the playground； and the steel mesh was jingling with a kind of nightmare music；
like a spectral zither。 Even from here he could hear the sounds of the close…set
twigs and branches which made up its body cracking and crunching like breaking
bones。
〃Dick！ Dick！〃 Danny cried out。 He was trying to support his mother； help her
over to the snowmobile。 The clothes he had carried out for the two of them were
scattered between where they had fallen and where they now stood。 Hallorann was
suddenly aware that the woman was in her nightclothes； Danny jacketless； and it
was no more than ten above zero。
（my gad she's in her bare feet）
He struggled back through the snow； picking up her coat； her boots； Danny's
coat； odd gloves。 Then he ran back to them； plunging hip…deep in the snow from
time to time； having to flounder his way out。
Wendy was horribly pale； the side of her neck coated with blood； blood that
was now freezing。
〃I can't；〃 she muttered。 She was no more than semiconscious。 〃No； I 。。。
can't。 Sorry。〃
Danny looked up at Hallorann pleadingly。
〃Gonna be okay；〃 Hallorann said； and gripped her again。 〃e on。〃
The three of them made it to where the snowmobile had slewed around and
stalled out。 Hallorann sat the woman down on the passenger seat and put her coat
on。 He lifted her feet up — they were very cold but not frozen yet — and rubbed
them briskly with Danny's jacket before putting on her boots。 Wendy's face was
alabaster pale； her eyes halflidded and dazed； but she had begun to shiver。
Hallorann thought that was a good sign。
Behind them； a series of three explosions rocked the hotel。 Orange flashes lit
the snow。
Danny put his mouth close to Hallorann's ear and screamed something。
〃What？〃
〃I said do you need that？〃
The boy was pointing at the red gascan that leaned at an angle in the snow。
〃I guess we do。〃
He picked it up and sloshed it。 Still gas in there； he couldn't tell how much。
He attached the can to the back of the snowmobile； fumbling the job several
times before getting it right because his fingers were going numb。 For the first
time he became aware that he'd lost Howard Cottrell's mittens。
（i get out of this i gonna have my sister knit you a dozen pair； howie）
〃Get on！〃 Hallorann shouted at the boy。
Danny shrank back。 〃We'll freeze！〃
〃We have to go around to the equipment shed！ There's stuff in there 。。。
blankets 。。。 stuff like that。 Get on behind your mother！〃
Danny got on； and Hallorann twisted his head so he could shout into Wendy's
face。
〃Missus Torrance！ Hold onto me！ You understand？ Hold on！〃
She put her arms around him and rested her cheek against his back。 Hallorann
started the snowmobile and turned the throttle delicately so they would start up
without a jerk。 The woman had the weakest sort of grip on him； and if she
shifted backward； her weight would tumble both her and the boy off。
They began to move。 He brought the snowmobile around in a circle and then they
were traveling west parallel to the hotel。 Hallorann cut in more to circle
around behind it to the equipment shed。
They had a momentarily clear view into the Overlook's lobby。 The gasflame
ing up through the shattered floor was like a giant birthday candle； fierce
yellow at its heart and blue around its flickering edges。 In that moment it
seemed only to be lighting； not destroying。 They could see the registration desk
with its silver bell； the credit card decals； the old…fashioned； scrolled cash
register； the small figured throw rugs； the highbacked chairs； horsehair
hassocks。 Danny could see the small sofa by the fireplace where the three nuns
had sat on the day they had e up — closing day。 But this was the real closing
day。
Then the drift on the porch blotted the view out。 A moment later they were
skirting the west side of the hotel。 It was still light enough to see without
the snowmobile's headlight。 Both upper stories were flaming now； and pennants of
flame shot out the windows。 The gleaming white paint had begun to blacken and
peel。 The shutters which had covered the Presidential Suite's picture window —
shutters Jack had carefully fastened as per instructions in mid…October — now hung
in flaming brands； exposing the wide and shattered darkness behind them； like a
toothless mouth yawing in a final； silent deathrattle。
Wendy had pressed her face against Hallorann's back to cut out the wind； and
Danny had likewise pressed his face against his mother's back； and so it was
only Hallorann who saw the final thing； and he never spoke of it。 From the
window of the Presidential Suite he thought he saw a huge dark shape issue；
blotting out the snowfield behind it。 For a moment it assumed the shape of a
huge； obscene manta； and then the wind seemed to catch it； to tear it and shred
it like old dark paper。 It fragmented； was caught in a whirling eddy of smoke；
and a moment later it was gone as if it had never been。 But in those few seconds
as it whirled blackly； dancing like negative motes of light； he remembered
something from his childhood 。。。 fifty years ago； or more。 He and his brother
had e upon a huge nest of ground wasps just north of their farm。 It had been
tucked into a hollow between the earth and an old lightning…blasted tree。 His
brother had had a big old niggerchaser in the band of his hat； saved all the way
from the Fourth of July。 He had lighted it and tossed it at the nest。 It had
exploded with a loud bang； and an angry； rising hum — almost a low shriek — had
risen from the blasted nest。 They had run away as if demons had been at their
beels。 In a way； Hallorann supposed that demons had been。 And looking back over
his shoulder； as he was now； he had on that day seen a large dark cloud of
hornets rising in the hot air； swirling together； breaking apart； looking for
whatever enemy had done this to their home so that they — the single group
intelligence — could sting it to death。
Then the thing in the sky was gone and it might only have been smoke or a
great flapping swatch of wallpaper after all； and there was only the Overlook； a
flaming pyre in the roaring throat of the night。
* * *
There was a key to the equipment shed's padlock on his key ring； but Hallorann
saw there would be no need to use it。
The door was ajar； the padlock hanging open on its hasp。
〃I can't go in there；〃 Danny whispered。
〃That's okay。 You stay with your mom。 There used to be a pile of old
horseblankets。 Probably all moth…eaten by now； but better than freezin to death。
Missus Torrance； you still with us？〃
〃I don't know；〃 the wan voice answered。 〃I think so。〃
〃Good。 I'll be just a second。〃
〃e back as quick as you can；〃 Danny whispered。 〃Please。〃
Hallorann nodded。 He had trained the headlamp on the door and now he
floundered through the snow； casting a long shadow in front of himself。 He
pushed the equipment shed door open and stepped in。 The horseblankets were still
in the corner； by the roque set。 He picked up four of them — they sme