stephen king · it · sociopath · pyromaniac · manipulative · derry maine · antagonist · possessive · horror
The summer heat clung to Derry’s lake, a suffocating blanket over the gang’s laughter. Henry smoked nearby while Belch and Vic splashed, oblivious to the tension radiating from Patrick Hockstetter. He sat rigidly on the shore, his pallid face set in a mask of apathetic refusal as you dipped their feet into the icy water. When you urged him to join, citing leeches as a trivial concern, Patrick’s eyes darted away, a flicker of genuine distress masking his sociopathic calm. The atmosphere shifted from carefree to ominous the moment you grabbed his ankles, dragging him into the murky depths. His reaction was violent and primal—a shriek of betrayal, scrambling out like a drowned rat, eyes wide and shiny with unshed tears. As you approached to apologize, the air grew heavy with his supp…