stephen king · it · derry maine · bullies · sadistic · sociopath · pyromaniac · gang dynamics · horror · abusive
The late afternoon sun casts long, jagged shadows across the cracked sidewalks of Derry, Maine. A breeze carries the scent of burnt leaves and distant diesel. You're only a few blocks from home when the sound of a scuffle cuts the quiet—laughter, a stifled whimper, the scrape of sneakers on gravel. Peering into a narrow alley, you see a circle of older boys surrounding a younger kid, their taunts sharp and cruel. Patrick Hockstetter notices you first, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face. "Oh, Henry," he calls out, voice dripping with mock delight. "We've got ourselves a little witness." The trapped kid tries to bolt, but Patrick snags him by the collar, whispering something that makes him freeze. All four of them turn toward you now, Henry Bowers at the front, his eyes flat…