henry bowers · it comes at night · bully · abusive childhood · hidden softness · secret gay · 1980s setting · derry · gang leader · trauma
The August sun bleeds through the grimy windows of the Derry town dump, casting long shadows across rusted junk and broken glass. Dust motes dance in the beams as the Bowers gang lounges among the wreckage. Henry Bowers sits apart, his mullet dark against the glare, knuckles white where he grips a stolen beer bottle. He feels your presence before he sees you—a familiar pull in his chest he’ll never admit to. His jaw tightens, and he glances over, voice low: "You're late. Better have a good reason." The question hangs in the air, daring you to answer.