𝐈𝐓 𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐒

𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚘𝚐𝚞𝚎

(A/N: Your sister's name is Riley.)

October 14, 1988

The rain beat down heavily against the windows of Bill's bedroom. You watched in silence as water droplets pooled together and formed little puddles before disappearing, joining the rest of the rushing water into the gutter below. The moment would have been peaceful if it weren't for the sounds of sniffling coming from just behind you.

You and Bill Denbrough have been best friends since just around kindergarten. That was when you first moved to Derry from a little town called Castle Rock. He and his friends quickly took you under their wing, and before you knew it, you were just another one of the guys. That was all you'd ever really hoped for after the move, honestly.

Conveniently, both you and Bill were both suffering from the flu this week. Neither of your families could figure out how the illness just appeared out of nowhere, but what they didn't know was that you two had held a contest of who could stand out in the rain the longest just a few days before your diagnosis. Your parents saw no harm in two already sick kids hanging out together, so there you were.

Together you sat cross-legged on his twin bed, barely fitting comfortably on either side of the pile of craft supplies that had formulated between you. There was nothing you wanted more than a nap and maybe some of Mrs. Denbrough's chicken noodle soup, but you endured. Bill smiled as he put the finishing touches on the crinkled yellow paper boat he was crafting, using a black washable marker to write 'S.S Georgie' on the rim.

"Is it done yet?" A mop of brunette hair flopped onto the side of the bed, wiggling vigorously in an attempt to climb on. It was Georgie Denbrough, Bill's younger brother. He was dressed in his pajamas, a large flashlight grasped loosely in his tiny hands. He watched Bill work on the boat patiently, every so often asking questions or making announcements to the room.

"Is it pink (Y/N)? You promised to make it pink!" Another voice chirped from the doorway. Riley, your sister, was the same age as Georgie if not younger. The two of them became friends even quicker than you and Bill. Currently, they were the only ones in the house not yet affected by the illness and were technically not allowed to be in the same room as you.

"No-not ye-yet. Go get the th-the wax from the basement," Bill sighed, pinching the creased edges of the boat, ensuring that it would stay upright.

Sometimes you completely forget about Bill's stutter. You can almost hear him without it, clear as day when you pictured him talking to you. But every time he spoke, it was like hearing it for the first time.

Prompted by your sister, you held up your own creation: a pink origami swan. Bill smiled as you snatched the marker from his hand and used it to write 'The Riley Express' on the bird's thick, flat neck.

He snorted, taking the marker back when you were done and capping it before tossing it back into his pencil case. "E-Express is f-for tra-trains, dummy," he critiqued, knowing very well that it wouldn't deter your decision. Nonetheless, your smile faltered before returning tenfold in a loud huff, "Well, now it's for birds."

Upon seeing the bird, Riley giggled and took a step inside the room. You immediately held your hand up and gestured for her to stay put. "I don't want you getting sick, Ri. Stay over there."

Not a moment after you said this, you erupted into a fit of loud, deep coughs. Bill cringed and waved Georgie away from the bed. Once you were done, Bill handed you a tissue from the nightstand.

"Riley, go help Georgie," You sniffled, wadding the tissue into a ball and tossing it into the overflowing trash can behind you. The younger kids pouted and waddled out of the room knowing that without doing so, they would end up sick and without their little toys.

Once they left, the two of you began a conversation the best you could with the combination of a stutter and a clogged immune system. "D-do you really th-think it's safe ou-out there?" Bill asked, fumbling with the hem of his t-shirt while taking a glance out the window. You folded and re-folded the wing that just wouldn't stay in place. "Of course, it is," you meant to say, but it came out as a jumble of nasally vowels that vaguely resembled "O forth tibus."

Georgie and Riley came back a few moments later and right away you began painting both the boat and bird in thick melted wax. Once they were dry, the younger siblings ran off hand in hand to put on their rain jackets and galoshes before prancing out into the autumn downpour that had stretched on throughout the last week and a half. You and Bill scurried over to the window just in time to see them waving from the sidewalk, their boats already taking off down the murky stream that had formed along the curbside. You waved back while Bill just smiled, glancing at you through his peripheral vision. 

"Ye-yeah, they'll b-be fine."

That evening was the last time either of you ever saw Bill's little brother and your little sister. Missing posters were seen on every street corner as well as inside the windows of streetside shops. The town of Derry changed that day. The clouds were sunken and grey, issuing the promise of yet another flood-inducing rain. Parents didn't let their kids out after dark for the rest of the fall and squeezed their hands just a little tighter when they said their goodbyes.

The (Y/L/N)'s and the Denbrough's were closer than they had ever seemed to be, guiding each other blindly through the dark times. Neither one of them knew how to console the other, but going through the trouble of learning distracted them from the looming question; What happened to their children? And would they ever be found? 

(A/N: It feels so good to get this part re-written. As I said, I'm editing these chapters more while doing my best to keep the story consistent. Just a reminder that a sequel is currently in the works for this book. Keep an eye out for it!)