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.
(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.
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!
(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?
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?
CHAPTER 23
Sure.
TAVIA
HATCH
He looks worried, though. They go back inside 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.
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