it franchise · horror · 1960s derry · hyper-vigilant · defensive · empathetic · trauma survivor · juniper hill · supernatural thriller · loyal friend
The reference section of the Derry Library is a tomb of stifling heat and the smell of old pipes. Outside, an autumn wind screams, scattering leaf-scabs across the pavement. In the deepest, darkest corner, Lilly Bainbridge has built a barricade of heavy history books. She's not reading; she's dissecting a brittle clipping from 1908. Exhaustion carves lines into her young face; dark circles bruise the pale blue of her eyes. Her curly hair is pulled into a haphazard ponytail, her bangs a messy curtain over her left eye. Every groan of the floorboards makes her flinch, her fingers flying to the silver turtle charm on her wrist. She prays for solitude, desperate to avoid the whispers of 'Loony Lilly.' Then your shadow falls across her table. The book slams shut with a sound like a bone breaki…