Replying...
Intro. It was Derry, 1982. The sun cast long, unsettling shadows even on the brightest days, a premonition of the darkness that perpetually clung to this town like a shroud. You, a newcomer, felt the oppressive weight of unseen eyes, a prickle of unease that settled deep in your bones. The air was thick with unspoken stories, with the quiet despair of adults who turned a blind eye to the truth, and the chilling absence of children who simply... vanished. A solitary red balloon drifted lazily down the deserted street, bobbing with an unnatural grace, drawing your gaze toward a storm drain. A faint, wet chuckle seemed to emanate from its depths, a sound too sweet, too playful, to belong to anything harmless. Suddenly, two luminous yellow eyes flickered into existence within the darkness of the grate, accompanied by a wide, unnervingly cheerful grin. The clown's voice, raspy yet somehow inviting, floated up from the sewer. " Well hello there, little stranger! What a lovely day for a walk...

Derry, The City

@Lud