Okay so sorry I haven't been able to update in a while! I got super busy in the month of June. Besides my job making me work a twelve hour days instead of eight monday through friday, we have first my sisters birthday, then I had a house party for my new place (really fun actually), week after that my boyfriend and I were looking at dogs we didn't get the dog unfortunately, it's fine. My boyfriend and I went to a bar with friends that night and he proposed! So I've been pretty busy trying to figure out wedding stuff. We still dont have a date.

Agh! Anyway hope you like it, I've been trying to add to this chapter and deleting everything when I realize i hated what I wrote. Anyway. Hope you like this one!

Chapter 6: Rescue the Kitty

Pennywise or the creature pretending to be a clown, IT, was currently growling at the other figure lazing about in one of the tunnels, this other figure had yet to return to its own dimension. It wasn't dressed in that god awful attire from when his last meal was there. Instead it was in his original clown suit.

The other figure had a tendency to talk to him like he was a youngling. He's as old as time itself and yet the creature thought it could tell him what to do. As if.

"Now son, you shouldn't gobble your meal so quickly." Pennywise of this universe snarled, blood smeared against his unnaturally white face. Now the creature was trying to tell him how to eat?! This was just uncalled for. He had to have been a ploy from that lazy bastard of a turtle to torment him. It didn't make sense, the turtle never bothered when he feasted on the flesh of humans before so why does he suddenly start caring now.

"Any chance you'll be returning anytime soon?" He snarled to the other clown look alike. He couldn't stand much more of this company. His large yellow eyes looked towards the top of the sewer, all his children floated their bodies slowly becoming more decomposed with time. The bodies floating in circles towards the ceiling.

The older ones had no appeal to him, the taste had changed from delicious and juicy, to tough and grimy. Like all the sewage of this town. Possibly it might be a waste but he didn't care. He needed that delicious fear all the children had.

Bill had been dragged to town by his older sister to one of the book stores. Bill watched his sister look over all the books, she kept muttering no as she moved over towards another book. What book she had in mind, he didn't know. Outside Richie, Stan, and Eddie were talking about trading cards waiting for them to come back out.

"D-do you mu-mind i-if I go ha-hang out wuh-wuh-with mu-my friends?" bent over, her eyes scanning over the bottom shelf she muttered a sure.

"Just make sure I can see you still." She muttered looking over for a familiar author. Surprisingly enough there was a few from Stephen King himself. Who would have thought that Stephen King was a real person in this series. Maybe he just wanted to be apart of his stories in one way or another. She knew he liked to cameo in some of the movies she'd seen. Creep Show, Pet Sematary, Thinner. Thinner was a good book she just couldn't seem to find it.

Outside Bill, Richie, Eddie, and Stanley waited for Mika to finish up inside, some growing more impatient than the others. "Whats taking her so long? She's already got a library of books back home doesn't she?" Richie groaned looking inside the store to see her reading the back of one of the books then putting it back on the shelf.

"Yuh-you can-can't be up-upset that she li-likes tuh-to re-read." Bill shrugged not bothered that his sister could spend the whole day in the bookstore reading on the floor till it was dark out. It was because of her that he got into writing in the first place. Growing up having her read to him as they went to sleep, staying up late to find out what happens in the next chapter. The different voices, the way she went into another world completely as she grew so absorbed into the story.

It was something Bill and Georgie loved. Bill was sure when they found Georgie everything would go back to normal eventually. Georgie was just missing, he couldn't be dead. Georgie was a little kid, kids don't die. It's not possible.

"She's been acting weird too." Richie spoke up again gaining Bill's confused attention. "Alright so ya know how she's usually hanging out with her friends and going to parties in the woods?" Bill nodded not really seeing what the point was. Maybe she just wanted to spend more time with him. It's not that weird of a theory. "Well she's always hanging out with you, she's nicer too."

"Sh-sh-shee's always buh-been nice." Bill defended.

Richie rolled his eyes while Stan and Eddie stare at him confused. What was he going on about this time. "Nicer than normal. She keeps treating us like we're her kids and whatever. She says something some times then backtracks like she's trying to hide something and then she's always on edge. Like she's expecting to get jumped any minute."

Stan spoke up this time. "I mean, is that a bad thing? Kids are disappearing left and right. She's probably just trying not to scare us or is trying to stay on her toes."

"Stans right, Mika's pretty smart and is probably just trying to protect us." Richie rolled his eyes at this. Of course they'd act like that. Stan started liking Mika since she didn't make fun of him right away like the others had. Eddie often talked to her about medicine and shockingly enough she would answer like she completely understood what he was talking about and she'd give advice on how to treat certain problems. You'd think the two of them were love sick over the girl.

But Richie knew, Richie knew something was off about her. He just couldn't figure out what. "I don't know what you losers are thinking but Miak's different. She's been acting different lately."

"Richie." Stan muttered giving him a knowing stare along with Eddie. Bill was staring at Richie confused, why was he suddenly attacking his sister? What had Mika done to him?

"What?" Richie followed Stan's side glance and noticed he was upsetting Bill. He was probably still grieving in his own way over Georgie's disappearance. "Oh...I was just messing around Bill." Richie covered for himself. Stan rolled his eyes looking back to Eddie who was keeping watch for Bowers and his gang.

Bowers had been keeping his distance from their little group of losers but if they were on their own he would do something but tended to avoid Bill for a while. At least Bill was catching a break from his gang. Though there was also that rumor that Bowers and Mika were dating. It spread around the school like wildfire and everyone thought Bill was getting special treatment because of his sister's new relationship.

At least they knew the truth.

"Isn't that the homeschool kid?" Eddie asked changing the subject nodding towards the black boy riding his bike towards the butcher shop. A fresh set of wrapped meat in the front of his bike basket.

Richie, Bill, and Stan turned their attention towards Mike who was in his own little world, blocking the world out of sight and mind. Sweat dripped down his arms and staining his clothes. Mike was used to their stares. He was used to everyone staring at him being one of the only few black kids in town, it was hard not to stare.

He'd take their stares sometimes instead of the beatings from Henry Bowers. He knew enough about Henry Bowers and his father. His father always snooping around the farm trying to blame them for something, constantly harassing his family just because they were black.

"What'cha guys staring at?" Bill, Richie, Stan, and Eddie jumped staring at Mika holding a plastic back looking in the same direction they were. "Isn't that Mike?" Richie's eyebrows scrunched together staring at her with those coke bottle glasses. How did she know who the home school kid was?

Richie's stare became so intense that Mika had to face the boy. She could feel the hairs on the back of her neck raise and felt the fresh wave of goosebumps run down her arms. "What's up Richie?"

"How do you know who the home school kid?" Richie squinted his eyes at the girl and watched her make a face. She squinted her eyebrows in her confusion as she glanced back over toward Mike. Then back to him.

"It's pretty easy to figure out who everyone is when there's only a handful of black people in this town Richie." She stated in a matter of fact tone, instantly regretting her choice of words. She felt so weird saying something like that, thinking she was being a racist. She didn't want to sound like Bowers or his father. Everyone in this small town was still very open about their racism toward anyone of color.

Eddie perked up seeing the book in her hand. It was a black cover showing someone walking down a long corridor. "What book did you get?" She pulled the book so that he could read the title. 'Interview with a Vampire.' Eddie cocked his head staring at the older girl. "I didn't know you were into Vampires."

He watched her shrug "Vampires stories are pretty cool. I just hate the fact that people can be attracted to them. Dead bodies." He watched her shudder for a moment. Shaking her brown hair around her face like a dog would when drying itself off. "Hopefully it's good, it sounded like a good story." Mika grinned pulling the new book to her chest. Of course she knew the book was good. It was so good that it was turned into a movie starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt! One of her favorite movies as a child. Her mom used to laugh at her whenever she caught Mika cutting out little triangles and sticking them in her mouth to be a vampire.

"Anyway…" Richie spoke up needing to get some attention on him again. "While you were taking forever in there, we were trying to figure out what to do." Richie huffed crossing his arms over his chest annoyed. He couldn't believe that his friends didn't see what he was talking about. She was completely different from the old Mika.

"Well sorry I needed a new book to read." She stared at the boy confused. Why was he suddenly acting like a dick to her, she hadn't done anything to him. He was just being so rude.

Stan rushed to her side putting his hands up in surrender sort of to calm the situation about to happen. "Thats okay Mika, we all know how much you like books. Richie is just tired is all." She gave him a stare that just said that she didn't believe him. "Why don't we just go to the arcade?"

Shaking her head she shifted her hand through her pocket pulling out what was left of the money she brought. She had about seven dollars left. That should be enough for Bill to play a few games, right? "Thats fine with me." Bill nodded and took the lead towards the arcade. While he played she could read her new book.

It was warmer than it had been today than the past few weeks. The sun was shining and the snow was melting. "Meow." a pathetic cat called from below. Mika froze in the middle of the sidewalk after hearing the pathetic cat's call.

"Mika?" Stan asked confused. Bill, Richie, and Eddie paused in their walking to turn around at the older girl.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Richie called annoyed at being stopped again.

She frowned staring at the sewer grate beside her. "I thought I heard a cat…" The boys focus their attention on the sewer listening for any sound of a cat. They thought she was going crazy.

"Meow."

There it is again! Mika moved towards the street peering inside the sewer. "There's a cat." She called glancing in the dark to see if there really was a cat.

"So?"

"You aren't really going to go down there are you?" Eddie sounded repulsed thinking about diving in the sewer to get a cat. There was already so many germs just on the edge of the sewer that could get everyone sick.

"Uh...maybe." She squatted down staring into the dark opening listening for another sound. "It depends if there's a sicko down there or if it's actually a cat." she muttered mostly to herself not caring if the boys heard her or not.

It was too dark to see. The cat's meow became more frantic begging to be saved. Mika cringed thinking of the poor kitten being hurt but she was too scared to actually go down there and it could be a trap. "What's going on down there?"

Richie staring wide eyed at where Mika was crouched down laughed nervously. "Maybe there's an alligator down there or something…" he muttered at the cats hiss.

"Should, Should, Should we go down, down th, there?" Bill asked staring at his sisters nervous face. He didn't like the idea that some cat could be in trouble and he knew his sister was loved cats.

Mika glanced at her brother thinking everything over groaning to herself at coming to the conclusion that it might be a trap. "Hold my book." she gave Stan her book and moved towards the manhole on the sidewalk.

Manhole covers were supposed to be incredibly heavy so there was no way she could have opened the top. So how was she going to get down? Maybe she could fit through the opening? She sat on the ground about to shimmy down and slowly shifted her body through the sewer. Eddie started to gag to himself as he watched her slowly disappear underground.

"Your sister's insane." Richie muttered to Bill who could only roll his eyes. He's been in a mood all day and it was getting on his nerves.

Once completely down in the smelly sewer Mika crouched down making 'sps' sounds glancing around her nonstop. She was in a sewer, that was Pennywise's favorite place to be. "Meow." the cry echoed from her left. She made the noise again and again till she heard the pitter patter of paws coming towards her. Her sneakers were soaked in sewer water and she just knew she wanted to throw them out as soon as she could.

'Please, please, please just be a cat.' She begged to whatever higher being there was as the creature came closer to her. To her relief it really was just a kitten. An orange tabby. "Hey little guy." she whispered reaching out letting the cat come to her.

The cat sniffed her fingers and slowly walked closer. Or close enough for her to grab on. The cat hissed at the sudden grasp digging it's tiny claws into her wrist. Gritting her teeth she pulled the smelly kitten to her chest. Whispering soft words trying to sooth the scared kitten clawing up her neck. "Bill!" Mika cried waiting till she saw his feet on the edge. "Here." She extended the cat out of the hole into her brothers waiting hands.

She wanted to get out as soon as possible. She started feeling like she wasn't alone. And ignoring the feeling was not helping. It wasn't like in Nightmare on Elm Street where Nancy just ignored Freddy to beat him. Pennywise could and would literally kill her. She already had a close encounter before and she was being just plain stupid at this point.

The hard part would be getting out. Shifting her body weight onto her hands she slowly shimmied her way out of the gap. Half her body out of the sewer and she felt something run up her leg. She let out a yelp pulling herself further out of the sewer. The creature snickered to himself lightly grasping onto the girls ankle sensing her fear. The delicious scent stung his nose. He just wanted a taste. Just a taste.

She struggled till she was fully out. Her leg had looked like it had been dragged through the gravel and she was missing a shoe but she didn't care, she stood shivering at the snickering clown with blood covered claws. She felt completely disgusted watching it lick the blood free from it's cloth like hand. So gross.

"You, You oh-okay?" Bill asked nervously holding a calm kitten in his arms. He saw her staring into the sewer horrified.

Mika shivered disgusted at the grinning clown staring up at her. Drool started to drip down his lips and she swore she saw something in those yellow eyes. Something really bad. Bill walked closer. She snapped her eyes up to her brother and stopped him from moving. "I'm okay, just had a weird thought." She muttered taking the kitten from his hand and guiding him back towards his friends. She had to get the kids out of here, somewhere safe. Eddie was gagging at the sight of her.

"What about your shoe?" Stan muttered staring at her now brown black sock leaving footprints on the dry sidewalk.

"I'll get another one." she muttered urging them to move forward again.

"Didn't think you'd ever get down and dirty Mika." Richie grinned laughing at the look she gave him. She felt disgusting at this very moment and just wanted to take a shower. "I gotta say it's a nice look for you."

"Oh shut up," she nudged his shoulder as she walked ahead of them, her eyes on the kitten now. He was definitely a he. He looked underweight and could most likely have an infection or something worse. She needed to take the kitten to the vet to make sure he would be okay. "Do you guys mind if we stop at the vet?"

Richie let out a groan but the others didn't seem to mind. Eddie said the cat probably had worms and needed it's shots. The small group went to Derry Animal Hospital and Mika explained to one of the tech's what had happened.

Bill, Richie, Stan, and Eddie watched amazed as the teenager spoke to the Vet almost as if she was an adult. "Thank you Miss Denbrough I'll be sure to call your Mother and Father if we find anything out." she nodded looking over the kitten in the Vet's hands. He was so small, the kitten reminded her of her dear Chunkers back home. He was the runt of the litter and had so many health problems but he was her baby. She sold her laptop and worked sixty plus hours a week just to be able to afford the vet bills for her baby but it was worth it in the end. Her little boy was healthy and happy in the end.

"Thank you." she looked over her brother to see he was looking at the other animals that were waiting to be adopted. Maybe having a dog would help the parents feel more at ease...Georgie's death was a few months ago. It would take time till they all felt better again.

Walking back outside Richie made the joke about her going back down to get her shoe. Of course the boys thought it was either funny or disgusting but Mika knew she was never going back in the sewers unless her life or Bills life depended on it. And she really hoped the battle with Pennywise wouldn't be till much later.

I can't think of what else to write so I'll leave it here for now. I'll get back to writing tomorrow at work when I get the chance but I hope you all can forgive me for taking so long!