#god he was doing really good too fucking stupid incident from danny man

[princemick-archive]

2022 Mexican GP // post race

[cowandcalf]

Writer’s Month 2020 - To Find A Way

Prompt No.21 - Family Part II

Chapter 1 - 11

Chapter 12

Danny repeats his question with the same tender voice. Grace still seems awfully spooked. "Monkey, where's Steve? Did he run off?" Danny pats carefully over Grace's arms and legs. He squeezes with intent, gently but purposefully to make sure she's not hurt with broken bones or nasty bruises. "Sweetheart?" Grace clings to him as if she has seen a sea monster snapping with its foul fangs at her. Jesus, what the hell happened out there?

Also on AO3

He can't rush this. He can't make her speak faster and under no circumstances he wants to pressure her. He can't run outside either to go looking for Steve. His soul is split in half but his daughter comes first. Steve's a SEAL and he's confident Steve knows how to deal with such immense stress. God, he hopes Steve's not doing something stupid like to hurt himself. Oh shit, what if he jumped in the surf to outswim the noise and the panic? Ah, fuck! Danny breathes in a pattern to fake calmness. His baby girl is still trembling.

"Did Steve hurt you?" Danny's heart stops but he has to… he has to ask this. He still can't grasp how deep Steve's PTSD goes; how severe it is. They haven't talked about that sensitive topic. And three damn choppers could have freaked him completely. As a responsible father, he must make sure Steve didn't hurt Grace even if he acted with good intentions. "Look, Grace, Steve's very afraid of helicopters. He might have broken out in panic. I just need to know if he hurt you. Did he grab you? Shoved you away?"

Grace shakes her head and rubs her snotty nose over Danny's collarbone. She's still so hot. "Let's get you out of the life vest and all the rest. Why are you wearing it anyway?" Danny rocks her silently with his arms wrapped around her. He fumbles with the cords and the Velcro. The relief over Grace's answer makes Danny light-headed.

"Steve put it on. He said I need it." Her voice is hoarse from shouting and crying.

"Need it for what? Have you been in the water?" Danny finally manages to open the front. He pulls the vest over Grace's shoulders along with the floatation aids. Steve made sure she wouldn't drown. Danny shuts his eyes and sustains the wave of stress rippling through his chest. Steve must be in such bad shape.

"No, we were at the beach. Steve showed me how to dig a ditch," Grace breaks again into tears.

"Hey, hey, Monkey. Everything's going to be fine. I promise."

She sniffs, pressed against his body.  She's a hot, limp bundle of a scared child. Danny's heart aches for her. "He said I should run. I didn't want to leave, Danno but Steve shouted so loud and he cried. He shouted at me that I need to run into the house."

Danny's close to tears too. "It's okay, baby, it's okay." He bites his lips, "did he sound mean?"

"No," Grace hiccups. Her little body shakes with the disturbing deep sobs her body forces from her. Danny uses his shirt to wipe her nose but the tears don't want to stop flowing. "Steve said I need to run and go hide. He always shouted that I need to run to you. He said I can't look back. He said I need to run."

"That's good, baby. That's good. He wanted you to be safe. You know, Steve is so afraid of the sound of choppers. Choppers are like big monsters to him. The way they move and how they look like and they make so much noise. He doesn't like them. They scare him. And he was afraid you might get hurt." Danny pushes himself up from the couch and walks slowly towards the back door. "And he made sure you won't get hurt and that's fantastic."

Grace finally lifts her head. A good sign.

"What did scare you the most, sweetheart?" Danny steps out on the Lanai and walks steadily and with an unhurried pace down to the beach.

"Everything was so loud. Steve talked so fast with a funny voice. I wanted to be with him but he pushed me away. He said it's dangerous and I got scared and there was so much noise."

"I know, three helicopters can be very intimidating when they fly by that close. But you did so well, Grace. I'm so sorry you had to go through this alone. Did Steve spook you when he shouted at you?"

She shakes her head and stops, "a bit," she whispered." She rubs at her eyes.

"I know, Grace, I know. I'm going to make it okay, I promise. Next time, I'll stay with you."

Grace's life spirits awake again. Danny is immensely grateful for his little girl's solid spirit. She has such a strong backbone. This fallout needs way more treatment like psychological band-aids consisting of ice cream and Disney movies and lots of happy stories to get her innocent child-balance back. And Steve needs to talk to her. He needs to make her understand why he reacted in this frightening way. And he has to read a wonderful book to her to mend that crack that happened because of this incident.

Grace wraps her arms around his neck. "Are we going back to Steve?"

"Yes, Monkey. We have to check up on him. He's scared too but he's a grown-up and grown-ups don't show how terribly they're terrified. We make sure he's alright, okay?" This short, sharp terror has left Danny nauseous and with muscles hard from tensing up. Danny's gait is unsteady on the sand. His legs are wobbly. He hates not to know in what condition he might find Steve. He has no idea if he's even there. He can't overthink this. He just needs to walk.

"Look, Danno! There's Steve!" Grace speaks up and points over to a bush a few feet away from the half-finished sandcastle. Nothing points out what just went down a few moments ago. The battleground isn't visible this time, the destruction is only in his baby girl's and Steve's minds and that's a mean thing.

"Ah, thank God. There he is. You have eyes like a hawk. You're great, Grace." Danny just walks. He can't think and he feels like breaking down when he looks over to where Steve holds it together. Danny carries Grace lightly in his arms. Nothing shows how frightened he is to find a version of his Steve he hasn't known so far.

Steve kneels in the sand. Eyes closed. His fingers dig into his thighs. His muscles pop and flex everywhere. And he shakes uncontrollably. His skin glistens in the sun. Sweat runs down his face and drops from his chin to soak his swim shorts. His face is a hard mask. Danny stops and unfolds his inner detective. He needs some inner distance to get through this. He also keeps distance in case Steve jumps up with the confused focus to attack him not knowing that his mind is trapped in a former nightmare.

Danny puts Grace down and tells her to wait. "Grace, please, wait and stay put. I need to check if Steve can hear us. He might jump up or he might even yell. I don't know. He's so scared he doesn't even try to look up."

"I want to be with you, Danno." Grace grabs his hand and presses her face into his hips. He hugs her with one arm.

"Okay, stay behind me. We walk slowly towards Steve." Danny clears his throat. The alarm bells that are ringing in his ears tell him he should leave Grace and meet Steve alone. But his heart tells him, Steve's going to recognize him. Maybe Steve is even hoping for someone to come for him, rescue him.

"Steve," Danny calls over to where the man he loves so much sits motionless. His breathing is shallow and fast. "Steve! It's me, Danny, and I'm with Grace. She's with me. We are safe. Grace is safe. You protected her." Danny stops three feet from Steve and waits. He desperately wants to touch him, wants to yank him up and into his arms. He needs to see Steve's eyes, needs to make sure he hasn't flipped a switch and just has left him. "Steve, please, if you can hear me, give me a sign," Danny shouts a bit louder. "We are in Hawaii, at your beach, at your home. There's no war. The choppers are gone." Danny inches forward but halts again. If he kisses the sand face first, he wouldn't be surprised. His heart slams hard against his chest.

"Why doesn't he say anything?" Grace whimpers.

Ah fuck, if Grace is ever gonna tell anything of this terrible afternoon at home, Rachel won't allow him to take her to Steve ever again. Danny curses all the events that have left a brave, strong, wonderful man to end up as a psychological wreck.

"Steve, please, let me know if you can hear us. I know, it sucks. Everything sucks but Grace is safe, you are safe. Everything is okay. No combat, no battlefield, no gunshots, no attacks. Just wonderful, chillin' Hawaii." He talks with a soft, unsteady voice.

Steve turns his head and opens his eyes. Danny can't really tell if he sees them. He looks lost. Danny can't stand the desperate, haunted look in his eyes. And he hates to witness how Steve's eyes widen in surprise. Danny inhales deeply. "Do you recognize us, Steve?"

"Yes, I do. You're Danny and that's Grace." Steve answers with what must be his soldier's voice. He doesn't get up. He just stares for a long time. He makes sure Grace sees him. "I apologize, little princess. I didn't mean to scare you that much. I didn't mean to shout at you. I lost it. I thought you were in danger. I'm – I'm so very sorry." He murmurs apologetically.

"Can I go to him?" Grace whispers at Danny's side.

Danny swallows past the knot in his throat. "Yes, baby, but walk slowly and make sure, Steve sees you clearly." He stands right behind his daughter and walks with her. Danny's entire soul aches because he can't feel Steve. Steve's gone, withdrawn to a place Danny can't follow.

"Steve," Grace whispers and scoots closer, "you don't have to be scared anymore. The plane is gone and the noise too."

Danny wants to burst into tears. How does his little girl know what to say? He watches how a little wonder unfurls right in front of his eyes. His little girl puts her small hand onto Steve's shoulder. She talks to him about how they can start to rebuild the sandcastle and how she likes the buckets. She still wants to go swimming with him and that she's really hungry.

Danny waits. He doesn't dare to move. The scenery is as peaceful as it has been half an hour ago. It's grotesque to even imagine what inner violence due to the horrible war experience the stupid choppers have stirred to life. Steve looks terribly exhausted. His skin seems greyish around his nose and he can't stop shaking. Danny sees how his eyes wander over Grace's face. And he still watches when Steve finally breaks. Silent, desperate tears roll down Steve's face and Danny hears Grace saying that she doesn't want him to be sad.

Grace climbs in Steve's lap and stands on his thighs to hug him around his neck. Danny observes the scene in awe how his little girl circles her arms with so much braveness around Steve. She pierces through Steve's steely walls with the forceful belief of a child that everything will go away once the tears are dry. Danny knows Steve still holds it together but his shoulder shake and he barely dares to hug Grace's small back with his large hand.

Danny steps closer to be finally able to touch Steve. He fans with his fingers carefully through Steve's hair. "You didn't think we'd come for you, Steve." He states. "You thought we'd take off, angry and disappointed and hurt. You thought we would just leave you." Danny bites the inside of his cheek hard. "I love you, Steve. And I mean it. I'll always come for you." Danny adds with a broken voice. "Always."

Steve's jaw muscles pop drastically. He hugs Grace as if she's a rare and delicate butterfly.

"Come on Grace, let Steve get up. We still have lasagna to eat and after this shock, we all need ice cream and a funny movie to watch." Danny waits but Grace makes the monkey, the movement that got her the nickname. She wraps her legs around Steve's waist and hugs his neck as tight as possible and clings to him like a monkey-baby to his mother.

"Come one, Steve. Get up and let's go back inside. Let's try to eat something. Let's try to put this last half hour behind us. We need some happy memories after this." Danny knows Steve's guilt about what has happened eats him up from the inside out. "I love you," Danny whispers again.

Steve can't look at him but he has to wrap his arm around Grace to carry her. Danny walks by Steve's side and waits. When they pass the old wooden chairs, Steve reaches with his arm for Danny and pulls him to his side. Silently they walk back to the house.

TBC

[comicbookgeek13]

How to Properly Adapt Stephen King’s The Shining into a Movie

I always thought it’d be cool to see someone adapt Stephen King’s The Shining more faithfully than Kubrick and with more skill than the miniseries.  So, I wrote up a rough outline for that movie for fun after finally reading the book.

Stephen King’s

The Shining

Characters

·        Jack Torrance-A man in his 30’s, Jack is attractive in that dad sort of way.  A loving father and husband, Jack relies on jokes to mask his anger issues and status as a recovering alcoholic.  Jack’s main triggers are authority, stress, and his deep-seated self-loathing, and this is what the Overlook uses to break him. Once he has been ruined by the Overlook, Jack is violent, vulgar, and venomous, not the ever-lovable Jack Nicholson oozing his unique crazy charisma.

·        Wendy Torrance-Also in her 30’s, Wendy is a blond-haired knockout of a woman. She’s introspective, observant, and fierce.  She deeply loves both her husband and son, but feels somewhat excluded by closeness. She knows to distrust the Overlook and its influence on Jack when it becomes apparent that something isn’t right about the hotel.  She’s also keen to Danny’s “Shine”, and is unsurprised when he tells her and Jack about it.

·        Danny Torrance-A boy of 10-years-old with dirty-blonde hair, Danny is a quiet boy who desperately loves his Mom and Dad, and wants them to love on another. Visions shown to him by “Tony” warn him of the Overlook, and his Shining allows for minor mind reading and precognition. He is likeable, not creepy.  His actor should be talented and believable.  

·        Dick Hallorann-A black man in his late 40’s/early 50’s, Dick is a symbol of wisdom and comfort to the audience.  A laid-back kind of cool, Dick has a kind of humorous approach to life that causes him to ooze a content love of life.  

·        Stuart Ulman-A man in his 40’s, Stuart is the pompous and cold manager of the Overlook. He’s incredibly punchable.

·        Watson-Watson is the foul-mouthed and charismatic maintenance man of the Overlook.

·        Delbert Grady-A thuggish-looking man, Grady is the last caretaker before Jack. As a phantom, Grady has been totally altered and is the fate awaiting Jack if the Overlook has its way.

·        Floyd-A man with the sort of dignified, gaunt features that call to mind Peter Cushing, Floyd is the Overlook personified by Jack Torrance’s inner-demons. A friendly, refined bartender, Floyd is sympathetic and encouraging of Jack’s selfish feelings of anger and self-pity.

Location

The film should have the exterior shots be of the Stanley Hotel, but create the interiors in a studio as was done with the Kubrick film.  As things get worse, the set design should take inspiration from the illogical layout of Kubrick’s Overlook.

Transitions

During scenes transitions, the date and time should be displayed in the lower right-hand corner.  Scenes that take place on the same day as previous scenes should only display the time.

Act I

         August 15th, 1980, 1:30 PM

         The first scene is of Jack Torrance being interviewed by the manager of the Overlook, Stuart Ulman, for the position of the hotel’s winter caretaker.  Ulman is a very strict manager who expects only the very best for the Overlook.  Ulman brings up Jack’s history as an alcoholic, and that he lost his job at Stovington Prep school due to an unspecified violent incident. Jack, though he keeps up a job-interview appropriate air, asks Ulman why he’s bothering to see him if he has so many issues with him.  Ulman tells Jack about the previous caretaker, Delbert Grady.  Grady was an alcoholic and high school dropout.  He was also a husband and father of two girls. During the dead of Winter, Grady murdered his wife and daughters with an axe before blowing his brains out with a shotgun.  Ulman tells Jack that he just wants to be sure Jack’s history of alcoholism and anger-problems won’t be an issue.  Jack reassures Ulman that he won’t have the same problem with him.  He’s working on a play, he and his wife, Wendy, are both big readers, and they’ll be home-schooling their son, Danny, over the winter.  Despite Jack’s sensitivity towards Ulman’s fears, Ulman is still unpleasant towards Jack. He does give Jack the job, though, and says he should go speak to the maintenance man, Watson, about the boiler.

         1:45 PM

         This scene has Jack walking with the astonishingly blue-collar Watson in the guts of the Overlook while they conversate with one another.  Watson explains to Jack just why Ulman keeps his job.  “Ulman knows how to keep shit running good, yeah, but that ain’t why he’s so goddamned good for this place.  He knows how to keep shit out of the papers.  Every hotels got its fair share of ghosts, yeah, but the Overlook’s have a flair for the dramatic.  He told you about that shit with Grady, right?  Well, that ain’t the only time some fucking thing has cropped up that the papers would have had a field-day with, but Ulman has always kept that shit quiet.  Had this wife of some shyster come in with her 30-years-younger boyfriend, right?  Boyfriend skipped out one night, and wifey slits her wrists in the tub.  Ulman shut the shyster AND the reporters up.  He’s a viscous little prick, yeah, but he knows what the fuck he’s doing.”  He then tells Jack about how sensitive the boiler is due to age, noting that the only reason the Overlook is even still around is that Grady shut it down before killing himself, and how to operate it.

         3:25 PM

         This scene has Wendy Torrance doing dishes in the little apartment they’ve been living in, eying Danny through the kitchen window. He’s sitting on the curb, waiting for his Daddy to get home with the news about the Overlook.  She dries her hands, and goes to sit with her son.  She asks what he’s doing, and he tells her what she already knew.  She notices a toy plane of his sitting next to him, the right wing just barely attached, and she offers to fix it.  Danny declines her offer, saying he wants Jack to fix it.  She asks Danny how he feels about Jack getting a new job.  Danny says he doesn’t understand why Jack can’t just get a job in the town they live in now.  After searching for the words for a few ticks of the clock, she asks if he remember why his Daddy lost his last job.  Danny says he knows it had something to do with their bug’s tires getting slashed.  Wendy explains that the father of one of Jack’s students was unhappy that Jack cut his son from the debate taem.  Danny asks if Jack punished the boy’s father too hard like he had Danny.  An affected Wendy closes her eyes to keep herself calm.  We cut to Wendy holding an 8-years-old Danny, whose arm has been broken and is sobbing over it, and calling an ambulance.  Another cut, this one to Jack’s office, papers of his play strewn everywhere and drawn on.  There’s a spilled can of beer on the floor.  Jack’s curled up in a ball.  “Worthless, stupid…Just like him, just like him, just like him…Oh God, I’m so sorry, Doc…”. Cut back to Wendy in the present, who opens her eyes before finally giving a “Yes.”  She says that it was very hard for Jack to get a job because of this.  She adds that the Overlook provides a chance for Jack to prove he can do better. Danny nods to all this.  Wendy asks if he wants to come in to eat cookies, but he declines.  Wendy goes back inside.  Danny remains on the curb.  The wind picks up, and a voice is heard whispering Danny’s name.  “T-Tony?”  Danny becomes visibly drowsy before falling back-first to lay on the soft grass of the Torrance’s lawn, asleep.  What follows is a quickly cut together montage with the only sound being that of various people screaming.  There’s the wrecked interior of the Overlook, the windows blocked up by snow.  Danny’s feet running on a blue-black carpet with vaguely jungle-like patterning to it.  A new sound emerges, that of thunderous impacts.  The screen goes black, and red jagged text spells out, “COME HERE, AND TAKE YOUR MEDICINE, YOU LITTLE SHIT!  TAKE IT LIKE A MAN!”.  A shot of Wendy running with a limp down the hallway of the Overlook, clutching her left side with blood running out of her mouth.  Black screen again and red letters saying “RED RUM” appear until the screen is solid red.  Danny wakes up with a start, and sits up to see their yellow volkswagon turning down the street.  Clearly excited, Danny meets Jack when he gets out of the car.  Jack sees Danny’s plane, and says he’ll help fix it once they bring in the groceries.  Wendy comes out to greet them, and asks if Jack got the job.  Jack answers with a game show host voice declaring she’s the lucky winner of an all-expenses-paid family trip to the mountains of Colorado. She’s elated, and they kiss.

         8:30 PM

         This scene shows Danny, clutching his mended plane, sitting with Jack on the couch.  The both of them have fallen asleep in front of the TV. Wendy turns it off, waking Jack, and she says it’s time for bed.  We cut to Jack placing Danny in his bed, Wendy watching from the doorway to their son’s room.  Jack joins her there, and they look at their son.  Wendy says that things finally seem to really be looking up for them.  Jack tells her that it’s because they are.  They both profess their love for one another.

         September 30th, 1980, 10:30 AM

         We see the Torrances driving down a road that cuts through the piney forests of Colorado.  The forests give way to the mountains, and we see the Overlook in the distance.  They pull into a parking space, other cars leaving, and Jack tells the other members of their trio, “We’re here.”  They enter a lobby full of all sorts of people leaving.  In the center of this chaos is Ulman.  They approach him to talk, but he tells them to go meet with the hotel’s cook, Hallorann, for a tour of the kitchen.

         10:36 AM

         This scene shows Dick Hallorann in the apartment the hotel provides for him, luggage packed up.  There’s a knocking at the door, and Dick goes to answer it.  The Torrances introduce themselves, and Dick is very warm and happy to see them.  He jokingly offers to take Danny with him to Tampa, Florida, which makes the boy giggle. He then offers to take the family to the kitchen for a tour.

         10:45 AM

         While giving them the tour of the kitchen, listing off the Overlook’s stock as well as the turkey he bought for them to use on Thanksgiving, he pretends to forget what his name is.  He asks Danny what it is, and Danny says, “Mr. Hallorann, Dick to your friends.” Hallorann replies with, “Then I guess you can call me Dick, then.  Can you dig it.”  Danny says that he can.  After the tour, Hallorann goes back to his apartment with the Torrances.  Jack says they ought to go see Ulman off, but Danny insists on helping Dick with his luggage.  Dick assures them he’ll bring Danny back to them before he leaves.

         10:52 AM

         The next scene shows Dick and Danny loading his bags into the trunk of Dick’s car.  Dick asks if Danny’s told his parents about his powers, the older man’s mouth not moving when he says it.  Danny, visibly surprised, says no.  He asks Danny if he thought he was the only one with powers. Danny says no, that he knows his Dad has a little that lets him know how Wendy and him are feeling at any given time. He doesn’t think his Dad is aware of it, though.  Dick tells Danny that his Grandma was the one with powers that he knew.  He tells him that she called it “The Shining”.  Next, Dick asks if Danny’s had any visions or bad feelings about the Overlook.  The boy says yes.  Dick tells him that there’s good reason for that.  That there’s something wrong about the Overlook.  That it will try to scare him by showing him scary things, but that he doesn’t think that they can hurt him.  He does advise that Danny avoid the topiary animals and Room 217, though.  He says that if things do look like he or his family will be hurt, Danny should call out to him with his Shine, and Dick will come to save him.  Then he and Danny head to get the boy back to his parents.

         11:15 AM

         This scene has the Torrances with Ulman in the now-deserted lobby. Though still very punchable, Ulman wishes them luck.  The Torrances watch him leave, and take in the view. Then, Danny says he’s hungry.

         12:05 PM

         This scene shows the Torrances eating their lunch in the deserted Colorado Lounge.  Jack says that the activity feels weirder than he’d thought it would be, and asks if Wendy and Danny feel the same.  They do, and the family move to eat in the living room of Dick’s apartment to eat lunch while watching TV.  They are all very happy.

         October 13th, 1980, 7:30 PM

         This scene has Jack working on his play in the caretaker’s office, and Danny working on his time-tables in the employee bedroom just across from where Jack and Wendy are sleeping.  Wendy pokes her head into her son’s room, and tells him to brush his teeth and go to bed.  He does this, but, while brushing his teeth, the voice from before calls his name. Wendy knocks on the door to check if Danny’s still in there, but Danny doesn’t answer.  She knocks harder and calls Danny’s name.  Jack hears her, and comes down to check on Danny too.  After Danny continues to not answer, they break the door down to find Danny seizing on the floor, toothpaste running out of his mouth.

         October 14th, 1980, 10:00 AM

         The next scene has the Torraces waiting in a doctor’s office. A nurse calls for Danny, who goes to see the doctor.  His parents look worried, and we cut to them talking with the doctor.  He asks them if they know about Tony.  They acknowledge they do, Wendy saying that she’d hoped Danny had finally outgrown the imaginary friend.  He tells her that Danny told him that the two of them had been considering divorce recently.  They say that they were, but it wasn’t something they talked about out loud. They wonder aloud about how he could’ve known, and this causes stories to come out about Danny knowing where things were when no one else did.  The doctor then asks if the divorce was a thing brought upon by some sort of event. They seem pensive, and then Jack tells the doctor about his alcoholism, breaking Danny’s arm, that leading to his dropping drinking, and what lead to Jack losing his job at Stovington.  There seems to be a relief brought about by their talking about this aloud.  The doctor explains that Danny probably has a lot of perceptiveness about him that allows for him to notice things like the divorce being in the air and where things go. The doctor also explains that Tony was likely created as an escape when things were bad in the house, and now Danny was making him a negative force so that he can outgrow him.  Jack seems convinced about that, but Wendy, not so much. Cut to Jack and Wendy going back out to Danny, and Jack saying that they should head back to the Overlook.  He calls it “home”.

Act II

         October 16th, 1980, 12:00 PM

         This scene has Jack Torrance nosing around in the guts of the Overlook.  The area he’s in is chock full of piles and piles of old paper.  Newspapers, receipts, check in/check out logs, magazines, and junk mail.  He’s looking for rats.  Jack looks like he’s ready to leave when he notices a large, white photo album with “The Life of The Overlook” written on the front cover in faux gold.

         1:15 PM

         Jack’s looking through the album in the living area of Dick Hallorann’s apartment, enraptured.  Wendy comes in and asks him what it is he finds so interesting.  Jack tells her that the book is a compilation of newspaper and magazine articles having to do with the Overlook’s history. It goes all the way back to the beginning.  It turns out that Watson’s family were the ones to open the place.  During the time that they owned the place, two presidents stayed there.  The Great Depression killed it.  The history becomes truly interesting in the 40’s.  Henry Derwint, a famous and reclusive businessman of the day, bought the place a little into World War II.  He was the one to update the Overlook’s interiors.  One night, a masquerade party was held.  After everyone had unmasked at the stroke of midnight, a spurned lover slit Derwint’s throat with a straight razor, killing him, before slitting his own throat, committing suicide.  After that, the place was turned into a glorified whore house. After that was done, the mob got the place.  The kept it as a location to hold meetings at until there was a gangland-style murder of a lieutenant and his five bodyguards by other mobsters in the suite that the presidents had stayed in.  The Overlook lay abandoned throughout the sixties.  Ulman and his took the place over in 1972.  “It’s like the dark side of every post-World War II phase in America is represented here.”  Wendy thinks it morbid, but Jack says it might make a great book someday.

         October 19th, 1980, 10:05 AM

         This scene shows Jack cooling the boiler off.

         11:03 AM

         Jack working on his play in the caretaker’s office, Wendy reading a book and Danny watching TV in the living area of Dick Hallorann’s apartment.

         12:05 PM

         The Torrances building a snowman.

         October 20th, 1980, 2:00 PM

         We see Wendy rocking in a rocking chair, further into reading the same book, and Danny sleeping with Lego all around him.  They are in the lobby of the Overlook.  Wendy hears what sounds like jazz music and looks up from her book, concerned.  The music stops, but her expression doesn’t change.  

          October 22nd, 1980, 1:45 PM

         We see Jack and Wendy making love in the hotel room they’re sleeping in.  Meanwhile, Danny’s wandering the halls and listening to The Hobbit on tape using a Walkman with Jack’s name on it.  He walks past one of the old-fashioned fire-extinguishers.  His tape’s audio begins to slow down until the tape is stopped completely.  Looking frustrated, Danny starts to take out the Walkman to examine it, but is stopped when he hears something fall to the blue-black vaguely jungle patterned carpet of the Overlook’s hallways with a thud.  He looks over, and sees that the head of the hose has fallen.  The sound of insects buzzing starts to play, and a lump begins to appear in the hose.  Danny watches with wide-eyed horror as the lump inches further and further down the hose while the buzzing gets louder.  A giant wasp begins to emerge from the nozzle.  It’s halfway out when Danny runs away.  His tape starts back up, and Danny looks back at the hose. It’s just a hose lying on the carpet.

         October 28th, 1980, 10:00 AM

         We see Jack putting on winter clothes in the caretaker’s office.  Wendy and Danny come by, and asks if he wants to come with her and Danny to do some grocery shopping.  He declines, saying he needs to trim the topiary animals before the heavy snowfall hits. We see the Overlook’s pickup truck go off, Jack heading towards the topiary.

         10:15 AM

         We have Danny and Wendy driving in the pickup truck. Looking visibly unsure, Danny asks if Wendy likes the Overlook.  Wendy asks him why he asks.  Danny says he thinks that it’s kind of creepy.  Wendy asks if he thinks there’s anything dangerous about it.  Danny says that he doesn’t think so.  Wendy asks him what Tony says about it.  Danny says Tony thinks there’s something in the Overlook that wants to hurt Jack. Wendy is visibly worried.

         10:22 AM

         Jack has just finished trimming up the rabbit.  We get a good establishing shot to let us know where all the topiary animals.  Jack starts heading for the lion.  “You may be king of the jungle, but I’m king of the clippers, baby.”  He starts trimming it up, but hears the sound of snow falling in chunks.  He turns and we get a POV shot of Jack scanning the scene until he notices that the rabbit is on its belly now, clean of snow.  A shot of a confused Jack saying “What?”.  The sound of snow chunks again.  Jack turns to see that the lion is gone.  He’s still processing the sight when he hears footsteps behind him.  He turns to see all of the animals in the topiary facing him, the lion leading the pack.  Jack looks rightfully scared.  Sequence of Jack blinking and the animals getting closer until Jack falls backwards into the snow.  When he scrambles up to his feet, afraid, the animals are all in place again, snow where it should be.  Jack looks terrified.  “You’re losing your mind…”  Jack gets to his feet proper with a “No!”.  As he cleans off the snow and gets the clippers, he mutters things to soothe himself.  

         6:30 PM

         Jack is sitting in the caretaker’s office, staring at the typewriter and the blank page it holds.  He is frustrated.  Wendy pokes her head in, and asks if he wants to come watch Star Wars with her and Danny. Jack looks at the blank page for a beat, and says he’ll join her.

         November 8th, 1980, 7:30 PM

         We see that Jack has made a path in the snow for the door leading outside from the kitchen.  He tosses some grease out through there.  

         November 11th, 1980, 1:15 PM

         Wendy’s in front of the fireplace again, sleeping.  Jack is in the caretaker’s office, reading “The Life of The Overlook”.  We see the key rack in that office, and the key for 217 is missing.  Cut to Danny standing in front of Room 217 with the key. “I’m not afraid of you.”  Despite his determined words and tone, Danny opens the door cautiously.  The room is in darkness, the lights off and curtains drawn.  Danny sighs with relief.  “Empty…”  Then there’s a sound in the bathroom.  Cautiously, Danny goes into the bathroom.  The shower curtain is drawn around the tub.  Danny approaches, and pulls it back.  A long-dead woman, skin thin and pale, belly bloated, lies naked in water that has a thin layer of scum made from old blood and chunks that have come off.  Danny is wide-eyed in his terror.  The woman opens her eyes, goo webbing between the lids, and reveals that they are a solid white.  She smiles, the skin at the corners of her mouth ripping.  She begins to get out of the tub, and Danny steps back out of fear. We cut to Jack, whose now asleep in his chair, “The Life of The Overlook” lying in his lap now.  The CB radio that’s been on the desk in that office crackles to life.  “Jackyyy…Jacky-Boyy…”  The voice that speaks of someone who is husky and drunk, and it stirs Jack out of sleep. “D-Dad?”  The voice goes on.  “That’s right, Jack-Boy!”  “But you’re dead, Dad.” “Hey, watch your mouth, Pup!  I’m here now, ain’t  I?  So do somethin’ smart for once, and listen to what the old man’s got to say!  It’s that wife and kid, Jacky, that bitch and her little pup.  You gotta kill ‘em, Jacky.  They’re gonna stab you right in you’re back!  Sabotage any progress you make as a writer.  As the caretaker.  As a man, Jacky!”  Jack says no, and for his Dad to shut up, but the voice goes on.  “Kill ‘em, runt!  Bash that cunt’s brains in, and rip the pup’s arm off!  They gotta take their medi—”  The voice is cut off when Jack smashes the CB, the noise waking Wendy. She gets out of the rocking chair, and rushes to Jack.  Jack’s standing over the radio, fists clenched and shaking.  He looks to her, afraid.  She goes to him, and they embrace.  He explains that he had a nightmare that his Dad was talking to him through the CB, telling him to do terrible things, and that he must’ve destroyed it by sleepwalking.  He talks about how he’s ruined their only means of communication.  She comforts him, and asks where Danny is.  Jack says he thought that Danny was with her in the lobby.  They both notice the key to Room 217 missing from its ring.  Cut to the woman walking out of the bathroom, arms outreached and giggling like some kind of witch.  Danny’s got his back to the door of Room 217, scared out of his mind.  He sinks to his feet, muttering about her not being real. She wraps her fingers around Danny’s throat.  Cut to outside the room door, Jack and Wendy just reaching it.  Using his master key, Jack opens the door to the room.  Danny falls out into his Father’s arms.  Danny is totally unresponsive, catatonic, and Jack notices bruises shaped like fingers on his son’s neck.  Wendy notices this too, and takes Danny from Jack. “Don’t touch him!”  Jack, initially confused, quickly becomes furious that Wendy would suspect that he’d ever hurt Danny.  Wendy tells Jack to stay away, and leaves for the hotel room they’ve been sleeping in.  Jack is left to stew in the hallway, head down and fists clenched.

         1:45 PM

         The scene starts with Wendy cradling Danny in her and Jack’s room.  Cut to Jack entering the Colorado Lounge.  It is entirely empty, chairs on all of the tables.  Jack approaches the bar, and sits on one of the stools.  The camera faces Jack for the next sequence. He looks down at the bar sour before looking up, grinning a hateful smile.  “Hi, Floyd.  Say, you’re a man whose heard his fair share of woe, right, Floyd?  ‘Course you have!  You’re a bartender, and the best of them at that!  I Imagine you’ll know what I mean when I tell you I feel like a ghost.  I mean, I spend all of my time making sure my wife and kid are happy.  I took a job that gave us access to one of the finest luxury hotels in America, and hopped on this damned wagon for them.  Does anyone notice?  Anyone thank or appreciate me?”  Pause.  “Exactly right, Floyd!  Like I said, I’ve gotta be some kind of goddamned ghost for no one to notice me doing all of this.  No, I’m not crazy, Floyd, I know that I’m no ghost.  It’s just that she’s too damned busy giving me shit for something that happened two years ago!  Something I already fucking hate myself for!  And I do hate myself, Floyd, you can set your watch and warrant on that.  I tell you, Floyd, it’s enough to drive a man to drink.  And on that note...”, Jack pauses, reflective and drops the joke.  “Stop being pathetic for once, Jack, and go check on your wife and son.”, Jack says to himself in a small, self-loathing voice.  Before he can get up, though, Wendy calls out to him from behind. She’s at the Lounge’s entrance, holding the still-catatonic Danny’s hand.  Jack says something, but Wendy can’t make it out.  “What?”, she asks.  “I didn’t hurt him!”, Jack yells.  A shameful look appears on Wendy’s face.  “I know, Jack, and…I’m sorry.  I’m scared Jack…”, she says.  Jack says he is too, and gets up from the bar to go to his wife and son.  As Jack approaches, Danny comes out of his daze, and runs into his father’s arm, sobbing.  

         2:20 PM

         The Torrances are gathered in the kitchen.  Wendy has just made chocolate milk for Danny.  When asked what happened, Danny tells his folks everything.  About his powers, Dick’s own powers and warnings to Danny, and Tony’s warning him with visions.  Jack asks why Danny took the key without permission, and Wendy looks annoyed that he would care about that given the situation.  Danny says that he wanted to prove to himself that there was nothing the hotel could do to hurt them.  “But, she was in there.”  Danny then tells his concerned parents about the dead thing living inside Room 217.  When Jack goes to check it out, he takes the elevator, and this causes Wendy to fret about it not being safe.  Jack doesn’t pay her fears any attention.

         2:32 PM

         Jack enters Room 217, and finds it be in the same state it was in when Danny entered.  He goes into the bathroom, where the light is off.  After turning it on, he sees the curtain pulled around the tub.  He pulls it back, and finds nothing but an empty tub. He sighs with relief at this.  Cut to Jack closing the door to Room 217, and walking down the hallway.  He’s stopped in his tracks when the doorknob begins to rattle furiously as if someone inside is trying desperately to get out.  Then, the rattling stops, and we get a look at the fear on Jack’s face.

         9:30 PM

         Jack and Wendy are sitting at the end of their bed, Danny sleeping between where they’ll sleep.  Their room is lit only by the lamp on the nightstand next to the bed. Wendy says they need to get out of the Overlook ASAP, and Jack agrees.  This said, he expresses fear over how they’ll survive after they get away without any money or job.  Wendy says they’ll stay with her Mother’s, and they’ll both find work there somehow until they can get back on their feet.  Jack looks worried, and Wendy, noticing this, says they have to get away if they want to be safe.  Jack says that she’s right, and that he’ll go see the state of the hotel’s snowmobile being kept in the supply shed the following day.

         November 12th, 1980, 8:15 AM

         The screen is dark.  Then light enters when Jack opens the door to the supply shed.  He flicks the lights on, and we get a look at the shed’s contents.  He pops the hood to the snowmobile to find a corroded battery.  Jack searches the room for a box for the same type of battery. He finds one, but it is empty when he opens it.  Jack, clearly upset, sets the box down on a work table.  Jack turns the light off, leaving all in darkness once more.  The light that enters the room when Jack leaves reveals the still-open box on the workbench, a new battery inside.  The door shuts, and all is darkness once more.

Act III

         November 25th, 1980, 4:30 PM

         This scene shows Jack in the hotel’s guts, reading “The Life of The Overlook”.  Cut to Wendy and Danny doing multiplication tables in Jack and Wendy’s room.  The presence of Danny’s things in the room tells us that is also his room now.  Cut to the empty Colorado Lounge.  Cut to the door of Room 217.  Cut to the topiary animals, half-buried in the snow with even more falling.  The wind can be heard howling in every part of this scene except for Jack’s.

         November 28th, 1980, 3:00 AM

         Danny and Wendy are sleeping in the bed, Jack’s side showing that he’s gotten up.  The sound of the elevator going up and down is audible.  Danny wakes up, and shakes his Mother awake.  The two of them go to find out what’s going on.  They find Jack watching the elevator go up and down, in a daze.  Wendy calls out to him, and he stirs, asking what she and Danny are doing up.  Wendy asks what it is that he’s doing. Annoyed, Jack says he’s doing his job, and checking on the clearly malfunctioning elevator.  Jack inserts a key into a panel, stopping the elevator. Wendy insists that he check the elevator’s interior for any passengers.  He does, and finds an empty elevator.  Dissatisfied, Wendy check herself, and finds confetti and masquerade masks strewn all about the elevator floor.  She tosses a mask at Jack.  “Does this look like nothing?!”

         November 29th, 1980, 5:30 PM

         Jack is standing in the bathroom of Room 217.  The curtain is again drawn around the tub.  He pulls it back to find a badly beaten woman lying in the empty tub. “Mom?”, he asks in a scared voice. His father speaks up from behind him. “Shut that bitch up good, didn’t I, Jacky Boy?”.  Jack turns around.  His father, a large, mustachioed man in bloodied scrubs, sits on the end of the bed inside the darkened Room 217.  He’s holding a bottle of Jack Daniel’s in his right hand.  He takes a swig from it as Jack approaches.  Jack is stunned and confused.  There is a long, black cane with a golden sphere topping it next to his Dad on the bed.  It’s covered in blood.  “Yep, I had to reassert myself as the one in charge, Jacky.  Had to give that bitch her medicine.”  His father looks at Jack, and points at his son using the index-finger of his booze-holding hand.  “That’s what you gotta do, Jacky, you gotta reassert yourself as th’ man in charge!” “Dad, I am the one in—” “SHUT THE FUCK UP, PUP, I AIN’T THROUGH!  You don’t want to lose steam on that play of yours, do you, Jacky?” “No…” “You don’t want you and yours to scrounge around for food in th’ gargbage like a pack of rats, do you?”  “No…” “You don’t want to leave the Overlook, do you?”  Jack is quiet.  “DO YOU?” “N-No, sir.”  Jack’s father stands up from the end of the bed.  He puts his hands on Jack’s shoulders.  “Then you gotta be a man, Jacky.  And how do you do that?” “Make them take their m-medicine.”  “I can’t hear you, pup!” “They’ve gotta take their medicine!” Jack’s become visibly angry now.  “Who does, boy?”  “That bitch and her whining, little pup!” “Atta’ boy, Jacky!  Here—“, Jack’s Father picks up the cane.  When he gives it to Jack, though, it’s become a clean Roque mallet. “Go make ‘em take every last drop.” Jack leaves the room, mallet in tow, and finds Wendy and Danny having a picnic in the hallway.  They look up at him, lovingly, and Jack prepares to swing. Jack wakes up in the Overlook’s guts, “The Life of The Overlook” in his lap, terrified.  He cries.  It as this point in the scene that the date and time are displayed.

          December 1st, 1980, 9:30 PM

         Danny is running down the blueback carpet hallways of the Overlook.  The sound of screaming and of the thunderous impacts behind are all the sound that exists. We see a Roque mallet impacting the walls, denting holes in them, and splintering the mallet a little more with each impact.  There’s blood on the mallet.  Wendy is in the Torrance’s bedroom, blood running out of her mouth in a way that makes her look like some kind of puppet.  The screen goes black again and “RED RUM” turns it red.  The deserted Colorado lounge.  The Torrance’s rooms’ door beginning to splinter and cave in from some pounding outside force.  Cut back to the red screen with “MURDER” in black until the screen is as it was originally.  The date December 2nd, 1980 in red.  Danny wakes up in the bed next to Wendy.  He looks to see Jack’s side is empty.  Danny closes his eyes tightly.  Cut to Dick Hallorann playing poker with some friends in Tampa, Florida. Dick is all smiles and laughs, and suddenly becomes serious.  Intercut of scenes from Danny’s vision.  Dick says he’s gotta go.

         December 1st, 1980, 9:45 PM

         Danny gets up out of bed, and goes out into the hallway. The hallway proves to be home to a drunk man in a dog costume, his mask in one hand.  “Henry!  Henry!!!” He leans his head back as he yells louder.  This reveals an open, bleeding wound where his throat’s been slit.  His voice becomes high and scratchy when his head is like this.  “HENRY, COME OUT HERE, YOU BITCH!!!” He looks down, noticing Danny.  Danny says for the man to get out of his way so that he can go see Jack.  The dog-man grins.  “I’m going to eat you, little boy!”  He starts barking, actual dog barks coming out.  Danny closes his eyes saying that this isn’t real.  When he opens them, the dog-man is on his hands and knees.  He is barking and growling now.  He looks ready to pounce Danny, and the boy runs back into the hotel room.  He curls into a ball next to his Mom, looking at her.

         10:00 PM

         Jack is relieving the Overlook’s boiler.  After he does so, he hears music playing, and leaves to investigate.  Inside the Colorado Lounge, there’s a party on.  There are people masquerading in themed masks.  There are prostitutes fucking party-guests.  There’s mobsters talking business.  There’s a big band playing “No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature”. At the bar is Floyd.  Jack has a bemused look on his face as he makes his way through all of this.  Jack takes the seat right in front of Floyd.  “It’s been some time since we’ve had the pleasure of your company, Mr. Torrance.”, Floyd greets him.  “That’s right, Floyd, but I’m back.”  “What will it be, sir?”  Jack puts on an exaggerated expression of contemplation.  “Make it a Martian, Floyd.”  “Right away, sir.”  “That’s why you’re the best of them, Floyd, you don’t judge or nag.”  “I’ve no time for wagon-talk, Sir.”  “People could learn a lot from you, Floyd.  My bitch of a wife, for example.  You should’ve seen the hate in her eyes when I’d get home from the bar.  Used to think it was only there when I got drunk, but I know now it’s always there whenever I’m having a good time.”  “How do you know that, Sir?”  “Because she’s had it since we got here!”  Jack laughs, and Floyd smiles.  “And why does she hate for you to be happy, Sir?”  “Because of that damned pup!  That disobedient little welp’s lucky that I didn’t break both of his arms!” Floyd places Jack’s martini in front of him.  Jack takes it, smiling.  Before he can drink it, though, Floyd speaks up.  “About your son, sir, The Manager has taken a particular interest in him.”  “D-Danny? What’s he got to do with the Overlook? I’m the one The Manager should be interested in, I’m the caretaker.”  Floyd gives him a deadly serious look.  “Do you presume to know better than The Manager, Mr. Torrance?” Jack looks behind himself, and finds that the party guests and band are all now nothing more than skeletons in bloody tatters.  He turns back to Floyd, and says, “No…I guess I don’t.”  He jack hammers the martini, and the party starts again.  A new martini is already waiting for him by the time he sets his glass down.  

11:45 PM

Danny, still curled and watching Wendy, the sounds outside consist of the dog-man talking about fucking Henry in the ass until he bleeds.  Danny is crying quietly.  

11:47 PM

Jack now has several empty martini glasses before him.  “Floyd, I have got to take a piss.”  Jack gets up, his latest martini in hand, and walks through the party.  The band is playing “Midnight, The Stars, and You”.  Jack stumbles, dropping his drink.  He’s cursing himself when he looks up to find a thuggish looking waiter. The waiter offers him a drink. Despite the man’s appearance, he has a very dignified British accent.  The waiter is about to depart when Jack notices his name-tag.  “You’re Delbert Grady?”  “Yes, Sir.” “No, no, you’re not.”  “I beg you pardon, Sir?”  “Delbert Grady was the last caretaker.  He chopped his wife and two girls up with an axe before filling his skull with buckshot.”  “I do have a wife and two girls, but I’ve certainly not murdered them.  They’re sleeping in their beds right now, actually.” “I see…”  “As for this business about being the previous caretaker, I’ve never been the caretaker, sir.  I’m a waiter. You are the caretaker, Mr. Torrance. You’ve always been the caretaker.”  “Riiight.” “I did have some trouble with my wife and the girls some time ago, Sir.  They’d decided they wanted to leave the Overlook.  I explained things to them, though, reasserted myself as the man in charge and all that.  Now they love the Overlook.  Now, they call it home.  That’s what you need to do, Sir.  Reassert yourself.  Deal with Wendy’s doubt.  Rid Daniel of his disobedience.  He could be something great, Sir.  The Manager thinks as much, but you mustn’t spare the rod.”  Jack slurs in agreement.  “Enjoy the party, Mr. Torrance.”  Cut to Jack washing his face in the bathroom sink.  As he look at his wet face in the mirror, the party-goers outside chant “Unmask! Unmask!”  Jack exits the bathroom, and finds the lounge as it had been the last time he’d been there: empty.  He’s confused.  “Floyd! Grady!”  He sees that there’s still booze stocked behind the bar.  He walks over to the bar.  “Fine!  I’ll get it myself!”  He tries to slide over the bar, and ends up blacked out on the floor behind it.

         December 2nd, 1980 2:30 AM

         Dick Hallorann arrives in Colorado.  He exits the airport wearing clothes that are considerably more appropriate giving the weather condtions, and hails a cab.  He goes out to the rangers’ station. There’s only one man at the station due to the late hour.  Dick tells the man that he knows that there’s something bad going on up at the Overlook. When the man doesn’t believe him, Dick tells him to try CB-ing to prove everything is okay.  After this fails, the man says that Dick can use the station’s snowmobile, and that he can bring the Torrances to his house if there’s something bad going on up there.  Dick heads out for the Overlook, the man waving him off in the distance.

         3:00 AM

         The next has Wendy waking up to the crying, scared Danny.  She asks him what’s wrong.  “It’s Daddy! The hotel broke him, and he’s been drinking all night!  The hotel wants him to hurt us, Mommy!”  Wendy pulls her son close to him, her expression initially overwhelmed before becoming determined and protective.  Cut to Wendy leaving the room, a pocket knife slid up her sleeve. She walks to the Colorado Lounge. She calls out to Jack.  There’s a groaning noise.  She goes over to the bar, and, when she gets behind it, Jack’s struggling to get up.  He’s apologizing to her.  Wendy continues to approach him, cautiously, and Jack, moving quicker than he seemed capable of, grabs her by the ankle.  “Sorry you’re such a stupid bitch!!!”  He yanks her down to the floor, and climbs on top of her.  He punches her in the face repeatedly, busting her lip and nose.  She kicks him in the groin, and pushes him off of her while he reacts.  Using the pocket knife, she stabs him in his left thigh. Wendy scrambles to her feet, and runs off.  Jack pulls the knife out of his thigh, cursing Wendy all the while, and gets up to chase her.  As he’s running after her down the hall, he sees Floyd, whose holding a Roque mallet out of him.  Jack takes it from the phantom with a “Thank ya’, Floyd!”  Jack starts bashing the wall with the mallet.  We cut to Wendy hearing the bashing, and Jack’s declarations that she’ll take her goddamned medicine.  She runs into the kitchen, and Jack follows her.  He yells and slurs about how he knows that she’s in there. He’s walking around the kitchen, slightly splintered mallet at the ready, when Wendy pops out near where the pots and pans hang, and stabs a kitchen knife deep into his back.

3:30 AM

This scene shows Dick on the snowmobile, still on his way to the Overlook.  The building is becoming visible in the far distance, and Dick’s travelling speed is a steady one.  His headlight starts blinking on and off.  A topiary lion appears in the distance, just on the edge headlight’s range. The lion appears closer with every time that the light goes out until Dick crashes trying to swerve out of its path. His snowmobile is on its side, the lion trapped in the steady headlight beam.  Dick’s getting up out of the snow when the blinking starts again.  The lion turns, and begins to head for him.  Dick struggles, but manages to get the snowmobile upright.  He starts for the Overlook again, the sound of a beast chasing behind.

3:37 AM

Wendy is still standing in shock over stabbing her husband.  Jack slowly rises behind her, the knife handle sticking out of his back, blood staining the back of his shirt.  “You bitch! You’ve killed me!”  Wendy tries to run, but Jack hits her left side with the mallet, right in the ribs.  Wendy goes down, taking a few pots and pans with her.  Jack brings the mallet back down on her right leg.  While he’s leaned down from the swing, Wendy smashes his face with one of the pots.  While Jack’s still reeling, Wendy gets to her feet, and hurriedly limps away from him. Jack limps after her, shouting about how he’s going to bash her brains in.  While she’s running, the dog-man tackles her.  He’s got an already bloody straight razor, and starts slashing wildly at her.  During their struggle, Jack’s yelling gets steadily louder.  She throws the dog-man off of her, the costume becomes tattered and the man a skeleton during the cut to its impacting against a hall wall. Wendy barely manages to get to her feet in time to remain ahead of Jack. He’s close behind, though, and Wendy only barely makes it to their bedroom. Danny’s gone.  She screams out for him, but there’s no answer.  She stops when she hears Jack beating the door in. She runs into the bathroom, and grabs the razor blades.  Back in the room, the door starts to give.  Wendy is ready.  The now quite splintered and jagged mallet bursts through, and Jack moves to unlock the door through the hole.  “No where left to run now, you cunt!!!”  Wendy slices at his hand and arm, drawing blood.  “You bitch!”, Jack growls after pulling lack and seeing the injuries. He’s about to start again when he notices Grady.  “There is an outsider who wishes to ruin our party, Sir.”  With that, Jack lurches off to the lobby.  Wendy, meanwhile, passes out once the adrenaline stops flowing.  

3:45 AM

Dick Hallorann stumbles through the doors of the Overlook’s lobby.  Snow covered and exhausted.  He yells out for Danny and Wendy.  He’s progressing further into the hotel when Jack bashes him in the face with the Roque mallet.  Dick crumples to the floor, unconscious.  Wild eyed, Jack starts yelling for Danny, and runs off into a direction to hunt for Danny. He’s running through the nonsense halls of the Overlook when he hears Danny yell, “I’m right here!”  Jack charges after the boy, yelling all of the things from Danny’s visions.  Grady, looking as he did after killing his family with axe and all, appears in Danny’s way, but Danny banishes him with a wave of the arm and declaration, “False face!” Jack’s bashing the wall with the jagged thing that used to be a Roque mallet.  Jack chases Danny on and on, not realizing his son is leading him.  They run through the kitchen, and end up outside. They both stop their running.  The snow is falling thick, and building on them fast.  Danny turns to face Jack.  “Why are you running?”, Jack asks in a calm, dazed voice.  “I’m not running.  I’m just not scared of you.”  “That’s no way for a boy to speak to his father.  Come along, now, we’re missing the party.”  “You’re not my Father.  You’re just wearing him to your stupid masquerade party.”  Jack gives with an evil, bitter smile.  “I’m Jack Torrance, alright.  I’ve got the two birth marks and pecker to prove it!  Just ask your Mother.”  He begins moving for Danny, but is stopped cold by what Danny says next. “I know you’re not my Dad because he would’ve remembered to check on the boiler!” Jack drops the mallet, his eyes go wide, and he runs back into the hotel.  Danny closes his eyes, and we cut to the sleeping Wendy, then to Hallorann. The two of them get up, in a daze, and begin heading out of the hotel.  They meet Danny, and come out of their daze, confused.  Danny says they need to hurry, that the hotel is going to explode soon.

4:00 AM

Jack reaches the guts of the Overlook.  It’s full of steam, and the boiler is rattling. Jack puts his hands on the wheel to cool the boiler.  He looks ready to turn the wheel, but stops.  His eyes become clear for the first time since he entered the Colorado Longue.  Jack takes his hands off of the wheel, and backs away calmly despite the chaos of the situation.  Jack sits down, knees drawn to his chest, and tears begin to fall from his eyes.  He buries his face in his arms.  Cut to the outside of the Overlook.  An explosion destroys part of the building.  The fire catches to the rest of it despite the snow.  The smoke should look like a manta ray for a frame of the scene.

May 13th, 1988, 5:30 PM

A class of students are gathered on a football field, donned in blue robes and hats.  Down in the sea of blue robes, an 18-year-old Dan Torrance, wearing glasses, sits quietly.  The principal’s voice calls out for, “Daniel Anthony Torrance”.  Dan gets up, and retrieves his diploma.  After he’s returned to his seat, he looks, smiling to the bleachers.   In the bleachers where the families are seated, Wendy Torrance, hair now cut short and a cane in her hand, and Dick Hallorann, older with long-healed facial scars on the side of his face the mallet hit him, sit in the bleachers, smiling back at him.  Down in the shadows, is a sharply-dressed Jack Torrance.  Tears fall from Dan’s eyes, and he blinks them away.  After he does, his father is gone.

[artificialqueens]

Say You Won’t Let Go Part 5 (Biadore) - Fucking Awful

A/N: No fan fare, no excuses. Just an apologetic author who finally got her hands on a computer.

For those joining this party now – here’s the link to the first installments:

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4

Welcome to the post-All Stars landslide, kids. Let’s cry together. 

Say you won’t let go.

October 2015. Danny was locked in the guestroom of his mom’s house in Azusa, writing. He had only a few days left of recording in the studio, so he needed to focus on finishing up the last few songs of the new album before he ran out of time and money.

The album – he and the producers decided it would be called After Party – was coming along really well. His team was pleased that it had plenty of upbeat and synth-y tracks that they hoped might get him into radio play, and Danny was already storyboarding the lead single music video.

And as for those moodier, melancholy tracks Danny was hoping to write earlier in the summer – those came in spades after “The Incident.”

Danny used “The Incident” as mental shorthand for Roy’s housewarming party; calling it something neutral took away its power over him…and kept him from having to decide whether it was his own breakup or Roy’s hookup that upset him the most. As soon as he got home that night, he wrote the lyrics for “I Can’t Love You” on the first takeout napkin he could find. He spent the next few days perfecting the melody to fit his words – the opposite of his usual work pattern – and had the track laid down within the week. “I.C.U.” came next, after waking up in a cold sweat from a dream where he was chasing some kind of glowing light in a sea of darkness. He got that one done just a few weeks later.

Then he broke for All Stars. Literally, broke. Danny didn’t last 3 days back at Drag Race, but that was going to be common knowledge eventually. He went in as a confident artist healing from a breakup and the less-than-year-old death of his father, and he came out a shaken chiona with fresh wounds where all his Band-Aids had been.

Luckily this gave him yet another treasure trove of sadness and disappointment, from which he pulled out two more real gut-wrenchers like “Save Your Breath.”  Danny wanted some really dark stuff on this album, and Life sure as hell gave him something to write about. Music was therapy, just as it always had been.

Music also gave Danny an excuse to hide. That was why he was holed up in Azusa, going nowhere but the studio and the house, because he was working on the album – definitely not because he didn’t know how to deal with his friends after The Incident and his All Stars freak out. Danny hadn’t seen anyone but Bonnie and her boyfriend in weeks, and he’d only spoken to Chris over the phone.

Isolation agreed with him. He working on the chorus of one of his bubblier tracks when his phone vibrated. In the zone and unwilling to be distracted, he ignored it. But, much like that crazy bitch from Fatal Attraction, the iPhone would not be ignored, Dan. Periodic vibes became constant buzzing, moving from short text alerts to the long drone of disregarded calls. After a sold 20 minutes of all out iPhone assault, he couldn’t take it anymore.

“Jesus Christ, what the fuck?!” Danny yelled into his phone, picking it up without checking the caller. “Is the Goddamn universe ending?” He had been off in his own creative world, and resented whoever was pulling him back into the real one.

After a long second of silence, a hoarse but recognizable voice spoke. “See, where was this type of anger and hate 2 years ago? Damn, you could’ve at least given me some real competition with that shit.”

Danny froze. Roy.

“Uh, I…Wha…I…” Danny stuttered, hard. He didn’t have a comeback, partially because he was coming down from his moment of rage and partially because he was so surprised to hear that voice.

“That’s more like it. Confused and adorable. How’s my pussyfart doing? Why haven’t you called me? How have you been?“

Confused was right. Why is Roy calling? Danny told him he’d be gone for 10 weeks to do All Stars, but it had barely been 5.

And Roy sounded weird. There was this thing he did with his voice when he was straining to be nice - it got quiet and soft, like he was speaking to a baby bird, and it sounded almost an octave higher. Normally it made Danny laugh, because it sounded so ridiculous in comparison to Roy’s normal voice and reminded him that Roy never understood how warm and comforting he could be without even trying. But in this moment it was unsettling, because he didn’t know why Roy was speaking to him like that.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell. You just surprised me, why are you calling me ri – ” Danny realized it all at once. His fucking mom called Roy and told him what happened at All Stars, that was the only possible explanation. Confusion turned into anger and embarrassment. “Did my fucking mother call you and tell you about All Stars? Oh my God, I am not a child anymore. Jesus Christ, she called you and told you I – ”

“Whoa there, calm your tits kid. She didn’t tell me anything more than you’re back home in Azusa a little earlier than expected, and that she’s worried about you holing yourself up in the studio.”

Danny had set the phone down and was rubbing his face. “Fuuuuuck.”

After a few seconds of silence and a deep breath, he picked the phone back up. “Oh my fucking God, I’m sorry she called you. I am so mort - no, I am fine. I am so totally fine. I don’t know what the hell the woman formerly known as my mother was thinking, but seriously everything is ok. Great. It’s fucking spectacular.”

Danny knew the sarcasm in his voice wasn’t thick enough to cover up how exactly not-at-all-ok he actually was, but he thought he could trust Roy enough to just drop it until he chose to elaborate. He was right.

“Clearly, you sound so balanced and even-keeled right now.” Roy was returning the thick sarcasm in kind. “Look, your mama loves you and knows I’m the only motherfucker around here who can pull you outta whatever fucked up funk you’ve gotten yourself into after being sent home.”

Danny tried to interrupt. Sent home? He must be confused. “No, Roy I -”

But Roy cut him off at the pass. “Just shush and listen to your elders for a second. Cocooning yourself off in your own little sorrow…cocoon, fuck I can’t think of another word…anyway that isn’t going to do you any good. Let’s get out and do something, I’m coming to pick you up in an hour or however long it takes me to drive from Hollywood to ass-fuck Azusa. Just do what I say and for the love of God take a shower before you’re back out in public.”

And with a click, the call ended.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. Roy didn’t know how he went home. He thought he got kicked off early and that’s why he was sad. Not because he pussied out within 48 hours and left after crying to Michelle and RuPaul on national television. Not because he couldn’t handle harsh criticism from That’s So Raven. Not because he was so emotionally shattered over other events and wasn’t able to focus on a stupid TV competition. And not because he was too scared to fail so he quit instead.

All things I will now have the pleasure of explaining to Bianca fucking Del Rio. To say Danny wasn’t looking forward to that part was about the understatement of his lifetime. But at least I get to see Roy. And that thought made it all ok again.

So Danny sighed, stood up, and shuffled upstairs to shower - shouting and cursing at Bonnie with every other step, and smiling in between.

…

Roy showed about an hour later, around 4 in the afternoon. He came to the door and hugged Bonnie - Bonnie the traitor, as a still slightly angry Danny thought of her - before grabbing Danny out from behind her and pulling him into a hug.

The hug seemed to defy all rules of space and time. It was bone-crushing at the same time as it was soft and warm. It gave Danny goosebumps and made his chest tense up, but it also sent waves of relaxation down his spine and made his head buzz like it was full of fireflies. It went on forever, but was over way too soon.

“Hey kiddo, how ya doin?” Roy said quietly to Danny as he slowly disengaged from the embrace, gently stroking Danny up and down his back while he did so.

Danny let silence hang, and then it hung for too long. When he realized the pause was getting dramatic, he nearly screeched his next words.

“Better now that mommy called a clown to cheer me up.” He was trying desperately to make a joke. The situation was becoming far to sincere and intimate and confusing for his brain to process, and he was just trying to find an eject button. “What, no balloons or giant shoes? I at least expected a piñata.”

“Oh god, you know I hate when you do that fucking chola voice.” Roy rolled his eyes, the spell of the moment broken. “C'mon you little brat, let’s go.” He bounded down the steps of the house and headed for his car.

“Careful, grandpa, you’ll break a hip! I don’t think Obamacare covers clown-related injuries on anyone over sixty!” Danny yelled after him, gathering the rest of his things from behind the door and trying to shoot a glance at his mom that simultaneously said Thank you and I hate you so much right now.

Roy was already in the car and backing out of the driveway when Danny turned around. “If you aren’t in this car in 30 seconds I’m leaving Delano. You better run - run like you’re chasin’ some of Detox’s trade.”

Danny sauntered slowly over to the car, swaying his hips just a little when he noticed Roy focusing a lot of attention on his body. He held his middle finger up all the while.

…

Roy drove Danny all the way back into LA. They spent the over-an-hour-long car ride catching up on all their quick-and-easy stuff: families, gigs, albums and tours, who of their friends had hooked up with who. It only veered into uncomfortable territory once - when Roy brought up the Handsome Blonde Man who haunted Danny’s dreams. Apparently he was named Tom and also now Roy’s boyfriend. Danny changed subjects as soon as the familiar aching feeling in his chest made his stomach hurt, sharply pivoting to talk about some ridiculous fight he and Chris had over Miley Cyrus. He made sure to fully dodge the other conversation bullet - All Stars - for the full drive.

They ended up at a record store in Silver Lake. Two stories of floor-to-ceiling vinyl, used and new, from beat up old soul 45’s to limited edition Bowie box sets to brand new Chance the Rapper albums.

“Do you actually come here?” Danny asked quizzically as he dug excitedly through a bin marked “Hole.” In all the years he’d known Roy, he’d never known him to be into vintage records. Clothes definitely, books maybe - but Danny had never seen so much as a framed album cover in Roy’s apartment.

Roy was a few rows over, casually flipping through the Musicals section. “Of course, I’m here all the time. It’s not that far from my house, and they have a really, uh, great selection, and there’s good coffee nearby, and over there they’ve got books…”

Danny scoffed. “You’re such a bad liar.” Roy had just done all of his lying “tells” - rambling in a weird cadence, going into unnecessary detail, and not making eye contact.

“What?” Roy kept his eyes on the Rogers and Hammerstein. “I am not, you don’t know everything about me, Daniel. I could be here every fucking week buying records for my…” He trailed off.

“For what? Tell me what you play these on, Mr. DJ.” Danny put a hand on his hip and stared challengingly at Roy.

This was fun, he loved catching Roy in a mistake. Their natural relationship dynamic always made him feel like he was at a disadvantage - as if Roy was smart and he was dumb, Roy was successful and he was a fuck up - so Danny seized on any opportunity to reassure him that they were equal. Especially since he knew he was about to tip his own scales back towards ‘fuck up’ whenever Roy decided to finally ask about All Stars.

“My record player, it’s a…um…it’s…oh fuck it.” Roy stopped pretending to look at through the showtunes stacks and rolled his eyes at Danny. “No, I’ve literally never been here before. I asked Raja for a good place to go for music today and this is what I got. Not bad though, huh?”

Danny was surprised by how quickly Roy gave up. Usually there was at least some kind of fun back-and-forth fighting over who was right, or trying to cover up what they didn’t know, or just full on teasing.

“Why? You always listen to everything on those ugly ass Beats headphones anyway, what would you want with a record?”

There were only a few seconds of awkward silence, but Danny would’ve sworn it was a solid minute.

“I wanted to bring you somewhere to take your mind of things, and I know you love record stores.” Roy looked at Danny with that same sincerity from the hug on the front porch. “I figured you could use the distraction.”

And once again, it made Danny’s heart beat wild. Not because Roy was looking at him with genuine care and compassion. No, of course not.

And not because Roy was willing to sacrifice his very limited time off to do something he knew only Danny would enjoy, and that wasn’t something people did normal friends.

Nope, definitely not. It was certainly because Danny was just afraid to tell him about All Stars, that he wasn’t kicked off but instead made the decision to walk away…

“Oh.” That was all Danny could muster.

They spent about 45 more minutes wandering the shop before the owner came out from behind the poster-littered cash wrap and told them both he’d be closing down for the night. Danny bought a new Lana Del Rey album and a beat-up bootleg of a Nine Inch Nails concert from the late 90’s. He was surprised when Roy followed behind to buy a book on Stevie Nicks’ impact on fashion - leave it to him to find a book about clothes in a warehouse full of music.

Danny was starving, and it was far enough past sunset that he didn’t feel like a senior citizen for suggesting dinner. Roy knew of a good Mexican place with strong margaritas a few doors down, and they headed over.

Two hours later, tacos were came and went, margaritas were inhaled like water, shots were knocked back at machine-gun pace, and Danny had officially exhausted all his small talk options. Oh, and also he was drunk. As fuck. In sum, officially out of ways to avoid talking about the elefante in the room.

“So Daniel Noriega.” Roy was slurring his words just a bit, but he was at least two notches less drunk than Danny.

It’s that fucking New Orleans thing, Danny thought to himself. Roy is like a fucking steel tank. He may as well be sober.

(He wasn’t.)

“It’s time to ‘fess up. What’d you wear to piss off Michelle so much that she shoved her fist up Ru’s ass and made him send you home?” Even when tipsy Roy knew how to be hateful. Shit, maybe even more so when he’d been drinking.

“Well, you cunt, it was actually that dress youuuuu -” Danny waved another shot of tequila under Roy’s nose as he gestured towards him “- gave me for the show. Did you and your precious new boyfriend just want to sabotage me?”

Roy grabbed the dangling shot from Danny’s hand and slammed it back. “No way, not possible. That dress was fucking beautiful, it was black and sexy and it sparkled, bitch.” Roy tried unsuccessfully to tongue pop, a sure sign he was getting more drunk by the second; only drunk Roy dug unironically into the Laganja-isms.

“Yeah, well, Michelle thought otherwise. She told me I had hogbody again.”

“What? That shady whore, I swear I -” Roy tried to interject but Danny talked over him, cutting off whatever tirade against Michelle he was about to launch.

“But it didn’t matter, it wasn’t about the dress. Not really, at least. It was about me. How I didn’t care. How I didn’t try, I don’t try, I never try.”

As he spoke, Danny began to feel an unfamiliar emotion in this story: anger. When he’d recounted it to Bonnie, and every time he’d gone through it in his own head, he’d only ever felt embarrassed and sad. But now he felt a fire in his stomach - no doubt fueled by tequila, but still.

“Who the fuck did she think she was, talking to me like that? I’m the fan-fucking-favorite of all time. Of any Drag Race season. EVER. And she thinks she can tell me I don’t care and I don’t try? And that goddamn Raven…”

Danny steamrolled over Roy whenever he tried to respond or ask a question. “Raven was there?”

There was no derailing him, though. The floodgates had been opened, and the weeks of anger Danny had been repressing now flooded out like blood through the halls of The Shining hotel.

“Michelle just made it ok for Raven Simon - Simone - Salmon - ugh, however you say her name. She fucking tore me to shreds for no fucking reason. What has she done since her Disney Channel show like a million years ago? Talk about a joke, someone who doesn’t do anything. Where the hell does she come off saying I’m a bad singer or that I’m fat or that I’m lazy and untalented…”

“She said what now?”

Danny was basically talking to himself at this point. “Screw both of them. They’re idiot fucking people with idiot fucking opinions.” He knew he didn’t mean it all - he loved Michelle like a father - but he just needed to say it.

“Well that’s a constructive, adult response to the situation.”

“Whatever, I’m glad I quit. I’m better than all that anyway.” Danny said it so confidently he almost believed himself.

The moment of drunk, anger-high reassurance was gone as soon as it came.

“You did what?” Roy looked at Danny in disbelief.

Danny was so surprised by Roy’s surprise - and so drunk from the tequila - that he didn’t think to sugar coat anything.

“I quit. They were cunts to me on the first day, so on the second day I quit.”

Uncomfortable silence crashed the party once again. Roy was just staring at him, his eyes slightly squinting and his focus darting around. It was like he was trying to compute whatever Danny had just said, and it went on unbearably long.

“I stood up for myself, Roy.” He couldn’t take the quiet stare, so he broke eye contact and directed his words at the empty shot glass he was idly spinning. Danny knew this made him look like a nervous little boy.

“It was the only thing I could’ve done. If you’d been there, you’d have told me to do the same thing.”

Roy’s expression didn’t change, but he looked away now, too. His eyes searched for the waiter, who he waved at aggressively. “Hi, excuse me. Hello!”

“Roy, I know I should’ve told –”

But Roy wasn’t listening. The waiter had arrived. “Can we get the check please? Actually, just take my card.” He fumbled for his wallet, yanked out his Amex, and threw it on the table. “Faster you bring that back, the bigger the tip.”

He then proceeded to pull out his phone and start dialing, continuing to ignore all Danny’s attempts to speak. It was freaky when Roy got like this, slipped into tunnel vision and disregarded everything around him. Danny knew it was his way of keeping his emotions in check. A Roy this focused was a Roy trying to keep cool.

“Look, I –”

“Justin? Hey, sorry if I woke you up.” Roy ignored Danny and spoke to the voice on the other end of the call.  “No, no I’m fine. I need a favor - can you come get my car from El Coyote and drive it home? I’m here with Danny and I’m too drunk to drive. I figured if you’re not out you could…Ok great, thanks. It’s in the valet, I’ll tell them you’re coming. We’re jumping in an Uber. You’re the best, Thunderfuck.”

The waiter came back and Roy signed for the bill. True to his word, he left a 50% tip.

“Come on, Danny. We’re leaving.” Roy acknowledged his presence for the first time in maybe 10 minutes, but still wouldn’t make eye contact. “Uber is outside, I can’t take you home so you’ll stay at my place. Tell Bonnie.”

“Um, I’m not a child going to a sleepover.” Given the childishly defiant way in which he was speaking, and the childishly ashamed way he’d just been sitting, Danny recognized his own deep hypocrisy. “You don’t get to order me around and –”

Roy stood up from the table and finally looked at Danny. “I don’t want to fight with you right now. Can we please just go?”

The exasperation in Roy’s voice was apparent, and it caught him off guard. Frustration, condescension, even anger - those would’ve made sense. But somehow he just looked sad and tired.

“Okay, sure.” Roy walked towards the exit, and Danny stood to follow.

…

The silent car ride gave Danny just enough time to spiral. Both he and Roy were staring out their windows, probably making the Uber driver think they had just gotten into a huge fight. Danny almost wished they had - at least Roy would be talking to him if they were fighting, and yelling at each other must be better than not speaking at all.

Instead, the absence of words led him down a rabbit hole of thought. Roy has never been this quiet, not with me. Is he that angry? Did I let him down that badly? He must’ve known I couldn’t get far without him, that I’d disappoint him in the end. Him, my mom, my fucking fans…

It was a particularly dark rabbit hole, and one he’d become deeply acquainted with since he left All Stars. He knew every nook of self-doubt, every cranny of anger, every pothole of depression. By the time the car pulled up to Roy’s place, Danny was approaching the final circle of his own personal hell.

Roy had been in his own head enough that he didn’t notice. Danny trailed behind him from the car to the elevator to the hallway, tears welling up all the while.  

Inside the apartment, Roy threw his keys on the table and walked straight towards his kitchen. He wasn’t watching Danny as he poured two giant glasses of water, but he began talking immediately.

“I’m trying to think of what to say here, Danny, but I’m just at a fucking loss. You left? You fucking left?” He still wasn’t yelling, but there was a tinge of annoyance in his tone that wasn’t there before.

“You’re so special, so talented and amazing. You couldn’t just believe that enough to tough it out and win? You know you would’ve won if you had just –”

The speech was cut off by Danny’s own sob. One heave, two heaves, and then a waterfall of breathes, apologies and shudders tumbling out while he leaned on the door for support. The combination of too much tequila, chased with a mixer of his own and Roy’s disappointment, was too much for Danny to handle.    

That caught Roy’s attention; he dropped his Brita and nearly jumped over the kitchen counter, sliding his hands around Danny’s waist just as he was about to collapse under the weight of his own crying.

“Oh, hey. Babe, shh.” Roy guided them over to the couch. “I didn’t mean to make you…I just don’t understand what happened. Help me understand what happened.” He was trying to talk to Danny, who was too busy trying to catch a deep breath between hiccuping and not inhaling tears.

“I - I’m so sorry - I let you down - and I’m - such a - shit - to everybody - I -” Danny got out 15 words before another wave of sobs. He and Roy had settled into a somewhat comfortable position on the couch - Roy seated, Danny resting his head on his left pec and soaking his shirt in the same spot. He took a few minutes to gather some words.

The steady beating of Roy’s heart under the weight of his head, matched with Roy’s in-rhythm stroking of his hair, eventually calmed him enough to speak again.

“Roy, I know I made a mistake. What they said, it just -”

“What did they say to you? Dan, you have to tell me.” Roy was trying to sound calm, but in a sharp tone that Danny could tell was holding back anger.

“I can’t, and you’ll see it eventually anyway. You’re going to think it’s so stupid, I just couldn’t take their shit after everything that happened this summer. I walked in there and I was ready to fall apart from the beginning. I had just had my fucking heart ripped out of my chest, and - ”

“Oh, babe. I thought you were okay with the breakup? You told us you were fine after he -”

Danny scoffed. That’s not what I meant, idiot. Obviously I mean you.

“No, I - it wasn’t that. I guess not. I just, I couldn’t handle knowing that I was going to end up disappointing everyone.” Danny could feel the tequila making him real ramble-y and real honest, but he couldn’t stop himself.

“The way Ru and Michelle were looking at me on that stage, like I had fallen from a pedestal or something. And Michelle, when we talked it was just, like, pity. I don’t know, it just like broke my brain to see how I failed them.” He paused to wipe his runny nose.

“And thinking about how I would let down my mom and my fans and you - I mean, letting down other people is one thing but when you know you can’t live up to the expectations of the person you’re in lo -”

Even in his most hammered of hammered states, Danny would’ve cut himself off before he finished saying the words “in love with.” But before he could self-censor, he was silenced by the violent change in Roy’s heartbeat. Just as he began the phrase, the pounding on the warm chest beneath him went from the rhythm of soft jazz to the thump of an Afrojack track.

“What?”

Danny didn’t respond, he didn’t know what to say. He was mesmerized by the heartbeat, afraid to speak in case the words he wanted to desperately to hide would come spilling out. This was not the time for this conversation - not while Roy had a boyfriend, while Danny was lying in his arms blubbering like a baby, while they were both drunk, while he wouldn’t get the response he so desperately wanted.  

But Roy wouldn’t abide the silence. “Dan, what were you going to -” Roy’s voice cracked, something it never did. And for some reason that made Danny cry all over again, all the way to sleep.

As he drifted off, tears rolling down his face, he would’ve sworn he felt some falling on the top of his head like rain drops.

He would’ve been right - they were Roy’s.

…

Danny woke up around 4:30. He was still nestled up in Roy, but they’d fallen into a more laying down than sitting up situation. The right side of his face was damp, as was the bit of Roy’s chest he’d taken up as a pillow for the last five hours. He was safely wrapped in Roy’s arms, one of which wrapped around his waist while the other laid atop the long black hair he’d been stroking.

Danny gave himself just a few deep breaths to enjoy the moment - the warmth, the safety, the peace - before his eyes snapped open and his head began to throb. It throbbed from salty shots and margaritas, from embarrassment, and from the memory that Roy had a fucking boyfriend.

Knowing Roy was a heavy sleeper, Danny slowly slipped himself out of the dare-he-call-it-spooning position and stood up from the couch. He saw Roy adjust slightly at the loss of an extra body, also losing the dopey smile that was plastered on his sleeping face.

Watching this, Danny’s stomach started to turn - and not just the normal hangover nausea. He was getting the same stomach pangs he felt when his dad passed, the same ones he felt when he lost Season 6 - a pain he’d come to associate with losing something he didn’t have in the first place.

Danny knew he had to get out of the apartment. He grabbed his phone - still in his pocket and alive, thank God - and called for an Uber. He knocked back both the glasses of water left on the counter before scribbling a note on Roy’s whiteboard:

Sorry I had to leave, needed to get home for mom stuff. Don’t tell anyone what we talked about or you owe me the contract violation money, bitch. Love you x 10000.

Danny spent the hour long ride back to Azusa writing out the lyrics to “4 a.m.”

[newagesispage]

                                                              JULY                               2019

PAGE RIB

If you care what people think, you’re their prisoner. – Heidi Fleiss

*****

The Stones are back and opened in Chicago on June21. The reviews were great, they mostly stuck to the hits and Mick was in top notch form. Monkey Man and Sweet Virginia are back!!! Woo Hoo!!

*****

Satellite images show the complete deployment of 4 Russian made S-300 missile defense systems.

*****

Comedians in cars getting coffee will start season 11 on July 19. This season will bring us Eddie Murphy, Barry Marder, Bridget Everett, Melissa Villsenor, Sebastian Maniscalco, Seth Rogan, Ricky Gervais, Matthew Broderick, Jamie Foxx, Mario Joyner and Martin Short.

*****

Law and Order: Hate Crimes is coming.

*****

NRATV is no more. Hooray!! The NRA’s second in command Chris Cox has resigned after he was implicated in a plot to oust Wayne La Pierre. Cox calls the charges, “offensive and patently false.” There are also multiple lawsuits from ad firm Ackerman McQueen that claim the NRA is in violation of contracts.

*****

Republican representative Duncan Hunter is headed to court in September for charges that he and his wife illegally spent more than $250,000 in political donations. Prosecutors want to list details of his many affairs.

*****

NBC is bringing back Who Do You Think You Are?

*****

Police in Hong Kong are beating protesters.

*****

Sexual harassment news of the month: George Nader, part of Trump’s transition team, was arrested in New York on child porn charges.**Cuba Gooding Jr. was charged in NY with forcible touching. His lawyer says that the incident is on tape and will prove he is innocent.** Trump has been accused by the 22nd woman, this time of rape, but most of the media seemed to be playing it down. The victim, writer E. Jean Carroll says she will cooperate 100%.

*****

The Supreme Court ruled that the government can’t stop us from running a business with a scandalous name.

*****

Stop the cash bail system. It is costing us money every day.

*****

Chris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger have wed.

*****

Joe Sestak is running for President.

*****

I always think of Meghan McCain as the Rosie O’Donnell of the right. She seems to have a big heart and her childhood and parents seem to have made a huge influence. Somehow she always brings everything back to her and she freaks on certain talking points.

*****

Let’s keep an eye on U.S. transportation secretary Elaine Chao. The shipping dynasty of her family is benefitting from industrial policies in China.

*****

2 deputies were fired for inaction pertaining to the Parkland shooting.

*****

People were horrified at the image of Scary Clown with graves in the background on foreign soil as he talked of “Nervous Nancy” and called Mueller a fool. We were outraged when he told us that he would want to listen to dirt on others and wouldn’t see why he should tell the FBI before he walked it back. He does not fucking care. When will we all understand that?

*****

The President is being urged to cancel his speech at the Lincoln memorial.  Many of his own people think it might appear to be a campaign stop paid for by the American people. He did that already when he made ads for himself while at his golf course in Scotland.** I suppose he will pretend to be all about America again when he gets back from smiling with North Korean and Russian dictators.

*****

New York has banned declawing. Meow!!

*****

It is looking like Sam Little, in prison in California, may turn out to be the most prolific serial killer in U.S. history.

*****

The Tony’s came and went. Big winners were Bryan Cranston, Elaine May and Bob Mackie. Ali Stoker was the first wheelchair bound winner and Hadestown won the most awards.

*****

Some schools are trying out yoga instead of detention.  Teaching children how to control their feelings and help it to dissipate seems to be work.

*****

The Catholic Church has stomped on the rights of our Trans brothers and sisters. They decree that people should stay the way they are born.

*****

The movie,’ The Dead Don’t Die’ sounds great with Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, Adam Driver, Danny Glover, Tom Waits and Steve Buscemi.

*****

Trump and Pence seem pretty pleased with themselves for not allowing the rainbow flag to fly during pride month. They really hate progress, don’t they?  Luckily, some brave souls are finding ways around it.

*****

Scary Clown has signed an executive order to increase transparency of hospital costs and info of medical professionals.

*****

On July 17 Bob Mueller will testify. **A comic book publisher is turning the report into a graphic novel.

*****

JB Pritzker has signed legal weed into Illinois and they will look at releasing low level drug offenders and putting money back into hard hit communities that were affected by the drug war.

*****

Maple Vale is suing because they say big chicken companies have colluded to hike prices.

*****

Absolut has been a proud supporter of the gay community since the 70’s.  

*****

Jim Gaffigan is in the new film, ‘Being Frank.’

*****

Sarah Huckabee Sanders is out. Many reporters tell us that she and other WH staff can be very different behind the scenes. They have been known to be very helpful and personable at times. The bluster and the lies are mostly for show for the boss.** Acting US customs and border protection commissioner John Sanders is out.

*****  

Scary Clown really put his foot in it with his Stephanopoulus interview. From little wise guy to taking help from foreign powers to the look on his face after ‘the cough’ it was quite the show.** Chuck Todd really soft balled his interview with our Pres. Shame on you.

*****

So, of course Manafort is going to a Federal location instead of Riker’s Island after AG Barr sent a letter to state prosecutors.

*****

One day it is announced that ICE is throwing millions out of the country. Another day they will round up 2,000 illegals that haven’t shown up for court etc. then that is on hold. Iran is going to be hit then it isn’t. It seems like real panic time in the WH. Justice Department attorney Sarah Fabian has explained in her double talk that kids without toothbrushes, soap and proper sleep is fine. Concrete floors in cages seem like a good idea to Trumps WH. Sarah Fabians phone number of 202-532-4824 was released to the public and she got an earful but I am sure she has changed that # by now.** ICE won’t even allow anyone to donate items to the kids in cages except for one in Deming, NM.

*****

Roy Moore is running for senate in 2020. These pompous, narcissistic pigs will not just fade away.

*****

I really hate this way the media lumps all the ‘rest’ of the Dem candidates as interchangeable. At least give everybody a chance to tell us who they are until the debates. All should have an equal chance because there are some good candidates there. Each one is unique and has at least one good idea. Would they all make a good President? Probably not but let’s hear them out!! People wonder why we never have enough choices and then they try to thin the field right away.  Andrew Yang wasn’t even included in some of the advertising for the debates and he is polling 8th. ** Seth Macfarlane and Bill Maher suggest that we do away with the audience. Great idea!!

*****

The first night of debate went well. I went in loving Inslee and went out the same way. He didn’t get much chance to talk what with the moderators asking Elizabeth Warren questions about 4 to the others 1. When Jay did get to speak about climate change and calling out CEO’s,  I thought he was dynamic. He really puts his money where his mouth is. I wish more people would research him. He had the best answer of what this country’s greatest threat is when he answered ,”Donald Trump.” Colbert made fun of Inslee for interrupting Warren about the rights of women. I must say that as a woman, that never even occurred to me because I was looking at her as a candidate. He has also been raked over for trying to interject with that finger in the air. Hmm.. so polite. DeBlasio got in a great line about not blaming immigrants for their problems but blaming the corporations, otherwise he seemed like a bully. Warren and Booker were competent. Klobachar, Gabbard and Ryan should call it quits. I like O’Rourke but he just seems too sweet. I loved his close because he referenced current events like the kids in cages and student protests which didn’t seem like running for student council Pres. I was impressed with John Delaney who I hadn’t known much about.  But Julian Castro won the night. He still wouldn’t be my first choice but he did everything right. He was truly Presidential and seemed to resonate with everybody. He was forceful, down to earth and seemed to know what he was talking about.

*****

Night 2 of the debates was a bit more lively. Hickenlooper will probably impress a few conservatives with his insistence that the Dems shouldn’t identify so much with socialism. Gillibrand seemed like tonight’s bully and it is time for her to go along with Bennet, Swalwell  and Williamson. Now, Marianne got a lot of shit but I agree with her on some basics. Preventative medicine and love being the answer is not stupid. These are things we don’t put enough stock in so why laugh it off? She is right about the chemicals and climate and why we are so sick in this world. She is right about state sponsored crimes and child abuse at the border. I thought Gillibrand repeated herself too much but she is right about putting too much money into private prisons. Buttigieg had a great point about the ‘free college for all’ thing by looking at the reality of those who don’t want college, a decent minimum wage and the rich paying for their own schooling.  He is also quite perceptive about republicans using religion while separating families which gives them no right to use God’s name. He was a bit sweaty but poised and measured all the way through. I am a big Andrew Yang fan and his money to all every month is something I have thought a solid idea for years but he is not Presidential at this point. He should be in the cabinet because he is an idea person but he sort of nervously choked on his first question about his signature piece. I loved that he didn’t wear a tie and his closing statement was awesome. Bernie gave us no surprises but the red, white and blue reflected in his glasses was fascinating. I did love his line about a hemisphere problem that we have and called out the Yemen crisis.  Like the night before, Biden seemed to get more time than the lesser knowns. He started out smooth and easy and ended serious and defensive because of the jabs he received. Kamala Harris stole the night with some of those. She jumped on Williamson’s mention of reparations to explain to Biden why his recent rhetoric of segregationists was so painful. This is why I love debates, it can change everything. I can’t really imagine anyone else taking on Trump at this point. She had some great lines like calming the boys down about no food fights but putting food on the table. Her close was a bit halting but she fired up the crowd as if she was already President.

*****

The after shows zeroed in on the flaws which will unfortunately define some of them.  The way we loop ‘Bookers look’ or ‘Williamson’s love not fear for political purposes’ can belittle the progress we can make. I am right in there watching it but it gets old. Trevor Noah said that many try but it was the Right time for Harris to play the race card. Race is already playing a part as some birtherism is erupting eluding to her Indian mother and Jamaican father.  Don Jr. got the wheels in motion by retweeting some garbage about Harris not being an “American black.”She raised about 2 mil after the debates.

*****

I will never understand why people always bring up this ‘elite’ business when talking about the Dems. Most of the people I have personally known who had a lot of money and looked down their nose at others have been republicans. Perhaps it is all about where one is from.

*****

Teens are evolving bone spurs on the back of their heads from looking down at their phones so much.

*****

Succession will be back on August 11.

*****

A little political hocus pocus seems to be ok with the Supreme Court. In a 5-4 ruling they have barred challenges to partisan gerrymandering.

*****

G20 countries make about 80% of global CO2 emissions. They had agreed to phase out subsidies for fossil fuels. Reports show that in the years since , they have nearly tripled subsidies to coal plants.

*****

Trump is schmoozing with Kim Jong UN saying, ”I would invite him tight now to the WH.”** There was a brawl with new unofficial  WH press secretary Stephanie Grisham and Kim’s people.

*****

The Travers film fest will honor Lily Tomlin with a lifetime achievement award.

*****

The ex- governor of Michigan Rick Snyder, who is responsible for the Flint water crisis, will now have a fellowship at Harvard.

*****

“Trump didn’t actually win the election in 2016. He lost the election and he was put into office because the Russians interfered.”- Jimmy Carter, former President and international expert on election fraud.

Toy Story 4 is big box office.

*****

Mythic Quest is the new series produced and written in part by Charlie Day and Rob Mcelhenney.  The show will be about a video game development company and will star F. Murray Abraham and Danny Pudi.

*****

Melissa McCarthy may play Ursula in the live action  The Little Mermaid.

A hacker stole the latest music from Radiohead and threatened to release it if they didn’t pony up $150,000 in ransom. The band released a statement declaring. ”We’ve been hacked” , released it themselves for 18 days and the money went to charity. Rock on!!

*****

In Cape Coral, Fla., a parent forced a kid to walk around with a sign of  their wrong deeds. Oh bit.. this stuff is back again.

*****

ICS in Springfield, Illinois’ fired Joe Crane from his broadcast for his honesty. Corporate was insisting on using a ‘CODE RED’ alert for weather even when the weather wasn’t so bad to keep the paranoid watching. After numerous complaints and Crane apparently not able to talk corporate out of it, he went to the public and let them know how much he disagreed with the policy but his hands were tied.  Of course, corporate let him go.

*****

The FCC is giving the phone company more power to fight robo calls.

*****

Archeologists found some weed in China inside some ceremonial cannabis bowls from 2500 years ago.

*****

Rapper Scarface is running for city council in Houston.

*****

20,000 Christians have petitioned Netflix to cancel Good Omens. I am sure the Amazon show is loving the publicity, they were probably looking for something just like this to happen. Oddly, just before I heard this story I saw the first couple of episodes and thought it was pretty good.

*****

Don’t judge someone because they sin differently than you.

*****

The fight to end robo calls has been named ‘Operation Call it Quits.’

*****

OJ Simpson opened a twitter account on the 25th anniversary of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman.

*****

The 71st Emmy’s will be held on Sept. 22 and may not have a host. This no host thing seems to be catching on since it saves money and controversy. The noms will be announced July 16.

*****

If you get the chance, read the Vanity Fair article about Col. Jennifer Pritzker. The cousin of Illinois Governor, JB Pritzker is the world’s only known trans billionaire.

*****

Refineries, Chemical plants and plastics are giving our fire fighters cancer and cities are often not compensating them.

*****

Jordan Klepper used his mug shot as the pic to headline his show. He was arrested with pastors for their rally n support of immigrant students.

*****

Do you wonder if the Trump kids and Melania have so much power and money that they don’t mind that Trump is a laughingstock?

*****

I saw that Seth Meyers used the term bummer camp to explain a kid who gets sent to camp because their parents need to work on their divorce. My friends and I always used that term when our summer camp music festival gets ruined by endless rain.

*****

R.I.P. Roky Erickson, Leon Redbone, Dr. John, Franco Zeffirelli, Leah Chase, Zarious Fair, Elliot Roberts, Alan Brinkley , Troy Chisum, Oscar and Valeria Ramirez, Edward Gallardo and Gloria Vanderbilt.