Chapter Text
He moved a second too late. The axe came down on his hip. He was on the ground in seconds. The basement was cold but suddenly it was freezing. Using his hands and toes he starts to try and shuffle crawl away. The axe swings once more. He hears a sickening crunch. Pushing off his toes becomes twice as hard. Looking down to his feet he sees why, his right foot is gone. The axe had gone down straight through the ankle. A blood curdling scream echoes through the basement. He didn’t realise it came from him until he was kicked and flipped on to his back. He didn’t realise it was him till the axe bedded itself in his chest. The screaming stops and blood is the only thing that comes out. He hears the gurgling of the blood mixing with his attempts to breathe.
He failed. The cycle will continue. More young boys will be taken.
Finney shot up screaming. Every inch of his body ached. His hands flung to his ankle, to his torso and to his chest. They burned. Why is everything burning?
His hands made their way to his hair latching on to his curls, he was dead. He had to be, he lost his foot, he remembers losing his foot, he remembers blood pooling out of his mouth and into his eyes when he tipped his head back trying to get any oxygen in at all. He’s still struggling to breathe. Just like before, no oxygen is coming in or out, something else is coming out though.
Snapping up and landing on his feet, His right ankle gives out underneath him. His body bounces off the floor. But as quick as he fell, he got right back up, running straight to the bathroom, he flung himself over the toilet and vomited. After a while nothing comes up, he’s just dry heaving and gagging for what feels like hours.
That’s when he hears it. A loud piercing ringing, a constant ringing. Straightening himself up and out, Finney makes his way down the hall, to the living room.
How is he home? Is this his afterlife?
He wraps his hands around the phone and brings it to his ear.
“Finney” a sweet voice comes out of the phone.
“Finney it’s mommy, it’s mommy my sweet boy”
Finney's mouth goes dry, the saliva from moments before gone
“Mum?” He manages to mutter out.
“Yes it’s me, my beautiful boy, listen Finney I don’t have much time, you're safe for now.. oh Finney I wish I could do more for you. But it’s up to you to make sure you and the other boys are safe and that they make it.” She replied with a sniffle.
“mum what, what are you saying, I died, they're all dead.”
“Shh no Finney there not… my baby boy, you're not. I managed to pull a few strings, the gift you, your sister and I share, it comes with its rewards, I was able to help my sweet boy... Listen here Finney. It’s your chance to change your fate, use it well, I can’t make anymore changes…. I love you.. I love you and your sister. Never forget it Finney”
The line goes dead.
“Mum? Are you there, what do you mean? Mum?” After a short while with no answer Finney places his phone back on the receiver.
He remembers it all. The missing boys, getting taken, stabbing the grabber with the rocket, digging and the cold. It was so cold. He knows he died, that itself is fuzzy. The more he thinks about his death, the fuzzer it gets.
He’s made his way over to the calendar. August 22nd 1980. That’s a week before Griffin Stagg goes missing. He’s back, back to the start of the school year.
He runs down the hallway back to his room and grabs his school bag, rummaging through he grabs a fairly empty note book and a Pencil. Ripping out some school notes to create a blank note book, He gets to work writing everything he remembers about the boys. Their names, Ages, what date they went missing and when he thinks they died down there. It be good to have a rough idea of when they were alive down there, so that if one gets taken he has an idea on how long he has to save them.. he writes about the van, the magic trick and the grabbers features, he may not know where the grabber lives but he will never forget that van or that man’s face.
If he can find the van he can find the house. But for now, he just has to keep the boys away, no point showing up to the grabbers door step. He would just be delivering himself right to the grabbers hands. He doesn’t want to be near those hands. Never again.
Once he finished writing everything he remembered, he looked at the clock. “Shit”
Gwen must have spent the night at Susie’s or her new friend Amy’s, she would already be at school, Terrance would be at work ready to, the last thing he needs is his dad getting a call from the school telling him Finney was a no show, getting up and shoving the notebook back in the bag, he hurries and chucks on some random clothes and races out the door.
After 15 minutes he stumbles into class. He missed home room and the first 15 minutes of the first period. Walking into class he gets a disappointed look from his science teacher. “ thank you for finally joining us Finney”
Finney does a little apologetic nod and makes his way to his seat. Gosh he never thought he would miss this class, but being back here was making his heart squeeze in a weird way.
“FINNEY”
His head snaps up, “ Finney listen when someone’s talking to you, since your late to class you don’t get to choose your project partner, your with Griffen”
Griffin.. no way.. Finney whips around to where the teacher pointed. There sits Griffin.
He doesn’t remember Griffin ever being in his class, that makes his heart do a full 180. Griffin said he spent his whole life invisible, but that’s not going to be the case anymore, Finn will make sure of it. Griffin makes his way over and sits down next to Finn. Finn offers a smile to the boy, he’s small, Finn sees just how the boy can go unnoticed. He doesn’t make any effort to be seen, maybe he likes it like that.
“Hi..” Griffin mumbles to Finn.
“Hi Griffin, I'm Finney” he reaches to shake Griffin's hand. Griffin takes it slowly with a raised brow looking curiously at Finn.
Class rolls round and they have made an outline for their assignment. As Griffin stands to leave Finney shoots up with him. Startling Griffin. “Wanna sit with me at lunch?”
“What..?” Griffin questions Finney “why?”
“Why not? You seem cool Griffen. I’d love to be your friend” Finney says, offering another smile. “ Will your friends be ok with that?”
“friend. It’s just me and Robin, he won’t mind though, that’s if he joins us, he often lurks the hallways” Finn says with a small chuckle at the end.
“yeah.. ok then, I will join you Finney.. see you at lunch” Griffen has a big smile on his face as he walks out of the class leaving Finney standing there alone, just seeing a smile on Griffin face made Finney feel weird, he only ever saw Griffin looking sad and dead. He takes a deep breath, making his way to the next class.