sugarcoat it | bill denbrough

chapter twenty two: the projector

When we get to Bill's house, we gather around a projector which Bill sets up, illuminating a map on the wall with a chart of Derry's sewer systems over it.

"What is it, Bill?" I ask.

"Yeah, what the fuck do these maps have to do with a fucking shapeshifting clown?" Eddie asks.

"Look," Bill gestures to the wall. "That's the storm drain where Georgie disappeared," he points at a marked X on the map. "There's the Iron works and the Black Spot. Look, don't you see? Everywhere something bad happens, it's-it's all connected by the sewers and they all meet up at the-"

"the well house," Ben and I say at the same time. I shudder, thinking of the history of Derry and the bloody trail leading to the well house Ben told us about at his house.

"Wait," Stan says, squinting at the map. "That's the house of Neibolt street. Do you mean the abandoned house?"

"You mean the creepy-ass house where all the junkies and hobos like to sleep?" Richie asks, I roll my eyes as Eddie takes a puff off his inhaler.

"I hate that place," I say.

"Yeah, whenever I walk by I feel like I'm being watched," Bev shudders.

Eddie wheezes, and takes another puff from his inhaler. "You good, Ed?" I ask.

He takes a shaky breath, "that's where I saw It, that's where I saw the clown." My stomach drops.

"Th-th-that's where It lives," Bill tells us.

"Oh God, ew." I mutter.

"Well, fuck," Stan says, taking a step back.

"Can we stop talking about this?" Eddie asks and stands up quickly, in front of us. "I can barely breathe," he says frantically, "it's summer, we're kids, I can barely breathe- I'm having a fucking asthma attack I'm not fucking doing this," he rips the map from the wall.

"What the hell!" Bill screams, "put the map back." Eddie just shakes his head.

"Ed, shhh," I say, grabbing his arm. "It'll be okay it's just a map."

"Are you actually retarded, Nevada?" Eddie shouts, "it's not fucking okay. I'm not fucking dying this young."

"You don't want to die like a virgin," Richie giggles. I roll my eyes.

"Shut up Eddie, d-d-on't talk to Nevada like th-that you asshole," Bill glares at Eddie and pulls me away from him.

Click. The projector flips from the map of Derry to a slide of the Denbroughs at a baseball game, Georgie's toothy smile makes my heart sink.

Click. A picture of the Denbroughs on an amusement ride.

Click. The Denbroughs at Acadia national park. That's when I realize nobody is touching the projector. It's moving on its own.

"What the hell?" I say quietly.

"What's going on?" Mike asks.

"What is this?" Stan asks as another picture shows up. The Denbroughs standing in the yard in front of their house, holding hands.

"Holy fuck, look," Richie says as the projector begins to get closer and closer on Georgie's face.

"Georgie..." I say. I feel Bill grab my hand and squeeze it. My heart is racing.

Suddenly, the projector pictures flip at top speed from Georgie's face to Mrs. Denbrough's mess of red hair blowing over her face in the wind. And then, one slide at time, the wind blew her hair to reveal the face of a clown. The clown.

We all fly to our feet and panic, backing away. "WHAT THE FUCK?! WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?" Eddie screams and grabs Richie.

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!" Richie shrieks.

"FUCKING TURN IT OFF!" I scream, Bill grabs my shoulders and pulls me close to him.

"Turn it off!" Bev yells, "hit the button and turn it off!" Mike kicks the projector but it doesn't stop. The images just get closer and closer on the clown's face.

Click. The clown grows razor sharp teeth.

Click. Closer.

Click. Still closer.

Click. In one instant, a terrifying, drooling clown pops out of the wall and scrambles toward us on its hands and feet, laughing hysterically.

"HOLY FUCK," I scream into Bill's chest. He covers my eyes and we back up slowly into the far wall of the garage.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuck," he mutters. I hear Ben scream for Beverly. Suddenly, the garage is flooded with light. Richie opened the garage door, and the clown vanishes.

"BEVERLY!" Ben screams and runs to her, she's cowering in the corner of the garage, sobbing. He picks her up and comforts her.

"Nevie," Bill says softly, looking at me. I try to speak, but my voice cracks and I just shake my head, a sob escaping my lips. "It's okay, w-w-we're safe now. It's gone." He kisses my forehead.

"Yeah," I breathe. "I love you."

"Love you too," he kisses me.

"Just friends, huh?" Richie asks, a faint smile etching across his beaten down face.

"Oh, shut up Tozier," I mutter. "You got us."

Eddie shakes his head, "It saw us. It saw us and It knows where we are."

Bill steps away from me, grabbing his bike. "Let's go, then." He says.

"Go? Go where?" Ben asks as he walks over with Bev clinging to him.

"Neibolt," Bill says nonchalantly. "That's where G-G-Georgie is."

"Bill, really?" I say louder than I mean to.

"After that?" Stan asks, "are you insane?"

"Yeah, it's summer. We should be outside..." Richie's voice trails off and Mike nods.

"If you say it's summer one more f-f-f-fucking time," Bill's voice raises, which it rarely does. I step toward him and grab his hand, and to my dismay, he pulls it away and grabs his bike, pedaling out of his driveway.

"Bill wait!" I yell. "Stop!"

"This is so fucking dumb," Eddie fumes.

"Oh, fuck." I shake my head, grabbing my bike. Everyone follows as I speed off to Neibolt.