A/N: Hey, everyone! I hope you all are having a great weekend so far. I apologize for suddenly deleting the chapter. I was second-guessing on a couple of things, so I decided to go back and revert to my original dialogue for the first two scenes. I hope you guys enjoy the updated scenes.
I am nearing in finishing up the Halloween Chapter. I will have it posted the night before. :)
Anyway, enjoy the read!
09/16/2020 Update: I went through and fixed a scene.
It's pretty decent this morning.
The temperature is tolerable, and the sun beamed brightly with not a cloud in sight.
Stan decided to go for a walk, needing to clear his mind. Ever since Ruth's disappearance, Stan has been deathly worried about her. The others are equally concerned, as well. He, on the other hand, is taking the news a lot harder. His crush, whom Stan is beginning to fall in love for, is missing for over a month now. He' beginning to think the worse.
Oh, G-d, please let Ruth be alright. Give me some clues here to find her or even, his thought trails off when he hears a familiar voice.
Stan stops in his tracks, listening carefully. The voice he hears is refined and feathery. Yes, he knows who that voice belongs to. His heart flutters in excitement and stomach flips. Stan glances to his right from a corner and sees the fiery strawberry blonde hair cascading down a female's back. Stan instantly recognized the lilac top.
Oh, my sweet lord, Ruth!
He starts forward, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. He doesn't see anybody look in his direction or in Ruth's. It felt like they didn't exist. Stanley thought it was weird, but nothing of it. Even people did see them, he wouldn't care then. All Stan sees is Ruth talking to the Basset Hound at her side. He doesn't pay attention to the "conversation" she's having. All Stan knows is that he saw Ruth and is overjoyed.
"Ruth?"
Stan sees her stiffen, freezing from the sound of his voice.
Please, Ruth, say something back, please.
"Ruth, is that really you?"
She whirls around, looking frantic. Ruth's long gentle waves swirled with her, flinging into her face a little. When her widened, beautiful eyes land on his, Stan rushed at her. He heard Ruth's beautiful voice ring in his ears again.
"Stanley?"
Upon approach, Stan doesn't give her a chance to speak further. He roughly takes Ruth into his arms, hugging her tightly. It's a hearty hug in which Stan lifted Ruth off her feet slightly. Stan weeps, relieved and over the moon that Ruth is alive.
"You're, you're alive! Thank God, you're alive!" He cries hysterically.
"Shh," Ruth consoled, wrapping her arms around his neck to return the embrace.
"I was so afraid I lost you!"
"It's okay, Stan, it's okay. I'm okay."
Stan sobs lightly onto her shoulder. "I've missed you so much," he whispers.
"I missed you, too, Stanley," Ruth admits, lightly crying herself.
He inhales deeply, smelling warm vanilla and rose with a tinge of dirt in her hair. Mmm, she smells pretty.
The two teenagers embraced for a long moment, more prolonged than Pennywise wanted. He watched them in strange wonder. He and Ruth hugged before but not anything like what is before him. Ruth and Stan clung to one another like life partners. Despite the tears from both parties, they seem happy.
Pennywise inwardly groans, Alright, break it up lovebirds, sheesh. I'll never truly understand human affection, blah!
Stan finally pulls away, breaking the embrace. He immediately started to ramble.
"I'm so glad you're okay. When we found out you were missing, well, after finding your parents dead, we didn't know what to think. I didn't know if you were okay, hurt, or even worse dead."
Ruth stared at him for a moment, her brows furrows. "You went into the house? Why did you?"
Stan flinched, "I had to know if you were okay! We all went in_."
"Wait, we?"
"Yes, we. Bill, Ben, Beverly, Richie, Eddie, Mike, and I went to your house, Ruth."
She stares for a moment, her features slightly scrunched.
"Why?"
"We don't know why we went there. I can only assume we all had this feeling something was wrong."
Ruth stares at him briefly. She wanted to pointedly glare at Pennywise for making them go into her home to discover the bodies of Jordan and Jonathan.
Below, Pennywise grew extremely agitated. Maturin.
"I had absolutely nothing to do with the bunch intruding on your previous home, Ruth. That is the truth."
"You went into the house because you had a feeling something was wrong? If you were that concerned, you should have called the police to investigate, not yourselves. I'm sure if I were someone who hasn't seen death before, I would be traumatized."
Stan opened his mouth to argue, only to stop. He knew it would be pointless because Ruth is intelligent. She would have waited outside for help to arrive and search the home. He eyes her, finally taking notice of Ruth's appearance. She is a little fuller in the face, pleasantly toned and gaining emphasis in some areas. Ruth's petite frame is filling out to a sophisticated hourglass shape. Of course, being a boy, Stan eyed her growing swells for a second then back to her eyes.
"Um uh, wow, you look um, you look," Stan stuttered, wetting his lips.
Pennywise rolls his eyes, Oh, for the love of galaxies.
"Great," Stan finished, blushing deeply.
Pennywise inwardly groans, face-palming himself.
Ruth deadpans and stares at Stan, feeling deflated. Ruth wanted to hear a real compliment from him after a month of not seeing him. She missed and thought about him a lot.
"Oh, um, thanks, I guess," she mumbles.
Stan watches Ruth, who is a little lost in thought. Her response perturbed him as she doesn't seem herself.
"Are you okay?"
Ruth hums in response at first, "Oh um, yeah, I'm fine."
"You sure? You don't seem like yourself."
She glares at him, sighing in defeat. "I just saw my missing person poster, Stan."
He frowns, "Well, it has been a month since you've disappeared, Ruth. Everyone is worried about you."
"Really? Normally, people would be glad I was gone."
"Nonsense! Once the town learned the truth, they regretted doing the things they did."
"Really, regretted. I lived with being hated for fourteen years, and now all of a sudden, I'm liked. They only care because I'm some famous person's daughter! It's not exactly an easy change to adapt to overnight, Stan."
"I understand your frustrations, Ruth, really, I do. The group is concerned. Poor Mike is guilt-tripping himself because he feels it's his fault for what happened."
Ruth rose her brows, "It kind of is his fault, Stan. If he had stayed away and told someone what was going on, everything would have been different. Except, he confronted the problem head-on, and it nearly got me killed."
"I know that, Ruth. He only went there out of concern, even when I told him not to. I went to intercept, but I was too late. When I got Mike to back off and were leaving, Jonathan grabbed me from behind. Mike snapped and freaking punched him."
Ruth's eyes narrowed. "Excuse me?"
"It was a bad move, I know. Jonathan threatened to kill us if we returned there. Mike and I talked afterward. We should have gone to the authorities then. Maybe none of this would have happened."
She remained to stare at him, processing everything. Ruth presses and bit at her lips as if unsure of what to say now.
"Look, you've been through hell, I know. I'm terribly sorry you had to."
Ruth lightly nods, frowning, "Thanks."
They stood in silence for a moment, unsure of what to say now. Stan figured it out quickly.
"Will you tell me one thing? It's something I've wanted to know for the past month now."
"What's that?"
"Are you safe?"
Ruth suddenly glares, crossing her arms.
"I am," Ruth answered tightly.
"Where exactly would that be?"
Ruth cocks her head, "Why do you want to know? You thinking about coming to visit?"
"Maybe, yeah."
Pennywise groans, "You're pressuring her, dimwit," he growls.
"I can't tell you that," Ruth answers quickly, fuming underneath her calm shell.
"What, why not? Don't you_."
"The thing is, Stan, I don't want to be found right now."
He looks at her, puzzled. "Why? Are you hiding from something? Or are you running away from a problem?"
Ruth glares at him, seething, "That is none of your business, Stanley."
Stan sighs heavily, not liking where this is going. He puffs his chest, readying himself.
"Do you not trust me, Ruth?"
She searched his gaze, frowning slightly. "I have a little faith in you, Stanley. I don't care if you went there with the best of intentions. You and Mike almost got me killed. It's kind of hard to trust anyone now since everyone refers to me as Rutherford's Daughter."
He pauses, starting to understand her anger now.
"You're not just that, Ruth. You're still you."
"Am I?"
"You are. I know who you are, Ruth."
Pfft, do you now? Pennywise thought to himself.
Ruth refrains from making a snide remark. Instead, she stares at Stan with pursed lips.
"Look, I understand this is all hard all to process and adjust. I can't imagine how you feel about everything," Stan pauses to look at Ruth.
He can tell the attack still haunts her mind. Despite her healthy appearance, Ruth looks tired. The dark circles under her eyes are a good indication.
He sighs heavily, "You know, out of everyone here in Derry, I was the most worried about you, Ruth."
"Were you?" She whispers.
Stan considers for a long moment, sighing heavily again.
"When I went to go investigate your home, I feared the worse. Every corner I passed, I kept telling myself, "Please, don't let it be Ruth." It would have crushed my heart if I discovered your lifeless body. Ever since I saw you in school several years ago, I instantly developed a crush on you. You're intelligent and charming yet a strong-willed fighter, Ruth. And I like you a lot. I was so afraid that you were dead. I would hate it if I ever lost you. You're the sunshine to my world, Ruth."
Ruth stood rigid, searching his soft gaze. She stares at him for a long moment to process Stan's confession. He didn't have to say it. Ruth knows now Stan is in love with her. Is she, though?
Stan eyes Ruth, searching her gaze. He gulps lightly, stepping closer where they barely touched. Ruth stiffens at his sudden closeness, breathing deeply. She can smell frankincense with a tinge of myrrh and cinnamon on him. It's a bit overwhelming, but Stanley's introduction to cologne fits him. He stares at her lips for a second then lands his eyes on Ruth's. They stare for a moment, both licking their lips.
"Can I get your permission to do something? I want to demonstrate how much I care about you, Ruth?" Stan timidly questions.
Ruth gulps tightly, her palms sweating, and trembled. She unknowingly uncrossed her arms, letting them hang.
"What is it you want to do, Stanley?" She whispers, leaning slightly.
Without leaving her gaze, Stan reaches and takes Ruth's right hand into his.
"I want to kiss you. May I?"
Ruth searches Stan's gaze, mouth slightly parted. She doesn't verbally answer but slowly nods.
Stan inches closer, his eyes close the same time Ruth does. Slowly, he presses and conforms his lips on Ruth's in a short, gentle kiss. When Stan pulled back a little, he lightly smiles and blushed deeply. Ruth shudders a sigh from holding her breath. Their hands remained together, and fingers entwined tightly.
They stare at one another briefly. With Ruth's free hand, she cups the back of Stan's neck to pull him close and kiss him hard. Stan smiles into their second kiss, matching Ruth's movements. Eventually, she smirks, too. With a slight tilt of her head, Ruth deepens the kiss.
At their feet, Pennywise hunkered low in his Basset Hound form. He glanced from Ruth to Stan, increasingly growing irritated at the two teenagers kissing.
Well, this…is just…perfect!
Ruth hums then broke the kiss with a light smack. She opens her eyes, discovering Stanley kissing the air. Ruth chuckles, rolling her eyes with a suppressed smirk.
She clears her throat, causing him to snap out of his daze, who is blushing brightly.
"Oh, uh um, uh blah," Stan stammers.
Ruth diverts her gaze elsewhere, hiding her bright blush. She doesn't say anything but does bite at her knuckle, trying not to smirk. Pennywise caught this.
"Ruth?"
Stan clears his throat, trying to hide the ecstatic grin that wants to surface.
"I'm glad I ran into you, Ruth. Everyone will be_."
Ruth frowns, her high fading. "You can't tell anyone you saw me."
"What do you mean? Everyone is looking for you, Ruth. They need to know you're alive."
"No, no, they don't. Just please, keep your mouth shut."
Stan stares, astonished. "What, why don't you want me to say anything?"
"I told you before, I don't want to be found! Do you have any idea what would happen to me if the police find out I killed Jordan?"
He deadpans, "They already figured out that you did, Ruth."
She blinks, "What?"
"They found your fingerprint on the butcher knife. It's classified as justifiable homicide, at least that's what I remember from reading the newspaper."
"And, I will be charged for it, too."
Stan shook his head, "No, no, they won't. From what I also read, they won't prosecute you. Jordan and Jonathan were criminals who would have gotten the chair."
Ruth frowns, glancing away from him. Stan can see the wheels turning in her head. She's obviously weighing the pros and cons of the situation. He can also tell Ruth made a decision, and it's going to affect their relationship.
"Goodbye, Stan."
Ruth immediately turns, crossing her arms.
"Ruth, please wait."
She whirls around, tears brimming her eyes.
"I need to go, Stanley," Ruth stresses.
"Where exactly do you need to go?"
"I can't even tell you that."
"Ruth, please, talk to me. Let me help you through this."
Ruth opens her mouth to speak but sighs instead. She considers for a moment. The thought of having him with her does sound nice, plus he would give Ruth support. Except, some journeys are best to go alone. It's a selfish thought, but it is true.
"I really appreciate you want to help me, Stanley, but this is something I have to do on my own."
Stan deflated and became slightly agitated. "You don't have to do this alone, Ruth. Please let me help."
"You can't help. I'm sorry," Ruth replies, shaking her head.
She turns away, Pennywise, the dog right at her heel.
"Move it along," he growls.
"Ruth, come on now. Why won't you tell me anything? What about us?"
Ruth immediately stopped in her tracks.
Us?
With a hard sigh, she looks back at him. Below her, Pennywise bit and tugged at her jeans.
"Damnit, Red, move it!"
"Just wait one more minute, Pen," Ruth told him.
Ruth weakly smiles. "At this point, Stanley, there really isn't a us."
Crestfallen, stuttered. "What, what does that supposed to mean?"
"It means this is the only time you're going to see me, Stan."
"But, but."
"The thing is, Stan, I like you, too. But we can't be together when I'm hiding."
"Then, when can I see you again?"
Ruth frowns, "When I decide to finally stop shielding myself from the world. So, not anytime soon, maybe never."
Stan stares at her, astonished yet hurt.
"What," he stutters to say anything.
"I'm really sorry, Stanley."
He sniffles, struggling to keep himself from crying.
Ruth sadly smiles, tearing up herself. She may not want to be in a relationship right now, but Ruth doesn't want to sever ties with Stan completely.
"Listen, Stan, if I ever do decide to come out of hiding, maybe then we can talk about there being an us. But for now, this is goodbye."
Stan gulps tightly, nodding. It's at least something to give him hope.
"I can accept that."
She smiles gently, then stepped towards him to kiss his lips.
"Goodbye, Stanley."
With a yank from Pennywise, Ruth rushes away to leave a weeping Stan alone on the sidewalk.
His bottom lip quivered as he watched the girl of his dreams walk away. He wanted to chase after her, but his heavy feet kept him grounded. Instead, Stan stood there, clenching and unclenching his fists while trembling. He desperately wants to cry but refused to shed a tear. At least, not yet. He'll cry later somewhere so no one could hear him.
Remaining hopeful, Stan slowly turns away. I hope you find what you're looking for Ruth.
The trek to her home is unbearably quiet.
Ruth stuck close to Pennywise this time and kept her gaze on the ground, hugging herself. Pennywise knows the girl is stuck in her head, thinking about what happened earlier. Ruth and Stan kissed, big whoop in his opinion. Pennywise understands his female companion has feelings towards the Jewish boy, but to witness the two's connection irritated him. They would make a cute pair anyway. Pennywise wished he wasn't distracted. Otherwise, the boy wouldn't have seen them.
He might be agitated about it, but Ruth could be in a jumble of emotions right now. Pennywise glances up at her, unable to see Ruth's face. He tried to connect with her via mind, except Ruth blocked him from entering. Pennywise inwardly puckers his lips, determination crossing his eyes. He will force his way in.
"RED!"
Ruth jumped slightly from his booming voice.
"You irritating child, snap the hell out of it."
"Sorry," Ruth whispered with uncertainty.
He sighs, pouting angrily.
"Are you okay?" Ruth asked, watching the Basset Hound.
"I'm fine," Pennywise quips, refusing to look up at her now.
"Um, are you sure? You seem agitated."
"I said, I'm fine. Now shut the hell up," he growls.
Ruth stops in her tracks, watching Pennywise trot ahead. This is surprising for her to see from him. "Okay, I'm sorry for pushing. Why are you so bent out of," Ruth stopped when it dawned on her why Pennywise is aggravated.
She smiles gently, jogging to catch up to him. When Ruth did, she stops in front of him and crouches.
"Get out of my," Pennywise began only to stop when Ruth took his doggy face into her hands.
"Don't you worry about what we have. Yes, I like Stan a lot. However, I am more fond of you because you are my number one favorite person, Penny. You are my first and only dear friend."
Ruth doesn't think she just takes action. She is quick to lean and kiss his nose, between his eyes then forehead. Ruth grins brightly when she pulled back and started walking ahead of him.
Pennywise sat there in a stupor with eyes crossed from when Ruth kissed his head. His agitation disintegrating in an instant. He sees her stop to look over her shoulder at him.
"What's the matter, Pen? Did I break you?"
Nothing crossed his mind, at first, but he did inwardly grin goofily and puffed his chest.
I'm her number one, Pennywise thought to himself.
He rushes forward, needing to catch up. They're not too far away now.
After five minutes of intense silence, they arrived. Ruth stood stationary, eyeing the home where she used to live with scorn. She replays a few memories running up the drive and down the street. Most of them were her getting away from Jonathan and crying. Ruth doesn't miss it. Even though it's been a month since she's been here, Ruth hates this place. It's just an empty house full of horrible memories.
She sighs, "You know, after a month of leaving that hell hole, it still looks the same."
"Other than the "Caution, Do Not Enter," tape blocking the entrance," Pennywise adds dryly.
"You would think they would remove it after this long."
"They're still investigating for clues on the whereabouts of your father, Ruth. It's a cold case. While you've holed yourself up in the house, I have heard a lot of talk on my hunts. Apparently, that worthless skin did her homework. She cleaned up any trace of him. They can't even figure out a clear motive. You may know, but they don't."
"Well," Ruth starts, stepping forward. "I'm going to change that."
His brain short-circuited. "Huh?"
"The cops are clueless idiots, Pen. They need to look beyond the surface for clues."
Pennywise flinches, watching Ruth approach. He is quick to follow. She knows something that neither he nor the police does. Whatever it is, Pennywise is sure Ruth will uncover the truth of her father's murder. Hell, Pennywise may understand why he felt the deep-rooted emotions after fourteen years.
Silence befalls them again as Ruth and Pennywise approached the door, slipping inside the dark house. Ruth stood at the doorway for her eyes to adjust. She sighs then marched down the hall while scanning the walls, floor, and rooms. Ruth recalls the events that led to the Birthday Fiasco. She remembers having to face Jordan and Jonathan alone, fighting them off and killing Jordan in self-defense. Ruth looks in the kitchen, visualizing Jordan's corpse with a deep, saddened frown. Walking further, Ruth looked in her old room. The image of Jonathan the Swine's innards spilling out flashed in her brain. She shook her head to rid herself of the horrid memory. Ruth even remembers the screams.
Pennywise, who is now in his clown form, watched Ruth. He can tell she recalls everything that has happened here in this house. It is a place full of horrid memories. Pennywise doesn't understand why Ruth had to come back. Yes, she wants to know about her father. But there is another reason. He noticed Ruth enter the master bedroom, quickly following.
Inside, Ruth glares about the room with her frown deepening and eyes narrowed. The last time she ventured in here, Ruth got caught. The punishment she received was severe and cost her to miss school for a couple of days. The memories of her childhood are much worse. Ruth hates this house with a burning passion. With a heavy breath, she turns to the master closet.
"What exactly are you looking for?" Pennywise inquires, leaning against the doorframe.
Ruth doesn't answer. Instead, she swings the closet door wide open then stoops. He hears her rummage about and rips at something. He ventures inside, discovering Ruth peeling back a rug that is glued down.
Continuing to watch, Pennywise saw Ruth strip at the floorboards. Underneath, he saw metal, a floor safe. How did she know it was there?
"I ventured in here a long time ago. My parents at the time were installing new flooring in here. They had to go out and wouldn't be back for an hour. Curious me went in the moment they left. I should have waited five minutes, maybe even ten. They had to turn around because Jordan forgot something. She found me in here. I got enough of a glimpse of what they were doing before I got the tar beat out of me. I missed school for several days because of it. I haven't stepped foot in here since. I feel what I'm looking for is in this safe."
Pennywise doesn't say a word. He just continues to watch. Ruth cracks a combination within seconds and flips the small door open. She stops briefly, staring into the hole. He approaches then, peering over her shoulder. His eyes land on several things: a birth certificate, legal documents which are torn down the middle, polaroids with a map of the sort, and several envelopes with her name written on them. Pennywise noticed Ruth stalling in reaching for the package as it had her name on it.
"Why are you stalling?" He questions.
Ruth doesn't answer, only remains to stare at the contents. Why is she stalling? She found what she is looking for. Ruth started to reach for the envelope with her name on it, only to withdraw to snatch the torn legal papers. Upon closer inspection, Ruth realized its custody agreement papers. Rutherford and Jordan agreed that Ruth will legally stay with her father. Jordan wanted no visitation rights. She stated Jordan wanted no part in Ruth's life as she never wanted any children.
If she didn't want children, then why did she not go with an abortion?
There were other documents to answer this. Ruth shifted through the papers, finding a handwritten letter requesting Jordan about going through the pregnancy as her father didn't believe in abortion. Jordan reluctantly followed through with it and wholeheartedly agreed that Rutherford will have full custody of Ruth.
Marriage was not in her foreseeable future or bothersome children. All Jordan wanted was fame and glory.
Then why did she go back on her word?
Ruth remembered Jordan saying that Jonathan convinced her to abduct Ruth. It slowly started to come together then. Ruth leaned slightly to pull out an old newspaper clipping of a prison riot. Jonathan escaped, of course, and came here to convince Jordan in abducting an infant. Jordan had given birth to Ruth two weeks prior. Her brother would do anything to ensure his baby sister's happiness. He got into Jordan's head, coaxed her into doing things she didn't want to do and make Ruth's life miserable as vengeance on Rutherford. Plus, it gave Jonathan pleasure to torment Ruth for so long then have Jordan all to himself and do whatever he pleased with her until she finally had enough.
Her lips curved downward, realizing her mother was trapped within a conspiracy.
She glances at the birth certificate. Ruth read her name, Vivian Ruth Greyson.
Vivian? Where did Amber come from then? Ruth thought to herself.
Staring at it further, she was born at 2:08, fourteen hours, and eight minutes on the twentieth of July in 1975.
Ruth glanced away when she noticed something else. A legal name change form that is ripped in several places and unrecognizable words scribbled about the parchment. Jordan wanted to change Vivian to Amber. Why? Amber is the character that Jordan was supposed to portray in some horror thriller movie.
That's when it clicked. Ruth turned her gaze to the bedroom door, remembering the Hidden by Nature movie poster. That was the film Jordan was supposed to star in, except her pregnancy with Ruth hindered her dream of becoming a world-class actress with high standards. Except why was she so desperate to step into the limelight? Jordan didn't seem that great of an actress in her eyes but that could have been downplayed to fit the circumstances she was in, at the time. Apparently, Jordan has a few secrets in her skeleton closet and it is locked tight.
There is one question that remains unanswered, well, maybe a few. What happened with Ruth's father and where is he buried? And why on her fourteenth birthday did Jordan decide to kill Ruth?
Ruth heaves a sigh, venturing further to uncover the truth. She saw the thick envelope, along with a card-shaped one, with her name on it but didn't reach for it. Ruth will look at them later. Reaching in, Ruth found her father's will.
Oh, I will certainly get some answers here.
She snatches it and reads out loud.
"In light of Rutherford Greyson the Third's death, I hereby direct all my property and inheritance to my only beneficiary Vivian Ruth Greyson. Upon her fourteenth birthday, everything I own from my gallery, estate, and earnings will go into my daughter's name. Whatever expenses remain, she shall use the one hundred mill," Ruth trails off.
She reads the total over again, her eyes widening to the size of dollars.
"Um, am I reading this, right? Is that one hundred million dollars I'm seeing?"
"More than that," Pennywise states, shifting her thumb to reveal more zeros.
"Holy shit and Shinola! A hundred billion dollars? What the hell did he do for a living to earn that much money? Whatever is left can and will be used at the beneficiary's expense. Whatever he has that needs to be paid off will still leave me with a shit load of money. It's more than enough to provide for me."
Ruth remembered something then. She recalls reading an abandoned newspaper that Jordan's last name is really Kershaw. She only took on the Greyson name so she could get the inheritance. If something happened to Ruth, it would automatically go to the next of kin, right? To know for sure, Ruth read on. Apparently, Rutherford made it so that Jordan received very little if it were to happen. Jordan will only get a quarter hundred thousand while the rest would go to charity. Her father didn't have to leave Jordan anything. However, she did bring Ruth into this world. It was him thanking Jordan for fulfilling his promise.
A sickening knot developed in her stomach. Was that another reason for Jordan to kill Ruth's father? For the money? It has to be. Jordan must have seen the will and was infuriated at not getting more. She was driven by anger, spite, and greed. If Jordan didn't get her happiness in fame and glory, then neither Ruth or her father would. She tore the legal papers in half for Rutherford to see her deception before striking him down. That's what Jordan lied about.
Furious, Ruth gripped the paper to the point of ripping. She wants to cry. Ruth sniffles, fighting the tears back. She clears her throat while ignoring Pennywise's saddened gaze. Looking in the box, Ruth caught something else. There are photos and what appears to be a map. With a gulp, she starts for the polaroid but stops. Ruth stares at the stack, wondering if she should even look at them.
"Should I?"
Pennywise takes her wrist, pulling her hand back. This gesture told Ruth she should not gaze upon them. Tears continued to brim her eyes, struggling not to cry.
"Did Jordan take pictures of him?"
He doesn't answer. Pennywise remained to stare at Ruth's hand, which trembled.
Ruth gulps tightly, unsure if she should be furious or saddened from learning the truth. She could be both. Ruth never got to meet her father and is angry at Jordan for taking happiness away from her. Any chance Ruth got to experience what gladness felt like it was swiped away from her.
"Ruth, are you," Pennywise begun to ask only to stop himself.
That's a stupid question. Of course, Ruth is not okay. Red just discovered the truth. She's taking it better than I initially thought, that's for sure.
"Okay? No, I'm not. Before Jordan died, her last words were "Everything will be okay." That was a lie. Nothing is okay. I can't begin to tell you how angry I am at her," Ruth answers with strain.
She doesn't have to, Pennywise can feel the anger radiating from her small body. He actually shrunk back some. Pennywise can tell Ruth is one of those silent, dormant types. Push the wrong button, and Ruth will unleash fire and brimstone.
"I fucking hate her for murdering my father, and yet, I'm sad."
He watches her, curiously, "Why are you?"
Ruth turns her watery gaze on him, frowning. "Jordan took someone from me that I've never got to meet. My father loved me, and I never got to experience it. I'm finding it hard to feel his love. All I'm seeing is evidence of where he is buried and a clear motive for why Jordan killed him."
Pennywise frowns as he leaned over her and snatched the two envelopes. "Look, Ruth. Whatever is in here, I'm sure it will give you the answers you need."
Ruth took the envelope from him, staring at it for the longest time. She's processing everything and considering the next step. Looking inside at the contents is not one of them. Ruth will reveal its secrets later tonight. Right now, she needs to figure out her next move. They've been here much longer than they should. She glares into the closet then down at the safety box, sighing.
"Ruth?"
She turns her attention on Pennywise, poker-faced.
"I need your help me with something."
Find this child, search for that one, oh and while you're at it, locate the Greyson Girl. Sheesh, when will it end, Officer Butch Bowers thought to himself.
He trudged slowly to his desk with shoulders slumped forward in exhaustion. He and his team are working long hours in searching for the missing children. On top of it all, the homicide crew is still investigating Rutherford's murder. He would like to know what happened. Butch may not have liked the guy, but hey, he's curious. They don't have a clue of where to look now. Butch was told they searched the home and came up with nothing. Jordan made sure no one would discover Rutherford's whereabouts.
The thought of Jordan made his insides burn. Not in a sexual manner, mind you. Butch learned the disgusting truth about the slut through Ruth's journals. She had gone into complete detail of the abuse Jordan and Jonathan put her through. It sickened him that the cold-hearted woman laid hands on a pretty young child. Not like he has a lot of room to talk. Butch is no better than Jordan since he is aggressive with Henry.
Maybe, I should put a stop to that, Butch thought again.
He approached his cluttered desk and fell into the chair. With a loud groan, Butch slams his head on the table. He laid like this for a good five minutes, needing to catch a few winks before going back out. Little did Butch know, someone approached him.
They stood there, grasping an ugly orange envelope at their chest. The person is a woman, maybe in her mid to late forties. Her premature graying brown hair is pulled back in a messy updo and is wearing bright green glasses that sat precariously at the tip of her nose. She smirks at Butch for a moment, then lightly taps the desk next to his head.
Butch grunts and gasps, glancing up at his visitor. The woman's smirk widens, a paperclip stuck to his forehead, and a pencil had left an imprint on his chin.
"Sorry, hon, I didn't mean to startle you awake," the woman nasally replies with a thick Northern accent and purses her full red lips.
Butch clears his throat, "It's fine, Berta. I just needed to rest my eyes."
"Or checking eyes for holes. Something came in for you while you were away from your desk."
Berta hands off the envelope, watching Butch curiously take it into his hands. He cocked his head slightly, noticing the beautiful and neat scrolling handwriting.
"Who gave this to you?"
"I didn't see who delivered it. I was just told it needed to go to you. That's all I know. Why?"
Butch eyes Berta for a moment, confused. "It's nothing," he goes to say more when he read the message at the front.
"The answers lie within."
"Hmm, okay."
Berta's eyes narrow slightly, leaning forward to see the message.
"There better not be a severed rotted finger in there."
Butch ignores her for a moment to open the package. Reaching in, he grasps legal papers that are torn down the middle, along with a few other essential documents, a map of sort and polaroids. Befuddled, he looks at the photos first. His confused expression falls into a gap, eyes widening. These are photographs of Rutherford Greyson beaten, bludgeoned, and bloodied. Butch became disturbed as he shifted through the five pictures, each a different angle of Rutherford. One of them has the murder weapon at his side, a bat.
"Butch, who is that?" Berta questions softly, who moved around to see as well.
"This is Rutherford's body, Berta."
She makes a light sniffle and sob, throwing a hand over her mouth. Berta met Rutherford a long time ago and instantly fell in love with the guy. Rutherford is a great man who only wanted to live life to the fullest and showcase his god-given gift. His art gallery here proved that tremendous talent. Berta can only hope Ruth can live up to her father's legacy and become a notable figure here in Derry as well.
From what Berta understands, Ruth will receive a pardon if she came out of hiding. The authorities ruled the girl as Jordan's murderer but didn't see a reason to prosecute even when they should. Jordan intended to kill Ruth. Ruth fought with the stronger woman to survive.
With a heavy sigh, Berta glances at the map while Butch continued to analyze the photos. She snatches it without his knowledge and snaps it open. It took one look for Berta to smack at Butch, urging him to look away from the polaroids.
"What, what?"
"Butch," Berta starts, leaning slightly to reveal a heavily marked trail map. One, in particular, is a big red X, supposedly marks Rutherford's body. The others were small black x's scattered about. Apparently, Jordan was looking for something out in the woods.
Butch grabs the map from Berta's hands then rushes towards a couple of officers.
"Randall, Flagg! Head to the Barrens and take the trail along the river."
One of them, with dark hair, scrunched their features. "Why?"
"An angel just sent us a lead."
He hands the map to the dark-haired male named Flagg then started for the glass doors.
"Right on it, sir. Um, wait, where are you going?"
"To the Greyson Residence!"
The ride was intense.
Henry, along with Belch and Victor, rode over to Ruth's old place. Ruth asked them to meet her there for whatever reason. They wondered why she would want to go there anyway, but listened to her either way.
Henry stares at the pocketknife that was returned to him, not ten minutes ago. He minded his own business when Henry noticed the red balloon at his mailbox. Upon opening, there was a package with a note taped on it.
"Last chance. Go to my old place in fifteen."
He was certainly confused by it but listened. Before Henry could, he opened the box to discover another handwritten note inside with his pocketknife.
"Run to live or stay to die, your choice."
- R + P
He wasn't sure what provoked her to search for the pocketknife, but Henry was thankful. Henry's been losing his mind over this damned thing. He still hasn't told his father about losing it or him attacking Ruth. Henry also had to wonder who P is. It's obviously a name, but what is it? Paul, Peter, Pam, or maybe Patrick? They still don't know what happened to Hockstetter. He went missing, too. Henry knows Patrick had a thing for Ruth. She didn't, but he did.
Maybe, they're holed up together. Pfft, yeah, right!
Henry sighs heavily, staring ahead with his arms folded. He wonders why Ruth suddenly wants to see him. They haven't spoken since he made an unwanted advance on her. Henry knew it was the wrong thing to do. He was losing his sanity, and Ruth looked ravishing when Henry stumbled upon her changing. Ruth, at the time, was lost in her head and didn't realize he was there until the last second. She fought him off, but Henry also remembered some guy rushing in at the tail end and kicked him down the stairs. Now that hurt. Henry was grateful he didn't break his neck tumbling down. Whoever, the guy was, he was furious. Henry remembers him being tall and had dark blonde hair, maybe even brown. Whoever he may be, he's looking out for Ruth.
"Hey, Henry," Belch called out to him.
Belch calling for him snapped Henry out of his head. Henry glances over at him, noticing Belch nod towards the road. He turns, seeing a cop car rolling to a stop in front of Ruth's old place. Henry recognized the car as his father's. He sees him stepping out and rounded the front with purpose.
"What the hell? Stop here, Belch," Henry instructs.
Once the car stopped, Henry jumps out and rushes over. "Dad?"
Butch whirls around, catching sight of Henry and the confused expression.
"What the fuck? What are you doing here?"
Hesitating, Henry responds. "Ruth reached out to me and asked to meet here."
Butch glowers, fuming. "Do you know where she is, you little shit?"
Henry's features hardening, hatred creeping in his gaze. "I haven't seen Ruth since I brought her here. Why are you here?"
"Police business. You best get back in that car and get. You have no reason in being here."
"I'm only following Ruth's request in meeting her here! What do you think I'm going to do? Tamper with the evidence or disturb the crime scene?"
"I don't give a shit if," Butch stopped when a rotten egg smell wafted in his nostrils.
Henry caught it, too. "What's that smell?"
Recognizing the danger, Butch rushed at Henry.
"GET DOWN!"
Grabbing his son by the shirt and rounding the car in the nick of time, a fiery eruption of light and sound blown everything in its wake. A shockwave blew out the windows of Butch's dispatch car, rocking and nearly toppling it over. Butch had covered Henry's head to protect him from the many shards of glass. He can hear the growing muffled roar of flames engulfing the house and glass bursting. Butch can even feel the intense heat from where he and Henry sat.
Eyes widened to dollars, Butch checks on Henry. He's trembling and on the verge of tears but not hurt. He then checks on Belch and Victor. The two boys had ducked inside the car, unscathed. Knowing that the kids were okay, Butch quickly reaches inside the car for the walkie.
"10-33! 10-33!"
The radio pops, "10-20. What's going on, Butch?"
"I have a 10-82 at 814 Witchum. I have three eye-witnesses on the scene. Dispatch ambulance for medical checks stat!"
"10-4. Back-up is en-route and estimated in less than two minutes."
Butch clicks his radio to say more when he noticed Henry rushing towards the house.
"HENRY!"
"RUTH!" Henry screams.
Butch is quick and grabs Henry around the chest. "Stop! You can't go in there!"
"Ruth is in there! We got to save her!"
"She's not in there! Now get," he doesn't get to finish when another explosion of flames squeals outward and blown pieces of wood.
He and Henry fall onto the ground, shielding themselves from burning debris.
Henry trembles violently, watching in horror as the growing flames swallow the home with black and orange. Tears brimmed his eyes, whimpering. He recalls the dreadful day of returning Ruth here and how desperate she was in escaping. Her calling out to him for help continued to ring in his ears. Ruth fighting him off after he attacked her, popped into his mind. Henry didn't get to apologize. An enormous weight fell on his shoulders.
This is my fault, he thought.
"RUTH!" He cries and wails, stumbling up to rush inside.
Butch wrestles him back down, keeping the boy from hurting himself. "Stop, just stop. You can't go in there."
"Let me go! She's dying!" Henry wails, fighting his father.
"She's not in there, son. Just calm down, calm down," Butch insisted softly.
Defeated, Henry relinquishes his fight. He sat in his father's arms, crying. His tears alarmed Butch but dared not to bitch at him for being a girl. Honestly, Butch felt a pang of guilt as well. He probably shouldn't have assisted Jordan in finding Ruth. Maybe then none of this would have happened. He sat on the lawn with a crying Henry, comforting his son for once while watching the flames roar.
When the smoke finally cleared hours later, Butch and Henry received confirmation. Ruth was not in the house. They were relieved, but Butch, along with Henry, wondered why Ruth would guide them to her old home. Butch was led to believe she intended to kill him and Henry. Henry reasoned that is not the case. He told him about the switchblade and the notes Ruth left him. Butch was not exactly happy about Henry losing his knife but surprisingly didn't lash out.
Butch then wondered if Ruth setting fire to her old home is her burning the past instead of burying it. Or maybe, it's a message. What kind? He is not too sure. It could be that Ruth does not want to be found and wants them to stop. Although he still believes Ruth intended to kill the Bowers since she did draw them there.
Several days later after the fire, both Butch and Henry received something in the mail.
"You made your choice. Now let's play a game.
Did you choose wisely or poorly?
I pray wisely, for your sake."
- Ruth
A/N:
Police Codes
10-33: need immediate assistance
10-20: location
10-82: fire in progress