The One Hour Long Walk

THE LONG WALK Stephen King Published under pseudonym Richard Bachman PART ONE: Starting Out Chapter 1 May 1 8:00 AM Raymond Davis Garraty is dropped off by his mom. She gives him cookies wrapped in tinfoil. Garraty meets Peter McVries, Henry Olson, Art Baker and Barkovitch. Garraty notices that McVries as a big scar on his face. Olson insults Barkovitch. Garraty notices Stebbins. 8:15 AM The Major hands out number decals to the 100 walkers, which they stick to their clothing. The soldiers will use this number to alert a walker of their warnings. They are given food belts and water canteens. They can ask for a new canteen any time they want, but food belts will only be given out at 9:00 AM each morning. 8:40 AM The walkers lined up in 10 rows of 10 at the stone starting post at the border of Canada and Maine. Stebbins goes into the last row. 9:00 AM the Major starts the Long Walk. They had to keep a pace of 4 mph or greater. They got warnings for every 30 seconds their speed fell under 4 mph. If the walkers 2-minute timer reached 0, they got their ticket, and the soldiers would shoot them dead. If they walked an hour without a warning, they would lose a warning. Stebbins gets the first warning for testing how slow he can walk. Barkovitch stops to straighten his sock and remove a rock from his shoe and gets 3 warnings. Olson criticizes Barkovitch. The Major greeted the boys at the 1-mile mark, then challenged them to break the distance record before getting the first ticket, then drove away. The faster boys pulled away from the pack and would be referred to as the vanguard. Garraty sees a cute girl holding a sign with his name, and kisses her, getting a warning. McVries tells Garraty to slow down, to conserve his energy. McVries says if you fall, he won't pick you up. We're not the Three Muskateers. Baker says we might as well keep each other amused. McVries says "Why not?" Chapter 2 Garraty meets Harkness who plans to write a book about the Long Walk. Harkness assumes he's going to win even though he's not as physically fit as most of the other boys. Harkness is collecting all names and numbers. Baker looked like he could walk forever. Olson's knee joints started to get stiff and pop. Barkovitch kept a jerky pace, moving to the front, then to the back, losing warnings, then getting them again. Stebbins trailed the pack not talking to anyone. Percy's mom yelled for him. He was about 13 years old, and she didn't want him on the Long Walk, but it was his choice, not hers. Ticket 1: #7 Curley gets a charley horse and gets his ticket, which means he was shot dead by the soldiers. Stebbins steps over Curley stepping in his blood leaving a bloody footprint. They learn they had broken the record for furthest distance traveled before 1st ticket, going nearly 9 miles. The Major was pleased. He liked it when the Long Walk broke records. They entered Limestone. The major drove by in his jeep making a speech with his loudhaler saying how proud he was. They walked out of Limestone. It got hillier. Ticket 2: #9 Ewing got blisters, because he wore sneakers, then got his ticket. PART TWO: Going Down The Road Chapter 3 3:00 PM it started to rain. Olson says his leg muscles feel baggy. McVries told him not to worry. It happened to him too, but it passes. Ticket 3: Unknown, just slowed down too much. McVries tries to learn how to smoke, but then gives the cigarettes to Olson. Ticket 4: #100 Zuck tripped and cut his knee. It was an open cut, and the bleeding would not stop, and he got his ticket. Gribble freaked out calling The Major a murderer. Ticket 5: Travin gets a ticket from stopping due to diarrhea. A reporter interviews some of the walkers. They walked into Caribou. Chapter 4 Percy's mom tries to take Percy back and gets arrested. They walked out of Caribou. Ticket 6: #12 Fenter gets his ticket from a foot cramp. Olson says true love doesn't exist. Garraty dozes and dreams of Jan, Jimmy, and his mother. They come to a long steep hill. Ticket 7: #60 Larson gets his ticket from tiring on the hill. Ticket 8: Unknown boy who was part of the Vanguard. Ticket 9: Toland fainted going up the hill. They reach the top of the long steep hill. 9:00 PM They had been on the road for 12 hours. Stebbins tells Garraty and McVries about when he saw the Long Walk at age 13. Ticket 10: Quincy or Quentin Chapter 5 Tickets 11 and 12: unknown boy Garraty's feet and legs are getting sore. Pearson talked about enemas. Davidson talked about the Steubenville Fair. Baker talked about lighting farts. Ticket 13: #4 James Baker (the other Baker, not Art Baker) They passed by a couple who missed the walkers because they had fallen asleep. 11 PM: They heard a bridge was out and the walk would have to stop up ahead. Olson was very happy. He needed a rest. Barkovitch insulted Rank, then Rank tried to attack Barkovitch several times and got his ticket. Baker and McVries called Barkovitch a murderer for getting Rank killed. Ticket 14: Rank was warned many times for inference, then fell while trying to attack Barkovitch Highway repair fixed the bridge before they got there. Olson was very unhappy. Garraty admits to McVries that he doesn't think he'll win, and McVries admits the same. Garraty thinks about Jan, and his mother and father. Ticket 15: unknown boy Midnight. It's 105 miles to Oldtown. They talk about Augusta and Boston. They crossed a cement bridge that spanned a large river. Ticket 16: someone tried to escape Olson's physical condition was fading. #45 Was fading for a long time. Garraty tried to talk with him. McVries told Garraty to let him die. Ticket 17: #45 unknown boy Chapter 6 3:30 AM: The longest night in Garraty's life. Tickets 18 to 25 happened to unknown boys, except the last, which was #8 Davidson Garraty fantasized about sitting down, then getting his ticket. He was getting sore and tired. Garraty half-slept, then panicked when he awoke and didn't recognize anyone, and thought he had walked off the road, but then started to recognize his friends. He thought about seeing Jan and his mom in Freeport. Ticket 26: unknown boy Mile 75: Garraty thought about going to Freaky D'Allessio's funeral. Freaky's eyes were out-of-kilter. He was killed by a car outside of Freeport. That had been the only person Garraty had seen dead before this. Garraty struggles to stay awake. Most of Garraty's friends were still in it. Everyone was walking and dozing. 4:00 AM: The horizon was starting to brighten as sunrise approached. Ticket 27: unknown boy McVries wakes up to the sunrise and talks with Garraty. They talk about the article in World's Week about the Long Walk. It said that 2 billion are bet on the Long Walk each year. Garraty says that he feels like he could walk forever. McVries shares his macaroons. 80 miles down, 80 to go before Oldtown. Garraty asked McVries how he got the scar. McVries says it's a long story. They told each other that they look like shit, and had a good laugh, which slowed their pace. Both were warned. 5:02 AM they passed some spectators. The road forked into a larger road and they passed a truck rest stop. Parker told the two waitresses to meet him Friday night. Garraty thought Parker was being immature. He thought Barkovitch was smart for not having friends. Bruce Pastor passed back a knock-knock joke about the Major having sex. Each time the joke came back, it had evolved until the Major was having sex with his dog. McVries laughter suddenly turned into anger as he tried to pick a fight with the soldiers. Garraty talked him out of it just before McVries would have gotten his ticket. McVries said they take the winner behind a barn and shoot them. He said that everyone loses. Stebbins talks with Garraty and said the Major is coming. Stebbins was confident that he would win. 5:25 AM Ticket 28: #98 Yannick 5:30 AM The Major drove by saluting the walkers, then drove away. McVries calculated that the walk will end after 320 miles, then points out that it's not a record distance. The terrain starts getting flat. Collie Parker says it looks like Illy-noy, then asks where's the ocean. Garraty says they'll be near the ocean at Freeport, in about 180 miles. Parker complains about Maine and has an argument with Garraty, then Parker walks away. McVries points out that everyone is in a bad mood, but it's a beautiful day. McVries taunts Olson. Baker asks McVries to leave Olson alone, but McVries continues to taunt Olson. Olson finally snaps and yells "Go to hell!" McVries finally tires of taunting Olson. Garraty thinks about Jan, and how much he loves her, and how she's turned into a life symbol. 6:00 AM Harkness says he has a cramp in his foot, then gets a warning for slowing. Harkness forces himself to walk faster, trying to ignore the pain. Almost running, he passed everyone and lead the pack, forming a one-man vanguard. Chapter 7 More spectators started to line the road. Harkness was far ahead and out of sight. Scramm fascinated Garraty because Scramm was married at age 15, and his wife was pregnant. Scramm is saving money so his kid can go to college. Scramm was confident he would win. Vegas made him the odds-on favorite. Scramm thought this walk was a lot of fun. He had recently walked 80 miles easily. Pearson and Garraty tried to convince Scramm that he could lose. Pearson pointed out that everyone who wasn't in shape is either dead, or almost dead now, but there are still 72 left. Scramm says you need the right motivation. Fear of death is not enough. Wanting to live is not enough. Garraty says he will have to walk a long time to beat him, but Scramm replied that he is ready to walk a long time. Pearson says he understands what it is to die but doesn't understand death itself. Ticket 29: boy in a black turtleneck sweater had convulsions Scramm said he wants to build a house on the hill overlooking this view. Gribble ran over and got sexual with a girl spectator. 15 seconds before his ticket, he continued walking again, then got a cramp and got his ticket. Ticket 30: #48 Gribble Garraty had an orgasm thinking about humping that girl like Gribble. He tied his jacket around his waist to cover the wet spot. He thought about how he loved Jan. They walked down a steep downhill. McVries said that Olson was close to death. Garraty noticed Stebbins trailing the pack about 1/4 mile back. He felt anger toward Stebbins. They had been walking non-stop for 22 hours. Garraty's legs felt weak at the bottom of the hill. Scramm said he felt fine. Garraty told him that he sounds like he's getting a cold. He said it was hay fever. He never catches colds. They heard Harkness get his ticket somewhere up ahead in the distance. Harkness had burned out. Ticket 31: #49 Harkness The first boy from Garraty's clan was out. It made Garraty feel vulnerable. Harkness would never write his book about the Long Walk. Since Barkovitch likes to taunt his fellow walkers saying he'll dance on their graves, McVries suggested that Barkovitch go dance Harkness and called him a killer. Barkovitch replied with anger that he wasn't a killer and walked faster to get away. Baker mentions that his uncle was undertaker but was cremated when he died. McVries points out that getting cremated wasn't good advertising for his business. Baker agreed. Olson begged the guards to let him rest. 7:45 AM They had travelled 94 miles. They walked over a wooden covered bridge. Baker took a crap, then says he takes a crap once a day. If not, he takes a laxative. They start arguing about laxatives, then Garraty points out Percy was trying to escape. Ticket 32: #31 Percy left the road trying to escape McVries says a fake prayer, mocking religion, which angered Abraham, who threatened to hit McVries, but Garraty breaks it up. Olson continued begging the soldiers to let him rest. It started to get hotter. They passed a truck-stop where a trucker gave them the finger. Garraty explained that he's angry because he could lose his job. Parker asked how Garraty knows so much about truckers, so Garraty explained that his father was a truck driver. Garraty then revealed that his father was squaded. Ticket 33: unknown boy Wyman said his uncle got squaded. Parker said only fools get squaded. Garraty didn't say anything. His father had been foolish. Pearson said getting squaded is better than dying. Garraty asked how he would know. Garraty thought about his father, and when he got squaded. Baker said he had an older brother who got in trouble with the law. He died from a heart attack. Baker says he was a night rider for 3 years. It's a squadding offense but he was 12 when he started. Ticket 34: unknown boy Pearson said he had 99 pennies, and each time a boy gets his ticket, he moves a penny from one pocket to the other. Olson criticized Pearson. Abraham told Olson to shut up. Garraty fantasized about how nice it would be to go into one of the roadside diners, put his feet up and order some real food and milk. They passed a family of five having a picnic, and Garraty called them freaks. McVries said Garraty would be doing the same thing if he were a spectator. Garraty said they're animals because they want to see brains splattered on the road. McVries pointed out that's how it's always been, from the French guillotine to the Roman gladiators. He said they're the smart ones, and we're the dumb ones. Garraty asks him why he's doing it if he knows it's stupid. McVries replies, that they're all doing it because they want to die. Chapter 8 Tickets 35 and 36: Between 8:30 AM and 9:00 AM One had been Wayne. 9:00 AM: Mile 99: Garraty got his food belt but postponed eating for 30 minutes even though he was hungry. The walkers around him were cramming their mouths with various foods. Walkers threw their trash into the Crowd. Spectators would fight over their trash, to keep as souvenirs and collectables. McVries noticed Garraty wasn't eating, then said he'd bet $1 that Garraty would win the Long Walk. McVries hands were shaking slightly. Garraty asked McVries if he could do it over, would he? McVries said no way. This is suicide. Olson agreed. Ten minutes later they passed a sign congratulating them for making it 100 miles. The Crowd was thick. There were TV cameras and microphones. Collie parker mocked them, making Garraty laugh uncontrollably. Garraty fell to his knees laughing, and almost got his ticket, but McVries saved him. Ticket 37: #64 Frank Morgan Olson criticized McVries for saving Garraty. McVries told Olson that he was just returning the favor from when Garraty saved him. Olson yelled God will strike you down, then Abraham told him to shut up. It got hotter, and the walkers had more arguments. Wyman took a crap. The Crowd was here to stay. McVries walked behind Barkovitch to taunt him. Scramm said that he is getting a cold. 9:30 AM Garraty began to eat from his food belt. The surroundings went from residential to woods. They walked by a lumberyard. The Crowd began to thin but was always there. Garraty dropped back to speak to Stebbins. Garraty asked Stebbins why there aren't more people. Stebbins said they restrict the Crowd until Oldtown, then TV coverage from Augusta. Garraty thought it was suspicious that Stebbins knew so much about the Long Walk. Stebbins said all of this info was publicly available. They have nothing to hide. Ticket 38: unknown boy Garraty walked back to McVries who was still walking behind Barkovitch. He felt the light-stubble on his face. McVries told Garraty we're even, but I won't help you again. Ticket 39: #38 unknown boy gets his feet run over by halftrack Garraty and McVries talk about Jan, and meeting Jan in Freeport. McVries said his left foot hurt. 10:30 AM McVries tells Garraty how he got the scar. His girlfriend cut him with a letter opener, when he tried to force her to have sex. Ticket 40: unknown boy McVries asks Garraty why he's doing the Long Walk. Garraty answers that he doesn't know. McVries says they've all been tricked into the Long Walk. Chapter 9 1:00 PM 115 miles traveled, 45 miles from Oldtown, 125 miles from Augusta, 150 miles from Freeport. Garraty's has a lot of pain from his left calf and legs. Noon Ticket 41: #92 Tressler fainted from sunstroke Ticket 42: unknown boy Ticket 43: Aaronson's feet cramped Ticket 44: unknown boy had a sun stroke Baker says he wants to piss on the Major. Garraty told Baker that he has no right to hate the Major. Baker says the Major is killing him. Garraty tried to talk but Baker told him to shut up, then apologized, and said his feet hurt. Garraty said we're all in pain and in a bad mood. Garraty wanted to sleep. Pearson said he wants to go lie down in the hay. Garraty says that he immediately sweats out the water he drinks. Ticket 45: unknown boy Scramm says he's running a fever. Abraham asked Scramm how can he keep going? Scramm pointed to Olson, then asked how does he keep going. Olson hardly ate and wasn't drinking water. He was looking ghoulish. His dirty-gray tongue hung down as dust stuck to it. Garraty wondered if McVries was right. Had they all been tricked into going on this Long Walk? They would arrive in Oldtown soon. A sign said the Maine parkway was in 40 miles. The Crowd began to intensify as they approached Oldtown. They passed Percy's mom, who was screaming for her boy. The police held her back. She didn't know that Percy had already bought his ticket. Garraty thought about Jan, begging him not to go on the Long Walk. He told her that he had to go. He wanted her to understand. But he now realized that he didn't understand. McVries said his foot is hurting more, and that Barkovitch is limping. Garraty asked McVries why he hates Barkovitch so much. Is it because he plays to win? Nice guys finish last? McVries couldn't explain why he was so focused on hating Barkovitch. They passed a schoolhouse where the children chanted Garraty's name. Pearson said there should be a runner-up prize. Garraty thought the runner-up prize could be his life. McVries said they were all crazy and were doing the Long Walk because they wanted to die. The temperature approached 80F. Garraty fantasized about ways to beat the heat, like taking a swim in the Royal River. Scramm said he's never been this hot in his whole life and took off his shirt. His nose was plugged. His face was red and dripping sweat. Baker said it will rain soon. Garraty forced himself to drink from his canteen but was careful not to drink too fast to get cramps, which happened to him before. He looked over at Olson with his black tongue hanging out and hoped he didn't get like him. Baker said they wouldn't make it to New Hampshire. Abraham said that 4 made it over the border 2 years ago during a sleet storm. Jensen said that those boys had to walk faster to stay warm. Collie Parker said the Long Walk should be in Illinois where it's flat. Scramm said he liked Maine. Garraty noticed his watch stopped. Pearson said it's 2:02 PM. They would not get relief from the sun in a long time. Garraty noticed some dark clouds in the distance that could be an upcoming storm. Garraty decided to walk by himself. The walkers were not as spread out now. They could see the vanguard up ahead. The leaders of the Long Walk were two tanned boys with leather jackets. The word was that they were queer for each other. Barkovitch was behind the leather boys and McVries was behind Barkovitch. Garraty thought Barkovitch looked strong and that McVries was staring to tire. Garraty looked around at the other walkers, observing the groups, the loners, those that were tiring like Olson, and noticed most had a frightened look on their face. Stebbins was an exception. He preferred being alone and didn't look frightened. Garraty looked forward to getting on the Maine turnpike where there would be no steep hills. It would be wide so he could doze. He could walk bare footed on the grass median. He noticed the storm clouds getting closer. Ticket 46: boy in green silk vest A man named Dom L'Antio tried to give the walkers free watermelon slices, but it was against the rules, so the police tried to stop him. He managed to throw many slices into the road. Some walkers ran back to pick up the slices. Parker shared half his slice with Garraty, and Garraty shared half his with McVries. Almost everyone had gotten a piece. Stebbins did not get any. He didn't want any. He didn't need any. This scared Garraty. 2:30 PM and 121 miles. The storm clouds were closer. The wind picked up and it got cooler. Scramm said it was the best he felt all day. Parker said it was going to be a boomer. Garraty asked McVries, what happens if they get hit by lightning. McVries said they'll be dead. The storm hit them fast and hard. Ticket 47: unknown boy The storm suddenly cleared, and the heat of the day returned. Parker asked if Maine punks out on its rainstorms too. Garraty replied that he'll get what he wants, but he might not want it when he gets it. On old woman was yelling Garraty's name. Baker said she looked like his Aunt Hattie who liked to go to funerals. Baker can't understand why some people like to watch other people die. Garraty told Baker that his family seems to be obsessed with dying. Baker said he was considering going to mortician school. Garraty said he thought about going into urinal manufacturing. Baker said he wanted to get a lead-lined coffin to keep the rats away. Garraty said there's no way he'd spend $1,500 to keep the rats away after he was dead. They were hit with a sudden hailstorm, with high wind, lightning and thunder. Jensen panicked and ran off the road and got his ticket. Ticket 48: Jensen The hail then mixed with rain. Parker threw his head back and opened his mouth, enjoying the storm. McVries said when it's hot, we want rain, when it's raining, we want sun. We can't win. Garraty told McVries that the rain wouldn't last long, but by 4:00 PM, it was still raining. Chapter 10 The rain began to taper off about 8:00 PM. The Crowd continued to intensify. Ticket 49: unknown boy They thought Olson would be the halfway-boy, but it was #13 Roger Fenum. Ticket 50: Roger Fenum Garraty was beginning to think Olson would go on forever. He could see the headlines: LONG WALK WON BY DEAD MAN. Garraty's toes were numb and he had sharp pain in his arches. Garraty got a warning. He was slowing, so he forced himself to speed up. Up ahead, McVries was still taunting Barkovitch. Garraty was falling back without noticing. Garraty thought he knew the route after Oldtown. Stebbins said, "Maybe it's your edge.", as if he could read Garraty's mind. Garraty jumped, feeling like Stebbins had read his mind. Stebbins asked if the Long Walk goes through his hometown. Garraty said they don't, but they pass near it. Garraty noticed Stebbins had changed his sneakers to moccasins. Stebbins asked Garraty if he was looking forward to seeing his loved ones. Garraty said he was. He asked if Garraty would be walked out after that. Garraty said he didn't know. He asked if Garraty thought he could win. Garraty said he didn't know. He made an analogy about a mule, and how it's more motivated with a carrot dangling in front of it. He then said Olson has lost the taste for the carrot. He told Garraty to watch and learn from Olson. Go talk with him and learn his secret. So Garraty tried to talk Olson. Olson smelled bad and wasn't replying. They came to a steep hill. Ticket 51: unknown boy The pain in his legs made him feel like he was dying, and that he would never reach Freeport. Tickets 52: unknown boy at the top of the hill The Crowd chanted: Garraty! Garraty! Garraty! Garraty asked Olson what he should do. Olson slowly awakened and asked what time it is. Garraty told him. Olson thought it was later. Garraty asked him what's it all about. Olson asked what time it is again. Garraty begin to get frustrated with Olson. Then finally Olson said that he doesn't want to die, God's garden is full of weeds, and that Jesus will save him. Then Olson suddenly changed direction and attacked the soldiers on the halftrack. He was shot multiple times with his intestines falling out. Garraty held Olson crying as his warnings stacked up, but McVries pulled him away. Olson shouts "I DID IT WRONG!" before he died. Ticket 53: Hank Olson Garraty tried to tell McVries what he learned from Olson, but McVries said it didn't mean anything except we're closer to finishing. McVries expressed how upset he was about Olson's guts hanging out. They talked about Scramm getting sicker. They talked about Barkovitch getting wise, and shutting his mouth, and focusing on walking. McVries said this whole thing is trivial and wished his girlfriend had killed him. McVries broke off to doze. Garraty wished he hadn't made friends with anyone, then he dozed. He thought about being sad when his father got squaded, and how he didn't miss him after he was gone. Ticket 54: Unknown boy Chapter 11 They arrived in Oldtown. No one died in Oldtown. They walked along the Stillwater River. McVries told Garraty that they'll get a 400-gun salute when they reach the Maine Turnpike. Then the walkers will give the color-guard a 40-man raspberry. They were walking along the Turnpike and could see the lights. The Major was there, and they got their 400-gun salute. The walkers then gave the color-guard their 40-man raspberry. It was pathetic so it wasn't repeated. Garraty tried to walk on the grass median but tripped over some small pines that were recently planted. So, he joined most of the walkers in the left lane. Garraty said they'll start dying faster now. Parker disagreed. He said the stronger walkers remain and will last longer. He said McVries is full of shit about wanting to die. He said they all wanted to live. He said he feels like he could walk all the way to New Orleans, and that there's still a long way to go. Parker sped up and caught up with the leather boys, and Garraty dozed. He thought of his father getting squaded, playing doctor with Jimmy, and accidentally hitting Jimmy in the mouth with his air rifle. Ticket 55: unknown boy Garraty dozed again, and thought of Jan, then his bowels awoke him. He took a crap and got a warning. He caught up with Baker who said the leather boys were Hopis, and brothers. The Crowd was thick and constant now. Garraty dozed, hearing a voice that asked, "Are you experienced?", but could not tell if the voice was Stebbins or the Major. Chapter 12 Tickets 56 and 57: two unknown boys 9:00 AM day 3. The boys that could grow a beard had thick stubble. Scramm was still coughing. Pearson said he was fading fast, and that he might try to escape by running into the Crowd. Garraty said the Crowd would bounce him back. They want to see someone get their ticket. McVries said that Scramm was dying. He's got pneumonia. They agree that the winner should do something for Scramm's wife. Garraty asks Barkovitch if he'll help Scramm's wife. Barkovitch is shocked that Scramm is married. Barkovitch regrets not making friends on the Long Walk, then agrees to help Scramm's wife. Garraty dropped back to ask Stebbins. Stebbins said yes. He said that Garraty and McVries stand out. He doesn't understand how they got here. He thinks there's some conspiracy that added Garraty and McVries to the Long Walk. He said he was joking about asking Olson for answers. Garraty didn't believe him. Stebbins called him a fool, and said the Long Walk is fixed. We've all been cheated. Garraty didn't believe him. Ticket 58: unknown boy Garraty joined the Muskateers helping Scramm and asked him how he's doing. Scramm thanked everyone for offering to help his wife and kid. Scramm said his feet aren't tired, but it's time to go. They got word that Mike, of Mike and Joe, the leather boys, had stomach cramps. Scramm said his goodbyes, then went and talked with Mike and Joe for a while. Scramm and Mike then walked over to the halftrack, insulted the soldiers, then sat down. Tickets 59 and 60: Scramm and Mike McVries said whoever wins better keep their promise. Chapter 13 2:00 PM Abraham and Baker play a coin game. Baker is winning, but Abraham thinks he is cheating. Garraty gets a leg cramp and must sit down. He tells his friends to keep going. He sits and massages his leg, and he gets his first, second and third warnings. A blonde-haired soldier stands by ready to shoot him, but then his cramp lets up, and he's able to walk. With 3 seconds left on his timer, he catches up to McVries, and they walk fast so Garraty can stay above 4 mph for the next hour so he can undo a warning. They pass everyone and become the new vanguard leading the walkers. McVries tries to take his mind off his timer by talking about how they got into the Long Walk. They compare notes on their different experiences. McVries says he was the 12th and last backup. Ticket 61: Joe, the 2nd Hopi leather boy, and brother to Mike, gets his ticket McVries got the call just before 11 PM the day before the Long Walk, so he and his family hopped a plane with two soldiers. McVries says if he gets too tired, he'll just sit down. Ticket 62: unknown boy 6:00 PM The sun began to set, and it started to get cooler. Garraty walked off a warning, so they fell back slowly, and met up with Baker to walk into Augusta together. Abraham told his story about how he got into the Long Walk. His essay said the world would be better place without him. It was a big joke, but the joke was on Abraham. Ticket 63: Gallant, he'd been walking dead all day. They saw a sign that said they'd arrive in Augusta in 10 miles. Chapter 14 They were now one-mile past Augusta on Route 202. The Crowd in Augusta was very loud. Crowd had become a creature of its own. The Major drove away in his Jeep, giving a salute. Garraty felt stabbing pains in his chest. Ticket 64: Milligan Parker asked Garraty if he would see his girlfriend soon. Garraty said she was 50 to 60 miles away. Parker was feeling sorry for himself. He didn't have anyone to see. He confessed that he was scared and homesick. McVries said that maybe seeing friends and family would make it worse. You might miss them more. Parker told Garraty and McVries they were crazy and walked away. McVries said that Parker was a good guy, and that he thinks we're queer for each other, then said maybe he's half-right. Garraty was shocked, and they argued about it, but McVries wouldn't tell him if he was kidding or not. McVries fell back, then Baker told Garraty that he thinks McVries is punishing himself for something. Garraty noticed that Pearson was walking in his socks. They saw a sign that read LEWISTON 32. Garraty wanted to doze but couldn't. The pain in his spine, and the backs of his legs was too intense. He saw the other boys wasting away. He didn't want to be like them, but he was. Baker said one of Barkovitch's legs got stiff back in Augusta. Garraty fell back and found Barkovitch. Garraty woke him up. Barkovitch stumbled, and got his third warning, then cursed Garraty. Then Barkovitch reminded Garraty of his plans, and mentioned many dead walkers, and how he danced on their graves. Barkovitch said that all Garraty's friends will be dead by midnight. Garraty could sense that Barkovitch was scared, which made him feel stronger. He asked Barkovitch what he would wish for if he won. Barkovitch said plastic feet. Garraty said he thought he'd wish for friends because he didn't have any. Barkovitch started to cry. Garraty said they'd be happy when he died, and they'd all spit on his brains. Barkovitch cried harder. Garraty felt bad and walked away. Two walkers got their tickets. Tickets 65 and 66: unknown boys He thought one was Barkovitch. He thought he was the murderer now. But Barkovitch laughed and said he'd dance Garraty's grave. Abraham told him to shut up, and he started crying. Parker and Quince started mocking him for crying. Garraty wanted to scream to leave him alone but didn't. He thought Stebbins was back there laughing. Garraty caught up with McVries and asked if Barkovitch was going crazy. McVries said yes. Garraty said its harder to get upset, and that he's tired of all the death. Garraty said Olson's hair was going white before he died. McVries says it was dust or something. Garraty said they'll arrive in Lewiston, then go down Lisbon Street, which is now named Cotter Memorial Ave. Reggie Cotter was the first boy from Maine to win the Long Walk. He died shortly after the Long Walk from a brain clot. It was a long time ago. Garraty said after Lewiston, they go down Route 196, then 126 to Freeport, where he'll see Jan and his mom, then they stay on Route 1 until it's over. A walker got his ticket, and Pearson said it was either Barkovitch or Quince. Barkovitch screamed "Not yet!" Ticket 67: Harold Quince But he had gone insane, then he ripped out his own throat. Ticket 68: #5 Gary Barkovitch Pearson threw up, then said he didn't feel good. McVries wished he were insane too. Chapter 15 Tickets 69-74: Pearson and 5 other unknown boys Garraty walked alone. He had intense pain in his spine, and his feet were swelling. They were 15 miles from Freeport. McVries said six got their ticket last night, including Pearson. Garraty asked McVries if he still thinks he will win. McVries said Stebbins will win. Nothing wears him down. He's the favorite in Vegas. Garraty said it's nice to be near his home. The fog was turning into rain. He dropped back to talk to Baker, but missed him, and found Stebbins. The crossed a bridge over the Androscoggin River, then started up a steep hill. Ticket 75: Charlie Field Garraty told Stebbins that McVries thinks he (Stebbins) will win. Stebbins said McVries as idiot. Stebbins told Garraty that he won't be able see his girlfriend and Mom, because the Crowd will be too large. He told Garraty that he didn't deserve to win, then asked if he was a virgin, or a queer. Garraty got very angry, and threatened to walk Stebbins down, even if he had to walk to Virginia. Stebbins said that he could walk to Florida. Garraty spotted Baker up ahead and caught up with him, waking him from a bad dream. Garraty said it would rain all day, then his shoe-heel fell off. Baker told him to remove both shoes, because it's hard to walk off-balance with one heel, so he did. Garraty panicked that he was shoeless. Baker was shoeless too. Baker said he's nearly done, and Garraty said everyone feels this way. Baker talked about good memories from his life. It was raining now. The Crowd got quieter. They talk about life after death. TICKET 76: unknown boy Baker asked why they were doing this and said they must be insane. Garraty didn't think there was any good reason to do this. Garraty started to recognize the houses and buildings. It made him feel better. They reached the Freeport border. Five miles to go. He worried he wouldn't see Jan and his mom. They planned to meet in front of Woolman's. The rain turned to drizzle. Garraty started to speed up, but McVries told him to slow down, save some for tonight. He snapped at McVries, then apologized, then started getting upset. McVries told him to relax, and he screamed at McVries. McVries let him alone, and Garraty felt sorry for yelling, and wanted him back, but it was too late. They walked over the 295 overpass, then turned right on Route 1 and headed into downtown Freeport. Garraty could see the Woolman's up ahead. He saw Jan waving a blue silk scarf and ran as best he could to her. McVries grabbed him and warned him not to leave the road. The Crowd was too loud for words, but he read "Ray, I Love You" on Jan's lips. Garraty got his second warning. The TV camera recorded their reunion. One hand grasped his moms, and the other Jan's. McVries grabbed Garraty's shoulder and screamed in his ear that he needed to go. They both got their third warnings. Garraty could read "Go on!" from Jan's lips. So Garraty went on, and he and McVries continued walking. He glanced back and saw her blue scarf waving. Then they walked out of town. Chapter 16 Tickets 77-79: Three had gone down since Freeport. One was Klingerman. Tubbins had gone insane, shouting religious warnings. 3:00 PM They had passed through Portland. New Hampshire was 44 miles away. Garraty was walking with McVries but they weren't speaking. Garraty wanted to win. His feet hurt twice as bad now that he decided he wanted to win. He had stabbing pains in his chest when he breathed deep. Ticket 80: Tubbins Garraty and McVries drifted apart, and Abraham struck up a conversation with Garraty. Abraham said that most of the guys are making a promise not to help each other. Garraty said he owed McVries, but then agreed to the promise, and felt guilty that he betrayed McVries. Abraham said we can't stop you, but if you do help someone, then we'll shut you out. Abraham began to cry and said he didn't want to die like this. There's no dignity in it. Ticket 81: unknown 6:00 PM Everyone had agreed to the promise: no help for anyone. Especially Stebbins who would have signed in blood. Stebbins had never helped anyone and wasn't planning on it. The walk had lasted for longer than normal because so many were helping each other. But now, the groups of boys had broken down. The friendships were dissolving. Jan seemed like a dream now. It was starting to get cold. Garraty thought about his father loving him. He realized that he hadn't really seen his mom in Freeport. Most of his attention was on Jan. Did he want to hurt his mom? Parker attacked the soldiers on the halftrack, killing one, and shouted for the walkers to join him. He was gut shot, and died angry, because nobody joined him. Ticket 82: Collie Parker Garraty asked McVries what happened. McVries said Parker wanted them up there with him. When Garraty couldn't understood, McVries got angry, and walked away. 9:00 PM The rain stopped. Abraham had removed his synthetic shirt because it itched, but now he was very cold and moaning. Nobody offered Abraham anything to wear. Garraty tried to think it was poetic justice, but it only made him feel sick. Garraty's food belt was nearly full. He was feeling too ill to eat. His circle of friends was now McVries, Baker, Abraham and Stebbins, although Stebbins was more of a frenemy. Garraty happened to walk near Baker in the dark. He was mumbling about a lead-lined coffin. He asked Baker if he was going nuts, and told him to get a hold of himself, or he would be dead by morning. Baker was wasting away, just like everyone else. They were burning far more calories than they were consuming. They came to another hill and had to stop talking. Garraty's pain in his chest and spine were getting worse. The Crowd cheered constantly. Garraty wondered how it would feel to be dead. 11:40 PM Ticket 83: #97 Marty Wyman Midnight Eight miles from New Hampshire. 1:15 AM Ticket 84: Bobby Sledge 1:40 AM Baker fell and hit head. Garraty went to help him, but McVries grabbed Garraty and said "No more musketeers. And now it's real." Baker got 3 warnings but did not get his ticket. He got up and walked past Garraty and McVries and looked somehow saner. His head was bleeding. Just before 2:00 AM, they crossed into New Hampshire with great celebrations all around them. Cannons fired, and fireworks burst in the sky. Garraty dozed again, then was awakened by the guns, and thought they were shooting at him. Ticket 85: Unknown boy Stebbins caught up with McVries and Garraty. Ticket 86: Unknown boy Abraham was sick and coughing. Baker walked steadily to get rid of his warnings. McVries was fading and looked like an old man. Stebbins was going steady but may have been favoring one leg. Five of the boys Garraty didn't know, where walking beyond pain, like gaunt ghosts. They were the walking dead, like Olson was. Tickets 87-89: Just before dawn, 3 went down at once. Then Abraham fell to his knees and crawled, filled with confused pain. Ticket 90: #2 Abraham PART THREE: The Rabbit Chapter 17 Day 5: 9:00 AM The walkers got their food belts. Some let it slip through their fingers. Stebbins had joined Garraty and McVries again and were walking far from other walkers. They passed a sign that said that Massachusetts was 15 miles. Garraty prodded Stebbins to tell them why he was here. Stebbins said, "I'm the rabbit", the Major is my father. Ticket 91: Bruce Pastor Stebbins said that the Major made him his rabbit to make the walkers go further than ever before. It worked. They will make it further than any other Long Walk. They will make it to Massachusetts. The three of them walked on, bent in different shapes by the pains that pulled at them. . . . Garraty, Baker, McVries, George Fielder, Bill Hough, Rattigan, and Stebbins walked into Massachusetts. NOTE: There should be nine at this point, because there have been 91 tickets. This is a mistake in the book. The rain continued. Baker's nose started bleeding. Stebbins asked if Baker was going die. McVries replied that they're all dying. The road turned, and the hills were suddenly full of people and George Fielder went insane, then ran around like a crazy man. Ticket 92: George Fielder Baker asked Garraty if his nose bleed was bad. Garraty lied and told him it wasn't. Ticket 93: Bill Hough Ticket 94: Rattigan Garraty could barely remember his previous life. His mom. Jan. If he won, he could never go back to his old life. He had changed. He began to cry, then fell to his knees, and was barely able to stand again. Baker was starting to zig-zag. McVries and Stebbins had their heads together. Garraty wondered if they were plotting to kill him. He caught up with them. It was a comfort. He wanted to be with them until he died. They passed a sign that read 49 MILES TO BOSTON! WALKERS YOU CAN MAKE IT! Garraty couldn't conceive of walking to Boston. Baker told Garraty that he's going to die now. Garraty asked him to walk a little longer. Baker said he can't. Garraty said OK. Baker asked for one favor . . . he wanted a lead lined coffin. Baker asked Garraty to not watch him die. Garraty promised. Baker thanked him for being his friend. Garraty shook his hand with both of his. Garraty sobs had a pain far beyond anything the walk had inflicted on him. He hoped he didn't hear the shots, but he did. Ticket 95: Art Baker Chapter 18 40 miles from Boston. Three remained. Garraty, McVries and Stebbins. They were walking together. Stebbins asked Garraty to tell a story to take their minds off their pains. Garraty started a story about a White Knight, riding through an Enchanted Forest, to marry the King's daughter, but a wave of dizziness overcame him. When Garraty recovered, he noticed McVries was walking with his head down toward the Crowd. He shouted his name, but Stebbins told Garraty to let him die. Garraty shouted Fuck You, and ran to McVries, to get him back on track. He owed McVries for saving him in Freeport. McVries sat down, but Garraty was too weak to pick him up. The soldiers came, and Garraty screamed for them to shoot him instead. McVries opened his eyes and looked at Garraty and smiled. Then he was gone. Ticket 96: Peter McVries Garraty continued walking in shock. Stebbins asked him to finish the story. Garraty said No. Stebbins told him to let it go. If there are souls, you could catch up. Garraty turned to Stebbins in anger and threated to walk him into the ground. Stebbins said, we'll see. . . . By 8:00 PM, Garraty knew Stebbins would win. He caught up to Stebbins to tell him. But when Garraty put his hand on Stebbins shoulder, Stebbins turned to him with floating eyes, and clawed at his shirt, pulling it open. He shouted, Oh Garraty! then collapsed. The sound of Crowd was apocalyptic now but Garraty couldn't hear it. He turned Stebbins over, and Stebbins' head rolled bonelessly on his neck. Stebbins was dead. Garraty lost interest and began walking. A jeep approached. The Major stood in the Jeep with a stiff salute, ready to grant any wish. Death wish. The soldiers shot the dead Stebbins, and it was only Garraty walking on the road now. Ticket 97: Stebbins NOTE: This should be ticket 99. This is a mistake in the book. He saw a dark figure up ahead but couldn't recognize who it was. The Crowd cheered GARRATY! NOTE: The following is directly from the book. A hand on his shoulder. Garraty shook it off impatiently. The dark figure beckoned, beckoned in the rain, beckoned for him to come and walk, to come and play the game. And it was time to get started. There was still so far to walk. Eyes blind, supplicating hands held out before him as if for alms, Garraty walked toward the dark figure. And when the hand touched his shoulder again, he somehow found the strength to run.

Return to Stephen King home page Return to The Long Walk home page