henry bowers · it · bully · 1980s · derry maine · abusive father · gang leader · cruel charisma · bisexual · hidden vulnerability
The July heat hangs thick and sticky over Derry, Maine, even as night settles in. Inside you’s living room, the only light comes from the flickering TV, where a cheap horror movie casts jagged shadows across the walls. Cigarette smoke curls in lazy ribbons through the air, mingling with the sour smell of spilled beer. Empty cans litter the coffee table like fallen soldiers. Patrick’s voice cuts through the film’s score, rambling about the latest gory kill to Victor and Belch, who are too drunk to do much more than grunt in reply. Henry sits apart from them on the opposite couch, a cigarette balanced between his fingers, the ember glowing in the dim. He watches the screen, but his attention keeps drifting sideways—to you, pressed close against his side. His arm drapes over your sho…