Read Storm of the Century for Free Online Page B
Authors: Stephen King
TERRIFIED FACE. There are RED SMEARS AND BLOTCHES all over it. Maybe we at first take these for blood.
THE CAMERA DRAWS BACK and we see the problem. PIPPA is halfway up a flight of stairs, and Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
has poked her head between two of the posts supporting the banister. Now she can’t get it back through. She’s still holding on to a piece of bread and jam, though, and we see that what we first took for blood is actually strawberry preserves.
Standing at the foot of the stairs below her, looking solemn, is a group of SEVEN SMALL
CHILDREN, ranging in age from three to five. One of the four-year-olds is RALPH ANDERSON, son of MIKE and MOLLY. Although we may not notice it at once (right now we’re more interested in PIPPA’S plight), RALPHIE has a birthmark on the bridge of his nose. It’s not hugely disfiguring or anything, but it’s there, like a tiny saddle.
RALPHIE
Pippa, can I have your bread, if you’re not going to eat it?
PIPPA
(shrieks)
NO-OOO-OO!
She begins to yank backward, trying to free herself, still holding on to her snack. It’s disappearing into her chubby little fist now, and she appears to be sweating strawberry jam.
22 INTERIOR: THE HALLWAY AND STAIRWELL OF THE ANDERSON HOUSE.
The phone is here, placed on a hallway table halfway between the stairs and the door. Using it is MOLLY ANDERSON, MIKE’S wife. She’s about thirty, pretty, and right now vacillating between amusement and fright.
MOLLY
Pippa, don’t do that, honey . . . just hold still . . .
MIKE (phone voice)
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Pippa? What about Pippa?
23 INTERIOR: BEHIND THE MEAT COUNTER, FEATURING HATCH.
His head snaps up in a hurry.
LINDA ST. PIERRE
Something about Pippa?
HATCH starts around the counter.
24 INTERIOR: RESUME HALLWAY, WITH MOLLY.
MOLLY
Be quiet! The last thing in the world I want is Alton Hatcher down on me.
25 INTERIOR: RESUME MARKET.
Steaming down Aisle 3, still wearing his hard hat, comes HATCH. All the smiling good humor has gone out of his face. He’s completely intent, a father back to front and top to bottom.
MIKE
Too late, babe. What’s up?
26 INTERIOR: THE HALLWAY, WITH MOLLY.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
She closes her eyes and GROANS.
MOLLY
Pippa’s got her head stuck in the stairs. It’s not serious--I don’t think--but I can’t deal with a big storm and a crazed daddy all on the same day. If Hatch comes, you be with him.
She hangs up the phone and heads back to the stairs.
MOLLY Pippa . . . honey . . . don’t pull that way. It’ll hurt your ears.
27 INTERIOR: THE STORE COUNTER, WITH MIKE, HATCH, CUSTOMERS.
MIKE looks at the phone, bemused, then hangs it up again. As he does, HATCH comes shouldering through the CUSTOMERS, looking worried.
HATCH
Pippa! What about Pippa?
MIKE
Got a little stuck-itis, I hear. Why don’t we go see?
28 EXTERIOR: MAIN STREET, IN FRONT OF THE STORE.
There’s slant parking here. The vehicle in the slot handiest to the store is a forest-green four-wheel drive with ISLAND SERVICES painted on the doors, and a police flasher-bar on the roof.
MIKE and HATCH come out of the store and hurry down the steps. As they approach: Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
HATCH
How upset did she sound, Mike?
MIKE
Molly? Point five on a scale of one to ten. Don’t worry.
A gust of wind strikes them, rocking them back on their heels. They look toward the ocean. We can’t see it, but we can hear the POUNDING WAVES.
HATCH
This is going to be one bad mother of a storm, isn’t it?
MIKE doesn’t answer. He doesn’t have to. They get into the Island Services truck and drive off.
29 EXTERIOR: THE MANNEQUIN ON THE STORE’S PORCH.
There’s another GUST OF WIND. The hanging lobster traps click together . . .
THE CAMERA DRAWS BACK and we see the problem. PIPPA is halfway up a flight of stairs, and Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
has poked her head between two of the posts supporting the banister. Now she can’t get it back through. She’s still holding on to a piece of bread and jam, though, and we see that what we first took for blood is actually strawberry preserves.
Standing at the foot of the stairs below her, looking solemn, is a group of SEVEN SMALL
CHILDREN, ranging in age from three to five. One of the four-year-olds is RALPH ANDERSON, son of MIKE and MOLLY. Although we may not notice it at once (right now we’re more interested in PIPPA’S plight), RALPHIE has a birthmark on the bridge of his nose. It’s not hugely disfiguring or anything, but it’s there, like a tiny saddle.
RALPHIE
Pippa, can I have your bread, if you’re not going to eat it?
PIPPA
(shrieks)
NO-OOO-OO!
She begins to yank backward, trying to free herself, still holding on to her snack. It’s disappearing into her chubby little fist now, and she appears to be sweating strawberry jam.
22 INTERIOR: THE HALLWAY AND STAIRWELL OF THE ANDERSON HOUSE.
The phone is here, placed on a hallway table halfway between the stairs and the door. Using it is MOLLY ANDERSON, MIKE’S wife. She’s about thirty, pretty, and right now vacillating between amusement and fright.
MOLLY
Pippa, don’t do that, honey . . . just hold still . . .
MIKE (phone voice)
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
Pippa? What about Pippa?
23 INTERIOR: BEHIND THE MEAT COUNTER, FEATURING HATCH.
His head snaps up in a hurry.
LINDA ST. PIERRE
Something about Pippa?
HATCH starts around the counter.
24 INTERIOR: RESUME HALLWAY, WITH MOLLY.
MOLLY
Be quiet! The last thing in the world I want is Alton Hatcher down on me.
25 INTERIOR: RESUME MARKET.
Steaming down Aisle 3, still wearing his hard hat, comes HATCH. All the smiling good humor has gone out of his face. He’s completely intent, a father back to front and top to bottom.
MIKE
Too late, babe. What’s up?
26 INTERIOR: THE HALLWAY, WITH MOLLY.
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
She closes her eyes and GROANS.
MOLLY
Pippa’s got her head stuck in the stairs. It’s not serious--I don’t think--but I can’t deal with a big storm and a crazed daddy all on the same day. If Hatch comes, you be with him.
She hangs up the phone and heads back to the stairs.
MOLLY Pippa . . . honey . . . don’t pull that way. It’ll hurt your ears.
27 INTERIOR: THE STORE COUNTER, WITH MIKE, HATCH, CUSTOMERS.
MIKE looks at the phone, bemused, then hangs it up again. As he does, HATCH comes shouldering through the CUSTOMERS, looking worried.
HATCH
Pippa! What about Pippa?
MIKE
Got a little stuck-itis, I hear. Why don’t we go see?
28 EXTERIOR: MAIN STREET, IN FRONT OF THE STORE.
There’s slant parking here. The vehicle in the slot handiest to the store is a forest-green four-wheel drive with ISLAND SERVICES painted on the doors, and a police flasher-bar on the roof.
MIKE and HATCH come out of the store and hurry down the steps. As they approach: Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
HATCH
How upset did she sound, Mike?
MIKE
Molly? Point five on a scale of one to ten. Don’t worry.
A gust of wind strikes them, rocking them back on their heels. They look toward the ocean. We can’t see it, but we can hear the POUNDING WAVES.
HATCH
This is going to be one bad mother of a storm, isn’t it?
MIKE doesn’t answer. He doesn’t have to. They get into the Island Services truck and drive off.
29 EXTERIOR: THE MANNEQUIN ON THE STORE’S PORCH.
There’s another GUST OF WIND. The hanging lobster traps click together . . .
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