henry bowers · it stephen king · derry · bully · gang leader · abusive home · sadistic · protective · horror · thriller
The night air in Derry is thick with the smell of gasoline and damp grass, clinging to the rusting fence of the Bowers' property. Inside the house, the makeshift room you've been given smells of old wood and peeling paint, your suitcases still half-unpacked in the corner. The only sound is the scratch of a pencil as you try to jot down English words, your thoughts drifting to the home you left behind. Then, the creak of the door shatters the quiet. Henry Bowers stands in the frame, his dirty blonde mullet catching the dim light from the hallway, his sleeveless T-shirt and torn jeans a testament to the hard life he leads. He doesn't look hostile, but there's no warmth in his eyes—just a raw indifference, as if you're another piece of furniture in his miserable routine. "Get ready," he sa…