ii. new friends and old enemies

A FEW DAYS HAD PASSED,  yet Verity couldn't get the clown out of her head.

Listen, you were tired, and your eyes were playing tricks on you. She told herself firmly as she got ready in the morning.

She fixed her hair in the mirror, huffing in exasperation at the flattened side that she had slept on, then smoothed down her shirt. Usual attire for a day out; light blouse tucked into jean shorts, with her trusty chuck taylors on her feet. She picked a scrunchie from the pile on her dresser, and slipped it onto her wrist, before grabbing her camera.

Ready to spend all day out of the house, she had packed a bag filled with snacks, water, and an extra roll of film.
Ever since her brother had died, Verity had desperately tried to keep busy in an effort to distract herself, but it was getting harder with the coming break from school.

She took the stairs in twos and threes, hopping over the banister for good measure, and plucked her keys from the tarnished hook beside the door.

"Going out, sweetheart?" Juliette asked, appearing in the kitchen door, her hands streaked white with flour.

"Yeah, I wanted to take some photos around town." Verity said, noticing how tired her mother looked.

"That's fine darling, just- just be careful." She was wary of Verity going out on her own, and worried that she wouldn't come home one day, just another kid on a missing poster.

"I will mom, don't worry." Verity assured her, kissing her mother on the cheek before taking her leave. "I'll be home before curfew!"

◇

Around noon, Verity had all but forgotten the clown, and had taken some good photos too. She pulled a bottle of water from her bag, and sat under a tree to rest.
Jesus, it's so warm today, she thought, shading her eyes against the bright sun. Maybe I can stop by the Main Street later, take a couple of shots of the- she sat up straight, suddenly alert.
She could have sworn she'd heard someone.

Looking around, she saw that there was no one to be seen.

"Verity.." She heard it again.

"Who's there?" Verity said, hoping she sounded braver than she felt.
Turning slowly, she saw who the voice belonged to. It was her worst nightmare come to life.

The figure standing before her was an old woman - or at least what was left of her. Her skin had the bloated look of a corpse, and was mottled brown with decay. Her nightdress hung off her emaciated frame, and her hair had fallen out in clumps.
Verity was too terrified even to scream, and stood frozen in fear.

"Oh dear, surprised to see me again?" The woman croaked, her voice rusty.

Verity stared in horror as the old woman began to shuffle towards her, a twisted smile on her face.
She broke out of her trance when the smell hit her, making her gag; it was like raw sewage.

She grabbed her bag and bolted, running faster when she heard shuffling footsteps behind her.
Hoping to lose the old woman in the trees, she ducked off the road.
Branches scratched her face and arms as she ran, and got tangled in her hair.
She finally broke the treeline, her breath coming in short gasps as she got oxygen into her fevered lungs.

She lay there for a few seconds, huddled on the ground. A rustling noise brought her back to her senses, and she grabbed a fallen branch from the grass.
I'm going to have to fight it off, she thought frantically, eyes trained on the bushes.

"-shouldn't be walking in the bushes, there could be snakes! Or wild animals!"

Verity lowered the branch slightly at the voice. Sounds like... Eddie Kaspbrak? Sure enough, Eddie came stumbling out of the bushes, closely followed by Bill, Richie, and Stan.

"Holy shit!" Richie exclaimed. "Is that Verity Summers?"

The boys took in the scene before them, and knew something wasn't quite right.

"Verity, a-are you okay?" Bill asked, helping her to her feet.

"You look kinda.." Eddie trailed off.

"Crazy." Richie finished.

Verity's face was covered in scratches, she had twigs and leaves in her hair, and there was a wild look in her eyes.
"There was a..." She said weakly, unable to finish.
They're gonna think I'm nuts. She thought. What am I supposed to say? "Oh yeah, I got chased by my old dead neighbour." I don't think so!

"It was nothing. What are you guys doing out here anyways?" She asked, desperate to change the subject.

"Um, w-we were just looking around." Bill said quickly.

"Oh," Verity said, realising why they were really there. "You were out looking for him, weren't you?" She said softly. Bill's younger brother, Georgie, had also gone missing, and she knew he was searching for answers desperately.

Bill looked at the ground. "Yeah."

"Have you guys found anything yet?" Verity asked hopefully. She had a feeling that the disappearances of their brothers were linked somehow, and she was determined to find out.

"We've got nothing so far," Eddie said, stumbling over his words as usual. "But we're gonna try searching the Barrens tomorrow."

At Eddie's words, Verity's eyes were filled with grief; she remembered how her brother had been found there.

"You can look with us, if you want," Stan said quietly. "You could find some clues about your brother."

"Thanks, Stan." Verity said, giving him a small smile, which he returned.

Eddie studied her, his small face scrunched up as he scrutinised the scratches that littered her face and arms. "Here, you're all scraped up," he fussed, unzipping the fanny-pack buckled around his waist. "I'm gonna clean 'em with some antiseptic, you could catch all sorts if you just leave them like that.."

He gently dabbed at the cuts with a cotton ball, tongue poking out between his teeth.

Verity hissed as the disinfectant stung her skin, and then, the pain was gone. She looked down at Eddie, touched that he'd helped her like that, even though she probably looked crazed from racing through the undergrowth.

"Thanks, Eddie," She said, giving the boy a grateful smile, which he returned.

"You're welcome, Verity,"

"Right then chaps!" Richie said loudly, making them all jump. "Tally-ho and onwards!"

"Oh Christ, not the British accent." Eddie said witheringly, followed by a cry of pain as Richie punched him in the arm. "Jesus Christ Richie! You know I bruise easily!"

Verity giggled, knowing that Richie showed his friendship for his friends in an odd way.
Very odd.

"Sorry Eds, I forgot how delicate you are." Richie said, smirking.

"Shut up!" Said Eddie, indignant.

"We're heading back now, we can drop you off if you want?" Stan asked her earnestly.

"Uh, sure." Verity smiled gratefully, glad she wouldn't have to make the journey back alone. "Thanks."

◇

"Thanks again guys, it means a lot." The boys had dropped her home, and by the time they got to the front gate, she felt way better. "See you tomorrow?" Verity asked.

"Definitely," Bill said. "Meet us at t-the old bridge?"

The girl smiled. "I'll be there."