Blood Rose (Completed)

Chapter 14

Katherine's POV

Trigger warning : blood

She couldn't stop him from leaving, nor did Katherine try to hold Robert. She was too surprised and confused by the kiss on her forehead that still seemed to tingle on her forehead. The conversation that happened right before Mike knocked on her door, still lingered in the back of her mind. And Katherine suddenly wished she had held Robert from leaving.

A sinking feeling crept into her stomach, as if she would never see him again.

"Ready," Mike asked and she couldn't help but cast an angry look into his direction.

"No, I need fucking trousers," she muttered through her breath. "I hope its important."

She couldn't help the snarl in her voice. Katherine had other things on her mind than a trip to the library at three am in the night. And her mind was chaotic, so she swiftly took two other pills that were from her spare bottle in the bedroom before jumping in her trousers.

"Let's go," she brushed passed the librarian who followed her outside, into the cool air of Derry.

Katherine walked in agitated silence, not noticing how dark it truly was. There were no stars in the sky, the moon was hidden by clouds darker then ever and in the distance there was thunder rolling towards them.

The library was cold and she put her arms around her.

"Do you want a sweater," Mike offered, "the heating is off due to the expenses. Derry cannot pay the electricity bill and at the same time offer free books."

Her green eyes locked with his gentle brown ones. Yet, Katherine shook her head.

"No," she said curtly, "why am I here, Mike? What couldn't wait until morning?"

He offered her a glass of water and sat at a table with a pile of books. Some of them open, a notebook with scribbled words in them that Katherine didn't even try to read. Katherine sighed and eventually followed his example. It seemed he wanted to tell her something important and the librarian looked nervous. His hands were shaking and his voice trembled.

He looked scared.

For some reason, Katherine felt that her brain seemed lighter and found that the pills she had taken, finally did their job. Which was a relief, then she could comfort Mike, probably tell him it isn't bad whatever he wanted to tell her, and go home to get some sleep. She would visit Robert in the morning and have a talk with him.

"You're bleeding," Mike said, gesturing at her neck.

Katherine suddenly remembered Robert's teeth in her neck and took a handkerchief from the librarian to wipe the few drops of blood of her skin. She stared at it for some time before shrugging the thoughts of their intimate encounter to focus on the books.

"What is all of this," she asked, took one book that was open and saw some old black and white pictures.

"The history of Derry, or at least pieces of it," Mike replied. "You're going to think I am crazy, Katherine. What I'm about to tell you is all true and happened. I need you to hear me out until I'm finished."

She stared at him, put the book down and crossed her legs. Katherine nodded at him slowly as a sign to start.

Mike started his story, 27 years ago, about a group of outcasts who became friends during one summer after school ended. And about a clown that murdered a little brother of one of his friends named Bill.

Katherine had wanted to walk away several times when Mike was talking about the horrors of that one summer in Derry. She started to doubt his sanity and often shook her head. Yet, the fear that the man showed, made her stay seated until he finished.

"Now, 27 years later, I'm sure IT's back," he said and locked eyes with her since the first time he stared. "A murder happened last night. A horrible one and somehow IT returned. IT left a message for us, for my friends, to come home."

Silence after his words faded through the empty, dark library. The only light that was on, was the one at the table they sat on and Katherine glanced at the clock above the counter. She rubbed her eyes when realising Mike had talked for an whole hour and that she wouldn't get any sleep tonight.

A soft pop was heard from the back. Both heads turned to a door where it seemed to came from. Katherine frowned, but turned to face Mike again. He kept his eyes straight on the door.

"Rats," she said and shrugged. "Its an old building."

"We don't have r..."

Another pop. Louder this time and much closer by the back of her head. Then the scent came. Sweet and puny at the same time, like something rotten and it left a vile taste at the back of her throat.

"IT's here," Mike spoke and stood up, hands shaking and trembling all over.

Katherine didn't want too, but stood up just like Mike. The popping came more frequent and louder. Her hands tightened up, nails in her hand palms and thankful that her medication worked or else she would have had a flight response by now.

Something held her from looking behind her shoulder and instead her eyes kept on the librarian. He did the same, yet his gaze flickered sometimes away from her to the darkness that crept upon them from behind Katherine.

Katherine bit her lip when another pop was heard and she took a shakily breath in. She had to know what it was. She didn't believe in murderous, supernatural clowns and cursed that she let the story Mike told her get into her head.

She turned. Swiftly on her feet so her whole body now faced the direction where the smell and the loud sounds came from.

Nothing stared back at her. Except...

For a lonely, red balloon floating before her. The white string hung playfully underneath it and Katherine gasped silently. Involuntarily, her fingers caressed the rope, not hearing the worried voice from Mike behind her, while her gaze was stuck on the red balloon.

It looked the same as the one in her house. The one still floating somewhere between her bedroom and hallway. The one that refused to pop or even go down. The one that Robert gave her on the fair almost two weeks ago.

"Katherine, come," Mike urged, but she heard him as if he stood far away on the other side of the building.

Then it happened. The peaceful red balloon popped one last time. Loud and deafening it echoed through the empty library.

And she screamed. Katherine screamed so loud and tried to cover her eyes when the balloon that broke was filled with thick, dark red blood. The hot liquid spilled all over her, covered her with it. Hands, face and chest. The scent of sweetness and filth was replaced with iron and stickiness. A laugh was heard from a distance, but she couldn't see where it came from.

The blood covered her eyes and Katherine fell down when she tried to search for the table with her hands. Mike by her side in a heartbeat, trying to calm her down.

"Katherine, look at me!"

"I can't. Its everywhere," she shouted, trying to wipe the blood from her eyes so she could see again.

"It's not real," the librarian said with a calm voice. She never had heard him so calm before. "It's not real," he repeated. "Open your eyes."

She did as he said. Her eyelids heavy but eventually, Katherine was able to look straight into the face of Mike. She swiftly looked at her hands and chest to see where the blood went. There was none and Katherine was sure she started to hyperventilate in that moment because Mike tried to breath with her. Tried to calm her down.

"That's what IT does," he stated, "IT plays with you. Makes you fear IT. He wants to murder."

"He?" Her voice shook, her hands trembled but her mind was bright enough to pick up on the little change.

"Robert Gray. Pennywise in human form," Mike said.