[Chapter 283: The Clown Carrying a Balloon]
Finally, they broke through the clouds and soared above them.
"I..."
Just as she began to speak, a wild gust of wind blasted into her mouth, silencing her instantly. At the same time, a sharp coldness gripped her, and the thinning air made it hard to breathe. Her head grew heavy, and she felt faint, as if she might pass out any second.
Then, a gentle force settled over her body, enveloping both her and Daniel. Instantly, the howling wind faded from her ears. The cold and suffocating air vanished. She could breathe freely and speak again.
"I... I'm sorry, Mr. Cross, I..." Monica's cheeks flushed with shame as she apologized.
Daniel said, "Save your energy for saving your daughter."
If they were on a plane, the flight from Los Angeles to Maine would have taken at least five hours. Yet, in just over an hour, Daniel arrived at the destination with Monica.
...
Derry Town, Maine.
The sky was perpetually gray here, with fine rain falling like a veil. The damp air was thick with the earthy scent of wet soil mixed with a sickly sweet rot.
From above the town, Daniel took a moment to observe. After pinpointing a location, he dove straight down, landing outside a small abandoned building.
Monica leaned heavily against the cracked wall and retched several times. Even with Daniel's magical protection, the rapid, long-distance flight -- over thousands of kilometers -- had left her dizzy.
It wasn't physical; it was mental.
She hadn't eaten in a long time, all she brought up was some stomach acid.
"Here," Daniel offered a bottle of water.
Monica took a grateful sip and felt much better.
"Thank you," she said, her face sincere yet clouded with complexity.
If someone had told her before today that people could fly... she would never have believed it. But she had just experienced it firsthand, traveling thousands of kilometers in an instant. Her entire worldview felt shattered.
"Let's go." Seeing Monica recover, Daniel nodded toward the small building.
"Mr. Cross, is it in here?" Monica asked as she followed him inside.
...
The abandoned building's roof had several large holes, letting in cold, fine rain that hit piles of thick straw with dull thuds. The air reeked of mildew and a faint, sickly sweetness resembling rotting candy.
Monica clutched Daniel's sleeve. The straw beneath their feet cracked crisply. She glanced around but saw nothing but decayed wooden beams and dust. She looked up at Daniel, silently pleading for answers.
Daniel moved to a corner and tapped his toe rhythmically against the ground.
Thump... thump...
The dull sound suddenly hollowed out. He bent down, grabbed a rusty iron ring embedded in the floor, and yanked hard.
A metallic screech echoed as the heavy metal cover flipped open, revealing a pitch-black shaft leading straight down. A blast of cold air, foul with sulfur and decay, spewed out, sending Monica's black hair flying wildly.
"Mr. Cross... is it down there?" Monica's voice trembled as she fought the urge to retch, her face pale.
Daniel nodded. "You can wait here. I'll go down to find your daughter."
Based on the movie, Pennywise never attacked adults; its targets had always been children.
"No," Monica said firmly. "I'm coming with you."
Daniel hesitated for a moment but didn't refuse. Though Pennywise hadn't targeted adults in the first film, in the sequel, it did.
Without a word, Daniel slipped his arm around Monica's waist. She trembled slightly. Only an hour ago, she had resisted him clearly. Now, in his embrace, a strange warmth blossomed in her heart.
Daniel didn't delay. He leaped down the shaft, Monica close behind.
...
They landed in a damp tunnel lined with stone bricks. Iron pipes crisscrossed the walls; some had burst, leaking rusty red sewage. This underground labyrinth resembled the town's secret veins -- intricate and endless.
Daniel closed his eyes, sending out his Spiritual Sense like a rising tide. Strangely, the place, which should have reeked with malevolent energy, returned only unsettling silence. It was as if an invisible barrier sealed everything off.
"Is it not here?" Monica asked, voice shaking.
"It's here. It just doesn't want us to find it," Daniel said with a grim smile. He pulled a paper bird and a small pink sock from the System space.
By trace and remembrance, let the connection be established.
What bears her imprint shall answer the call of resonance.
By the Seven Lamps as witness, let the hidden path be revealed.
Across all distance, let the lost be found under sealed authority.
The paper bird fluttered to life, flapping its wings as it flew off on its own. It hesitated at a fork, then dove into a narrow pipe.
"Keep up." Daniel led Monica rushing down the cramped, dark tunnel.
The stagnant water rose above their ankles. The cloying sweet stench thickened until it seemed almost tangible, twisting their heads.
At the tunnel's end, they arrived at a subterranean river flowing sluggishly past their feet. The murky water made a slow splash as it moved. Pipes of all sizes decorated the walls -- some corroded green with verdigris, others dripping foul black liquid. The air pressure was oppressive, squeezing tight around their chests.
The normally nimble paper bird spun wildly in place. Its wingbeats slowed until it collapsed onto Daniel's shoulder, motionless.
"Mr. Cross, it seems like we've been here before?" Monica's voice trembled.
Daniel frowned and nodded grimly.
Monica was right -- the place had confused them. Pennywise had led them astray. This wasn't a simple ghostly barrier. It was an insidious energy distortion that scrambled the paper bird's guidance.
"Is my daughter nearby? Is she still alive?" Monica whispered.
Daniel stared into the darkness of the river ahead. "We'll know soon."
"Hehehe..."
Suddenly, a twisted, childish laugh echoed from deep within the pipes.
The calm surface of the underground river erupted.
A massive, grotesque shadow surged out, drenching them with sewage spray. The moment Monica caught a clear glimpse, she screamed sharply and dropped behind Daniel.
The monster was a distorted nightmare, its form grotesquely sewn together from countless skinned limbs. Two huge faces grew side by side on its chest. Its arms were long and thin like bamboo poles, ending in pitch-black claws curved like sickles.
As it scraped the rusty pipes, a piercing screech filled the air.
*****
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