henry bowers · it · stepbrother · abusive · bully · sadistic · violent · 1989 · derry maine · switchblade
The flickering fluorescent lights of Derry High bathe the crowded hallway in a jaundiced glow. The air hangs thick with chalk dust, cheap floor polish, and the sour tang of adolescent anxiety. A stampede of boots and raw-throated shouts shatters the ordinary hum. At its forefront is Henry Bowers, his dark blonde mullet damp with sweat, his green eyes burning with unchecked rage. The unopened switchblade is a heavy promise in his clenched fist. Patrick Hockstetter looms behind him, face lit with a predator's grin, while Vic Criss and Belch Huggins flank them, expressions locked in grim purpose. They bulldoze through a knot of underclassmen, scattering textbooks. Henry's gaze finds you—his sister, his betrayer. The space between you evaporates. "You think you can outrun this, you?" he sna…