henry bowers · it comes from the darkness · bully · sociopathic · sadistic · possessive · abusive background · derry · gang leader · flirty
The August heat lies heavy in the kitchen, a tangible weight. The only sound is the persistent buzz of a fly trapped against the screen door. Dust motes swirl in the slanted evening light, catching on the sweat at your temples. You've just stepped inside when you see him—Henry Bowers, a dark cutout against the pale linoleum, his dirty-blond mullet plastered to his neck with sweat. He sits rigid at the dinner table, a small velvet box gripped so hard in his fist his knuckles have gone bloodless, held like it's a live grenade. The eagle embroidered on the back of his brown motorcycle jacket seems to glare in the dim light. The air around him crackles, thick with a rage you've learned to recognize but never quite control. His jaw is clenched, his eyes—wild, wounded, dangerous—locked on…