The one Daddy arrested. Except I don't think he's a bad man, Mom, because MOLLY sets RALPHIE down and sweeps him behind her so hard and fast that he almost falls over.
UPTON grabs the kid and hands him to JONAS STANHOPE and ANDY ROBICHAUX, who have pushed their way to the front of the semicircle of watching adults. MOLLY takes two steps into the doorway of the custodian's closet and looks at:
268 STEPHEN KING
10 INTERIOR: CUSTODIAN'S CLOSET, FROM MOLLY'S POINT OF VIEW.
There's plenty of cleaning gear on the shelves, plus the usual complement of brooms, mops, extra fluorescent lightbars, and there's no other exit. . . but there's no man.
11 INTERIOR: RESUME MOLLY.
She starts to turn back to RALPHIE, then stops as something catches her eye. She goes into the closet, instead.
12 INTERIOR: THE CUSTODIAN'S CLOSET, WITH MOLLY.
In the far corner is a piece of GREEN PAPER. It's a flyer for the Anderson's Market, advertising this week's specials. She picks it up and turns it over. Printed in red letters on the back is 'GIVE ME
205
WHAT I WANT AND I'LL GO AWAY.'
ANDY ROBICHAUX has stepped into the closet. She hands him the flyer.
MOLLY But what does he want?
ANDY can only shake his head. MOLLY leaves the closet.
13 INTERIOR: THE BASEMENT DAY-CARE AREA.
MOLLY goes to RALPHIE, who is standing with the other kids. They shrink back from him, thinking he's in trouble. RALPHIE looks up at his mom, clutching the little drawstring bag and hoping like mad that he's not in trouble.
MOLLY
Where did he go, Ralphie? Where did the man go?
RALPHIE peers past her, into the closet.
RALPHIE I
I don't know. He must have disappeared when I turned my I back. |
,*
DON
(from the stairs) There's no door in there for a guy to go out of, dumbkins.
STORM OF THE CENTURY 269 MOLLY
Shut up, Don Beals.
DON, unaccustomed to such real sharpness from MOLLY, shrinks back against his dad. ROBBIE
opens his mouth to say something reproving, then decides this might not be the best time.
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
