PAPERCUT ━━ IT 2017

? Chapter 8: The Apocalyptic Rock Fight ?

"Here and there, I guess." Ben said, his pride palpable. "It was already dug out for something so I just had to reinforce the walls, get some wood for the door and that's pretty much it."

He leaned on one of the walls, smiling warmly. "Pretty good for my first time, huh?"

With a crash, one of the tin sheets fell from the roof, causing everyone to practically jump out of their skin. Eddie reached inside his fanny pack, frantically pulling out his inhaler and taking a pump.

"Now that's a cool feature. What happens when you put your hand on the other pillar, professor?" Richie said, startled.

"This is exactly why there are safety codes - why we have permits. This place is a death trap, you understand that?" Eddie paced around nervously.

"Well, it's a work in progress, okay Eddie." Ben said quietly.

"Also, what is this? A switch for an iron maiden?" he prodded a small metal box hanging from the ceiling.

"That's..That's a flashlight."

"And what is that, a horse hitch?" Eddie continued, pointing to something on the far side of the underground fort. "Since when do you have horses down h - oh this is cool."

He bent down to pick up a discarded paddle ball.

"That was like, three dollars so be careful with that..please." he mumbled.

"I have one of these." Eddie said to himself, walking toward Stan as he furiously began to bounce it toward his face. "Hey, Stan, you see this?"

"Yeah - can you - maybe not?" he said between flinches.

Eddie continued his teasing - with the others watching their back-and-forth in silence - until the paddle flew from his hands, colliding into Stan's face.

"Wow, good going fucknut, you broke his thing." Eddie said as the small red ball detached itself from the string, rolling toward a boarded up hole in the ground and wedging itself between the planks.

"I broke it?"

"Yeah, you broke it with your face, that means you go get it."

"What?"

"I'm not putting my fucking hand down there."

Ben rubbed his eyes. "Guys it's fine, I can - I can always get a new one I guess."

Mike angled toward Chris as she leaned her back against one of the pillars.

"Is he always like that?"

"You'll get used to it." she held back a snicker.

Her eyes passed over the others in the room, and she felt a chill run down her spine, but not out of fear. Right then, everything felt right. They felt right, all together. They fit neatly against each others edges, like pieces of a puzzle that had finally been gathered. Call it fate, call it whatever you like, she couldn't explain it better than that.

"Y-You think they're stuh-still out there?" Bill asked, tugging on a root that poked down from the ceiling.

"Doubt it. The Barrens aren't really their scene." Chris said, kicking around a clumpy piece of dirt. "Besides, we beat them from here to next week."

She nudged Beverly's arm with her elbow. "'Specially you, Bev! Didn't know you had an arm like that."

She smiled bashfully. "Neither did I."

As everyone quieted, looking around the empty clubhouse, a weighted silence formed around them. She wanted to believe that the reality of having challenged the Bowers Gang - and won - finally hit them all, but it was more than that. They can feel it too, Chris thought. It's supposed to be like this.