A/N: Hello, everyone. I hope you are all doing well and staying safe during the pandemic. I also wish for anyone affected by the virus for healing and full recovery. No matter what your situation is, we're all in this together and will get through this.
I'm sorry if this is not the update you were expecting. I'm actually having a hard time getting the second to last chapter written out. I have everything in my head of how I want it to go, but I can't seem to get it out on paper. So, please be patient as it's going to take me a little bit to work out the next chapter. In the meantime, I have a short, light-hearted installment laced with humor for you all to enjoy.
Enjoy the read, guys.
Take care and be kind.
Many things amuse Ruth. If she were to count how many there are, Ruth could name them all on both her hands and maybe a few toes. Pleasantries were hard to come by before meeting the inter-dimensional and profound being of which is Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Now it seems the big evil goofball provides those little enjoyments for her with a friendly smile and not a hungry snarl. They are friends anyway.
One of those pleasantries is watching the Losers getting the shit scared out of them. It puts a smile on Ruth's face, along with laughing at the hilarity that follows. Ruth enjoys seeing Richie and Eddie scramble before falling like newborn giraffes onto the dirt. Twitchy Eddie is usually the one who face-plants with a loud and audible oof while Richie rolls like a tumbleweed from the old west. The sight of his gangly legs still trying to run made her laugh harder. If there were a cartoon sound effect playing while the two easily scared boys fell and rolled down a small hill near the Barren's, it would be even more comical.
Now witnessing Henry Bowers, along with Belch and Victor running alongside them with equally terrifying expressions, is another. The bullies saw Bill and his group hanging around at the water's edge, building a dam and decided to terrorize them. They had their little fun in demolishing the manmade structure and pushing a few of them around, mostly Stanley and Ben. It angered Ruth slightly how rough Henry and the Two Stooges can be with him, but never mind that. After they had their enjoyment, they and the Losers all heard a terrifying sound. No one wanted to acknowledge the noise at the time until it came charging out of the woods with a blood-curdling scream.
When no one could make sense of what they were seeing, they all screamed before tore off running.
Ruth watched as both Henry and Belch tripped over themselves numerous times, along with Bill, who was beside them. Victor, on the other hand, shrieked like a little girl. It's the same scream Eddie makes when he's around a snake, rather it is real or not. Those two hauled ass together screaming, with Richie lagging behind.
Of course, this all happened not a moment ago before Richie and Eddie tumbled.
From afar and through the tears blinding her vision from laughing so hard, Ruth saw Victor stoop to help Eddie up. It is unusual considering the protagonist and antagonist roles they play.
"Come on, Scrawny, run!" Ruth heard Victor yell.
"I am Craphole!" Eddie retorts as he proceeded to run.
Victor heavily pants, then glanced over his shoulder at the fast-approaching horrific monster.
"What the hell is that thing?"
"How the fuck should I know?"
An ungodly, high-pitched blood-curdling scream erupts in Ruth's eardrums, causing the large group of kids to scream.
"GO!" Bill instructs. "Go, go!"
"Run, losers, run!" Henry shouts, and darts like an Olympian runner towards the woods.
Richie stumbles back onto his feet after the fall, a little disorientated, but started to move.
"Guys, wait for me— YEOW!"
Once Richie stood to continue running, a horrific bird-like creature came up from behind and bit at the boy's ass cheek hard.
He lurches forward, cries out, and barrels after his friends while protecting his numb rear.
"OW! Fucking shit, man! Whatever that thing is just bit my ass!" Richie screams.
"What ass? It's flat as freaking Kansas!" Eddie shouts from within the trees.
"Oh, shut up!"
Richie follows after the large group. What he didn't expect, though, was a branch that Victor brushed aside slapped Richie's face with a rustling smack.
"Ack!"
He spews leaves out of his mouth and brushed a few out from behind his glasses while running.
The creature stopped at the edge of the woods and screeched loudly in defeat, watching the frightened bunch runaway. After a second pause, it began to make these unusual choking sounds before slowly deepening into a familiar cackle. At that moment, Ruth came rushing from behind and hugged the monster's long neck laughing joyfully.
The other thing that amuses Ruth is Pennywise's transformations. She saw his ferocious form moments before he charged after the bunch with that horrifying cry. Three days ago, Ruth informed Pennywise of a legendary creature that is more known mostly in Southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area than here in Derry, Maine. She even showed him a picture of it, which Pennywise grinned in sheer delight. Ruth knows he finds her fascination towards cryptids odd, but thoroughly enjoys as he morphs into said monsters to terrify the children. This one, the Jersey Devil, is no exception. His wyvern-like body stood almost to her height, with a goat-like head, and leathery bat-like wings that flapped excitedly. Ruth remembers the gusts he created prickle at her face and arms. He even nudged his forehead against her shoulder for Ruth to watch the scene unfold. She recalls the freakishly small clawed hands twitch with anticipation and thin twig-like legs with cloven hooves Pennywise stood on, clapped urgently. His forked tail had gently wrapped around her calf like a cat, displaying his companionship with her.
His form didn't startle Ruth since she was watched him morph into the creature, which is another. She enjoys watching him transform. The only thing that it did creep her out was the blood-curdling scream coming from his mouth upon his charge. Of course, she won't let Pennywise know that. He would just use it to his advantage and try scaring her with the scream.
Slowly but surely, Pennywise transforms out of the Jersey Devil form. His boisterous laughter filled the air, along with Ruth's joyful mirth, which created a strange harmony. She gripped at Pennywise's silver suit to keep herself from falling to the ground, and yet he has an arm around Ruth to prevent a fall.
"Oh… my… god," Ruth wheezes.
"That was perfect!" Pennywise concludes happily while holding onto Ruth tightly.
"That was even better than I initially thought," she chortles with a wheeze. "Phew, you truly are the King of Scares."
Pennywise felt his chest swell with pride, loving the praise he receives from her.
They soon found themselves sitting on the grass to get their bearings, chuckling here and there from their high. Both Ruth and Pennywise sat in comfortable silence for a long while, mostly to enjoy the closeness. As always, the quiet is usually broken.
Pennywise shifts in his spot with shoulders twitching and a scowl present on his ancient red lips. His nonexistent brows scrunch and nose wrinkles. He pulls himself away from Ruth to reach behind him as his back started to prickle unpleasantly. Pennywise tries to stick his hand down the suit to no avail as the puffy material blocked entry. He tried the chicken wing approach but still couldn't reach. Pennywise growls, twisting his torso slightly to attempt scratching his back the contortionist way.
"Um, what are you doing?" Ruth questions as she watched him in mild confusion.
He answers with a growling groan, "I have a blasted itch that I can't reach."
She stares at him, dubiously, "You get itches?"
Pennywise snaps his gaze on her with a pouting frown. "Of course, I do, everybody does. Argh, I can't get it!"
Ruth remained to stare, slightly fascinated at the fact a celestial being like him would get back itches.
"I know you can contort your body like Stretch Armstrong, but why don't you let me assist you?"
"I'd prefer if you didn't. I'll get it myself, you irritating child," he snarks under his breath while twisting his torso some more.
Even though the sight of him twisting like a rotini noodle enthralled her, Ruth ignores his request.
She crawls to his side, swiftly grabs his shoulders to stop him from moving, then vigorously raked her nails in between his shoulder blades.
Pennywise recoils from her touch, appalled really at her defiance. "I told you I would get it myself!"
Ruth continues to ignore him by grabbing him again and ground into the middle of his back with quick motions of her fingers. Ruth's nails went up and down the middle of Pennywise's back, even getting into the curve of his shoulder blades. Ruth felt Pennywise quiver and heard a groan from him, but thought nothing of it until something peculiar happened. Pennywise visibly relaxed into a lazy puddle with eyes drooped and grinning in satisfaction. A low, grumbling of a purr resonated from his chest as Ruth continued to scratch him. Ruth hears Pennywise hum in delight then caught something from the corner of her eye. She glances sideways towards his leg, noticing it slightly bent and twitching like a dog would. The rapid movement astonished her that Ruth instantly pauses her ministrations on his back.
The second Ruth stopped, so did Pennywise's leg. She stares at the motionless limb, her eyes wide, and mouth gaping slightly. Ruth then dared herself to glance over at him. She expected him to be snarling at her but discovered something else. He is glaring at her, but with a disappointed pout. It took a moment, but a faint smile spread on her lips.
Realizing the predicament he got himself in, Pennywise's gaze hardens and frowns.
"Don't you even," Pennywise warned.
"Aw, did I hit your special spot, Penny?" She honeyed with a cute smirk.
He half scowls, half pouts as he turned a shade of red despite his ashen white skin.
"Alright, that's it, you're dead," Pennywise snarls the makes a lunge for her.
Ruth effortlessly dodges his outstretched arms, tackles him to the ground, and straddles his hip.
"Hey, get off!"
He would have thrown her off if Ruth hadn't shoved him down with an audible oof. Before Pennywise could protest, Ruth's nimble fingers found the particular spot again. Her nails vigorously raked at the curve of his right shoulder blade and spine, causing him to calm down instantaneously. He moans from an unusual tingling sensation traveling the length of his back. Ruth doesn't see this with his face planted in the dirt, but a small grin surfaced on his lips. Pennywise then consents defeat and lets Ruth scratch at his back. Ruth's cute little giggle sounds in his ears, indicating she is quite entertained at his submissive state.
"I'll get you later for this," Pennywise grumbles halfheartedly. "Ooh, lower, lower, ooh right there," he moans then settles on the ground with a goofy, content grin.
Ruth hums triumphantly, "Yeah, sure you will, Penny."
She watches him with a fond smile, enjoying the sight of his relaxed self. It seems Ruth has acquired a new element on her amusement list. Apparently, her big goofball of an evil friend enjoys a good back scratch.