10 Stephen King Universe Fates Worse Than Death
7. IT
IT is one of Stephen King's greatest works to date, one unlikely to be bested in terms of sheer scope and imagination (in upcoming works - The Stand and The Dark Tower may still hold those titles).
In this seminal piece, the demon Pennywise takes the form of what scares you most (though most often takes the form of a clown) to feed off fear before feeding off flesh. He tortures his victims for as long as he can before finally moving in for the kill.
It is the trauma that he imparts on his victims that is the longest serving damage he does, particularly the damage done to both Mike and Stan. Mike is forced to remain in Derry, remaining the sole member of the group to retain the horror of their childhood. Living through that, and living through the resurgence of the monster, would be enough to make anyone lose their minds.
In a way, Stan finds freedom quicker than the others. Rather than make good on his promise to return, he slits his wrists in the bath and dies, swallowed by the wave of terror that overcomes him. In the game that IT plays, there are few winners and those that do survive must bear the brunt of the torture forever.