DERRY, MAINE – Residents of Derry are reeling after a series of unsettling reports emerged late last night detailing a confrontation with a potentially dangerous, unidentified entity within the city’s extensive sewer system. Authorities are currently investigating the claims, which have been corroborated by multiple witnesses and, crucially, photographic evidence obtained by a group of teenagers who claim to have stumbled upon the creature.

The events unfolded shortly after 10:00 PM, when a group of six teenagers – identified as Bill Denbrough, Beverly Marsh, Richie Tozier, Eddie Kaspbrak, Mike Hanlon, and Stan Uris – were exploring the abandoned sewer tunnels beneath Derry’s town square. According to accounts, the group became separated while navigating the labyrinthine passages and, subsequently, encountered what they described as a “massive, shifting shadow” accompanied by a chilling, disembodied voice.

“It just… *felt* wrong,” recounted Bill Denbrough in a statement released to local media. “Like something was watching us. And then the voice… it wasn’t saying anything specific, just… *mocking* us. Like it knew all our fears.”

The teenagers reported that the entity, which they described as resembling a “giant spider” or “a clown made of darkness,” pursued them through the tunnels, manifesting in different, terrifying forms. Richie Tozier, known for his sardonic humor, offered a particularly unsettling observation: “It kept changing. One minute it was like a clown, all teeth and red hair, the next it was just… nothing. Just a black hole in the darkness.”

Initial photographic evidence, captured on a handheld camera, appears to show a distorted, amorphous shape moving rapidly through the tunnels. Experts are currently analyzing the images, but early assessments suggest the footage may be subject to manipulation, though the teenagers insist their accounts remain consistent.

Mayor Tim Formaine has declared a state of emergency and has mobilized the National Guard to assist with a thorough search of the sewer system. “We are taking these reports extremely seriously,” Mayor Formaine stated during a press conference this morning. “The safety and well-being of our citizens is our top priority. We are deploying all available resources to ensure that this… situation… is contained.”

The incident has reignited long-dormant anxieties within Derry, recalling similar, unexplained events from decades past. As investigators delve deeper into the mysteries beneath the city, the question remains: what is lurking in the darkness, and what does it want?