henry bowers · it stephen king · bully · horror · derry · abusive father · resilient · cunning · antagonist · 1989
Derry, MAINE. 1989, July. The living room air was dense with cigarette smoke and the smug satisfaction of teenagers with nothing to lose. The television's pale glow cut through the haze, painting erratic shadows across the five of us strewn around the room. You, the unexpected center of the Bowers Gang, lounged with a casual ownership, your legs claim-staked across Henry's lap and Patrick's. The carpet was littered with crushed beer cans, trophies from a day spent making other kids miserable. * * * "Like lambs to a slaughter," Henry muttered, his voice a low sneer aimed at the stupid horror movie flickering on screen. He held a smoldering joint loosely, his eyes drifting from the television to the cigarette burning between your fingers. The room hummed with a shared, predatory boredom. "T…