He played the part well against those children. Pretending to be so hurt he had to go into hibernation early. Remaining deep down for a mere few hours before rising back up to the surface. Avoiding them all to carefully snag a young meal. He wanted so badly to face them again and laugh in their faces over how they thought they won. While he was still here eating towns folk freely to satisfy his hunger. Unfortunately that wasn't completely true, they did have their own small win. Beating him down until he was far too weak to be as much a nuisance as normal. He couldn't take the time to scare his victims into a mouth-watering meal. He was stuck at simply eating to survive. He certainly couldn't afford to enter hibernation.

He kept this up for 7 years after their fight. Struggling to break even on his meals to make it where he could hibernate. He had to be so careful who he took from where or else the losers may catch on he's still stalking the streets. Another round with those children would be the true end. After 7 years they weren't exactly children anymore. A detail often slipping his mind as he stopped spying on all of them. Catching small glances of a few of them here or there in town to make sure of avoiding them.

Staying hidden underground these past months turning complicated. Derry had decided to completely renovate the water drainage. Something about not polluting the river anymore with car oil. Some dumb reason he didn't really understand. At least there was one good perk from all the construction. Lots of workers going in and out of these flooded tunnels. A few going missing here and there in the tunnels was nothing strange.

Catching the sounds of a few working on something he was happy to snag a meal. Workers being far too concerned about something to notice the water shifting. The tall clown dressed in silver approaching to bring their demise. What Pennywise didn't realize was that he should have been concerned too. Should have left them alone to fix the problem of a leaking gas pipe. His own tunnel vision of food leaving a permanent landmark on Derry known as "the canyon" or "the scar".

He attacked one of the constructors that bumped into the other holding a shovel. The metal end scraping against a rock to create a small spark, but it was enough to light the gas filled tunnel. A loud sound followed by a blinding light was the last thing he truly remembered before a blackout. The deadlights that were truly him having disconnected temporarily for self preservation if his earthly form truly kicked the bucket. they couldn't see what was going on, but some things they figured out. His earthly form wasn't dead … yet. It was doing lots of emergency healing to stay alive that needed all the energy his body could spare.

All those hunts to regain their energy ruined by one mistake. There was nothing they could do but wait for the healing to fix enough for him to "wake". If he even could wake as he may need to stay down. Revert to leeching off life force the old fashioned way through proximity over the better more active hunts. The Deadlights raged in the dark limbo they were trapped in. cursing their lack of awareness of the dangers to how they may have to spend the next few centuries building back their Pennywise puppet body from scratch.

Time had completely slipped from him in limbo. Not knowing if it had been a few days since the explosion or a few years. Having no vision on what Derry was going through. How they were handling the explosion that he wasn't sure of the size of. Was the explosion small and only around that tunnel? Or something that took out a couple houses?

The Deadlights were ready to see after realizing their puppet body had healed enough. Should they jump back into the form so soon? It was still badly damaged and who knows where he would wake. Under rubble or below the drainage water where he would have to struggle his way out to his lair? Only one way to find out and he could always rest back in limbo after he makes it to his pile to hide. The Deadlights focusing on their way back for his body to open his eyes. Blinded by sunlight pouring in through a window nearby.

"what?" he wheezed through the taste of his own blood. Looking around the room in first guessing a hospital had picked him up. Figuring right away that, that wasn't the case with the room having a wooden framed bed. A small couch next to the bed by a dresser covered in first aid kit supplies from an opened box. A few light dressers around the room and two light bed stands with lamps. A round ceiling light above lighting up the small lite blue room.

"some moron dragged me home?" he thought. Stiffly rising up from the bed wracked by oncoming pain. Muscles aching covered by more pain from burns spreading across his shoulders. Deep gouges crossing all over his chest marked by holes in the fabric. The edges of the tares stained in black dried blood that also stained the bandages applied all over him. Someone had patched him up in their home without bringing him to any hospital.

Unconcerned by the thought of running into any of the home owners. He would be happy to thank them for the shitty first aid patch work they did on him. A pair of hungry jaws to the face that would give him an easy, much needed, meal. More energy to speed his healing down in his home. Glancing out the window for a better idea of where he was to find the nearest water entrance. Growling at the sight of lots of trees from a 2nd floor window.

"no houses? This place by the factories?" he questioned. Derry was small with the houses always next to another. The only place he knew a house may not have neighbors was at the edge of the abandoned factories. But that wasn't so bad as that meant the large river would be right next door between all those trees. He turned back to walk toward the bedroom door. Stepping out from the carpeted room out into the wooden floored hall. The loud tapping of liquid catching his attention to look down. His blood was leaving a black trail where he walked. A sign of how badly damaged he was with blood unable to dissolve away through the air. A shameful sight he hated to have happen in all his billions of years on the earth.

He grumbled in continuing down the hall upon passing a bedroom door the small hall ended. The walled side on his left, having an open closet, ending to an open railed hall. Able to see down into a living room area that connected to two other rooms. A kitchen toward the left and a sun room off to the right nearby the stairs ending. Catching the scent of lavender that he recognized, who ever they were, was a female living here alone. Having a sense of deja vu that the scent was something he dealt with before. Tossing the thought aside on his way to the stairs that he needed to take a pause at the top of. Taking it slow on his way down to the front door. Opening it had him alarmed by the unknown location. There was not a single house anywhere near the one he was in. where was this house out in the middle of nowhere? Worst of all that meant the river wasn't here neither any water drains. There wasn't even a modern street in front, but a long gravel driveway turning to a far off dirt road.

Grumbling in thought over the roads. "by the farms in the country." it had to be. Thinking of what to do next in the condition he was in. there was no entrance back to his lair around here. Was he fit enough to travel the long walk back to town? Couldn't stick around here so he figured he would make up a plan along the way. He wasn't willing to stay here for some human to return home who knows when if they were a farmer. Traveling his way down the roads he recognized more the further he got. Keeping more around the trees in thick brush to hide from passing cars. He didn't want to deal with humans stopping to ask him all sorts of questions of how he was. He wanted to get home so that he could rest away all these wounds without interference.

It was getting late in the day and despite all his walking he was halfway to any drainage pipe. The deadlights debating on weather another black out would be required. He wanted to make it home, but all this bleeding was sinking his emergency energy.

"fine." he snarled to his injured form. Getting down to rest where he wasn't in the open forest brush. If some crackhead found him and attempted to do anything. Then, hey, he would get a freely delivered meal right to him. Blacking out enough for his body to "sleep" and rejuvenate itself to get up in the morning.

Finding it strange that it wasn't long before somebody found him out in the middle of nowhere. Maybe 15 minutes after he rested down. Sensing the light of a flashlight waving over him he kept still. If they got any closer to look he could grab them. Catching the scent of lavender thinking back to the scent at that country house. Must have been the one living in that house if that was the case. Did they see him gone and went out to find them? This could work to his advantage if he acted hopelessly sick from his injuries. Have them approach to help him up where he could go right for the throat.

He opened his eye for a peek at the situation. Blinded by the flashlight shining into his eye before it moved away. When his vision adjusted to the new found darkness he was furious at the sight of her.

Beverly marsh looking down at him, flashlight in hand, while he was so injured. His mind panicked over what to do now that his hidden survival was exposed to the losers. remembering why that scent was so familiar to him. It was hers and that house was hers as well. Did she drag him home to keep him somewhere long enough to gather the rest of the losers? If she had caught up to him they wouldn't be too far behind. He had to run so that he could hide or should he kill her while he had the chance? What if they were separate and she hadn't called for them yet?

He bared his teeth at her in an aggressive growl. He couldn't fight even if he wanted to and needed her to back off. His only chance was to run enough into the forest and blend in under a thick bush until they gave up the search. His home wouldn't be safe after this as that would be where they first look. Standing was turning fruitless after so many attempts. Was this it for his body? Forced to spend the next centuries recreating himself? Down in front of her in a mess of his own blood.

He glared at her with dagger eyes as she stood there staring back. Taking off her leather jacket to open it between her hands. Tossing it over his head making him pissed off even more. "did she cover me as if I am a terrified bird?!" He wasn't some stupid creature made docile in the dark. He wasn't blinded either and was still aware she was standing there. He'd show her how this damned jacket truly made him feel. Roaring out in ripping it off to bite into the clothing. Finding joy in feeling the chunks shredded by his teeth. Treating it as if he would with her by making each piece smaller and smaller.

Stopping when the jacket was thoroughly reduced to shreds beyond repair. Held back only by the vast taste of blood feeling his mouth. Did he manage to snag her and not realize? No, she was still standing there having taken a few steps back as he raged over the jacket. He dropped a piece of it from his mouth to then realize it was his mouth filled by the liquid. All the stress of ripping apart the jacket had collapsed his body. He wheezed though the blood unending in its flowing from his jaws. Deadlights screaming in thought to flee the body, but what about Beverly? This could be the last moment to save this body from destruction. Deciding if it was too damaged to even flee from her it wasn't worth sticking around in. blacking out to separate back into the limbo void. Keeping an eye on the body's little remaining connection for it to finally sever.

The deadlights waited for they were sure was a while passing in Derry. Feeling instead that the body was healing again. Curious as to what happened that night in the woods. The losers didn't kill their body while it was left helpless? Keeping him alive for what purpose? To have a sporty chance at him instead of kicking him while he was down? The deadlights would have to wait and see. As soon as the body gathered enough energy they filled out the form to wake.

Feeling battered down from all the energy wasted by stress. Unprepared to feel a stinging pain to one wound he lashed out. Snarling through gritted teeth to slash out a hand of sharp claws. Feeling the startled breath of the one he attacked right as they dodged his swing. A close call for Beverly sitting not too far with a handful of cotton and the other holding a bottle of alcohol. Off the rush of his swing he needed to lie back down into the bed. Taking in that she had managed to drag him back to the house for more treatments. She didn't make a move toward him until after he calmed down. Dabbing the alcohol covered cotton over another wound. His body twitching and tensing to lash out, yet unable to spend enough energy for it. Growling at her being the one thing he could do.

Quieting down when she stopped to tell him something. "I need to remove your shirt." after all the first aid she attempted with his clothes on doing no good. Sensing how uncomfortable she was to say that as well as defeated. He didn't bother to answer if she was asking for permission. Displeased enough by how much she was touching him when he didn't need her help. Growling again when she reached for the first red pom button to snap free. Despite not wanting to remove it he allowed the freed clothing to dissolve off him. Avoiding the need to be touched more in struggling to slip it off the rest of the way. Continuing his growling the rest of the time she took treating him.

Taking a good look at her for the first time in years. Having grown half a foot taller with her red hair still kept mostly short at shoulder length. Wearing A new denim jacket over a short sleeved shirt flowing past her hips to mid thigh. Dark jean pants whose ends were covered over by her black leather boots.

Patching his wounds in finishing off her at home treatment. Cleaning away all the bloody cotton balls into the trash. Leaving the room with old bloody sheets in a basket she switched off the light with a close of the door. Giving him time to somewhat rest without her poking and prodding him. Questioning why she did all this. Why the other losers weren't here to gawk at him for a laugh. Maybe they would come in the morning to deal with him. Perhaps what he though earlier in the forest was true. She hadn't called them at all about him living. Bill he was sure wouldn't wait to see him in the morning. He would have been the first to rush down and kick his skull in.

this gave him the chance to save himself from being discovered. Kill Beverly as soon as possible like he wanted before. To make a meal out of her would be best, but he couldn't afford the chance of her calling for help if she slipped his grip. Subtle would have to be how he played the game. Kill her slowly so by the time she realized what happened it would be too late. For now he had to rest for the right moment when she made a mistake. Thinking that it wouldn't be long if she kept treating him like a hospital patient. He closed his eyes to "sleep" the night away. Body building energy without "blacking out" like humans did or needing his darkened limbo.

Eventually he felt the warmth of the morning sun across his exposed chest. Hearing from afar an alarm clock going off to be stopped a moment later. Listening as Beverly wandered around the house eventually coming up to his door. Entering as quietly as possible on the assumption that she thought he was sleeping. Listening to her walk around in checking over him without touching. Heading back over to the first aid kit she left on the bedside stand. Rustling through it to grab something then carefully peeling a bandage away. He expected her to replace it and leave it at that for the next one. Not dab another cloth over it soaked in burning alcohol. Body reacting instinctively on its own in lashing out toward the pain.

Biting down into her arm with curved rows of teeth hooking into the soft flesh. He didn't plan this, but her fatal mistake of being so close was working for the better. Ready to yank back for the limb to pop off. Lucky for Beverly his energy in the sudden lash out was spent. Pulling back his jaws weakened into slacking open enough for her to twist free. Surprised she got free the proper way instead of reflexively yanking back. When victims yanked themselves free it shredding their arms further on his curved teeth. instead she pushed forward deeper into his jaws to unhook the teeth first then pulling free.

He snarled at her as she looked at her bloody torn arm. Rushing out with the first aid kit to the bathroom down the hall. He wasn't happy that his meal escaped his jaws, however her death was sealed the same. Grinning at the bathroom door down the hall he could see from the bed. That injury was guaranteed to get infected instantly and after a day or so it would be far past rotten.

"Disinfect it all you want. Your arm can't be saved by a bottle of alcohol." he chuckled to himself. Turning serious as he watched her leave with a freshly bandaged arm back to her bedroom. Changing out of a bloody sleeved shirt into a cleaner one. Walking back to shut his door without trying to do anymore treatments to him. Amused by the small glare she shot him as if what he did wasn't expected. Her footsteps going down the stairs to pass through the front door. a car starting to drive off down the road.

"where is she going?" he thought. Worry growing on maybe she went to fetch the others after that retaliation. " time for me to take another trip down the road." rising off the bed to unsteadily stand against the wall.