Doctor Sleep

Members of the True Knot gather at Grampa Flick’s bedside, where he is cycling. His body goes translucent, then transparent, before solidifying again. Rose kicks most of them out. Grampa is covered in red marks that Walnut calls Koplik’s Spots, or measles, which is a bad sign: They weren’t always prone to normal illnesses.

Rose remembers similar spots on the Baseball Boy. Walnut says they’ll quarantine anyone who gets it. They see Grampa’s internal organs as he cycles. Rose tells them the girl’s vaccinations could give them immunity against measles when they ingest her steam.

Dan wakes to a message from Abra, saying she stopped and hurt Rose. They meet at the library, where she tells him about the trap, as well as what she learned in Rose’s mind. The flashlight people are the True Knot. They are vampires who live off steam, which can be stored. It grows stronger when the children experience more pain. Abra wants revenge and compares herself to Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones. Dan agrees that they have to stop the True Knot and tells her to telepathically call Billy if she gets in trouble.

On Grampa Flick’s fifth cycle, his bones and eyes disappear. He vanishes and dies as they chant. Rose announces two days instead of the traditional seven. They each provide an object that reminds them of Grampa Flick, before burying the objects in the absence of a body. Rose tells Crow Daddy about an X-rated store in Sidewinder but does not explain her plan yet.

As Dan and John travel, Dan tells him more about his history of shining. When he explains the relationship between the shining and drinking, Dan says, “Cut through the psychobabble and you’re left with the stark truth. We drank because we’re drunks” (300).

Dan describes his father and the Overlook and hopes that John understands the gravity of their mission. They find the ethanol plant, observe it for a while, then check into their hotel. They leave near midnight. Dan drives slowly, waiting for a feeling or a sign. He feels Abra looking with him.

Abra breaks the connection when Dan smells decay, and they dig. The True Knot buried Bradley with the baseball glove, which is filled with bugs. They rebury him and Dan says they’ll wait a month before they contact his parents. The glove’s pocket says THOME25. It is the jersey number of Jim Thome, # 25, Bradley’s favorite player. John wants to tell Abra’s parents about the situation. Dan hears Abra screaming not to tell them,and he cries with her.

Crow Daddy reports to Rose about Jimmy’s visit to District X. She helps him prepare for a mission to take Abra.

Lucy calls Dave. She is sad in her mother’s home. When they finish talking, Abra enters and tells Dave that she’s in trouble. When he wonders if she is pregnant, she says no and says she can read his mind. She tells him about John and Dan and the Bad People. As she gets emotional, the kitchen drawers open and shut as she starts crying again.

At the airport, John has several missed calls from the same number, which probably belongs to Dave Stone. Abra and Dave are on the porch when Dan and John arrive. Abra hugs Dan, but Dave is wary. However, since he knows John, he listens to their story.

As the True Knot draw closer, Jimmy shows them yearbook photos of three girls. One of them is Abra Stone. They think that one of the three is the girl who Rose visited when she hurt her hand. Crow Daddy believes that it is Abra. Barry scratches a red spot on his wrist while he sleeps.

Dave asks reluctantly about Dan and Abra’s relationship. Dan says that Dave shouldn’t think of it as Abra hiding the truth from him. Dan hid things from his mother because he loved her and wanted to protect her, just like Abra has done with her father. Abra tells Dave about Bradley’s murder and says they killed him because he was like her.

Dan says that when the story comes out, it will bring attention to Abra. The True Knot will find her then, if not sooner. Abra asks to touch the baseball glove. After a moment, she says Barry and several others are coming for her, including a woman with a snake tattoo. Abra says one of the men is a crow, one is a doctor, and one has the measles. Almost in a trance, Abra says the True Knot are no longer people. They’re stopping to get a package of medicine and they think her “essence” (329) can cure them. She also says they’re rich and kill whoever inconveniences them.

The rest of the True Knot are at an RV camp. Dan senses that the campground is on the same site as where the Overlook burned.

Crow Daddy calls Rose to tell her that Barry is now covered in red dots. If they lose him, someone else will have to find the girl. She hangs up, frustrated, but she likes the chances, since the three girls in the photos all live in the same neighborhood.

Dan tells Dave his plan. The highlight of the plan, for Dave, is that he’ll get to see the True Knot, which he still can’t accept. Dan calls Billy and asks him to join them. Dan wants to reserve the train the following night. Dave is stunned by Abra’s anger when she talks about vengeance. She is desperate for the True Knot to suffer for their crimes.