Wendy and Danny are watching televison while Jack sleeps. Danny asks for permission to go get his fire-engine. At first she refuses him, worried that he might wake up Jack. She finally relents on his promise to stay quiet. Danny quietly enters the room, but he's surprised to see Jack is awake and sitting on the edge of the bed. Jack calls him over, holding out his hand to Danny, who walks forward. Jack sits Danny on his knee and puts his arms round him, kissing him. He asks if Danny is enjoying his time at the hotel, which Danny says yes.
Danny: Dad?
Jack: Yes?
Danny: Do you like this hotel?
Jack [smiles]: Yes, I do. I love it. Don't you?
Danny: I guess so.
Jack: Good. I want you to like it here. I wish we could stay here forever... and ever... and ever.
Danny then asks his father if he would ever hurt him and Wendy. He assures his son he loves him more than anything else in the whole world, and he'd never do anything to hurt him.
Our view switches to the exterior of the hotel, snow is shooting across the front. From the blanket of snow, we see three lit windows.
Danny is playing on the floor with his toy cars and trucks. A yellow ball rolls towards him. Danny looks up and stands. He calls out to his mom, hoping it was her, but she does not answer. He walks forward along the corridor, calling out to his mom again. Our view moves forward to the open door of Room 237.
It clearly isn't Wendy. We see her in the boiler room checking instruments. She hears Jack groan and heads for him. Nor does it appear to be Jack who rolled the ball to Danny. He is leaning forward in his chair with his head resting on the table. He groans and cries out as he sleeps. Wendy runs forward into the Lounge and goes to Jack asleep at the table. She comforts him as he tells her that he had a nightmare . . .
Jack: I had the most terrible nightmare I ever had. It's the most horrible dream I ever had.
Wendy: It's okay, it's okay now. Really.
Jack: I dreamed that I, that I killed you and Danny. But I didn't just kill you. I cut you up in little pieces. My God. I must be losing my mind.
Before she can react, Danny appears at the other end of the room, looking disoriented and sucking his thumb. His sweater is ripped and there are bruises on his neck. He does not answer when she asks what happened.
Wendy [to Jack]: You son of a bitch! You did this to him, didn't you! How could you! How could you!
She takes the child back to their apartment.
Jack is furious about the accusation. He mutters and flings his arms about. Jack stops and looks at the notice on the trestle - "THE GOLD ROOM." He switches on lights - then moves to the lit bar.
Jack leans over counter and looks down.
Jack: God, I'd give anything for a drink.
Sinking defeatedly onto the bar stool, Jack places head in his hands.
Jack: My goddam soul for just a glass of beer.
When he looks up he discovers a bartender (Joe Turkel). Jack is nonplussed by the sudden appearance of the bartender.
Jack [laughs maniacally]: Hi, Lloyd. Little slow tonight, isn't it?
Lloyd: Yes, it is, Mr. Torrance.
Lloyd pours him a drink. Jack looks at his wallet then at Lloyd.
Jack: Say, Lloyd, it seems I'm temporarily light. How's my credit in this joint anyway?
Lloyd: Your credit's fine, Mr. Torrance.
Jack: That's swell. I like you, Lloyd. I always liked you. You were always the best of them. Best goddamned bartender from Timbuktu to Portland, Maine. Or Portland, Oregon, for that matter.
Jack [looks at his glass]: Here's to five miserable months on the wagon, and all the irreparable harm that it's caused me.
Lloyd: How are things going, Mr. Torrance?
Jack: Things could be better, Lloyd. Things could be a whole lot better.
As Jack drinks up, he's stewing over Wendy's accusation.
Jack: I haven't laid a hand on him. Goddam it, I didn't. I wouldn't touch one hair of his goddam little head. I love the little son-of-a-bitch. I'd do anything for him. Any fucking thing for him. That damn bitch. As long as I live she'll never let me forget what happened! I did hurt him once, okay? It was an accident, complete unintentional. It could have happened to anybody. And it was three goddam years ago. The little fucker had thrown all my papers all over the floor. All I tried to do was to pull him up. A momentary loss of muscular coordination.
A frantic Wendy enters; Danny claims to have encountered "a crazy woman" in the hotel with them in room 237.
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