Jack wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

—Come on, babe. It’ll be good for us. Peace, quiet. I can write my book without distractions.

Danny looked down the long carpeted hallway.

The patterns on the rug seemed to move.

—Yes —he whispered. —Alone.

Or maybe not.

Second Part: Echoes in the Hallways

The silence of the Overlook was not normal. It was a void that pulsed in the walls, a pause suspended between each creak of the building. As if the hotel were waiting for something.

Jack woke up with clenched fists and an aching jaw. Another nightmare. The same one. He was in a dark place, something crawling behind him, laughter echoing through the hallways… He ran a hand over his face and looked at the clock. Three in the morning.

He got up and went down to the kitchen for coffee. No whiskey. Nothing of the sweet burn from the bottle. Nothing to pull him out of his own head. He sat in front of the typewriter. The blank page seemed to mock him. Not a single word.

He clenched his fists.

He couldn’t fail again.