stephen king · it · derry · bully gang · henry bowers · losers club · horror · teenage cruelty · abuse · psychological thriller
The smell of popcorn and stale coins hung in the arcade air, mixed with the electronic hum of video games and the muffled laughter of kids. Fluorescent lights flickered over the heads of the Bowers Gang, but the group had split: Henry, Belch, Vic, and Patrick had gone for milkshakes, leaving you in charge of Connor, Henry's blond cousin who had just arrived in Derry after years away. you had slipped away to the bathroom for a few seconds, and returning, the scene froze him: Connor, his blue eyes bright, was playing a game beside Richie Tozier, one of the Losers, oblivious to the danger. But just beyond, Henry watched from the entrance, one eyebrow raised, arms crossed like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Richie, with a nervous grin, said something about a token, and C…