The Trashmouth [Richie Tozier x Reader]

16: Neibolt House

In the end it's decided that Richie, Eddie, Bill and I will enter the house while Stan, Mike, Beverly, and Ben keep watch.

We creek open the door and walk in. The place is disgusting, and I don't know how Eddie didn't immediately run out the door. There's leaves and plants inside, probably because of the crappy door and lack of windows. The entire place is covered in a foot of dust and there are cobwebs everywhere. There's old worn down and broken furniture scattered around. The place looks like it might collapse on us at any second.

"I can't believe I pulled the short straw," Richie says, "You guys are lucky we aren't measuring dicks."

"Shut up, Richie," I say.

"I can smell it," Eddie says. Oh yeah, it also smells like death in here.

"Don't breathe through your mouth," Richie advises.

"How come?" Eddie asks.

"'Cause then your eating it," Richie answers and Eddie gags, then takes a puff from his inhaler.

I look over and Richie is staring at a piece of paper in his hands.

"What?" I ask as Eddie, Bill, and I walk over.

"It says I'm missing," Richie explains.

"You're not missing Richie," I tell him, looking at the paper over his shoulder. The poster looks pretty believable though.

"Police Department City of Derry. That's my shirt, that's my hair, that's my face, that's my name, that's my age, that's the date!" Richie shouts becoming louder and more panicked with each correct detail.

"It can't be real Richie," I say pulling the paper out of his hands.

"No, it says it! It says it!" Richie repeats. "Why the fuck am I missing?!"

I tear the paper out of his hands and throw it.

"Calm down!" I shout, holding him by the shoulders.

"Am I gonna go missing?!" Richie asks frantically.

"Look at me Richie! Look at me!" I say grabbing his hands and forcing him to face me. He stops shouting and stares at me, clearly still panicked.

"That isn't real," I tell him, "It's playing tricks on you." He slowly starts to calm down, but he doesn't let go of my hands.

"Hello?" a voice says. It sounded like it came from upstairs. "Help me please," the voice pleads as we slowly walk towards the stairs.

The stair case creaks as we climb it and I'm still holding Richie's hand for comfort. He makes me feel safe. The floorboards creak and I hear bugs scattering as we walk across the second floor. We get to the end of the hallway and see Betty Ripsom lying on the ground at the other end. She's coughing and struggling to breathe.

"Betty?" Bill asks.

"Ripsom?" Richie finshes. Before she can answer she is pulled away from the doorway out of sight. We're breathing heavily and scared out of our minds as we slowly walk towards the room she was in. My hand tightens around Richie's and I'm pretty sure I'm cutting off the circulation to his hand at this point.

We enter the room and see a mattress on the floor and peeling wallpaper, but there's no sign of Betty.

"She was just here," Richie says, "Where the fuck did she go?"

The door slams behind us and we turn around to see that Eddie isn't with us.

"Guys! Guys!" Eddie screams and I hear him running down the hallway.