DISCLAIMER: IT IS OWNED BY NEW LINE CINEMA AND WARNER BROS. STUDIOS! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR MY OC'S!

A/N: I hope you guys enjoy the first chapter of Rivers of Blood!

I've been looking so long at these pictures of you

That I almost believe that they're real

I've been living so long with my pictures of you

That I almost believe the pictures are

All I can feel

Chapter One: A Feeling of Lonliness

June 13th, 1989

2:25 P.M.

Evelyn's POV

Depression means that without sound, the mind plummets into less and less light, and darkness beyond measure. It is a painful experience and it is one of the worst things a human being can feel in their soul. You feel as if your brain is ineffective, unthinkable; and the emotion you feel is almost unbearable, almost as if you think that you aren't worth living for or being alive at all. You sit in your room for days and do nothing but stare blankly at a wall, ceiling, or out the window, feeling nothing but pain.

It's a numbness, a coldness and an inability to believe that you will be happy again, or feel lighthearted again. All the color drained out of life. It is the worst possible thing that anyone could ever feel in their years of living, and they hate melting into soundless oblivion or their soul being trampled on by feet in heavy boots or tears as silent as the grave roll in steady procession.

That story began four years ago, in 1985. And it still continues for Evelyn Miller, four years later, on the last day of school in 1989.

She pretended that the sunshine wasn't cold as she sat at her desk, staring at the clock that was mounted on the wall. A part of her was impatiently waiting for the time to hit 2:30 so she could get out of this godforsaken prison people called school. But, at the same time, she was praying that she wouldn't be taken away from her distraction; even though she hated school, it was her only freedom from everything she suffered through in the past few years of her life, and she was grateful for it.

Evelyn was a girl of thirteen years that used to have a bright and shining smile planted on her face every day. But that all changed four years ago when she witnessed something horrific that she would never forget. Gone was the fleeting happiness that had settled in her heart for most of her childhood; it was now replaced by welcoming darkness that she couldn't stop. Her pale blue eyes used to dance whenever she saw something intriguing but they were now sunken into dark hollows of no soul that would quite possibly never resurrect again.

Her hair was a deep chestnut brown with very slight hints of red combined, cascading down her shoulders in elegant waves that reached the middle of her back. It perfectly complemented her pastel complexion and her eyes; her pale eyes that were the color of a newly bloomed bluebell from a valley, delicate. And if it weren't for the dark circles under them, you could have mistakened her emotion as a happy one because summer would be arriving in the next few minutes.

But, alas, turns out that wasn't the case.

However, Evelyn ignored that as she glanced up at the clock again. 2:27, it read. She sighed to herself, looking down at the journal in front of her that held the many poems she had either quoted or wrote herself. She had completely tuned out Mrs. Craven's rambling about plans for the summer and last-minutes expectations. The young girl never really cared about all of that, only caring about what she did during her own time. She tapped her pencil against the wooden desk dozens and dozens of times, not giving a crap if it made noise or annoyed anybody, since she knew the chatter of the students overpowered what she was doing. She glanced down at the not so blank piece of paper in front of her, reading the new verses she had quoted:

Solitude - By: Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Laugh, and the world laughs with you;

Weep, and you weep alone;

For the sad old earth must borrow its mirth,

But has trouble enough of its own.

Sing, and the hills will answer;

Sigh, it is lost on the air;

The echoes bound to a joyful sound,

But shrink from voicing care.

This was Evelyn's favorite poem, because it stood out to her and spoke to her heart. It really described - embraced - what she was feeling currently; she could hide her facade with a smile quite easily when others were around, but when they left, it was going back to being poor old depressed Evelyn Miller. She would transform back into the girl that felt as if nobody loved her or that she couldn't do anything right.

Sure, the teachers liked her and she got good grades all the time, but hidden beneath that was a girl with a tragic past that she never uttered around others. And that was what made her become the infamous outcast of Derry, Maine. She never spoke to anyone, she barely even cast glances in other people's direction; she always kept to herself and stayed quiet and reserved.

Rejoice, and men will seek you;

Grieve, and they turn and go;

They want full measure of all your pleasure,

But they do not need your woe.

Be glad, and your friends are many;

Be sad, and you lose them all,

There are none to decline your nectared wine,

But alone you must drink life's gall.

Ever since the tragedy that she had endured when she was nine, she was reduced to a broken soul, shattered glass that couldn't be fixed or glued back together. And, because of that, she had no friends whatsoever. Whispers always traveled behind her back like passing cars, and she always heard them in her eardrums, and she thought everybody just pitied her; at least, she felt as if the ones that never bullied her just felt bad for her. But those people truly didn't give a crap and never bothered to help.

That fact never made her more depressed, it just irritated her a bit.

Feast, and your halls are crowded;

Fast, and the world goes by.

Succeed and give, and it helps you live,

But no man can help you die.

There is room in the halls of pleasure

For a large and lordly train,

But one by one we must all file on

Through the narrow aisles of pain.

The final bell suddenly blared through her ears just as she was focused on the many dots she had made with her pencil. Evelyn jumped a mile into the air when it happened, not expecting the swarm of students to barrel towards the door and rush out into summer break, leaving her all alone. It didn't bother her, though, so she took her time gathering her things into her arms and getting up from her chair. She made sure to push it into its rightful place, and she spared one last glance as Mrs. Craven, who was looking at her with a bright beam.

"I hope you have a great summer, Evelyn," she said happily, even though the girl could see the hidden emotion behind her smile. She nodded in response. "I'll try to," she replied. "You have a great one as well, Mrs. Craven."

And with that, she left the classroom, barely able to hear the teacher wishing her luck during high school. She never returned to that room ever again.

Evelyn was always able to speak to teachers in a normal, semi-confident tone, since she knew that they couldn't hurt her and she felt safe around them. But it was different now, since the school year was over and she would never see these people for the rest of her life, so the feeling of safety was swept away by that thought. And she secretly hated that with a passion.

She reached her locker and grabbed her backpack, stuffing the supplies into it. She was one of the only students that liked to keep what she had worked on throughout the year in her room or closet; it was at least something that could distract her from everything that was going on around her and inside of her. She zipped the bag up and slung both straps over her shoulders as she began to make her way down the hall, trying her best to push past the other kids before anything else could happen.

She could hear the chatter about summer plans and ideas such as sleepovers, parties, going to the Aladdin theater, hanging out at the Barrens. She even barely overheard a conversation about what was going to happen at the Bar Mitzvah at the Derry Synagogue in early August. But, although she slightly smiled at how happy the other students seemed to be, she knew that all she was going to do this summer was sit in her room and do nothing but listen to her Walkman, read, or write more poetry while her foster parents neglected her further.

Sure, her foster parents fed her every day and they knew she was still alive and under her roof, but it definitely seemed like she was invisible to them on a daily basis. That was okay, though. She didn't freaking care anymore.

As Evelyn turned the corner of the hallway, seeing a few kids heading down the stairs to exit the school, she felt herself being roughly pushed to the side. Her right arm collided with the brick wall, and she grabbed at it in shock and slight pain.

"Move your skinny butt, Miller!" she heard a female's voice sneer in her ears.

The girl glared up and saw a girl with blonde, curly hair stomping down the hall before she had a chance to see her face. It seemed that she was making a beeline for the girls' bathroom, a purpose in her furious steps. Evelyn didn't care what she was going to do in there, but the fact that Greta Keene literally shoved her out of her path without even apologizing made her blood boil. But, then again, Greta did this all the time.

Screw you, too, twat, Evelyn thought angrily as she walked down the stairs and towards the doors with a red sign above it that screamed, 'EXIT.' After getting past another dozen people, she pushed open the doors and exited the school forever, appreciating the feeling of her chestnut brown hair being blown behind her by the wind. The breeze tangled a few strands into slight knots and she groaned internally, knowing she was going to have to brush them out later; and that would be freaking difficult.

The bright sunshine beat down on her pale face and she looked around, admiring how the light brought her infinite hues of green due to her surroundings, each complimenting the other, more beautiful together than alone. It felt as if the light traveled and flowed, the energy like water rushing in a river, kissing creation alive.

It was gorgeous. And that was the best part about the season of summer, even if it was Evelyn's least favorite of the year.

She slightly jogged down the stairs, appreciating the warm air against her skin, and she was grateful that she wasn't wearing a sweatshirt; that was something that she often did during the hot weather, and it never bothered her. She couldn't stop a ghost of a smile from forming on her face as she stared up at the sky for a moment, reveling in the fantasy-like beauty of it all. But Evelyn then looked back ahead, and she noticed several other students staring at her with judging looks before they quickly turned away.

She audibly sighed, tugging on the straps on her backpack further as she took steps forward, heading towards her favorite tree in front of the school. All the while, she couldn't help but hear the gossip and whispers echo in her subconscious. And there were lots of whispers:

"Why is that girl so weird?"

"What girl?"

"That Evelyn girl… she never speaks to anyone."

"Oh, she's been like that for a while. Apparently, something horrible happened to her when she was younger. Guess it messed her up."

"I hear her parents were killed and she's an orphan."

"Well, she's pretty and all, but she's too dang quiet and weird."

Although the bullying hurt her, Evelyn got used to it over time; she pretty much ignored it ever since it started. That didn't mean that people didn't pick on her, because they still did. They asked her why she was so quiet, they made fun of her because she had no parents.

"Evie's an orphan! A poor old orphan! Evie's an orphan! A poor old orphan!"

Those taunts still resonated in her mind during the waking hours of her days, and she wanted so badly to cover her ears and scream for the voices to shut up. Because of that and her depression, she had to seek therapy after it all began. Speaking of, she had a session with Dr. Grasnik at 3:30, and she really was not looking forward to it, since she hated it almost more than what she was going through.

Just as she reached her favorite spot to take a small breather before making the slightly lengthy trek home, she heard a taunting voice that wasn't directed towards her.

"Freaking losers!"

Evelyn peeked around the tree just in time to see Patrick Hockstetter fling something towards a passing school bus. She wasn't able to hear that much else, but she saw four boys around her age getting terrorized by the infamous Bowers Gang.

She herself had the unfortunate luck of being one of their favorite victims, but she luckily hid herself behind the tree so they wouldn't see her. They had pushed her around several times and called her terrible names that didn't make her cry, but lowered her self-esteem greatly. And, even though she wanted to help the innocent boys being tormented, she felt as if she weren't able to.

"You s-s-s-suck, Bowers!" one of them shouted and she was barely able to hear him.

She knew who it was instantly; it was Bill Denbrough, the boy who had a speech impediment where he stuttered over every other word or sentence. She didn't really know him that well, but she had heard all about him. She couldn't blame herself, she was just a very observant person. She winced when she saw how brave he was trying to be, and she wanted to turn away.

But, luckily, Bowers wasn't able to do anything too bad, since Evelyn noticed his father standing mere feet away from them. She sighed with relief; the boys weren't going to be hurt, and she eased up when Bowers, Hockstetter, and Reginald 'Belch' Huggins stalked away from the so called 'Losers' Club.' They went to their blue car, got in it, and drove away.

They didn't see her.

Evelyn stepped out from behind the tree and hugged her arms to herself, shivering from the slight fear she had felt for a moment. She looked around one more time before stepping forward once more, beginning the journey back home (she hadn't brought her bike today). She didn't care if it was blistering hot outside; she appreciated the feeling, since it brightened her mood ever so slightly.

She made sure to stay on the sidewalk, since she didn't want to be hit with passing bikes or vehicles. She had learned her lesson about that many years ago, so she knew better. She slightly regretted not bringing her bicycle to school today, but she was kind of okay with that, since walking was more relaxing for her brain. It allowed her to be at slight peace with herself, allowed her to think, to daydream if she wanted to.

Suddenly, four bikes whizzed past her at heart-pumping speed. One of the boys shouted at the top of his voice, "HI-YO, SILVER! AWAYY!"

Evelyn jumped back a little, even though she wasn't going to get hit by any of the bicycles, putting a hand over her heart because of the shock. She saw the same group of boys that had been bullied just minutes earlier, and they were acting as if it had never happened at all, all bright and hopeful for the summer that awaited them. The girl was able to recognize all of them, but the only names she could clearly remember was Bill Denbrough's. She remembered another one, but not his first name. Was it Ricky? Robert? Richard? Whatever, she knew his last name was Tozier or something like that.

She shook her head, pushing that little fright behind her as she continued her way home, turning the corner of Kansas Street.

"I don't know, I just… I wake up and I feel like I can't even breathe. I feel like I'm right there, just reliving it all over again. They just seem to be getting worse…" she explained shortly, not really wanting to go into too much detail.

"I understand that."

Evelyn was at the public hospital in Derry, in one of the rooms of the psychologist area, resting on the couch while her therapist, Dr. Grasnik was sitting in the recliner across from her. The young girl sighed a little at the older woman's response, putting her face in her hands when she was done explaining what her nightmares were like this time. If they weren't getting worse, then they wouldn't have been any different, but they were. They were so much worse than before, and that could have been for one particular reason, but she couldn't place her finger on it quite yet.

Carol Grasnik was a woman in her late 40's with black hair that just barely cascaded past her shoulders, which went well with her kind face and soft emerald eyes. She had been Evelyn's therapist since the girl was nine, and she was still trying her best to help her. And as she clicked her pen again, she couldn't help but look at the teenager's face, and she could see the pain that was hidden behind the facade. It made her heart sink slightly and it even made her a little afraid of how Evelyn would turn out in the future.

The young girl sat up and gave Dr. Grasnik an expectant look, awaiting an answer. It snapped the older woman out of her trance and she went back to focusing, looking over the sheet of paper she had filled out. "I'm a little concerned…" she said. "...but I can't really say I'm surprised. It's nearly the four year anniversary, after all, and that's usually a trigger point for you, isn't it?"

Evelyn nodded, running a hand over her face as a strand of her hair fell down in front of her. She tucked it back behind her left ear and lowered her pale blue eyes from Dr. Grasnik's gaze for a moment. She stared at the hardwood floor, becoming very interested in a slight scuff mark in the wood, most likely from one of her shoes. She almost didn't want to speak, but she knew she had to sometime soon or she would go insane.

So, she did just that.

"Carol…" she started, "...I know it's been nearly four years since my parents died. I saw them die with my own eyes."

Okay, maybe that wasn't entirely true, but it was to Evelyn. She felt as if she had seen the whole ordeal right in front of her, when that wasn't really the case at all. That was just how she saw it in her dreams, but not in real life, even if she was scared to admit that.

"I think I'm having these nightmares because that's killing me on the inside," she continued, her voice cracking a little. "And I don't want that to happen, I want to move on. It's just getting on my nerves, and it's annoying me."

Dr. Grasnik nodded. "It'll take you a while to move on, Evie," she replied calmly. "Pain like that takes a long time to leave your heart. I mean… you lost your parents, for God's sake! I would be feeling the same way you are right now if I went through that. But we have to heal you from the nightmares, which is why I say you're still in recovery."

The young girl gave the therapist a look of slight confusion, trying to process everything she said. "So… basically, I just… have to wait until my brain heals?" she asked.

Dr. Grasnik chuckled, not really expecting that reply, but she worked with it nonetheless. "Well, not exactly, but we can try to do that, too," she answered. "Let's try to help your brain heal a little bit today, okay?"

"Okay," replied Evelyn with a small groan of annoyance. This wasn't something she really wanted, but she figured it could possibly help her, so she reluctantly obeyed her and sat up straight, waiting for her to say something else. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before opening them again.

"How was your relationship with your parents before they… you know?"

Evelyn froze, her muscles tensing up majorly at this question. This was the last thing she wanted Dr. Grasnik to ever ask her, because she knew it would be very upsetting to talk about. She just looked at the older woman as if she were a radio and not a person that should be interacted with; she was very anxious to speak now, still afraid to trust the therapist that sat in front of her right now. The dread deadened her mind and emotions, and her mouth was unable to move at all.

But she knew that she would have to answer eventually, and she hated that so much. Despite this, she forced her mouth to pry itself open to allow the words to flow out.

"It… It was good," she answered simply. Dr. Grasnik smiled at this response.

"That's a great thing, isn't it?" she pressed onward. Evelyn shook her head almost instantly, causing the woman's smile to fade a little.

"No… it's not," she added. "It makes it worse for me. And I don't just see them in my nightmares anymore…. I see them everywhere. I see them and I'm always reminded of how close the three of us were. They were great people…. And I know I feel kind of awful by saying this, but… That's a constant reminder…. Every time I see their faces and I see how happy they were… I feel like it's my fault."

Dr. Grasnik sighed, looking down a little. She had heard this before; Evelyn always blamed herself for her parents' deaths, even though it was never her fault to begin with, and it deeply saddened the middle-aged woman. She was one of those therapists that really tried to help their patients, but the young girl in front of her was a completely different case; she was going to try her best regardless.

"Evelyn, it is not your fault," she said once again. "It never was your fault to begin with, and you don't need to say that. Saying something like that isn't going to help you with the pain, it only takes facing that sorrow to make you start on the road to recovery. It'll help your brain heal a little bit more each day, don't forget that."

The teenage girl just sat there, not thinking of anything to respond with to that statement. She didn't know of a way to agree or disagree with Dr. Grasnik; she didn't know of a way to help herself with the grief and depression, so she thought about the ways other people did this exact thing.

Some people thought of happiness, blissfulness, and togetherness, but Evelyn always felt as if they were fooling themselves. That's what she thought when she felt the closest thing to those emotions, but they weren't fooling her. She knew she wouldn't truly feel that way unless something or someone entered her life to make it that way, but until then, it was all just a lie to her. A dirty, messed up lie.

Love and happiness, to her, was just a phissad that made her emotions blue.

She was now on her bike and she was on her way home once again, the gusts of wind gently keeping her hair out of her face as she slowly pedaled. She didn't want to go too fast, out of worry that she would suddenly lose balance and fall off; if she did, she could hurt herself really badly and she did not want to go through that again. She had already experienced it once, and it wasn't going to happen anymore after that.

Evelyn gracefully turned the corner of Carlin Street and perfectly maintained her balance, despite the purse slung over her chest that should have been weighing her down; but it didn't. She had a small smile on her face, a strange feeling in her gut as she traveled down the roads and passed houses and stores. Some of the streets were empty as people were in their houses with their air conditioners on, and she enjoyed that feeling. She embraced the summer air as it soothed her subconscious for the first time in a long time.

In a weird way, she felt as if she were in Haddonfield, Illinois from the first Halloween movie. It was one of her favorite horror films, so she couldn't help but think about how the suburban streets eerily matched the one from that movie.

After turning onto Lampkin Lane, she noticed a figure out of the corner of her eye. She slowed down just a little until she came to a full stop on the side of the road, looking over at the man on the other side of the street.

At least… she thought it was a man.

He seemed to be taller than anyone she had ever seen before and he looked a little out of place compared to the quiet town. His hair glowed a very unnatural orange color, and it shimmered in the sunlight, adding more uneasiness to Evelyn's gut. His clothes were extremely baggy, but they still (surprisingly) fit him perfectly. It took the young girl just a second to realize that the man was dressed in a clown costume.

And the clown was dancing in a very unnerving way, with many side steps, jerks, and twitches that she had never seen before. It sent mild chills down her spine as she watched, and it made her grip the handlebars of her bike a little tighter; she was getting ready to take off when she felt that she needed to. She was wondering why this man was dancing in the middle of the street like a maniac in a mental institution, but she could already hear the alarm bells ringing in her mind.

The clown then locked eyes with her and a very inhuman smile grew on his face as his eyes lit up with wonder. He raised a hand and gestured for her to cross the street and meet him.

It was almost as if he were beckoning her to him. Luring her to danger.

Evelyn didn't know what the clown really wanted to do, but she didn't move. She was smarter than that, and she knew that obeying was not the right thing to do. The clown was too strange and it seemed to be a predator to her. A villain of some sort. She was reminded (strangely enough) about Freddy Krueger from A Nightmare on Elm Street, and how he would always lure children to their deaths. This weird man or clown seemed to be trying the same trick and it wasn't going to work for her.

But the biggest turning point that made the alarm bells in her head practically scream was when the clown's dark blue eyes began to glow a strange

(golden)

color. It looked as if they were a sickly yellow hue, and it made Evelyn's heart plummet to her stomach. This wasn't because she was scared, but it was because she was very weirded out by what she was currently seeing. She had gone from having some sort of grip on reality to full on insanity. She was going completely crazy.

That was what she thought, at least.

She put her left foot back on its rightful pedal and spared another glance at the clown. Her heart started hammering against her ribcage when she saw its grin fade away; she instead saw a very demented and angry look cross its face and it scared her to death. He

(It)

looked very evil.

She wasn't staying there a second longer.

With that in mind, she put her right foot on the other pedal and she began speeding away faster than ever. The wind blew her hair behind her so much that it was left in many knots and tangles, but she didn't care. All she was focused on was putting distance between herself and that weird

(entity)

clown. She didn't know what that was all about but she did know that it was not normal and it felt almost supernatural to her. Her hammering heartbeat began to slow down, but her adrenaline didn't.

And it wouldn't go away until she got home.

A/N: You know me. Please read this (if you want)!

So... we have a completely different character than what I normally do. This is depressing lmfao

What did you guys think of the first chapter? Did you enjoy it and are you looking forward to more?

Was the Pennywise scene eerie? I tried not to make it too scary, since we'll save the true terror for later. I was inspired to write that from another 'IT' story I'm currently reading, which is called 'Kid Fears' by robinmuffins. Go check out the story, it's magnificent so far!

Is Evelyn an interesting character? Do you feel sympathy for her and are you intrigued to learn more about her?

Well, that about wraps it up for the first chapter! Be looking forward to the next one! I hope you enjoyed this one! Have a great day, and until next time!

- Hermione Romanoff