Storm of the Century

by Stephen King

  MOLLY Thank God. Is he asleep, or

  MIKE I don't know.

  He scoops RALPH into his arms and stands up.

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  52 INTERIOR: THE BASEMENT DAY-CARE AREA, ANGLE ON THE STAIRS.

  ROBBIE has DONNIE in his arms now. He runs for the stairs, with his BEWILDERED, TERRIFIED

  wife tumbling along in his wake. His way is blocked by the SOAMESES; BETTY is just helping BURT

  to his feet. Also nearby are JOHNNY HARRIMAN, SONNY BRAUTIGAN, and UPTON BELL. But the SOAMESES, unlucky parents of the late BILLY, are ROBBIE'S first obstacle.

  ROBBIE

  (no great diplomat he) Outta my way!

  He shoves BURT, whose broken arm smashes against the side of the stairs. BURT SCREAMS

  AGAIN, and BETTY grabs him again. JOHNNY, outraged, blocks ROBBIE'S path.

  JOHNNY HARRIMAN

  Here, here, now! That's an old man you're pushing around! Where do you think you're going, anyway?

  ROBBIE Let me by! I have to get him to a doctor!

  SONNY

  Good luck to you, Robbie Beals closest one's across the reach in Machias, and the wind's blowin'

  a hurricane.

  ROBBIE looks at him, wide-eyed, some semblance of sanity dawning. SONNY is right, of course.

  SANDRA joins ROBBIE and brushes DONNIE'S hair gently back from his brow. BETTY SOAMES, hugging her WEEPING HUSBAND, glares at them.

  53 INTERIOR: THE BASEMENT DAY-CARE AREA, ANGLE ON THE ANDERSONS.

  MIKE is aware of the panic in the parents, which is bad, and the panic of the ISLANDERS in general, which could be even worse. He draws in a deep breath, and lets loose the LOUDEST SHOUT

  he can manage.

  MIKE

  Everybody JUST. . . SHUT. . . UP!!!

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  Some people in their immediate vicinity quiet down . . . and that quiet SPREADS OUTWARD. Only ROBBIE BEALS doesn't turn toward the constable, and by now that shouldn't much surprise us.

  ROBBIE

  Where's Ferd? He's got EMT training, at least . . . Ferd Andrews, where the hell are you?

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  FERD

  (lost in the back of the crowd) Here

  We see him struggling to get through.

  ROBBIE Get your ass down here! Folks, let him pass! My boy HATCH That's enough. Shut up.

  ROBBIE

  Don't you tell me to shut up, fatso. I've had all the crap out of you I'm going to take.

  The two men face each other, each with an UNCONSCIOUS CHILD in his arms, but ready to brawl, just the same.

  MIKE

  Stop it. Both of you. Robbie, I don't think Don's in any immediate danger. Or Pippa, or Ralphie, or any of them.

  URSULA has been kneeling over SALLY, keening to her. Now MOLLY whispers something in her ear, and URSULA stands up.

  MARY HOPEWELL Then . . . they're not dead?

  The ISLANDERS are all quiet now, watching and hoping. ANDY has got his son HARRY in his arms.

  JILL is standing next to them. Nearby, JACK is holding BUSTER while his wife the haggard, newly gray-haired ANGIE kisses the boy's cheek and whispers in his ear.

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  ANDY

  I think . . . he's sleeping.

  URSULA This isn't sleep. If they were asleep, we could wake them up.

  FERD

  (finally at the front of the crowd) Then what is it?

  MIKE I don't know.

  He looks down into RALPHIE'S serene face, as if trying to read whatever is happening behind the boy's closed eyes. THE CAMERA FOLLOWS HIS GAZE, moving in and in on RALPHIE'S face, from MEDIUM SHOT to CLOSE-UP, from CLOSE-UP to EXTREME CLOSE-UP. And as it does, we: SLOWLY DISSOLVE TO:

  54 EXTERIOR: BLUE SKY, WHITE CLOUDS DAY.

  The sky above is that DEEP, PENETRATING BLUE that we see only from airplanes. We are at about 22,000 feet above the surface of the earth. Below us, at 21,000 or so, is a WIDE DECK OF

  CLOUD an enormous ballroom floor in the sky. We can see tendrils of cloud smoking off the top of this deck and into the blue. Up where we are, all is sunlit and serene. Below, still driving like hell, is the Storm of the Century.

  A V-SHAPE becomes visible through the clouds, grayish against the white. It's like watching a submarine running just below the surface, or a plane about to break into the clear. You'd think

  "plane," given our location, but it isn't.

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  The V-SHAPE rises out of the clouds. At the tip of the V is LINOGE, dressed in his watch cap, pea coat, blue jeans, and yellow gloves. Ahead of him, leading the way like a lodestar, is the CANE.

  LINOGE holds his hands out to either side, slightly spread. Clinging to one is PIPPA HATCHER.

  Clinging to the other is RALPHIE ANDERSON. Clinging to the hands of these two are HEIDI and BUSTER; clinging to HEIDI'S and BUSTER'S are SALLY and DON; clinging to their hands and STORM OF THE CENTURY 297

  bringing up the rear are HARRY and little FRANK BRIGHT. Their hair flies back from their foreheads. Their clothes ripple. They are totally blissed out.

  LINOGE (calls back) Having fun, kids?

  KIDS

  Yeah . . . yeah . . . Cool. . . This is great!

  (etc.)

  55 EXTERIOR: LINOGE, CLOSE-UP.

  His eyes are BLACK, shot with TWISTING RED VEINS. When he smiles, he once more reveals those SHARPENED FANGS. The shadow of the CANE lies on his face like a scar. The KIDS think they have gone flying with a fabulous friend. We know the truth: they are in the grip of a monster.

  FADE TO BLACK. THIS ENDS ACT 2.

  Act 3

  56 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL NIGHT.

  It's still almost blotted out by the snowstorm, its few lights flickering bravely.

  57 EXTERIOR: THE GENERATOR SHED BEHIND THE TOWN HALL NIGHT.

  It's barely visible, almost buried by drifts, but it's impossible to mistake the ENGINE ROAR. Then the ENGINE COUGHS . . . SPUTTERS . . .

  58 EXTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL NIGHT. The lights flicker on and off . . .

  59 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL KITCHEN NIGHT.

  TESS MARCHANT, TAVIA GODSOE, and JENNA FREEMAN are taking BOXES OF CANDLES out of the supply closet adjacent to the pantry and stacking them on the kitchen counter. The overhead lights CONTINUE TO FLICKER. TAVIA and JENNA look up, nervous.

  TAVIA GODSOE (nervously, to TESS) Are we going to lose the generator, do you think?

  TESS

  Ayuh. It's a miracle it's run as long as 't 'as, with no one able to keep it dug out. Wind must have kept the exhaust pipe clear, but now it's shifted. In a way, that's good news. Means the storm's almost over.

  She hands several stacked boxes of candles to JENNA and gives more to TAVIA. She takes a third stack for herself.

  JENNA

  Main meeting hall?

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  TESS

  Ayuh, shoah Mike wants that ready first. There's a couple of emergency lights in there, but that isn't enough for him. Let's get as much done as we can while we can still see to do it, ladies.

  60 INTERIOR: A CORRIDOR LEADING TO THE FRONT OF THE TOWN HALL.

  Up ahead are URSULA GODSOE'S glassed-in office and the stairs going down to the basement. To the right is the main meeting hall, visible through the corridor windows. Through these we can see perhaps a hundred and twenty ISLANDERS, some grazing the buffet (scant provisions there by now), most sitting on benches and talking as they drink coffee.

  There are chairs lining the corridor; these are used in less disastrous times by people waiting their turn to do some bit of town business licensing a car, a dog, a boat; paying property tax; checking the voter rolls; perhaps renewing a commercial fishing or clamming permit. In these are sprawled another two dozen ISLANDERS, some talking quietly, some dozing. It's the storm they're waiting on now.

  TESS, TAVIA, and JENNA come hurrying along with their bounty of candles. Up ahead, HATCH


  comes out of URSULA'S office.

  HATCH

  I just caught a little bit of the latest NWS bulletin on the shortwave. They say we may see the moon tonight.

  TAVIA GODSOE

  That's wonderful.

  Those sitting in the hall like patients in a doctor's waiting room think so, too MANY APPLAUD, waking the dozers, who look around and ask what's up.

  TAVIA Where's Ursula, do you know?

  HATCH

  Downstairs, with Sally and the others. Sleeping, the last I saw. (pause) But not like the kids're sleeping. You know?

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  TAVIA

  Yes . . . but I'm sure they'll be all right. They'll wake up and be just fine.

  HATCH

  I hope you're right, Tavia Godsoe. Pray you're right.

  He goes downstairs. The THREE WOMEN watch him with deep sympathy, then go on their way. As they reach the stairs and turn right to go into the meeting hall, JOANNA STANHOPE comes up the stairs.

  JOANNA STANHOPE Can I help?

  TAVIA

  Go down to the kitchen and get the rest of the candles, if you want. I'm afraid we're going to lose the generator.

  TAVIA, TESS, and JENNA go into the town meeting hall. JOANNA (who has gotten over the shock 225

  of her unpleasant mother-in-law's death in record time) heads down to the kitchen.

  The overheads FLICKER, go out, then COME BACK ON again. The ISLANDERS sitting in the chairs along the walls of the corridor look up and MURMUR QUIETLY.

  61 INTERIOR: THE KIDS' SLEEPING AREA OF THE BASEMENT NIGHT.

  Except now it looks like Intensive Care in a children's hospital; this could be the aftermath of some hideous tragedy, like the shooting of all those kids in Scotland.

  URSULA has drawn a cot up next to SALLY'S and sleeps, holding both her daughter's hands in both of her own. MIKE and MOLLY are with RALPHIE, and MELINDA is with PIPPA, brushing her hair back from the child's brow. The ROBICHAUXES are with HARRY, the CARVERS are with BUSTER, the BRIGHTS are with FRANK, LINDA ST. PIERRE is with HEIDI. Next to her, also alone, is SANDRA BEALS. She's got a washcloth and is gently and lovingly wiping the doughnut crumbs from around DON'S mouth. Fast asleep as they are, you'd think them heaven's smallest angels. Even DON.

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  Sitting in the corner, hands clasped and PRAYING UNOBTRUSIVELY, is REV. BOB RIGGINS.

  HATCH slips through the makeshift draw curtains, then stops and looks up as the LIGHTS

  FLICKER AGAIN. They come back, and he comes over to the KIDS and PARENTS.

  HATCH (to MELINDA)

  Any change?

  (she shakes her head) Any change in any of them?

  MELINDA

  (soft, despairing)

  No.

  MOLLY

  But their respiration is normal, reflexes are normal, and if you roll back an eyelid, their pupils react to light. All that's good.

  HATCH sits next to MELINDA and looks closely into PIPPA'S face. He sees her eyelids TWITCH and MOVE.

  HATCH

  She's dreaming.

  MIKE They all are.

  MIKE and HATCH exchange a look, then HATCH glances toward SANDRA.

  HATCH Where's Robbie, Sandra?

  SANDRA Don't know.

  "And don't care," her tone implies. She goes on wiping at DONNIE'S

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  mouth. The crumbs are all gone now; she's only caressing him, loving him as best she can.

  62 INTERIOR: A TOWN MEETING HALL BENCH, WITH ROBBIE SEALS NIGHT.

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  He's sitting by himself elected official or not, few people care for ROBBIE on a personal level. In the background, people TALK TOGETHER. Some are helping TAVIA, TESS, and JENNA put up candles in the ornamental holders along the walls. ROBBIE is wearing a sport coat. Now he reaches into the right-hand pocket and brings out the PISTOL we saw in his possession in Part One. He holds it in his lap, looking at it thoughtfully.

  The overhead lights FLICKER OFF. The emergency lights on the walls FLICKER ON in corresponding pulses. People LOOK UP NERVOUSLY. The three WOMEN go a little faster with their candle placement. More folks drift over to help.

  ROBBIE isn't in a helpful mood and doesn't react to the imminent departure of the electric lights.

  He's off in his own little world, where thoughts of revenge are all that matter. He looks at the little gun a second or two longer, then tucks it back into his jacket pocket, where it will be near to hand.

  Then he goes on sitting and staring off into space. Just a pissed-off town manager waiting for LINOGE to show up.

  63 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL KITCHEN.

  JOANNA STANHOPE comes in and LOOKS UP UNEASILY as the LIGHTS FLICKER.

  64 EXTERIOR: THE GENERATOR SHED NIGHT.

  The engine COUGHS . . . SPUTTERS . . . and this time doesn't catch again. It CHOKES AWAY TO

  SILENCE, leaving only the HOWL OF THE WIND.

  65 INTERIOR: THE KIDS' SLEEPING AREA NIGHT.

  The overhead LIGHTS GO OUT. After a moment of BLACK, one FEEBLE EMERGENCY LIGHT comes on, shining from a box mounted high up on the wall at the very back of the room.

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  MIKE (to HATCH) Want to help with the candles?

  HATCH

  Honey?

  MELINDA Go ahead.

  MIKE and HATCH get up and leave.

  66 INTERIOR: THE TV AREA OF THE TOWN HALL BASEMENT NIGHT.

  MIKE and HATCH come out through the makeshift draw curtains and head for the stairs.

  HATCH

  Radio says the storm'll be pretty much over by midnight. If Linoge intends to do something MIKE

  I think you can pretty much count on that.

  67 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL KITCHEN, WITH JOANNA NIGHT.

  The kitchen is VERY DIM: there are two battery-powered emergency lights, but one is not working at all and the other is putting out the thinnest possible thread of YELLOW GLOW. As JOANNA starts across the room, it goes out entirely.

  JOANNA, now just a shadow among other shadows, makes her way past the table in the middle of the room to the counter. She bumps her hip and CRIES OUT SOFTLY more in impatience than in pain. She reaches the counter and takes one of the candles out of its box. There are also stacks of boxed wooden matches beside a cluster of candle-holders, and she uses a match to light her candle.

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  When the flame is high, she takes a holder and sticks the base of the candle on the prong.

  She takes the rest of the candles, stacking the boxes carefully in the crook of one arm, and turns.

  Lying on the table, which was all cleaned up for the night and quite bare when she came into the room, is LINOGE'S wolf's head cane.

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  JOANNA GASPS, TURNS . . . and LINOGE is standing right there, his smiling face underlit by her candle. It looks like the face of a goblin. She gasps, INHALING A SCREAM, and all the candles the lit one and the boxes of unlit ones drop from her hands. The lit one WHIFFS OUT, leaving her (and us) in SHADOWY DARKNESS once more.

  LINOGE

  Hello, Joanna Stanhope. Glad the old bitch is dead, aren't you? I did you a favor there, oh, ayuh.

  You kept a straight face, but inside you were dancing a jig. I know; I can smell it on you like musk.

  JOANNA begins to SCREAM this time the right way, with the breath going out. Then she claps both hands over her mouth before she can do more than get started. Above them, her eyes bulge in terror, and we know she didn't shut herself up of her own free will.

  LINOGE

  (tenderly) Shhhh . . . Shhh . . .

  68 INTERIOR: THE TOWN HALL CORRIDOR, FEATURING MIKE AND HATCH.

  The place is dim, lit by a couple of underpowered emergency lights on the wall, plus a few candles, flashlights . . . maybe even an upheld cigarette lighter or two. Through the windows, we can see the women lighting the meeting hall.

  STAN HOPEWELL What about the generator, Mike?

 
FIRST ISLANDER Is the power off for the rest of the storm, do you think?

  SECOND ISLANDER

  What about heat? They took the damn woodstove out three years ago! I told 'em it was a mistake, they'd want it come blizzard season either one year or the next, but nobody listens to the old-timers no more

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  MIKE

  (not stopping)

  We'll have plenty of light and heat, don't worry. And the worst of the storm will be over by midnight. Right, Hatch?

  HATCH

  Right.

  REV. BOB RIGGINS has followed MIKE and HATCH, falling a little behind on the stairs (RIGGINS is a portly soul) but now catching up.

  REV. BOB RIGGINS

  It's not light or heat these good people are worried about, Michael, and you know it.

  MIKE pauses in his march toward the kitchen and turns. All the WHISPERED CONVERSATIONS in the hallway cease. RIGGINS has touched a bare nerve, is speaking for everyone, saying what the 228

  rest can't, and MIKE knows it.

  REV. BOB RIGGINS

  When this fellow conies, Michael, we must give him what he wants. I've prayed on it, and this is the guidance the Lord has