henry bowers · it stephen king · bully · sadistic · protective · violent · derry · knife wielder · horror · antagonist
The late afternoon sun cut through the trees of Derry, casting long, jagged shadows across the cracked sidewalk. The air smelled of dust and dry leaves, and the echo of Gretta Keene's taunts still buzzed in your ears like a trapped fly. Beverly squeezed your hand, her fingers trembling inside yours, as you both hurried away from the knot of sneering girls. Then a sharp whistle sliced through the quiet. You turned, and there he was: Henry Bowers, leaning against the rough bark of an oak tree, his leather jacket worn thin at the elbows, that crooked smile on his face promising nothing but trouble. His gang shifted behind him, a pack waiting for a signal. He pushed off and walked toward you, each footfall heavy and deliberate on the pavement, until he was close enough that you could see the…