Don't You Dare || Richie Tozier

The Crackhouse

billy put a slide into it's slot and fiddled with the machine until the image was clear.

"look, that's where georgie disappeared," billy pointed to the spot on the map. "there's the ironworks and the blackspot."

"everywhere IT happens, it's... it's all connected by the sewers," addison said, "and they all meet up at-"

"the well house," ben finished.

"it's in the house on neibolt street," stanley said.

"you mean that creepy ass house were all the junkies and hobos like to sleep?" richie asked.  eddie took a puff from his inhaler and rested his head on his knees.

"i hate that house, i always feel like it's watching me," beverly said.

"that's where eddie and i were attacked," addison said. 

"yeah, that's were i saw IT.  that's were i saw the clown," eddie said, taking another puff from his inhaler.

"that's w-where IT lives," billy said.  "i can't imagine anything ever wanting to live there."

"can we stop talking about this!  i can barely breathe and, and it's summer where kids... i can barely breathe and i- i'm having a fucking asthma attack and i'm not doing this!" eddie panicked and ripped the map on the mall.

"eddie calm down," addison said.  "breathe."

"eddie put the map back," billy pleaded.  eddie shook his head and suddenly the slide changed.  everyone fell silent and it changed again.  it started to change faster, flashing different moments of georgie's life in front of the group.  it started to zoom in on georgie's face.

"georgie," billy whispered.  the slides changed and the image was shifting towards billy's mom.  her hair moved from front of her face, covering it.  her hair shifted again, revealing a terrifying clown.  everyone screamed and backed away from the projector.

"what the fuck is that!" richie screamed.  billy bumped into richie and addison's hands, causing the two to separate.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT!" richie shouted as he grabbed eddie.

"turn it off!" beverly said. everyone was frozen with terror.

"TURN IT OFF!" she screamed.  mike jumped up and kicked over the projector, skewing the image.  the slides slowed down but continued to change.  the clown was now moving until IT faced them.  after a few seconds, it changed again and the clown was gone.  everyone breathed a sigh of relief.  the projector clicked once more and froze between two slide, shrouding them in darkness.

suddenly, the slide changed and the clown's head popped out of the projected image.  everyone started screaming and running except for richie.  he was frozen with fear.

"MOVE RICHIE!" addison yelled, snapping him out of his daze.  he sprinted towards the rest of the kids as screams filled the small room.  addison ran towards the back wall, keeping her eye on the clown the whole time.  IT started to crawl out of the image.  addison suddenly felt her leg get caught on something and she fell onto the concrete floor.  she backed up, running into beverly as IT reached for them, barring it's sharp teeth.  addison and beverly screamed at shut their eyes as the clown's hand grabbed addison's leg and dragged her towards him.

"richie! help me!" she screamed frantically through her sobs.  beverly and richie started towards the girl when light suddenly flooded the room, making IT disappear.  ben and mike stood with their arms against the lifted garage door.  addison laid on the floor, sobbing.  richie grabbed the girl and pulled her into a tight hug.  she sobbed into his shirt as he cradled her.