"Why exactly are we hiding in the bushes outside of the police station Bill?" Richie sounded bored and a bit annoyed as he tried to get comfortable. A hard task when the roots of the bushes were digging into everyone that didn't decide to crouch. That itself wouldn't be an issue for me. It felt perfectly natural and no discomfort in the slightest as I looked from the station to the Losers.
"Because for one we can't be seen with Bobby. Even if he's practically invisible to everyone but us, there's still that other Thing out there that could possibly see him. Also, Bobby made it very clear we can't be seen snooping around Derry trying to find the Creature or it will more trouble for us. There's also the fact we don't want to be seen by Officer Aubrey, especially if he's involved with all this and I as well as Bobby feel that he is very strongly." Bill kept his eyes on the coming and going officers as he explained again to Richie. This had to have been at least the third time. Either he was not listening, trying to be annoying or it was so outrage to him he just had to hear it more then once.
"I wouldn't be too worried about normal people noticing any of you." I spoke softly, returning my own gaze to the police station. "I can influence them all not to see you, it's the Creature I worry about possibly seeing you. Once I find it I can be more certain weather it can see past it. I have a feeling it thinks it self more powerful then it is. It couldn't even tell that Pennywise was there watching it torment me." I couldn't help the small half corner smirk that formed on my lips, "He'll regret that deeply." A low rumble came deep from my chest as the joy of just imagine what I'd do came to mind.
I heard multiple awkward shuffles beside me and looked out the corner of my eye. Everyone but Billy was eyeing me warily.
"Sorry…"
"It'll just take time to get used to Bobby." Billy's hand rested lightly on my shoulder. I looked from it to him with surprise that turned to a soft smile and a look of gratefulness before a look of sorrow replaced it.
"I will have to find something to… eat.. again soon to make sure you're all safe around me…" I barely could make my voice rise above a loud whisper admitting that to them.
"I thought you already did before you got here." Eddie squeaked. There had been a long discussion after they'd accepted I was there to help and a greater danger in the town at this time. I'd admitted, in the least amount of detail, that I'd picked off some of the prisoners before heading back to Derry. It had relieved and startled them in the end. They at least had felt I wasn't about to eat them as long as they stayed calm.
"Yes… but I was in a rush to get back here to keep you all safe. I couldn't risk further time away. I took a bit more time then I had meant then anyway. Lin had to get me to stay on track."
"Linda? But…" Eddie didn't even get to finish as Richie burst in, "she's dead Bobby, how could she have been there?"
Beverly made swift action to punch Richie hard in the arm at saying that, getting a loud but muffled ow out of him.
A chuckle slipped from me before I sighed heavily and pivoted my body to face them.
"As Richie reaffirmed, yes Linda is dead, but there is more to reality as you've all learned already. There are gifted humans that can see the dead, but it's not humans alone that have that gift. Since some beings, such as IT, can be on multiple plans at once, seeing the dead is rather easy. The trick is if the dead wish to be seen, a strong enough will to appear or in some cases strong enough emotions to appear and stay. Why some people without the gift can see them ever so often. Their emotions are so strong they appear whither they wish to be seen or not. I … I wouldn't have been able to see her before… but.."
"What Bobby?" Billy looked at me patiently, ready to listen. As were the others who were staring intently. Even Richie was silent as I spoke.
"Pennywise's brother made it so so was able to see Linda… she was sent to help me get out and find who killed her… to protect Derry." He let out a hollow laugh, "even Marutin threw aside everything Pennywise had done to help him and have him get ride of this pest."
"Bobby…" I looked to Billy to see a look of concern on his face. "You're crying…"
I whipped at my eyes, feeling the tips of my fingers become wet, pulling them back to see I had indeed began to cry.
"Why would Marutin be upset with Pennywise?" I felt a bit relieved Billy didn't ask why I was crying, but I still felt my chest constrict at his question.
"Marutin… he likes.. humans very much. Pennywise… foolishly decided in his jealously to go after what his brother loved and destroy it.."
The others looked at each other quietly hearing my words, but it was Billy again that asked a question.
"Why was he jealous?"
I began to play with my hands in my anxiousness as I thought over the best way to answer.
"Did…did Georgie ever do anything that made your parents praise him and give him more attention then you?"
Bill stiffened hearing his brother's name, before slowly answering my own question.
"Ther…there we..were .. times… A..after he..he died…it w..was like I d..didn't exist."
I looked up from my fidgeting hands to look him in the eyes. A deep sadness was there as he stared back at me. My own expression mirroring his own.
"Marutin is the favorite. He creates beautiful things. Pennywise ends things. He destroys things. Devours the dead, decaying and dying. To their parents, he doesn't exist other then to clean up what Marutin leaves behind. They praised Marutin and berated Pennywise for wising to do the same as his brother… long lives create stronger feelings…foolish actions create longer and greater consequences…"
"What do you mean by consequences Bobby?"
I was about to answer Billy, when a shout brought all our attention back to the police station.
"Who the HELL parked in my spot!?" A loud slam of a car door followed as we all looked and saw Officer Aubrey Alaister shouting as he marched into the police station. His voice still being heard from behind the closed doors as we watched other officers scurry out of the way. One not moving as if frozen in place. A look of utter fear that I soon began to smell making its way out of the building.
Aubrey stopped in front of the officer and continued to yell at him as the man shook. His eyes so wide, there was more white then color as he stared unblinking at Aubrey.
It was what happened next that increased the scent of fear tenfold inside the station and beside me.
Aubrey had grabbed the officer from his chair and lifted him above him. That alone was a feat that shouldn't have been possible, but what happened next solidified what I had guessing.
Aubrey's face and hands changed, darkening to a deep ash black as claws extended from his fingers and dug into the officers arms. His screams piercing the air in pain and fear took full hold.
Aubrey's face morphed as his eyes grew larger to house those of an insects, deep scarlet in color. His mouth a mixture of fangs and a long oddly shaped tongue. The tongue looking sharp at the tip with a small opening like a straw, but bending and flexible like a tentacle, stretched forward, wrapping around the man's neck, holding his head tightly in place so he could no longer move it. The sharp tip snaking around until it made it to the back of the head at the base of the man's skulls before violent trusting in and up between the skull and vertebrae of the neck to get to the man's brain. A disgusting slurping and buzzing sound could be heard as the man screamed, his eyes soon rolling into the back of his head as his screams died down to loud moans before dying off completely.
Aubrey dropped the now dead man to the floor and shook his human features back into place.
"Someone get rid of this and the rest of you get back to work! I want Bobby Gray found IMMEDIATELY!"
The officers that had been frozen in fear watching the horror unfold suddenly became alive again and rushed about. Two officers going to grab the dead man's body and carry it off else we're.
"Shit…" Richie was pale staring still at the scene. The others as well looked just as pale.
"I knew there was something wrong with that guy since the first time I saw him." Billy practically growled as his clenched his fists. His eyes burning with hatred at Aubrey as he took as seat at his own desk.
"I had a feeling it was him as well… all the more why he would want Linda dead." I shifted to back out of the bushes.
"But he has at least left something I won't let be wasted."
"What? What's he talking about?" Richie squeaked to Billy. I paused and looked dead into Richie's eyes.
"Food."
