I regretted it as soon as I turned the corner, clutching the flashlight in my hand with an iron grip.

I regretted leaving him there, staring up at the ceiling with an expression of impassiveness. As if he had given up.

I wanted more than anything to turn back, to hold him and keep him warm. But the screams of my friends pierced my ears and it only drew me further and further away from Patrick.

I splashed through the water, my body aching all over. The scabs on my wrist from when I had injured it while rock climbing had reopened, and dark blood crusted between my fingers. My eye had swollen shut and my cheek throbbed so much that I felt as if I could hear it, like a second heartbeat.

With Belch and Patrick both having slammed my face into a wall, I could hardly believe I still had a one. I was glad it was dark enough that I couldn't see my reflection in the water. I knew I wouldn't be able to recognise myself.

I couldn't stop running my tongue over the gap in my teeth, where my canine used to be. I found myself wondering whether my mum would let me get it replaced.

Probably not. She'd probably make me pay for it myself.

My stomach let out a grumble. When was the last time I had eaten?

I couldn't remember. I imagined the smell of warm pancakes, freshly cooked in butter and drizzled with maple syrup. Maybe a couple of strips of bacon on the side, or even a croissant.

I shook those thoughts out of my mind and tried to concentrate on where I was going. Those thoughts wouldn't matter, anyway, if I didn't get out of here alive. I could still hear the Losers' yells and screams, Eddie's standing out from the others. They only motivated me to move faster despite the burning in my worn out legs.

The throbbing in my cheek had gotten louder now, and faster. So fast it almost started to sound like the buzzing of bees. I started to get a little lightheaded.

I felt something touch my leg, but the sensation disappeared before I even had time to look down. I brushed it off, but then I felt it again. I slapped the back of my neck, but again, it disappeared too quick. The sound of the slap only seemed to intensify the throbbing, and that's when I saw it.

At first it looked like a little black spec flying through the air. A fly, maybe, or a mosquito. I followed it with my torch as it flew behind me, and that's when the thick cloud of black and yellow came into view.

When it came to the fight, flight or freeze response, I had always been the one to flee without hesitation. People would call me a chicken or a scaredy cat, and I hated it. But now, while this swarm of angry wasps flew towards me, I didn't doubt my instincts.

I ran for the hills.

The furious hums of the flying devils was all I could hear, drowning out the sound of my screams. I had never been one for long distance running, I had always preferred to sprint. Now, I wished more than ever that I had tried out for the track team. Splashing through water while trying to not crash into a wall took a lot of effort, especially with the burning of my lungs and legs.

My heart had gone into overdrive. I felt a couple of wasps pierce my skin and I felt like vomiting. My arms moved rapidly in an attempt to motivate my legs to move faster, making it difficult to see due to the swinging of the flashlight. Despite my speed, I felt another sting right above my elbow.

I let out a scream as I swatted away the wasp that had lodged itself into my arm. Once I had scraped it off, another two reached me.

And another one.

And another one.

The stings felt like injections of liquid fire. I couldn't hear anything but my own screams. The flashlight dropped out of my hands and disappeared under the murky water. I felt to my knees, screeching as the swarm descended on me.

I writhed and thrashed, trying to escape my fear that had haunted me for as long as I could remember. It felt like hundreds of needles were stabbing me and the pain was unbearable.

I wanted to die.

I fell forwards, fully submerging myself into the water. My mouth filled with the disgusting liquid as I continued to scream as the wasps continued their relentless attack.

How they could fly underwater, I didn't know and I honestly didn't care. I was going to die, and I wished for it to come sooner.

And in a way, my wish did come true.

It stopped all at once. The piercing of my skin, the burning in my lungs from the lack of oxygen. Hands grabbed my shoulders and I opened my eye to see Eddie and Stan looking at me with worry. Eddie's mouth was moving, but the sound of his voice was muffled. I shook my head, getting the water out of my ears as I inhaled as much oxygen as humanly possible, and everything came flooding in.

"-like you were dying! What happened?" Eddie asked.

My mouth opened and closed, gaping like a fish. I looked around wildly. The wasps had disappeared. There was no sight of them, in the air nor in my skin. But there was still fire in my veins, fire from the couple hundred stings that had injected venom into my system.

I started shaking.

"Shit shit shit shit shit!" Eddie said as Stan grasped my shoulders and held me close. I felt Eddie envelop me in his arms as well and I started to cry.

"It hurts." I gasped. The arms squeezed me tighter. "The wasps, they-"

"I'm sorry, Lara. I shouldn't have left you." Stan whispered, cutting me off. I opened my mouth to reply, but I heard a shout in the distance.

"We have to go." Stan murmured, loosening his grip on me as he leaned back. Eddie also pulled away, and immediately I found myself missing their comfort.

"Can you move?" Eddie asked, and screwed up my face.

"Maybe... With your help?" I asked, and without hesitation they both wrapped their arms around me and hoisted me up. I winced as I was forced to stand, even with the two boys sharing most of the burden. My shaking hadn't stopped and my teeth started to chatter.

Slowly, but surely, we moved through the sewers. Stan was shaking almost as much as I was, likely still traumatised from his encounter with It beforehand.

"Where's Patrick?" Eddie asked and I winced.

"In the same spot I... left him." I murmured, guilt washing over me. "Promise me, if we kill It, we'll go back for him." I pleaded, and I felt both boys tense up beside me. "Promise me."

"Yeah, okay." Eddie said reluctantly, but Stan stayed quiet.

Without warning, we stepped into the large room I had woken up in. Mike and Richie were holding Ben's legs as he grabbed Beverly's ankle. Where was Bill?

"Guys! She's alright." Eddie said, letting me go and running up to his friends as they lowered Ben and Beverly to the ground. Stan set me on the ground against an old dollhouse before following Eddie.

Even from a few metres away, I could see Beverly's milky white eyes. Ben tried shaking her, but she remained motionless. A sob escaped Eddie's lips.

Now that I could see myself properly, I blanched at the sight of my skin. Small dots adorned my arms and legs, surrounded by yellow and red skin. I started to shake again, the fire burning me from the inside out.

How many wasp stings can a person take before they die?

Well, I had at least a hundred. I felt myself becoming lightheaded.

Suddenly, the boys let out a gasp, and I looked up in shock to see Ben with his lips pressed against Beverly's.