Eddie Kaspbrak And The Leaper

• Kimberly Achmar, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2020

(Inspired By Stephen King's IT)
It was just like any other day for the young Kaspbrak as he walked down his usual route to get home. But unlike the other times he was walking home, this time he was a bit more cautious. He saw a figure come up behind him and he started walking faster. Eddie was traumatised from what happened last summer. The clown. The leaper. Henry Bowers. The thought of what happened sent shivers down his spine.

"BOO"

"AHHHH!" Eddie screamed like a little girl. The figure turned out to be the one and only Richie Tozier, "Jesus Rich you scared the living daylights out of me."

"Sorry about that Eddie Spaghetti didn't mean to scare you that bad."

"Don't call me Eddie Spaghetti you know I hate that."

"And I should care because," Richie joked dragging out the e

"Because... Because." Eddie said not thinking of a reason.

Richie slung his arm around Eddie "Don't touch me you could give me measles or something."

"What the hell is measles?"

"Measles is an infectious disease causing fever and a red rash ." He explained, "It's caused by coughs or sneezes, saliva, touching a contaminated space such as a blanket or a doorknob and skin to skin contact."

"Ohhh ok so by me touching you." Richie replied, "I could give you measles?"

"Exactly, how did you pick that up it isn't to debate that you are the-" Eddie stopped to turn around "dumb one" He finished with horror laced in his voice.

Richie turned into the disgusting Leaper he saw last summer.

"I-I'm not afraid of y-you!"

"Who you trying to convince Eds." He replied in that horrible voice "Me?" He pointed at himself "Or you" He pointed at Eddie.

"I-I-I-"

"You're starting to sound like Bill Eddie"

Run, Eddie thought to himself, Just get out of there run Eddie run!

So that's what he did. He ran as fast as he could while the leaper chased him screaming his name.

"Eddie where are you going?" The leaper called out to him.

Then he changed forms. But there was more than one person. Six people that looked exactly like his friends.

"We'll never accept you, Eddie," They all chanted, "Never, Never."

"How could you think I could ever love you, Eddie." Richie said "How could I ever love a person as annoying as you. Eddie Kaspbrak."

That's what hurt him the most. They called him names. But that didn't hurt as bad as his crush, best friend, soulmate, saying he could never love a person like him.

That's the last he saw of the leaper.

Or he thought.

You see in 27 years Eddie would meet the leaper again. Maybe in other forms but he'll still be there. Although he'll be older doesn't mean he will still have the guts to confess to his friend.

It was a nice sunny day when the young Kasprak was walking home that day. Then he met the leaper.