didn't notice。 He was looking hard at the floor； concentrating on expressing
himself。 〃But now whenever he es he shows me bad things。 Awful things。 Like
in the bathroom last night。 The things he shows me； they sting me like those
wasps stung me。 Only Tony's things sting me up here。〃 He cocked a finger gravely
at his temple； a small boy unconsciously burlesquing suicide。
〃What things； Danny？〃
〃I can't remember！〃 Danny cried out； agonized。 〃I'd tell you if I could！ It's
like I can't remember because it's so bad I don't want to remember。 All I can
remember when I wake up is REDRUM。〃
〃Red drum or red rum？〃
〃Rum。 〃
〃What's that； Danny？〃
〃I don't know。〃
〃Danny？〃
〃Yes； sir？〃
〃Can you make Tony e now？〃
〃I don't know。 He doesn't always e。 I don't even know if I want him to e
anymore。〃
〃Try； Danny。 I'll be right here。〃
Danny looked at Edmonds doubtfully。 Edmonds nodded encouragement。
Danny let out a long； sighing breath and nodded。 〃But I don't know if it will
work。 I never did it with anyone looking at me before。 And Tony doesn't always
e； anyway。〃
〃If he doesn't； he doesn't；〃 Edmonds said。 〃I just want you to try。〃
〃Okay。〃
He dropped his gaze to Edmonds's slowly swinging loafers and cast his mind
outward toward his mommy and daddy。 They were here someplace 。。。 right beyond
that wall with the picture on it； as a matter of fact。 In the waiting room where
they had e in。 Sitting side by side but not talking。 Leafing through
magazines。 Worried。 About him。
He concentrated harder； his brow furrowing； trying to get Into the feeling of
his mommy's thoughts。 It was always harder when they weren't right there in the
room with him。 Then he began to get it。 Mommy was thinking about a sister。 Her
sister。 The sister was dead。 His mommy was thinking that was the main thing that
turned her mommy into such a
（bitch？）
into such an old biddy。 Because her sister had died。 As a little girl she was
（hit by a car oh god i could never stand anything like that again like aileen
but what if he's sick really sick cancer spinal meningitis leukemia brain tumor
like john gunther's son or muscular dystrophy oh jeez kids his age get leukemia
all the time radium treatments chemotherapy we couldn't afford anything like
that but of course they just can't turn you out to die on the street can they
and anyway he's all right all right all right you really shouldn't let yourself
think）
（Danny — ）
（about aileen and）
（Dannee — ）
（that car）
（Dannee — ）
But Tony wasn't there。 Only his voice。 And as it faded； Danny followed it down
into darkness； falling and tumbling down some magic hole between Dr。 Bill's
swinging loafers； past a loud knocking sound； further； a bathtub cruised
silently by in the darkness with some horrible thing lolling in it； past a sound
like sweetly chiming church bells； past a clock under a dome of glass。
Then the dark was pierced feebly by a single light； festooned with cobwebs。
The weak glow disclosed a stone floor that looked damp and unpleasant。 Somewhere
not far distant was a steady mechanical roaring sound； but muted； not
frightening。 Soporific。 It was the thing that would be forgotten； Danny thought
with dreamy surprise。
As his eyes adjusted to the gloom he could see Tony just ahead of him； a
silhouette。 Tony was looking at something and Danny strained his eyes to see
what it was。
（Your daddy。 See your daddy？）
Of course he did。 How could he have missed him； even in the basement light's
feeble glow？ Daddy was kneeling on the floor； casting the beam of a flashlight
over old cardboard boxes and wooden crates。 The cardboard boxes were mushy and
old； some of them had split open and spilled drifts of paper onto the floor。
Newspapers； books； printed pieces of paper that looked like bills。 His daddy was
examining them with great interest。 And then Daddy looked up and shone his
flashlight in another direction。 Its beam of light impaled another book； a large
white one bound with gold string。 The cover looked like white leather。 It was a
scrapbook。 Danny suddenly needed to cry out to his daddy； to tell him to leave
that book alone； that some books should not be opened。 But his daddy was
climbing toward it。
The mechanical roaring sound； which he now recognized as the boiler at the
Overlook which Daddy checked three or four times every day； had developed an
ominous； rhythmic hitching。 It began to sound like 。。。 like pounding。 And the
smell of mildew and wet； rotting paper was changing to something else — the high；
junipery smell of the Bad Stuff。 It hung around his daddy like a vapor as he
reached for the book 。。。 and grasped it。
Tony was somewhere in the darkness
（This inhuman place makes human monsters。 This inhuman place）
repeating the same inprehensible thing over and over。
（makes human monsters。）
Falling through darkness again； now acpanied by the heavy； pounding thunder
that was no longer the boiler but the sound of a whistling mallet striking silk…
papered walls； knocking out whiffs of plaster dust。 Crouching helplessly on the
blue…black woven jungle rug。
（e out）
（This inhuman place）
（and take your medicine！）
（makes human monsters。）
With a gasp that echoed in his own head he jerked himself out of the darkness。
Hands were on him and at first he shrank back； thinking that the dark thing in
the Overlook of Tony's world had somehow followed him back into the world of
real things — and then Dr。 Edmonds was saying： 〃You're all right； Danny。 You're
all right。 Everything is fine。〃
Danny recognized the doctor； then his surroundings in the office。 He began to
shudder helplessly。 Edmonds held him。
When the reaction began to subside； Edmonds asked； 〃You said something about
monsters； Danny — what was it？〃
〃This inhuman place；〃 he said gutturally。 〃Tony told me。。。 this inhuman
place 。。。 makes 。。。 makes 。。。〃 He shook his head。 〃Can't remember。〃
〃Try！〃
〃I can't。〃
〃Did Tony e？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃What did he show you？〃
〃Dark。 Pounding。 I don't remember。〃
〃Where were you？〃
〃Leave me alone！ I don't remember！ Leave me alone！〃 He began to sob helplessly
in fear and frustration。 It was all gone； dissolved into a sticky mess like a
wet bundle of paper； the memory unreadable。
Edmonds went to the water cooler and got him a paper cup of water。 Danny drank
it and Edmonds got him another one。
〃Better？〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Danny； I don't want to badger you 。。。 tease you about this； I mean。 But can
you remember anything about before Tony came？〃
〃My mommy；〃 Danny said slowly。 〃She's worried about me。〃
〃Mothers always are； guy。〃
〃No 。。。 she had a sister that died when she was a little girl。 Aileen。 She
was thinking about how Aileen got hit by a car and that made her worried about
me。 I don't remember anything else。〃
Edmonds was looking at him sharply。 〃Just now she was thinking that？ Out in
the waiting room？〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Danny； how would you know that？〃
〃I don't know；〃 Danny said wanly。 〃The shining； I guess。〃
〃The what？〃
Danny shook his head very slowly。 〃I'm awful tired。 Can't I go see my mommy
and daddy？ I don't want to answer any more questions。 I'm tired。 And my stomach
hurts。〃
〃Are you going to throw up？〃
〃No； sir。 I just want to go see my mommy and daddy。〃
〃Okay； Dan。〃 Edmonds stood up。 〃You go on out and see them for a minute； then
send them in so I can talk to them。 Okay？。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃There are books out there to look at。 You like books； don't you？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Danny said dutifully。
〃You're a good boy； Danny。〃
Danny gave him a faint smile。
* * *
〃I can't find a thing wrong with him；〃 Dr。 Edmonds said to the Torrances。 〃Not
physically。 Mentally； he's bright and rather too imaginative。 It happens。
Children have to grow into their imaginations like a pair of oversized shoes。
Danny's is still way too big for him。 Ever had his IQ tested？〃
〃I don't believe in them；〃 Jack said。 〃They straight…jacket the expectations
of both parents and teachers。〃
Dr。 Edmonds nodded。 〃That may be。 But if you did test him； I think you'd find
he's right off the scale for his age group。 His verbal ability； for a boy who is
five going on six； is amazing。〃
〃We don't talk down to him；〃 Jack said with a trace of pride。
〃I doubt if you've ever had to in order to make yourself understood。〃 Edmonds
paused； fiddling with a pen。 〃He went into a trance while I was with him。 At my
request。 Exactly as you described him in the bathroom last night。 All his
muscles went lax； his body slumped； his eyeballs rotated outward。 Textbook auto…
hypnosis。 I was amazed。 I still am。〃
The Torrances sat forward。 〃What happened？〃 Wendy asked tensely； and Edmonds
carefully related Danny's trance； the muttered phrase from which Edmonds had
only been able to pluck the word 〃monsters；〃 the 〃dark；〃 the 〃pounding。〃 The
aftermath of tears； near…hysteria； and nervous stomach。
〃Tony again；〃 Jack said。
〃What does it mean？〃 Wendy asked。 〃Have you any idea？〃
〃A few。 You might not like them。〃
〃Go ahead anyway；〃 Jack told him。
〃From what Danny told me； his ‘invisible friend' was truly a friend until you
folks moved out here from New England。 Tony has only bee a threatening figure
since that move。 The pleasant interludes have bee nightmarish； even more
frightening to your son because he can't remember exactly what the nightmares
are about。 That's mon enough。 We all remember our pleasant dreams more
clearly than the scary ones。 There seems to be a buffer somewhere between the
conscious and the subconscious； and one hell of a bluenose lives in there。 This
censor only lets through a small amount； and often what does e through is
only symbolic。 That's oversimplified Freud； but it does pretty much describe
what we know of the mind's interaction with itself。〃
〃You think moving has upset Danny that badly？〃 Wendy asked。
〃It may have； if the move took place under traumatic circums