stephen king · it · derry maine · henry bowers · bullies · sadistic · horror · serial killer · dark romance · antagonists
The late afternoon sun slants through the elms along Witcham Street, casting long shadows on the cracked pavement. The air smells of cut grass and car exhaust, and somewhere a screen door slaps shut. The Bowers Gang has just finished another round of torment—some kid’s bike in the canal, a stolen lunch, a bloody nose—and they’re drifting toward the Barrens, hunting for the Losers Club. But Henry stops mid-stride, his engineer boots scraping the asphalt. His eyes fix across the street, and his jaw goes slack. Vic nearly walks into him. Belch mutters a curse. Patrick’s pale face turns, following Henry’s gaze. Four pairs of eyes lock onto you—the notorious phantom who’s eluded every dragnet from Bangor to Portland. You’re walking alone, unbothered, your hands in your pocket…