Storm of the Century Read online

  252 EXTERIOR: THE LIGHTHOUSE MORNING.

  Another of those huge waves buries the lower half. We hear the RUMBLE OF WATER and the GROAN of crumbling bricks. The lighthouse's tilt becomes more pronounced.

  253 INTERIOR: THE LIGHTHOUSE CONTROL ROOM MORNING.

  It's tilting . . . tilting . . . water pouring in ... the tilt becoming more 244 STEPHEN KING

  pronounced as equipment conies unanchored and begins to slide down the steepening slope of the floor . . .

  254 EXTERIOR: THE ISLANDERS OUTSIDE THE TOWN HALL MORNING.

  THE CAMERA is behind them, PANNING from left to right. From between them, or over their shoulders, we can see the tottering lighthouse. .Jfc 190

  255 EXTERIOR: JACK, ANGIE, AND BUSTER CARVER MORNING.

  JACK is highly excited. He sweeps BUSTER into his arms and lunges forward a little through the snow.

  JACK

  Look, Buster! The lighthouse is falling down!

  BUSTER Falling down! Lighthouse falling down!

  ANGELA is about four steps behind them. Neither JACK nor BUSTER see the YELLOW GLOVES as they float out of the snow, grab her, and yank her backward into the WHITE CURTAIN.

  256 EXTERIOR: RESUME LIGHTHOUSE MORNING.

  The inundating wave retreats. For a moment it seems the lighthouse might endure yet a little longer . . . and then it goes CRASHING DOWN, the light above the shattered control room still revolving valiantly. As it falls, another wave strikes, drowning the ruins.

  257 EXTERIOR: THE ISLANDERS, PANNING.

  They are silent, their brief excitement gone. Now that it's actually happened, they wish it had not.

  We end up on JACK and BUSTER.

  BUSTER Where's the lighthouse, Daddy? Did it go bye-bye?

  JACK (sadly) Yeah, honey, I guess so. Lighthouse went bye-bye.

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 245

  (turning) Angie, did you see it? Did you . . .

  But there's no one where she was standing.

  JACK Angie? Angela?

  He looks up and down the line of ISLANDERS, puzzled but not yet worried or afraid. He doesn't see her.

  JACK Hey, Ange ...

  BUSTER Hey, Mommeee . . .

  JACK looks at ORV BOUCHER, who is standing nearby.

  JACK Did you see my wife?

  ORV

  Gee, Jack, I didn't notice. Maybe she got cold and went back inside.

  258 EXTERIOR: THE HOPEWELL FAMILY: STAN, MARY, AND DAVEY MORNING.

  DAVEY'S parents are still looking down at the place where the lighthouse stood (as if expecting an instant replay), but DAVEY is looking around, frowning.

  DAVEY

  Mrs. Kingsbury?

  MARY HOPEWELL

  191

  (hears him) Davey?

  DAVEY

  She was just here.

  246 STEPHEN KING

  JACK comes slogging along, now holding BUSTER by the hand.

  JACK Angie . . .?

  (to BUSTER)

  I guess Orv's right she must've gotten cold and gone back inside.

  Nearby are ALEX HABER and CAL FREESE.

  CAL

  (looking around) Hey, where's old George Kirby?

  259 EXTERIOR: THE ANDERSONS AND THE HATCHERS MORNING.

  Along the ragged line of ISLANDERS who have come out to watch the lighthouse go down, CAL

  and ALEX are calling for GEORGE KIRBY, JACK and BUSTER are calling for ANGELA, DAVEY

  HOPEWELL is calling for MRS. KINGSBURY, and a couple of other folks are calling for BILL the real name of MR. E-Z PUMP, one assumes.

  A kind of sick realization is dawning on MIKE'S face. He looks at HATCH and sees much the same look there. MIKE sets RALPHIE down and turns to the ragged line of ISLANDERS.

  MIKE Back inside! Everyone back inside!

  MOLLY Mike, what's wrong?

  f

  MIKE ignores her. He begins RUNNING down the line of ISLANDERS, looking frantic.

  MIKE Inside! Everybody! Now! And stay together!

  His fear communicates itself to the ISLANDERS, who begin to turn and go inside. ROBBIE comes over to MIKE.

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 247 ROBBIE

  What the hell's this?

  MIKE

  Maybe nothing. For now, just go inside. Take your wife and your boy and go inside.

  As he gets ROBBIE turned around and begins shepherding him back to SANDRA and DON, JACK

  CARVER comes floundering up through the snow, holding BUSTER.

  JACK

  (now beginning to be afraid) Michael, have you seen Angela? She was right here.

  ROBBIE begins to understand. He goes to SANDRA and BUSTER, suddenly not wanting them out of his sight.

  MIKE Take your boy on inside, Jack.

  192

  JACK But

  MIKE Go on, now. Do it.

  260 EXTERIOR: HATCH, ON THE SNOWFIELD BESIDE THE TOWN HALL.

  Around him, people are hurrying back to the side door. Most look fearful. HATCH ignores them, trying to look everywhere at once ... an impossible trick, given the thick snow.

  HATCH

  Mrs. Kingsbury? . . . George? . . . George Kirby? . . . Bill Timmons, where you at?

  He sees a BRIGHT SPLASH OF RED and goes to it. He picks up MRS. KINGSBURY'S hat, dusts the snow from it with his gloved hand, and looks at it gravely as MIKE comes up to him, herding people along. MIKE'S eyes also move everywhere. They are shepherds trying to guard a diminishing flock.

  248 STEPHEN KING

  MIKE takes the hat from HATCH and looks at it for a moment.

  MIKE

  Inside! Inside now! Stick together!

  261 INTERIOR: THE TOWN MEETING HALL, FEATURES JACK AND BUSTER.

  BUSTER

  Where's Mommy? We left Mommy outside! Daddy, we left Mommy outside!

  JACK

  (beginning to cry) 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.

  MOLLY

  Are you sure this is necessary?

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  STORM OF THE CENTURY 249

  MIKE

  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.

  MOLLY Fresh orange juice isn't worth risking that psychopath!

  MIKE

  He's not going to take on four of us.

  MOLLY

  Promise me you'll be careful.

  MIKE I promise.

  (shifts his attention to HATCH) Buddy system, right? No one gets left alone.

  HATCH Right. Be careful, you guys.

  SONNY

  You better believe it.

  As they turn away toward the Sno-Cat:

  MOLLY

  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.

  MOLLY

  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.

  MIKE

&nbs
p; (kisses her on the cheek) Consider it done.

  250 STEPHEN KING

  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.

  TAVIA

  HATCH

  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

  CENTER sign is lying on top of a ten-foot drift.

  194

  266 INTERIOR: THE SNO-CAT AFTERNOON.

  MIKE

  (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.

  MIKE Get back in and stay warm; I'll be fine!

  KIRK Buddy system, remember?

  He points into the Sno-Cat at HENRY and SONNY.

  KIRK

  We buddy up in there; they buddy up out here; we all buddy up together in the market.

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 251

  MIKE

  Okay . . . come on.

  I!

  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:

  CHILDREN AND SANDRA BEALS "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.

  252 STEPHEN KING

  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.

  Beyond them is a closed door with a plaque on it that reads CUSTODIAN.

  CHILDREN AND SANDRA

  "Here is my handle, here is my spout."

  195

  FERD ANDREWS comes down the stairs and stands next to ROBBIE.

  ROBBIE I hate that song.

  FERD

  Why?

  ROBBIE

  I just hate it. How's Jack Carver?

  FERD

  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.

  ROBBIE

  And if the search party didn't come back, what then? Send out another one?

  FERD

  Well ... we can't just sit here . . .

  ROBBIE

  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.

  FERD

  I was just thinkin' we ought to do somethin', Robbie . . .

  i I

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 253 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.

  FRANK BRIGHT

  What's wrong with Katrina Withers?

  SANDRA

  Nothing, Frankie . . . she's just tired . . . You kids, pick up a little, okay? Mr. Anderson'll be bringing back some new things to play with, I think, so just . . .

  DON

  196

  I'm not gonna pick up! My dad'll give me a doughnut!

  He dashes for the stairs.

  SANDRA

  Don! Don Beals! You come back and help the others

  RALPHIE 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.

  254 STEPHEN KING

  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.

  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.

  KIRK

  That it?

  MIKE 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.

  KIRK

  (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."

  KIRK

  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

  LINOGE (voice) Got something for you, big boy a present!

  RALPHIE reaches for the door . . . then hesitates.

  *

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 255

  197

  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.

  MIKE

  Jesus and the disciples in the country of the Gadarenes. Book of Mark. Oh my God.

  KIRK

  Huh?

  MIKE

  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 asked their names. And the thing inside said KIRK is watching him with increasing fright as MIKE manipulates the blocks.

  MIKE "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.

  256 STEPHEN KING

  LINOGE 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.

  t

  lift

  PART 3 The Reckoning

  Act 1

  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.

  198

  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.

  SONNY