Description

Everything's Eventual was originally titled One Headlight (And at one stage rumoured to be called Road Kill).

Bev Vincent reported the following about King's selection of the order of the stories in the book:

King said: "What I did was take all the spades out of a deck of cards plus a joker. Ace to King = 1-13. Joker = 14. I shuffled the cards and dealt them. The order in which they came out became the order of the stories, based on their position in the list my publisher sent me. And it actually created a very nice balance between the literary stories and the all-out screamers. Next collection: selected by Tarot."

Published

2002

Dedication

This is for Shane Leonard

Story List

• 1408
• All That You Love Will Be Carried Away
• Autopsy Room 4
• The Death of Jack Hamilton
• Everything's Eventual
• In the Deathroom
• L.T.'s Theory of Pets
• Little Sisters of Eluria
• Luckey Quarter
• Lunch at the Gotham Cafe
• The Man in the Black Suit
• Riding the Bullet
• The Road Virus Heads North
• That Feeling, You can only say what it is in French

---

1408

Description

Mike Enslin, a writer who once studied with James Smiley, dreamed of being a Yale Younger Poet, and "starved on the payroll of The Village Voice," is reduced to hacking out stuff like "10 Nights in 10 Haunted Houses." For a follow-up, he visits room 1408 of the Dolphin Hotel in the hope of gaining more information for his new book - 10 Nights in 10 haunted Hotel rooms".

Five women and one man have jumped from that room's window onto 61st street below, one hung himself, another slit his wrists, and 4 overdosed with pills. A total of twelve suicides in 68 years, along with at least 30 "Natural" deaths holds this apart from any ordinary hotel room. The last time it was occupied was in 1978, and since then it has been the motel's only unoccupied and un-upgraded room.

There is a presence in there, not exactly a ghost, but a strangeness. Even digital watches, mobile phones and pagers don't work properly. Even the human mind does not work properly in Room 1408.

Lucky for Mike, he has remembered his lucky Hawaiian shirt - it's the one with the ghost repellent, and an unlit cigarette is tucked behind his ear.

Published

1999 - Blood and Smoke (Audio)
2002 - Everything's Eventual

People

Name	Description
?, Marcell	The concierge on days. Olan sent him out to buy Mike's books
Dalhmer, Jeffrey	Serial killer. Mike Enslin slept next to his grave
Dearborn, ?	Brother of Rufus. Went on an Australian holiday with his brother
Dearborn, Rufus	Sewing Machine salesman in room 1414 that saved the life of Mike Enslin when he came out of room 1408 on fire
Dickens, Charles	Author mentioned in passing
Elkin, Stanley	He was on a panel with Mike Enslin
Enslin, ?	Mike''s ex-wife who he has stayed friends with. She gave him the mini-corder 5 years ago
Enslin, Donald	Brother of Mike. Died of lung cancer 9 years ago
Enslin, Michael (Mike)	Writer of true ghost stories. His books have included 10 nights in 10 haunted houses, 10 nights in 10 haunted graveyards, and 10 nights in 10 haunted castles. He does not actually believe in Ghosts, but wants to stay in room 1408 of the Hotel Dolphin to help with another book he is writing on haunted hotel rooms. He only managed to stay in the room 70 minutes and slowly looses grip on reality, and sets himself on fire
Farrell, Sam	Literary agent of Mike Enslin
Harvey, Lawrence	Actor mentioned in passing
Hyde, Randolph	Slit his wrists, then cut off his genitals and bled to death in room 1408
Irons, Jeremy	Actor mentioned in passing
Johnson, Andrew	Vice president of Abraham Lincoln
Johnson, Lyndon Baines	Vice president of John Kennedy
Karloff, Boris	Mentioned
Kennedy, John F	USA President
Lincoln, Abraham	USA President
Lovecraft, H P	Author who''s grave Mike spent a night by
Marley, Jacob	Ghost who speaks in A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens
Neale, Mr	Was the head maintenance man of the Hotel Dolphin until he died of a cerebral haemorrhage a day after entering room 1408
Nixon, Richard	USA President. Mentioned
O''Malley, Kevin	He is supposed to haunt room 1408. A sewing machine salesman and father of 7 children. The first occupant of room 1408 and the room''s first victim, dying on October 13th, 1910. He jumped out the window
Oedipus	Mentioned by Mike Enslin in the context of saying into his mini-corder, ''Oedipus on the Orpheum Circuit.'' (Blood and Smoke Only)
Olan, Mr	The manager of the Hotel Dolphin. Arrived at the hotel in 1979. He explains about the room 1408 to Mike Enslin
Orpheus	Mentioned by Mike Enslin in the context of saying into his mini-corder, ''Orpheus on the Orpheum Circuit.'' (Everything''s Eventual Only)
Proust, Marcel	Writer. Mike thought that Olan probably read him on his nights off
Rillsby, ?	5 members of Eugene''s family. Were all killed by the axe murderer
Rillsby, Eugene	His family was killed by an axe murderer in Kansas that was never caught. His house was in one of Mike Enslin''s books. His headless ghost was supposed to haunt his house
Robertson, Mr	Mike Enslin''s lawyer that got him permission to stay in room 1408
Romindau, Celeste	Twin sister of Veronique. Left the Hotel Dolphin in 1988 with ill mental and physical health. Died of a heart attack. French
Romindau, Veronique	Twin sister of Celeste. They joined the Hotel Dolphin in about 1971 or 1972. She is the head housekeeper. French
Scrooge, Ebenezer	Spoken to by Jacob Marley
Smiley, James	Studied with Mike Enslin
Smythe, ?	First wife of David Smythe. She was drowned in a tub by David
Smythe, ?	Second wife of David Smythe. She was drowned in a tub by David
Smythe, David	Drowned both his wives in a tub
Storkin, Henry	Hanged himself in the closet of room 1408 in 1970
Tepish, Vlad	Also known as Vlad the Impailer. From Transylvania. Mike stayed in his castle one night
Van Gelder, Rommie	Maid who went blind while in room 1408 while dusting the top of the TV. She said she could see horrible colours. Her sight was restored when she left the room

---

All That You Love Will Be Carried Away

Description

Alfie Zimmer is a Gourmet Foods salesman who contemplates suicide, but the thought of what people might think of, and do with, his large collection of Graffiti notes that he keeps in a book cause him to make a decision.

He sees the lights of a nearby farmhouse, and decides that if he sees them again before he counts to sixty he will live and finally publish his book on graffiti, but if not, he will choose death.

Published

2001, 29 Jan - The New Yorker
2002 - Everything's Eventual

People

Name	Description
?, Elvis	Mentioned in a piece of graffiti that was collected by Alfred Zimmer
Black, Clint	Country singer heard singing ''Nothing but the Tail Lights'' on the radio
Bundy, Ted	Mentioned in a piece of graffiti that was collected by Alfred Zimmer
Clinton, Bill (The President)	Newspapers speculated that he had a mole on his penis
Cummings, E E	Poet mentioned in passing
Evers, Medgar	Mentioned in a piece of graffiti that was collected by Alfred Zimmer
Gore, Albert	Mentioned in a piece of graffiti that was collected by Alfred Zimmer
Jones, George	Singer mentioned in passing
Keller, Hellen	Mentioned in a piece of graffiti that was collected by Alfred Zimmer
Loveless, Patty	Singer mentioned in passing
Morrison, Jim	Mentioned in a piece of graffiti that was collected by Alfred Zimmer
Potter, Harry	Carlene Zimmer liked the Harry Potter series of books
Pullman, Philip	Author of ''The Golden Compass''
Rambo	Pet of the Zimmer family
Zimmer, Alfred (Alfie)	Gourmet foods salesman who contemplated suicide at a Motel in Lincoln, Nebraska. Father of Carlene Zimmer and husband of Maura Zimmer. He was a real fan of graffiti that he saw while on the road, and was thinking of writing a book containing some of them
Zimmer, Carlene	Daughter of Maura and Alfred Zimmer. A fan of the Harry Potter series of books and played junior varsity basketball. In 7th grade
Zimmer, Maura	Wife of Alfie Zimmer and mother of Carlene Zimmer
Zimmer, Mrs	Mother of Alfie Zimmer

---

Autopsy Room 4

Description

Howard Cottrell is out playing a game of golf, and then he wakes up in a dark place. He cant move, yet he can hear strange sounds... Sounds of people talking. And that smell seems strangely familiar. Almost like Rubber...

Soon it dawns on him that he is inside a body bag, and the doctor is about to perform an autopsy on him, AND HE CANT MOVE!

Published

1997 - Six Stories
1997 - Robert Bloch's Psycho's
2002 - Everything's Eventual

People

Name	Description
?, Peter	Helper in the morgue. Partner of Katie Arlen. Katie let him do the preparation for the autopsy on Howard Cottrell, but stopped him from doing the incision when she noticed the scars in Howard''s groin
?, Rusty	One of the men who brought Howard Cottrell into the Autopsy Room. Partner of Mike Hopper
Arlen, Katie	Doctor who was to do the autopsy on Howard Cottrell in Autopsy Room Four. She decided to allow Peter to do the autopsy while she watched, but stopped him when she noticed unusual scars. She had Howard''s penis in her hand when they realised that he was not dead, just totally immobilised. She dated Howard for a while, but broke off when they discovered he was impotent unless she was wearing rubber gloves
Bennet, Tony	Singer mentioned in passing
Bolton, Michael	Howard Cottrell looked a bit like this singer
Cotton, Joseph	In an Alfred Hitchcock movie. He was paralyzed in a car crash and was finally able to let them know he was still alive by crying a single tear
Cottrell, Howard Randolph	The man who was supposed to be dead, but was simply paralised by a snake bite received while looking for his ball while playing golf. He heard and felt them prepare him for autopsy. After he recovered he dated Katie Arlen for a while, but broke off when they discovered he was impotent unless she was wearing rubber gloves
God	Mentioned in passing
Goldthwait, Bobcat	Comedian mentioned
Hitchcock, Alfred	Author mentioned
Hopper, Mike	One of the men who brought Howard Cottrell into the Autopsy Room. Partner of Rusty
Jagger, Mick	Rolling Stones singer
Jennings, Dr Frank	Old doctor who found Howard Cottrell on the golf course and pronounced him dead at the scene
Jesus	Mentioned in passing
Johnson, Lyndon	Former President
Kazalian, Dr	Doctor mentioned by Katie Arlen
Kerr, Walter	Owner of a house filled with snakes. He worked at the Derry Community Bank, but has gone missing and is probably dead from one of the snakes in his collection. It was one of his snakes that was thought to have inflicted the bite on Howard Cottrell
Klugman, Jack	Actor who played Quincy in the TV show ''Quincy M.D.''
Noah	Biblical character mentioned
Richards, Keith	Member of the Rolling Stones
Rolling Stones, The	Band mentioned in passing
Rusty	Katie Arlen''s dog
Sledge, Percy	Singer mentioned in passing
Stuart, Marty	Singer mentioned in passing
White, Snow	Howard Cottrell thought of himself as Snow White with hair on his chest while he was unable to move
Winfrey, Oprah	TV show host

---

The Death of Jack Hamilton

Description

Jack Hamilton is shot by the Police after previously escaping from th FBI in 1934. A month later, while Hamilton is lying injured, Homer Van Meter brings five horseflies into Hamilton's room in an attempt to entertain the dying man. He is soon joined by John Dillinger who walks in on his hands. Rather than being amusing, the stunt turns wrong and his gun falls to the floor, discharging and injuring him. All was in vain as Jack Hamilton dies soon after.

Published

2002 - Everything's Eventual
2004, Dec 24/31 - The New Yorker

People

Name	Description
Barker, Dock	Son of Ma Barker, and part of the Barker Gang. Rumoured to have a large penis
Barker, Ma	Mother of Dock and part of the Barker Gang. Moved to Florida after a kidnapping went wrong
Bremer, ?	The target of the Barker gang kidnapping that went wrong
Clark, Boobie	He was a ''famous fag'' that served time in Michigan City
Claudy, Henry	The warden at Michigan City. He said "I-God" before many things
Crabbe, Buster	Mentioned in passing
Daggs, Buster (maybe Buster Draggs)	A member of the Barker gang. He said Dr Moran had been arrested
Davis, Volney	Member of Ma Barker''s gang. Sent to prison for 3 years for theft of a pair of shoes
Dillinger, John Herbert	Served time at Pendleton Reformatory. Shot himself in the lip, leaving a scar. Shot in the back by the FBI in Chicago and died of his wounds
Dillinger, Mr	Father of John Dillinger
Fields, W C	Buster Francis looked a bit like him
Ford, Henry	John Dillinger said that he liked the speed of his Ford cars
Francis, Buster	Son of Roy and Deelie Francis. Nicknamed ''master piglet'' due to his weight
Francis, Deelie	Wife of Roy and mother of Buster Francis
Francis, Roy	Husband of Deelie and father of Buster Francis
Hamilton, Jack	Part of the Dillinger gang who was shot escaping from the Little Bohemia shoot-out. Died of his wounds the following month and was buried in a gravel pit
Hamilton, Mrs	Mother of Jack Hamilton
Jesus	Mentioned in passing
Kennedy, John F	Mentioned in passing
Makley, Charlie	Jack Hamilton knew him
McClure, Mickey	Employee of Murphy''s
McLaughlin, John J	Arrested by the FBI in connection with the Bremer kidnapping
Mooney, Brian	Worked at Murphy''s in Chicago. Rented John Dillinger a room
Moran, Joseph	Doctor who was arrested by the FBI in connection with the Bremer kidnapping
Nelson, Lester	A member of the Dillinger Gang. Escaped when he shot some government agents
O''Shea, Timmy	Nephew of Joseph Moran
Pierpont, Harry	Head of the Pierpont Gang. He was electrocuted at Ohio State
Purvis, Melvin	FBI agent in charge of finding John Dillinger
Rabbits	Girlfriend of Volney, who removed the bullet from Jack Hamilton''s lung
Van Meter, Homer	A member of the Dillinger gang that spoke about the death of Jack Hamilton, and the accidental shooting of John Dillinger. Served time at Michigan City and Pendleton Reformatory

---

Everything's Eventual

Description

Everything's Eventual, the title story of the collection was published in the game F13.

Dink Earnshaw has a special gift that allows him to use only symbols and personal words to make others kill themselves. From dogs, to bully's, it works on everyone. Being a social outcast, he is a loner, but decides to take a mysterious man's offer up.

Killing evil people for a living.

Everything he wants is supplied for free, from food to clothes, and he has $70 each week to do what he wants with, but there are rules. No money to be hoarded away, and no contact with friends of his past. It seems easy at first, but then he discovers that he has murdered over 200 people - and he starts to suspect that some of them may actually be innocent...

Published

1997, Oct/Nov - Fantasy & Science Fiction
1999 - F13, Interactive Stephen King CD ROM
2002 - Everything's Eventual

People

Name	Description
?, Helen	Helen was rumoured to have answered the phone offering sex, and thought she was talking to her boyfriend, but it was really her father that had rung
?, Mabel	Aunt of Dink Earnshaw. Lived in the country
?, Pug	Grew up with, and worked with Dink Earnshaw at the Supr Savr in Harkerville. 5''4", 110 Pounds, and he used to say that things were ''eventual''
Brannigan, Charles (Skipper)	Worked with Dink Earnshaw at the Supr Savr store and picked on Dink & others. He committed suicide because of one of Dink''s letters sent to him, and he ran his car off the road. 23 Years old, tall with blond wavy hair
Brannigan, Debbie	Sister of Skipper. Used in Dink Earnshaw''s letter to Skipper that caused him to kill himself
Bukowski, Mr	Son of Mrs Bukowski, and the local police chief in Harkerville
Bukowski, Mrs	Owner of a dog that Dink Earnshaw killed with his symbols. Lived on Dugway Ave, near the Earnshaws
Cassiday, John	Friend of Dink Earnshaw from the Supr Savr. Played Bass in a punk band
Clapton, Eric	Singer mentioned in passing
Cobain, Kurt	Singer that committed suicide. Liked by John Cassiday
Counting Crows	Band listened to by Dink Earnshaw on the Learjet
Earnshaw, Mr	Father of Richard Earnshaw. He left before Richard was about 4
Earnshaw, Mrs	Mother of Dink Earnshaw. She has a bad leg. Lives in Harkerville
Earnshaw, Richard Ellery (Dink)	A 19 year old high school dropout with a bad complexion, that has a rare ability to use symbols and personal words to make others kill themselves. He joins Transcorp in the hope that his power will be used to kill evil people, and make the world a better place. He begins to suspect that the people he kills are not all that evil
Eastwood, Clint	Actor that was in Coogan''s Bluff, a movie which was on when Mr Sharpton called Dink Earnshaw for the first time
Faulkner, William	Writer mentioned in passing
Hamil, Pete	Worked with Andrew Neff at the New York Post. He was quoted in an interview after Neff''s death
Hauer, Rutger	Actor mentioned in passing
Jacubois, Mr	Computer teacher of Dink Earnshaw at school
Johnson, Lyndon	US President during Vietnam
Kennedy, John F	President that was killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, but one of the Transcorp''s employee''s knows that Oswald was innocent
Kidman, Nicole	Dink Earnshaw asked for a signed picture of Nicole. He got one personalised to him
King Arthur	Mentioned by Mr Sharpton
Mouse, Mickey	Cartoon character
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus	Composer mentioned in passing
Muffin	A pet, possibly a cat, of a person in Columbus that Dink Earnshaw used his symbols on
Neff, Andrew	62 year old New York Post employee that wrote the column "eneff is Eneff". He was targeted by Dink Earnshaw. He committed suicide by taking a pill overdose, slashing his wrists, and then putting a plastic bag over his head
Newton, Wayne	Mentioned in passing
Oswald, Lee Harvey	Supposedly killed John F Kennedy, but one of the Transcorp''s employee''s knows that he was innocent
Peter Pan	Cartoon character
Piccaso, Pablo	Painter
Police, The	Band mentioned in passing
Pope, The	Died of a heart attack
Rembrandt, ?	Dink Earnshaw asked for one of his paintings in his house. He got a reproduction in a frame
Ross, Betsy	Mentioned in passing
Seagal, Steven	Actor mentioned in passing
Sharpton, Mr	The initial contact and controller of Dink Earnshaw from Transcorp
Shermerhorn, Mr	Mailman that saw Mrs Bukowski''s dog kill itself
Sinatra, Frank	Singer mentioned in passing
Smith, Liz	Worked with Andrew Neff as a Post chatter columnist
Stroud, Don	Actor that was in Coogan''s Bluff, a movie on when Mr Sharpton called Dink Earnshaw for the first time
Tevitch, Ann	Professor and clinical biologist at the University of New Mexico in Las Cruces. She was working on AIDS cures. Committed suicide after Dink Earnshaw used his symbols on her. She had Vanity plates on her car that said "DNA FAN". 37 year old and blond
Tevitch, Simon	Either a father, son or husband of Ann
Unger, Mrs	Wife of William. Died of cancer in 1996
Unger, William (Billy)	From Stovington, Vermont, he was targeted by Dink Earnshaw''s symbols. Fought in Korea, was the undersecretary of defence during the Kennedy Administration, and became an anti-war supporter during Vietnam. Won a Silver and Bronze Star. He owned a 1957 Thunderbird. Jumped off his roof during the night
Van Dame, Jean-Claude	Actor mentioned in passing
Washington, George	Mentioned in passing
Weezer	Band liked by Dink Earnshaw. He asked for their CD
Wentworth, Dr	Dink Earnshaw''s doctor at the Transcorp''s training area in Preoria. Bald and wore Rimless glasses
Wilcoxen, Mrs	Computer teacher of Dink Earnshaw at school
Willis, Bruce	Actor mentioned in passing
Winfrey, Oprah	TV Talkshow host

---

In the Deathroom

Description

In a bloodstained basement of the Ministry of Information Fletcher, a reporter with the New York Times is questioned by Escobar and his assistants - Ramon and the Bride of Frankenstein. He asks them for a last cigarette and understands that he might be dead before it burned down to the filter.

There is a chance that he could get out of this nasty mess, but the guard behind him, with a loaded gun, makes it difficult, especially without a weapon. But he DOES have a weapon, a cigarette... A Cigarette with a hot tip, and an inviting eye close enough to reach.

Fletcher manages to shot all of his captors except Heinz. Heinz gets connected to the electric shock machine used in his torture. Fletcher escapes and returns to New York.

Published

1999 - Blood and Smoke (Audio)
2000 - Secret Windows (Minor revisions)
2002 - Everything's Eventual (Minor revisions)

People

Name	Description
?, Heinz	He used an electric device to torture people for Escobar. He killed Tomas Herera, and the electric device was eventually used to kill him. Thin almost bald, wore glasses and had blue eyes
?, Ramon	The guard in the Deathroom with Fletcher. He had a cigarette stuck in his eye by Fletcher, then was shot
Arcuzzi, Carlo	Owner of a news stand on 43rd street where Fletcher bought some cigarettes after he escaped
Bride of Frankenstein, The	Nickname that was used for the 60-65 year old woman that helped interrogate Fletcher. She was shot by Fletcher
Duke, Patty	Actress in "The Miracle Worker"
Escobar, Mr	One of the people interrogating Fletcher. A fat Mexican who was eventually shot by Fletcher. He was the Minister of Information and sometimes presented the weather on TV in English
Fletcher, Miss	Sister of Mr Fletcher. A nun who was killed by government troops in 1994, and her brother was investigating her murder
Fletcher, Mr	He worked for the New York times and was stationed in Spain. He was a contact of Pedro Nunez and Thomasf1~Herera who were planning a revolution in the country. He was captured and interrogated in the Ministry of Information by Escobar and 2 others. He fights the interrogation, then escapes, killing most of his captors in the process before returning to New York
Hansons, The	Band mentioned in passing
Herera, ?	Daughter of Tomas Herera
Herera, Mrs	Wife of Tomas Herera
Herera, Tomas	Contact of Fletcher who was suppose to be given information and then passed it on to Nunez. He was killed by Heinz
Himmler, ?	Mentioned in passing
Lanchester, Elsa	Actress in Bride in Frankenstein
Nunez, Pedro (El Condor)	Communist revolutionary leader seeking to overthrow the government of the Central American country where Fletcher was working. He had attended NYU
Zorro	Character mentioned by Escobar

---

L.T.'s Theory of Pets

Description

Lulu DeWitt bought Frank, a dog, for her husband L.T DeWitt. A year later L.T bought a cat named Lucy for Lulu. The animals only took an interest in the person that bought them, so the dog became Lulu's and the cat became L.T.'s.

L.T. tells the story of the time he came home and found that Lulu had taken her dog and had moved to her mothers house. She never made it, and the car was found deserted and the dog dead nearby. Her body was never found.

Published

1997 - Six Stories
1998 - The Best of The Best (18 New Stories by America's Leading Authors) Note: This also contains a story by Tabitha King, and she mentions Stephen King in her short story ;-)
2002 - Everything's Eventual

People

Name	Description
?, Holly	Sister of Roslyn. Divorced, and came to dinner and heard the story of L.T.''s wife leaving
?, Roslyn	Sister of Holly. Her husband was the one who told the story of LT''s storytelling, but we never find out his name
DeWitt, Cynthia Lulubelle (Lulu)	Wife of L.T. who disappeared after she left her husband, and no remains of her were ever found. Married name of Cynthia Simms
DeWitt, L.T	He told the story of his theory of pets while at work. Husband of Lulu. He bought a cat for his wife, but it became his cat, and the dog that she had bought for him remained her dog. While many people thought he may have been the one that killed his wife, no proof was ever found, and he was never charged
Frank	Jack Russell terrier bought by Lulu DeWitt her husband L.T, but the dog became fond of her rather than L.T. Found dead when Lulu''s car was found
Lucy (Screwlucy)	The cat bought by LT DeWitt for his wife Lulu, but Lucy became his cat, and disliked Lulu
Rather, Dan	Mentioned in passing
Simms, Cynthia Lulubelle (Lulu)	Maiden name of Lulu DeWitt. Daughter of Mrs DeWitt
Simms, Mrs	Mother of Lulu Simms
Wallace, Mike	Mentioned in passing

---

Little Sisters of Eluria

Description

Roland finds himself in a deserted town, or so he thinks at first. Finding a young dead boy, he sees a gold necklace, and takes it to look closer, but is savagely attacked by green mutants before he can look closely.

He is nursed back to health by the Little Sisters of Eluria, but all is not as it seems, as the sisters have strange powers, and a taste for blood!

Published

1998 - Legends: The Book Of Fantasy
2002 - Everything's Eventual

People

Name	Description
?, Ralph	Green mutant from Eluria that took the medallion off John Norman, causing him to be attacked by the Little Sisters. He was going to be paid Whiskey and Tobacco in return for touching the medal
Allgood, Cuthbert	A friend of Roland''s who liked to say that the wheels inside Roland''s head ground slow but exceedingly fine. Now long dead
Andrus, Cortland (Cort)	Teacher of Roland. His voice came to Roland in the hospital bed
Arthur of Eld	Mentioned in passing. He lived in the distant past when dreams about dragons still walked the earth
Asmodeus	A God that people worship
Baal	A God that people worship
De Curry, Jamie	A friend of Roland''s that once proclaimed that Roland could shoot blindfolded, because he had eyes in his fingers
Delgado, Susan	Lover of Roland from Mejis. Killed by the actions of Rhea of the Coos
Deschain, Gabrielle	Mentioned in passing - Roland''s mother
Deschain, Roland	The gunslinger that is attacked in the town of Eluria, and saved by The Little Sisters of Eluria
Deschain, Steven	Father of Roland and son of Henry the Tall. A Gunslinger
Freeborn, Chas	A "Cattle-Theef" that was mentioned in the register in the Eluria''s Sheriff''s office. To be tried
Henry the Tall	Grandfather of Roland, and Father of Steven Deschain
Jonas, Eldred	Evil man that was killed by Roland
Little Doctors	The small bugs that fixed Roland and the other patients while under the care of the Little Sisters
Man in Black, The	Another name for Walter, the man that Roland followed
Norman, James	A dead boy about 16 years old that was in the water trough in Eluria. Brother of John Norman and son of Jesse Norman. Killed by the green mutants. Roland took his medallion, and it was this medallion that kept the Little Sisters from killing him
Norman, Jesse	Father of James and John Norman from Delain
Norman, John	Brother of James and son of Jesse. He was in the bed next to Roland in the ''hospital'' staffed by the Little Sisters. Killed when Ralph took the medallion off him, and he was attacked by the Little Sisters. Roland said he would take the medal to his father
Norman, Mrs	Mother of James and John, wife of Jesse
Rhea of the Coos	Evil witch that plotted the death of Susan Delgado
Sister Coquina	One of the Little Sisters. Teased Roland by hitting him on the nose with the wooden spoon while he was asleep. She was ''eaten'' by the ''doctor bugs'' when the were set on her by Jenna to help Roland escape
Sister Jenna	One of the Little Sisters. She is different from the other Little Sisters, and helps Roland escape. She wears the Dark Bells, and looks about 21 years old
Sister Louise	One of the Little Sisters. Saved Roland from the Green Mutants while she was out picking herbs
Sister Mary	One of the Little Sisters. She seems to be in charge of the group, but dies when her head is ripped off by the dog that Roland sees in Eluria
Sister Michela	One of the Little Sisters. Saved Roland from the Green Mutants while she was out picking herbs
Sister Tamra	One of the Little Sisters. She claimed to be 21, but Roland saw her as much older. Saved Roland from the Green Mutants while she was out picking herbs
Smasher	The green mutant that gave Roland''s guns to Sister Mary
Toad, Mr	One of the green mutants shot dead by Roland
Topsy	The 2 year old Roan horse that Roland rode into Eluria on. Died shortly after entering the town
Vannay, Abel	He was Roland''s Tutor as a child, and had a limp and lead a life of gentle goodness
Walter	The man in black. Roland is following his trail

---

Luckey Quarter

Description

Darlene Pullen is down on her luck. She is a motel chambermaid who wants to get braces for her daughter and a Sega system for her son. The last straw in her day is finding a tip in her envelope in room 322. The tip is a single quarter, and a note that goes with it: "This is a luckey quarter! It's true! Luckey you!"

She gives the quarter to her son, who then puts in into a slot machine and wins the jackpot.

Published

1995, Jun 30, Jul 2 - USA Weekend
1997 - Six Stories
2002 - Everything's Eventual

People

Name	Description
(Croupier)	In Darlene's daydream he is running the Roulette table at the Silver City Casino
(Pit Boss)	In Darlene''s daydream he has to OK some of the bets made at the Roulette table at the Silver City Casino
(Tall Bald Man)	In Darlene''s daydream he had to OK an $800 bet on a single number at the Roulette table at the Silver City Casino
?, Gerder	Sweedish chambermaid at the Ranchers Hotel in Carson City, Nevada
?, Jane	Head Housekeeper at the Ranchers Hotel in Carson City, Nevada
?, Melissa	Chambermaid at the Ranchers Hotel in Carson City, Nevada
Avery, William (Tex)	Manager of the Ranchers Hotel in Carson City, Nevada
Harrelson, Woody	Actor mentioned in passing
McCausland, Deidrie	Girl mentioned by Paul Pullen. Possibly someone he likes?
Pullen, Darlene	The chambermaid that finds the "Luckey Quarter" in room 322 of the Ranchers Hotel in Carson City, Nevada. Wife of Deke and mother of Patsy and Paul
Pullen, Deke	Husband of Darlene. Left her 5 years ago
Pullen, Patsy	Daughter of Darlene and Deke Pullen, and sister of Paul. 13 year old in need of braces
Pullen, Paul	7 year old son of Darlene and Deke Pullen, and brother of Patsy. He wants a Sega game, but is given the "Luckey Quarter" by his mother. He then wins the jackpot on a slot machine. Asthmatic

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Lunch at the Gotham Cafe

Description

An unusual tale of a man who's wife leaves him. He is contacted by her therapist and they agree to meet for lunch at the Gotham Cafe. During the lunch, they find, rather gruesomely, that the head waiter needs a therapist a lot more than anyone else in the room!

Published

1995 Dark Love
1997 - Six Stories (Revised)
1999 - Blood and Smoke (Audio)
2002 - Everything's Eventual (Minor revision)

People

Name	Description
?, Guy	The head waiter at the Gotham Cafe that goes nuts and kills a customer. He attacks Steven and Diane Davis, chasing them through the cafe, while uttering a terrifying squeal, and babbling almost incoherently
?, Troy	Customer in the Gotham Cafe when Guy goes nuts
Coslaw, Dee Dee	Mother of Diane and wife of Ernie
Coslaw, Diane	Maiden Name of Diane Davis, and the daughter of Dee Dee and Ernie Coslaw
Coslaw, Ernie	Father of Ernie and husband of Diane
Davis, Diane	Wife of Steven who wants a divorce. A real single minded woman who does not care what happens to Steven - including if he is killed! Married name of Diane Coslaw
Davis, Steven	Husband of Diane, and the storyteller
Humboldt, William (Bill)	Diane Davis'' therapist, who bleeds real well ;-)
Ring, John	Divorce lawyer that Steven Davis approaches to take his case

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The Man in the Black Suit

Description

This is the story which won the prestigious O. Henry Award, the award for the best magazine-published short story of the year

An old man writes in his diary about the time he saw the devil when fishing in Castle stream, near Castle Rock in the 1920's.

Published

1994, Oct 31 - The New Yorker magazine
1995 - Years Best Horror Stories, 8th Edition
1997 - Six Stories (Revised)
2002 - Everything's Eventual (Revised)

People

Name	Description
?, Albion	Father of Gary and Dan and husband of Loretta
?, Danny	Brother of Gary Died in 1913 of a bee sting
?, Loretta	Mother of Gary and Dan and wife of Albion
?,Gary	Wrote a series called "Long ago and Far away" for the Castle Rock Call newspaper. Was a teacher before he retired, and tells the story of the time he met the devil when he was a young boy
Candy Bill	Scottie dog of Gary
Eversham, Bill	Owner of some cows
Hamner, Dicky	Place where Gary smoked his first cigarette
Robichaud, Helen (Mama Sweet)	Oldest lady in the Methodist Ladies Aid group
The Devil	Spoke to Gary when he went fishing on Castle Stream

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Riding the Bullet

Description

Originally released as an e-book.

Alan Parker receives a call from his mothers neighbour, who tells him some bad news - his mother has suffered a slight stroke and is in Hospital. Because his car is having problems, he decides to hitch the 100 miles down to see his mother. At first things are relatively OK, but when he gets into a car driven by George Staub things get worse.

George Staub is also the name on a grave that Alan had seen only minutes before, and Staub has Alan make a frightening decision - the life of his mother, or his own life, and he has to make the choice in minutes, or they will both die...

Published

2000 - Published as an eBook
2002 - Everything's Eventual

People

Name	Description
?, Alice	Husband of the Elderly Gentleman that gave Alan Parker a ride from Newport. Died about 1996
?, Muriel	Spoke to Yvonne Ederle at the hospital, and had Anne Corrigan check on Jean Parker
?, Ralph	Brother of the Elderly Gentleman that gave Alan Parker a ride from Newport
AC/DC	Band mentioned in passing
ADC Man	Filled out a report that may have helped Jean Parker get extra support worth $50 per month
Adviser	Student adviser of Alan Parker that had to be told by Hector Passmore why Alan was not in class, because of his mothers illness
Cadillac Owner	In a story by George Staub. Sold a Cadillac for $750 to the Kid, that was near new, and only had 17,000 miles on the clock
Cadillac Owner''s Wife	Died in the Cadillac. They were not sure how she died, but she was there for 2 weeks before she was found, and the smell was awful
Carpenter, John	Movie Director mentioned in passing
Carroll, Hattie	Mentioned in a Bob Dylan song
Casper	Ghost mentioned in passing
Clinton, Bill	President mentioned in passing
Corrigan, Anne	Took Alan Parker to see his mother in the hospital
Crane, Ichabod	Mentioned in passing
Craven, Wes	Movie Director mentioned in passing
Dracula	Vampire in book by Bram Stoker
Dylan, Bob	Singer mentioned in passing
Ederle, Yvonne	Worked at the hospital where Jean Parker was. Allowed Alan to go and see his mother after visiting hours were over
Elderly Gentleman	Gave Alan Parker a ride from Newport
Farmer	Picked up Alan Parker from the Cemetery on Ridge Road after he had taken a ride with George Staub
Farquahr, Dr	Doctor called in Hospital intercom to go to Radiology
Father of Ralph	Father of Ralph and the Elderly Gentleman that gave Alan Parker a ride from Newport
Foreigner	Band mentioned in passing
Freud, Sigmund	Mentioned in Passing
Girlfriend of George Staub	She was supposed to go the Thrill Village with George Staub before he died, but she backed out at the last minute
Insurance Man	Gave Alan Parker a ride to Newport
Kid	In a story by George Staub. Bought a Cadillac for $750, that was near new, and only had 17,000 miles on the clock
Led Zepplin	Band mentioned in passing
McCurdy, Betsy	Neighbour of Jean Parker that called Alan to tell him that his mother had a slight stroke and was in hospital
Normally, Dr	Jean Parker''s doctor
Parker, Alan	21 year old who''s mother Jean had a slight stroke. He hitchhiked from the University of Maine to visit her. On the way he met the dead George Staub, and had to choose who was to die - himself or his mother
Parker, Jean	Mother of Alan. Heavy smoker and big woman. She had a stroke on October 14th, 2000 while working at a restaurant when she was just 48 years old. She died in about 2007
Parker, Mr	Father of Alan and husband of Jean. Died when Alan was a baby
Passmore, Hector	Roommate of Alan Parker at the University of Maine. This was also the name Alan used to George Staub when he was taken for a ride
Passmore, Mr	Father of Hector. Mentioned to George Staub by Alan Parker
Paxton, Tom	Singer mentioned in passing
Roommates of Alan Parker	2 un-named roommates at the University of Maine
Staub, George	A name in the Cemetery on Ridge Road. Born 19 January 1977, and died 12 October 1998. 2 years and 2 days after his death, he gave Alan Parker a lift from the graveyard, and made him choose between his own life and that of his mother
Stoker, Bram	Author of Dracula
Suess, ?	Mentioned in passing
Van Ronk, Dave	Singer mentioned in passing
Wife of Ralph	Wife of Ralph

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The Road Virus Heads North

Description

The Road Virus Heads North, first appeared in the book 999, and is an interesting short story about a horror writer named Richard Kinnell that calls into a small yard sale and finds an odd painting. After purchasing it he finds that the painting is slowly changing - the car and driver in the painting are driving away from the first position he saw them - driving towards him! The car, named The Road Virus, is slowly travelling north, towards places he has just come from.

Judy Diment, the lady that sold him the painting is brutally murdered, and Kinnell thinks that he may be next, and now he can hear the rumble of glasspack mufflers outside his house.

Published

1999 - 999 an anthology
2002 - Everything's Eventual (Revised)

People

Name	Description
?, Trudy	Aunt of Richard Kinnell that lived in Wells. He visited her on his trip
Diment, Judy	38 Year old neighbour of the Hastings'' family that looked after the yard sale for them after the death of their son Bobby. She was murdered. Mother of Michela
Diment, Michela	Daughter of Judy. A big fan of Richard Kennell, and her mother asker Kinnell for an autograph for her
Graves, David	Neighbour that found the dead body of Judy Diment
Hastings, Bobby	23 Year Old artist that painted "The Road Virus Heads North". He painted 70 or 80 other paintings and burnt them all except one before committing suicide by hanging himself. Son of George and Iris
Hastings, George	Father of Bobby?
Hastings, Iris	Mother of Bobby
Kinnell, Richard	A horror author from Derry that buys a painting at a yard sale, but the painting has a life of it's own, and wants revenge. Wrote "Nightmare City"
Kinnell, Sally	Ex-wife of Richard that runs an animal shelter in Nashua out of her trailer
Noyes, Alfred	Poet mentioned in passing a few times
Simons, Bradley	Did a fairly negative review of Nightmare City

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That Feeling, You can only say what it is in French

Description

Carol and Bill are on their second honeymoon, after being married for 25 years. Carol keeps having flashes of Deja Vu, and she finally comes to a shocking conclusion. They had been killed during the plane flight and she was now re-living that time over and over again.

Published

1998, Jun 22 & 29 - The New Yorker
2002 - Everything's Eventual

People

Name	Description
?, Floyd	Pilot on the chartered plane that the Shelton''s were on
Annunciata, Sister	Sister at Our Lady of Angels school where Carol O''Neill went
Denning, Floyd	Ran a snack bar with Bill Shelton in senior year at school
Durmatilla, Sister	Sister at Our Lady of Angels school where Carol O''Neill went
O''Neill, Carol	Maiden name of Carol Shelton
Reagan, ?	Name on a letterbox seen by Carol Shelton
Shelton, Bill	Successful computer programmer who goes on a second honeymoon with his wife Carol
Shelton, Carol	Wife of Bill, and has a feeling that she has been on this trip before. Married name of Carol O''Neill. It eventually dawns on her that they died in the plane crash and she is re-living the last moments of her life, each time a little differently, over and over again
Soucy, Butch	The first boy that ever tongue-kissed Carol O''Neill