DISCLAIMER: IT IS OWNED BY NEW LINE CINEMA AND WARNER BROS. STUDIOS! I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR MY OC!
A/N: Okay... I know this is early... But I'm going to a relative's house and I won't be able to upload this tomorrow. But hey, you at least get an early upload! But, ANYWAY, new chapter! The beginning of the final act, and the ritual takes place here, but there will be... yes, I'm gonna say it... please don't cry... ANOTHER CLIFFHANGER! I'm sorry, but there is a lot of stuff going on in this chapter and I needed to end it. It won't be as drastic as some of the others, but still!
Forewarning: This is BY FAR the longest chapter of this story so far, so let's hope you love it!
SuperSentai199: Yay, Henry's dead! Are you seriously asking who grabbed Steph?! XD Wow, you should know lol No pressure!
MissBeckyJolene: Thank you! And Happy early Birthday! :) And you will get that moment towards the beginning of the chapter.
robinmuffins: Thank you! I also felt that the tension was great! And yeah, Steph can't catch a break :(
MusicLover14: Thank you for your positive thoughts on my YouTube channel! I'm glad you enjoy it! And the fact that you're debating on whether my story or Stephen King's IT is better flatters me to no end! Oh, and if you want something related to kids, wait until the epilogue. ;) Hope you enjoy this chapter!
.2019: Thanks! And, yes, Bill and Steph have tried having kids. But in the novel, it explains that along with the curse that lingers in Derry, the Losers are unable to have children because of the influence of It. Hope that clears it up for you!
Special thanks to SuperSentai199, MissBeckyJolene, wolfsrainlover1, TrimusicaDrag00n90, robinmuffins, MusicLover14, and .2019 for either leaving a review or favoriting/following the last chapter!
Now, without further ado, here is the ninth chapter!
Chapter Nine
A sudden laugh rang through her ears, and Steph was instantly shaken back to reality. Her eyes opened, her eyelashes frantically batting against her lids when she blinked. She was leaning against a wall, a filthy, cobweb-covered wall, she realized quickly. Her face morphed into an expression of abhorrence as she struggled to get off of the floor. Her back was hurting from being flat against a brick wall for God knows how long. She let out a grunt as she finally managed to heave herself off of the ground, a million questions rushing through her head at once.
How much time had passed since she had blacked out? Was it five minutes later? Ten? Thirty? An hour? Forever? Was she hurt?
The final question was answered when she felt a throbbing pain on her right temple. She hissed in agony when this happened and her right hand immediately clutched at it out of impulse. Steph pressed her palm against her skin for a few seconds before pulling it away.
She could barely see in the very little light streaming in from a window, but she could make out the red substance of blood resting just under her ring, middle, and index fingers. It didn't look like a whole lot, but it would take several minutes to heal. Besides, it was fairly dry already.
This time, Steph didn't gag at the sight, instead wiping the palm of her hand on her jeans as she frantically began looking around. She didn't have her flashlight anymore; she had lost it when she was pulled down the stairs. And, since it was nearly pitch black in what she assumed to be the basement, she wouldn't be able to find it at all. She perked up a little, quickly scouting for her pocket knife. After a few seconds she froze, her hands stopping their search.
Great, just freaking great! Steph thought angrily as she loudly yelled in frustration.
Her pocket knife was gone, and she was sure she would never find it in this godforsaken place.
Another laugh emanated through the dark room, and Steph spun around multiple minutes, trying her best to point out where it was coming from. It was pointless; she couldn't see a dang thing.
She could barely hear footsteps, screaming, and what sounded like struggling coming from the floor above her. She didn't scream for help right away, instead opting to be quiet as she looked for a way out of this freaking room. To be honest, she should've just tried to call out for somebody, but she was also sure that they wouldn't hear her if she tried. She squeezed her eyes shut in concentration, her heartbeat still as normal as it was when she had woken up.
"Steph… Want to come float with us?"
The woman jumped at the sudden voice, swiftly turning around and pressing her back against the wall. What she saw interested her, but it didn't make the situation any better. In fact, it only made it much worse.
The clown was standing in front of her. And Steph knew that there was nothing creepier than a person or thing with emotions that certainly did not match the situation. It looked way too happy for knowing something bad was happening, that dang sinister grin planted onto its face as It stared at her with its unnaturally golden eyes.
The blonde-haired woman didn't react at all to Its drastic appearance, instead remaining frozen to the spot as the demon let out yet another spine-chilling laugh. Her eyes were wide, alert, and aware as she kept them focused on the clown, not backing down from what she knew to be something terrible.
"You'll float down here with your friends, Stephanie, we all float down here, tell Bill that Georgie says hello, tell Bill that Georgie misses him but he'll see him soon, tell him -"
"Shut the heck up!" Steph screamed at It abruptly. "You're not freaking real and you never will be! You've messed with the wrong kids, you monster!"
Its expression transformed into one of pure rage when she said this. "I am eternal, child!" It spat at her. "I am the Eater of Worlds and of children!"
Steph scoffed. "Yeah? That so? Well, tonight's the night you die, twat!"
It then flew at her before she could get the chance to run, grabbing her by the throat and refusing her ability to move. It cackled as it shook her roughly, making her choke a little under the gloves that squeezed against her esophagus. It was very obvious that the creature was messing with her, seasoning her to be more of a delicious target due to fear. But the problem for It was that she wasn't scared at all. Just a little worried as to what would possibly happen next.
The clown seemed to sense her concern, the grin growing wider on Its face when it happened. "Tonight's the night your friends die, you brat!" It growled. "Be afraid! FEAR ME!"
"Screw you! I've never been afraid of you, and I will never be! You can't make me fear you!" Steph choked back, her eyes full of hatred and malice. This made the demon holding her by the throat let her go, and she saw, much to her horror, his golden eyes slowly change into a deep and vivid ruby color. And as she watched this, she could feel the sweat dripping from her pores to drench her skin, and she could sense a feeling of pure hopelessness ignite in her as her mouth was frozen agape. But she found the motivation to break away from Its clutches when she heard banging coming from the basement door.
"Steph! Steph, are you down there?!" came a voice, one that the woman could not distinctly recognize at the moment.
"You're going to pay for that, Steph! You're just a spoiled little brat, you deserve to suffer! I'm going to kill Billy Boy and the others one by one, nice and slow…" It dragged out, its voice coming out in a hissing drip as It bared its sharp teeth at Steph. "And then you will be next!"
As Steph ran up the stairs towards the voices of her friends, she kept thinking, It's not real! It's not real! It's not real! It's not real! It's not real! And she swerved her head back to the entity with a stare of bravery in her eyes. "Go to Hell, you stupid clown! I won't let you freaking touch them! Ever!" she yelled furiously, and then started pounding on the door. "BILL! BEV! RICHIE! ANYONE! OPEN THE DOOR!"
Almost immediately, a shout came from the other side. It was Richie's voice. "Steph! Steph, are you okay?!"
She didn't get the chance to answer, since she heard a soft chuckle waft into her ears when she opened her mouth to speak. It was then followed by a low whisper that terrified Steph: "Stephanie, Stephanie, Stephanie… you can't fight us… you'll die if you try… die if you try… die if you try… Steph… Steph… Steph… eph-eph-eph…"
Her name was echoed in her mind, making her quiver as she twisted the doorknob. She slammed her hand against the wooden door. "SHOOT!" she bellowed.
Trapped. She was stuck in the basement with this demonic entity. No way out. She tried to pull the doorknob as fast as she could, but she couldn't. She wasn't able to, and she screamed in fury, pounding on the door as she could feel the hits against it from the others on the opposite side. For a moment, she was so scared that her heart missed a beat as it finally started going a million miles an hour. She felt like she was doomed, she was going to die a horrible death.
"Steph!"
She didn't turn around for a long time, refusing to be fooled. It wasn't real, it was freaking fake, so she made the smart decision and didn't move from where she was, her hands still fastened on the doorknob.
"Steph, turn around, it isn't real."
The woman turned around stupidly, her eyes squinting in confusion when she saw Bill standing at the bottom of the stairs, his arms open. But she saw his pale and sunken skin and stayed right where she was. "Come here, I'll pr-pr-protect you," Bill said, his tone unusually soft and sincere.
"NO!" Steph snarled, her scowl unwavering and frozen on her face as she stood there.
The gentle look on 'Bill's' face fell, replaced with a look of repulsion. "No?" It retorted, a grimace on its face. "I see how it is, you disgusting little wretch!"
Suddenly, 'Bill' was impaled and lifted up into the air, blood pouring from the body's torso, which made Steph turn back around and bang on the door even more. And, just as she did, it finally opened and she tumbled through the doorway and onto the floor. Immediately, all of the others had their arms around her as she wheezed and darted her eyes around.
"Tell me you guys are real," she muttered. "Dang it, tell me you guys are real!"
"We're real, we're real, don't worry!" yelled Richie as he tried to comfort her. Bill then knelt down and placed his hands on both of Steph's cheeks, making her look at him. "Richie's right, wuh-we're real," he assured her, cradling her face. "You're o-o-okay now, you're okay…"
But she wasn't anywhere close to being okay, since a second later, she felt a hand slam down against her ankle.
"Where are you going, Steph? I just wanna play! COME BACK AND PLAY WITH PENNYWISE!" It roared, tugging her away from the others.
As Steph screamed at the top of her lungs, the other six adults gripped her arm very tightly so she wouldn't get taken again. Her screams turned into grunts as she was being tugged back and forth between It and her friends. "DO SOMETHING!" she bellowed, her hand latched on as many arms as she could hold on to. This time, she was pulled even more fiercely, making her start kicking at the demon, her free right foot flying in all directions.
Suddenly, one of the hands holding onto her let go, making her more desperate to break free from the clutches of It. But it was slowly proving to be useless, since she was about to tell the others to let go and get out, even opening her mouth to say this as she struggled. But, before she could speak, something amazing happened.
Bill came into her view, holding an old kitchen knife in his right hand and a look of rage on his face. He brought down the weapon and it met what seemed to be flesh and it made a satisfying squish as the tip of the blade sank deep enough to make It scream. "Let her go, you freaking monster!" he yelled without stuttering. For a moment, Steph wasn't even sure if her husband was the same person at all, but she felt a swell of pride and love for him. She watched him pull the knife out and bury it back into the shoulder of the clown. "LET GO OF HER!" Bill screamed.
Eventually, after what seemed like ages, Its grip started to slacken, giving Steph an advantage. She raised her right foot and kicked the entity in the face, letting out a shriek of fury as she did so. And It finally let go, disappearing down the stairs and she plopped to the floor, her feet slightly dangling over the basement steps. She took deep breaths as Bill helped her up, tossing the knife to the side. He hugged her so tightly that she would have normally told him to let her breathe, but she didn't care right now. She was practically pressed against him, and she didn't let go, especially when she felt his hands trail up and down her back as a way to comfort her.
"You're okay, right?" Bill asked in a panicked voice, pulling back to look at her. "It d-d-duh-didn't hurt you, did It?" Steph shook her head as she looked down, but she made eye contact with Bill seconds later. "I'm okay," she whispered. "I'm fine." She stared at him for several seconds, resting her right hand on his cheek, and she felt her heart slow down to a calming rate once more.
"So, are you two just gonna stand there all night or are we gonna finish this?"
Steph turned around to look at Richie, knowing it was not the time to be ticked off at him. "Let's just go and get this over with," she sighed, gesturing for the others to walk ahead of her and Bill, and they all began to make their way down the basement stairs. The woman was sure to stay collected as she put one foot in front of the other, looking at Bill again. He took her right hand and brought it up to his lips, just like she had done earlier. He covered her fingers with tentative kisses, and her heart jumped slightly; all she wanted in that moment was to pull him to her and kiss him until the end of time. But she couldn't, so she stayed where she was.
Bill pulled away, taking her hand and resting it on his face, locking his bright blue eyes onto her midnight blue ones. "If we live through this, I'll do anything for you," he murmured so only she could hear it. She nodded without hesitation, pulling her hand back, but attaching it to his left one.
They stepped up to the well that sat in the middle of the basement, where the others already were. Steph looked down into the black abyss, catching glance of the rope that she had assumed the others had used to descend the same well 27 years prior. She put her left hand on the stone that had built the structure, running her fingers along the dust that covered it. "Well, I guess there's only one way to get down there," she said quietly, but the others heard her, nodding along with her statement.
That was what led to the seven of them grabbing the rope and they slowly lowered themselves down the dark well, Steph having Bill's flashlight around her neck in the process. She was sure to keep a tight grip on the rough fabric of the rope, already feeling the loose strings poke her skin fiercely as she grabbed each part; she didn't want to get a rope burn, because she knew they hurt like heck. Luckily for her, she didn't.
Steph found a tunnel a portion of the way down the well and saw that some of the others were already waiting for her and Bill in there. She carefully stretched out her right foot and it hit solid ground, much to her relief. She then extended a hand out for one of them to grab, and Richie was the one to do that, gently pulling her into the tunnel. A few seconds later, Bill followed suit, both Steph and Eddie grabbing his hand and pulling him into the passageway.
Just like 27 years ago, the Losers had to be slouched forward as they trudged along the dirty corridors. Steph's hand was locked with Bill's again when the reached the end of the tunnel they journeyed through. She looked downward and saw the disgusting water in the sewers that waited for her, but she jumped out of the passageway, her feet splashing the dirty liquid, making her face scrunch up in slight repulsion, but she kept going.
"Ugh, greywater," Eddie complained, wading through the said substance that was getting ever deeper as they went along. Steph didn't say anything in reply as she saw another opening in the sewer pipe, the water coming up to her breasts and it was almost as if she could swim in it. Of course, that would be the last thing she'd do. As she reached the opening, she looked up and saw a place that looked very familiar; realizing this, she took in a shallow gasp just as Ben spoke up.
"Oh shoot," Ben whispered. "This is where It happened…"
Steph was realizing this, too, as she suddenly remember when she
turned and snatched the bolt gun out of Bill's hands. She marched right up to the creature and pressed it up to Its forehead as It continued to smile at them.
"KILL IT, STEPH!" they all bellowed. They kept screaming for the teenage girl to pull the trigger as her hand began shaking. One voice stood out above the rest.
"It's not loaded!" Mike yelled. "Steph, it's not loaded!"
Steph's eyes widened at this information, quickly lowering the bolt gun to check and see if it were true. But before she could look, Bill snatched the gun back from her, pressed it to Its forehead, and pulled the trigger instantly.
Surprisingly, it actually seemed to work on the demon, who began screaming in pain and anger as a hole formed in Its head. Then, Steph jumped on top of It, her arms wrapped around the creature's neck. She screamed in fury as the others began to grab a hold of It as well.
Steph shook her head, snapping herself out of her own memory as she looked around, wading closer to what looked like a smaller pile of toys than before. She started slowly climbing onto it, Ben now behind her as a way to keep her from being taken again. She knew this, and couldn't help but be proud of the man that she called her best friend. She then grabbed Mike's hand and was pulled onto the pile, Bill very close behind her. Steph could hear Eddie muttering to himself as garbage drifted past him in the water.
"Bev, what is it?"
She suddenly turned her head back in the direction of Ben and Beverly, seeing the latter pointing her flashlight in the opposite direction. She couldn't see her moving for only a second and she was aware that the others were on high alert as well. But, much to Steph's relief, Bev turned back around. "I thought I heard something," the redhead said to everyone, shrugging slightly.
Out of nowhere, a ghoulish creature leapt about ten feet out of the water, making every single one of the adults scream, especially Beverly, who the monster grabbed.
"Beverly!" Ben screamed, trying to get closer to her, but it was too late. Beverly was in Its clutches, just like Steph was minutes earlier. But just as she opened her mouth to lure the entity away from the others, it opened its mouth in an expression of glee.
"TIME TO SINK!" It screamed in a sneering voice before pushing Beverly under the sewer water. There was not even a second to spare before Steph saw Mike, Richie, and Bill join Ben and the four dived in after the only other woman of the group. She herself tried to go after them as well, but a hand on her uninjured arm kept her from doing so. She tried to tug out of Eddie's grasp, but he refused to let her go.
"Don't. Just stay here," Eddie demanded, and she instantly realized why he was doing this. She had almost died minutes ago, and she could tell that he didn't want her to go through something like that again. So, reluctantly, she stayed where she was, her arm still being clutched in Eddie's hand. She tried to keep herself calm about the situation, thinking that the others would come back soon; they had to, or else she wouldn't live with herself. She didn't even know how long she thought this. It could've been a minute, ten, forty, or even a whole eternity, she didn't really know.
"Guys?!" Eddie called out, and Steph could hear the worry embedded into his voice as he said it. She scanned every inch of the water, the only thing she could hear being bubbles, making her concern rise drastically. She grasped Eddie's hand, not only to comfort him, but to keep herself from freaking out. Where was Beverly? Ben? Mike? Richie? Bill? Oh, God… where the heck was Bill?!
Steph shook slightly as she stared down into the water. "Guys, come on," pleaded Eddie, and he sounded like he was about to cry. "Guys, please don't leave us… please."
Just then, all five of them finally emerged from the water, gasping for air. "Oh, thank God," Eddie whispered harshly, and Steph patted him on the shoulder for being strong. She could hear the others talking amongst themselves in a panic, Ben having Beverly in his arms as this happened. She then saw Bill climb onto the surface towards her, and she immediately grabbed a hold of him, pulling him to her and pressing her lips fiercely against his. He held her flush against him once again as they stayed that way for a long moment before eventually pulling away.
"Never ever do that to me again, do you hear me?!" she begged, a sob threatening to escape her throat. Bill gently leaned his forehead on hers as he nodded, a serious look in his eyes while he caressed her left cheekbone.
"Mike, where do we go from here?"
Richie had asked that question, making Steph look around Bill to the man in question, still not letting go of her husband. Mike walked up to them, looking downward as he did so. Steph followed his gaze and saw a wooden floorboard on the mound she was standing on with a circular shape in the middle. She and the others all stood around it, and she noticed a strange, somewhat symbolic marking etched into it. She tried to figure out what it meant but, alas, she had no idea what it was.
Mike stared down at the hinge, murmuring to herself, and Steph could barely hear him, but she seemed slightly worried. And so did the others.
"Is he okay?" Ben asked, sounding slightly taken aback at Mike's behavior.
"I think, at this point, that's a pretty valid question," commented Richie.
Steph, ignoring the slight banter, looked up at Mike. "What's on the other side?" she asked him softly, knowing that everyone else besides her wanted to know that exact answer. But, Mike gave them none except for this:
"I don't know. No one does."
Steph gulped a little as Mike squatted down and grabbed the edge, making the others step back. She was a little spooked, a little worried that something would jump out at them, because there was nothing but a hole that led straight down. To her elation, however, she could see more ground at least ten feet below. She saw Mike crawl over to where he was directly above the hole, and she gave him a look that said, "Be careful." He nodded and looked at the others.
"See you down there," he said, moving his arms up as he jumped down. Steph instinctively grabbed his arms despite this so he wouldn't fall. There was no point, really; he turned out to be perfectly okay. He was crawling down bit by bit, using rocks that were poking out from the sides as his source. Much to Steph's surprise, Bill went next, crouching over the hole, but looked at her for a second and then at the others.
"S-Stuh-Stick together," he reminded them, looking Steph in the eye and giving her another kiss before making his way feet first into the hole. The blonde-haired woman decided to follow him, getting ready to climb down herself. But she couldn't help but look up at the last second, and she saw something that confused her.
Eddie was shaking his head from side to side, and Steph could see the genuine fear written all over his face. Her heart sank slightly in sympathy as she watched him.
"You guys, I can't," he began. "I can't, you saw what happened up there before we saved Steph. I was gonna let you die…" He was pointing at Richie when he said that. "You can't let me go down there with you, I'm gonna get us all killed…" He then got his inhaler from his left pocket and he brought it up to his mouth, taking gasps of air through it.
Richie then furiously stomped up to him and grabbed at the inhaler, leading to a tug of war between them that lasted for about five seconds. Richie ended up winning, jerking the inhaler out of Eddie's hands, and he gave him a serious look.
"Listen to me," he demanded, and Eddie did. "You had a moment. Fine, but who killed a psychotic clown before he was fourteen?"
Eddie thought about his answer for a moment or two as Steph watched in amazement.
"Me," he answered hesitantly. Richie nodded confidently.
"Who stabbed Bowers with a knife he pulled out of his own face?" he pressed further.
"Also me," Eddie sighed, crossing his arms.
"Who married a woman ten times his own body mass?"
There was a pregnant pause between the two as Eddie eyed Richie with slight annoyance. But he finally opened his mouth after several long seconds to answer his question.
"Me."
"Exactly," Richie said. "You're braver than you think."
"I agree with him," Steph spoke up with a small smile. "I mean… come on, Eds. You saved my life, and you don't know just how proud I am of you. Never forget that."
Eddie nodded, looking a lot more calm. "Alright…. Thanks, Rich. Thanks, Steph," he said, and the woman nodded with another smile before beginning her descend down the hole.
After several seconds, she reached the bottom, her feet hitting the ground, and she quickly moved out of the way when she saw Richie about to drop down after her. She ducked down and soon had to get on her knees and crawl over to where Bill and Mike were trying to get through a narrow opening. The latter was already halfway through the tiny hole when she reached them, her flashlight dangling in every which direction. Bill turned around and saw her, and he moved so he could let her in front of him. "Go on," he whispered to her, and she obliged, asking no questions.
"It's in here," Bill told the others behind them. "It's tight, but we can get through."
Steph placed her hands in front of her and carefully pulled herself through, trying not to hit her head against the sharp and jagged rocks. And, slowly but surely, she managed to get through and stood up. She reached her hand out to Bill, and he took it, letting her pull him through the hole. They both got up and followed Mike through a tunnel-like passage into a room that made Steph's jaw drop.
It was a dome-like sort of room, and it was massive. It was bigger than the area she and the others had been in before above them. The main structure of the room was a circle of branches that seemed almost alien-like, and they were scaly black. Steph walked up to it and touched them, recoiling a little at the freezing nature and at the fact that they almost looked like fingers. She was amazed but terrified at the same time, her eyes wide in curiosity.
"So all of this has been under Derry since… forever?" asked Eddie in awe as he looked everywhere, his headlamp illuminating the area.
"Not forever…" Mike answered. "...just a few million years." He then went to the middle of the alien structure, unzipping his bag after setting it on the ground. He then pulled out the same strange object from the library. Steph could now tell it was some sort of ancient vase, apparently years and years old, and she could see some drawings or pictures on each side. They were telling her how they were supposed to do this.
"It can only be attacked in its true form," Mike informed them. "The ritual will show us that."
"What is Its true form?" wondered Ben.
"I hope it's a puppy," Richie remarked, and Steph raised her eyebrows at him, a glare not in her eyes this time. "Pomeranian," he continued, and then he saw Steph's expression. "I'll shut up…"
"It's like… light that must be blocked out by darkness," explained Mike shortly. He then grabbed a bottle of lighter fluid from his bag and poured a heavy amount into the vase. Lighting a match afterwards, he dropped it inside, creating a fire instantly and the flames flickered and licked the rim of the top. Mike then stood up and looked at all of them.
"Your artifacts…" he told them. "Place them into the fire… the past must burn with the present."
Everyone then proceeded to pull objects out of their pockets. Steph hesitated slightly before shakily reaching towards her front pocket right after she had put her hair up into a ponytail. She dug her hand in her pocket and pulled out her token, holding it delicately in her right hand and running her left index finger over it. She couldn't stop the tears brimming the corners of her eyes as she stared at the object that she hadn't seen in 25 years.
"Uh, th-this is the boat that I built with Juh-Georgie…" Bill spoke first, holding a paper boat in his right hand. Steph could see how perfect it still looked, despite how old it looked. And she could spot the words S.S. Georgie written on the side in pristine black marker. Her face fell into a solemn expression as Bill leaned forward and gently placed his token into the fire.
"This is… um… my inhaler," Eddie said, holding up the aspirator he had used so long ago. Steph smiled slightly at the memories of him using it so much. But she also couldn't help but chuckle at his slightly nervous glance before taking one last gasp from the inhaler.
"Come on, dude," Richie sighed, looking slightly annoyed with him. Eddie relented and, rather unceremoniously, tossed his token into the fire.
Steph decided to go next, taking in a trembling breath as she held up her artifact, letting it dangle from two fingers. "This is a necklace that my mother gave to me that summer," she said strongly. "It's a locket, really. She said that it was to remind me that wherever I go, she's there with me somehow. There's a picture of us in it, a picture that I haven't seen in 25 years… I hid it away to hide the grief after she died… And now… I feel like I don't have to anymore…" And with that, she ever so softly let the chain of the necklace slip from her fingertips and fall into the fire, where she would never see it again.
Bill gently squeezed her shoulder, and she blinked the tears away, giving him a grateful smile. She then turned her head back around to see Beverly holding up her object. "Something that I wish I had held on to," the redhead whispered before gracefully placing a postcard into the fire.
"Uh… this is a page from my yearbook…" Ben spoke up, holding up a piece of paper, "...that only two people signed." Steph gasped slightly as she remembered what he was talking about. Doing nothing in that moment but smiling,
she reached for Ben's backpack. "Let us sign this," she suggested in a kind voice. She took his yearbook out of it and wrote her name in it after noticing that absolutely nobody had signed it at all. She passed it to Beverly, giving Ben a polite smile, which he returned.
As Bev signed the yearbook, Steph spared a glance at Ben Hanscom, who was staring at her best friend with a look of awe and admiration on his face. She smirked, secretly figuring out instantly that this boy had a little crush on Beverly. But when she looked up, Steph kept her face straight once more, but she could see Ben blush a little.
"I probably should've forgotten it," Ben continued. "But… I couldn't because I kept it in my wallet… for 27 years."
Steph couldn't help but grin at Ben as he sadly placed his token into the vase, letting it burn to ashes. She grimaced a little, knowing that it was something that meant so much to him.
"This is a token from the Capitol Theater," Richie said quicker than he probably would've, holding up a metal coin and tossing it roughly into the vase.
"Wait, you brought an actual token?" Eddie asked in disbelief, and Richie huffed out a breath in irritation.
"Yeah, man," he breathed out. "That's what you're supposed to do, jerk."
"You have any idea how long that's gonna take to burn?" exclaimed Eddie, gesturing to the fire.
"Yeah, but so is your inhaler, dude," Richie rebuked, making Steph roll her eyes.
"Guys, come on," Ben pleaded in vexation, slightly glaring at Richie, who ignored him.
"With the toxic fumes and the plastic and crap, so…" Richie finished.
"Beep beep, Richie," Steph whispered, and he relented, staying silent, much to their relief.
"Look closely, Steph," said Mike, and she could see a rock in his left hand, more like a stone. She could also spot a smear of blood that was stained onto it. "You see it?" Mike added, and she nodded, a little confused, but that fell away once he said the next sentence:
"That's where you hit Bowers."
She then giggled, a proud smile on her face. "Rock fight," she recalled softly. All of them chuckled.
Henry was hit once more by a rock to the head. Steph's eyes widened in surprise, wondering who could have thrown this rock. She looked around for a long moment before her eyes landed on Bill, who was just lowering his arm, his face contorted with rage.
Steph's heart skipped a beat when she realized her answer. She took a quiet but shaky breath before looking back to the gang.
Good thing, too, as they were picking up rocks themselves. Steph picked up rocks and began throwing just as they did. She got hit with a few, but it was nothing that would permanently scarr her physically. She did grunt in slight pain as each one hit her, but her adrenaline level kept rising as she kept throwing.
"ROCK WAR!" Richie bellowed before taking a rock to his own head.
Steph saw this and screamed in rage, throwing rock after rock furiously and making her target each time. She was especially hitting Henry multiple times, as well as the others, which ultimately left him lying on the ground in a bloody mess, the others having run off yelling, "Screw you, Losers!"
She stood there, out of breath and her arms swinging lazily as they ached from throwing so much. But Steph was definitely satisfied at the results it brought out. She could have sworn she smirked at the sight in front of her, but she was too exhausted to notice.
Steph felt a hand slip into hers, making her turn around to see Bill pulling her away from the edge of the river as the others began to leave with them. Although she blushed, she simply let him hold her hand as they walked away.
"Thanks guys, but you shouldn't have done that," Mike said to them as they walked down a grassy hill; a train going by in the near distance behind them. "He'll be after you guys now."
"It's no problem," Steph replied nonchalantly. "Bowers is always after us. To be honest, we got used to it a long time ago."
"I guess that's one th-th-thing we all have in common," Bill added, to which Steph nodded in response.
"Yeah, homeschool, welcome to the Losers' Club!" Richie shouted, which made Steph smile.
"The day these bonds were forged," Mike finished, looking at the rock for a long moment.
"That's not gonna burn either," Eddie muttered to Mike, but he ignored him, lightly throwing the rock into the fire.
After a long moment of silence, Eddie perked up. "Oh, wait!" He then pulled out the showercap from earlier that day, and Steph nodded along with Richie. "Couldn't forget about Stan… again," he said, placing the token into the fire. For Stan, their fallen friend.
"Okay… grab hands," Mike ordered softly, and Steph obeyed, taking Bill's hand in her left and Eddie's in her right. She held them tightly, appreciating the fact that it was them and nobody else, although she didn't know why at the time. She and Bill shared a look, one filled with hope and many prayers that this would work.
Mike inhaled shakily as he prepared his next sentence. "The Ritual of Chüd…" he began. "It's a battle of wills… The first step was our reunion… the second was the gathering of tokens… this is the final step."
Steph nodded confidently, along with the others.
Suddenly, the flames inside the vase went out, leaving the others in near pitch black darkness. It was as if the fire had been blown out by a gust of wind. Steph looked down in utter confusion, as did the others.
"What the…?" Richie muttered, his eyes squinted in perplexion.
Steph then had the urge to look up, and she sort of wished she hadn't. The second she did, she saw very bright lights illuminating the underground area, and for a moment, she was transfixed on the three dots. She felt as if she couldn't look away from them.
"What the h-h-h-h-heck is that?" Bill said in a low voice, but Steph could still hear him as the lights started descending.
"Don't look at them!" Mike demanded, making Steph look back down, her eyes frozen to the ground.
"Are those the Deadlights?!" Eddie exclaimed, his gaze about to be transfixed as well.
"DON'T LOOK AT THEM!" both Mike and Steph demanded, the latter following through with what he was saying. Eddie nodded, closing his eyes immediately.
"Turn light into dark… Turn light into dark. Say it!" Mike screamed. "Say it!" Steph nodded instantly in obedience.
"Turn light into dark…" she began, her voice stable, loud, and strong. She didn't pause as she said each word, despite the fact that she didn't truly know what the hell was going on. "Turn light into dark…" She could barely hear Mike's foreign chanting over the others speaking in English, and she suddenly felt a burst of wind blow her tied up hair in every direction possible, which made her tighten her grip on Bill's and Eddie's hands.
"Turn light into dark!" Richie yelled. "Mike, what's happening, man?!"
"KEEP CHANTING!" Mike bellowed, continuing as if he hadn't heard Richie at all.
"TURN LIGHT INTO DARK!" Steph screamed in the loudest voice she had ever used, both Beverly and Ben repeating her words just as loudly. She could feel more wind than ever blowing around the alien-like structure in a circular motion. She kept chanting and chanting until she felt like she couldn't breathe anymore, but she still yelled. But she stopped once she heard a new sound, a shutting sound.
She finally opened her eyes and saw Mike putting a lid on the vase, trapping what seemed to be the Deadlights. A confident smile crossed her face when this happened, but she rolled her eyes slightly when she could hear Eddie's voice.
"Turn light into dark!" he continued. "Turn light into dark! Is it working?! Did we do it?!"
But, something went wrong.
"Is this a part of it?" Beverly asked in a trembling voice.
A red substance was slowly forming, trying to force the lid off of the vase. "Keep chanting!" Mike ordered when Richie asked what was happening. The others started the chant up again, but it proved to not be working as the red substance got larger in size, making Steph and the others panic.
She herself could see that the substance was actually a balloon. The biggest balloon she had ever seen in her entire life, and she had to back out of the branch-like structure so she wouldn't be crushed by it. "Get out of that thing!" she shouted at the others as her feet hit unlevelled ground once more. Stumbling backwards, all Steph could see was the red light that filled the room from the balloon, so the others were not in her line of vision at all.
Suddenly, there was an extremely loud popping noise that almost broke Steph's eardrums, making her fall to the ground. All that she could hear was her ears ringing excessively, and she covered them. That was all that happened for several seconds, before she could perceive muffled voices as she finally opened her eyes. She weakly stood up, her legs wobbling and her entire body shaking. She nearly tumbled back to the ground but Beverly grabbing her arms prevented her from doing so.
"Are you okay?!" Steph yelled as loudly as she could. Beverly nodded, but Steph couldn't hear what she was really saying. A few seconds later, everything came back to focus and the voices were clear again, although her ears still hurt a little.
"Where's Mike?" Richie asked, concerned. "Mike?!"
A few moments of all of them calling out for the man in question passed before Mike jogged up to them, getting their attention. "I'm right here!" he called out. "I'm good!"
Steph ran up to him and put her hands on his shoulders as quickly as she could. "Did it work, Mike?" she asked him in a rushed tone. "Please tell me it worked, because I swear to God, if it didn't…"
Then she paused unexpectedly, hearing a tapping noise behind her. Slowly, shivering to her core, she turned around and looked up, shining her flashlight to where she was certain she heard the sound from.
"Boo!"
Everyone except for Steph yelled out in shock, since she just stood there, looking at the clown fearlessly. It seemed to be a lot taller as it glared down upon the group of seven.
"Oh, did it work, Mikey? Did it work?" It taunted in a booming voice. "Tell them why your silly little ritual didn't work! Tell them it's all just a… what's the words, Eds? Gazebo?"
Steph's eyes widened to the size of saucers as Eddie asked, "Mike, what's he talking about?" She then looked at Mike with a questioning look. "Mike, talk to me!" she shouted. "What did you do?"
"M-M-M-M-Mikey?" Bill stuttered in a scared voice, and all of them were suddenly looking at Mike.
"Oh, Mikey… you didn't show them the fourth side, did you?" It went further in a mockery of a sad voice. "You didn't want them to know what actually happened to the poor Shokopiwah…"
A/N: You know, read this, as always!
Uh-oh! Mike lied to the Losers! NOW they're in trouble! Hype up the next chapter!
Thoughts on this chapter? Was it scary? Did you like when Bill protected Steph? I was inspired by Halloween 2018, I'm just a Michael Myers fanatic!
What do you think is going to happen next? If you've seen the actual movie, you guys already know, but some of my fans actually haven't seen It: Chapter Two. So, for those people, what do you predict will happen next?
Do you sense the closeness between Steph and Eddie? I will explain why that is in this story in one of the later chapters. And, before you say anything and a small spoiler, they were NEVER romantically interested in one another. I will explain later!
Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Be looking forward the next one, which will be the craziest one! As always, have a great day, and until next time!
- Hermione Romanoff