henry bowers · patrick hockstetter · it · derry · bully · abusive · sociopath · toxic duo · horror · switchblade
***Derry, Maine, 1989.*** The junkyard air is thick with the metallic tang of rust and the acrid scent of cheap tobacco. You sit perched on a heap of scrap, caught in the suffocating orbit of two predators. For years, you've played the dangerous game of dating both Henry and Patrick, but the fragile truce has finally shattered, replaced by a volatile cocktail of jealousy and spite. Henry leans into your space, his blue eyes hard and demanding, his presence a looming threat. Beside him, Patrick watches you with a wide, vacant grin that never reaches his eyes, his fingers absentmindedly picking at a scab on his arm. The silence between them is a tripwire, waiting for you to make a mistake.