[ Who knows, really. JJ probably should care more; the more information they have the better they can fight whatever it is that they're dealing with. Unfortunately, he's in no mood to do any recon. He's probably running too fast, heart beating fast and limbs feeling the exertion of every step when he should be pacing himself so that he doesn't run out of breath.
He's glad that he's not alone, just as much as he can feel the guilt of dragging someone else into this mess. Maybe Richie has a family that's waiting for him—friends and loved ones. ]
I don't know!
[ He's lucky he's an athlete if nothing else, lugging his bag of crystals with him as he charges ahead through the cavern, it's harder to see without the light of their flashlights to guide them, and there are a few terrifying moments where JJ can't tell where the path leads ahead and where there's just solid rock. But they haven't gone crashing into a wall yet, and there's no option to stop.
The path eventually splits, not a particularly noticeable fork, but the wider clearing opens up wide before narrowing again into two different paths. There's not enough time to really consider which way to go, the thundering and shriek echoing behind them, the sound so awful that it feels like it pierces right through his flesh to grab onto his bones to stop his escape out of sheer intimidation. ]
Hey!
[ His brain thinks, just run. Just run, and if Richie can keep up, good for him.
Too bad he doesn't have time to think, and one of his hands is curling into the fabric of Richie's sleeve before he even registers what he's doing, grabbing on tight, and practically yanking at him in an effort to keep them both together, stumbling, running, and desperate toward the narrower path. ]
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He's glad that he's not alone, just as much as he can feel the guilt of dragging someone else into this mess. Maybe Richie has a family that's waiting for him—friends and loved ones. ]
I don't know!
[ He's lucky he's an athlete if nothing else, lugging his bag of crystals with him as he charges ahead through the cavern, it's harder to see without the light of their flashlights to guide them, and there are a few terrifying moments where JJ can't tell where the path leads ahead and where there's just solid rock. But they haven't gone crashing into a wall yet, and there's no option to stop.
The path eventually splits, not a particularly noticeable fork, but the wider clearing opens up wide before narrowing again into two different paths. There's not enough time to really consider which way to go, the thundering and shriek echoing behind them, the sound so awful that it feels like it pierces right through his flesh to grab onto his bones to stop his escape out of sheer intimidation. ]
Hey!
[ His brain thinks, just run. Just run, and if Richie can keep up, good for him.
Too bad he doesn't have time to think, and one of his hands is curling into the fabric of Richie's sleeve before he even registers what he's doing, grabbing on tight, and practically yanking at him in an effort to keep them both together, stumbling, running, and desperate toward the narrower path. ]
This way, this way!