.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

SHE'S TALKING AGAIN

CHAPTER TWENTY

xx. the well

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BILL PUSHES AT THE GRIMY DOOR and they all pause as it creaks open slowly. With nervous minds and wobbling knees, they each enter one by one. They stand in the door way looking around at the dust filled house and scrunch up their noses at the damp scent, the sound of wood creaking and rats squeaking filling their ears.

"Stan?" Ben asks, turning his head to the open doorway and they all follow his gaze. Staring out at Stan who stood frozen.

Bill starts, in a reassuring voice,  "Stan, we all have to go. B-Beverly was right. If we split up like last time, that clown with kill us one by one. But if we s-stick together, all of us, we'll win. I promise,".

Veronica smiles softly, thinking to herself that Bill, her best friend (after Richie, of course), always has been a natural leader and that she's follow him to the ends of the earth if it meant to avenge Georgie - a little boy whom she seen as her little brother as well.

Stan looks down and walks into the house reluctantly, his body shaking as he stands himself next to Ben and Mike who both pat him on the back, reassuringly.

They move as a group through the house, stepping on dirt and dust which littered the creaking floors.
then, we begin walking to the staircase leading to the basement. The air stale and the wood echoing underneath their steps.

Slowly, with Bill leading, they descend down the staircase apprehensively. Veronica taking a deep breath of the air in order to brace herself before she stumbles down the steps after Richie, only to cough it up and choke.

"Yeah, do not do that! The air tastes like shit - Like if the way Richie's dirty bin smelt like had a taste," Veronica mumbles, Eddie gagging at the thought and Mike chuckling nervously. Richie just scoffs, shaking his head at her comment.

"Shut the fuck up, Ronnie," He says as they reach the bottom of the steps before turning his head back and looking to Eddie.

"Hey Eddie, got a quarter?" He asks.

"No, I'd rather not make a wish in that fucking thing," Eddie replies, stepping off the bottom step and walking towards Bill.

With small steps, they reach the crumbling well. All of them finding a spot around it and looking down curiously.

"Beverly?" Ben yells into the void, hoping to hear the voice of Beverly responding to them. It echos and bounces off the walls but there is no response.

"How're we supposed to get down there?" Mike asks, looking between the Losers who all wore blank expressions.

"Yeah, I don't remember us being able to climb down fucking walls," Veronica adds, sarcastically. Wanting to cut the tension in the air.

"Nice one," Richie snorts, nudging Veronica's arm with a laugh. She snickers to herself while nodding.

Bill looks around, a rope catching his eye and picking it up and attaching it onto the hook where a bucket would go before tossing it down into the well.

"A-Are you stupid? Are you dumb? That shit will break once one of us even puts a fucking pound on it. There has to be something else!" Veronica says, looking to him with wide eyes and shaking her head violently in refuse.

"It's all we got, V. B-besides, you weigh like one p-p-pound, look how small you are. You'll be f-fine. Unless, you're gonna learn how to c-c-climb down walls," Bill responds while grabbing hold of the rope. Veronica looks to Richie, still shaking her head.

"First of all I'm no-What the fuck!" She️ begins to respond cutting herself off as she watches Bill, looking between Richie and Mike who both just shrugged as she returned her gaze to Bill descending down the rope.

They watched as he carefully scaled down the dark stained rope, watching as he disappears down the well. Each of the Losers hearts racing at the feat of it snapping as he scales down.

"Okay! I'm down!" Bill calls out to them, his voice echoing off the walls.

Like clockwork, Eddie began scaling down the rope, the same racing hearts in the Losers chests as when Bill scaled down. He reaches the cranny where Bill sat, waiting and called up the the Losers for the next person to come down. Richie.

Veronica exhales sharply, watching as he readies himself by the rope. Instinctively, she grabs the back of his shirt and pulls him away, turning him around, pulling at the front of his shirt now, bringing his head to her height and pressing her lips against his. The others looking amongst each other and sighing or gagging - or both.

She was nervous, is all. The thought of Richie clambering down that rope made Veronica's stomach churn. He's always been clumsy. He's always had clammy hands. Veronica knew this. She knew him better than anyone. She always has. She always will.

"Be careful, okay? Don't slip, please,"
She begs, eyes wide and lip quivering as she stated into his big brown eyes.

"Will do, Braceface," He smiles reassuringly at her, kissing her cheek before grabbing hold of the rope and climbing down.

'He didn't fall. Thank God,' Veronica thinks to herself as she watches him slowly let one hand go down the rope after the other.

Time went on and Stan climbed down who was followed by Ben and now, Veronica stood at the rope. Staring down the well at the others who looked up at her. Sighing, she reaches out for the rope but stops. A thud followed by a groan from behind distracts her she snaps her attention to it. Mike, on the ground unconscious and she saw Henry Bowers who was covered in blood.

"Oh fucking shit! Can we please fucking catch a break from your stupid ass bullshit bully shit?" She yells out, more agitated than fearful. She just wanted to get Beverly and go. Forget this whole thing. Leave this experience in the past. She looks around the dusty basement for something to defend herself with from the seemingly crazy boy.

"Ronnie? What's going on?" Richie shouts, peering up noticing how he can't see her blonde hair hovering over the well.

"Mike! V?" Bill calls, pointing his flashlight up the well.

"Veronica! Michael! What is it?" Eddie screams, his hands shaking.

They listen Veronica yelps. Not knowing that Henry had grabbed hold of her frizzy blonde hair which was tied back with her scrunchie, pulling her back into him and holding her arms tightly.

"Let go! Let me the fuck go!" She screams, thrashing her legs around and attempting to scratch at him with her nails - it was no use anyway. She always bit them down to the nub. Her eyes widening as she stares at how close they stood to the well, knowing well that if he were to push her she'd fall down the dark well.

"Oh, Veronica. Is that really how you want to talk to me? When I have your life in my hands?" Henry whispers into her ear with a sadistic smile.

"You don't scare me. Y-You're just...
Just an insecure fuck who... Who won't amount to anything! You can suck my strap on! Or even better, go suck your dad off!" Veronica sputters out, kicking up and down and attempting to get out of his grasp. It was no use. She wasn't 10 feet tall and bulletproof. She was 5 feet tall and skinny and frail.

He tightens his grip, aggressively. Pushing her towards the edge of the well.

"Are you scared now?" He asks in a singsong voice. "Are you scared, Ronnie?" He asks again, using Richie's nickname for her.

"Fuck off!" She screams, not moving in fear that she'd fall. "Let go of me! You're crazy!" She goes on again.

He pushes her again so her head was dangling over the edge and he holds onto her hair tightly and forces the Losers to gaze up at her. His other hand, pulling the rope up as they scramble to get it.

"Ronnie!" Veronica hears Richie yell,
voice cracking. She could tell he was on the verge of tears. "I'll kill you, Bowers! You hurt her and I'll fucking tear you to pieces!" He screeches up the well.

"Let her go!" Stan shouts, as if it'd work.

Veronica gasps and breathes in heavily as tears fall down cheeks.

"Oh, she's scared now. Isn't she?" Henry chuckles. Veronica can practically feel his smirk.

"It's a shame, you know? You were always my favourite. Too bad you decided to hang out with these losers," He says, breathing on her neck.

"Stop i️t! Don't you touch her!" Veronica listens as Eddie screams frantically at him.

"Maybe, if you... Helped me, I could let you live..." He starts, making sure the Losers heard his offer.

"Do it!"

"It's okay, V!"

"Go!"

Veronica listens as her friends tell her to side with Bowers in order to assure her survival.

"Baby! You can do it, we won't be mad!" Richie shouts up, voice breaking as Veronica shuts her eyes to lock her tears in. He was crying. She could tell just by his voice.

"What do you say, huh? Veronica and Henry? What's that Richie kid got, anyway?" Henry asks, winking as he moves her neck so that she could face him.

Veronica breathes in, chest heaving as she stared down at her worried friends. She acts as if she's thinking, putting Henry's guard down. His grip loosening.

"Hm..." She hums, voice beginning to gain her usual confidence. "I say... Fuck you!" She screams, bringing her leg up and kicking him in the crotch. He stumbles back, groaning and clutching his area. Leaving small Veronica with the upper hand. She smirks.

She notices Mike stirring and eyes fluttering open too. Just in time.

"That's my girl!" She hears Richie yell as Mike sits up. Bowers was recovering.

Breathing heavily she looked around for something to use as a weapon. A piece of plywood. Running towards it, she lifts it up but quickly drops it. It was too heavy. She turns back to Mike who was now being tackled by Henry.

"Oh, for fucks sake!" She groans as she drags the heavy piece of wood towards them.

"You didn't listen to me when I told ya, did you?" Henry laughs, looking down at Mike. Veronica grunting to herself as she drags it toward them. Only inches away.

"You should have stayed out of Derry. Your parents didn't and look what happened to them. I still get sad every time I pass that pile of ashes. Sad. That I couldn't have done it myself," Henry goes on, hitting Mike with his parents death right in the face.

He was bringing Mike's gun to his forehead and Mike was struggling under his grasp as Veronica lifts the plank over had shoulder and slams it onto his side, causing him to fall off of Mike.

"Fuck you! Fuck you! Fuck you! You don't fucking touch him, you piece of shit!"  She screams as she wanders over closer to him and attempts to lift the plank again. He gets up before she can and Mike looks for the gun which flew out of Henry's hand.

"Ronnie! Baby!" Richie yells. Bowers snorts, looking at her.

"You're with him!? And not me? You're pathetic! No wonder your parents hate you. They probably saw you and knew you were a failure. Bet your dear brother does too!" He laughs harshly, spitting at her as he walks towards her. Her eyes widening and attempting to bring the plank back up. She can't. It was too heavy. She was too tired.

Mike's eyes light up as he sees the glint of the gun and grabs it before charging towards Bowers and tackling him to the ground. "Leave her alone!" He shouts out as they roll around, punching at each other. Soon, Henry is on top, his hands wrapped around Mike's neck.

Veronica huffs in and out and grabs at the plywood once again, lifting it up with no struggle, it was the adrenaline.

She runs towards him and brings it down on his back, he falls onto Mike's body and quickly Mike rolls away and lays there, clutching his neck and rasping for breathes.

Henry grunts, flipping onto his back and speaking, "Your parents hated you and it won't be long until these losers come to their senses and hate you too. Heck, maybe they'll forget you too!".

Veronica freezes. The thought of being forgotten made her sick! Tears were welling up in my eyes.

"That's right. You're weak," Henry spits, looking at her with a smirk.

"No..." She whispers, backing up from his reaching hands.

"What was that?" He chuckles, getting up from the ground.

"I said no!" She screams, rushing towards him and smacking him in the side. He falls back down onto his back.

"I am not weak!" She screams again, while stepping on his stomach with her sneakers. He gasps at the heavy pressure she put on him. "You listen to me, Bowers. I'm not fucking weak. You're the weak one, you don't know anything at all. About love or friendship or loyalty or compassion. And, for that, I feel sorry for you," She rambles as he struggles underneath her, laughing at her speech.

"You're real fucking pretty, you know, Veronica? Too bad you don't know how to shut up!" He shouts at her, attempting to get up. He's smacked down with the plank of wood once again.

Veronica continuing to bring the plank down on him, his groans and cries filling the area. She screams and swears and cries as she hits him, only stopping when Mike grabs her arms, pulls the plank from her grabs and hugs her. She thrashes in his grip, sobbing.

"Let me go!" She cries, pushing away.

"V! Stop! Stop! It's over, he's dead," Mike coaxes her continuing to hug her.

Veronica stops. "What?" She croaks.

She didn't mean to kill him. She didn't! She just meant to defend her friends! She cries as sweat drips down my forehead while shaking.

"It's okay, it's okay..." Mike says, rubbing her back before whispering to her, "Let's
get down now, yeah?".

She nods, pulling away and wobbling over the rope.

"G-Guys?" They heard Bill call out as Mike reaches for the rope.

"Are you guys okay?" Stan calls up.

"We're okay. I'm okay. V's okay," Mike calls down to them, nodding in reassurance as he passes the rope to Veronica.

She wipes her face before taking hold of it. Mike helps her shaking figure onto the ledge. Slowly, begins down the rope. Easily, forgetting about her past worries of it breaking.

There it was, the Losers knew. Once that scrunchie was off her wrist, the innocent rebellion of a child Veronica Mills carried was gone and replaced with the darkest part of herself. She carried her anger and passion for so long, only for it to now come out. Now, she was more than ready to defeat that clown. But, all she really wanted was to be in the arms of Richard Tozier and he wanted the same.