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gobbled them while looking out the window； then went in to kiss his mother； who
was lying down。 She suggested that he stay in and watch 〃Sesame Street〃 — the
time would pass faster — but he shook his head firmly and went back to his place
on the curb。
Now it was five o'clock； and although he didn't have a watch and couldn't tell
time too well yet anyway； he was aware of passing time by the lengthening of the
shadows； and by the golden cast that now tinged the afternoon light。
Turning the glider over in his hands； he sang under his breath： 〃Skip to m
Lou； n I don't care 。。。 skip to m Lou； n I don't care 。。。 my master's gone
away 。。。 Lou； Lou； skip to In Lou。。。〃
They had sung that song all together at the Jack and Jill Nursery School he
had gone to back in Stovington。 He didn't go to nursery school out here because
Daddy couldn't afford to send him anymore。 He knew his mother and father worried
about that； worried that it was adding to his loneliness （and even more deeply；
unspoken between them； that Danny blamed them）； but he didn't really want to go
to that old Jack and Jill anymore。 It was for babies。 He wasn't quite a big kid
yet； but he wasn't a baby anymore。 Big kids went to the big school and got a hot
lunch。 First grade。 Next year。 This year was someplace between being a baby and
a real kid。 It was all right。 He did miss Scott and Andy…mostly Scott…but it was
still all right。 It seemed best to wait alone for whatever might happen next。
He understood a great many things about his parents； and he knew that many
times they didn't like his understandings and many other times refused to
believe them。 But someday they would have to believe。 He was content to wait。
It was too bad they couldn't believe more； though； especially at times like
now。 Mommy was lying on her bed in the apartment； just about crying she was so
worried about Daddy。 Some of the things she was worried about were too grown…up
for Danny to understand…vague things that had to do with security； with Daddy's
selfimage feelings of guilt and anger and the fear of what was to bee of
them…but the two main things on her mind right now were that Daddy had had a
breakdown in the mountains （then why doesn't he call？） or that Daddy had gone
off to do the Bad Thing。 Danny knew perfectly well what the Bad Thing was since
Scotty Aaronson； who was six months older； had explained it to him。 Scotty knew
because his daddy did the Bad Thing； too。 Once； Scotty told him； his daddy had
punched his mom right in the eye and knocked her down。 Finally； Scotty's dad and
mom had gotten a DIVORCE over the Bad Thing； and when Danny had known him；
Scotty lived with his mother and only saw his daddy on weekends。 The greatest
terror of Danny's life was DIVORCE； a word that always appeared in his mind as a
sign painted in red letters which were covered with hissing； poisonous snakes。
In DIVORCE； your parents no longer lived together。 They had a tug of war over
you in a court （tennis court？ badminton court？ Danny wasn't sure which or if it
was some other； but Mommy and Daddy had played both tennis and badminton at
Stovington； so he assumed it could be either） and you had to go with one of them
and you practically never saw the other one； and the one you were with could
marry somebody you didn't even know if the urge came on them。 The most
terrifying thing about DIVORCE was that he had sensed the word…or concept； or
whatever it was that came to him in his understandings…floating around in his
own parents' heads； sometimes diffuse and relatively distant； sometimes as thick
and obscuring and frightening as thunderheads。 It had been that way after Daddy
punished him for messing the papers up in his study and the doctor had to put
his arm in a cast。 That memory was already faded； but the memory of the DIVORCE
thoughts was clear and terrifying。 It had mostly been around his mommy that
time； and he had been in constant terror that she would pluck the word from her
brain and drag it out of her mouth； making it real。 DIVORCE。 It was a constant
undercurrent in their thoughts； one of the few he could always pick up； like the
beat of simple music。 But like a beat； the central thought formed only the spine
of more plex thoughts； thoughts he could not as yet even begin to interpret。
They came to him only as colors and moods。 Mommy's DIVORCE thoughts centered
around what Daddy had done to his arm； and what had happened at Stovington when
Daddy lost his job。 That boy。 That George Hatfield who got pissed off at Daddy
and put the holes in their bug's feet。 Daddy's DIVORCE thoughts were more
plex； colored dark violet and shot through with frightening veins of pure
black。 He seemed to think they would be better off if he left。 That things would
stop hurting。 His daddy hurt almost all the time； mostly about the Bad Thing。
Danny could almost always pick that up too： Daddy's constant craving to go into
a dark place and watch a color TV and eat peanuts out of a bowl and do the Bad
Thing until his brain would be quiet and leave him alone。
But this afternoon his mother had no need to worry and he wished he could go
to her and tell her that。 The bug had not broken down。 Daddy was not off
somewhere doing the Bad Thing。 He was almost home now； put…putting along the
highway between Lyons and Boulder。 For the moment his daddy wasn't even thinking
about the Bad Thing。 He was thinking about 。。。about。。。
Danny looked furtively behind him at the kitchen window。 Sometimes thinking
very hard made something happen to him。 It made things — real things — go away；
and then he saw things that weren't there。 Once； not long after they put the
cast on his arm； this had happened at the supper table。 They weren't talking
much to each other then。 But they were thinking。 Oh yes。 The thoughts of DIVORCE
hung over the kitchen table like a cloud full of black rain； pregnant； ready to
burst。 It was so bad he couldn't eat。 The thought of eating with all that black
DIVORCE around made him want to throw up。 And because it had seemed desperately
important； he had thrown himself fully into concentration and something had
happened。 When he came back to real things； he was lying on the floor with beans
and mashed potatoes in his lap and his mommy was holding him and crying and
Daddy had been on the phone。 He had been frightened； had tried to explain to
them that there was nothing wrong。 that this sometimes happened to him when he
concentrated on understanding more than what normallv came to him。 He tried to
explain about Tony； who they called his 〃invisible playmate。〃
His father had said： 〃He's having a Ha Loo Sin Nation。 He seems okay； but I
want the doctor to look at him anyway。〃
After the doctor left； Mommy had made him promise to never do that again； to
never scare them that way； and Danny had agreed。 He was frightened himself。
Because when he bad concentrated his mind； it had flown out to his daddy； and
for just a moment； before Tony had appeared （far away； as be always did； calling
distantly） and the strange things had blotted out their kitchen and the carved
roast on the blue plate； for just a moment his own consciousness had plunged
through his daddy's darkness to an inprehensible word much more frightening
than DIVORCE； and that word was SUICIDE。 Danny had never e across it again in
his daddy's mind； and he had certainly not gone looking for it。 He didn't care
if he never found out exactly what that word meant。
But he did like to concentrate； because sometimes Tony would e。 Not every
time。 Sometimes things just got woozy and swimmy for a minute and then cleared —
most times； in fact — but at other times Tony would appear at the very limit of
his vision； calling distantly and beckoning 。。。
It had happened twice since they moved to Boulder； and he remembered how
surprised and pleased he had been to find Tony had followed him all the way from
Vermont。 So all his friends hadn't been left behind after all。
The first time he had been out in the back yard and nothing much had happened。
Just Tony beckoning and then darkness and a few minutes later he had e back
to real things with a few vague fragments of memory； like a jumbled dream。 The
second time； two weeks ago； had been more interesting。 Tony； beckoning； calling
from four yards over： 〃Danny 。。。 e see 。。。〃 It seemed that he was getting
up； then falling into a deep hole； like Alice into Wonderland。 Then he had been
in the basement of the apartment house and Tony had been beside him； pointing
into the shadows at the trunk his daddy carried all his important papers in；
especially 〃THE PLAY。〃
〃See？〃 Tony had said in his distant； musical voice。 〃It's under the… stairs。
Right under the stairs。 The movers put it right 。。。 under。。。 the stairs。〃
Danny had stepped forward to look more closely at this marvel and then he was
falling again； this time out of the back…yard swing； where he had been sitting
all along。 He had gotten the wind knocked out of himself； too。
Three or four days later his daddy had been stomping around； telling Mommy
furiously that he had been all over the goddam basement and the trunk wasn't
there and he was going to sue the goddam movers who had left it somewhere
between Vermont and Colorado。 How was he supposed to be able to finish 〃THE
PLAY〃 if things like this kept cropping up？
Danny said； 〃No； Daddy。 It's under the stairs。 The movers put it right under
the stairs。〃
Daddy had given him a strange look and had gone down to see。 The trunk had
been there； just where Tony had shown him。 Daddy had taken him aside； had sat
him on his lap； and had asked Danny who let him down cellar。 Had it been Tom
from upstairs？ The cellar was dangerous； Daddy said。 That was why the landlord
kept it locked。 If someone was leaving it unlocked； Daddy wanted to know。 He was
glad to have his papers and his 〃PLAY〃 but it wouldn't be worth it to him； he
said； if Danny fell down the stairs and broke his 。。。 his leg。 Danny told his
father earnestly that he hadn't been down in the cellar。 That door was always
locked。 And Mommy agreed。 Danny never went down in the back hall； she said；
because it was damp and dark and spidery。 And he didn't tell lies。
〃Then how did you know； doc？〃 Daddy asked。
〃Tony showed me。〃
His mother and father had exchanged a look over his head。 This had happened
before； from time to time。 Because it was frightening； they swept it quickly
from their minds。 But he knew they worried about Tony； Mommy especially； and he
was careful about thinking the way that could make Tony e where she might
see。 But now he thought she was lying down； not moving about in the kitchen yet；
and so he concentrated hard to see if he could understand what Daddy was
thinking about。
His brow furrowed and his slightly grimy hands clenched into tight fists on
his jeans。 He did not close his eyes…that wasn't necessary…but he squinched them
down to slits and imagined Daddy's voice； Jack's voice； John Daniel Torrance's
voice； deep and steady； sometimes quirking up with amusement or deepening even
more with anger or just staying steady because he was thinking。 Thinking of。
Thinking about。 Thinking 。。
（thinking）
Danny sighed quietly and his body slumped on the curb as if all the muscles
had gone out of it。 He was fully conscious； he saw the street and the girl and
boy walking up the sidewalk on the other side； holding hands because they were
（？in love？）
so happy about the day and themselves together in the day。 He saw autumn
leaves blowing along the gutter； yellow cartwheels of irregular shape。 He saw
the house they were passing and noticed how the roof was covered with
（shingles。 i guess it'll be no problem if the flashing's ok yeah that'll be
all right。 that watson。 christ what a character。 wish there was a place for him
in 〃THE PLAY。 〃 i'll end up with the whole fucking human race in it if i don't
watch out。 yeah。 shingles。 are there nails out there？ oh shit forgot to ask him
well they're simple to get。 sidewinder hardware store。 wasps。 they're nesting
this time of year。 i might want to get one of those bug bombs in case they're
there when i rip up the old shingles。 new shingles。 old）
shingles。 So that's what he was thinking about。 He had gotten the job and was
thinking about shingles。 Danny didn't know who Watson was； but everything else
seemed clear enough。 And he might get to see a wasps' nest。 Just as sure as his
name was
〃Danny 。。。 Dannee 。。。〃
He looked up and there was Tony； far up the street； standing by a stop sign
and waving。 Danny； as always； felt a warm burst of pleasure at seeing his old
friend； but this time he seemed to feel a prick of fear； too； as if Tony had
e with some darkness hidden behind his back。 A jar…of wasps which when
released would sting deeply。
But there was no question of not going。
He slumped further down on the curb； his hands sliding laxly from his thighs
and dangling below the fork of his crotch。 His chin sank onto his chest。 Then
there was a dim； painless tu