toby was in his crib. That's what mom told me."
"T-Toby? He's missing too?"
Rachel felt like a pick of ice had stabbed her heart. "Too? Who else is missing?"
"It's Georgie."
Rachel whirled around and saw Bill standing there. "Someone t-took Georgie."
Rachel felt lightheaded all of a sudden. Toby and Georgie. Pennywise had taken them both. But why? She could understand him wanting to get back at Bill, but he had sworn to her that he would never hurt anything that was a part of her. So what changed? Unless he didn't want to hurt Toby. So then why take him? Rachel grabbed a chair from the table with shaky hands. She had to sit down. She felt like the room was starting to spin and she couldn't quite catch her breath.
She glanced up at Bill. The look of worry and sadness on his face tore at Rachel's heart. She felt so lost. So helpless. She needed to go outside so she could breathe. She gestured towards the front door and stood. Bill went with her.
"You don't think P-Pennywise would hurt them, do you?" Bill asked once they were on the porch.
"I don't know." Rachel's voice sounded hollow in her ears. "I don't see what that would accomplice. And why Toby? I told him I needed some space and he said he would give it to me. It's only been a week."
She pushed her hair back from her face.
"We need to stop him, Rachel. We need to s-stop Pennywise," Bill said desperately.
"I know, Bill," Rachel said through gritted teeth. She went to stand by the porch railing. "I just don't know what to do. I never thought I would have to deal with something like this."
"W-we should get everyone together. Richie, Eddie, everyone."
Rachel spread her hands out. "And do what?"
"Find a way to stop Pennywise."
Rachel felt like she was standing there watching herself. It was the only way she could cope with this. She had been telling herself for over a week now that something needed to change concerning Pennywise, but the less time she had spent with him, the less conviction she was beginning to feel. If only she could get him alone without the rest of the Losers. Try to talk some sense into him. And then what? she asked yourself. How many more centuries is he going to do this? How many more families is he going to destroy?
Rachel took a deep breath. Bill was standing there staring up at her expectantly.
"Fine. Get everyone together. We can meet at the park. And we'll go from there."
Bill ran back into the house. And Rachel went out to her car. She felt like she was Joan of Arc going to face Armageddon.
A half hour later, Rachel was sitting on a picnic table stuffing her face with french fries. She didn't know what she was about to be getting herself into or how long it would be before she could eat again. She sighed as she thought of poor Toby and Georgie. Pennywise had to be keeping them in his lair. Or at least in the Neibolt house.
Rachel was almost done when Bill and his friends finally showed up. She swallowed the knot that had suddenly formed in her throat. She hadn't really seen them all together since they had come to visit her at the library. Of course Bill and Richie would have told them everything by now. She took a deep breath as the rode their bikes up to her. Time to face the music.
"The cavalry has arrived, my lady," Richie announced as they came up to the bench. They dismounted their bikes.
Rachel smiled. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all. And maybe my husband isn't really a demonic alien clown, she thought snidely.
Ben smiled at her shyly. "Hey, Rachel," he said as he took off his backpack and placed it on the table.
"Hey, bud." Ben really was a cutie, she thought. With his sweet eyes and squishy cheeks.
This is what you're fighting for, Rachel reminded herself as Ben started taking some papers out of his backpack.
"Chris brought us these," he said. "They show different monsters and what they're allergic to."
Rachel's heart started pounding again and she found she was having trouble breathing.
Just take it slow. You can do this, she told yourself. Don't wimp out on them now.
Ben held the pages out to her. Rachel took them with a shaky hand.
"We thought you could h-help to better figure out what his w-weaknesses are," said Bill.
You mean besides me, Rachel wanted to say. But of course she didn't.
"Well we all know that werewolves are allergic to silver and with vampires, it's holy water and garlic. And sunlight. Fairies are allergic to iron as well." Rachel rifled through the copied pages. There weren't many of them. "To me the thing that would make sense the most would be holy water."
Richie threw his hands up in the air. "So we find us some holy water."
"Yeah, but where?" Bev asked. "I'm sure you can't just go buy that at the store."
Everyone glanced at Stan.
"Jews don't do holy water," he said.
"But you're the son of a fucking rabbi. That's got to count for something," Eddie exclaimed.
"What about a church?" Rachel suggested.
"Great. Now we just need to buy guns and rob a church," said Richie.
Rachel rolled her eyes. "No, Richie. I meant we go in there and take some. We would have to fill something up."
"And do what? Baptize the fucking clown?" Eddie added.
Rachel moaned. "No, Eddie."
"Guys, let's be serious," said Bev.
Rachel could have hugged her.
"What do you suggest, Rachel?" Mike asked.
"We get some squirt guns. We'll have to bring something to the church with us to fill them up. That way we can do it quickly and we can…bring it back to my place…"
She couldn't continue. She was conspiring to kill her husband. Is this what had really become of her and Pennywise? She saw him in her mind's eye, the sweet supportive clown that she had come to know and love. Rachel sat down slowly on the bench as tears swam before her vision. She blinked them away then glanced up at the group of kids standing before her, and what she saw broke her heart even more, if that was even possible. There was no judgement. Just grief and understanding.
"I know what you all must think of me," Rachel said softly. "But you need to understand. The Pennywise that I know…that I loved… that I still love, is so much more different than what you have all experienced." A stray tear fell. She couldn't stop it. "But I want you all to know that I will fight. I will make this right. Even if it kills me."
To her surprise, Bev gave her a hug. Rachel put her arm around her.
"I can't even imagine what you're going through, Rachel," Mike spoke up. "Especially with your baby on the way. But we're here for you. All of us."
Stan and Bill nodded in agreement, and to Rachel's surprise, so did Richie.
"Does anybody have any squirt guns?"
The whole group turned to Ben, staring at him as if he had just grown a second head.
He shrugged. "Just asking."
"No, that's a good question." Rachel stood. "'Cause if no one does, we're gonna have to buy some. And I don't have any money on me."
"We can meet you at the c-church if you wanna buy some," Bill suggested.
"Yeah."
"That'll work."
Rachel glanced around at the group. They all had a plan now. "I'll get some squirt guns. The rest of you get some containers. I don't care if it's a canteen, a pitcher, anything. Meet up at the church, and then we'll go from there."
Everyone hopped on their bikes. Rachel started to take off for her car when she saw it. A single red balloon floating off in the near distance. She watched it for a few seconds and then it popped. Rachel glanced around nervously.
Pennywise knew. And apparently he was not happy about it.
Rachel stared up at the Neibolt house, her heart feeling like it was literally shaking in her chest. The Losers had showed up at her house with their containers of holy water. Rachel had put the plug in her bathroom sink and filled it up, then loaded up the squirt guns she had just bought. She had felt like she was about to be having a squirt gun fight with Georgie and Bill.
And that was exactly what she was about to do now. Except the fight was real this time. And it was for Georgie and Toby's lives. Mike had brought his bolt gun that he used on sheep. Bill was knelt on the ground rigging up a rusted spike that had broken off of the fence. Rachel glanced around the yard. Yellow sunflowers stood out like miniature suns amongst the tall dead grass. It was like they were the souls of all the dead children saying do this for us, Rachel. It lifted her spirits. Just a bit.
The group made their way one by one inside. Rachel was shaking so badly, she wouldn't be surprised if the others could see. And then finally they came upon it.
The well.
Of course Richie had to speak up first.
"So who wants to go say hi to the nice evil clown first?" No one said anything. "Well let's not all volunteer at once."
Rachel started to open her mouth, but Bill stepped in.
"I'll go first."
He and Mike found the rope and rigged it up so that they could climb down. Down they all went, one by one, Mike assisting them. Finally it was just Rachel and Mike. Her gaze met his.
"I guess I'll go next," she said quietly.
Rachel went up to the well and stared down. She froze. Did he know she was there? And that she was about to betray him?
She heard a loud sound right next to her and whirled around. Her mouth fell open in shock. Mike was on the floor. And there was someone standing next to him.
Rachel had only a split second to react before Henry Bowers came at her next. She landed on her back on the hard floor. The wind was knocked out of her. He was on top of her, leering down at her. His face was covered in blood and his eyes were wide and crazed. A wide, maniacal smile was on his face.
"Here we are again, bookworm," he sneered. Rachel tried to fight against him, but he had her pinned down. "I guess you're gonna get it this time, aren't you?"
Bowers reached out and squeezed her breast hard. She cried out. Her head went to the side and she saw something. The bolt gun was lying on the floor. She reached out for it. Luckily Bowers was too busy fondling her to notice.
"Do you have any idea what I'm going to do to you? And how long I've been wanting to do it?"
"Bowers, let her go," Mike said as he tried to sit up.
Rachel got her fingers around the gun and yanked it up. Bower's hand shot out and grabbed her arm.
"Now, now is that anyway to play fair?"
"Get off of me, you mullet wearing freak!"
Bowers laughed and brought his face down to hers. And that was when the smell hit her. she inhaled.
"Ahh," Rachel moaned.
"Now you're starting to get the idea," Bowers said, thinking that it was what he was doing to her that was turning her on.
Rachel felt a surge of adrenaline pump through her. She wanted his blood. Of course she wanted his blood. She was Pennywise's mate. And now it was time she started acting like it.
She tried to bring up the hand that held the gun. She had to strain. Bowers strained against her. Rachel fought to find her inner strength. Bower's eyes grew wide as her arm started coming up. She could tell he was fighting with all his might. But now so was she.
She was Pennywise's mate.
She brought the gun up and got her hand around the trigger. She pointed it towards Henry's other shoulder. And fired.
Bowers screeched and grabbed his shoulder with his other hand. He let his weight come off of Rachel and she pushed him off. Bowers stood up and stumbled back. Rachel stood up also. Bowers was against the well now.
"A girl. You're just a stupid fucking girl," Bowers said through grit teeth.
"No. I'm not…I am the mate of Pennywise."
She cried out and ran at Bowers. She pushed him with all her might and he went over, right down the well. Rachel heard him bounce off the walls on the way down.
She stood there panting and shaking. She was stronger than she realized. She glanced over at Mike, who stood there watching her. After a minute he finally stepped closer to her.
"Your eyes," he said.
She knew exactly what he was talking about.
"You're becoming like him, aren't you?"
Rachel bent down and picked up the bolt gun. She had dropped it when she had run at Bowers.
"I'm here now, aren't I?"
She handed the gun to Mike. The two of them descended. When Rachel got to the bottom she heard screaming. She ran down the tunnel towards the source of the sound. Stan was sitting on the ground. He had what appeared to be bite marks all over his face. The rest of the Losers were crowded around him.
"YOU LEFT ME! YOU SAID YOU WOULDN'T LEAVE ME, BUT YOU LEFT ME!"
That was all she needed to see. She ran down the tunnel and didn't stop until she got to the lair. It was exactly as she had remembered it. The trash mountain. The floating bodies. She strained her ears and then she heard something. The sound of crying.
The sound of a toddler crying.
She followed the sound. And then she saw them. Toby was sitting next to the trash mountain crying. Georgie was sitting next to him with his knees pulled up to his chest. Rachel took off for them but a large white shape jumped in front of her.
She stopped in her tracks.
"I knew you would come home eventually, my dear. Do you like your gifts?"
Pennywise's face was lit up in a huge grin. Georgie saw you.
"Rachel!" he cried.
He tried to run to her, but Pennywise grabbed him.
"No!" Rachel yelled. "Pennywise, let him go!"
"I thought nothing could come between us, my dear. Looks like I was wrong."
Rachel heard the others come running in behind her.
"Pennywise! Let my b-brother go!" Bill yelled.
"And you've brought your little friends, I see," said Pennywise.
"Pennywise, it doesn't have to be like this," Rachel said. "You can let them go. You can let them both go. You gave me what I wanted. Space. And it helped. I know what I want now. You. That's all I want is you!"
"And you needed to bring your little friends to help you see that?" Pennywise let out a dark chuckle.
"Billy, please help," Georgie pleaded.
Toby started wailing. Rachel wanted to scream, herself. She tried going with a softer approach.
"You made your point, Penny. You did. You are very capable of handling being with a baby. So we can raise ours. Together. Isn't that what you want?"
"Rachel, please," Georgie pleaded.
The Losers all stood there with their squirt guns raised. Bill held the bolt gun in his hand.
Pennywise laughed. "Look at all your little toys. You think you'll be able to stop me with that?"
"I can stop you. And I will. Right now." Bill raised his gun.
"Shoot him, Bill! Shoot him!" the others yelled.
"It's not loaded," Mike said. "It's not loaded!"
Bill fired. A blast of air shot Pennywise in the forehead. Pennywise started making a garbled noise and shaking. Georgie squirmed out of his grasp and ran to Rachel. Pennywise shook a bit more then stopped and grinned.
"Holy shit," said Stan.
"Now what?" said Richie.
"Fire! Fire now!" Eddie yelled.
Pennywise ran at Bill. Five squirt guns went off. Pennywise stopped in his tracks and started flailing his body as holy water hit him in the face and torso.
Rachel put her own hands up to her face and hollered. Her face was burning. Pennywise went down into a crouch.
The Losers attacked.
Richie jumped on Pennywise's back, but the clown flipped him over. The rest of the Losers started dog piling him and hitting him, but he kept throwing them off. Finally he got a hold of Bill and grabbed him by the throat.
Rachel threw her hand out. "No!"
The entire group stopped. Rachel now realized that they had all made one giant mistake. They might have had enough holy water to finish him off, but there was just one problem— it had mostly hit his costume. But it had affected him somewhat. That much Rachel was certain of. Some of Pennywise's paint had run down his face, reveling the pale, pink, tender flesh beneath.
Rachel's own face was burning. She could only imagine what Pennywise's felt like.
"I'll take him. I'll take all of you," Pennywise said. He held up a shaky finger. "Or I can just take her. My mate. She will sleep by my side and stay with me for eternity while all the rest of you go on to live happy lives until old age returns you to the weeds."
"Just go. He can have me," Bill called out. "I'm sorry I got you all into this."
"S-sorry," Pennywise said with a mocking laugh.
Rachel stood there. Like the coward she was, she just stood there. All she had to do was say yes. She had gotten Georgie and Toby out of the way, but now another member of her family was in jeopardy.
"You're right, Bill. You're absolutely fucking right," said Richie. "You punched me in the face, you made me walk through shitty water, and brought me into some crackhead house. And now," he grabbed a baseball bat off the mountain of junk, "I'm going to have to kill this fucking clown. WELCOME TO THE LOSER'S CLUB, ASSHOLE!"
Richie swung at Pennywise. The bat connected with his head and the clown fell back, releasing Bill in the process. Rachel felt a jolt of pain in her forehead. Pennywise came back, but Mike came at him this time with a crowbar. A multitude of burnt arms came out of Pennywise's mouth and grabbed the crowbar.
That was Rachel's chance. She ran for Georgie and Toby. At least she could get the little boys out. She was halfway to them when she doubled over with a pain in her abdomen. She couldn't catch her breath. Behind her, her mate was being impaled through the abdomen. Pennywise roared as his blood flew upward into the air. Rachel fell to her knees. Pennywise pulled the spike out of himself, but they hit him over and over. Rachel felt a pain in her back and put a hand to the back of her head as if she had just gotten the blow there herself.
She didn't know what kind of damage they were doing to Pennywise, but they were killing her. That much she was certain of. And she wasn't ready to die. She crawled over to her group. Tears stung her eyes, she was in such pain. She saw another bat. A metal one. She grabbed it. Pennywise was on his knees. His face changed into a man Rachel had never seen before. Now was her chance. The chance to save herself.
She wasn't ready to die.
With one last ounce of strength, Rachel hoisted herself to her feet. Bev raised a metal spike with a yell. Rachel swung the bat.
Metal struck against metal. Bev stared at Rachel in shock. Tears were streaming down Rachel's face.
"I won't let you kill us."
Behind her, Pennywise was crawling backwards. He backed up against a large hole that Rachel hadn't seen before. The Losers all followed him. She lowered her bat.
"We're not afraid of you anymore, and you know that now," Bill told him. "And now you're going to starve."
Pennywise scowled up at Bill.
"You think this is over, puny boy? I will return. And your whole world will quiver beneath me."
"Not today," said Mike.
Pennywise hoisted himself over the edge of the hole, but held on the ledge. Rachel's eyes met his as she wept. He really was leaving. Going into hibernation. She mentally told him goodbye and turned away. She couldn't watch this.
She had taken two steps when she felt something jerk her ankle. She fell flat on her stomach. Once again the air was knocked out of her. Something started dragging her. She tried to grab at something. Anything. She screamed, but it was just not use. She felt herself go airborn.
And then she fell into darkness.
! !
! !
{Epilogue}
Rachel woke up. Her entire body was one giant ache. She was lying on something hard and rough. A cold wind buffeted her body. She saw stars above her. She must have been outside somewhere. Someone leaned over her. She gasped and then tried to speak, but no sound came out.
"Shhh," he said. "You can rest now."
The man passed his hand over Rachel and all her aches slowly left her body. She stared up at him as her mind cleared a bit. In the moonlight, she could see that he had short blond, slicked back hair.
"Where am I?" she asked.
"It doesn't matter. You're safe now. Sleep," he said in a silky voice.
Rachel fell asleep.
The man passed his hand over her again.
"Yes, you are a powerful one, aren't you?" he said to her sleeping form. "You'll be fine right here. He'll find you soon enough. You and I will meet again. Not that you'll remember me."
He placed his hand on her forehead.
"Yes. We will meet soon enough."
With that, the Man in Black stood and walked off, disappearing into the desert night.
To be continued...
Author's Note: Thank you all so much to everyone who has supported Stroke of Midnight and has chosen to go on this amazing journey with me!
Rachel and Pennywise's tale continues in "Queen of Ash and Dust" which will be found in the Crossover section under Movies/IT/ Dark Tower series. I just posted chapter 1, so go check it out and see where Rachel's journey takes her next!