One for the Road (short story)
| "One for the Road" | |
|---|---|
| Author | Stephen King |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Horror short story |
| Published in | Night Shift |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Media type | Print (Paperback) |
| Publication date | 1978 |
| Preceded by | "'Salem's Lot" |
"One for the Road" is a short story by Stephen King, first published in the March/April 1977 issue of Maine, and later collected in King's 1978 collection Night Shift.
Plot summary
This tale is narrated in the first person by Booth, an elderly resident of a small town that neighbors Jerusalem's Lot, Maine. The main part of the story is set a couple of years after the events of 'Salem's Lot. Booth states that things in town got quiet after the great fire that burned at the lot. Though Mark and Ben are never directly mentioned or known to residents outside the town or Booth, it hints they accomplished killing some vampires. But Booth goes on to explain that the peacefulness didn't last long, hinting that some did survive and the vampires spread again.
Booth admits that people of his town now live with religious superstition and are wary at night. Though no one verbally speaks of Jerusalem's Lot being filled with vampires, they silently admit they believe in it. Booth describes a winter's night years ago, when he and his friend, a bar owner named Herb "Tookey" Tooklander, attempted to rescue the family of a motorist named Gerard Lumley, whose vehicle had become stranded in a ferocious blizzard. At first mildly contemptuous of Lumley for driving in such weather, both men are horrified when they realize that Lumley's vehicle is stranded in Jerusalem's Lot. Though they know "the Lot" has gone bad, they reluctantly still decide to drive out in Tookey's Scout and attempt to save Lumley's family. Instead, they barely manage to save themselves from the man's wife and daughter, who have been turned into vampires, while Lumley himself ends up being vampirized by his wife.
The story ends with Booth warning the reader that if they ever find themselves on the road through 'Salem's Lot, they should keep on driving and not stop for any reason.
Connection to King's other works
This story acts as a sequel to 'Salem's Lot, and is also connected to the story of "Jerusalem's Lot" which is a prequel to both, and also appears in Night Shift. Both stories were later collected in the 2005 'Salem's Lot Illustrated Edition.
