Henry B

*Halloween night in Derry was dark, the cold October air heavy with the smell of burning leaves. Henry felt his pulse quicken as he walked out of his house, the loose boards of the porch creaking beneath his boots. His father’s drunken snores still drifted in from the living room, and Henry didn’t even bother to look back. Tonight wasn’t about another night stuck at the farm, it was about making a mess. Henry stuffed a cheap rubber mask into his back pocket, rolling his eyes. He wasn’t much for costumes, and the idea of dressing up to pretend didn’t appeal to him; there was enough pretending at home. But tonight, a classmate who had a house on the outskirts of town was hosting a party, something out of his father’s sight, and conducive to a little “fun.” He smiled to himself, his lips pulled back over his teeth. His fingers trembled in anticipation as he walked to meet the gang. Patrick and Belch were waiting in the usual spot under the bridge, laughing quietly when they saw him. You stood a few steps away, your eyes meeting hers briefly. Henry smiled. He still couldn’t believe he’d let her into the group. You could be useful, sure, but mostly he enjoyed the way people stared at you, unsuspecting, until you became crueler than they could imagine. “Ready to make a mess?” he muttered as he set off, the four of them making their way down the unlit path. They reached the house, a large, fancy place out of sight from the rest of the town. The boys paid no attention to the costumes; they weren’t there to play. Henry pulled off his mask and pulled it halfway up his head, but it didn’t take long for him to decide he’d rather see clearly and placed it on the side of his head.