▌Chapter 20 ─ Psychotic Clown ▌

      ━━━━━ HOLLY WALKED DOWN the steps behind Bill. The rest followed behind them. Holly stood next to Bill as they came to a stop by the steps. Mike was next to them while Violet stood on the steps. They all looked at the well.

"A lot of memories, huh?" Ben asked them. "All bad."

They proceeded towards the well and climbed down one by one. Mike was leading them first this time with Violet behind him. Mike held his hand out to Violet who grabbed it and jumped down with his help. Then Bill eventually jumped down landing in the water.

He turned back towards Holly holding his hand out to her. She placed hers in his and climbed out of the pipe eventually landing in the water. Prudence jumped out next followed by Richie, and then Eddie came out.

"Oh, man. Blech. Gray water." Eddie said, as he jumped into the water.

Richie held his hand out helping Beverly out. Ben soon jumped into the water and followed behind them. Holly kept close to Bill as they slowly moved through the tunnel. She could hear rats running around. They climbed into another pipe and repeated the same process.

The water was higher than what they were previously in. Holly looked at what lies in front of them, it was where they had found Beverly, where they had battled It, and where they had seen the floating childing falling down.

"Shit. This is it." Ben breathed out. Holly looked at Bill as he looked back at her. "This is where it happened.

Mike looked back at Ben, then he pulled his bag off and held it in the air as he moved down from the tunnel. This time the water went up to his chest. They all followed behind him moving into the water. Violet was walking next to Holly and Bill. Holly briefly looked back to see Eddie start to move out of the way.

"No, no, no." He said as a teddy bear floated towards him. Mike climbed out to the wooden wreck, Violet following behind him. Bill helped Holly up and the two climbed up behind Mike and Violet.

"Bev, what is it?" Ben asked, causing Holly to look at them, while Eddie, Prudence and Richie looked back at them.

Beverly turned back to look at them. "I thought I heard something."

An older rotting woman appeared from the water and grabbed a hold of Beverly who started screaming while she laughed.

"Bev!" Ben shouted.

She pulled Beverly to her and looked back at the Losers. "Time to sink!" She told them. She then pulled Beverly down into the water. Holly and Bill took off running and diving into the water.

"Bev!" Mike shouted, jumping in after Bill and Holly. Soon everyone else followed behind them, jumping into the water. They had left Eddie behind, and he had become freaked out.

"Guys." He said, his voice echoing. "Okay, guys. Come on. Hey, guys. Guys, come on. Please, come on. I don't want to walk out of here alone." They pushed out of the water with Beverly.

"You okay?"

"I feel like crying."

"Mike. Where do we go from here?" Richie asked him.

They all climbed back out of the water and moved back up to the wooden wreck. "In the depths is where It crept. In the beneath, to find belief. In the depths is where It crept. In the beneath, to find belief." He repeated.

"Is he okay?" Ben asked.

"I think at this point, that's a relative question." Richie said.

"What's on the other side?" Beverly asked.

"I don't know. No one does." Mike proceeded to move towards the hatch and open it.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Bill said, as he and Holly moved back slightly. "Mike." They watched him look down at the tunnel. He then lowered himself down.

"Mike, don't."

"All right. See you down there."

"Mike!" They all shouted, including Violet.

"Wait!"

"S-Stay together." Bill said, looking around at everyone.

"Okay." Ben said shortly after. Bill then climbed down after Mike, Violet followed behind him shortly after. Then Prudence started to climb down as well.

"You guys, I can't do it." Eddie said, causing Richie and Holly to look at him. "I can't. You saw what happened up there. I was gonna let you die. I just fucking froze up. If you let me go down there with you, I'm gonna get us killed." He proceeded to use his inhaler. Richie moved over to him, grabbing his hand and stopping him.

"Hey, hey, hey. Give me that. Give me that."

"Richie."

"Let go, you little turd."

"Just let me get..." He proceeded to press down on the inhaler grabbing the mist from it. Richie lifted his flashlight up to him, spinning it around his face. "I got it."

"Stop. Listen to me. You had a moment. Fine. But who killed a psychotic clown before he was 14?" Richie asked him.

"Me."

"Who stabbed Bowers with a knife he pulled out of his own face?"

"Also me."

"Who married a woman 10 times his own body mass?"

"Me."

"Yeah. You're braver than you think."

"All right. Thanks, Rich." Richie proceeded to pat the side of his face while Holly smiled at them. "Ow."

"Sorry." Richie and Eddie then walked over to them.

"Hey. Here. Take it. It kills monsters." Beverly said, handing over the metal bar that she had picked up in the front yard. Eddie grabbed it from her hand.

"Does it?" He asked her.

"Yeah. If you believe it does."

"Thanks, Bev."

She proceeded to climb down, soon after Holly followed behind her. Eventually they made it to the bottom.

"You guys good?" Mike asked.

"Yeah."

"Can you get through that?"

"It's the only way. This way. It's in here!"

Violet climbed through, Bill proceeded to climb in after her. Then Holly walked past Beverly as Bill turned back to them.

"Through here." Bill said, turning his flashlight so they could see. "It's tight, but we can get through."

Holly was the first to lower herself to the ground and climb through. Once she made it throw she picked herself up and caught up to Bill. The other's followed behind them one by one. They walked further through the tunnel, until they eventually came out of it. Bill and Holly looked at Mike and Violet as they looked back at them.

"This is where It hid."