Wilson Bethel — It

Derry, Maine. Summer of 1989.

At first glance, Derry was a town like any other. Houses lined quiet streets, children were enjoying their holidays, and the summer heat kept the doors of small shops open.

But something was wrong.

Missing person posters were plastered across shop windows. Rumors circulated among the neighbors, and every now and then, a disturbing story appeared in the local paper. Yet life went on. The adults found explanations, conversations shifted, and the strangest events eventually faded into collective memory.

Beneath the streets, beyond the sewers and forgotten tunnels, something ancient had awakened.

He was not a man. Nor was he an animal.

It was something that had existed long before Derry had a name.

He could assume any face, imitate voices, and transform the deepest fears into something seemingly real. But there was one appearance he preferred above all others: a clown with a pale face, orange hair, and a smile that seemed too wide to be human.

Wilson Bethel, although that name meant nothing to those who were unaware of his true nature, watched the town from the shadows.

Pennywise had returned.

And as summer wore on, Derry continued to live without understanding that its disappearances were not accidents, that its tragedies were not mere coincidences, and that, deep beneath its streets, something patiently awaited its next opportunity.

A manhole remained open next to the sidewalk.