STEPHEN KING
The Collective
A collection of Poems, Short Stories, and other
Works by Stephen King
Phantom Press
2000
AUTHOR'S NOTE
This collection is a work in progress. As more items are
discovered, they will be added. All items in this book are short
stories, poems, and other items published by Stephen king, but not
found in any book released by his publishing company at this point
in time. The purpose of this book is to have one archive for all of
the material.
xxXsTmXxx
THIS COPY IS DATED:
06/2000
FOR
PATTY
STEPHEN
KING
An Evening at GODs
A one minit play, 1990
DARK STAGE. Then a spotlight hits a papier-mache globe,
spinning all by itself in the middle of darkness. Little by little, the
stage lights COME UP, and we see a bare-stage representation of a
living room: an easy chair with a table beside it (there's an open
bottle of beer on the table), and a console TV across the room.
There's a picnic cooler-full of beer under the table. Also, a great
many empties. GOD is feeling pretty good. At stage left, there's a
door.
GOD a big guy with a white beard is sitting in the chair,
alternately reading a book (When Bad Things Happen to Good
People) and watching the tube. He has to crane whenever he wants
to look at the set, because the floating globe (actually hung on a
length of string, I imagine) is in his line of vision. There's a sitcom
on TV. Every now and then GOD chuckles along with the laugh-
track.
There is a knock at the door.
GOD (big amplified voice)
Come in! Verily, it is open unto you!
The door opens. In comes ST. PETER, dressed in a snazzy white
robe. He's also carrying a briefcase.
GOD
Peter! I thought you were on vacation!
ST. PETER
Leaving in half an hour, but I thought I'd bring the papers for you
to sign.
How are you, GOD?
GOD
Better. I should know better than to eat those chili peppers. They
burn me at both ends. Are those the letters of transmission from
hell?
ST. PETER
Yes, finally. Thank GOD. Excuse the pun.
He removes some papers from his briefcase. GOD scans them,
then holds out his hand impatiently, ST PETER has been looking
at the floating globe. He looks back, sees GOD is waiting, and puts
a pen in his out-stretched hand. GOD scribbles his signature. As he
does, ST. PETER goes back to gazing at the globe.
ST. PETER
So Earth's still there, Huh? After All these years.
GOD hands the papers back and looks up at it. His gaze is rather
irritated.
GOD
Yes, the housekeeper is the most forgetful bitch in the universe.
An EXPLOSION OF LAUGHTER from the TV. GOD cranes to
see. Too late.
GOD
Damm, was that Alan Alda?
ST. PETER
It may have been, sir I really couldn't see.
GOD
Me, either.
He leans forward and crushes the floating globe to powder.
GOD (inmensely satisfied)
There. Been meaning to do that for a long time. Now I can see the
TV..
ST. PETER looks sadly at the crushed remains of the earth.
ST. PETER
Umm... I believe that was Alan Alda's world, GOD.
GOD
So? (Chuckles at the TV) Robin Williams! I LOVE Robin
Williams!
ST. PETER
I believe both Alda and Williams were on it when
you..umm...passed Judgement, sir.
GOD
Oh, I've got all the videotapes. No problem. Want a beer?
As ST. PETER takes one, the stage-lights begin to dim. A spotlight
come up on the remains on the globe.
ST. PETER
I actually sort of liked that one, GOD Earth, I mean.
GOD
It wasn't bad, but there's more where that came from. Now let's
Drink to your vacation!
They are just shadows in the dimness now, although it's a little
easier to see GOD, because there's a faint nimbus of light around
his head. They clink bottles. A roar of laughter from the TV.
GOD
Look! It's Richard Pryor! That guy kills me! I suppose he was...
ST. PETER
Ummm... yessir.
GOD
Shit. (Pause) Maybe I better cut Down on my drinking. (Pause)
Still... It WAS in the way.
Fade to black, except for the spotlight on the ruins of the floating
globe.
ST. PETER
Yessir.
GOD (muttering)
My son got back, didn't he?
ST. PETER
Yessir, some time ago.
GOD
Good. Everything's hunky-dory, then.
THE SPOTLIGHT GOES OUT.
(Author's note: GOD'S VOICE should be as loud as possible.)
Before The Play
Stephen King
Copyright 1982 by Stephen King.
'Before the Play,' was first published in Whispers,
Vol. 5, No. 1-2, August 1982.
A BEDROOM IN THE WEE HOURS OF THE MORNING
Coming here had been a mistake, and Lottie Kilgallon didn't like to
admit her mistakes.
And I won't admit this one, she thought with determination as she
stared up at the ceiling that glimmered overhead
Her husband of 10 days slumbered beside hen Sleeping the sleep
of the just was how some might have put it. Others, more honest,
might have called it the sleep of the monumentally stupid. He was
William Pillsbury of the Westchester Pillsburys, only son and heir
of Harold M. Pillsbury, old and comfortable money. Publishing
was what they liked to talk about because publishing was a
gentleman's profession, but there was also a chain of New England
textile mills, a foundry in Ohio, and extensive agricultural holdings
in the South - cotton and citrus and fruit. Old money was always
better than nouveau riche, but either way they had money falling
out of their assholes. If she ever said that aloud to Bill, he would
undoubtedly go pale and might even faint dead away No fear, Bill.
Profanation of the Pillsbury family shall never cross my lips.
It had been her idea to honeymoon at the Overlook in Colorado,
and there had been two reasons for this. First, although it was
tremendously expensive (as the best resorts were), it was not a
"hep" place to go, and Lottie did not like to go to the hep places.
Where did you go on your honeymoon. Lottie? Oh, this perfectly,
wonderful resort hotel in Colorado - the Overlook. Lovely place.
Quite out of the way but so romantic. And her friends - whose
stupidity was exceeded in most cases only by that of William
Pillsbury- himself - would look at her in dumb - literally! - wonder.
Lottie had done it again.
Her second reason had been of more personal importance. She had
wanted to honeymoon at the Overlook because Bill wanted to go to
Rome. It was imperative to find out certain things as soon as
possible. Would she be able to have her own way immediately?
And if not, how long would it take to grind him down? He was
stupid, and he had followed her around like a dog with its tongue
hanging out since her debutante ball, but would he be as malleable
after the ring was slipped on as he had been before?
Lottie smiled a little in the dark despite her lack of sleep and the
bad dreams she had had since they arrived here. Arrived here, that
was the key phrase. "Here" was not the American Hotel in Rome
but the Overlook in Colorado. She was going to be able to manage
him just fine, and that was the important thing. She would only
make him stay another four days (she had originally planned on
three weeks, but the bad dreams had changed that), and then they
could go back to New York. After all, that was where the action
was in this August of 1929. The stock market was going crazy, the
sky was the limit, and Lottie expected to be an heiress to