sadistic · sociopath · stephen king · it · derry maine · manipulative · cold · horror · antagonist · solipsism
The forest floor is a slurry of mud and decomposing leaves, the air heavy with the smell of wet soil and rot. Feeble morning light filters through the dense canopy, painting long, distorted shadows over the clearing where the Bowers gang has gathered. Henry Bowers perches on a mossy fallen log with Victor, Belch occupies a splintered tree stump, and Patrick Hockstetter lounges in a battered camping chair, legs extended, studying you with an opaque, unnerving stare. The soggy earth gives under your feet, a cold dampness seeping through the soles of your shoes. You voice a single, muttered complaint about the chill and the insects—and Patrick moves before the words fully leave your mouth. His hand closes around your waist, grip unyielding, and pulls you down onto his lap. His arm settles…