Pennywise Lives

Derry, Maine, 1959. Mike Hanlon, Richie Tozier, Beverly Marsh and Eddie Kaspbrak are on their way to Barrens in the town of Derry. “Oy, what are we thoin’ heeeah guys.” Richie joked in his fake New Yorker accent. “Beep beep, Richie.” Beverly replied. “We gotta go back to the barrens to get Eddie’s inhaler. “Don’t make me sound so hopeless, Bev.” Eddie answered in a reserved tone. “Well Eds, you can’t hardly breathe without it and we almost had to rush you to the hospital last time you forgot it.” Mike added while giving Eddie at pat on the back.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Eddie sighed. “Of course we are, Eddie spaghetti. “Richie I told you not to call me that.” Eddie snarled. “Oh, Eddie I just wouldn’t be me and you just wouldn’t be as spunky if I didn’t.” Richie joked. “So are we still going to the Paramount afterwards?” Beverly asked. “Yeah, Ben, Bill and Stan the man are gonna meet us there around six.” Mike replied. “By the way, what are we seeing?” Richie asked. “I need a good horror movie to usher in the weekend. Not to mention I need some new voices to work on.”

“Well you’re in luck.” Mike began. “We’re seeing “House on Haunted Hill”. “Right on, Mikey.” Richie replied with joy. “That’ll definitely be good inspiration to get me kicked out of class on Monday.” “Beep beep, Richie.” Beverly laughed. “We’re not helping you bust out of detention if you get sent to the D-house again.” “Mike help me out here.” Richie asked. “I’m gonna have to add a beep beep of my own there, Rich.” Mike joked.

As the group continued in their shared laugh they finally approached the barrens. A sudden chill of silence briefly filled the quartet. “So….do you remember where you left it, Eddie?” Beverly asked. “Right over there by the tunnel.” Eddie answered while pointing towards the tunnel. “Hi-ho silver…away.” Richie sighed cautiously. The group then slowly walked over to the tunnel. Eddie and the rest of the group gave quick glances around the dark tunnel, but did not see the inhaler. Eddie looked further down the tunnel and something caught his eye. “There. There it is, guys.” Eddie said while pointing to the inhaler in the dark distance of the tunnel.

“”I’m uh…I’m gonna go grab it.” Eddie began shakily. “Be careful, Eddie.” Beverly cautioned him. Eddie slowed walked toward the inhaler as Mike, Richie and Beverly looked on. As he made it to the inhaler he breathed a sigh of relief. “Gotcha.” Eddie uttered with a smile as he picked up the inhaler and turned back around to head back to his friends a red bloodied barrier suddenly appeared between he and his friends. “EDDIE!!! EDDIE!!!” The others cried out.

Eddie then began breathing heavily as he turned around and faced the image in front of him. It was that of a clown in white face paint, red fluffy hair, and he was dressed like a mix between Bozo the Clown and Ronald McDonald. It was Pennywise the Dancing Clown. “Long time no see, girly boy.” Pennywise joked menacingly. “I told you to come back anytime, but you didn’t have to bring your friends little, Eddie. I’ve got you all to myself.” Eddie fell on his behind in shock and fright as Pennywise did a slow stylish walk towards him.

Before Pennywise could get within three feet of Eddie, they could suddenly hear a chant through the reddened barrier. “HE THRUST HIS FISTS AGAINST THE POST AND STILL INSISTS HE SEES THE GHOST! HE THRUST HIS FIST AGAINST THE POST AND STILL INSIST HE SEES THE GHOST!

The barrier suddenly disintegrated into nothing, as Mike, Richie and Bev came running through. Pennywise stepped back in alarmed fright and quickly transformed himself into a clown colored giant spider. As he leaned in to bite a still seated Eddie, Mike began hitting him with a pile of rocks he was holding in his hand. The spider then turned its attention towards Mike and started charging, but was cut off by an intervening Richie who started yelling at him in an animated Irish accent. “STAY AWAY FROM MY LADDIE MIKE, BOY-O!!!”

The spider then started stumbling back in an annoyed pain. When spider was a far enough distance away from the quartet Eddie rose to his feet and ran up to the spider with his full energy and yelled “THIS IS BATTERY ACID, YOU SLIME!!!” Spraying him in the face with his inhaler. The spider then reverted back to its regular clown shape wailing in pain with part of its face melting off. As it continued to wail in pain Beverly, who was now armed with a sling shot and a melted metal rock ran in front of Eddie and shot the clown in the chest, opening a hole of light in his abdomen and sending him flying far back into the tunnel as he continued yelling in pain.

“Let’s get out of here.” Richie urged as the quartet ran out of the tunnel. “I can’t believe we just saw…It again.” Richie noted. “Thank God we were able to fight him off.” Beverly acknowledged. “I’m just glad I have my friends.” Eddie said with relief. “You’ll always have us Ed’s and anytime It comes back around, it’ll have to deal with us losers.” Mike concluded. The four members of the Lucky Seven shared a group hug as they departed shoulder to shoulder and headed to the Paramount theater.

~Dedicated to the memory of Timothy James Curry.