Henry and his gang splashed through the river to get to the losers club who had begun to throw rocks like the time they had met Mike. "Teach us to throw rocks"! Richie yelled and chuckled. They began to run again, following Ben to the pumping station. Once they got there Bill shouted "w-w-we g-guh-hotta get the l-lid oh-oh-off"! And so with everyone's effort to push the lid off, the over balanced lid tumbled to the ground. Bill peered his head over the edge to look in. He looked back at Eddie. "eh-eh-eh-Eddie g-grab on to m-m-me" he had to get Eddie down there without injuring him even more. "Like a puh-puh-pigger-back. Hold on with y-your g-g-good ah-ah-arm" Bill demonstrated. Eddie gulped and grabbed on around bills neck, Stan and Mike helped boast him up to hook his legs around bills midsection. Eddie gave Richie a look that said 'I can't believe we're doing this' before shutting his eyes tight as Bill swung clumsily over the cylinder. Bill heard the twigs snapping and voices of Henry, victor, and belch as he felt his way down trying his best to be careful. "I'm scared Bill" Eddie whispered. "I-I-I am too" Bill said, voice shaking due to Eddies grip. Once they got down the rest had to come down, one at a time. Bev came down first, and Richie last, pausing to hear the progress made by Henry and his friends. Then he heard a voice " Henry there! Tozier" they were rushing toward him. Richie glanced down the cylinder and hoped down in time to hear "you'll die down there"! He retorted "prove it"! And Eddie punched his side at that comment. Richie kept egging the small group on. And soon they all were, when they realized he'd have to come down one at a time as they did. Richie asked about the ritual Bill had told them about. "Ch-ch-child" " you bite its tongue and it bites yours right"? He asked. " then you tell jokes" Bill nodded. "Funny, I can't think of a single one " he said looking down the dark pipe. Eddie reached for his hand, Richie looked down at him and gave a sad smile. Bill led his friends into the dark, where the boat he made for his brother had gone almost a year before.
They walked with about ten matches between Richie and Ben. Eddies hand still in Richie's as they all stayed in silence, minus the dripping of sewer water. " how ya feeling eds" Richie pulled him closer. " um okay, at this moment" he looked down at their clutched hands. Richie gave Eddie a small smile and kissed his head, they kept pace with the others as Bill asked " eh-eh-eh-Eddie"!? Eddie walked up next to Bill letting go of Richie's hand. "Wh-wh-which Wuh-wuh-one"? Eddie always knew where to go, and no one ever talked about how, he just knew. So they all had high amounts of trust in Eddie, "well that all depends on where we want to go" he saw bills face get a little annoyed. Eddie pointed at the lower pipe "that one" everyone's face twisted. "Oh gross" Stan said unhappily then Everyone saw mikes face suddenly looking concentrated "what"? Bill began only to be cut off by mikes gesture to be quiet. They all heard splashing, coming quickly. "Let's go" Ben yelled. Stan nodded "let's go, shit washes off" he helped and ran after the rest. "Stan the man gets off on a good one"! Richie began to chuckle exaggeratedly. "Richie will you shut up"? Bev hissed at him. Eddie started going back towards Richie to again grab his hand "you fuh-fuh-follow right behind m-me eh-Eddie. I'll nuh-need y-you" Bill looked at him and Eddie made his way back to the front, behind Bill. Suddenly a perfect harmony of scream from Bev , Mike and Richie were heard and in the daylight they would've laughed about that. There was a huge watery ker-whasssh and all of them were tumbling out, Bill clutched Eddie in a bear hug to keep his arm safe. "Oh Christ I thought I was going to drown" Richie moaned. They made short jokes as Eddie went back closer to Richie for a moment to make sure he was fine. Richie pulled him in a short hug before Stan burst into miserable tears. He hated being dirty and not knowing where he was, he explained. As a match was lit, they noticed Patrick's dead body. Their faces twisted and Eddie scowled and Richie looked at him in disgust.
