7 - Projector

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A picture of the Derry sewer lines reflected under the projector's picture of the old Derry map.

"Look." Bill started as everyone settled down around the projector. Charlie set to the left of Beverly on the far end. "That's wuh-where Guh-Guh-G-Georgie went muh-missing . . . The Ironworks . . . The Black Spot." Bill pointed at each of them. He didn't need to, however. They were all marked by a black marker. "E-Everywhere it-it happens, it's connected by the s-s-sewers. A-and they all meet up at the-"

"The well house!" Ben said in wonder.

Charlie could feel her heartbeat spike to her temples and then back down. The young girl barely realized that her hands had contained tremors and her legs were nervously and rapidly shaking.

"Are you ok?" Beverly whispered into her ear.

The young girl couldn't do anything but nod her head. Bev grew worried for her friend, but said nothing else.

"That's where the Neibolt house is," Stanley said.

"You mean that creepy-ass house where all the junkies and hobos like to sleep?" Richie said. It was meant to be funny, but came out worried. With that said, Eddie whipped out his aspirator and took a big breath.

"I hate that place," Beverly muttered, "I always feel like it's watching me."

"That's where I saw it," Eddie abruptly said through gasping. "That's where I saw the clown."

"Thuh-thuh-tha-that's where it l-lives."

Eddie took another giant puff of his aspirator.

"I can't imagine anything wanting to live there . . ." Stanley's voice mumbled.

"Can we stop talking about this?" Eddie stood up in front of the town map, making Charlie's heart spike yet again. "I-I can barely breathe (gasp) I can barely (gasp) breathe."

"Eddie, calm down." Charlie suddenly grew worried for Eds.

"It's summ-w-we're kids! (gasp) I can barely breathe! (gasp) I'm having a fucking asthma attack!" Charlie stood up, but went nowhere. "A-and I'm not doing this!" Eddie forcefully gripped the map and tore it off the wall, ticking Bill off.

"What the hell? Put the map back!" Bill said.

"Huh-uh." The young boy shook his head just before the picture switched out of the Derry town map.

The young girl sitting next to Bev glanced over to see if someone had touched the projector; perhaps even tripped over it, but no one had touched the machine. Eddie dropped the paper at his side as the projector continued to switch pictures. The pace grew more rapid as time passed. All the pictures were pictures of Bill Denbrough and his family. Bill and Mike carefully observed the projector to make sure it wasn't broken or stuck on repeat.

"What the hell is happening?" Charlie's voice was rasp as she instinctively shuffled to Eddie and pulled him away from the pictures. You know, just in case.

The pictures stopped on one image of Bill's family and then the picture started to zoom in on Georgie. While this was happening, Eddie intuitively brushed his shoulder into Charlies and gripped her arm as she stood there numbly looking at the unbelievable sight before them.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" Richie screamed as he shuffled away from the projector.

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW!" Eddie gripped her arm tighter.

"Beverly . . ." Charlie suddenly longed to be with her best friend and released herself from Eddie's grip; moving back to where she was.

"TURN IT OFF!" Bev shouted. "TURN IT OFF!"

The young girl peeked at the screen, now standing next to Bev where she was just earlier. Bill's mom - in the picture - was now morphing into a clown. A clown with bright red hair and red streaks that run from the end of its mouth up through the eyes and just past the eyebrows. Mike kicked the projector on its side. There was a breath of relief from everyone, but only for a second. The light kept blinking, but not reflecting a picture. After a few times in intense silence, a large clown emerged from the wall with razor sharp teeth.

Everyone started screaming and scattering except Charlie. She couldn't move. Sure she was scared, but there was a part of her that was also . . . mezmorized. She stared in wonder as the creature made its way closer to her. It was only inches away when she started to back up. She was backed into the corner with the creature's hand reaching to grab at her. Tears brimmed her eyes as she pressed her back to the corner of the garage and sank down to the floor. She pressed her knees to her chest and stared straight into the creature's eyes.

"Help!" Charlie croaked before the creatures hand briskly touched her cheek, making her fiercely terrified. The air in her lungs were evaporating quickly and her heartbeat was thumping madly in her throat. She was ready to throw up any minute when the garage door flung open, making the clown disappear. The figure that had once threatened to grab the young girl had disappeared out of thin air.

"Charlie!" Eddie's shaky voice rushed to the cowered girl in the corner and helped her off the ground. "Are you ok?"

"Y-yeah." She tried to regulate her breathing. "Are you?"

"I'm fine." She hugged the young boy with all of her strength. It took Eddie a little bit to comprehend what was going on before he finally hugged back. "It almost got you. I don't know what I would've done if it did . . ." his voice trailed off; worried.

"Don't worry about that." She faintly smiled at his concern. "I won't ever go down without a fight."

"Hopefully that won't ever have to happen."

While the young lovers were having their conversations, the rest of the losers were gathering their bikes.

"Come on, lovers! We've got to go!" Rich called from outside the garage.

They wasted no time in getting their bikes and following the leader to wherever he was going. They all tried to follow behind Bill who was pedaling madly down Turner street . . . then to Neibolt.

He dropped his bike right in front of the Neibolt house, dropping Charlie's hope along with it. Bill made his way up to the porch, Charlie and Bev following close behind.

"Bill!" Charlie shouted as she rushed behind him. He walked onto the porch, but Charlie didn't step any farther than a few feet in front of the first step. "Don't go in there! This is insane!"

"You don't have to come in with me." Bill said, turning to face the losers. "But what happened when another Georgie goes missing. Or another Betty or another Ed Corcoran?" There was a pause, but only a split second. "Or one of us? Are you going to pretend it isn't happening like everyone else in this town?" He has a point. "Because . . . I can't." Tears brimmed his gorgeous eyes. "I go home and . . . all I see is that Georgie isn't there. His clothes, his toys, his stupid stuffed animals." He chuckled on the word stupid, "but he isn't." He looked up with wisdom far beyond any of their years. "So walking into this house . . . for me . . . is easier than walking into my own."

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