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."
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
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.
271 INTERIOR: ISOLATE ON RALPHIE.
He works his way a little apart from the others, picking up magazines. He's moving toward the door marked CUSTODIAN, and when it COMES OPEN, he looks up.
254 STEPHEN KING
LINOGE (voice) Ralphie! Hey, big boy!
The others do not hear, but RALPHIE does.
272 INTERIOR: WEE FOLKS DAY-CARE CENTER, WITH MIKE AND KIRK.
KIRK has an armload of games and those kid puzzles with the great big pieces. MIKE has the Slip-Stix and a few other simple crafts.
KIRK
That it?
MIKE Yep, should do. Let's . . .
Something catches his eye. It's a scatter of alphabet blocks on a low worktable. MIKE kneels beside it, looks thoughtfully at the blocks, then begins to pull some of them together into a line.
KIRK
(over to have a look) What you doing?
MIKE has used six of the blocks to spell out "LINOGE." He looks at them, then swaps them around to make "NILOGE." No, that's nonsense. Next comes "GONILE."
KIRK
Go Nile. Sounds like an ad for a vacation in Egypt.
273 INTERIOR: THE KIDS' PLAY AREA.
SANDRA is busy with CAT, and the other kids have grouped together around some baskets in the corner, where they stow the toys, books, and magazines. They are having a good time. No one notices RALPHIE as he gets up and walks hesitatingly toward the half-open door of the custodian's closet. |K
LINOGE (voice) Got something for you, big boy a present!
RALPHIE reaches for the door . . . then hesitates.
*
STORM OF THE CENTURY 255
LINOGE (voice)
(teasing) Not afraid, are you?
RALPHIE reaches for the door again, this time more decisively.
274 INTERIOR: WEE FOLKS DAY-CARE, WITH MIKE AND KIRK.
KIRK is interested