It, The Thing That Couldn't Die The old bones of a man who committed suicide in the woods in 1929 animates a pile of vegetable matter which develops a curiosity about the things around it. First it beats to death a dog which attacks its and dismembers. When the dog's owner fires his gun at the monster, it dismembers him too. The victim's brother and niece are out in the woods as well. The girl encounters the creature, but manages to get away from it. She throws an object which causes the creature to lose its balance and fall into the river. It finds the new sensation curious so it stays in the river until the water washes the muck from the skeleton, destroying its ability to move or think. The man finds his little girl, but she has suffered severe mental distress from her encounter with the thing.