Doctor Sleep: A Novel

away?”
    “Nup,” Sarey said. Her eyes looked up into Rose’s. Even now, with everyone looking at her, Sarey seemed little more than a shadow.
    “Do you want payback?”
    “Lup,” Sarey said. Then: “Levenge.”
    She had a low voice (almost a no-voice) and a speech impediment, but they all heard her, and they all knew what she was saying.
    Rose looked around at the others. “For those of you who don’t want what Sarey wants, who just want to get down on your bellies and squirm away . . .”
    She turned to Big Mo and seized the woman’s flabby arm. Mo screeched in fear and surprise and tried to draw away. Rose held her in place and lifted her arm so the others could see it. It was covered with red spots. “Can you squirm away from this?”
    They muttered and took another step or two back.
    Rose said, “It’s in us.”
    “Most of us are fine!” Sweet Terri Pickford shouted. “ I’m fine! Not a mark on me!” She held her smooth arms out for inspection.
    Rose turned her burning, tear-filled eyes on Terri. “ Now . But for how long?” Sweet Terri made no reply, but turned her face away.
    Rose put her arm around Silent Sarey and surveyed the others. “Nut said that girl may be our only chance of getting rid of the sickness before it infects us all. Does anyone here know better? If you do, speak up.”
    No one did.
    “We’re going to wait until Deez, Annie, and Dirty Phil get back, then we’ll take steam. Biggest steam ever. We’re going to empty the canisters.”
    Looks of surprise and more uneasy mutters greeted this. Did they think she was crazy? Let them. It wasn’t just measles eating into the True Knot; it was terror, and that was far worse.
    “When we’re all together, we’re going to circle. We’re going to grow strong. Lodsam hanti, we are the chosen ones—have you forgotten that? Sabbatha hanti, we are the True Knot, and we endure. Say it with me.” Her eyes raked them. “Say it.”
    They said it, joining hands, making a ring. We are the True Knot, and we endure . A little resolution came into their eyes. A little belief. Only half a dozen of them were showing the spots, after all; there was still time.
    Rose and Silent Sarey stepped to the circle. Terri and Baba let go of each other to make a place for them, but Rose escorted Sarey to the center. Under the security lights, the bodies of the two women radiated multiple shadows, like the spokes of a wheel. “When we’re strong—when we’re one again—we’re going to find her and take her. I tell you that as your leader. And even if her steam doesn’t cure the sickness that’s eating us, it’ll be the end of the rotten—”
    That was when the girl spoke inside her head. Rose could not see Abra Stone’s angry smile, but she could feel it.
    ( don’t bother coming to me, Rose )
    8
    In the back of John Dalton’s Suburban, Dan Torrance spoke four clear words in Abra’s voice.
    “I’ll come to you.”
    9
    “Billy? Billy! ”
    Billy Freeman looked at the girl who didn’t exactly sound like a girl. She doubled, came together, and doubled again. He passed a hand over his face. His eyelids felt heavy and his thoughts seemed somehow glued together. He couldn’t make sense of this. It wasn’t daylight anymore, and they sure as hell weren’t on Abra’s street anymore. “Who’s shooting? And who took a shit in my mouth? Christ .”
    “Billy, you have to wake up. You have to . . .”
    You have to drive was what Dan meant to say, but Billy Freeman wasn’t going to be driving anywhere. Not for awhile. His eyes were drifting shut again, the lids out of sync. Dan threw one of Abra’s elbows into the old guy’s side and got his attention again. For the time being, at least.
    Headlights flooded the cab of the truck as another car approached. Dan held Abra’s breath, but this one also went by without slowing. Maybe a woman on her own, maybe a salesman in a hurry to get home. A bad Samaritan, whoever it was, and bad was good for them, but they might not be lucky a third time. Rural people tended to be neighborly. Not to mention nosy.
    “Stay awake,” he said.
    “Who are you?” Billy tried to focus on the kid, but it was impossible. “Because you sure don’t sound like Abra.”
    “It’s complicated. For now, just concentrate on staying awake.”
    Dan got out and walked around to the driver’s side of the truck, stumbling several times. Her legs, which had seemed so long on the day he met her, were too damned short. He