CHAPTER NINE.
the one with the projector.
warnings: clowns, lots of yelling

ASHLEY HAD SPENT a few too many hours at Beverly's house. Four, to be exact. She'd lost track of time, and when she finally did notice what time it was, it was already ten minutes til six.

So, maybe she had arrived about fifteen minutes past her curfew. And maybe she did get grounded for that. But was that gonna stop her from doing to Bill's house? Absolutely not. Her Dad had work the next day giving Ash the ability to sneak out. She'd be home by five, two hours before her dad got home, so what was the big deal?

So, Ashley waited patiently for her Dad to leave, and when he finally did (after a firm talk to Ashley about how if he finds out she did anything, she'd be grounded until college), Ashley changed quickly into a slightly too large shirt with a coca cola logo on it and rolled up jeans. And then she left the house, humming quietly under her breath as her eyes scanned the yard for her bike. Upon noticing it, she walked over to it, moved it over to the side of the street, and then threw her leg over it and began began biking her way to Bill Denbrough's house.

It took longer than she expected. Thirty minutes at the least, but when she arrived, all of the others were stood outside Bill's garage, talking about whatever. Though when she tossed her bike on the grass next to pretty much everyone else's, that caught the groups attention.

"Ah, there you are!" Richie exclaimed, "We were worried you'd died or something."

Ash scoffed and gave a small smile, "No, but I did get grounded. Sorry." She shot a quick glance at Beverly, who gave her a sheepish smile.

"It's fuh-fine." Bill said, "Come on, I need to set stuff up.

Mike and Beverly helped to lift up the garage door, and the eight of them entered the garage. It took some time, but they eventually got everything together and were all sat in front of the projector, Ash next to Beverly.

"Look." Bill pointed at a certain place on the map that was circeld and had an X next to it. Storm drain. "T-T-Thats where Guh-Guh-Georgie disappeared. There's the ironworks. And the black spot." The black spot was telling same as the storm drain, circled with an X, "Everywhere it happens- it's- it's all connected by the sewers," He told them, "and they all meet up at the-"

"The well house." Ben finished.

They were right, all of them met at the well house, the red lines on the map proving so.

"It's in the house on Niebolt street." Stan said, light fear in his voice.

"You mean that creepy ass house where all the junkies and hobos like to sleep?" Richie questioned, and Ashley shuddered, whiled Eddie took a puff of his inhaler.

"I hate that place." Beverly commented. Ashley nodded in agreement, "It always feels like it's watching me." Bev added.

Eddie took a quick gasp of breath before speaking, "That's where I saw It." He said, "That's where I saw the clown."

"Th-Th-That's where It lives." Bill told the group.

"I can't imagine anything ever wanting to live there." Stanley commented, and honestly, Ashley agreed. The house had always given her the creeps. It was coming apart at the seams. Dark, terrifying. Looked like something you'd see in a horror film.

A perfect place for It.

"Can we stop talking about this?" Eddie asked- pleaded, maybe. Maybe that was the right word. He stood up quickly, in front of the map, "I- I- I can barley breathe," He stammered out, "This is summer. We're kids. I can barley breathe. I'm up here having a fucking asthma attack!" He exclaimed, "I'm not doing this!" He said, before tearing down the map.

"What the hell?" Bill asked, "Put the map back."

"Mmm-mmm." Eddie replied, shaking his head.

Click.
Click.
Click.

The projector began to move slides, and Ash dug her nails into the bottom of her chair, "What the fuck." Ash murmered to herself.

Pictures began to show. Eddie turned around to face it. Ashley stared at it. An older lady holding a child in a baseball uniform, before the slide moved again.

"What happened?" Bill asked.

"What's going on?" Stan this time. The slides kept moving, the images going a bit too fast for Ash, leaving her unable to make them out.

"I got it, hold on." Mike said, beginning to fiddle around with the projector, yet it didn't stop, not for a second though, "Guys.."

It landed on a picture of what Ash assumed was Bill's family. Hair was covering his mothers face.

"Georgie.." Bill said as it zoomed in on his brother.

Click.
Click.
Click.

"Bill?" Stan said, though it was more of a question. Ashley stared at the projector with wide and terrified eyes.

The projector clicked rapidly as the photos began to move, zooming in on Bill's "mother". As it continued to click continuisly, the hair that was covering his 'mothers' face began moving, slowly but surely revelaing a clown. Ashley let out a terrified gasp, standing up quickly, as did the rest of them. It seemed so real. So so real.

"What the fuck?!" Richie exclaimed.

"It's It!" Bill shouted. The room- it seemed so loud, so loud and so real. The pictures moving seemed like they were playing- like a movie. Ashley let out a scream, stumbling bsckwards and making her chair fall.

"What the fuck is that? What the fuck is that?!" Richie yelled, grabbing onto Eddie.

"I don't fucking know!" Eddie replied. Terrifying. That's how Ash would've answered it.

"Turn it off!" Ashley screamed, arm flying to reach Beverly.

"You heard her! Turn it off! Turn it off!" Beverly exclaimed, turning around, "Turn it off!" She yelled, grabbing Ashley's hand protectively.

"Yeah, yeah. Turn it off. Turn it off!" Richie agreed.

Mike ran up to the projector, before kicking it down. The slides fell on the ground, scattering. It stopped. Ashley relaxed for a split second, and Beverly slipped her hand out of Ash's.

The projector landed the ground, so the screen was now sideways. Stanley stood in front of it.

And it continued. Despite the slides all on the ground now, it continued showing images. A blurry one of It's face was shown, and then it went black.

"Stop it! Make it stop!" Ashley exclaimed, but it didn't.

It continued zooming on It's face, before It disappeared from the photo. Ashley let out a sigh of relief, but that relief was short lived. It went dark.

And then the clown popped up. Only it was huge now. Like a 3-D movie come to real life. And Ashley let out a scream. They all did. The clown turned to Stan and let it a laugh

"Run, Stanley!" Richie yelled, and Stan took that advice and bolted. Ashley grabbed Beverly's arm and let out a cry.

The thing began crawling towards them, and Ashley ran to the back of the garage where the others were, trying to drag Bev with her, but the redhead didn't follow, just backed up.

Eddie and Bill scrambled to the back, both falling over. Ashley screamed as It cornered Bev.

"Beverly!" She cried, "Lift the garage! Lift the garage!" Ash ordered as Bev's screams rang in her ears.

Mike and Ben did just soz and it stopped. The clown disappeared, and Bev was cowered in a corner.

"Bev!" Ash yelled, running over to her friend who looked at the with terrified eyes, "Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God." She wrapped her arms around Beverly who hugged her back tightly.

When they let go of each other Beverly walked over to the others, "Thanks, Ben." She said, putting an arm on said boys shoulder, before walking over to Bill and hugging him quickly as well.

"It saw us..." Eddie said, "It saw us and It knows knows where we are!"

"It always did..." Bill replied, and Ashley shuddered, "S-S-So let's go." He added, waking out of the garageand turning to the group.

"Go? Go where?" Ben asked.

"Niebolt." Bill answered, and Ashley shook her head fast.

"Bill, I-" She began, by Bill interrupted her.

"That's where Guh-Guh-Georgie is." Bill said.

"After that?" Stan asked, staring at Bill like he was insane. And honestly, in the moment, Ash thought he was.

"Yeah. It's summer. We're supposed to be having fun." Richie added.

"If you say it's summer one more f-f-fucking time!" Bill cursed, irration clear in his voice. He turned around, grabbed his bike, got on it, and then pedalled away.

"Bill!" Bev yelled after him, "Wait!"

And then, as if all thinking excatly alike, the group of seven grabbed their own bikes and began following Bill.

"Bill!" Bevelry shouted as they all began biking after him.

They continued to call after him to try and get him to stop, but he didn't. And eventually, they arrived at none other than the Niebolt house. When they did, Bill was walking up the stairs of the house.

"Bill!" Bev shpted once again as they all stopped their bikes, "Bill you can't go in there! This is crazy!"

"Look, you don't have to come in with me," Bill stared as the others walked towards the house, "But what happens when another Georgie goes missing? Or another Betty? Or another Ed Corcoran? Or one of us? Are you just gonna pretend like it isn't happening like everyone else in this town? Because I can't." He paused, and Ashley looked at the ground, "I go home- and all I see is that Georgie isn't there. His clothes, his toys, hos stupid stuffed animals but... he isn't. So waking into this house, for me, is easier than walking into my own." He finished, before turning around and walking towards the house.

"Holy shit." Ashley murmered under her breath.

"Wow." Richie said.

"What?" Ben questioned curiously.

"He didn't stutter once..." Richie replied.

The group began walking towards the house, Ashley doing so hesitantly.

"Wait!" Stan said suddenly, making everyone turn to face him, "Um... shouldn't we have some people keep watch?" He suggested quietly, "You know, just in case something bad happens?"

A short silence, before Bill started, "Wh-Who wants to stay out here?" He asked. Everyone, besides Bev, raised their hands.

Richie turned to the house and let out a sigh, "Fuck."