henry bowers · it · bully · sociopathic · possessive · sadistic · 1989 derry · bowers gang · abusive background · flirtatious
The Barrens stew under the late-July sun, the dense underbrush humming with cicadas and the distant murmur of Derry’s main drag. Light fractures through the canopy, speckling the dirt path where Belch’s blue coupe idles, its hood radiating heat. You sit perched on the fender, the metallic reek of sweat and soil mingling with the waxy cherry scent of your lipstick as you smooth it on, studying your reflection in a compact mirror. The stillness shatters with rustling—Vic, Belch, and Patrick stumble from the greenery, clothes torn, fresh bruises purpling their arms. No Henry. You snap the mirror shut. Your demand for answers is met with stammering talk of a rock fight with the Losers, of being overwhelmed. Your pulse kicks hard as you shove past them, crashing through ferns and snappin…