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?
193
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
(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.