Storm of the Century (23 page)

Who’s there?

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Ursula Godsoe and Joanna Stanhope. We have to talk to Mike. Something’s happened at the . . .

She’s climbing the steps to the loading dock, and now she sees the WRAPPED SHAPE that has been put out here where it’s cold. JACK and KIRK exchange a dismayed “Ah, shit” look. JACK reaches forward, attempting to take her arm and help her in before she gets too good a look.

Ursula, I wouldn’t look at that, if I were you . . .

She pulls free and sinks to her knees beside the wrapped corpse of her husband.

(back over his shoulder)

Mike! You better come here!

URSULA pays no mind. PETER’S green rubber boots are still sticking out, boots she knows well and may have patched herself. She touches one of them and begins CRYING SOUNDLESSLY. JOANNA stands behind her in the BLOWING, SWIRLING SNOW, not knowing what to do.

MIKE appears in the doorway, with HATCH behind him. MIKE understands the situation at once, and speaks with great gentleness.

Ursula. I’m sorry.

She takes no notice, only kneels in the snow, holding the patched boot and crying. MIKE bends, gets his arm around her shoulders, and helps her to her feet.

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Come on in, Urse. Come on in where there’s light and it’s warm.

He leads her in past JACK and KIRK. JOANNA follows, with one quick, shying look down at the bundle with the boots sticking out of it. JACK and KIRK follow, and KIRK closes the door behind him against the night and the storm.

128 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL--NIGHT.

Wrapped in thick clouds of BLOWING SNOW.

129 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL KITCHEN, WITH CAT WITHERS.

She sits on a stool, wrapped in a blanket, her eyes staring emptily. MELINDA HATCHER leans into the frame. She’s got a damp cloth and begins to wipe the SPATTERS OF BLOOD from CAT’S face. She does this gently and kindly.

I don’t know as you’re supposed to do that, Mrs. Hatcher. It’s evidence, or somethin’.

During this, THE CAMERA PULLS BACK, and we see a crowd of lookie-loos lined up against the kitchen walls and crowding in through the door. Next to SONNY--an aspiring Archie Bunker with a big belly and a sour disposition--is his friend UPTON BELL. We also may see LUCIEN FOURNIER and the others from the shed, plus JONAS STANHOPE and young ANNIE HUSTON. MELINDA looks at SONNY for a moment in wordless contempt, then goes on cleaning the eerily silent CAT’S FACE.

MRS. KINGSBURY is at the stove, ladling broth into a coffee mug. Now she crosses with it to where CAT sits.

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MRS. KINGSBURY

Katrina, have a little broth. It’ll warm you up.

Ought to spike it with rat poison, Missus Kingsbury . . . that’d warm her up, all right.

There’s a little RUMBLE OF AGREEMENT . . . and SONNY laughs out loud at his friend UPTON’S

sophisticated wit. MELDINDA gives them both a smoking look.

MRS. KINGSBURY

Upton Bell, you shut up your ignorant mouth!

(sticking up for his pal)

You’re treatin’ her like she saved his damn life instead of sneakin’ up behind him and bashin’ his brains out!

Another RUMBLE OF AGREEMENT. MOLLY ANDERSON pushes through the crowd. She looks at SONNY with a withering contempt he can’t stand up to, then at UPTON, then at the others.

Get out of here, all of you! This isn’t a sideshow!

They shift around a little, but don’t really move.

(a little more reasonable)

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Come on--you’ve known this girl all your lives. Whatever she did, she deserves a chance to breathe a little.

Come on, folks. Let’s go. They’ve got it in hand.

JONAS is some sort of professional man--a lawyer, perhaps--and has enough moral weight to get them moving. SONNY and UPTON resist the tide for a moment.

Come on, Sonny . . . Upton. There’s nothing here you can do.

Can take her down to the constable’s and throw her murder-in’ ass in jail!

(what a great idea)

Yeah!

I think they’ve already got a guy in there . . . and she doesn’t exactly look like she’s going to break loose, now does she?

He gestures to the girl, who is (pardon the pun) just about CATatonic. She has totally ignored the whole thing, may not even know it’s happening. SONNY sees what STANHOPE means, and shuffles out, UPTON after him.

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Thank you, Mr. Stanhope.

MRS. KINGSBURY, meanwhile, sets the cup of broth aside--it’s a lost cause--and looks at CAT with tired perplexity.

(to MOLLY)

Not a problem. Where’s my mom, have you seen her?

I think she’s getting ready for bed.

Good. Good.

He leans back against the wall, his face and body language saying, “Good God, what a day.”

130 INTERIOR: THE TOWN MEETING HALL--NIGHT.

The benches and the speaker’s podium are empty, but a few people in nightwear are going up and down the side aisle. The only woman is old CORA STANHOPE, Little Tail’s self-appointed queen. She has an overnight bag in one hand.

An older gent named ORVILLE BOUCHER passes her going the other way. He’s wearing a bathrobe, slippers, white socks. In one hand he’s got his plastic toothbrush case.

Say, there, Cora! Just like camp, ain’t it? Someone oughtta put a bedsheet up on the wall and show
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cartoons!

CORA sniffs, raises her nose slightly into the air, and passes by without a word . . . although she cannot help a horrified glance at ORV’S white and hairy old-man’s shins, a generous portion of which are on view above the tops of his socks and below the hem of his robe.

131 EXTERIOR: REAR OF THE TOWN HALL--NIGHT.

There’s a small brick structure in the foreground, and the ENGINE ROAR identifies it as the generator shed. All at once the STEADY ROAR FALTERS; the engine COUGHS.

132 INTERIOR: RESUME TOWN MEETING HALL SIDE AISLE, WITH ORV AND CORA.

The lights FLICKER ON AND OFF; we see the two old folks looking up (any others that have been using the town hall’s bathroom facilities, as well) through intervening shutters of darkness.

ORV

Relax, Cora, it’s just the gennie clearing her throat.

133 EXTERIOR: THE GENERATOR SHED--NIGHT.

Settles down to a STEADY ROAR again.

134 INTERIOR: RESUME MEETING HALL SIDE AISLE, WITH ORV AND CORA.

ORV

See? Bright as you could ever want!

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He just wants to be friendly, but she acts like he’s trying to lure her onto one of those hard New England benches so he can do the dirty boogie with her. She hurries on without a word, nose higher than ever. At the end of the aisle are two doors marked with male and female icons. CORA pushes open the one with the woman on it and goes inside. ORV watches her, more bemused than offended.

ORV

(strictly to himself)

Cora, friendly as ever, ayuh.

He heads back to the stairs leading to the area below.

135 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE’S OFFICE--NIGHT.

HATCH comes in from the market area, holding a tray carefully in front of him. Loaded on it are nine Styrofoam cups of coffee. He sets it down on MIKE’S desk, looking nervously at URSULA, who is sitting in MIKE’S chair with her hood back and her coat unzipped. She still looks stunned. At first, when MIKE offers her one of the cups, she doesn’t seem to see it.

Go on, Urse. It’ll warm you up.

I don’t think I’ll ever be warm again.

But she takes two of the cups and hands one to JOANNA, who is standing behind her. MIKE takes another. ROBBIE hands cups to JACK and KIRK; HATCH gives one to HENRY. When all have been passed out, there’s one cup left. HATCH looks toward LINOGE.

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Oh, what the hell. Want a cup?

No reply from LINOGE, who sits in his usual posture, watching.

(with an edge)

Don’t they drink coffee on your planet, mister?

198 STEPHEN KING

(to JOANNA)

Tell me again.

I’ve told you half a dozen times already.

This’ll be the last. Promise.

She said, “I think it was the cane with the wolfs head that made me do it. I wouldn’t touch it, if I were you.”

But you didn’t see a cane. With or without a wolf’s head.

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No. Mike, what are we going to do?

Wait out the storm. It’s all we can do.

Molly wants to see you. She told me to tell you that. Said for you to set a guard and get back to her. Said you could have as many men as you need; none of ‘em are doing much tonight, anyway.

That’s for sure, (pause) Hatch, step out here with me. Want to talk to you a minute.

They start toward the door leading into the store. MIKE hesitates and looks back at URSULA.

You going to be all right?

Yes.

MIKE and HATCH go out. URSULA realizes LINOGE is looking at her.

What are you looking at?

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LINOGE goes on looking. And smiling slightly. Then:

(sings)

“I’m a little teapot, short and stout. . . .”

136 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL LADIES’ ROOM--NIGHT.

ANGELA CARVER, in a soft and pretty nightgown, is at one of the basins, brushing her teeth. From one of the CLOSED STALLS behind her, we hear THE RUSTLE OF CLOTH and the SNAP OF

HEAVY ELASTIC as CORA changes into her own nightwear.

(sings from the stall)

“. . . Here is my handle, here is my spout!”

ANGELA looks in that direction, puzzled at first and then deciding to smile. She gives her teeth a final rinse, picks up her overnight bag, and leaves. As she does, CORA comes out of the stall she changed in, wearing woolly pink all the way down to the tips of her toes . . . and a nightcap on her head. Yes! She puts her own overnight bag on one of the sinks, unzips it, and brings out a tube of cream.

You can pick me up and pour me out . . .

137 INTERIOR: THE CONSTABLE’S OFFICE.

The four men and two women watch LINOGE in surprise and perplexity. He MIMES CREAMING

HIS FACE.

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(sings)

“I’m a little teapot, short and stout!”

He’s totally crazy. Got to be.

138 INTERIOR: BY THE MEAT COUNTER OF THE STORE, WITH MIKE AND HATCH.

It’s shadowy and spooky here, with just the fluorescents in the meat counter for illumination.

I’m going to leave you in charge here for a little while.

Oh, Mike, I wish you wouldn’t do that. . .

Just for a while. I want to take those women back to the town hall in the four-wheel drive while it’ll still move. Make sure Molly’s all right--and let her see that I am. Give Ralphie a kiss. Then I’m going to pack every man who looks halfway useful into the truck and come back here. We’ll guard him in groups of three or four until the storm’s over. In fives, if that’s what it takes to feel comfortable.

I won’t feel comfortable until he’s in Derry County Jail.

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I know what you mean.

Cat Withers ... I can’t believe it, Mike. Cat wouldn’t hurt Billy.

I know that, too.

Who’s holding who prisoner here? Can you say for sure?

MIKE considers this question very, very carefully, then shakes his head.

This is a mess.

Yeah. You going to be okay with Robbie?

I’ll have to be ... won’t I? Say hi to Melinda for me, if she’s still up. Tell her I’m okay. And give Pippa a little kiss.

I will.

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How long do you think you’ll be gone?

Forty-five minutes, an hour at most. And I’ll be back with a truckload of wide-bodies. Meantime, you have Jack, Henry, Robbie, Kirk Freeman . . .

Do you really think any of us’ll make a difference, if that guy starts to rock and roll?

Do you really think the town hall’s any safer? Or any place on the island?

Considering Cat and Billy . . . no.

MIKE goes back into the constable’s office. HATCH follows.

139 INTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.

Rubbing invisible cream into his cheeks, humming “I’m a Little Teapot.”