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
