It was closing day at the Outlook Hotel and every floor of the marvelous building was buzzing with hurried maids and men in grey uniforms preparing for the winter season. The checkout line dominated much of the lobby as the final guests impatiently waiting with their heavy luggages. Bell boys ran from desk to door and back again assisting guests to their taxis as they left The Outlook on their way home. Dick Hallorann, the hotels cook, watches by the old fashioned fireplace thinking about the crabs he'll be seeing once he finally gets off the plane into St. Pete's. He looks at his watch and reads 1:00 pm. He figures it's about time to go prepare the kitchen for the arrival of The Torrances.
[[Go down to the kitchen]]
The kitchen was quite remarkable with its long dark countertops, ginourmous stainless steel appliances and wide array of just about any kitchen appliance you could think of. Dick feels the most comfortable down here. It seems very hollow and lifeless without the typical hustle of his crew and the young waitresses bursting in and out of the door. But Dick is ready as ever to leave the Colorado Rockies for the sunshine state of Florida. Stuart Ullman, the Outlooks manager, told him that The Torrances should be arriving past three. The Torrances would be the family that were watching over the hotel during the coming winter. A strong sense of pity always overcomes Halloran when he thinks about the Outlook during its off season and its aggressive snowfall. Cold, isolated and empty. He brushes the thought inside and looks for something to keep himself busy while he waits.
[[Wipe down the counters]]After about 5 minutes, Dick is surprised to hear the echoing voices of Jack, Wendy and Danny Torrance, making their way into the kitchen.
"How y'all doing" he says when they're in sight.
The family all shares a very timid and curious look upon their faces. The wife appears very impressed with the kitchen and asks many questions during Dicks tour. She's a small and not too outspoken lady, and Dick noted, almost always kept one hand on her son. Danny, whom Dick takes an immediate liking towards can't be more than 6 years old but has a very intelligent and mature demeanor about him integrated with a silliness that's typical for his years. He has the shine, Dick thinks to himself. A pit suddenly formed in his stomach. He's gotten pretty good at identifying those who shared his special gift. Danny practically radiated with it. Jack Torrance was the colder character of the three, a scrutinizing look upon his face as he looked around the kitchen but Dick could sense that he didn't really care for this part of the tour. But Mr. Torrance was very polite and seemed very optimistic about the family moving into the hotel. Dick cannot help but to think about the previous caretaker, Grady. Grady who murdered his two young daughters, and wife on an alcohol induced rampage. "Cabin fever" everyone called it. Suddenly the industrial sized kitchen seemed very small. He looks at Danny, then to Jack who's looking curiously at the wall of pots and pans and then to Wendy who's studying the dials of the largest oven. He hopes he will be seeing them again in the springtime.
[[Show the family the walk in freezer]]Dick tests his theory about Danny's shine after showing the family the freezer.
(Sure you don't want to go to Florida, doc?) Pushing his thought towards Danny.
A startled look crosses his face as he turns to look up at Hallorann. This brings back his fears about Grady. Would the Torrances have the same fate? Will Danny be able to see all the things he himself has seen within this strange hotel? Would Jack kill this little boy as Grady did to his daughters not much older than Danny? He needs some sort of relief for these anxieties.
"If you're a drinking man, I hope you brought your own supplies. That place is picked clean. Employees party last night, you know." he said regarding The Colorado Lounge.
"I don't drink" Jack said flaccidly. A wave of relief pours over Hallorann, but not enough to put him fully at ease.
[[Warn the family to leave the Hotel]]
[[Say your goodbyes]]
Dick pulls the Torrances briskly into The Colorado Lounge glancing around nervously for Ullman. What he was about to do would get him fired forsure. He tells the couple to stay seated at one of the plastic covered dining tables while he hurries Danny behind the bar where he could play with the miniature umbrellas the bartenders used in the fancy drinks. Hallorann silences Wendy and Jack on his way back to the table as they continuously ask questions, growing impatient. Dick tells the couple everything he had seen and heard of regarding the secrets of hotel, beginning with the story of Grady, which Jack appeared to have already known. He watches as their curious expressions turn to horror as Holloran tells them about the woman of 217, the moving hedge animals, and the countless other nightmares and shadows he's seen creep amongst the halls. He explains how he believes every death that had happened within The Outlooks walls left a little piece behind. With a stone cold face, Jack Torrance grabs his wife's wrist and says “We cant Wendy… we can't stay here”. She looks back at him with pressed lips and a small nod of agreement. Jack lifts Danny into his arms, leaving the now colour-coordinated drink decorations on the floor. The three of them hurry to the grand entrance. Wendy repeatedly thanks Hollarnn. Jack does not appear to be as gracious of him though, Dick suspected that the family really needed this job. But nothing, he thought to himself, could be worth being isolated here for months on end. He watches the family drive away in their small Volkswagen before he himself gets into his rental car and drives further and further away from The Outlook hotel.
Dick has to trust that the feelings he has about the Hotel were just that: feelings. There is nothing that could actually hurt the family and nothing that could hurt young Danny. They are just dreams and just whispers and the visions... they were just like pictures of a book. They had never actually harmed him in the past why should they harm the Torrances? He grabs his luggage from the porch and decides the best thing he can do is hope that Jack Torrance is a stronger man that that previous caretaker Grady.
“I've got to hurry along if I'm going to make to that plane. I want to wish you all the best. Know you'll have it”. He doesn't know if the reassurance is for them or himself.
“Thanks” Jack says. “You've been very kind.”
“I'll take care of your kitchen,” Wendy promises. “Enjoy Florida”
Dick looks down at Danny, still holding a plastic umbrella..
[[Talk to Danny about The Shinning]]
[[Leave the Outlook]]
"Wanna give a hand out to the car with my bags, doc?"
"If my mommy says I can" the young boy says as he looks up at his mother.
"You can, but you'll have to have the jacket buttoned."
Dick and Danny make their way down the grand entrance steps to the left where Dicks rental Cadillac is waiting for them. They load the bags and Dick takes Danny into the car. He glances at the boys parents and finds two partially worried and partially curious faces staring back at him. Halloran is still deciding what he should say to this kid..
[[Scare him and overwhelm him]]
[[Comfort him]](He'll be okay) he reassured himself. (He's a smart kid and that mother of his has got a little shine in her as well. She ain't going to let anything happen to that boy.)
Dick drives off in his 1950 Cadillac watching as the Outlook Hotel grew smaller and smaller in his rearview mirror.
…
It is the first of December now. Dick is well settled into the 79 degree weather of Florida. He had just been visiting an old friend of his, Masterton who owns a fruit and vegetable market and was now on his way back to his home. He turns on the radio, and before he could switch to his typical Miami Soul station, a breaking story on the news channel almost makes him veer into the guardrails of the freeway.
“The tragic murder of a couple and their young son at The Outlook Hotel has been reported after great amounts of smoke were noticed by a helicopter passerby coming from the east side of world renowned hotel. It appears that the boilers, located in the basement of the east end have exploded due to neglect of maintenance and burned down nearly half of the hotel. The bodies of the three people were discovered dead in the lobby of the hotel. The boy and the woman appeared to have suffered severe blows to the head and abdomen causing numerous shattered bones and skull fractures. The third body, an adult male was found in a separate room with fatal stab wounds from a kitchen knife. The now deceased family was originally staying at the Outlook during the off season for maintenance. More on this story later.”
"Get you kinda lonely thinking you were the only one huh?"
Danny looks at him, confused.
“You shinin’ and all. That what I call it, that's what my grandmother called it too. You see things huh, Danny? You see things that ain't happening in real-time and sometimes you see things that are going to happen you just aint know it yet. And sometimes you know what the people around you are thinking and you don't even try to know. At an age like yours that's a scary thing. And it's a scary thing thinking you're alone in that. I got it too Doc, me and my grams would sit in the kitchen, me just as old as your are and we'd have long talks without even opening our mouths.”
Danny's eyes were wide and unbelieving. “Really?”
“Listen Danny. You’ve got a shine as strong as i've seen ‘em come. And that's why I know you're go on have the same bad feelings and the same bad dreams as I've had in my past 2 seasons here. There are gonna be bad things in this hotel Danny, but what I want to tell you is that I don't think they could actually hurt anyone. People who shine can sometimes see things that are gonna happen or already did happen but they're just like pictures in a book Danny. No matter how real they look or how scared you get, you gotta just look the other way. You look away and you wait and when you turn around it'll be gone. Are you diggin me?”
Dick already know he understood. The look on his face says enough.
“And you gotta promise me you'll never go into room 217 all winter Danny, you gotta promise.”
“I won't” he replies. Dick knew that this was exactly what Danny needed to hear to calm his nerves about moving into the hotel. Both Dick and Danny felt significantly better after their conversation. Danny gave Dick a hug before running back up the stairs to meet his mother who was still glancing at the two of them curiously. Dick started the car and began his trek down the mountains on his way to the airport, leaving the Torrances and Danny behind.
…
(!!! OH DICK OH PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE COME !!!)
The force hit him like a truck driving straight down a freeway right in the centre of his forehead. Dick had been at his friend Masterton's fruit and vegetable market again when Danny cried out to him. The huge blast was so sudden drowning out everything around him. He even forgets about the mysterious man that's been following him around since hes arrived.
This is pure panic, Dick thought to himself.
A shiver races down his spine as if he had just submerged into an ice bath despite it being an extremely sunny afternoon. It all comes rushing back to him, the moving hedge animals, the woman of 217, and Danny, alone and screaming for Dick to come and save him with such urgency that made Dick sick to his stomach. He had told the boy to call him if he needed help, and now he was calling. Suddenly the mysterious man begins to beckon him over urgently.
[[Go talk to the man]]
"You see this thing you have, my grandmother and I called it the shining. It's a very powerful thing to read people's thoughts and see the things of the future. Now I don't believe no kid boy at 5 should have it at all. It's much too dangerous. You’re going to see lots of scary things in that hotel kid. Much worse than you’ve ever seen before in your home back wherever. There's going to be blood and death on every corner you turn. I'm not gonna lie to you theres only gonna be few places in the hotel you can sit in an not see some murderous dark crap that happened years and years ago. Heck, scares the pants off me can't imagine what it'd be like for a youngin' like you. And your folks can't help you with this and if you stayin' up here no one can help you with it. You're gonna be alone Danny.”
“Why are you telling me this Dick? Are you worried? You're worried about us right? You're worried. Am I going to get hurt?” He began to get frantic, his eyes are wide and glossy as he waits for a certain response that Holloran knew wasn't the one he was about to give him.
“I think you might kid. I've seen some horrible things in this hotel...”
“But they never hurt me!” Danny breaks in. “My visions never actually I hurt me! I pass out and I see these scary things and I don't understand but I never get hurt!” he bursts on the verge of tears. “Please Dick, we are going to be okay, please tell me we are going to be okay”
“Listen kid, Im alot older than you are. Now I aint saying this stuff to make you cry and get all upset I'm just tellin’ you cause this winter aint going to be the walk in the park all y’all been thinking it's going to be. If you don't believe be puff your chest and walk into room 217. That’ll show you.” Hallorann regrets trying to reason with such a young kid. He turns on the ignition with a somewhat impatient manner. He looks at Danny, clearly missing the cue to leave and tells him he better get back to his parents. Danny leaves the car silently and doesnt turn back before the grand doors close behind him, almost like the huge mouth of a waiting beast. His hopes whats gonna get him killed, Dick thought to himself. A shine like that has no place here. At least now he could say he warned him, the kids prepared now. That's the best he could do, he thought to himself, already letting his mind slip to Florida.
Choose your character
[[Dick Hallorann (The Shining)]]
[[ John Watson (Sherlock Holmes)]]
[[Meet the Torrance family]] "You are in the future" James says.
Watson, who had just been reading in the armchair of his room at 221B Baker Street was now standing in a grand white coloured walled study lined with hundreds of books. In Front of him stood an unfamiliar man that explained himself to be James Leone, a time traveller that has come from the future looking for Watsons help.
“You don't know me yet, but I become relevant to you in 15 years when I am one of the lead deputies in the case involving the deaths of Jack, Wendy and Danny Torrance.They were a family staying at the grand Outlook hotel for the winter season for maintenance before they were all discovered dead. Yourself and Sherlock Holmes took the role as lead detectives in the case but could not solve numerous pieces of the puzzle and had to declare the cause for their deaths unknown. This statement presented by Sherlock became national news blowing up as Sherlock's first unsolvable homicide. Sherlocks detective abilities were called into question on a global scale and the pressure of the media began to get to drastically affect Sherlock,” James continued to Watson how Sherlock retired early from his work as a detective constantly doubting his abilities and always reverting back to the Torrances murder. Sherlock became so obsessed with solving this crime to clear his name and resume position as the world's best detective that he spent hours upon hours researching and interrogating to no ends. The mystery is indeed unsolvable. There is not a single person that can be linked to the crime scene other than the 3 deceased. In addition, the father appeared to be thoroughly intoxicated despite a lack of alcoholic beverages anywhere within the hotel. The stab wounds the man endured were deemed to come from behind yet he was located in a room separate from his other family members, who were presumed dead before him. Sherlocks inability to accept the unsolvable case lead to him committing suicide 3 years after the family's murder. James came from the future, just days after Sherlock's suicide became public. Seeing the devastation it caused to his admirable fans, friends and to Watson himself, he came back in time to try to get Watson to help him save the family from their death.
“So can you help me Watson?”
[[Go talk to the man]]
Hollarann cant let two signs like this be ignored. How can he turn away from a child that trusted him as much as Danny does. Besdes, Dick said if for any reason Danny should need him to come, he will be on his way. Now this is what he must do. Hallorann practically leaps into the limo and drives himself straight to Miami International for the next flight out to Denver. Hallorann does make it to The Outlook in time to save both Danny and Wendy from Jacks ongoing murderous rampage. The three of them are just outside of the hotel doors when the boiler explosion happens, killing Jack Torrance. Danny and Wendy are saved.
…
News about the explosion quicky circulates the media.
“An explosion at The Outlook hotel during its current offseason has killed one. The caretaker of the Hotel, Jack Torrance has been killed due to his close proximity to the boiler at the moment of the explosion. Experts have concluded that the explosion was a result of the neglect of the caretaker. Others staying at the Hotel during the winter were his wife and son who were found with the Hotels chef, Dick Hallorann just outside of the hotel doors, they've all survived the explosion. More on this story later.”
…
James Leone reconnects with Watson after the news was released about the family's survival. Since Jack was killed by the boiler explosion there was no need to hire advanced detectives such as Sherlock to take on the case. Thus making James’s plan a success. James and Watson both thank each other for their contributions to the saving of Sherlock Holmes before James erases Watsons memory and places him back in time, 15 years earlier.
Hell no he thinks to himself. There was no chance he was going to believe some random guy at a Floridian food market just cause he made up some crazy story incolving the Torrance family. It was too crazy to be true. Dick refuses to listen to the mans fake time travelling story any longer and goes to the limo to drive home. Still on the drive he thinks about Danny and the terrifying message he sent him. But what could he do? He isn't even in the same country as him. To go to that hotel would mean having to ask his boss for time off work for who knows how long, last minute packing and somehow buying a ticket for the next flight out. This is assuming there's even vacancies on the flight, and if there wasn't? He would have gone all the way down to Miami International just to be stuck in the waiting area for hours, and who knows what might’ve happened in all of the time it would take to drive there, wait in the airport and actual fly the multiple hours to get to him. The situation became more and more inconvenient as Hallorann continuously thought of ways his rescue could go wrong. He didn't want to think about it but the thought comes to him before he could stop it. By the time he gets there, Danny might not even be alive for Dick to save him. Danny's screams echo in his head. Making the trip down there would be putting himself directly in harm's way for a stranger who may not even be alive after the hours it would take him to get there. Maybe it was the fact that he had just created his will but, Dick’s not very eager to come face to face with those spirits of the hotel. He's seen enough, he thinks to himself, to know better."My name is John Watson and I was brought here to the future because I need you to go save the Torrances"
Dick was completely taken aback. How could he know about the boy and his family? He definitely could tell that this man John did not shine. Was Danny's message to him that loud that this man standing over here heard it? Even still, how could he have known that it was about the Torrances and that they were in danger? Hallorann was extremely confused.
“Please, Dick Hallorann, the lives of more than just the Torrances are in your hands right now. If you go over there you can potentially save them all. It is possible, I know you have doubts but if you leave right now, all three of them will still be alive upon arrival, you have to try. Please.”
Watson makes a point to put as much desperation into his voice as possible to convince this man to put his life in danger. This is for Sherlock, he tells himself.
Dick, still recovering from the shock sent by Dannys message has no idea how any of this could be possible. A man from the past has travelled to the future in order to convince him to go save a family he barely knows. Can I just have one day where something crazy isn't happening to me? He asks himself in desperation.
[[Trust the man and go save Danny]]
[[Ignore the man and go home]]