Derry: The Second Interlude

The Interludes are Mike Hanlon's journal entries on things he wants to remember after his memory fades. Mike first talks about how two more kids have been killed by what he thinks is "it." Then Mike goes on to talk about a situation that had happened with his father a long time ago. Mike's father's mom wanted him to go into the army before he lived in Derry. When Mike's dad signed up he got stationed in Derry. One day when mike was young he asked his dad to tell him about the Fire at "The Black Spot." When Mike's dad was younger he and a few friends of his made a bar because the black people of that time were not allowed into the regular bars. "The Black Spot" became very popular and soon white people started going to "The Black Spot." One night "The Legion of White Decency" (The northern version of the Ku Klux Klan) went to The Black Spot and torched the place. As Mike's dad ran away from the burning building, he saw the white robes running away. He saw the last man in the robes fall down,and was picked up by a birdthat had a sixty foot wingspan. Mike's dad described the bird as hovering, but then said it didn't hover; it floated.

It floated because it had thousands of balloons tied to each wing. After mike woke up the day after he had written that in his journal there were muddy footprints leading to where he slept,but none leading away, and tied to his reading lamp was a balloon!