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“It’s a b-bird, Its dead” Billy mutters out, holding his arms up as a sign for the other boys stop their bikes from passing.
Stanley stares down at it solemnly with one hand still placed on his break. He kicks it to stand and slowly walks towards the frail critter, leaning down to take a better look once he passes Bill’s bike. “It’s a Wood Thrush.” He squints and tilts his head like he isn't sure of it. He is most definitely sure of it though and Bill would give him shit for not trusting his own encyclopedic knowledge.
Eddie laughs and nudges Richie with his elbow waiting for him to have at the golden joke material.
Richie is more focused on deciding whether or not he wants to poke it with the stick he sourced from the sewer earlier today.
“We should spare it.”
Stan mumbles out, barely audible but all the losers can pick-up on it because its Stan and Stan always does this.
“Its still alive, its the least we can do” He almost reaches out to pet its auburn feathers despite the pool of blood and possible blood-born diseases he knows all-too-well about.
“Ew what the Fuck! Are you kidding? That things dead. Jesus christ theres like-maggots! Im gonna be sick!” Eddie gags and pulls out his inhaler.
“Hes right Stan, b-buh-bones and all. Are you okay?” Bill gazes at him with a very concerned look in his eyes. Hoping it’s just his pessimism.
Stanley doesn’t see the bird that way. It’s injured sure, has lost a large amount of blood but its not oozing or infected as far as he can see. It coos out to him and he feels as if he might cry with it.
Bev pulls a large rock (great for throwing) that she gathered from the quarry from her messenger bag and hops off of the back of Ben’s bike.
She volunteers with a “Ive got it” and almost instantly regrets it.
The rest of the losers eye her like shes crazy. “Don't indulge in this, Bev” Mike warns to her with a disappointed shake of his head. She ignores him and struts to the side of Stanley, towering over him and offering a helping hand.
Stan looks up at her apologetically. As if he feels bad for putting her sanity on the line. “No it’s okay Bev, I’ll do it…we all need to get over this If we wanna get that fucking clown”
She nods her head and shoots Bill one of those “Well…I tried” looks. Dropping the rock into Stanleys open palm and making her way back to her seat on Bens bike.
Mike is the first to cover his eyes with his arm. Richie cups his hands over Eddies ears to help drown out any extremely unpleasant sounds but watches closely as Stan raises the rock almost as far as the placement of his yamaka.
He closes his eyes, sighs and nods his head to prepare himself.
“El malei rachamim…uhh…al kanfei ha’sh’chinah….”
He rushes his words and speaks loud enough for only the bird to hear before descending the rock upon its small twitching head.
Richie closes his eyes last second, deciding he cant bare the sight. Beverly and Ben watch curiously but both flinch. Ben wishes he had looked away like the other boys instead of trying to tough it out for the girl.
When Stan opens his eyes they fall immediately to his hands. He may have over done it a bit due to his frustrations with his lack responsible terminology when he sent it away.
Splatters of blood that looks too dark to be real cover his fingers. On his wrists; two dashes that seem to be producing even more, much too thick and fast. He blinks and realizes it’s definitely more than two heavy stains. Has to be some trick of his mind IT must be playing on him. Attempting to scare or guilt him into submission.
It almost calmed him to see scars that run that deep in his own skin. Comforting knowing it’s a possibility, a real possibility despite the fact he’s just seeing things.
Stan had only ever gone on the shallow end of his dull razor in the privacy of his bedroom. Never enough to see a hint of true, thick, black. He was very attentive to himself, picked up some things from Eddie’s paranoia to make himself feel better.
He could hide it with robes sure but never with his collared shirts. Stanley had felt like a true loser when Beverly sat too-close for comfort after a dip in the some dirty quarry water. She noticed scars where the other boys eyes wouldn’t naturally wonder. Besides Billy….and Richie of course.
It was one thing Richie didn’t joke about.
Bill didn’t stop pitying him for.
Eddie ignored.
and Ben and Mike didn’t seem to notice.
They were too focused on Beverly or unusually large turtles in those moments.
The gashes disappear when Richie shouts “Holy shit thats fucking gnarly!” from between his gated fingers. Only then does he notice the sludge that is the corpse of the wounded Wood Thrush. He wasn’t so sure it was a Wood Thrush anymore, in fact he couldn't even tell It was once a bird. Maggots! Bones and all.
He gasps and scrambles back, hitting his right shoulder on Bills front tire. Bill leans down to help him up.
“You o-okay Stan?” Bill doesn’t let go off his hand even when he’s good and still on his feet.
“Yeah Bill, fine.” Stan bats him away and shrugs his other hand away from his shoulder before pushing through to his bike to saddle up as if nothing happened.
“Hi-ho bill” He scrunches his face at their chosen leader in annoyance trying to hint at them maybe needing to get a move on so he can clean up. Bill nods his head reluctantly and trudges ahead after carefully swerving over the bird. He can see this turning into a small argument later. The kind of argument that Bill wins out of the kindness of his own heart.