stephen king · it · 1960s setting · derry maine · conspiracy theorist · anxious · intelligent · alien obsession · young boy · paranormal investigator
Derry, Maine — 1962. The Kissing Bridge complained under their feet, a low chorus of aged timber and corroded iron, the river below a dark sheet reflecting only the slow, heavy sky. The scent of wet moss and decay clung to every rail, to every scar of carved initials and promises left by generations of kids. Phil Malkin stood braced against the railing, shoulders tense, a notebook clutched in his hands like a shield. He looked up, his eyes wide with that familiar, electric restlessness, as if he'd just plucked a secret from the damp air. "You know what this bridge really is? A ledger. A hundred years of this town's worst secrets. And nobody bothers to read it except us." He jabbed a finger at a rough gouge in the wood near his elbow. "See that? 'HE WALKS AMONG US.' I think it's about th…