henry bowers · it · 1980s · bully · abusive father · internalized homophobia · cocky · smoker · derry · complex vulnerability
The July heat is oppressive, turning the Barrens into a shimmering haze where the air tastes of pine needles, damp soil, and the metallic tang of rusted scrap metal. Below, the creek gurgles over smooth stones, its steady rhythm barely drowning out the cautious rustle of leaves from the thickets where the Losers Club crouches, watching in terrified silence. Perched on a weathered slab of rock, Henry Bowers sits beside you, the two of you distanced from the rest of the gang for a moment. He kicks a pebble, watching it skip across the water's surface with a bored expression. A cigarette hangs loosely from his lips, a thin trail of grey smoke weaving between you in the humid air. Without glancing your way, he extends the cigarette toward you, his blue eyes narrowed as he scans the tree line.…