A few days later, I head to the library after school. I already told dad that I'd be going there. Once I get there, I go inside and look for Mike.
"Hello?" I call out. "Anyone here?"
"Oh, hello. How can I help you?"
I turn around and find Mike standing right beside me, putting a book away.
"Oh, um, do you know where the book A History of Old Derry is at?"
"Oh, you can actually have that book. I don't need or want it." He walks down the bookcase. "Follow me."
To my surprise and luck, we go upstairs and he leaves me alone for a minute. I immediately spot his journal. I snatch it and rip the light off of it. I shove it in my bag as I hear Mike's footsteps. He arrives with a book in his hands and hands it to me.
"I had to take it out of the system first."
"Oh, okay." I take it and smile. "Thank you."
I turn and walk away as I hear him say,
"Where's my journal? It was lying right here."
I snicker to myself and rush home. As soon as I get home, I go to my room and shut the door. I go over to my bed and sit down. I put my backpack down on the bed and open up A History of Old Derry to a random page. I look through the book and chuckle to myself.
"Did you get them?"
I look up, close the book, and hand it to Pennywise. Then, I open my backpack and pull out Mike's journal. As I hand it to Pennywise, a paper falls out. I pick it up and flip it over. The picture card from when the Losers were kids. I shred it up and throw it away. I go back over to my bed and go to sit down, but someone grabs my hair, pulling me back. That someone pulls me close and puts a wet rag over my mouth and nose. I struggle for a few minutes, wondering what the heck they're doing. Then, I fall to the floor with a thud and pass out.
*****
I wake up in a dark room. I go to get up and find out that I'm tied to something attached to the wall. I go to scream, but there's a cloth over my mouth. I struggle, shaking the wall. Tears stream down my face as I sense that I'm feeling something I've never felt before: fear. I struggle even more, knowing that that's the last thing I should feel in this city in order to survive.
Suddenly, I feel hands taking off the cloth around my mouth. As soon as it's off, I scream at the top of my lungs. A hand flies over my mouth and I feel silky cloth. I move my arms forward and surprisingly, I'm able to move them. A flashlight comes on and I see Pennywise. And for some reason, I leap forward and hug him. He grunts and I push back. I lean forward and kiss him on his lips. I push away and he pulls me in for another kiss. I push away again and look away from him.
"How long have I been up here? Do you know?"
"No," he replies. "But I do know who put you up here."
"Who?"
"Your father."
"I just don't understand anything that's going on. I especially don't understand how I trust you and look to you for safety and not someone else. I just--Argh!" I cover up my face.
I feel his hands pull me closer to him. Then, I feel his gloved hands stroking my bare skin and realize his hands are under my shirt. I go to get up and he pulls me down, wrapping his legs around my waist so I can't get up. I groan.
"What on earth are you doing?" I say, turning my head slightly so I can look at him.
"Stroking your bare skin." He chuckles.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwQoLp25DJ
"Why?"
"Because it's smooth."
"But you're wearing gloves. How can you feel my skin?"
He pulls one of his hands out from underneath my shirt and I see that he took his gloves off. He puts his hand back under my shirt and whispers in my ear,
"I know you haven't killed Richie yet."
"I'm trying to find a way to do it and make it seem like someone else did it. And I've got to find a person to blame. I'm not like you, you know. I can't just kill someone and get away with it."
"I can fix that."
"How?"
"Because I can. Why, Bevvy, I can fix a lot of your problems."
"What happened to the old you? The you that tortured and taunted people to the point where all they wanted was for you to just kill them and get it over with. What happened to the Pennywise everyone else in the world knows you as? You don't seem the same." I sigh. "I figured you be more into getting revenge on the Losers than before, but I guess I was wrong."
"I have new desires now. I do still want revenge on the Losers, but being in such a weak spot right now makes it hard to get that revenge." Pennywise looks away. "I need to build up my strength again. I'm starving right now."
Suddenly, I realize something.
"The homeless kids and orphans that no one cares about."245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoux2sUkvp3
"Yes, what about them?"
"I could find a way to lure them here, so you can have something to eat for the time being. And if they run out, I could get a babysitting job and lure them to you until I get caught." I sigh. "And I could work with getting the grate bars out from in front of the storm drains."
"But what if they run out before I'm able to do what I need to?"
"Then I guess I'll just start finding stray kids and bringing them here. I'll do anything to help you. I already said that before. Pennywise, I care about you."
At saying those last five words, he jerks his head to where he's looking directly into my eyes.245Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzYXG91KVue
"You care about me?"
I nod.
"Why?"
"Because you matter just like everyone else on this earth. You may not be human, but you are a person just like everyone else on this earth. And plus, you are the main reason this city is still standing. I had nightmares for a year and a half after I saw your deadlights. All of them was the same thing, just played in different ways. But the main idea I got out of all of them was that if the Losers destroyed you again, then Derry was going to be destroyed as if it never existed. There would be a crater filled full of water and debris in the city's place."
"That's something the Losers don't know."
"Well, obviously."
"They won't need to know anyway. They'll be dead."
I chuckle. "I've always secretly hated the Losers."
"Why?" Amusement dances in his eyes.
"I really don't know." I yawn. "I'm tired."
He picks me up and takes me downstairs to my bedroom. He puts me on my bed and covers me up. He goes to leave, but I grab his wrist. He turns his head and looks at me. He smiles with sharp teeth and vanishes. I lie there, staring into the dark and wait until sleep comes.
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