I grumbled to myself as I prepared to enter my own damn home.

"You sure took your fucking time, didn't you? Got a call from your teacher, daydreaming in class?!" I get a scrunched up empty cigarette pack thrown at me, as he still had beer in his current one.

"Something was just happening outside, I sit by the window, it's not my fault she couldn't see it." I boldly defend myself, something I didn't do often growing up but, now that I'm older it slips out.

"Get to your fucking room. You wanna dream so fucking badly then there ya go! Get the fuck outta my sight." I fume silently as I storm for my room. Another year and I'm out. I mean, I'll be legally able to leave on my own, even if I have zero way to support myself. Nowhere to go..

   I fall back onto my bed with a huff, letting my bag hang over the bed from my hand loosely before letting it go.

   I awake, in a dark damp place. The same dark void I was in the night prior. My eyes darted to the well, a dim light leading me through the darkness to it. I shake my head, turning sharply on my heel as I crossed my arms.

"Nope! Not a chance in hell! You don't think I learned from last time??" I look back without actually looking. A sarcastic scoff sounding with my fake laugh.

"Nice try." I sniffed, an ever so quietness creeping over as the fog started to grow thicker. Instinctual fear started to seep in, shaking my head further as I refused to give in and turn towards the well. My fingers clench my arm as I hear movement from the well, my eyes growing wider as I practically sense something peering at me now from the opening. Something in me tightened, my fingers digging my arm as the feeling grew unshakeable. More intense as I hear the sound of movement start to inch closer towards me. My brows twitch with terrified anxiety. I grow ridged, feeling my blood turn cold as it creeps closer. It's right behind me.. What the fuck is it?! Is it Samara? My teeth clench, gritting from the force.

"We're not doing this again today! Get the fuck up!" I shot up from my bed, the fear I felt yesterday was nothing compared to what I felt in the moment. I was still in a cold sweat, my chest heaving as I tried to calm my breathing.

"What the fuck.." I gasped breathlessly to myself as I looked around the room shakily.

"The fuck you just say?" I grew aware of the male yelling outside my door, nodding as I saw it was light outside. I wasn't even aware of going to bed in the first place..

"Not you, my head." I defend tersely, not like it really mattered either way.

"I need to leave, Jim called out today. Guess his kid went missin' too. Get dressed and get the fuck outta my house. And I better not get any calls today!" I hear his boots fade away from the door until eventually the sound of his truck starting up could be heard. I still couldn't find the motive to move, my mind stuck on the fact another kid went missing.

   I force myself up from the bed, my eyes narrowing at my bag that was emptied out on my desk.

"Damn, drunk! I don't tear through your shit!" My brows furrowed as I started packing up my stuff, my attention quick to notice something was missing. The drawing of the eyes, it was gone. I seethed out, storming out of the room and into his, searching high and low before moving to the trash can in case he threw it away.

"Damn it!" I don't know why it irked me so much that it was gone, but it did. Incredibly so.

"Damn it all!" I had to force myself to stop, knowing I was mad for way more than just my picture being stolen. It was the bullshit behind it. The bullshit to everything. For all I know, it could have been taken at school and I just now noticed, could have been Bowers for all I knew. I looked at the time, realizing I was running late. I curse, running around to get ready and leave. Rushing to my bike before setting out for school.

   I was late for school. Something I slowly dreaded over the course of the school day. Almost not wanting to go home. And just since he could feel my already shitty mood, Bowers made sure he stuck to his word, and made my day hell. Giving me shit even more so than usual, but also giving other kids harsher treatment whenever I was around too.

   I made my way up to the group as I made my way through the halls, slipping in between and shoving the kid they were harassing away from them as a means to get him away from the group of bullies. My bag being pulled on harshly from behind and yanked on.

"Well that was mean don't you think? Man! Look at what you did! He got away!" I raised a lip as I craned my neck back to look at Hockstetter, the other three closing in on me as others looked at me worriedly as they passed by. My eyes connected with Denbrough in the crowd, every one knew why this was happening, it was no secret. His eyes guilt-ridden as our view was cut off by Bowers.

"I warned you, Stratton. You didn't wanna believe me. And this is just the start! It's only gonna get worse from here. Seen ya come to school late- Man, ain't you in trouble later. Daddy just might give you a spankin' later." He grins wickedly, deridingly as he brings up what I'm sure his daddy and him could hear from next door, just as I could hear what went on at his place most of the time.

"Oh, yeah? Just like your daddy put you over his knee just yesterday? Making you cry like a little bi-" His eyes fastidiously scanned the crowd behind me, and suddenly I was gasping breathlessly as I hunched over. Patrick still held my bag, pulling me back closer to him.

"Next time, I put you over my knee." He whispers nastily in my ear before throwing me to the floor as the bell rings.

"As if- I'd ever let that happen-!" Kids scurried, Denbrough and his friends wavering.

"Get goin' Denbrough. Don't be late for class on my account." I wave him and his friends off, pulling myself up from the floor. He does what others don't, and helps me. He helps me up from the floor, holding my arm as his friends grow paranoid about Bowers seeing.

"I'm s-s-sorry, that Bow-Bowers is doing this-s-s to you." I inhale deeply as I straighten, holding my stomach as I look at him. Our moms were friends, before mine passed.

"And I'm sorry.. About Georgie. Don't worry about me, man. Now get, you're safe from Bowers for now but not from your parents if they get mad at you for being' late for class." I nod dismissively, ruffling his hair as I point him in his direction. He nods weakly, his friends dragging him away.

   I go to class as normal, and that's how things continue to go for the following weeks, months to continue. Kids continue to go missing, and although cops are on the lookout, they always come up with nothing.

   That night I did receive punishment from my father, for being late, as well as for going through his things and the house. Course he could tell. And my reasoning only set him off further, pushing him to snap and go into my room, ripping down my drawings and trashing them. Between him and Bowers, my life really was hell.