blackbird • stanley uris

eighteen.

Sorry

I lazily watched Richie as he pressed the random buttons and moved the control stick. The characters on the screen kicked and punched each other but I did not care, I was too busy staring at Bill's approaching figure as he walked into the arcade and darted straight towards us.

"Hey, Billy." I addressed him, smiling slightly before glancing at Richie. The tension in the air becoming thicker as the two boys stood close near each other.

"Richie." Bill broke the awkward silence, a look of sorrow crossing his features.

"What do you want? You see that guy I'm hitting, I'm pretending it's you." Richie did not take his eyes off his game, his bitter tone causing an unflattering snort to come from my mouth. Richie gave me a comedic side glance and grinned at me.

"IT got Beverly." Bill suddenly said causing me to look at him strangely, wondering if I heard him correctly.

"What are you talking about?" Richie asked, his nose scrunching up with confusion.

"IT, Richie. IT got Beverly." The bright letters of 'GAME OVER' appeared on the screen as I rushed out the arcade, heading straight to a phone box. Shoving some change in the slot my fingers ran over the numbers, shakily pressing the correct ones until the phone started ringing.

"Eddie, it's Lilly. We have a problem. It got Beverly." I waited for his reply, the silence killing me. "Meet us outside the arcade." I said after hearing his simple 'okay'.

•∆•

Once we had all met, the Losers Club and I cycled straight to the house on Neibolt. We dumped our bikes messily outside, Stanley taking extra time to put his bike stand down, and wandered fearfully towards the house.

"Guys, spikes." Bill took off his bag and grabbed his spikes. I proudly watched as Eddie took off his fanny pack and threw it into the overgrown grass. A smash startled us all as we glanced at Richie who stood with a broken neck of a bottle in his hand, I giggled as he tossed it away disappointly.

The house was dark and dusty, not much had changed. I confidently walked next to Bill, my head raised high and my hands clenched.

"Stan?" Ben said, glancing behind us. Stanley stood at the doorway scared, shaking out his skin.

"Stan, we all have to go." I smiled at him nervously, walking towards him and grabbing his upper arm gently, squeezing affectionately.

"B-B-Beverly was right. If we split up like last time, that clown will kill us, one by one. But if we st-stick together, all of us... we'll win. I promise." Bill said. I ran my fingers down Stanley's arm, holding his hand and interwining our fingers. We followed Bill through the house until we hit a stairwell heading down to the basement.

"Eddie, you got a quarter?" Richie joked, glancing down the bottomless well.

"I wouldn't want to make a wish in that fucking thing." Eddie stared at Richie horrified. I barged between the two and watched as the rock I was leaning on slipped and crashed into the depth below, Stanley instantly pulling me flush against him before I could join the rock.

"

How are we supposed to get down there?" Mike asked. Bill shined his torch over some rope stashed against a wall. We both glanced at each other and grinned cheerfully.

"Alright, let's go." Mike mumbled, fixing the rope and throwing it into the well making a perfect ladder down. "Alright buddy." Bill went first then Eddie who was soon followed by Richie and Stanley.

"Lady's first." I laughed to Mike, offering for him to go first. Just as he was about to grab the rope someone came up behind him and bashed his head. "Henry."

"Mike? Lilly?" The losers called, all frantic. Henry looked down into the well at the boys who still called up to us. I kneeled down beside Mike and checked his head.

"You didn't listen to what I told ya, did ya?" Henry stalked towards us after dumping the rope beside the well. "You should've stayed out of Derry. Your parents didn't and look what happened to them. I still get sad every time I pass that pile of ashes, sad, that I couldn't have done it myself."

"Henry, this is not you. Please, stop this." I pleaded desperately, helping Mike to his feet. Henry laughed me before shoving me aside and throwing Mike back to the floor, fighting for control. Raising the gun to Mike's head, I grabbed the metal pole off the ground and limped towards the boys. Lifting my arm above my body and hit it down on his head. Henry's body crumbled off Mike landing in a heap on the ground.

"Go, I will follow in a moment. I just have to make sure he does not follow us." Mike hesitated before climbing down the rope into the well leaving Henry and I.

"The clown." He mumbled. I sighed, instantly knowing what he meant.

"It made you do this." I concluded, kneeling beside his figure, stroking the hair from his eyes.

"He made me kill my father." I stopped what I was doing, staring at Henry wide eyed. "I love you, more than a friend."

"Henry, I love Stanley." I sighed again, not knowing what to do or say.

"I know." I smiled at him sorrowfully before leaning down and pressing my lips to his.

"I am sorry." I stood up and climbed down the well, never turning back to look at the broken boy.

A/N I had to. Do not hate me for it. Also I could not kill Henry, I love his character too much. This stories almost coming to an end but I would love to hear what you have to say about it so far.

Til next time,

- I x