Chapter Text
Eddie closes his eyes and listens to the sounds of his friends finally defeating the clown.
He opens them and hears, “Eddie-Bear, come get your lunch!”
He inhales sharply, his breath stuttering. Normally, this would have him diving for his inhaler. But he had destroyed it in the ritual. Hadn’t he?
He looks around warily.
An unmade bed, a dresser with clothes falling from it, an end table with a lot of medicine on it, and a backpack smooshed on top of a desk.
He’s in his room, from when he was a kid.
Is this an illusion? Is It still fucking with them?
He rubs where the wound on his stomach should be, but he feels nothing. He looks down and does the funny little inhale again.
There is no wound, but his hands. His body.
He darts up, legs tangling in his comforter. Stumbling, he gets to the mirror.
He’s... he’s a kid again.
Was his entire life the illusion and now he’s snapped out of it?
“Eddie?”
He can’t look away. “Coming, mommy.” His mouth moves with the words. Not only that, but his voice fits the body.
He tears his eyes away and starts to head downstairs. He feels the edge of the railing on his way down. This feels real. But then again, Pennywise’s illusions always felt real.
“Eddie dear,” Sonia Kaspbrak stands near the kitchen, her hands on her hips. “You shouldn’t be taking naps in the middle of the day; it’ll sap your energy and then you’ll get sick.”
Eddie resists the urge to flinch. The illusion of his mom was something It had practice in.
Real or fake? Real or fake?
He could tell her to fuck off with the medical bullshit, but if this was reality, he might regret that later.
Eddie opens his mouth.
“Ok, mommy. I’ll remember.”
He never could say no to her.
If this is an illusion, it's a very bland one. Boring, even.
He looks at the plate of plain mashed potatoes and meatloaf. Walking around, he serves himself some broccoli.
She only served him this much lunch when she wasn’t planning on making dinner. This is probably the weather's fault; the dark clouds make it seem like it’s night already.
Rain pelts the window outside, steadily getting louder.
Eddie watches the water pour down the window for a moment. Then, he realizes something.
He sets his plate down, walking towards where his mom lies back on her recliner. But he stops.
How well would she respond to him asking the date?
It’s a semi-common thing to ask, but not for Eddie. Eddie, who has medication to take every single day.
He racks his brain. The calendar on the wall tells him the month, but not the day. The Kaspbrak house never bothers crossing off the days as they pass.
But his pill case. That can tell him the day of the week, at least.
A gut feeling itches at him. He turns and rushes quietly upstairs.
He finds his fanny pack and pulls out the case, studying its contents.
All the days are empty except Saturday and Sunday.
So, is it Saturday and he has yet to take them for the day? Or is it Friday?
His mom had said that he was taking a nap. Normally, he’d only take one after a long day at school. But that didn’t matter, it was raining out, and the dreary weather always made him tired.
The rain...
It's starting to pick up, becoming louder against the roof. He can hear the howling wind, even through his closed windows.
He snaps the pill box closed.
It doesn’t matter what day it is, does it? He can still check on the Losers. A feeling of dread starts to bubble, and the sense of something off still teases him.
Grabbing his jacket, he gets dressed.
Sonia would never let him go out in this weather. But it's only five, despite the darkness of the clouds overhead.
Eddie looks over to the window.
And he isn’t scared of sneaking out.
His feet touch the grass, his jacket already past soaked. His raincoat is downstairs next to Sonia and he isn't going to risk her catching him.
His breath fogs out in front of him as he sets off.
Richie, Stan, or Bill? Which loser should he go to?
He won’t risk going to the others, he might not have met them yet, at this time. If this is the past.
Eddie’s feet start pulling him forward automatically. There isn’t a choice. He knows what day it is. What storm is starting.
He begins picking up speed. Bill’s house is five streets away.
Four.
Three.
Two.
Eddie is in a full sprint when he rounds the corner of the last street.
There. A yellow raincoat, running the opposite way.
Eddie takes a deep breath, “Georgie!” It’s impossible to hear over the roaring rain.
His feet go faster. Faster than he thought was possible.
A track star, indeed. If his mother hadn’t been involved.
He takes one street to catch up to him. By the time he does, he sees the boy crouched low.
Georgie is talking into the gutter.
He’s too late.
Eddie’s legs give him another burst of speed, “Georgie!”
Georgie turns around. Eddie sees Pennywise’s arm emerge and reach forward.
Eddie reaches him first. There isn’t enough time to slow down, so he tackles the younger boy.
They go sprawling out in the water. Their heads knock against each other and Georgie lets out a cry. Eddie does not have enough time to apologize. He whips around and kicks the puddle towards the clown.
Pennywise flinches back from the water almost comically. Eddie has no fear to give him.
“Get out of here, you fucking clown.”
Pennywise’s gaze burns on Eddie. He slinks down and disappears.
That was too easy.
Before Eddie can relax, Mr. Gardener squawks, “The language on you youngin's.”
All at once, Eddie is hit with a fit of giggles. No one used ‘youngin’ in the future. This is what finalizes his decision. Pennywise had uncertainty in his eyes; he is definitely in the past.
“There was a clown!” Georgie insists, frustrated tears beginning to fall.
The police look at each other, disbelieving. They are already being brushed off as stupid kids with bad imaginations.
“It was a guy. He was trying to lure Georgie away.” That, at least, sounds more believable. “Georgie, tell them what he said to you.”
Georgie’s mouth gapes at Eddie before he straightens his spine and addresses the policeman, “He was saying how there was popcorn and a circus! I just had to follow him. He wouldn’t give me my boat back.” He pouts at this.
The cop’s eyebrows raise. They give each other a look.
Come on. This is typical stranger danger. And, paired with the other missing kids, this is a case.
A hint of doubt shines through the cop’s eyes. Too good to be true.
Pennywise’s influence.
Before they come to a decision, Georgie’s parents arrive. Behind them, Bill.
“Billy!” Georgie looks overwhelmed. Then he begins to cry for real. Bill rushes over and hugs him, he gives Eddie a small, questioning look.
Eddie is too busy to give one back. Their parents are determined to get to the bottom of this and of course their little Georgie wouldn’t lie about a clown for Christ’s sake. Who do you take them for? Neglectful parents?
Eddie watches them handle it and begins to zone out.
He's stopped It from killing Georgie. Now what?
There has to be a more efficient way to kill It off this time around. Can they go through the ritual as kids? Would the artifacts change, since there is no meaning behind some of them?
Eddie glances at the shaking Georgie. How many more people can he save from It?
All the Losers had experienced It hunting them before they confessed. Well, except for Richie. Should he try to intervene, or just let them meet It before he steps in?
Eddie swallows. Should he tell them about his jump back in time?
His damp shoes squelch as he gets up. The police spare him a glance, but nothing else.
He walks over so that he’s closer to Georgie and Bill. Georgie keeps his face buried in Bill’s collar, but Bill looks up.
“Th-thanks Eddie,” Bill pats Georgie’s back, indicating what he’s thankful for.
Eddie nods and sits beside them.
“Wh-what were you doing out in the storm?” Between Georgie’s small sobs and Bill’s shivering, the stutter comes out almost naturally. Eddie remembers that his stutter had gotten worse when Georgie went missing. He's prevented that, at least.
He sucks in a breath, “Just getting away from my mom, the usual.” He decides not to confess until he can get all the Losers together.
Georgie lifts his head, pouting now, “It was so scary, Billy. He wouldn’t give me my boat back.”
Bill smiles at him, “That’s okay. We can make another one and I’ll go with you next time we sail her.” Bill’s eyes are pained, already regretting not going with him the first time.
Now that the adrenaline is wearing off, looking at Bill talking to Georgie is almost overwhelming. Eddie braces himself so he doesn’t start crying in the middle of the office.
“A clown?” Bill mutters to himself as Georgie begins explaining.
Eddie tries to gauge the disbelief in his tone but finds that he can’t find any. Even if there was any, he’s masking it, for Georgie’s sake.
After another long talk, the Denbroughs finally get what they argued for: an incident report and an apology. They pull back and Bill’s mom asks Eddie if he would like a ride home or if he’s waiting for Sonia.
Eddie had refused to let anyone calls his mom, which broke protocol, he’s sure. But Derry was never known for its outstanding police department.
“A ride would be great, thanks,” Eddie says, and then wonders if he had been too polite. He remembers, suddenly, that at this age he was a little bit of a hyper asshole.
Everyone gathers themselves and heads to the car. Eddie sits awkwardly in the backseat and listens to the Denbroughs coach Georgie about stranger danger until they drop him off at his house.
He waves goodbye to the car, the storm coming down hard still. He spares a glance at the lattice he could use to sneak back in but continues to the door. His shoes didn’t have enough grip to climb back up.
He reaches the door and takes a moment to pray that Sonia is in her room already before opening it.
He enters quietly, the tv the only source of light. Sonia is slumped on her chair, asleep.
Eddie pulls off his shoes and makes his way silently upstairs.
He starts a hot shower, hoping to come out of the storm without even a sniffle so that Sonia wouldn’t lock him away.
He knows that he’s not imagining the talking in the pipes as he showers, but he’s determined not to be bothered. Pennywise could hunt all he wanted; Eddie would not give him the satisfaction of fear.