MOLLY kneels in front of her son as she did in front of PIPPA and for the first time sees what he has a finely made little bag of chamois leather.
MOLLY What's this, Ralphie?
RALPHIE
It's a present. He gave me a present. That's why I don't think he can be a bad man like on TV, because bad men don't give kids presents.
MOLLY looks at the bag as if it might be a bomb, but she remains calm and soothing. She has to be. RALPHIE doesn't know what the deal is here, but he can see the faces surrounding him and feel the atmosphere in the room. The poor kid is on the verge of tears.
MOLLY (takes the bag) What is it? Let Mommy s
JOANNA STANHOPE
(near hysterics)
Don't open it! Don't open it, it might be a bomb, it could explode!
JONAS Be quiet, Joanie!
Too late. A couple of the kids HEIDI and SALLY, perhaps start to sniffle. All the adults take a 206
step backward. We are seeing the leading edge of an ugly, building hysteria here. But given all that's happened, who can blame these people for being a bit hysterical?
270 STEPHEN KING
CAT
Don't, Molly don't.
MOLLY looks at the bag. Its bottom hangs down in a teardrop shape, weighted by whatever is inside it. Perhaps she touches its lowest-hanging curve.
RALPHIE It's all right, Mom don't be scared.
MOLLY You know what this is, Ralphie? You've looked?
RALPHIE
Sure! We even had a game, me and Mr. Linoge. He says those are special, the most special in the world. And he said I should share them, because they're not just for me; they're for everyone.
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!
STORM OF THE CENTURY 271
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