Chapter 3: Do Me a Favor
Madeline felt as if all the air had been sucked from her lungs. She gaped at the man in front of her in pure shock.
"What the hell?!" She managed to shriek at last, letting all her mixed emotions out.
Robert just looked at her. It was like their positions switched. Now she had to look up to meet his eyes, and he was the one to watch her from above.
The girl thought she'd never meet him again but there he was, towering over her in all his glory. Somehow, the darkness suited him. He was like a shadow, like someone who just didn't fit into her world and yet... Though she was very unsure of his intentions, deep down inside she wanted him to be in her world. Madeline didn't back away, didn't just push him aside as she should've, but sighed in relief. She was actually happy to see him again.
"Robert! You scared me to death..." Her voice was still a bit shaky. Satisfaction lustered in his face.
"Oh, did I?" He examined her from head to toe, as if checking if she was truly so afraid but then shook his head in a mock of disapproval. "I don't think so." He said, lowering his head slightly. "But I wish I did."
A chill ran through her skin. Gosh, she hated the way almost anything he did make her feel. Madeline moved away slightly, gaining back her personal space.
His hand was still gripping the girl's wrist. She eyed it suggestively but Robert didn't seem to bother.
"You can let go of me now..." She breathed out and he listened.
There was a moment of awkward silence between them. Madeline needed to collect her thoughts.
"W-what are you doing here anyway?" She asked with a frown. "Did you follow me?"
He cocked his head and hesitated before saying anything.
"Let's just say... You're not the only one who wants to have some fun tonight, Madeline." Robert smiled slyly, as the words left his lips. He was quite amused with the girl's puzzled expression. "Come. Let's get out of here." He started leading the way out, and she went with him. Of course, she did.
They were both wandering around the park in silence, a weird couple. A biright-eyed girl and a monster, hidden under his human skin. Why did he put it on again? Why was she still alive? Moments ago he had her trapped inside of a darkened maze, she was defenseless and terrified and he decided not to hurt her.
Sure, her fear made It quiver with hunger mixed with the most bizarre kind of pleasure but it just didn't feel... right. Maybe it wasn't just enough. Maybe It had to play pretend a while more. The bigger the scare, the better the meal.
But the girl already seemed perfect. The way her soft skin almost glistened lit by moonlight, how the chilly wind brushed her hair, her every breath made him want to press her tight against him and taste her every emotion. What a huge amount of self-control it required not to expose those needs.
"You're not from here, are you? I mean, I've never seen you around." Madeline asked suddenly and looked at Robert with curiosity.
His answer could've been a lie. But it wasn't.
"I show up here once in a while... Though my absence usually takes a long time, I do belong in Derry. You can trust me on that."
His absence took a long time indeed. Exactly 27 years. And last time he'd 'showed up' she wasn't even born yet.
"Does your family live here?" She was so clueless. So hopelessly clueless he even found it kind of funny. Curious little thing.
"No." He stated dryly.
Madeline's brows furrowed. She clearly did not understand, because how could she? And then something unusual happened. Robert Gray laughed. IT laughed. And it wasn't a mocking laugh or a maniacal, high-pitched psychopathic laugh. Not the one It'd pull at one of it's victims.
"What? What's so funny?" The girl asked, slight embarrassment hiding somewhere in her features. "What have I said?"
"Do me a favor and stop asking questions, Madeline."
"Why? What, are you some kind of a criminal, who just happened to choose Derry as a hideout?" It was just an innocent joke, but Madeline did consider the possibility.
"That was another question." He chuckled darkly.
"You can't get to know someone without asking questions."
"You wouldn't want to know me." Robert's tone was low and cold. He looked down at her and his eyes were just as cold as the words. Just like when she saw them for the first time. And the girl answered them with a bold gaze.
"But I do."
Then you're asking for trouble, little one. Now that was interesting. Maybe he could use that. His eyes left hers and wandered up, stopping on the turned off neon sign 'CRACK OF DOOM'. A dark ride.
"Hmm..." He smiled slowly in thought. "If you really are so brave, prove it."
Madeline spun around to see a small building with an overly big entrance, door of irregular shape and cracked windows. The cheap spray resembling dirt and dust on the fake, wooden pillars. The festival has never had a scary ride before...
"Oh no! No. There's no way I'm going in there after all that's happened today." She stared at him in disbelief. Did he really want them to go in there? When they were all alone here? The ride wasn't even working at this hour!
"That's too bad. And here I thought you wanted to get to know me." He started to turn away, as if he wasn't interested in keeping up the conversation anymore and didn't have to wait long before she said;
"Wait!" That always worked. "Ok, I'll go but..." She bit her lip nervously and gazed around, searching for a way to at least delay fulfilling the promise.
And there it was. A great, old-fashioned carousel.
"...but you'll have to give me a ride on that first."
"That?" The carousel awaited them almost begging to be used. It's seats were carved as horses and the many fancy ornaments gave it a fairy-tale like sense of charm. Why not? Thought Robert. Let the girl have some fun before her own 'crack of doom'.
"Deal." He agreed. Madeline gave him a bright smile and started practically dragging him towards the thing.
They found the control panel, which wasn't very difficult to handle and somehow, as in the distorting mirrors maze, the power was still on. Not caring if turning the device on would draw any attention, Robert pulled the main lever.
Suddenly, the whole carousel lit up, almost as bright and colorful as a Christmas tree. It cast dimmed, golden shadows at all the surroundings along with Madeline's delighted face. It was wonderful. Before she could examine it properly, her legs carried her straight towards the horse-like seats. Wanting to choose the most special one, she started checking each one. In that moment she kind of forgot herself and started to behave like a child again. And he observed her advertently.
She was just like a kid in a candy store, such a small thing could give her so much happiness. When she finally settled down on one of the seats (the one with golden paint on the horse's eyes and mane) the machinery kicked in and the platform slowly started spinning. Madeline gave a little squeal of delight and let herself be carried round along with nearly a dozen empty seats. The girl threw her head back and laughed, then looked at him in joy. She was spinning, and the whole world started to spin along with her, blurring out the dark surroundings. She was so happy. Happy because of this magical moment, but was she also happy because of him? Was that even possible?
"Come on!" She called him up with a wave of her hand. "Don't just stand there. Get up!"
And he did. He didn't even think about it. He simply got onto the moving platform in a couple of long steps and sat on a horse beside her, which was way too small for his tall frame. Even Madeline was surprised by the action. Pleasantly surprised that is. Her smile widened and that smile was just for him. Not for the brightness, not for the moment, but for him. It's been an awfully long time since someone's looked at him like that.
And just then Robert realized things were going terribly wrong.
There was a rule, to which It was bound as a consequence to it's shape shifting powers. While taking another form, It's whole existence had to adapt to the way that form was functioning. It took over both the physical and mental features of the creature It became. Animalistic, murderous, evil. It's assets and weaknesses.
But this time it was too weak to take another form than human. And this was bad.
It was beginning to feel human emotions. Not just the usual ones, but the most dangerous of them all; affection.
It had to put this situation to an end. Fast.
"You know I used to love carousels as a kid. Back in the day, when I was still coming here with my mum, I always picked one and wanted to do nothing but ride on it all day long... That's probably the happiest childhood memory I've got." She said a bit shyly, then lowered her eyes to avoid his gaze and added: "Thank you."
Robert gulped at her. These words sounded odd and alien. She wasn't supposed to thank him.
"For what?"
"For just being here I guess..." Madeline was looking anywhere but at him, her cheeks flushed and this kind of emotion he did not understand. However he strongly felt it seeding inside her and wasn't sure what exactly to do about it.
"The pleasure's mine, as long as you're willing to fulfill your promise."
She rolled her eyes. "You're not gonna let me get away without it anyway, right?"
Robert looked at her longingly from behind her back, knowing that she couldn't see his expression. Did he really grow to like this girl? Precious little thing.
"Right."
The ride began to slow down and so Madeline's enthusiasm vanished almost completely, giving way to another feeling, but not a very pleasant one. That feeling, which she couldn't name was making her tense inside with hesitation. Like a child reaching its hand to touch a flame. Was it dangerous? Would it burn?
And before she knew it, the ride was over, and he took her by the hand, leading her towards the hauntingly looking building with cracked windows. He was so eager all of a sudden... Maybe he felt it too.
They halted just in front of the big wooden door, his hand wrapped tight around hers. A bit too tight. The 'CRACK OF DOOM' sign hanging above their heads. The gray paint coating that mock-up of a spooky house suddenly seemed dire.
She had so many opportunities to just turn around and run. So many chances to escape. And she wasted them all. Why? Maybe she was just lonely. Maybe she was just curious. Or maybe both.
Madeline looked up at Robert once more with uneasiness building up on her face, and he did not turn to face her. Instead, his free hand reached for the handle and swung the door open, while he starkly shoved her inside.
Playtime was over.
