“It allowed us to come up with a plan of attack how we could safely and effectively remove this very complex part attached to this little baby’s spine and end up with a healthy and happy child at the end of the day,” said Dr. Frank Vicari, a pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgeon at Advocate. The team staged a mock operation to figure out who would be doing what at specific parts of the procedure. On March 8, the team worked for six hours to remove the entirety of the parasitic twin. They had to be careful to disconnect any nerves and blood vessels so that Dominique wouldn’t sustain damage, numbness, or paralysis. Through extensive planning, they were even able to remove it all in one piece. She is now two pounds lighter.4
After a successful surgery, Dominique was able to return home to her family in Cote d’Ivoire. Her doctors believe she will no longer be hindered by her unusual condition.
Another true case of parasitic twins recently occurred in India. Similar to the fictional case of Thad Beaumont, an unnamed teenage girl was born and grew through childhood without any clue as to the interloper in her body. Like Thad, the teenager, who complained of a heavy abdomen and feeling “full,” was actually suffering from “fetus in fetu.” This is when the parasitic tissue is found inside the body and does not present externally. Journalist Diane Galistan explained the rare surgery for the International Business Times. “The lump on her abdomen had been steadily expanding over the last five years. When surgically removed, the mass was approximately two-thirds the size of a full-term baby. And was composed of hairy, cheesy material, multiple teeth, and structures resembling limb buds.”5
Scientists have varied opinions on whether fetus in fetu is the absorption of a twin in the embryonic stage or simply a teratoma, an advanced tumor consisting of hair, skin, and bone. Obviously, Stephen King fancied the former explanation in his weaving of the horrific story of Thad and George.
Fetus in fetu is estimated to occur in one in every five hundred thousand live births.
While science is abundant in The Dark Half, there is also fascinating folklore. This includes that of the psychopomp. Represented by sparrows in the novel, a psychopomp is a symbol or deity of crossing over, usually from life to death. Varying in form in different cultures, the psychopomp may be an angel, like in Islam, or come in the form of deceased family members, as in Filipino culture, where they are believed to stand at the end of the bed of the dying, waiting to usher them to the afterlife.
In Emily Dickinson’s iconic poem “I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died “(1896) a common housefly stands in as the psychopomp as the narrator struggles in the last moments of their life;
“There interposed a Fly—
With Blue—uncertain—stumbling Buzz—
Between the light—and me—
And then the Windows failed—and then
I could not see to see—”
Psychopomps are not always the connection between life and death. In Jungian philosophy, they are represented by a wise man, woman, or even animal, and they are there to assist you between consciousness and unconsciousness. This archetype could appear in dreams, or perhaps as a spiritual guide as you seek harmony in your mind. It is also important to note that humans can choose to be psychopomps themselves, as explained at psychopomps.org:
There is also a growing number of people who are once again learning how to fulfill the sacred role of the psychopomp. Some choose to offer their assistance in conjunction with their function as a hospice worker, or as a midwife to the dying. Others prefer to focus more on helping those who may be trapped in the spirit realms, and go by such titles as soul rescuer, death walker, spiritual guide, or shaman. There are also individuals who quietly offer aid to those in transition as they go about their routine jobs in hospitals, nursing homes, and other such locations.
The most well-known cultural icon of the psychopomp is the Grim Reaper, a nonjudgmental bringer of death who ferries the dying to wherever he or she is meant to go. Although the foreboding reaper with scythe in hand brings fear to whomever may see him, swarms of seemingly harmless birds, whether crows, sparrows, or others, are often seen as a similar bridge between our two worlds. The significance of the sparrows is explained to Thad by fellow professor Rawlie DeLesseps in his connection to George Stark, his inexplicably living twin. The sparrows have returned because Stark has come to the world where he does not belong, and must be brought back. Remember, Thad begins to hear the sparrows when his creative writing takes hold in youth, and again the insistent sound of wings and caws come when he tries to symbolically “kill” his alter-ego, signifying times of transition.
The reader finds out later in the book that when Thad goes under the knife as a child to remove the pesky tumor that has been causing his headaches and auditory hallucinations of sparrows, a swarm of real birds attacks the hospital as though directed by Alfred Hitchcock himself. Not only does the sound return to Thad as the novel continues and the bond between him and his dead twin strengthens, but at the climax of the novel sparrows cover the entirety of the Beaumont vacation home, killing George Stark and injuring the others with their sharp beaks and talons. The sparrows do their work, ushering the twin who was never meant to live back to the afterlife one painful peck at a time. Imagine if they carried small scythes like their Grim Reaper counterpart—even Stark would have to admit that would make a cute (though deadly) picture!
SECTION THREE
The 1990s
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Needful Things
Because of the vivid world Stephen King has created for his constant readers, there is much to know about Castle Rock. One of his three most famous fictional towns in Maine, along with Jerusalem’s Lot, and Derry, Castle Rock is a charming town of less than two thousand residents. It is about forty minutes from the state capitol, and is surrounded by the lush forests and lakes that vacationers have come to expect in Maine.
In the business district of Castle Rock, you may have a slice of pie at Nan’s Lunchette, or perhaps stop in for yarn at You Sew and Sew. However, as we’ve come to love King’s Maine, there is more than meets the eye. Castle Rock is the home to a murderous dog named Cujo, as well as the foreboding edifice of Shawshank Prison. So, when an antique shop named Needful Things announces its grand opening, both the residents, as well as the readers, know there is something special unfolding.
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks the joints. It is characterized by stiffness and often debilitating pain, particularly in the hands and wrists.
Shop proprietor Leland Gaunt is considered one of King’s most terrifying villains. Although at first glance he may look like a harmless old man, many people in Castle Rock are unnerved by both his stolid glance and the feel of his bony hand on their skin. As the novel continues, Gaunt’s evil nature is exposed, and by the climax, in which Sheriff Alan Pangborn must vanquish him from Castle Rock, it is clear that Leland Gaunt is either a demon, or the Devil himself.
Hungry for souls, Leland Gaunt has discovered a way to convince the unsuspecting residents to give them up. He simply offers them an item, a manifestation of what they desire. For Polly Chambers, it is a necklace that inexplicably heals her crippling rheumatoid arthritis. For eleven-year-old Brian Rusk, it is a priceless Sandy Koufax baseball card that will make his collection the best in town. One fascinating find is a supposed piece of Noah’s Ark, that when touched, makes the owner feel as if she is really there, perceiving the swaying of the ship and the murmur of the animals. Religious school teacher Sally Radcliffe easily gives up her soul, though she doesn’t consciously understand the trade, in order to get her hands on this splinter of religious history.