Losers Forever

Richie thought this was really it, he was going to die here in his dreams, his body would be found eventually by one of his friends, possibly in pieces and everyone in town would talk about the sad nutcase Richie Trashmouth then they would just forget he had ever existed just like everything bad that ever happened in this fucked up town.

He cried out again as Kruger slashed down his chest, taking his sweet time and pleasure with torturing him…the bastard.

Kruger laughed seeing the struggle, pain and absolute terror in Richies eyes”Aw what’s the matter Richie…Ithought you wanted a good time? Am I not good enough for you?” He taunted as his blades reached up and was about to caress Richies’ cheek when all of the sudden he felt a blunt object on the back of his head. He groaned loudly and ended up falling off the bed.

Richie was honestly to stunned with what just happened to speak. His eyes were wide from shock and fear as some tears dribbled down his cheeks.

Was this really happening? If Eddie was here then that meant…oh god.

Richie just gave Eddie, one of his dearest friends and even the person he was in love with. a death sentence, it was his fault.

All these thoughts put Richie in a complete panic.

“Eddie! You have to wake up right the fuck now do you hear me!?” Richie shouted out suddenly with wide eyes but it came out to be a tumble words of mess because all of the sudden Kruger appeared again but instead of attack Richie to finish the job he attacked Eddie.

“How sweet…looks like I get to play with another toy” Freddy snarled with a crazed grin on his face as the burnt flesh had a rotting scent to it up close.

“Did little Eddie bear think he could save his friend? It’s precious that you think a nobody like you could even save anyone…” Freddy sneered as his hands tighten around Eddie’s neck as he had him lifted off the ground

“ Don’t touch him! Damn you Kruger! Eddie wake up!!! Right now fucking wake up! He can’t kill you if you wake up!” Richie screamed at Eddie in panic and desperation.

Richie scrambled off the bed to help Eddie as soon as he seen the movement from the hand where Kruger’s blades were headed.

Richie slammed himself against the two and Kruger let go of Eddie from the shock of the impact, all three of them falling to the floor.

He heard Richie perfectly, but that didn’t mean it made sense. For one, he was pretty positive that he was awake right now. How could he not be? He could feel that hand, and he could smell the burned flesh of Krueger, and he had felt the impact when the wrench had cracked into his skull. It was all far too real to be a dream - or a nightmare. At least, that was what logic had told him. It was funny, because whenever Pennywise had attacked them, Eddie had always closed his eyes tightly, telling himself it was all a dream that he would wake up from. Pennywise brought their worst fears to life, and into their reality. This type of creature, it wasn’t something he was used to. 

His breath was coming out in choked gasps, hands clawing at the one secured around his throat, trying to pull and tug as his legs swung. If anything, he could just swing backwards hard enough to kick the guy. That was the plan. But, he couldn’t talk to Richie, couldn’t understand what he meant about wake up, because his voice was coming out in small squeaks. His eyelids started to flutter, face changing color from losing oxygen as it was, feeling like something was sitting on top of his chest. None of this made sense, but from home, Eddie was tossing and turning in bed, grasping at his throat, bedsheets tossed around him. 

He was unable to breathe until Richie had literally thrown himself at the man, groaning as he was dropped, hissing and scrambling for his inhaler - but of course he didn’t have it, it wasn’t like he slept with the damn thing. He quickly looked around, grabbing Richie’s arm, trying to run anywhere. Far away, out of the boiler room. He found a wall to at least tug him behind, holding him out in front of him. “What the fuck is going on?” He hissed out in his panic, but also not wanting to be too loud and draw attention to them. “What do you mean wake up? How would I be talking to you if I wasn’t awake? How would I have almost just choked to death if I wasn’t awake?” 

His blood was still dripping down his arms and chest, if it wasn’t for the pure adrenaline he felt right now, he would basically feel every throbbing deep cut.

Richie’s eyes then snapped over to Eddie, if he could pale more than he already was, he would.

“You what?” Richie asked with a shaky whisper, no way was Eddie stuck here...he couldn’t be...if Eddie died than it would all be because of Richie.

“Fuck fuck fuck!” Richie hissed in panic as he ran his hands through his tangled mess of hair. His chest felt tight with panic and dread, was this like what Eddie feels when he’s having an attack?

“Okay shut I’m? I-is there any type of way for me to wake you up like if someone went and shoved you off a bed? Poured water on you, uh any pain?” Richie listed all things he tried and succeeded in waking up.

Richie knows that honestly he isn’t the easiest person to get along with, he can be annoying, overbearing and just can never learn to keep his mouth shut when it comes to certain situations. But Richie Tozier was the type of person who has never dealt with conflict or overwhelming emotions that such as fear, concern or sadness in a ‘normal’ type of way.

He always never really talked about his feelings, instead Richie preferred to help his friends when they were going through difficult times. So, fights would usually start like that between him and Bill when Richie was being to stubborn.

However, in this moment, Richie couldn’t keep things to himself much longer because he just couldn’t take it. He felt insane…and like he was going to die soon if he didn’t get help with whatever was happening to him.

Though the feeling of Bill holding him close in his arms like this and the little touches he gave comforted Richie, making him wish that they could just stay like this for a few hours longer. But if someone walked in and started to be assholes Richie was definitely not in the right mindset to take it and would most likely get his ass beat fighting them.

“Okay…” Richie murmured in a soft quiet voice, letting Bill lead him to his house, not saying much after that or on the way there. He was mostly stuck in his thoughts.

If his parents asked where he was he wouldn’t really be lying to them now because for the past four days Richie has avoided his parents by making up an excuse that he has been working on a project with Bill for school.

He couldn’ t really say ‘hey mom and dad…I have been trouble sleeping this past week because some guy with a fucked up face has been tormenting me and trying to kill me in my sleep. Oh also I think that it may be real because whenever he cuts me in my sleep I wake up with them on me.’

Yeah that would work out real well with his folks.

“Okay,” he repeated, keeping him close and keeping his eyes open for anyone that might try to stop their escape from the school. Any teachers roaming the hallways to catch straggling students that may be trying to ditch. Which they definitely were in this case. Once he was satisfied that the coast was clear he guided the brunette out the door. 

The two boys were, thankfully, unbothered as they made their escape. With Derry being such a small town, the streets were fairly bare as they made their way to Bill’s house since most people were at school or work during these hours.

It didn’t take too much time until the two of them were trekking up Up-Mile Hill, their last obstacle until they reached Bill’s street. The entire time they walked together, he didn’t let go of the brunette once. He held his arm around him, doing his best to make sure that he had support readily available should Richie need it. On top of looking exhausted the brunette looked weak and Bill didn’t want his friend to collapse on him and hurt himself, so he stuck close. 

When they reached his front door, the older boy pulled his keys from his pocket and unlocked it, pushing it open to allow Richie inside before shutting it and locking it once again. 

“G-go get comfy on the cuh-couch and I’ll grab us some-some snacks and s–something to d-drink.” Bill moved into the kitchen and returned with chips and sodas which he placed on the coffee table then sat down on the couch, tugging a blanket around the brunette who he pulled back towards him the way he had on the floor of the bedroom.

He was glad for Bill’s support while walking, he didn’t know at the time but it was probably a good thing because I all honesty Richie was weak.

He stayed quiet as Bill helped him settled down onto the couch and left for a moment, leaving him in his thoughts.

Should he leave while he can? Before he could tell Bill and spare his life?

Richie must have zoned out again from the quiet and hear a familar disgusting dark chuckle behind him which made chills run up his spine.

His body tensed up instantly after hearing it but thankfully Bill came back in the room. Once he was up against Bill again, his body started to relax and laid his head against his shoulder, still quiet until he finally managed to find his voice again.

“...I have these dreams...no...nightmares about this...horrible looking guy” Richie started and let out a shuddering breath, in fear just out of the sheer thought of Fred Kruger.

“...His face is all fucked up with horrible burns and he has these knives o-on his fingers like gloves! And he makes this god awful sound, screeching them on the walls before he runs after me!” Richie voice was non stop shaking now as tears pinched his eyes.

“He’s trying to kill me, I-it wasn’t so bad at first I mean it scared the shit out of me but I was always able to wake up before things got worse b-but now I’m starting to realize it might be...real you know?”

“I haven’t gotten a good normal rest in five days Bill because every time I fucking close my eyes he’s there! I can’t fall asleep or I’m dead Bill!”

He pulls his sleeve up to reveal his now bandaged arm”H-he got me in my dreams last night I accidentally fall asleep and- and it appeared on my arm when I managed to wake up, it’s not the first time either!” Richie rambled, pulling up his pants leg to reveal some heavy bruising, almost like a burn of a handprint around his ankle.

Of course Richie wasn’t going to just cave in and tell him what was wrong. That’d just be too easy and Richie Tozier didn’t do easy. Richie Tozier was the complete opposite of doing things easy which meant that Stan was going to have to corner the other like an animal so to speak. As Richie gave him a grin, Stan in return gave Richie a flat look. “That isn’t going to work, Rich. I know you better than that. Whatever you’re going through is scaring me and I don’t like being scared of anything.” He commented, frowning as his friend tried to obviously brush whatever was going on as absolutely nothing.

Stan’s brow arched as Richie rambled. “My ass I just caught you off guard. Richie, I’m not stupid and you know that.” He remarked, sighing as he watched Richie. Both brows rose in surprise as Richie replied. He watched, standing rather quickly as Richie shot off the excuse of grabbing something from his teacher’s classroom. Stan scowled, seeing his friend’s position change. He was going to bolt. “Are you fucking serious, Rich?” He asked, frustration growing. “Do you honestly think so little of me that you’d rather lie and just take off?” He demanded, yanking his bag from the spot he’d placed it previously.

He wanted to tell Stan, he really truly did but Stan didn’t do well when it came to fear and if he wasn’t truly going insane then Stan would be in danger too.

So, if Stan hated him for not telling him...

Then at least he would be safe.

However, his words did cut into him deep like a blade, that seemed to sting more than the ones cutting into him at night.

He sighed heavily “ Stan its- god damn it your so ugh! I can’t tell you about him” He scowled brushing a hand over his unkept hair.

But he stopped in his tracks staying quiet as Stan finished his rant before leaning in towards him

“And you should be fucking scared...” Richie ended up whispering to him, staring right at him, fist clenched.

Oohhh! Thank you so much for this ask! I adore all the IT films so I will be happy to share!

I’ll pick one scene for an honorable mention and one that is has to be my top favorite from IT(1990), IT(2017) and IT Chapter 2(2019) because there are simple I can just go with one film.

I hope you don't mind that I put my answer below in the keep reading tab because I inserted the clips and gave my explanations on why they are my favorite.