18
24th December, 1985
No one slept on the night of the twenty-third, no matter how much it was needed. Eleven had entertained herself by making random objects float in the air, much to Holly's delight. Eventually it became a game between the two of them.
Max lay on her stomach, reading one of Richie's books, and Beverly and all the boys apart from Eddie and Mike H had been thrilled to find a Dungeons and Dragons set buried in Richie's wardrobe. Beverly excitedly described her character, a five headed gorgon with bad breath.
`Beverly, you're mean to make up the characters.'
Richie was flipped off for the second time in an hour. The first time, he'd tried to convince Kali that Eddie liked to be called Eds.
That was over twelve hours ago.
0
On the evening of the 24th, the kids and Kali were armed to the teeth, waiting for the inevitable attack. The front door opened, and Mike came running in. Eleven felt relief settle on her stomach as he brushed thick flakes of snow out of his hair.
`Kali, are you sure Holly's gonna be safe?' He asked. She nodded reassuringly.
`Axel acts like a tough guy but put him within a foot of a baby he gets this stupid gooey look. You sister will be fine. Go upstairs and change.' Tingles ran up Mike's spine as he hurriedly changed into a horrible Hawaiian shirt of Richie's, and stuck on a spare pair of glasses with the lenses knocked out. Richie had already changed into the grubby clothes Mike had been wearing since the beginning of December, and, with some resistance, had donned contact lenses.
Mike and Eleven stood next to each other. Queasiness roiled in Eleven's stomach.
`Mike, promise me you'll stay safe.'
`'Course I'll stay-'
`Promise.'
`I promise.'
Mike reached out a hand and wound his fingers around Eleven's. His palm was clammy.
`And your fear, by the way,' Mike said suddenly, gripping her hand tighter,`don't worry about it. I trust you. You wouldn't ever hurt me.'
There was a loud noise.
Everyone jumped and looked at the walls, where the noise was coming from. Mike started to listen harder, straining his ears. No… it wasn't.
It was.
Something was banging on the pipes in the walls to the tune of My Country Tis of Thee.
And then a warped voice rang out…
`Oh Derry, tis of thee, Sweet place to fee-eed me, Of thee I sing- Land where the chil-dren fried, Land where you'll sure-ly die, From ev'ry mouth, and eye, Your blood, will flow!'
It ended on a high note. The banging carried on, no longer in any rhythm, simply a pounding death beat.
`Keep your eyes fixed on the wall,' shouted Beverly, her hands shaking as she gripped her knife.
The clanging got louder and louder, now originating from one spot. Eleven shook with terror. Mike stared at the wall in front of him, not even daring to shut his eyes. If he just kept PennyRiddle in sight then the plan might not be as risky…
`Boo,' the clown whispered from behind him.
Mike screamed.
He ran to the door, throwing away the barricade and sprinting out into the night, pretending to panic. Voices pursued him- `Richie, NO!'- but so did the clown.
`Come on Trashmouth come to me let me suck the skin off of you!'
Mike started to feel real fear, and ran faster, a pain in the centre of his chest.
`Tastes like chicken!' PennyRiddle screamed after him. Mike counted the alleys, then took a sharp left and sprinted down the one that would lead him to the Barrens.
0
The rest clambered out of the window. Eleven's stomach tossed as she heard the things PennyRiddle screamed after Mike. If everything went to plan they could cut the monster off at the Barrens.
0
Mike skidded to a halt in the snow. He'd reached Eleven's fort, and, sure enough, there was the clump of foliage behind it.
He wriggled into it and stopped breathing.
The clown entered the clearing. It's orange eyes stared straight at him, black goo dripping out of the corners, like tears. Of course, it couldn't actually see him… right?
`I can smell you, Trashmouth.' PennyRiddle walked closer to him, closer and closer, back and legs twisted and bones sticking out every which way. `You'll smell better if I cook you.' And it opened it's mouth, rows of jagged teeth extending out of it's lips and the black liquid dripping down it's face.
The black liquid that was Tom Riddle, who had somehow fused with the Derry monster.
Now Mike's heart started to pound like crazy. No sign of the others. They weren't being fast enough…
And then blood gouted out of PennyRiddle's shoulder, where a steak knife stuck out.
It turned and screamed at the ten figures sprinting into the clearing, saliva flying. Mike broke into a laugh of relief, and came out of his hiding place, brandishing the bread knife.
Wait… ten people?
What had happened to Eddie and Ben?
0
`Aaah! Oh my God, Jesus shit- It'll get infected, I know it!'
Eleven winced at the bone sticking out of Eddie's ankle. He'd misjudged a leap over someone's fence.
Then the clown's scream rippled out over Derry.
`Ben stays,' she snapped. `Look after Eddie.' Feeling heartless, she continued the run to the Barrens, with Richie in disguise as Mike, blinking constantly due to the contact lenses.
He needed to come if the plan was to work. After thirty seconds or so the others caught up, minus Eddie and Ben.
Fear zapped through her chest, desperate to reach Mike in time. Kali sprinted ahead with her long, strong legs.
They reached her fort just in time, from the looks of it. Max hurled her knife at Pennywise to get it's attention off Mike, and it lodged into the clown's shoulder.
`Nice shot,' gasped Lucas, before firing rocks at it. The Wrist Rocket pinged back and forth.
It bounded towards them, and mid-leap twisted into an enormous bird and flew directly at Mike H.
`I am not afraid!' He screamed, slashing at the bird's feathers. They floated to the grass. Where they landed, smoke rose and an acrid burnt stink pervaded the air. The bird took a final dive at Mike H, tore away a flap of skin, and then dropped to the ground; when it rose, Henry Bowers grinned at them, holding a dog by the scruff of it's neck. Mockingly, he read out the inscription on the collar.
`Mr Chip. Return to Hanlon Farm.' He put his head to the side in a pout. `Awww. So sweet. Must be a very loved dog.' Mr Chip wriggled and squirmed, yapping helplessly. Henry calmly broke the dog's neck with a resounding snap. It's last bark cut off sharply, and the golden labrador flopped heavily to the ground. Mike H's mouth twisted as blood poured down his face.
`You have no idea how much I've wanted to do this.'
Realising it's mistake, Henry Bowers' smirk dissapeared just before Mike's metal pipe smashed it's jaw. It was back to PennyRiddle, lower jaw sticking out too far from the top one. With a sickening, grinding sound, the clown pushed it back into place, dog corpse gone.
Missiles and attacks came from every direction. Kali looked to Eleven.
`Now?'
Eleven nodded, and they joined hands. But before they could properly attack PennyRiddle bowled Kali over into the thickening snow, now a man in a lab coat, white hair slicked back. Grinning.
`Papa,' both test subjects choked.
Dr Brenner removed a taser from his pocket. `You must be punished, Eight,' he intoned, switching it on. Kali screamed as the taser's barbs punched into the skin on her forehead. Dr Brenner's mouth opened.
Unnoticed, a drop of black goo dropped from his mouth into Kali's. He electrocuted Kali mercilessly, killing her.
Beverly was closest. She stabbed Brenner through the neck so hard the tip of her knife came out the other side, but all that happened was the black goo separated out when the knife went in and slowly solidified to push it back out.
Beverly backed away as the clown bore down on her, speaking in a high, falsetto voice.
`Legal proceedings, Bevvie my girl, you know no judge will take your case.'
Eleven stopped trying to rouse Kali, who was now completely unresponsive and instead ran full pelt to the clown.
`Go away!' Screamed Eleven, automatically trying to hit him with her powers. Nothing happened. So instead she picked up Beverly's knife and tossed it to her.
`Beverly! You have to do it!'
The other girl gripped the knife so hard her knuckles went white and swiped at PennyRiddle. Will ran forwards and joined in, hitting it around the knees with a bat. They broke, and PennyRiddle fell forward with a howl of agony. It seemed torn between a demogorgon and Beverly's grandmother.
`We're winning!' Yelled Mike victoriously. Richie shook with fear.
`Clowns,' he croaked out, trembling all over.
0
Holly was sleeping in the grubby motel, with the gang dozing, cigarettes hanging out of their lips or magazines dropped over their faces.
At first, she'd dreamt of travelling again, long hours of walking and trying to hitch hike with her stomach growling.
And then all that was peeled away and instead, she was back in the dark place, with the funny tortoise floating above her.
`Holly Wheeler, you are going to have to run.'
`What?'
`You'll know the way, I'm putting it into your head now. Go to the Barrens. You're going to want to be there tonight.'
`Why? Why do I need to be there?'
But she was waking up. She didn't want to wake up! What was happening?
Holly opened her eyes to gloomy, smoky light. It was as if a map was in her head; she crept out of the room, feet freezing despite her socks.
It would take her a little while to reach the Barrens. Half an hour, to be exact.
Holly Wheeler toddled her way along the snowy streets of Derry, shivering in her winter coat.
