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looked down at his lap wretchedly。 〃I wish I could read。 Sometimes Tony shows me
signs and I can hardly read any of them。〃
〃Who's Tony？〃 Hallorann asked again。
〃Mommy and Daddy call him my ‘invisible playmate； '〃 Danny said； reciting the
words carefully。 〃But he's really real。 At least； I think he is。 Sometimes； when
I try real hard to understand things； he es。 He says； 'Danny； I want to show
you something。' And it's like I pass out。 Only 。。。 there are dreams； like you
said。〃 He looked at Hallorann and swallowed。 〃They used to be nice。 But now 。。。 I can't remember
the word for dreams that scare you and make you cry。〃
〃Nightmares？〃 Hallorann asked。
〃Yes。 That's right。 Nightmares。〃
〃About this place？ About the Overlook？〃
Danny looked down at his thumb…sucking hand again。 〃Yes；〃 he whispered。 Then
he spoke shrilly； looking up into Hallorann's face： 〃But I can't tell my daddy；
and you can't； either！ He has to have this job because it's the only one Uncle
Al could get for him and he has to finish his play or he might start doing the
Bad Thing again and I know what that is； it's getting drunk； that's what it is；
it's when he used to always be drunk and that was a Bad Thing to do！〃 He
stopped； on the verge of tears。
〃Shh；〃 Hallorann said； and pulled Danny's face against the rough serge of his
jacket。 It smelled faintly of mothballs。 〃That's all right； son。 And if that
thumb likes your mouth； let it go where it wants。〃 But his face was troubled。
He said： 〃What you got； son； I call it shinin on； the Bible calls it having
visions； and there's scientists that call it precognition。 I've read up on it；
son。 I've studied on it。 They all mean seeing the future。 Do you understand
that？〃
Danny nodded against Hallorann's coat。
〃I remember the strongest shine I ever had that way 。。。 I'm not liable to
forget。 It was 1955。 I was still in the Army then； stationed overseas in West
Germany。 It was an hour before supper； and I was standin by the sink； givin one
of the KPs hell for takin too much of the potato along with the peel。 I says；
'Here； lemme show you how that's done。' He held out the potato and the peeler
and then the whole kitchen was gone。 Bang； just like that。 You say you see this
guy Tony before 。。。 before you have dreams？〃
Danny nodded。
Hallorann put an arm around him。 〃With me it's smellin oranges。 All that
afternoon I'd been smellin them and thinkin nothin of it； because they were on
the menu for that night—we had thirty crates of Valencias。 Everybody in the damn
kitchen was smellin oranges that night。
〃For a minute it was like I had just passed out。 And then I heard an explosion
and saw flames。 There were people screaming。 Sirens。 And I heard this hissin
noise that could only be steam。 Then it seemed like I got a little closer to
whatever it was and I saw a railroad car off the tracks and laying on its side
with Georgia aced South Carolina Railroad written on it； and I knew like a flash
that my brother Carl was on that train and it jumped the tracks and Carl was
dead。 Just like that。 Then it was gone and here's this scared； stupid little KP
in front of me； still holdin out that potato and the peeler。 He says； 'Are you
okay； Sarge？' And I says； ‘No。 My brother's just been killed down in Georgia'
And when I finally got my momma on the overseas telephone； she told me how it
was。
〃But see； boy； I already knew how it was。〃
He shook his head slowly； as if dismissing the memory； and looked down at the
wide…eyed boy。
〃But the thing you got to remember； my boy； is this： Those things don't always
e true。 I remember just four years ago I had a job cookin at a boys' camp up
in Maine on Long Lake。 So I am sittin by the boarding gate at Logan Airport in
Boston； just waiting to get on my flight； and I start to smell oranges。 For the
first time in maybe five years。 So I say to myself； 'My God； what's in on
this crazy late show now？' and I got down to the bathroom and sat on one of the
toilets to be private。 I never did black out； but I started to get this feelin；
stronger and stronger； that my plane was gonna crash。 Then the feeling went
away； and the smell of oranges； and I knew it was over。 I went back to the Delta
Airlines desk and changed my flight to one three hours later。 And do you know
what happened？〃
〃What？〃 Danny whispered。
〃Nothin！〃 Hallorann said； and laughed。 He was relieved to see the boy smile a
little； too。 〃Not one single thing！ That old plane landed right on time and
without a single bump or bruise。 So you see 。。。 sometimes those feelins don't
e to anything。〃
〃Oh；〃 Danny said。
〃Or you take the race track。 I go a lot； and I usually do pretty well。 I stand
by the rail when they go by the starting gate； and sometimes I get a little
shine about this horse or that one。 Usually those feelins help me get real well。
I always tell myself that someday I'm gonna get three at once on three long
shots and make enough on the trifecta to retire early。 It ain't happened yet。
But there's plenty of times I've e home from the track on shank's mare
instead of in a taxicab with my wallet swollen up。 Nobody shines on all the
time； except maybe for God up in heaven。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Danny said； thinking of the time almost a year ago when Tony had
showed him a new baby lying in a crib at their house in Stovington。 He had been
very excited about that； and had waited； knowing that it took time； but there
had been no new baby。
〃Now you listen；〃 Hallorann said； and took both of Danny's hands in his own。
〃I've had some bad dreams here； and I've had some bad feelins。 I've worked here
two seasons now and maybe a dozen times I've had 。。。 well； nightmares。 And
maybe half a dozen times I've thought I've seen things。 No； I won't say what。 It
ain't for a little boy like you。 Just nasty things。 Once it had something to do
with those damn hedges clipped to look like animals。 Another time there was a
maid； Delores Vickery her name was； and she had a little shine to her； but I
don't think she knew it。 Mr。 Ullman fired her 。。。 do you know what that is；
doc？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Danny said candidly； 〃my daddy got fired from his teaching job and
that's why we're in Colorado； I guess。〃
〃Well； Ullman fired her on account of her saying she'd seen something in one
of the rooms where 。。。 well； where a bad thing happened。 That was in Room 217；
and I want you to promise me you won't go in there； Danny。 Not all winter。 Steer
right clear。〃
〃All right；〃 Danny said。 〃Did the lady — the maiden — did she ask you to go
look？〃
〃Yes； she did。 And there was a bad thing there。 But 。。。 I don't think it was
a bad thing that could hurt anyone； Danny； that's what I'm tryin to say。 People
who shine can sometimes see things that are gonna happen； and I think sometimes
they can see things that did happen。 But they're just like pictures in a book。
Did you ever see a picture in a book that scared you； Danny？〃
〃Yes；〃 he said； thinking of the story of Bluebeard and the picture where
Bluebeard's new wife opens the door and sees all the heads。
〃But you knew it couldn't hurt you； didn't you？〃
〃Ye — ess。。。〃 Danny said； a little dubious。
〃Well； that's how it is in this hotel。 I don't know why； but it seems that all
the bad things that ever happened here； there's little pieces of those things
still layin around like fingernail clippins or the boogers that somebody nasty
just wiped under a chair。 I don't know why it should just be here； there's bad
goings…on in just about every hotel in the world； I guess； and I've worked in a
lot of them and had no trouble。 Only here。 But Danny； I don't think those things
can hurt anybody。〃 He emphasized each word in the sentence with a mild shake of
the boy's shoulders。 〃So if you should see something； in a hallway or a room or
outside by those hedges 。。。 just look the other way and when you look back；
it'll be gone。 Are you diggin me？〃
〃Yes；〃 Danny said。 He felt much better； soothed。 He got up on his knees；
kissed Hallorann's cheek； and gave him a big hard hug。