we're not kids anymore | bill denbrough {book two}

X.

CHAPTER TEN
[ the ritual of chüd ]

Suddenly, the fire went out. I could feel my heartbeat quicken. "What the?" Richie said as wind started a blow, causing shivers to shoot down my spine. We all lifted our heads up to see a light coming from above us.

"What the fuck is that?" Bill asked.

"Don't look at them!" Mike yelled. I immediately closed my eyes, turning my face slightly away. "Turn light into dark." He said. "Turn light into dark. Say it!"

"Turn light into dark" We all began to say. I gripped Bill and Richie's hands tightly and they did the same to me. We chanted those four words repeatedly, not really sure what effect they were supposed to have. Mike started to say something in a different language.

"Turn light into dark! Mike, what's happening man?" Richie yelled. "Keep chanting!" Mike yelled back.

"Turn light into dark! Turn light into dark! Turn light into dark!"

The layer was now dark again. I hesitantly open my eyes, panting. Mike was trying to close the lid on the artifact.

"Turn light into dark! Did it work? Did we do it?" Eddie asked.

Something began to pull up the lid of the artifact that Mike held down. "I guess, this a part of it?" Beverly asked.

"Mike, is this supposed to be happening?" Richie asked.

"No! Keep chanting! Keep chanting" Mike yelled.

My heart was beating faster and faster within my chest as we began to chant again. But, it only began to grow. Mike lost grip of the lid and fell back. A giant red ballon was now growing from the artifact. We all began to back away.

We hurried out from in between the spikes as the balloon continued to grow. No one knew what to do or where to go. We just knew we had to get as far away from it as possible. Once the ballon was bigger than the spikes, it popped. We all fell back. Bill pulled me close, covering my head as we fell. A loud sound began ringing in my ear.

Bill and I helped each other up. Richie rushed over to us, asking if we were okay. I nodded as Bill rubbed his ear. "I can't hear anything! I can't hear anything!" He repeated.

"Where's Mike?" Eddie asked. No one knew. "Mike!" Ben called.

"I'm right here! I'm here!" Mike said joining all of us. "Did we do it?" Eddie asked.

"We put the tokens in the thing" Richie pointed out. "That's good right?"

"We did it right?" Eddie continued asking. Beverly began hitting her flashlight to stop it from flickering. Once it stopped, she looked up, shinning her light right on Pennywise. We all jumped back and screamed. It didn't work.

"Oh did it work, Mikey? Did work" Pennywise taunted. "Tell them why you're silly didn't little ritual didn't work. Tell 'em all it's just a... what's the word Eds? Gazebo?"

Not really sure what the meaning of that taunt was I looked over at Eddie, who looked terrified. "Mike, what's he talking about?" He asked.

"M-M-Mikey?" Bill stuttered as I helped him stand back on the ground.

"Mikey, you never showed the the full side, did you?" Pennywise laughed. "Didn't want them to know about the poor Shokopiwah?"

I looked over at Mike, remembering the side of the artifact Richie and I noticed was scratched out at the library. The two of us made eye contact, but Mike quickly looked away ashamed.

"Fuck Mikey, you lied to us again?" Bill yelled.

"They didn't believe they could kill It back then!" Mike defended. "That's why it didn't work back then!"

"Are you fucking kidding me Mike!" Richie yelled. I didn't know whether to be mad at Mike or feel sorry for him. Tears, were streaming down his face. He really believed that it would work.

"We hurt him!" Mike's voice cracked. "Fuck!" Richie yelled.

Pennywise began to slowly move behind the spikes. "I needed something, anything for us to remember. For us to believe!" Mike continued.

"Fuck!" Bill yelled at the same time Richie yelled. "Goddammit!"

Next thing we knew, there was a bang and three lights rose up in the air from inside the artifact. "The Deadlights! Don't look at them!" Beverly warned. We all averted our eyes away from them. My legs felt as if the were jello as my heart had managed to beat faster than I possibly thought it could.

We could hear Pennywise laugh as he stepped closer to us. "For twenty-seven years, I've dreamt of you, I craved you, oh, I missed you." We all backed away before It could reach us. Except for Mike. He stood there, not moving a muscle.

"Mike, what are you doing?" I asked, desperately wanting him to move.

"Waiting for this very moment." It continued. We all continued to call for Mike to move. Please move! Please move! I continued to say inside my head. He didn't. He was going to let Pennywise kill him.

"I'm sorry guys." He said. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." The other losers continued to beg him to move. I couldn't watch my friend die. With all the courage I had, I ran towards Mike.

"Kate, no!" Bill yelled. "What are you doing?"

"Time to float!" Pennywise yelled, raising his hand back. We watched as it turned into a giant claw.

"Mike, come on we've got to move!" I screamed starting very slowly get him to move as he fought back, not wanting to move.

The claw was about to hit us when Bill, ran towards us, knocking us to the ground. Ben helped to my feet. "You okay?" He asked. I nodded, as I tired to catch my breath. The clown charged towards us. We all began running as fast as we could.

Pennywise slammed a claw on the ground, causing us to separate. I watched Mike as he hid behind one of the smaller spikes but, I kept running.

The more I ran, the more Pennywise would slam his claws, making it harder for me to continue. I began to stumble, knowing I had to find somewhere to hide. But where?

"Kate!" I heard Richie call. He was in a place with Eddie where Pennywise couldn't reach him. He held out his hand, offering to help me to safety. As I was almost to him, Pennywise slammed his claw once more. Richie and I both fell back. "No!" Richie yelled.

I rose to my feet quickly, Pennywise was beginning to catch up with me. "Don't worry!" I assured Richie. "I'll find somewhere else!"

As I ran, I saw an opening I was close to. So, I didn't hesitate. Once I was close enough, I jumped up and climbed into it.

That's when I fell into total darkness.