IT fanfic - chapter two!

Instructions

I let out a startled, choked kind of gasp. What was going on? He was dead, he’d been dead. It had been 32 days. 32 days of hoping, waiting, searching, crying, wondering if I’d ever see him again, knowing I wouldn’t. And yet... “Wha… what are you doing here?” Dean-but-not-Dean asked. His head was tilted slightly to the right like it always used to do when he didn’t understand something. His eyebrows scrunched up together like he wasn’t expecting to see me there. He had his left foot on the skateboard that I kept in my closet because that was all I had left of him. That board should be in my closet. He should be in the ground. I should wake up. Because obviously, this was just another one of my bad dreams. I pinched myself, hard. And when that didn’t work, I closed my eyes tight, waiting 3 seconds before opening them. Nothing changed. He repeated his question. “I’m… just.” It was all I could manage to get out. I took a deep breath, and the air seemed less sweet than it had been just a few minutes ago. “I’ve looked for you, Dean,” I told him, my voice breaking. “I’ve looked everywhere.” “I’m sorry.” He whispered to me, shifting his gaze down to his feet. “I left you. I went to the funhouse without you.” He sniffled. “I didn’t mean to-” Not real not real not real. “No. No, don’t be sorry. It’s okay, buddy, I- I should’ve been paying better attention to you.” I accused myself. He looked back up at me, tears filling his eyes. “I miss you.” He told me, in such a small voice that it made him seem much younger than he was. “I miss you, too,” I whispered, still in shock. “Nothing’s the same anymore. You should see Mom and Dad. We’re all a mess.” I told him. “I wanna go home.” He cried. I didn’t understand how, but somehow it seemed like things had darkened around us. It was likely that it was just late. But the lighting seemed… unnatural. I ignored it. “I want you home, too. So so so bad.” I told him softly. If I told my past self that one day I’d be having a heart-to-heart with my dead brother, I would never have believed myself. “But… but I can’t come with you.” He seemed to realize, cocking his head back to the side. But now it was my turn to not understand. And this situation was already confusing enough. “What- do you mean?” I asked. “I can’t come home. I can’t. But…” “But what?” I demanded, remembering that I was still on the ground and jumping to my feet. “Why can’t you?” “But maybe instead,” His face lit up like he had an idea. I didn’t know what to expect, but I definitely wasn’t expecting him to tell me, “You can come with me.” “I don’t understand,” I told him, shaking my head. “It’s not that complicated, dumb---,” He giggled and rolled his eyes. It really was. What did he mean I could come with him? Where was he? “It’s fun, really. Super fun.” He told me. I waited for a further explanation. He still wasn’t making any sense. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I reminded him. He stared like it should be obvious. “Floating.” He told me. God, I’m an idiot, aren’t I? This isn’t my brother, it’s one of those stupid tricks. One of those things the other Losers told me about. The way It can change into different forms, depending on what scares you the most. I should have expected this. But I didn’t, which is why I gasped and stumbled back when he said this. “No,” I got out. “Get away from me.” Dea- no- It had started approaching me. “Come with me Quinn, come on! If you come with me, you’ll float. Just like I am. Just like we all are.” His face turned hard and serious. I didn’t know how to reply. “Get away.” I knew if he- It didn’t get back, I’d have to make It. And that might mean hurting my brother. At least, that’s what it would look like. I really, really didn’t want to do that. But It wasn’t going anywhere. So I bolted. Leaving my bike and my not-brother, not daring to look back in case I was being followed. I ran like my life depended on it, which maybe it did. My brother's stone-hard slightly distorted face was stuck in my mind, which only made me run faster, and tears blurred my vision as I accelerated accelerated accelerated. I felt like I was running from my fake brother to my real one. But he wasn’t at home either. Ignoring that fact, I burst open my door, closing it hard behind me. I bolted up the stairs, into my room. Into my closet. Closed the door. Grabbed the stupid skateboard. And cried myself to sleep.