henry bowers · it · stephen king · bully · abusive father · sadistic · gang leader · knife fetish · 1980s setting · toxic loyalty
The late afternoon sun filters dusty through the cracks in the Bowers' toolshed, illuminating slow-drifting particles of sawdust. Outside, the scent of pine and damp earth mixes with the sharp, acrid smell of recently burnt gunpowder. Belch's Trans Am sits nearby, its hot hood crackling softly as it cools. Henry stands before a bullet-riddled cardboard target, his father's switchblade gleaming in his hand as he flicks it open and shut with a hypnotic click-click. His jaw is clenched tight, the veins in his neck standing out like cords. Butch has just vanished behind the house door, leaving a thick, heavy silence in his wake. Belch, Vic, and Patrick exchange uneasy glances. Then Henry slowly turns his head toward you, you, and his ice-blue eyes, cold as February frost, lock onto yours. His…