Read Storm of the Century Online
Authors: Stephen King
Inside! Inside now! Stick together!
261 INTERIOR: THE TOWN MEETING HALL, FEATURES JACK AND BUSTER.
Where’s Mommy? We left Mommy outside! Daddy, we left Mommy outside!
(beginning to cry)
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Come on, big boy. Mommy’s fine.
He almost drags BUSTER up the aisle and toward the door leading to the town office and the stairs.
262 INTERIOR: MONTAGE OF ISLANDERS, MEETING HALL--MORNING.
They shuffle up the aisles--MOLLY and RALPHIE, the STANHOPES, JOHNNY HARRIMAN, TAVIA GODSOE, KIRK and JENNA FREEMAN, all our new acquaintances--and every face is stamped with fear.
DISSOLVES TO:
263 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL--AFTERNOON.
TITLE CARD: 2:00 P.M.
The snow is still SWIRLING DOWN, and the WIND is still HOWLING. Parked by the side door is the biggest Sno-Cat on the island, its engine idling.
264 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL’S SIDE DOOR, CLOSER--AFTERNOON.
Bundled up in the doorway are MIKE, SONNY, HENRY BRIGHT, and KIRK FREEMAN. There to see them off, clutching sweaters against the chill, are MOLLY, HATCH, and TESS MARCHANT. Once again, they all shout to be heard over the storm.
Are you sure this is necessary?
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
No--but we’re fresh out of weather forecasts, and it’s best to be safe. Besides, there’s stuff at the market that’ll just go over if we don’t use it.
Fresh orange juice isn’t worth risking that psychopath!
He’s not going to take on four of us.
Promise me you’ll be careful.
I promise.
(shifts his attention to HATCH)
Buddy system, right? No one gets left alone.
Right. Be careful, you guys.
You better believe it.
As they turn away toward the Sno-Cat:
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Mike . . . since the house is right on your way . . .
She stops, a little embarrassed to ask what has come to her mind, but his eyes are kind and encourage her.
Well . . . the kids are being as good as they can, but if you could just maybe grab a handful of games and two or three boxes of Slip-Stix or something, it’d be a lifesaver.
(kisses her on the cheek)
Consider it done.
He goes to the Sno-Cat and slides behind the controls. He guns the engine. They all wave, and the Sno-Cat buzzes away into the storm.
Will they be all right?
Sure.
He looks worried, though. They go back inside and shut the door against the storm.
265 EXTERIOR: THE ANDERSON HOUSE ON LOWER MAIN--AFTERNOON.
The Sno-Cat pulls up in front. The picket fence is totally buried. The WEE FOLKS DAY-CARE
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
CENTER sign is lying on top of a ten-foot drift.
266 INTERIOR: THE SNO-CAT--AFTERNOON.
(to the others)
Just be a minute.
He opens the door on his side and gets out.
267 EXTERIOR: OUTSIDE THE ANDERSON HOUSE, WITH MIKE--AFTERNOON.
He slogs around the front of the Sno-Cat, bent over against the SNOW and WIND, and almost runs headlong into KIRK FREEMAN. Once more, they SHOUT over the WIND to be heard.
Get back in and stay warm; I’ll be fine!
Buddy system, remember?
He points into the Sno-Cat at HENRY and SONNY.
We buddy up in there; they buddy up out here; we all buddy up together in the market.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Okay . . . come on.
They start slogging up what used to be a path to a porch wallowing under the drifts like a slowly sinking boat.
268 INTERIOR: CAT WITHERS, CLOSE-UP.
She sitting on a folding chair and looks pretty vacant. She’s got a mug of something in one hand and a sweater pulled over her shoulders. She’s still bombed on shock and tranquilizers.
In the background, children sing:
“I’m a little teapot, short and stout. ...”
CAT reacts to this, but doesn’t overreact; she may not remember the song. THE CAMERA PULLS
BACK to show us the DAY-CARE KIDS. They are being monitored by ROBBIE and SANDRA BEALS--buddy system. SANDRA is leading the singing and trying to look vivacious. ROBBIE sits on another wooden chair, looking almost as lost as CAT.
The KIDS are being teapots--as they sing, they make handles of their arms and tug their noses to show they know where their spouts are.
Around them at this end of the common room, which is between the stairs and the wall, is a litter of makeshift amusements: books, paste, magazines with lots of cutout pictures and scraps, a few toys.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Beyond them is a closed door with a plaque on it that reads CUSTODIAN.
“Here is my handle, here is my spout.”
FERD ANDREWS comes down the stairs and stands next to ROBBIE.
I hate that song.
Why?
I just hate it. How’s Jack Carver?
Quieted down some. It’s just good the women got the kid away from him before he cracked. (nods at BUSTER)
There ought to be a search party made up to look for Angela and them others. If Alton Hatcher won’t lead it, you could.
And if the search party didn’t come back, what then? Send out another one?
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Well ... we can’t just sit here . . .
Sure we can. And that’s just what we’re going to do. Sit here and wait out the storm. Pardon me, Ferd. I need a coffee.
Giving FERD a contemptuous look, ROBBIE gets to his feet and heads upstairs. FERD goes after him.
I was just thinkin’ we ought to do somethin’, Robbie . . .
THE CAMERA returns to CAT. Her eyes flicker. She sees:
269 INSERT: LINOGE’S CANE.
It SWINGS toward THE CAMERA, silver wolfs head seeming to SNARL.
270 INTERIOR: RESUME KIDS’ PLAY AREA--AFTERNOON.
CAT drops her mug and puts her hands over her face, beginning to SOB. The KIDS stop singing and turn to look at her. PIPPA and HEIDI start to sniffle in sympathy.
What’s wrong with Katrina Withers?
Nothing, Frankie . . . she’s just tired . . . You kids, pick up a little, okay? Mr. Anderson’ll be bringing
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
back some new things to play with, I think, so just . . .
DON
I’m not gonna pick up! My dad’ll give me a doughnut!
He dashes for the stairs.
Don! Don Beals! You come back and help the others-
We don’t need him. Monkeys can’t pick up.
The others SNICKER--that’s a pretty good one. And when RALPHIE starts picking up the litter, the rest join in. SANDRA goes over and begins comforting CAT.
271 INTERIOR: ISOLATE ON RALPHIE.
He works his way a little apart from the others, picking up magazines. He’s moving toward the door marked CUSTODIAN, and when it COMES OPEN, he looks up.
LINOGE (voice)
Ralphie! Hey, big boy!
The others do not hear, but RALPHIE does.
272 INTERIOR: WEE FOLKS DAY-CARE CENTER, WITH MIKE AND KIRK.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
KIRK has an armload of games and those kid puzzles with the great big pieces. MIKE has the Slip-Stix and a few other simple crafts.
That it?
Yep, should do. Let’s . . .
Something catches his eye. It’s a scatter of alphabet blocks on a low worktable. MIKE kneels beside it, looks thoughtfully at the blocks, then begins to pull some of them together into a line.
(over to have a look)
What you doing?
MIKE has used six of the blocks to spell out “LINOGE.” He looks at them, then swaps them around to make “NILOGE.” No, that’s nonsense. Next comes “GONILE.”
Go Nile. Sounds like an ad for a vacation in Egypt.
273 INTERIOR: THE KIDS’ PLAY AREA.
SANDRA is busy with CAT, and the other kids have grouped together around some baskets in the corner, where they stow the toys, books, and magazines. They are having a good time. No one notices RALPHIE as he gets up and walks hesitatingly toward the half-open door of the custodian’s closet. |K
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
LINOGE (voice)
Got something for you, big boy--a present!
RALPHIE reaches for the door . . . then hesitates.
LINOGE (voice)
(teasing)
Not afraid, are you?
RALPHIE reaches for the door again, this time more decisively.
274 INTERIOR: WEE FOLKS DAY-CARE, WITH MIKE AND KIRK.
KIRK is interested now. He moves the blocks himself, making “LINOGE” into “LONIEG.” And suddenly, MIKE sees it. His eyes WIDEN WITH HORROR.
Jesus and the disciples in the country of the Gadarenes. Book of Mark. Oh my God.
Huh?
They met a man with an unclean spirit; that’s what it says in the Gospel. A man with demons inside of him. He lived among the tombs, and no man could bind him, not even with chains. Jesus cast the demons into a herd of pigs that ran into the ocean and drowned themselves. But before he cast them out, Jesus
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
asked their names. And the thing inside said-KIRK is watching him with increasing fright as MIKE manipulates the blocks.
“Our name is Legion, for we are many.”
Now the blocks that spelled “LINOGE” spell “LEGION.” MIKE and KIRK stare at each other, wide-eyed.
275 INTERIOR: OUTSIDE THE CUSTODIAN’S CLOSET.
RALPHIE opens the door and looks up at ANDRE LINOGE. In one hand, LINOGE grips his wolf’s head cane. The other is behind his back. LINOGE is smiling.
It’s a present for the fairy-saddle boy. Come and see.
RALPHIE enters the custodian’s closet. The door swings shut.
THIS ENDS PART TWO.
The Reckoning
Act 1
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
1 EXTERIOR: THE ISLAND MARKET--AFTERNOON.
The snow is falling as hard as ever. The porch is almost completely buried beneath one huge, dunelike drift from floor to roof overhang. Parked in front is the big Sno-Cat MIKE and the others took out on the reprovisioning expedition. From its side door to the door of the market, a notch almost like a tunnel has been dug. The four men--MIKE ANDERSON, SONNY BRAUTIGAN, HENRY BRIGHT, and KIRK FREEMAN--are just entering.
2 INTERIOR: THE MARKET, BY THE CASH REGISTERS--AFTERNOON.
The men make their way in, gasping and shedding snow. SONNY and HENRY have shovels. We can see their BREATH in the air, and the place is very dim.
Gennie’s out.
(MIKE nods)
How long, do you think?
Hard to tell. Since morning, anyway, from the way it feels. Snow probably piled up and blocked the exhaust.
He goes to the cash registers, bends beneath one, and begins to toss out big cardboard cartons.
Sonny, Henry. You’re Meat Patrol. Get the big cuts of beef, plus the turkeys and chicken. The best stuffs back in the freezer.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Will it still be all right, do you think?
Are you kidding? It won’t even be thawed yet. Come on, let’s go. Dark’s gonna come early.
SONNY and HENRY start up toward the cooler and the freezer beyond. KIRK comes over to the checkout and takes one of the cartons.
We’ll stick to the canned goods, this trip. All of us’ll come back for bread, potatoes, and vegetables. And milk. Little kids have to have milk.
You gonna tell ‘em about what the guy’s name spells when you move the blocks around?
What good would it do?
I dunno. God, Mike, that gave me a chill.
Me, too. And for the time being, maybe we better just . . . keep the chill to ourselves. We’ve still got at least one more night to get through.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
But-
Come on. Canned goods. Let’s load up.
He starts up the aisle containing the overturned card table, and after a moment or two’s consideration, KIRK follows.
3 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL--AFTERNOON.
We can barely see it in all the snow, but at regular intervals we can hear the BLARE OF A HORN.
4 EXTERIOR: THE PARKING LOT--AFTERNOON.
The Island Services vehicle is idling here, not too far from the town hall’s side door. It’s not going to go anywhere--not even a four-wheel drive can move in five feet of snow--but the lights are on and we can see one man standing outside and another inside. The one behind the wheel is HATCH. The one outside, wearing his V.F.D. parka and peering anxiously into the snow, is FERD ANDREWS. The window between them is open. Snow is blowing into the cab of the truck, but at this point, neither man cares.