𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐀 ☾ IT 2017 & IT 2019 [✓]

E I G H T E E N !

[ CHAPTER XVIII:
WE HAVE TO GO ]

ALICE WALKED out of the office as her mind seemed to be going miles per second. "Alice? What's wrong?" Stan asked. "Was it from work?" Stan question.

Alice kept silent, the gesture seemed all to familiar.

"Love," Stan began causing Alice to look up at her husband. There was tears stains on her face and her hands were shaking. Stan suddenly rushed over to Alice, cupping her face in his hands. "Hey, hey, what's wrong?" Stan asked.

Alice shook her head. "So you know how I—we can't remember anyone from our shared past?" Alice asked causing Stan to nod. "That was Mike Hanlon, from Derry" Alice said and Stan seemed to freeze. "He said we have to go back" Alice said.

"Oh god" Stan muttered covering his mouth with his hand. "When?" Stan asked.

"Tomorrow" Alice said before turning and walking up the steps.

"Where are you going?" Stan asked.

Alice looked down at her husband. "To pack, for tomorrow" Alice said. Stan then grabbed Alices hand.

"Wait let's just think about this for a second, Alice" Stan said leading Alice to the living room. "A thing called It is back, I don't remember it clearly but what I do know is that last, last time we fought against It you could only form one sentence" Stan said.

"It's better me than others" Alice said.

"Stop that" Stan said his grip soft on Alices' hand. "You're not—we're not kids anymore, you can't go sacrificing yourself for people you don't even know" Stan said, Alice bit back her tongue as she was about to say: 'but its my job to do that!'.

"We have a daughter to look after Alice. Derry isn't excepting of people like Ashley, and who knows what that thing is going to do to her" Stan said.

"Then we won't take Ashley!" Alice said. "Stan we made an oath, we promised we'd go back" Alice said grabbing his showing him the scar in the middle of his palm. Alice opened her hand, showing her palm that had a scar in the middle of it.

"Alice I can't, I don't want to" Stan shook his head. "Last time I went there—"

The memory of a boy with curly blonde getting his face bitten into by a woman with a deformed face seemed to hit Alice like a wave. Alice intertwined their hands together. "I'll be with you the whole time. I know this is hard for you, really hard, and you're scared. I am too, I mean—god, Ashley's still too young. She can't know about this, about our past" Alice said.

"She can't know about It" Stan sighed. "I mean we took It down before right? What's the harm in doing that again?" Stan asked.

Alice smiled softly before kissing Stan on his lips. "I'll get our stuff ready, Stan the man" Alice said before turning on her heel and walking up the steps never really noticing how Stan's smile fell into a look of fear.

As the sun settled behind the trees, Alice put her suitcase in the back of her car. Stan had told Alice he'd catch another plane as he still had a small bit of work to finish. Ashley looked up at her mom. "Mom, are you sure the both of you have to go?" Ashley asked.