I...t

CONTENT WARNING: This story contains depictions of murder being committed

NOTE: For clarities sake, It with an uppercase refers to an individual

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I was scared, the running was getting to me and I could feel my bones ache in desperate need of a break, but I knew I could not stop or It would catch me. It followed me wherever I went, never leaving, its laugh haunting me to the very depth of my core. My once mundane life with no change or excitement was forever altered with It ingrained into every piece, every memory and every detail of what I used to call happiness. I severed friendships, relationships and even familial bonds after It came along, I was scared It would hurt them and I was afraid of what that monster was capable of. The old hangouts with the gang, the family dinners and the date nights all exchanged for my now cruel reality with It. I had to escape It’s clutches, I could not afford to rest, I could not afford to be caught

…so I ran, as fast as I could, without looking back.

My slippers hit the ground with a thud as my ankle twisted inward from the lack of grip my shoes provided, “no please not here” I thought, I had to get up, it would catch up soon, I could not afford to rest no matter the pain. “Just a little while longer,” I told myself, I'll be home soon, I'll be able to rest soon…

The running made me delirious, I could feel the adrenaline rushing through my blood, it made me feel high like I was on cloud nine, like I was floating. The burn in my lungs soon fell to numbness and I could no longer feel anything except the unimaginable fear coursing through my body. All I could do was run, run as fast as possible, anything to get away from It. 

I don’t know if it was the lack of oxygen because of the running but I was soon slipping in and out of a semi-conscious state, the running being powered solely by my body's instincts. I could see my mom, my dad, and my happy little family, I could feel the wind blowing into my face, not the harsh one I faced when I ran from It but the light breeze I felt whenever I ran through the park on a spring evening, I could smell the fresh flowers, that light, airy, sweet scent that ticked my nose a little, the scent that reminded me of home, I could even see the freshly bloomed flowers, as the thousands of different coloured flowers mixed together to create an artistic masterpiece. I could see peace, I could see home, I could see her. 

All of a sudden a sound from behind struck me like boiling hot iron being forcefully pressed into my skin. It’s laugh shook me to my very core, I could hear it slowly getting nearer so I sped up, that kick of adrenaline renewing and rushing back through my body, coursing through my veins, it made me feel like there was fire beneath my bones like I had been lit on fire from the inside. I could feel my heart jumping out of my chest and I could hear a mixture of my own heartbeat mixed in with the laughter gradually getting louder and louder. I don’t know what came over me but in a moment of weakness curiosity took over and I felt a strong urge to look back at It only to be met with its wide eyes looking at me with a cynical grin spread across Its face trailing just a few meters behind me. The third rush of adrenaline paired with a shiver going down my spine forced me to pick up my pace despite already being out of breath. 

This sprint for my life started the hallucinations again or maybe this time I was only daydreaming, after all, I could hardly tell the difference between the two after all these years of running. This time though she appeared. I could see the crinkle near her eyes when she smiled or the dimples that made her look like a kid when she got angry. She looked exactly like how I remembered, yet I knew this wasn't real, she couldn't be real. The real her would’ve come at me with the first object she got a hold of and stabbed me to death without a shred of mercy. The real her would curse me out for all the pain I caused her. The real her would forgive me for all my actions with a smile on her face

| I h o p e |

…the real her is never coming back. 

I could remember her cries of horror, her scream for help, the tears that spilled out of her eyes, I remember it all…I remember her smile reflecting all the good within our world, her laughter that felt like the sun hitting your body on a cold day. I remember her constant “I love you” reassuring It of her love. 

| Why. did. I.t. not. b e l i e v e. them | 

Before I could sink any further into my memory a loud maniacal laugh came from behind as I turned to look back. I froze in place my body felt like it was being drained of life. 

| S T O P | 

I could see that moment, those moments, the ones I tried so hard to forget, I could see the moment It strangled her to death, I could see her life being sucked right out of her, I could see her eyes rolling into her head, her laughter and smile no longer present. I could see the fear in her eyes, the confusion rolling through her body like a shockwave as she desperately tried to push It away. I no longer cared to run, I could no longer run. 

| S T O P  I T | 

I could feel the tears streaming down my face, my throat scratching to get any noise out, I could feel my lungs and diagram contracting and relaxing in any attempt to get any voice out, yet nothing. My throat itched to produce any sound, but nothing came out, not a single crack. It was like my vocal cords had been removed from my body, no matter how hard I tried nothing would come out. My knees hit the ground as the hysteria got to me my forehead following swiftly. 

| P L E A S E stop it |

The memories hit me like a vivid dream replaying in my head over and over again. I could see the jealousy flowing through It’s bones whenever she talked to any other men, I could see his building hatred for her bubbly personality. I could see It’s desire to lock her up, to keep her to itself and I wasn’t the only one who saw all this, she could too. She could see through all his fake pleasantries and smiles, she could see the monster It was slowly becoming, she could see that it was consuming him whole. Yet she chose not to leave, she believed in It, yet It could not believe in her. She supported, loved and stayed with It no matter what, yet It was overrun with jealousy and hatred. I could see the way it slowly took over him little by little piece by piece till it overflowed and exploded. I could see the jealousy flowing through him and he slowly strangled her to death with no remorse or emotion whatsoever and now he was after me…

I sat up in bed, my eyes adjusting to the pitch-black room as I looked around the dusty, dark box I call home, “a dream” I questioned as my eyes landed on the millions of pieces of glass shattered on the floor from the mirrors I had punched hole after hole into, until my hands were covered in that dark red paste, numb to the pain and feeling. | Help me | Whenever I looked in a mirror all I saw was this terrifying monster I call It, looking back at me with no remorse for its past actions or any acknowledgement at all. The mirrors reminded me of It, it reminded me of his facial features, the hands he used to strangle her and his lack of emotion or regret for his sins. | Save me | 

So I started running, my feet hitting the ground as I got out of bed slipping into my slippers ready to start anew and to get away from It. 

It was ready to run away, I was ready to run away…