"I have to go,too," I spoke up, my voice barely above a whisper. "My mom's waiting for me." It was only half the truth.
I went around the circle, giving each of my friends a tight hug, saving Ben for last. I tried desperately to keep the tears from...
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•°Corinne's POV°•
The air outside the restaurant was cold, a stark contrast to the panicked heat we’d felt inside. We were all shaken, trying to process the horrific message and the ensuing chaos.
"That's what Pennywise does, right? He fucks with us. So, Stanley's probably fine," Eddie said, his voice tight with a hope he didn't really feel. We were headed to the exit after hastily paying the bill. I could feel myself still trembling, so I folded my arms tightly across my chest, hoping no one would notice.
"Hey, Mike. Do you have Stan's number?" Beverly asked, pulling her phone from her purse. Her hands were steadier than mine. "Yeah,"Mike replied, his voice grim.
"Hey, Richie!" a small, high-pitched voice called out.
We all turned. A little boy was standing there, looking directly at Richie. "How'd you...How'd you know my name?" Richie asked, looking down at the kid, his face a mask of confusion and lingering fear.
"The fun's just beginning. Right?" the boy said with a smile. But with his two front teeth missing, the expression was unnerving and creepy, not cheerful.
"What he said, is it..." Richie began, but his fear quickly curdled into anger. "Listen. You think this is funny? All right? Think this is some sort of game, huh? Well, fuck you, all right?" he yelled, grabbing the kid's arm a little too roughly.
"Rich, be careful, dude," Bill warned from behind him.
"Fuck you! I'm not afraid of you!" Richie kept yelling, making the boy stare at him, utterly bewildered and now a little scared. "The fun's just beginning.It's a line from your act, dude. I'm a fan," the boy explained meekly.
After that display, he'd definitely lost a fan. "Are those your parents?"Richie asked, pointing to a couple watching nervously from a few feet away. "Yeah." "You want a picture?"The boy's parents called him over. "I think I'm good," he said, quickly retreating to his family. Richie stood up straight, looking toward the adults. "You've got a good kid," he said. The father just glared, shepherding his family away.
"Jesus, Richie. You don't remember a line from your own show?" Ben asked, a mix of exasperation and concern in his voice. "I don't write my own material,"Richie stated defensively. "I fucking knew it!I fucking knew it!" Eddie said from the back, sounding bizarrely proud of this revelation.
Once outside in the parking lot, Beverly immediately dialed the number Mike gave her. A woman's voice answered on the second ring. "Hello,Mrs. Uris? My name's Beverly Marsh. I apologize for calling, but I'm an old friend of your husband's."
"You lied to us. That's not okay," Eddie snapped at Mike, who was standing a few feet away, looking guilty and drained. "Yeah,first words out of your mouth should have been like, 'Hey man. You want to come to Derry and get murdered?' Cause then I would have said no," Richie added, his voice sharp with betrayal.
"Guys," Ben said softly from next to me, trying to quiet them so we could hear the call. Bev had put it on speakerphone. "Fucking entrapment,man," Richie muttered.
"Oh... He passed," Patty Uris's voice came through the phone, thick with tears. The words hit me like a physical blow. Without thinking, I grabbed Ben's arm, my knees feeling weak, needing his solid presence to keep me from sinking to the ground.
"When did it happen?" Beverly asked, her professional calm barely masking her own shock.
"Yesterday. It was horrible, the way he died. His wrists..." Patty's voice broke.
Then, something inexplicable happened. Both Bev and I spoke at the exact same time, our voices a haunted whisper in unison: "In the bathtub."
An image, clear and horrifying, flashed in my mind: Stanley, pale and lifeless, lying in a tub of water clouded pink with blood.
Ben immediately looked at both of us, his eyes wide with shock. He’d heard us.
"In the bathtub," Patty confirmed, her voice a sob. "I'm sorry, I have to go." "We're all very sorry,Patty," Beverly told her gently. Patty only managed a choked "thank you" before the line went dead.
Beverly didn't hesitate. She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her purse and lit one with a shaking hand. I guess some habits never die.
"Stanley. Pennywise knew. He knew before we did," Eddie said, his voice hollow with realization.
"We have to stop him. I have a plan," Mike stated, his tone pleading.
But at that moment, I couldn't care less about his plan. My friend was dead. "I got a plan.Getting the fuck out of Dodge before this ends worse than one of Bill's books," Richie said, raising his hand. "Who's with me?"
Eddie immediately put his hand up. "We made a promise to each other,"Mike reminded them, desperation creeping into his voice. "Let's un-make the promise,"Richie stated flatly.
"Richie, other people are gonna die," Ben spoke up. His voice was firm, resolved. It surprised me; he’d already made up his mind.
"Other people die every day, man! We don't owe this town shit! Plus, I just remembered I grew up here, like, two hours ago," Richie shot back, his panic rising. I couldn't take it anymore. I walked to the curb and sat down, the world spinning. Beverly joined me a second later, putting a comforting arm around my shoulders.
"I'm sorry, man, I'm with Richie," Eddie said, his face pale. "Eds,please," Mike begged.
"Listen. What? We stay, we die, that's it? I'm gonna go back to the inn, I'm gonna pack up my shit, and I'm gonna drive to my home. I'm sorry, man. Good luck." Eddie turned and walked away, not looking back.
"No, Eddie. Please. Please, Eddie. Eddie, wait!" Mike yelled after him, but it was useless. Eddie got in his car and drove off.
Ben crouched down in front of Beverly and me. "You guys okay?" he asked, his kind eyes full of concern.
"I'm gonna head back to the Town House, too," Beverly said, getting up and brushing off her pants. "You two coming?" I nodded,standing up on shaky legs. Ben was right behind me. "Yeah,"he said.
He fell into step beside us as we began the quiet walk back to the inn. I’d decided to leave Charles's car there; I could come get it in the morning when the world felt slightly more real.
"You should have told us, Mikey," Ben said to Mike, his voice not angry, just deeply disappointed and sad.
The words hung in the cold Derry air. Mike had no answer. We walked the rest of the way in a heavy, grief-stricken silence.
