and shut the door against the storm.
265 EXTERIOR: THE ANDERSON HOUSE ON LOWER MAIN AFTERNOON.
The Sno-Cat pulls up in front. The picket fence is totally buried. The WEE FOLKS DAY-CARE
CENTER sign is lying on top of a ten-foot drift.
194
266 INTERIOR: THE SNO-CAT AFTERNOON.
MIKE
(to the others) Just be a minute.
He opens the door on his side and gets out.
267 EXTERIOR: OUTSIDE THE ANDERSON HOUSE, WITH MIKE AFTERNOON.
He slogs around the front of the Sno-Cat, bent over against the SNOW and WIND, and almost runs headlong into KIRK FREEMAN. Once more, they SHOUT over the WIND to be heard.
MIKE Get back in and stay warm; I'll be fine!
KIRK Buddy system, remember?
He points into the Sno-Cat at HENRY and SONNY.
KIRK
We buddy up in there; they buddy up out here; we all buddy up together in the market.
STORM OF THE CENTURY 251
MIKE
Okay . . . come on.
I!
They start slogging up what used to be a path to a porch wallowing under the drifts like a slowly sinking boat.
268 INTERIOR: CAT WITHERS, CLOSE-UP.
She sitting on a folding chair and looks pretty vacant. She's got a mug of something in one hand and a sweater pulled over her shoulders. She's still bombed on shock and tranquilizers.
In the background, children sing:
CHILDREN AND SANDRA BEALS 'I'm a little teapot, short and stout. ...'
CAT reacts to this, but doesn't overreact; she may not remember the song. THE CAMERA PULLS
BACK to show us the DAY-CARE KIDS. They are being monitored by ROBBIE and SANDRA BEALS buddy system. SANDRA is leading the singing and trying to look vivacious. ROBBIE sits on another wooden chair, looking almost as lost as CAT.
The KIDS are being teapots as they sing, they make handles of their arms and tug their noses to show they know where their spouts are.
252 STEPHEN KING
Around them at this end of the common room, which is between the stairs and the wall, is a litter of makeshift amusements: books, paste, magazines with lots of cutout pictures and scraps, a few toys.
Beyond them is a closed door with a plaque on it that reads CUSTODIAN.
CHILDREN AND SANDRA
'Here is my handle, here is my spout.'
195
FERD ANDREWS comes down the stairs and stands next to ROBBIE.
ROBBIE I hate that song.
FERD
Why?
ROBBIE
I just hate it. How's Jack Carver?
FERD
Quieted down some. It's just good the women got the kid away from him before he cracked.
(nods at BUSTER)
There ought to be a search party made up to look for Angela and them others. If Alton Hatcher won't lead it, you could.
ROBBIE
And if the search party didn't come back, what then? Send out another one?
FERD
Well ... we can't just sit here . . .
ROBBIE
Sure we can. And that's just what we're going to do. Sit here and wait out the storm. Pardon me, Ferd. I need a coffee.
Giving FERD a contemptuous look, ROBBIE gets to his feet and heads upstairs. FERD goes after him.
FERD
I was just thinkin' we ought to do somethin', Robbie . . .
i I
STORM OF THE CENTURY 253 THE CAMERA returns to CAT. Her eyes flicker. She sees: 269 INSERT: LINOGE'S CANE.
It SWINGS toward THE CAMERA, silver wolfs head seeming to SNARL.
270 INTERIOR: RESUME KIDS' PLAY AREA AFTERNOON.
CAT drops her mug and puts her hands over her face, beginning to SOB. The KIDS stop singing and turn to look at her. PIPPA and HEIDI start to sniffle in sympathy.
FRANK BRIGHT
What's wrong with Katrina Withers?
SANDRA
Nothing, Frankie . . . she's just tired . . . You kids, pick up a little, okay? Mr. Anderson'll be bringing back some new things to play with, I think, so just . . .
DON
196
I'm not gonna pick up! My dad'll give me a doughnut!
He dashes for the stairs.
SANDRA
Don! Don Beals! You come back and help the others
RALPHIE We don't need him. Monkeys can't pick up.
The others SNICKER that's a pretty good one. And when RALPHIE starts picking up the litter, the rest join in. SANDRA goes over and begins comforting CAT.
