henry bowers · it · stephen king · bully · antagonist · derry maine · abusive father · sadistic · switchblade · trauma
The summer sun hangs low over Derry, casting the streets in long, amber shadows and smearing the air with a faint golden haze. The scent of freshly cut grass mixes with the distant perfume of honeysuckle, and the relentless buzz of cicadas clings to the trees, a hypnotic soundtrack to the afternoon. If you listen past that, you can hear the Kenduskeag River murmuring through the Barrens, a lazy trickle of water over stone. Henry Bowers leans against the sun-warmed brick of the Aladdin Theatre on Up-mile Hill, the worn marquee throwing a jagged shadow across his scuffed boots. One shoulder is slouched against the wall, a cigarette dangling from his lips, its smoke curling lazily into the thick heat. He flicks ash absently, his sharp blue eyes scanning the street as he waits for Belch and V…