Storm of the Century Read online

  Everyone on the island!

  MOLLY takes the bag. As she starts to open the drawstring top, the man with the black shirt and turned-around collar under his sport coat steps forward and puts a hand on her shoulder. This is BOB RIGGINS, the minister.

  REV. BOB RIGGINS

  I don't think I'd open that, Mrs. Anderson. Given the dreams v we all had last night, and the possible nature of this . . . this

  man . . .

  MOLLY

  No, I suppose you wouldn't, Reverend Riggins. But since he's had his filthy hands on my son twice . . .

  She opens the bag and looks in. The others watch breathlessly. MOLLY sees a child's cap nearby and dumps the contents of the drawstring bag into it.

  FRANK BRIGHT (coming closer to peek) Hey, neat!

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  Not surprising he thinks so; it's a present any little kid would like. THE CAMERA MOVES IN for a closer look. In the hat are almost a dozen stones as smooth and round as marbles. All of them are white except for one. The odd one is BLACK shot through with TWISTS OF RED, and should remind us of LINOGE'S eyes.

  MOLLY looks up and meets MELINDA HATCHER'S eyes. Neither of them know what RALPHIE'S

  "present" means, but MELINDA pulls PIPPA closer to her, needing to be comforted by her daughter's presence.

  14 EXTERIOR: THE INTERSECTION OF MAIN AND ATLANTIC AFTERNOON.

  Slowly, fighting for every foot it makes through the storm, comes the Sno-Cat, bound back to the town hall from the market.

  15 INTERIOR: THE SNO-CAT AFTERNOON.

  The four men MIKE, SONNY, HENRY, and KIRK are wedged tightly into the cab. The groceries are in the cargo compartment behind them. The men are grim-faced, shaken by what they have seen. They ride in silence, jouncing through the drifts for a while. Then, at last: 207

  SONNY

  Just ole Mrs. K. None of the others. Where do you suppose they are? George and Angie and Bill Timmons?

  (no one answers) How did he get her down there?

  (no one answers) Where's the dummy? Anybody see that in the store?

  (no answer) How'd he get her down there in this?

  HENRY

  Let it go, Sonny.

  For a moment or two, SONNY does. Then he turns to MIKE.

  SONNY

  Why is this happening? You're lay reader for Reverend Riggins down at the Methodist church, always got a quote from the Good Book handy you must have some idea why this is happening.

  272 STEPHEN KING

  MIKE thinks about it, guiding the Sno-Cat through the desolate white driftscape that used to be Main Street.

  MIKE

  You know the story about Job? In the Bible? (SONNY and the others nod) Well, here's the part that never got written down. After the contest for Job's soul is over and God wins, Job gets down on his knees and says, "Why did you do this to me, God? All my life I worshipped you, but You destroyed my livestock, blighted my crops, killed my wife and my children, and gave me a hundred horrible diseases ... all because You had a bet going with the devil? Well, okay . . . but what I want to know, Lord all your humble servant wants to know is Why me? So he waits, and just when he's about made up his mind God isn't going to answer, a thunderhead forms in the sky, and lightning flashes, and this voice calls down: "Job! I guess there's just something about you that pisses me off."

  SONNY, HENRY, and KIRK look at MIKE, not knowing what to think. SONNY actually looks dumbfounded.

  MIKE Does that help you?

  (no answer from the others) Me, either.

  SOUND, FAINT: RHYTHMIC BLASTS OF THE HORN.

  KIRK

  Still lookin' for 'em.

  SONNY

  (thinking of Mrs. K.) Good luck.

  16 EXTERIOR: MAIN STREET, WITH THE SNO-CAT AFTERNOON.

  Slow but steady wins the race. They haven't reached the town hall yet, but it's starting to appear that they will make it.

  SOUND: THE HORN.

  208

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 273

  17 EXTERIOR: BESIDE THE TOWN HALL, WITH THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE AFTERNOON.

  FERD is now in the passenger seat, while HATCH hits the horn in those LONG BLASTS. JACK

  CARVER is lurching in frantic circles around the truck, tumbling into drifts, picking himself up, peering into the HOWLING BLIZZARD.

  JACK

  Angle! Angle, over here!

  He has screamed himself hoarse, but he can't give up. At last he stumbles back to the open driver's side window of the vehicle, doubled over and gasping for breath. His face is red and running with sweat that has already frozen to a cruel glaze from the corners of his lips all the way down to his chin.

  HATCH Get in, Jack warm up.

  JACK

  No! She's out here someplace. Keep hitting that horn!

  18 INTERIOR: ANGLE ON FERD, IN THE PASSENGER SEAT.

  He sits up, eyes widening, as the conversation continues to his left. He can't believe what he's seeing.

  HATCH

  You better sit down before you fall down.

  JACK

  (snarling)

  My wife's out there and she's alive I can feel it. So you just keep working that horn!

  HATCH Jack, I really don't think

  FERD raises a hand that trembles with excitement. His face is incredulous.

  274 STEPHEN KING

  FERD

  Hatch . . . Jack! Look!

  19 EXTERIOR: THE SNOWFIELD, FROM THE ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE'S POINT OF VIEW.

  It's a SCREAMING WHITEOUT ... but a FIGURE is LURCHING AND STUMBLING around in the flying murk. It could be the figure of a WOMAN.

  20 EXTERIOR: RESUME ISLAND SERVICES VEHICLE, WITH JACK, HATCH, AND FERD. JL

  HATCH Dear God. Oh, my dear God, is that one of 'em?

  FERD

  I can't tell.

  209

  JACK

  (transported with hope) ANGIEU!

  He begins to STUMBLE toward the looming, indistinct figure. He falls, rolls in the snow, and lunges to his feet again. Behind him, HATCH gets out of the truck. In the background, FERD is doing the same on his side.

  HATCH

  Jack! Wait! That might not be-But it's useless. JACK is already melting into the snow himself, closing in on that WAVERING, STUMBLING FIGURE. HATCH starts after him. So does FERD.

  21 EXTERIOR: JACK CARVER AFTERNOON.

  He somehow keeps moving forward, CRYING HIS WIFE'S NAME over and over. HATCH can't keep up, and FERD is running a dead last. But now we can see that figure is a woman. As JACK closes in, the WOMAN falls herself, going facedown in the snow.

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 275 JACK

  Angie! Honey!

  The WOMAN works to get to her feet, moving with the mechanical determination of a clockwork figure. And as she finally makes it, we see that it really is ANGIE CARVER ... but what a change!

  BUSTER'S pretty mom is a thing of the past. This lurching, blank-faced creature looks seventy instead of twenty-eight, and the hair flying out behind her has GONE GRAY. Her eyes stare straight ahead through the snow, taking no notice of her husband. Her snow-coated face is PALE AND LINED.

  JACK

  (embraces her)

  Angie! Honey! Oh, Angie, we been looking for you! Buster's so worried, honey!

  He covers her face with kisses as he talks, constantly giving her little strokes and pats and touches, the way a parent will do with a child who has just had a close call. At first, JACK is so relieved that he doesn't realize she isn't responding. Then it starts to get through to him.

  JACK Angie? Honey?

  He draws back, really seeing her for the first time seeing the glazed blankness in her eyes and seeing the gray hair that used to be black. He reacts with HORROR AND AMAZEMENT.

  HATCH comes stumbling up, badly winded. FERD is bringing up the rear. And now we hear the RUMBLE of the Sno-Cat, returning from its marketing expedition.

  JACK

  J/V^JV

  Angie, what happened to you? W
hat's wrong?

  He looks at HATCH, but there's no help there. HATCH is also stunned by the change in her; so's FERD. JACK turns back to his wife and takes her by the shoulders.

  JACK

  What happened, Ange? What did he do to you? Where did he take you? Where are the others, do you know?

  276 STEPHEN KING

  210

  A large YELLOW EYE looms out of the snow the headlamp of the Sno-Cat. ANGIE sees it, and as MIKE pulls up, it seems to break her loose from the deep daze she's been in. Her gaze moves to her husband and begins to fill with frantic FEAR.

  ANGIE

  We have to give him what he wants.

  JACK What, honey? I couldn't hear you.

  HATCH

  (he heard just fine) Linoge?

  The doors of the Sno-Cat open. MIKE and the others get out and begin floundering toward HATCH, FERD, and the CARVERS. ANGIE takes no notice. She stares only at JACK, and when she speaks, she does so with RISING HYSTERIA.

  ANGIE

  Linoge, yes, him. We have to give him what he wants, he sent me back to tell you. That's the only reason he didn't let me fall so I'd tell you. We have to give him what he wants! Do you understand? We have to give him what he wants!

  MIKE takes her by the shoulder and turns her toward him.

  MIKE What does he want, Angela? Did he tell you?

  At first she doesn't answer. They cluster around her, waiting, anxious.

  ANGIE

  He said he'll tell us tonight. He said we're going to have a special town meeting, and he'll tell us then. He said that if some folks don't want to go along . . . don't want to do what's best for the town

  . . . that they should be reminded of the dreams we had last night. That they should be reminded of what happened in Roanoke. That they should remember Croaton, whatever that is.

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 277

  MIKE

  (perhaps to himself) His name, maybe. His real name.

  ANGIE

  (turns back to JACK) Take me inside. I'm freezing. And I want to see Buster.

  JACK

  Sure.

 

  He puts an arm around her and leads her slowly back toward the town hall. MIKE goes to HATCH.

  MIKE Any sign of Bill Timmons or George Kirby?

  HATCH

  No. Janie Kingsbury, either.

  MIKE Jane Kingsbury's dead.

  211

  (to SONNY) Take it in, would you?

  SONNY climbs up into the cab of the Sno-Cat and revs the engine. MIKE and HATCH start to walk toward the town hall, MIKE telling HATCH about MRS. K.

  22 EXTERIOR: THE SIDE OF THE TOWN HALL, HIGH ANGLE AFTERNOON.

  From here, we can barely see the line of ISLANDERS; trudging slowly back to the buildings through the drifts, they look like ants on safari across a desert of sugar. The Sno-Cat, piloted by SONNY BRAUTIGAN, drives slowly past them toward the building. We hold on this, then: FADE TO BLACK. THIS ENDS ACT 1.

  Act 2

  23 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN DOCK VERY LATE AFTERNOON.

  Well . . . where the town dock used to be. The tide is rising again, and MONSTER WAVES pound at the shore. We see overturned boats, splintered lobster traps, shattered chunks of piling, tattered skeins of netting.

  24 EXTERIOR: THE HEADLAND VERY LATE AFTERNOON.

  The ocean ebbs and flows over the FALLEN LIGHTHOUSE. One wave ROLLS IN and deposits something beside the shattered circular window of the control room.

  25 EXTERIOR: OUTSIDE THE CONTROL ROOM LATE AFTERNOON.

  It's the waterlogged body of old GEORGE KIRBY. There's a GROWING ROAR as the next wave comes in and pulls the body away.

  26 EXTERIOR: THE BUSINESS SECTION OF TOWN LATE AFTERNOON.

  The storm is still howling away, and now the business buildings are buried halfway to the tops of their show windows.

  27 INTERIOR: THE DRUGSTORE LATE AFTERNOON.

  The show windows are all shattered, the holes filled with avalanches of snow that stretch halfway down the aisles.

  28 INTERIOR: THE HARDWARD STORE LATE AFTERNOON.

  Like the drugstore, the aisles are full of snow. Near the cash registers is a display of lawnmowers buried to their gas caps in snow. The sign in front of them is barely readable: LAWNMOWER SALE!

  GEAR UP FOR

  SUMMER NOW!

  I

  29 INTERIOR: THE ISLAND BEAUTY SHOP.

  It's also full of snow. The hair dryers stand like frozen Martians.

  1

  278

  STORM OF THE CENTURY 279

  Written across the mirror is "GIVE ME WHAT I WANT AND I'LL GO AWAY."

  30 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL LATE AFTERNOON.

  212

  We can barely see it, partially because of the SCREAMING BLIZZARD, but mostly because night is getting ready to fall.

  31 INTERIOR: THE BASEMENT DAY-CARE AREA LATE AFTERNOON.

  The KIDS are sitting in a circle. In the middle is CAT WITHERS, reading a book called The Little Puppy (a great favorite of DANNY TORRANCE'S, once upon a time).

  CAT

  So the little puppy said, "I know where my ball must be. That mean little boy put it in his pocket and took it away. But I can find it, because my nose is "

  . SALLY GODSOE

  (sings) "I'm a little teapot ..."

  CAT

  Sally, honey, you shouldn't be singing now. This is storytime.

  CAT'S a little freaked, although she can't quite remember what it is about that nonsense ditty that is so unpleasant. SALLY pays no attention to her in any case, goes right on singing. RALPHIE

  joins in. HEIDI adds her voice, then BUSTER and PIPPA, FRANK BRIGHT and HARRY ROBICHAUX do the same. Soon all the children are singing, even DON BEALS.

  KIDS

  ". . . short and stout. . . ."

  They stand up. They show their handles and spouts at the appropriate moments. CAT looks at them with growing unease. JOANNA STANHOPE, MOLLY, and MELINDA HATCHER join her.

  MELINDA

  What's going on?

  280 STEPHEN KING

  CAT I don't know ... I guess they want to sing.

  KIDS

  ". . . Here is my handle, here is my spout. You can pick me up and pour me out. . . . I'm a little teapot, short and stout."

  MOLLY doesn't like it. There's a shelf with a few books on it to her right. Also on it is the chamois bag with the MARBLES in it. MOLLY glances at this, then goes quietly upstairs.

  f

  32 INTERIOR: THE TOWN MEETING HALL AFTERNOON.

  ANGIE CARVER is sitting on one of the front benches. She has been bundled into a warm, quilted housecoat, and there's a towel over her wet hair. JACK sits solicitously beside her, helping her with a cup of steaming broth. She can't seem to manage it herself, because her hands are shaking badly.

  Sitting on the edge of the stage, facing her, is MIKE ANDERSON. Behind them, on the other benches (and on the edge of their seats, you could say) are most of Little Tail's storm refugees.

  HATCH weaves his way to the front among them, and sits down next to MIKE. HATCH looks pretty well exhausted.

  HATCH

  213

  (eyeing the onlookers) You want me to move them out?

  MIKE

  Think you could?

  He's got a point, and HATCH knows it. MOLLY comes in, slips through the crowd, goes to MIKE, and sits beside him on the stage, attempting to have a private moment in a very public place.

  MOLLY

  (low) The kids're acting funny.

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  MIKE (also low) Funny how?

  MOLLY

  Singing. Cat was reading them a story, and they just stood up and started singing.

  (sees MIKE'S puzzlement) I know it doesn't sound like much . . .

  MIKE

  If you say it's funny, it's funny. I'll come and take a look as soon as I finish here.

  He tips his eyes in ANGIE'S direction. ANGIE speaks . . . but not to MIKE or JACK or anyone
in particular.

  ANGIE

  Now I know how easy it is to just get. . . yanked out of the world. I wish I didn't, but I do.

  JACK offers her the cup of broth again, but when ANGIE puts her hands on it, they're shaking so badly she spills it and CRIES OUT when the liquid scalds her. MOLLY takes a handkerchief from her pocket, sits down beside her, and wipes the hot broth from her fingers. ANGIE looks at her gratefully and takes MOLLY'S hand. She grips it hard. It's comfort she needs, not a cleanup.

  ANGIE

  I was just standing there, you see, watching the lighthouse. And then ... I was his.

  MOLLY

  Shhh. It's over.

  ANGIE

  I feel like I'll never be warm again. I've burned my fingers . . . see, they're red . . . but they're still cold. I feel like he turned me to snow.