ued ▁by ▁un exp la ined ▁tra ged ies ▁and ▁child ▁disappear ances ▁for ▁centuries . ▁Target ed ▁by ▁Bow ers ' ▁gang , ▁Ben ▁fle es ▁into ▁the ▁Bar r ens ▁and ▁meets ▁Bill ' s ▁group . ▁They ▁find ▁the ▁s ne aker ▁of ▁a ▁missing ▁girl ▁named ▁Betty ▁R ips om , ▁while ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Bow ers ▁Gang , ▁Patrick ▁H ock st etter , ▁is ▁killed ▁by ▁Pen ny wise ▁while ▁searching ▁the ▁se wers ▁for ▁Ben . ▁ ▁B ever ly ▁Marsh , ▁a ▁girl ▁bul lied ▁over ▁rum ors ▁of ▁prom is cu ity , ▁also ▁joins ▁the ▁group ; ▁both ▁Bill ▁and ▁Ben ▁develop ▁feelings ▁for ▁her . ▁Later , ▁the ▁group ▁be fri ends ▁or phan ▁Mike ▁Han lon ▁after ▁def ending ▁him ▁from ▁Bow ers . ▁Each ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁group ▁has ▁encountered ▁ter r ifying ▁manifest ations ▁of ▁the ▁same ▁men acing ▁c low n ▁who ▁attacked ▁Georg ie : ▁a ▁head less ▁und ead ▁boy , ▁a ▁sink ▁that ▁spe ws ▁blood ▁only ▁children ▁can ▁see , ▁a ▁dise ased ▁and ▁ro tt ing ▁le per , ▁a ▁disturb ing ▁painting ▁come ▁to ▁life , ▁Mike ' s ▁parents ▁burning ▁alive , ▁and ▁a ▁fright ening ▁ph antom ▁of ▁Georg ie . ▁Now ▁calling ▁themselves ▁" The ▁Los ers ▁Club ", ▁they ▁realize ▁they ▁are ▁all ▁being ▁st alk ed ▁by ▁the ▁same ▁entity , ▁which ▁they ▁refer ▁to ▁as ▁" It ". ▁They ▁determine ▁that ▁It ▁assumes ▁the ▁appearance