Stephen King Fans discussion

Discuss this short story here!

Oh! So, I really liked this. I wasn't sure with the shock factor of the neighbor and how tortured she was by the item how the story was going to end up.

A man riddled with guilt over not dying in the attack on the WTC makes amends by visiting family and friends of his deceased co-workers. This was deeper than something King would have written in Skeleton Crew or Night Shift (IMHO). I'm impressed with the morality of this story.

Might be my favorite so far.

Now this was a story it was very impressive and the whole 9-11 aspect of touches a nerve with all of us as Americans and the visiting family members and giving them a piece of mind I think we all know how just little trinkets can remind of us a person the things say alot about a persons personality! And at first that would be fucking terrifying but once he understood the reason it was beautiful it was the happiest horror story I have ever read!

I really liked this story. I think it is neat how objects are appearing, like the ghosts know he would do right and get them to their loved ones. What's nice too is the man paid enough attention to his co-workers to remember what belongs to who. Most people don't do that. This is my favorite so far also (might change in a while).

Yeah I thought this story was excellent. Great twist when he gives his nieghbor the lucite cube with the penny. He made a believer out of her.

This story was a good one. It was creepy especially after Paula came to his apartment door with the penny. Wow! But the ending about how he figured out that he needed to place the objects with the right people was great!

I didn't quite get it at first (go figure, I can tell they're dead in Willa but I don't catch wtf is going on in this one even after everything...) but once I did it was excellent.
I wish it were longer BUT I know it shouldn't be. Which is nice.
It was actually pretty scary because 9/11 was such a big impact on everyone and I remember the jumpers and I can imagine that yes, people's hair did catch fire. Horrifying, but all true and that's what makes it worse.
But really despite that, I thought it was pretty sensitively written, because the people were portrayed as people and not as just faceless victims, and their plight wasn't whited out by political correctness. Terrorism and death and their aftermath are all frightening, but kindof funny and surreal, and I think King captures that really well in this story.

Really good story. The story of the man's guilt over surviving 9-11 was sweet, but then you pile on top of that the "haunted" belongings.....really interesting. I agree with Stephanie, I like the way "the people are portrayed as people and not faceless victims". It makes it more personal and I really liked that.

He mentions in the afterword that he was hesitant to write about this subject, but I am so glad he did. More than most writers, I think he portrays people so realistically, that you feel you might recognize them on the street. It was already mentioned, but it's great how, with his writing style, he makes the victims "knowable" in some way. We can relate on a more personal way, rather than just as a nation. As individuals , feeling for other individuals.

I think it gives those of us, who (although deeply saddened by the event) weren't directly affected, a small glimpse of losing something whose desk was just next to you, or someone you said hello to every single day.....