Description

A collection of short stories.

Published

1993 Viking

Dedication

In memory of THOMAS WILLIAMS, 1926-1991: poet, novelist, and great American storyteller.

Story List

• The Beggar And The Diamond
• Brooklyn August
• Chattery Teeth
• Crouch End
• Dedication
• The Doctor's Case
• Dolan's Cadillac
• The End of the Whole Mess
• The Fifth Quarter
• Head Down
• Home Delivery
• The House on Maple Street
• It Grows on You
• The Moving Finger
• My Pretty Pony
• The Night Flier
• Popsy
• Rainy Season
• Sneakers
• Sorry, Right Number
• Suffer the Little Children
• The Ten O'Clock People
• Umney's Last Case
• You know they got a hell of a band

---

The Beggar And The Diamond

Description

King writes: 'This little story - a Hindu parable in its original form - was first told to me by Mr Surendra Patel, of New York City. I have adapted it freely and apologise to those who know its true form, where Lord Shiva and his wife, Parvati, are the major characters.'

Published

1993 - Nightmares & Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
God	Tried to help Ramu make Uriel happy
Ramu	Poor old poor man which Uriel wanted a better life for
Uriel	Archangel that felt sad for Ramu and wanted to help him have a better life

---

Brooklyn August

Description

Brooklyn August is an interesting freeform poem about a Baseball game at Ebberts field. It pares well with the previous story - Head Down as a pair of Baseball stories. Really this poem defies an accurate description, but is an interesting dream like sequence of a baseball pitch.

Published

1971 - Io (Number 10)
1993 - Nightmares & Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
Alston, Walter	Manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers
Amoros, Sandy	Brooklyn Dodgers player in right field. Had a beer thrown at him
Campanella, Roy	Brooklyn Dodgers catcher
Erskine, Carl	Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher
Hodges, Gil	Brooklyn Dodgers first base
Labine, Clem	Brooklyn Dodgers substitute pitcher
Musial, Stan	St Louis Cardinals player who scored a home run
Newcombe, Don	Brooklyn Dodgers player. Went for an early shower through a hail of popcorn and newspaper
Podres, Johnny	Brooklyn Dodgers player substitute pitcher
Reese, Pee Wee	Brooklyn Dodgers player. Was on his knees west of Second base
Robinson, Jackie	Brooklyn Dodgers player. Third base. Threw to Hodges

---

Chattery Teeth

Description

Bill Hogan, a salesman with a dislike for flying, buys a set of broken novelty teeth at a small store in the desert.

Picking up a hitchhiker, they drive into a sandstorm when the hitchhiker tries to kill him. The chattery teeth come to life, killing the hitchhiker, and dragging him off into the desert.

Published

1992, Fall - Cemetery Dance Magazine
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Substantially revised)

People

Name	Description
?, Myra	Scooters wife. When Hogan bought the teeth she was a large woman, but when he returned about nine months later she had lost fifty pounds
?, Scooter	Owns the petrol station where Bill Hogan buys the chattery teeth. He had cancer and died before Bill returned about months later
Adams, Brian	Assumed name of the hitchhiker who tries to rob Bill Hogan but gets more bitten off that he would like when the chattery teeth attack and kill him
Adams, Nick	Actor mentioned in passing
Astaire, Fred	Mentioned in passing
Henley, Don	Mentioned in passing
Hogan, Jack	Son of Bill and Lita Hogan
Hogan, Lita	Bill Hogan''s wife, and mother of Jack Hogan
Hogan, Mr	Father of Bill Hogan. Smoked 2 packs a day and died of lung cancer
Hogan, William I (Bill)	Travelling label salesman who called into Scooter''s Grocery and Roadside Zoo where he was given a set of novelty chattering teeth. As he leaves he gives a hitchhiker a lift, but soon the hitchhiker attacks him, causing the van to crash. The chattery teeth come to life, and attack the hitchhiker and kill him, dragging the body away. He returned to Scooters, renamed Nan''s Place, nine months later
Jolson, Al	Mentioned in passing
Kirk, Captain James T	Mentioned in passing
Milland, Ray	Actor mentioned in passing
Noah	Mentioned in passing
Woof (Wolf)	The Dog at Scooter''s Grocery and Roadside Zoo

---

Crouch End

Description

Lonnie and Doris Freeman were left stranded in Crouch End. As they walked along the path, they heard strange noises from behind the hedges, and Lonnie went to investigate. He came back through, screaming for her to run, but they soon became lost and separated.

Doris told her story to the local police, and it was said that Crouch End was separated from another world by the thinnest of barriers, one that was sometimes breached. The younger police officer investigated the disappearance, but was also lost between the worlds.

Published

1980 - New tales of the Cthulhu Mythos
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
?, Evvie	Woman who helped direct Doris to police. About 60 years old. Gave Doris the fork sign of the evil eye
Blind Piper, The	The ruler of the "Thin" part of Crouch End. Also known as Eater of the Dimensions, The Whistler From the Stars and The Goat with a Thousand Young
Coppola, Francis Ford	Film direction spoken about by 2 children
Farnham, ?	Two year old twin daughters of Robert and Sheila
Farnham, Mr	Younger brother of Robert Farnham
Farnham, Robert	27 year old Police Constable who Works with PC Vetter, but then disappeared while looking for Lonnie Freeman. Has twin girls. Husband of Sheila, who later divorced him on the grounds of desertion
Farnham, Sheila	Wife of Robert Farnham. She wanted him to leave the police force. Divorced him on the grounds of desertion after he was lost in Crouch End Towen. Later married Frank Hobbs
Freeman, Danny	Child of Doris and Leonard
Freeman, Doris	Wife of Leonard - seen police and told them of the disappearance of her husband. 26 years old
Freeman, Leonard (Lonnie)	Husband of Doris, who disappeared in Crouch End. He was taken to "The Blind Piper". A Lawyer from Milwaukee
Freeman, Norma	Child of Doris and Leonard
Gordon, ?	Police Sergeant in Crouch End whose hair went white at the age of 40
Hackett, ?	BBC reporter renowned for taking odd assignments
Him Who Waits	Ruler of the "weird" part of Crouch End, and Lonnie Freeman was taken to him
Hobbs, Frank	Sheila Farnham''s second husband. He worked on the assembly line at Ford
Hobbs, Sheila	Sheila Farnham''s second married name. Wife of Frank Hobbs
Lovecraft, H P	Author mentioned in passing
Petty, ?	Police officer that committed suicide in 1976 after working at Crouch End
Raymond, Sid	Police Sergeant that liked to break the fingers of Pickpockets that he caught
Squales, John	Leonard Freeman''s lawyer friend. The Freeman family were going to see him when Lonnie disappeared
Vetter, ?	Mother of Ted. She said he was an imaginative person
Vetter, Ted	Police Constable who is told the story of Leonard Freeman''s disappearance. About 54 years old, and took early retirement and moved to Frimley. He died of a heart attack 6 months later
Wordsworth, William	Writer mentioned in passing

---

Dedication

Description

Housekeeper Martha Rosewall tells the story of her sons conception, the loss of her husband while she was pregnant, and about his "natural father", a writer with whom he had many striking similarities.

Published

1988 - Dark Visions (Night Visions V)
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Revised)

People

Name	Description
?, Bradford	Martha Rosewall''s brother. He died in a car accident
?, Cassandra (Kissy)	Martha Rosewall''s older sister. She wanted Martha to leave Johnny Rosewall
?, Noah	Character in ''Blaze of Heaven''. Hit by a taxi and died
?, Ray	Bartender at Le Cinq
?, Yvonne	Maid at the Le Palais
Aaronson, Bedelia	Kitchen hand at Le Palais. Died in 1984
Beatles, The	Band mentioned in passing
Beck, Billy	Worked as a doorman at the Le Palais
Brown, Rita Mae	Author read by Martha Rosewall
Buckley, Mr	Worked behind the front desk at Le Palais
Christie, Agatha	Author read by Martha Rosewall
Delorme, Mama	Spooky old Bruja woman who told Martha about ''natural fathers''
Gray, Dorian	Mentioned in passing
Hooker, John Lee	Blues singer mentioned in passing
Jefferies, Althea	Mother of Peter
Jefferies, Mr	Father of Peter and husband of Althea. Owned land around Porterville
Kennedy, John	Dead president
Kent, Clark	Mentioned in passing
Kinsolving, Octavia	Lived in same building as Martha Rosewall
Lazarus	Biblical character mentioned
Lee, Robert E	Mentioned in passing
Naylor, Gloria	Author read by Martha Rosewall
Parker, Mrs	Neighbour of Martha Rosewall
Proulx, Roberta	Martha Rosewall''s boss while she was pregnant
Reed, Ishmael	Author read by Martha Rosewall
Rosewall, Johnny	Peter Rosewall''s father. A drunk and criminal, he died when his gun exploded while trying to rob a liquor store
Rosewall, Martha	Chief Housekeeper of 3 floors of Le Palais in NY. Mother of Peter and wife of Johnny
Rosewall, Peter	Wrote a novel called "Blaze of Glory". Son of Martha and Johnny Rosewall and ''natural'' son of Peter Jefferies
Sagamore, Darcy	Friend of Martha Rosewall. Martha told her about Peter''s ''natural'' father
Walker, Alice	Author read by Martha Rosewall
Wolfe, Thomas	Author mentioned in passing

---

The Doctor's Case

Description

40 years after the death of Sherlock Holmes, Dr Watson tells the story of the solving of a murder by himself, and not Sherlock Holmes. Lord Albert Hull was murdered by his son Jory, but the simple clues point Dr Watson to the murderer in short time.

Published

1987 - The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
Barnes, Mr	Hull''s solicitor, who witnessed his new will disinheriting his family
Eve	Biblical character mentioned in passing
Gray, Dorian	Character in a story. Mentioned
Hemphill, Mrs	Owner of a cat boarding house called Mrs Hemphillf1 quote s Home for Abandoned Pussies
Holmes, Sherlock	Private Detective and employer of Watson
Hudson, Mrs	Sherlock Holmes'' housekeeper
Hull, Jory	Second son of Albert and Rebecca. He was the one that actually killed his father. He was born dead, but was revived by putting his legs in hot water
Hull, Lady Rebecca	Albert Hull''s wife. 45 years old, and was beaten by her husband. Mother of Jory, Stephen and William
Hull, Lord Albert	65 year old husband of Lady Rebecca Hull and father of Stephen, Jory and William. He was the founder of Hull shipping, and was found murdered. He was stabbed by his son Jory
Hull, Stephen	Youngest son of Albert Hull. 28 years old
Hull, William	Oldest son of Albert Hull. 36 years old
Lestrade, Inspector	Police inspector that often asks Holmes for help, even though he does not really like him
Stanley, Oliver	Lord Hull''s Valet
Swinburne, Algernon	Jory Hull looked like him
Watson, Doctor	Holmes'' colleague, and the one to solve the case this time, before Holmes did
Wilde, Oscar	Mentioned in passing

---

Dolan's Cadillac

Description

Elizabeth Robinson was to testify against James Dolan when she was killed when her car blew up. Her husband began to plan his revenge, watching Dolan for years, until he got the chance.

Working with a highway repair gang, he constructed a pit which was just big enough for Dolan's Cadillac to crash into, but not big enough to allow escape. Trapped in the hole, Dolan pleaded for his release, but the hole was filled in by Robinson, burying him in his car.

Published

1985, Feb-Jun - Castle Rock Newsletter (5 issues)
1989 - John Lord Press (Revised, Limited Edition)
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
?, Bill	Name used by Robinson to gain info about Dolan''s return to home
Blocker, Harvey	District Foreman with Nevada Highway Department and Robinson''s boss
Dolan, James (Jim)	Owner of the Cadillac. He had Elizabeth Robinson Killed. He was eventually buried alive in his car beneath the road by Robinson, 9 years after Elizabeths death
Goliath	Mentioned in passing
Hoffa, Jimmy	Singer heard on the radio
Manilow, Barry	Mentioned in passing
Robinson, ? (Bubba)	A third grade teacher who plotted to kill Dolan in revenge for the killing of his wife, Elizabeth
Robinson, Elizabeth	Killed by Jim Dolan after she testified at Dolan''s trial. Her car was blown up by sticks of dynamite attached to the ignition of her car. She was a first Grade teacher at the same school as her husband
Tinker, ?	Held the watch used for the bet between Robinson and his boss Harvey Blocker. Worked on the road crew
Urich, Timmy	Child that was frightened by a vase shattering. Student of Robinson''s
Wallace, Edgar	Mentioned in passing

---

The End of the Whole Mess

Description

Bobby Fornoy discovers a substance in the water of La Plata, Texas, that helps reduce violence to almost non-existent levels. The substance is concentrated and transported to a volcano near Borneo, and in 2007 the volcano erupts, spreading the substance around the world.

One side effect of the substance is senility and early death, and the worlds population slowly fades out of existence. The story is written by Bobby's brother Howard

Published

1986, Oct - Omni
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Revised)

People

Name	Description
Berry, Chuck	Richard Fornoy listened to his music
Brown, Charlie	Cartoon character mentioned in passing
Butler, Rhett	Character in ''Gone With The Wind''
Cedeno, ?	Head of government in the Philippines
Clemens, Roger	Baseballer mentioned in passing
Da Vinci, Leonardo	Mentioned in passing
Dangerfield, Rodney	Mentioned in passing
Edison, Thomas	Mentioned in passing
Einstein, Albert	Mentioned in passing
Fife, Barney	Mentioned in passing
Fornoy, Howard (Bow-Wow)	Former Freelance writer, and brother of Bobby Fornoy. He slowly looses his ability to write as he details the destruction of the human race from the effects of the calmative substance discovered by his brother Robert. Before he lost it totally, he shot his brother up with a large dose of the substance
Fornoy, India	Mother of Howard and Robert and wife of Richard. CPA in D.C before her death
Fornoy, Richard	Father of Howard and Robert and husband of India. History professor, and vice-administrator of the National Archives
Fornoy, Robert	He discovered a substance that stopped the human race from fighting and bickering, so he planned to spread it around the world from a volcanic eruption. What he did not know was the side effect over time caused everybody to suffer from senility and death. Injected with the substance by his brother Howard
God	Mentioned in passing
Gould, Jay	Owned a parlor car in a train
Jesus	Mentioned in passing
Jones, George	Musician mentioned in passing
Lucy	Cartoon character from Peanuts
Newton, Isaac	Mentioned in passing
O''Hara, Scarlett	Character in ''Gone With The Wind''
Rogers, John Paul (Duke)	Geology Professor who studied the effects of the calmative
Roosevelt, Eleanor	Her statue stood in Grant park
Ryan, Nolan	Baseballer mentioned in passing
Samples, Junior	A deputy in La Plata looked like him
Wilkes, Ashley	Character in ''Gone With The Wind''
Youngblood, Rodney	Mentioned by Howard Fornoy

---

The Fifth Quarter

Description

On his deathbed, Barney told his friend about a map in 4 parts that showed the location of the money from an armoured car robbery. His friend decided to revenge the murder of Barney and went after the gang, and the 4 parts of the map

Published

1972, Apr - Cavalier (Written by John Swithen)
1986, Feb - Twilight Zone (As "A John Swithen Tale")
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
?, ? (The Sarge)	Ex-army sergeant and member of the gang that robbed the armoured car. Barneyf1 quote s friend and Jagger shot him
?, Barney	He drove for the gang that robbed the armoured car.f1~ He was shot by Jagger and left for dead, but lived to tell his friend about the maps.~ He was buried in the woods
Blue, Vida	Mentioned in passing
Davis, Miles	Jazz musician liked by Keenan
Hemingway, Ernest	Author mentioned in passing
Jagger, ?	Member of the gang that robbed the armoured car. He killed Barney and then ambushed the Sarge and Barney''s friend. Killed by Barney''s friend
Keenan, ?	Member of the gang that robbed the armoured car. He was shot by Barney''s friend
MacFarland, Cappy	He buried the money and made the map for the gang that robbed the armoured car. He died of cancer
Swithen, John	Author mentioned in passing
Van Gogh, Vincent	A print of Van Gogh covered the save in Keenans house
Wilson, Flip (Barneys Friend)	Barneys friend introduced himself to Keenan as Flip Wilson, but it is unlikely this is his real name

---

Head Down

Description

A story based on Bangor Maine about a little league baseball team.

Published

Cbaout 1991 - The New Yorker
1991 - The Best American Sports Writing, Houghton Mifflin Company
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
Arnold, Matt	Played on the Bangor West Team
Arnold, Mike	Played on the Bangor West Team
Auger, Jason	Played on the Lewiston Team
Bittner, Chuck	York Manager
Bouchard, Dan	Played on the York Team
Carson, Jeff	Played on the Hampden Team
Dorr, Arthur	Played on the Bangor West Team
Estes, Andy	Played on the York Team
Fernald, Ryan	Played on the York Team
Fiddler, JJ	Played on the Bangor West Team
Fisher, Roger	Played on the Bangor West Team
Francke, Matt	Played on the York Team
Gagnon, Carlton	Played on the Lewiston Team
Gervanis, Randy	Played on the Lewiston Team
Hoyt Matt	Played on the York Team
Hutchins, ?	Played on the York Team
Iarrobino, Ryan	Played on the Bangor West Team
Jamieson, Josh	Played on the Hampden Team
Johnson, Brett	Played on the Hampden Team
King, Kyle	Played on the Hampden Team
King, Owen	Played on the Bangor West Team
Kinney, Casey	Played on the Bangor West Team
Kinney, Matt	Played on the Bangor West Team
Knaide, Matt	Played on the Hampden Team
Laurita, Tim	Played on the Westfield Team
Mansfield, Dave	Bangor West head coach
Moore, Fred	Played on the Bangor West Team
Noyles, Matt	Played on the Lewiston Team
Paradis, Bill	Played on the Lewiston Team
Pelkey, Mike	Played on the Bangor West Team
Philbrick, ?	Played on the York Team
Rochefort, Kevin	Played on the Bangor West Team
St Pierre, Ron	Coach of Little league
Stevens, Josh	Played on the Bangor West Team
Streeton, Ryan	Played on the Lewiston Team
Sturgis, Stanley	Played on the Belfast Team
Tarbox, Phil	Played on the York Team
Tardif, Mike	Played on the Bangor West Team
Trzaskos, Nick	Played on the Bangor West Team
Waterman, Neil	Field coach for Bangor West
Waterman, Neil	Paramedic
Wentworth, Mike	Played on the Hampden Team
Wilcox, Joe	Played on the Bangor West Team
Witcomb, Chris	Played on the Hampden Team
Wyatt, ?	Played on the York Team

---

Home Delivery

Description

Maddie Pace lost her husband Jack, to a lobstering accident off Gennesault Island. Soon after the funeral, the world was awash in Zombies, and suddenly found herself confronted by the zombie of her husband. She chopped up his body and put the pieces in the cellar.

Published

1989 - Book of the dead
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
?, Mike	Jack Pace inherited his uncle Mike's boat
Arsenault, Matt	At the town meeting on Gennesault Island
Brokaw, Tom	Television reporter
Campbell, Mrs	Wife of Orrin Campbell
Campbell, Orrin	At the town meeting on Gennesault Island
Ching-Ling, Soong	Chinese Astronaut
Churchill, Winston	Mentioned in passing
Cook, Pop	Old man who sold his land on Little Tall Island and moved to the mainland when his arthritis got severe
Crane, Johnny	18 Year Old who attended the town meeting on Gennesault Island
Dagbolt, Humphrey	Astronomer who was killed investigating the worm satellite
Daggett, Bob	Called Town meeting on Gennesault Island. Head Selectman
Daggett, Frank	Bob Daggett's great uncle. He asked some friends to shoot him after he had a heart attack. He did not want to return as a zombie
Dorfman, Burt	Only Jew on Gennesault Island
Dotson, Sonny	Ran the Gennesault Island Amoco
Eamons, Dave	Seen Jack Pace die
Fournier, Michael	A youth who had died of Leukemia 2 years before he returned as a zombie
Gotrocks, ?	Mentioned in passing
Hanratty, Mabel	Had a yard sale where Maddy bought a table on Gennesault Island
Harkness, ?	Wife of Buck. Returned from the grave as a zombie
Harkness, Buck	Lived on Gennesault Island. Seen his dead wife return as a zombie
Johnson, Reverend	Local reverend who visits Maddy Pace.
Kingsbury, Andy	At the town meeting on Gennesault Island
McElwain, Dr	Mainland doctor
Meecham, Bud	Found a hole in his shirt from a bullet
Morley, Robert	Mentioned in passing
Nedeau, Bob	Owns local supermarket on Gennesault Island. Father of Charlene
Nedeau, Charlene	Works in her fathers supermarket on Gennesault Island
Pace, ?	Father of Jack. He was a lobsterman and thought being a lobsterman would be good enough for Jack as well
Pace, Jack	Maddy''s husband. He was washed overboard and died while fishing for lobsters. He returned from the dead and was once again killed, this time by his wife Maddy
Pace, Maddy	Married name of Maddy Sullivan. Wife of Jack. When her dead husband returned as a zombie she was forced to kill him
Partridge, Cal	At the town meeting on Gennesault Island
Pulsifer, Brian	Son of Candi
Pulsifer, Candi	Friend of Maddy's on Gennesault Island. Mother of Cheyne and Brian
Pulsifer, Cheyne	Child of Candi
Soong, Ching-Ling	Chinese astronaut who was killed when the worms invaded earth
St George, Selena	Writer from Little Tall Island. She lived on the mainland now, and had only returned to the island once after leaving
Sullivan, George	Maddy''s father. Died of a heart attack when Maddy was 19
Sullivan, Maddy	Maiden name of Maddy Pace
Sulliven, ?	Maddie''s mother and wife of George. Ran a produce stand on Little Tall Island
Willie, Boxcar	Mentioned in passing
Wirley, John	School Principal on Gennesault Island
Yang, Lin	Chinese Astronaut

---

The House on Maple Street

Description

Trent Bradbury locates the control panel of a spaceship in his house, and along with his 3 siblings, discover that their house is actually an alien spaceship preparing for takeoff. The children get their mother out of the house, and coax their evil stepfather back inside as the house takes off.

Published

1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
Bradbury, Bill	First husband of Catherine and father of Brian, Laurie, Melissa and Trent. Died
Bradbury, Brian	7 year old child of Catherine and Bill
Bradbury, Catherine	Mother of Brian, Laurie, Melissa and Trent. Wife of Bill until his death. She then married Lewis Evans, and evil and mean man who regularly beat her
Bradbury, Laurie	11 year old child of Catherine and Bill
Bradbury, Melissa	5 year old child of Catherine and Bill. She was the first of the children to discover that the house was not exactly as it seemed
Bradbury, Trent	13 year old child of Catherine and Bill
Evans, Catherine	Second married name of Catherine Bradbury
Evans, Lewis (Daddy Lew)	Stepfather of the Bradbury Kids, and a wife beater. He is coaxed back into the house just before it launches, leaving Catherine and her children back on Earth
Kitt, Mrs	School nurse
Krutchmer, Mrs	Catherine spilled some food on her dress. Wife of Stephen
Krutchmer, Stephen	Head of history department
Mayer, Mercer	Trent Bradbury read Bill Bradbury one of his stories
Peter Pan	Childrens story character
Redland, Mrs	Neighbour of the Evans family
Slattery, Mr	Neighbour of the Evans family

---

It Grows on You

Description

Old men gathered at Brownie's Store in Castle Rock talk about the strange house built by Joe Newall. Each time a person dies, the house is extended in some way, even though the house has no tenants and no owner. Gary Paulson dies in his sleep and soon after a new cupola is started at the Newall house.

Published

1975, Fall - Marshroots
1982, Aug 17/18 - Whispers (Major revision)
1982 - Death (Playboy Anthology)
1991, Summer - Weird Tales (Minor revision of Marshroots version)
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Major revision)

People

Name	Description
Budreau, Phil	Owned some land that was foreclosed on by the Bank. Fell from a plane over france during WWI and died
Campbell, Nickerson	Castle County Sheriff who told Phil Budreau of the bank forclosure
Clutterbuck, Andy	Grandson of John Clutterbuck. Former police officer, widower and was drinking heavily
Clutterbuck, Clayton	John Clutterbuck''s father
Clutterbuck, John	Son of Clayton Clutterbuck. Customer in Brownie''s store. Large dent in his head from a car accident
Clutterbuck, Melissa	Andy Clutterbuck''s wife. Dead
Corliss, Paul	Customer in Brownie''s store
Corriveau, Ken	Country singer, now selling fords in Chamberlain
Coy, Alvin	Only person from Harlow to attend Joe Newall''s funeral. From Castle Rock, he drive the funeral car for Jo''s funeral
Ellis, Benny	Claimed that Joe Newall had gouged out his daughters eye
Gingercroft, Doris	Nurse for Dr Robertson in Gates Falls
Leonard, Cora	Niece of Carl Stowe. Married Joe Newall. Got pregnant in 1920
McKissick, Bill (Brownie)	Owner of the Brownie''s store. Father of Harley
McKissick, Harley	Owner of the Brownie''s store. Son of Bill
Newall, Cora	Married name of Cora Leonard. Wife of Joe Newall. Had a deformed daughter who died sood after her birth in 1921. Fell down the stairs and broke her neck in 1924
Newall, Joe	Made much of his fortune from Gates Mills. Husband of Cora from 1914 and he hung himself in 1929 after the stock market crash
Newall, Sarah Tampson Tabitha Francine	Deformed child of Cora and Joe born 14 January 1921. She lived for only 6 hours, and had no arms
Ouelette, Sally	Gary Paulson''s first lover
Partridge, Lenny	Customer in Brownie''s store. Broke his ribs in a strange car accident
Paulson, ?	Son of Gary Paulson. Died in a collision with a pulp truck at Presque Isle in 1973
Paulson, ?	Son of Gary Paulson. Died in WWII
Paulson, ?	Son of Gary Paulson. Died in the Korean war
Paulson, Gary Martin	Antique dealer and drove an old Chevy. Often visited Brownie''s store. Died in his sleep of a brain haemorrhage after an erotic dream involving Cora Newall
Paulson, Mr	Father of Gary Paulson.
Robertson, Dr	Local doctor in Gates Falls
Roy, Dana	Electrician who died of Intestinal cancer. Worked as an electrician for US Gypsum until he retired in 1979. May have been molested by Cora Newall when he was 2 years old. Lived in castle Rock all his life
Roy, Eddie	Father of William, Frank and Dana
Roy, Frank	Son of Eddie. He said that Cora Newall had molested Dana
Roy, Lucy	Wife of Dana. Died in 1968
Roy, William	Brother of Dana, threw a dead skunk at the side of Joe Newall''s house in 1929
Stowe, Carl	Uncle of Cora Leonard, and her only living relative until he died in about 1914
Torbutt, Cleveland	Assistant Manager of Gates Mills and Joe Newall''s partner in many investments
Upshaw, Clem	Health officer of Castle Rock County. Discovered that Joe Newall''s cows had died of bovine meningitis
Upshaw, Noble	Clem Upshaw''s brother. Castle County coroner
Wyeth, Andrew	Painter mentioned

---

The Moving Finger

Description

Most fingers are only a few inches long, but there are always exceptions to the rule as Howard Mitla finds out when a strange finger appears from the drain. Howard tries to destroy the finger with drain cleaner, and then cuts a few feet off its length with the hedge clippers.

A policeman arrives, alerted to the noise by a nosy neighbour, and finds Howard's bathroom covered in blood. But there is something strange trying to escape from the toilet.

Published

1990, Dec - Science Fiction and Fantasy
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Significantly revised)

People

Name	Description
Dattlebaum, Mr	Lived in Apartment 3F
DeHorne, Bill	Violet''s father
Feeney, Dennis	Irish Drunk
Fenster, Alicia	Lived in Apartment 2C
Katz, Arlene	Friend of Violet
Lah, Mrs	Owner of a shop
Lathrop, John	Accountant
Mitla, Howard	Husband of Violet, and the finder of the ''finger''
Mitla, Violet	Wife of Howard
O''Bannion, Officer	Policeman called by Dennis Feeney
Stone, Dr	Violet''s boss - a dentist

---

My Pretty Pony

Description

George Banning tells his young grandson, Clive, about the different sorts of time. A young person sees time as slow, but as you age, time seems to flutter past very quickly.

Published

1988 - Whitney Museum of Art (Limited edition)
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
Banning, Bill	Son of George Banning. Killed in a motor vehicle accident
Banning, Clive	Grandson of George
Banning, Don	Uncle of Clive Banning
Banning, George	Explained the meaning of time to his grandson Clive
Banning, Patty	Clives sister
Brandy	Patty''s Dog (A poodle)
Brannigan, Foxy	Owner of a "Model Delight" magazine
Brinkmayer, Johnny	Died of cancer
Brown, Mrs	Widow who hit a man in the backside with a broomstick
Chadband, Reverend	Local Reverend
Davis, Frank	Ran Davis Drug
Hayden, Mr	Suffered from Alzheimer''s or similar
Osgood, Alden	Caught Clive in a game of hide and seek
Radwick, Mr	A local butcher who cheated customers
Warburton, Tim	Looking for work

---

The Night Flier

Description

Richard Dees, a reporter for a 'Inside View' is searching for what he thinks is a serial killer. Dwight Renfield is no serial killer - he is a modern day vampire, but there is no turning into a bat and flying - this guy uses a Cessna to cruise around the north-east United States !

Dees catches up with the killer in Wilmington, and finds out his true nature.

Published

1988 - Prime Evil: Stories by the Masters of Modern Horror
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Significantly Revised)

People

Name	Description
Bowie, Claire	The Night Flier''s victim
Dees, Richard	Veteran reporter
Frye, Dwight	Actor who''s name was used to get the fictional name Dwight Renfield
Grannit, Libby	Comes up with paper headlines
Hannon, Ezra	Mechanic
Kendall, Buck	The Night Flier''s victim
Kendall, Jenna	Wife of Buck Kendall
McCammon, Selida	Friend of Ellen Sarch
Morrison, Merton	Freshman Editor that discovered the pattern of deaths
Renfield, Dwight	The name that was given as the Pilot of the Night Flier
Sarch, Doug	Son of Ray and Ellen, died smuggling drugs
Sarch, Ellen	Ran Duffrey airfield with husband Ray
Sarch, Ray	Ran Duffrey airfield with wife Ellen
Walsh, Dottie	Took a bath with a dry-cleaning bag over her head
Wilson, Norm	Owner of Duffrey''s Texaco station

---

Popsy

Description

Sheridan gets more than he asks for when he kidnaps a small child from a shopping centre. Sheridan takes the boy towards Mr Wizard's home, where he was to get paid for the delivery, but he never makes it. On route a large winged animal stops the van and cuts Sheridan's throat. Popsy had delivered the drink he had promised the boy.

Published

1987 - Masques II: All-new Stories of Horror and the Supernatural
1988 - The Best of Masques
1988 - Karl Edward Wagner Presents the Year's Best Horror Stories
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Substantially revised)
1992, Sep - Masques II (As a comic feature)

People

Name	Description
Popsy	The loving grandfather
Reggie, Mr	Owns a gambling joint where Sheridan owes money
Sheridan, Mr	Gambler in a fix
Wizzard, Mr	Large Turkish man with a taste for children

---

Rainy Season

Description

In Willow , Maine , it rains every 7 years, and John and Elise Graham arrive at the start of the rainy season, and are advised to spend the night out of town. They refuse, thinking it a joke, but they soon find that it sure does rain - But here it rains carnivorous Toads! They lose their fight against the toads and are eaten.

Published

1989, Spring - Midnight Graffiti magazine
1992 - Midnight Graffiti
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (revised)

People

Name	Description
Cousins, Milly	Friend of the Graham''s
Doucette, Lucy	Milly Cousins'' great aunt
Eden, Henry	Runs a shop in town
Graham, Elise	Drove to Willow, Maine to write a book. Wife of John
Graham, John	Drove to Willow, Maine to write a book. Husband of Elise
Stanton, Laura	Customer at Henry Eden'' shop
Toby	Henry Eden''s Dog

---

Sneakers

Description

John keeps seeing these old sneakers in the same toilet stall EVERY time he goes into the toilet. As time passes even the flies are building up around the sneakers, but no other person seems to know what is going on. But there is a ghost in that stall!

Published

1988 - Dark Visions
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Substantially rewritten)

People

Name	Description
?, Ginger	Member of The Dead Beats band
Beatles, The	Band mentioned in passing
Butthole Surfers, The	Band mentioned by Paul Jannings
Clapton, Eric	Paul Jannings recorded one of his sessions
Daltrey, Roger	John Tell and Paul Jannings worked on one of his albums
Dead Beats, The	John Tell missed this bands album
Dylan, Bob	Paul Jannings recorded one of his sessions
Fogerty, John	Singer mentioned by John Tell
Iovine, Jimmy	A music producer
Jannings, Paul	He hired John Tell. The ghost in the stall told Tell that Jannings had murdered him in about 1972. He was a cocaine addict at the time of the murder, but got himself clean soon after
Kooper, Al	Paul Jannings recorded one of his sessions
Lennon, John	Paul Jannings recorded one of his sessions
McCartney, Paul	One of the Beatles
McLean, Don	Mentioned in passing
Nelson, Sandy	Mentioned in passing
Rolling Stones, The	Band mentioned in passing
Ronkler, Georgie	Member of the Dead Beats band. He told John Tell the story about the ghost in the toilet stall
Satin Saturns, The	John Tell played bass for them occasionally
Spector, Phil	Record producer
Springsteen, Bruce	Singer liked by John Tell
Steinbrenner, George	Mentioned in passing
Superman	Mentioned in passing
Tell, John	He was hired to work at the Tabori Studios by Paul Jannings. He saw sneakers under the toiler stall, and was later told the story about the dead drug pusher
Tell, Mr	Father of John Tell
Trump, Donald	Mentioned in passing
Vivaldi, ?	Composer
Who, The	Roger Daltrey sung for them
Wyman, Bill	Bass player for the Rolling Stones

---

Sorry, Right Number

Description

Kate Weiderman receives a telephone call from a hysterical woman who sounds vaguely familiar. After the call is cut off and they are unable to establish the connection again, they forget about it. That night Kate's husband Bill dies of a heart attack.

Five years later Kate accidentally calls her old phone number and is connected with herself 5 years in the past, and frantically tries to warn her of the tragedy that will occur later that night. After the call is terminated she is unable to reconnect.

Published

1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
?, Hank	Katie''s second husband
Charlton, Janie	Big woman
Hansen, Ronnie	Asked Polly to a ball
Wierderman, Bill	Katie''s husband who later dies
Wierderman, Connie	Katie & Bill''s 10 year old daughter
Wierderman, Dennis	Katie & Bill''s 13 year old son
Wierderman, Jeff	Katie & Bill''s 8 year old son
Wierderman, Katie	Receives a call from herself
Wierderman, Polly	Katie & Bill''s 16 year old daughter

---

Suffer the Little Children

Description

Robert is a little boy with a big secret - he can change from a human form to something else, and his teacher, Emily Sidney saw it. This made her lose her mind, slowly, and she took 12 of her students into a room and killed them.

Published

1972, Feb - Cavalier
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Substantially revised)

People

Name	Description
?, Edward	One of Emily Sidney''s students at the Summer Street School
?, Jane	One of Emily Sidney''s students at the Summer Street School
?, Robert	Small boy with a big secret. One of Emily Sidney''s students at the Summer Street School who can change from a human form to something strange. Emily Sidney seen this change
Crossen, Margaret	Teacher that helped bring Miss Sidley around with smelling salts after she fainted
Hanning, Mr	School Principal at the Summer Street School
Jenkins, Buddy	Psychiatrist who worked with Emily Sidley
Sidley, Emily	Teacher at the Summer Street School. She saw one of her students, Robert, change from a human into a strange form, then back. This made her loose her mind, slowly, and she took 12 of her students into a room and killed them
Sidley, Jim	Brother of Emily, and owned a gun he took off a dead German soldier. This was the gun Emily used on her students

---

The Ten O'Clock People

Description

Brandon Pearson began seeing bat-like people while outside his office having a cigarette. Duke Rhinemann explained that they could only be seen by smokers who had given up, but then started again. Brandon attended a meeting of other people that could also see the bat-people, but the meeting was attacked and all but 3 of the attendees were killed.

Brandon and two others moved to Omaha to start the fight against the bat people in a new area.

Published

1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
Brightwood, Janet	Could see the ''Bat people''
Buddy	Brandon''s childhood dog
Carstairs, Buzz	Given some work by Brandon
Delray, Robbie	Could see the ''Bat people''
Fine, Donald	Works in Securities - A ''bat person''
Flanders, Timmy	Could see the ''Bat people''
Grosbeck, Carl	Chairman of the board - A ''bat person''
Holding, Suzanne	''Bat woman''
Keefer, Douglas	CEO of the First Mutual Bank of Boston - A ''bat person''
Kendra	Could see the ''Bat people''
Olson, Lester	Could see the ''Bat people''
Pearson, Brandon	Discovered that he could see the ''Bat people''
Pearson, Lisabeth	Brandon''s wife
Rhinemann, Dudley	Could see the ''Bat people''
Rhinemann, Wendy	Dudley''s Wife
Richardson, Moira	Could see the ''Bat people''
Stevens, Cameron	Could see the ''Bat people''

---

Umney's Last Case

Description

Clyde Umney is a private detective who discovers that he is actually the character in a book written by Samuel Landry. Landry arrives and wants to swap places with him - and does!

Umney suddenly finds himself living as a real person, not a storybook character, and must learn many things we take for granted. Umney begins to learn to write, as he intends to go and take his life back, and kill Landry in the process.

Published

1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

People

Name	Description
Brunner, Harris	Owned a houseboat
Buster	The Demmick''s dog
Cain, Arlene	See Candy Kane
Charles, Nick	The man who George Demmick was based on
Charles, Nora	The woman who Gloria Demmick was based on
Corrigan, Hap	Painters boss
Demmick, George	Unmey''s neighbour. Husband of Gloria
Demmick, Gloria	Unmey''s neighbour. Wife of George
Hatfield, Tom (Big Tom)	Character in a previous case
Kane, Candy	Umney''s secretary. See Arlene Cain
Klein, Vernon	Elevator operator
Landry, Danny	Samuel''s son who died of AIDS
Landry, Linda	Samuel''s wife
Landry, Samuel	The owner of the building where Umney worked. It turns out that he is the creator of the Umney books: Scarlet Town, How like a fallen angel
Luciano, Lucky	Owned the Red Door nightclub
McGill, Ardis	Friend of Umney
Smith, Francis	See Preoria Smith
Smith, Fred	Preoria''s uncle
Smith, Preoria	Blind Paperboy
Sternwood, Agnes	Supposedly drank Drain Cleaner
Tuggle, Bill	An accountant
Umney, Clyde	Private detective who meets his maker
Verrill, Mr	Landry''s agent
Weld, Mavis	A character in a previous case

---

You know they got a hell of a band

Description

Mary and Clark get lost - out of this world in fact. All the characters in this strange town they stop in, look a lot like movie stars and singers, but they all have one little thing in common. They are all DEAD.

Published

1992 - Shock Rock
1993 - Nightmares and Dreamscapes (Substantially revised)

People

Name	Description
Thomas, Sissy	Another one trapped in the town
Willingham, Clark	Lost while travelling to Toketee Falls
Willingham, Mary	Lost while travelling to Toketee Falls