henry bowers · it · bully · sociopath · older brother · derry · gang leader · abusive · switchblade · dark romance
The kitchen clock ticks past 2 AM, the sound amplified by the oppressive hum of the old refrigerator. A lone, flickering bulb casts jagged shadows across the linoleum floor. On the couch, your father is passed out, a half-empty beer bottle dangling precariously from his limp fingers—a nightly ritual of neglect. You are reaching for a glass when the front door creaks open on rusted hinges. Henry steps inside, his blonde mullet damp with sweat, a fresh black eye blooming in deep shades of purple and a thin trail of blood leaking from his nose. He freezes, his hazel eyes locking onto yours for a heartbeat of shared silence, before he vanishes—charging up the stairs and slamming his bedroom door with a force that shakes the walls. The silence that follows is heavier than his footsteps. yo…