A/N: Another one-shot for you guys, I hope you enjoy!
chapter idea - yasdnilgoth
also for - Wolflover235 - who wanted more Pennywise ;)
Red Neon
"You know, I thought they'd cancel the whole thing this year." Said Amanda, stuffing her mouth with popcorn. The smell of it enveloped the girls almost like a sweet perfume; vanilla and bubblegum. The sky was crystal clear, the afternoon sun hung high above Derry, and the park in the town's center.
"Yeah, me too. I actually thought I'll never come back to this place. Especially not at this time." Madeline's eyes glided from one tent to another and along the colorful decorations hanging in between the trees at both sides of the thin walkway. Sometimes it could be hard to keep your thoughts collected there because of the townsfolk and all these unbelievably excited kids wanting to catch up to every single one of the festival's attractions. Among the crowd, was probably not the place Madeline'd like to find herself in, but though her words were referring to the not so pleasant aspect of her past, her tone was lighthearted, happy. It's been years since she had someone to enjoy the celebration with.
"And yet, here we are, enjoying ourselves on a sunny day, as if nothing ever happened. No one remembers. No one cares. Isn't that weird?" She wasn't really concerned either, thought most of the time she was worrying practically about everything. If it wasn't about school, then it was about her older sister, or about her chores, or the next day, and quite often about Madeline herself, but Madeline's already got used to it, for she and Amanda became friends a good couple months ago. Her hair was tied up in the usual, perfectly neat ponytail, and Madeline admired her freckles, as the girl's head was turned towards the sun, eyes closed. She always wanted to have freckles, while no matter what she did, her complexion remained pale, as if untouched by the sun. There was hardly a thing the girls had in common, as could be easily stated, even while looking at their appearances. Amanda was tall, and preferred modest, but pretty clothes, as the tightly fit green dress and black headband she was wearing now, sitting completely straight. Like a young lady. At the same time Madeline just couldn't stand anything that'd confine her movement or breathing, and usually went for oversized t-shirts and sweaters with skinny jeans and (occasionally) skirts. With her legs curled up on the bench, she looked inapt in comparison to her friend. Or maybe it was the other way around, but that wasn't important at all. For the first few weeks of their fellowship the Ripsom girl felt sorry, if not slightly ashamed, knowing that she could've reached for Madeline way sooner, but just didn't have the courage to do it. But now it was easier, since after the whole fuss about the girl being rescued from the dreadful (not so dreadful anymore) house, after the murderer'd kidnapped her, their peer's opinion of her changed dramatically. Although some still kept their distance, everyone was suddenly filled with empathy, and instead of listening to the ever lasting gossips, and making up new ones, the whole bullying thing stopped. The hateful classmates were now offering their help and even company, but Madeline wasn't taking it. She didn't need it. Just because you feel bad for what you've been doing and what you've believed, now wanting to prove that you're better than that, doesn't mean you'll be a genuine friend. But Amanda was somehow different, she came up to her, and even if it was brief and most likely never to happen again, if the events had taken a different turn, that little moment was probably the reason Madeline opened up to the only freckled girl in the class.
"I guess it's not about caring, but... moving on. There's actually more people here now than ever." Said Madeline accurately enough, because just seconds after the words left her lips, three laughing kids ran by, almost ramming against the bench. Had the girl got the opportunity to take a closer look at the blond boy wearing a war bonnet of overly vivid colors, she would've recognized him. She saw him exactly a year ago, with a plastic gun in his small hand.
"Moving on, yeah, that's more like it. I don't know if it's for the best though, but a lot's changed. It's funny, 'cause I'm not sure what it is exactly, but you can just feel it in the air. And in the people. It's like the town's been taken by a sudden flood of happiness. I don't get it. No one's ever said the murderer won't be back." That was yet another attribute Madeline approved of. Awareness. Her friend's mind always remained open, and just as cautious as during It's hunt. Sometimes even too cautious, but she had her reasons.
"He won't. I hope." Someone, who never left can't technically 'be back. "But let's don't bother with this now. We're at the festival, let's do something fun!" The girl jumped off the bench, taking Amanda by the hand. They were supposed to enjoy themselves, and this was supposed to be a wonderful day.
Hours later the girls were walking down the alley, eyes filled with joy, cheeks flushed from laughter. A big, fluffy teddy bear was dandling by its paw in the shorter one's grip. They've accomplished the impossible, winning it at one of the fun slots. Although it was probably because Mr. Allen was behind the counter, when they decided to fight for the prize, taking down nearly all of the targets. Good old Gary Allen, who spent almost his whole life working in theme parks all over the state, and showed up at the festival every year, was more than happy to give them the plush toy, though most of his customers weren't as lucky.
The festival's rush hour had passed quickly, and now the atmosphere cooled down a little, noisy children giving place to jolly passersby; usually small groups or couples. The sun was notably closer to the horizon now, and even a hint of redness began to form around it.
"No, but seriously now, I've been wanting to ask you for quite some time now." Said Amanda, fighting to stop a smirk from bending the corner of her lips. There were only the remains of matte lipstick covering them. "What about that guy?"
"What guy?" Madeline was also struggling to suppress her own smile. She'd expected having this conversation sooner or later.
"Oh, come on. The guy? The one that picks you up after class? The one that magically appeared out of nowhere like a year ago?"
"Robert?" True, it's become a habit of his, after the day of the miraculous return of his memories, to pick her up after school, which caused a lot, a lot, of curious stares. And just as she was feeling slightly uncomfortable each time, the man seemed to be pleased. She might have not got it even by now, but he liked the idea, that everybody knew she was going with him.
"Yeah, him. Are you guys dating?"
The question actually made the girl stop for a moment, with brows furrowed, suddenly rethinking it all.
Were they? Could what they had really be called 'dating'? She wasn't sure. That word just sounded so unfitting in her mind. So usual, and... normal. What they had was not normal. Though it was way more 'normal' now, but still...
"I mean, it's totally fine if you want to deny it, but that will only make it the more obvious." Amanda gave her a provocative, toothy smile.
"We're... Ugh, I don't know. We're just together, it's- "She wanted to sound cool and at ease, but her burning cheeks made that just impossible. "-it's not like he's asked me to be his girlfriend, or whatever. We just... are. If that makes any sense." The girl almost cringed at the word 'girlfriend'.
"Well, you definitely are close. Though there's not much I know about him, despite the obvious. Also, how old is he? Cause he looks much older than us."
"He is, but I don't really see it this way." He was an entity when I met him, you probably wouldn't understand.
"I didn't really expect him to stay in Derry though. He doesn't have anyone here, does he?"
"Yeah, he's always been a loner I guess."
"But come on, living all alone in that haunted house? Has he really lost his memory?... " The whole ton of questions spilling from Amanda's mouth made Maddie giggle.
"Hey, slow it down Mandy. You know, I wanted to keep it from you 'til the last moment, but I guess I'll just tell you. We're doing a party in a couple days. For my eighteenth birthday." A shy smile made its way to her lips. "And also to celebrate finishing the house renovation. A group of our mutual friends is coming, and you're invited as well, of course, so, you can ask him yourself. That is, if you want to come."
"Oh wow, Maddie that's great!" The girl was delighted. "Of course I want to come! Dang, I wish you'd told me earlier. Now I'll have less time to think of a present, and pick an outfit, and-"
"You don't have to get me anything, really."
"Sure I do, silly." The joy in Amanda's eyes was sparkling and alive, but suddenly a shadow of doubt fell on them. "But I don't know if my parents'll let me."
She was suddenly confused and unsure, her eyebrows furrowing, lips pressing tightly together. Madeline knew what it meant, and quickly began to search for something to draw her attention from the current thoughts. The search didn't last long, for there stood the nightmarish salvation she needed, and at first, she too couldn't believe her eyes.
"Oh, there's no way." She spoke quietly, while her jaw nearly dropped.
"What?" Mandy gazed up.
There it was, effectively displayed ahead of them, the familiar sign gleaming with red neon. CRACK OF DOOM. One could think it was the same building in which the terrible crime was committed, but no. It was bigger, and just as distinctive among it all as a single splash of ink on a perfectly white sheet. Before the entrance extended a long line of excited teens and adults. The building looked dangerously unbalanced, creaking through the rotten walls. It was encircled with a fence of barbed wire just for show, and could easily appear in one of the mainstream horrors they screened at the Aladdin Movie Theater on Saturdays.
"We're going." It wasn't a question, but a statement. The wonderment in Madeline's features was untamed.
"Wait, what? No!" Her friend protested. "We're not going. Haven't you had enough of this kind of stuff? Scary houses? Crazy people? Don't you remember what happened here? Hey, are you even listening?"
But Madeline was already ahead of her, her legs carrying the girl towards the spooky attraction. The teddy bear jumping rhythmically about her thighs.
"Maddie!" Amanda tugged at her sleeve, when they stood at the end of the line. "Are you hypnotized or what?"
"Please, Mandy, we just have to go. It'll be fun!"
"Fun? What if something bad happens? What if..." She's never heard her friend so worried. Her voice was of a person who's been afraid their whole life. Always careful. Always wary. Her relatives really shouldn't have been feeding her with stories of her murdered aunt. Of what could happen to her if she doesn't follow the rules. Maddie placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her straight in the eye.
"I swear to you, that no harm will come to us. Whatever it is, that you're afraid of, you don't have to be. Not anymore. You can forget about it, and just enjoy yourself."
"How... how can you be so sure?" There was still confusion in her, but it was slowly letting go.
"I just know. And I know what danger means. There's nothing dangerous about festival attractions."
"But this one's scary."
"It's meant to be scary. But it's safe, and besides, haven't you ever wanted to be scared? Scared, but also excited in the most conflicting way? Come on, I'm sure you did. Everyone does." The words left her lips, leaving a sly smile.
Amanda bit her lip, a small voice at the back of her head still ordered her to refuse, but she already agreed.
"And you can hold Mr. Penny if you want." Madeline offered the plush toy to her friend.
"You called him Mr. Penny?" Mandy rose a brow at the teddy.
"Yup."
In about twenty minutes they made it to the end of the line, and now the girls awaited their turn. Madeline was feeling the strange tingling again. It made her feet tap in anticipation. Since when was she so fond of haunted houses? Oh, right. She wondered if what's been waiting for them inside was even half as scary as what she's faced in the past. As if in a response, a male scream could be heard through the closed, wooden doors, and for a second doubt flashed through her face, but the scream was followed by laughter, and she eased out immediately.
"Are you still sure about this?" Asked Amanda with Mr. Penny clutched to her chest. "'Cause I've never been in a haunted house before."
Meanwhile, the two guys, that were ahead of them moments ago, left the building through the back door.
"Jesus, Aaron! I can't believe it! You whine like a baby!" The taller one said in between bursts of laughter.
"This was wild, man." Replied Aaron, still catching his breath.
"Uh-uh. We'll be fine." Although all of a sudden she didn't know if that was true. She had a bad feeling about this, but shushed it, knowing she was probably overthinking.
Their tickets have been checked, and in no time the entrance stood open before them, the corridor walls creaking invitingly. Amanda's gaze fell on the long shadows cast by the red lights arranged artfully, and at this moment she knew exactly what her friend was talking about. She walked in almost just as willingly as she would to a candy store.
It was just as Madeline remembered. The grey spray imitated dust, cobwebs were splayed in every corner, and the passages were long and hovering like a darkened maze. She supposed the ominous sounds were coming from the speakers hidden somewhere in the dull colors around, but she couldn't see them.
"Wow, it really is spooky in here." Said Amanda, her face reflecting all shades of red. Her heart speeded up at its pace just slightly. "Now guide us, Mr. Penny." The girl ordered, and they both went further into the rusty corridor.
They expected terrifying sound effects and 'monsters' jumping at them from every direction straight away, but that's not what they got. It was oddly quiet, and the atmosphere seemed empty. Only their unsure steps echoed in the passageway. Maddie gazed around; her eyes darting from left to right in a haste. Not knowing what exactly was supposed to scare them built up an unpleasant kind of tension. The wait was excruciating, for the girls didn't know that this path was only to lead them towards the real attraction.
But suddenly a fearful shriek escaped Mandy's mouth. Something brushed against her feet. It alerted her friend immediately, and she spun around startled, to see... a rat. It was just a rat. The shriek turned to a nervous giggle.
"Pff, if that's all they got, I'm disappointed." Maddie snorted, but mere seconds after that, she heard an abrupt click from behind. And then they saw it. The door, hidden behind the messily hung drapery opened painfully slow, by itself. At first, there was only a rectangular, blue outline at its edges, which widened inch by inch with a crackle that almost hurt the two pairs of ears. It opened just enough to make the blue, cold light from inside mix with the red on their faces, creating a beautiful shade of purple.
The girls locked eyes excitedly and went in, thinking they were ready. Madeline decided it's better to leave the door open, just in case... Just in case. To their great surprise, the room was filled with all sorts of puppets and life-sized dolls. Displayed like at an exhibition, they were dressed as a huge circus troop; dancers, clowns, mimes, and all the other freaks one could possibly imagine. But instead of a smile, each face was wried with a crooked expression of pain or anger, their outstanding clothes torn, limbs twisted or broken off. The girls walked in, as if in a daze, followed by countless dreadful stares, and they parted ways, unfortunately.
"Wow, that's..." Whispered Madeline, eyes sliding from one porcelain face to another, stopping at a certain, feminine figure of the exact same height as hers. The doll was of a subtle frame, and her dead eyes were bright, peeking from in between the strands of dark hair. The girls mouth went agape. It was a huge marionette with two bloody lines crossing her cheeks.
"...bizarre." Finished Amanda, taking interest in one particular, white face across the room. He stood tall and broad, in just the most beautiful clown costume. Puffed sleeves, ruffed collar, and little silver jingle bells attached to it. Amanda's stare was glued to him, and furthermore, she wanted to come closer and take in all the little details of what she thought was just another mannequin. The girl observed the clown's odd features, having to draw her head back to see the top of that messy, red wig. He was beautiful, but daunting, and something was just off about his expression — one eye, to be more specific. As she was just a few steps away from him, she saw that one of the vividly blue eyeballs was directed far off to the right, like a walleye. Something about it mesmerized her, and seeing the crimson, bumpy nose, she didn't know why, but her hand went up and tapped against it.
An electric shock went through her every nerve, for the turned eye focused at her in a split-second, and a devilish smile bent his lips.
"Beep-beep, Mandy"
The next thing Madeline knew was that the room was filled with her friend's uncontrolled scream. There was a loud rustle to her right, and then she saw the terrified Amanda lunging towards the open door, followed by the oh so familiar clown. The utter confusion rooted her feet to the ground, and she watched him chase the girl with a throaty, high-pitched laugh that frightened her the more. She couldn't believe it. She could not believe it! But just before that tall, living nightmare she adored so vanished from her sight, his head turned to her if only for a moment, giving her a playful wink. The forgotten teddy bear was laying on the floor. She'd abandoned Mr. Penny, and got Pennywise instead.
Not ever in her life has her heart beat so fast. It pounded in her chest like a drum, her unsteady breath setting it at its rhythm. The peaceful corridors seemed to be closing in and twisting around her, as she heard the heavy footsteps mixed with quiet jiggling behind her. What are you doing? This is ridiculous, you're such a little wimp, Amanda! This is just an act! The thought ran through her mind almost as fast as she was right now.
"Oh, Mandy, Mandy, Mandy why do ya run from me, isn't it what you came for?" The voice chasing after her growled.
Nope, nope, run! He's nuts!
And so she did, she really tried, but even the maze had to end at some point. Noticing the darkened backdoor and the shining 'EXIT' sign above it was like a cold shower streaming down her entire body. Just a couple paces separated the girl and the way out of this mess, but she stopped just before pressing the handle. Madeline. Where was Madeline? Amanda was waiting for the awful creature to crush her holding her breath and eyes shut, but nothing came. When she gazed back up, there was only red light, thick as smoke before her. She let out a sigh of relief.
"Maddie? Are you there? Maddie!" The girl called, taken over by genuine worry. Everything in her froze, as there was no response. Silence. Just silence. "Madeline!"
"I'm here!" There it was. Now Amanda could breathe freely. She saw her friend's outline getting near in the misty passageway, and was about to say something, but the words just got stuck in her throat. He was there. The clown. He was right behind her, and Madeline wasn't aware of that. Mandy's mouth hung open. Her jaw trembled.
Although the monstrous showman seemed perfectly calm, with a joyous smile on his red lips. Every inch of him was evil, including the finger that went to those lips to wordlessly order Mandy to keep whatever she wanted to say for herself. Just as the girl saw those huge gloved hands wrap around Maddie, the door behind her unlocked, and she was kicked outside, without the possibility to go back.
Madeline was dragged back roughly, one hand clasped around her wrists, forcing them behind her back, the other on her eyes, so she couldn't see him.
"Well, hello there, little one. Are you lost?" Pennywise murmured. She'd be damned if he knew just how much she missed this psychedelic tone. It was so real! "It's dangerous to wander off to the unknown like that, you know." It wasn't just his job, it was him. Him putting his old skin back on, and at that exact moment she knew she'd encourage him do to so much more often. "But that's OK. I can guide you." Her wrists were freed, and she clutched to him. Although she could not see, at least she could feel. His free hand traced its way along the length of her torso with passion, that only could be provided by him, as the girl felt his mouth inching to her ear.
"Or maybe you want to find yourself in danger. Is that it?" She did not answer, but simply smiled. "Unfortunately, we don't have much time to explore the topic now. There are things I have to attend to, kids I have to scare..." It was hard to remain silent as the hand slid under her shirt. "But I'd rather take you. Only you. I wish I could." The whisper was the last thing she heard from him that day, because just then, he vanished into the mist illuminated with red neon, leaving her breathless, in front of the bright 'EXIT' sign.
BONUS:
"Oh my God, Madeline what the hell was that?! Are you OK? What did that freak do to you? Wait... why are you smiling?"
"It was him! It was Robert."
"WHAT?!"
"He's a performer. He's been working in theme parks before, but he didn't tell me he was going to be 'here' today, I'm sorry Mandy."
"Hold up! Are you trying to say that this creep here was your boyfriend?! I was scared to death!"
