Chapter 16: Pennywise
The morning sun peeked through the gaps in the curtains. Edward rubbed his sleepy eyes, then got up and headed to the bathroom.
After washing up, Edward threw on a light jacket and went out to grab some hot breakfast.
When he returned to his room with the food, Jennifer had just woken up.
Her slightly drowsy eyes looked at Edward, the corners of her mouth curving upward, and she said softly, "I thought you'd already left."
Edward smiled, gesturing with the breakfast in his hand. Jennifer gracefully stepped forward, came up to Edward, and, rising on her tiptoes, gave him a deep kiss.
After breakfast, Edward thoughtfully drove Jennifer home. Afterwards, he turned and headed toward his own place.
The originally clear sky had, at some point, become covered with dark clouds.
In the blink of an eye, large raindrops came 'pitter-pattering' down, instantly turning into a torrential downpour.
Edward remained unhurried, a strange light flashing in his eyes. He then used his telekinetic power to form an invisible barrier around himself, shielding him from the pouring rain.
From an outsider's perspective, Edward appeared to be walking in the rain, but he wasn't touched by a single drop, strolling leisurely through the downpour.
Meanwhile, in a house down the street, Billy was home sick in bed.
His younger brother, George, was overjoyed because his older brother was home and could play with him.
Billy, with great effort, made a paper boat for his little brother.
Though simple, this paper boat carried the bond of brotherhood, practically glowing in the dim light of their room.
Just then, it started raining outside.
Raindrops hit the window, making sharp sounds, as if calling to George.
George excitedly pulled on his yellow raincoat and, like an unleashed puppy, dashed out of the house, gently placing the paper boat in the rushing gutter water. The paper boat slowly moved forward with the current.
But as the paper boat gradually approached the storm drain, the current became turbulent, and the boat's speed increased.
George, seeing this, quickly ran to catch up, but no matter how hard he tried, the paper boat, like a runaway train, moved further and further away.
Finally, with a 'whoosh', the paper boat plunged into the storm drain, disappearing without a trace. George stood frozen, staring at the drain opening, his eyes filled with loss and disappointment.
George looked at the paper boat that had disappeared into the sewer, his heart full of sadness.
Just as he was about to turn and go home, a strange gurgling sound suddenly came from the drain, as if something was stirring the sewage below.
George's curiosity was piqued, and he couldn't help but lean in closer.
At that moment, a face as pale as paper slowly emerged from the drain opening, painted with exaggerated makeup, blood-red lips stretched to its ears, revealing a set of yellowed and uneven teeth. It was a terrifying clown.
The clown narrowed its eyes, which glowed with an eerie yellow light, staring intently at George, and said in a high-pitched, seductive voice, "Hey there, kiddo! Your boat's down here. Want it back?"
As it spoke, the clown pulled out the lost paper boat from behind its back and dangled it teasingly.
George's eyes widened, both startled and excited, and he instinctively reached out to grab it.
Just as his hand was about to touch the paper boat, the clown suddenly extended a skeletal hand and, like a vice, tightly gripped George's arm. The strength was incredible; George couldn't break free at all.
The clown laughed maniacally, its laughter echoing through the rain, sending chills down anyone's spine, while forcefully pulling George toward the drain.
George screamed in terror, "Billy! Billy, help me!" However, the torrential rain at that moment drowned out his cries for help.
George struggled desperately, his feet scrambling on the pavement, his yellow raincoat tearing in the struggle.
Edward was casually strolling through the rain. Just then, a faint, terrified cry for help—"Billy! Billy, help me!"—drifted on the wind. Although the sound was obscured by the rain, it reached Edward's ears clearly.
His heart jumped. His keen intuition told him something was seriously wrong. Without another thought, he immediately flew toward the source of the sound.
Rounding the corner, at the storm drain ahead, a small yellow figure was struggling desperately.
Edward looked closely and saw George clutching the edge of the drain with one hand, while his other hand was held in a death grip by a skeletal, paper-white hand. The owner of that hand was the clown with the horrifying face.
The clown, with its blood-red mouth stretched impossibly wide, let out a bone-chilling, sinister laugh, attempting to drag George into the dark abyss of the sewer.
In an instant, Edward used his telekinesis infused with Purification to transfer George to a safe spot. The clown's hand was also seared by the telekinetic power imbued with Purification. A scorching and pure Purification force, like wildfire, swiftly spread up the clown's arm in a sweeping motion.
Wherever the Purification force touched, the clown's skin instantly cracked, emitting acrid black smoke.
A shrill, agonizing scream erupted from the clown's mouth, a sound so piercing it seemed to tear through the gloomy sky.
Its body twisted and thrashed wildly in the flames of Purification, its limbs flailing. Its already grotesque face became even more hideous and terrifying from the pain.
Then Edward delivered another telekinetic blast, and the clown's entire body rapidly disintegrated under this strike, eventually turning into a wisp of rising ash.
George was still shaken, gasping for breath, his eyes showing deep fear.
Edward walked over, crouched down, and gently patted George's shoulder, saying kindly yet firmly, "Listen, kid, never run out alone when it's raining like this, understand?" George nodded, still trembling, tears welling in his eyes.
Edward smiled slightly, picked up the discarded paper boat from the ground, and handed it to George: "Here. Now get home. Your family must be worried sick about you."
George took the paper boat, as if grasping a piece of warmth and security, and turned to run desperately toward his home. His yellow raincoat swayed in the wind and rain, gradually fading into the distance.
Edward slowly stood up. As soon as he turned around, his gaze inadvertently swept into the distance.
Under a tree with twisted branches, the clown, who had just turned to ash, was standing silently.
The clown held a vibrant red balloon, which swayed gently in the wind, making a soft 'whooshing' sound.
The clown's face was painted with exaggerated makeup, its blood-red lips stretched to its ears, and a pair of glowing eyes stared intently at Edward.
Clearly, Edward had disrupted its hunting plans. Edward's gaze locked onto the clown before him, and he spoke coldly, "Pennywise."
The clown's originally twisted and eerie movements suddenly froze. Hearing that name, it slowly tilted its head, its glowing eyes staring intently at Edward, its gaze full of confusion and surprise, as if extremely puzzled that Edward knew its name.
Edward was preparing to hit it with another telekinetic blast infused with Purification.
But in the blink of an eye, Pennywise vanished without a trace, leaving only the empty street and the gently swaying red balloon.
(Reference: Pennywise from Stephen King's "It")
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