Old Short Story "The Raft"

[Joanie Kay]

I was 19 and living on my own in San Antonio, a little more than 1,000 miles from home. Found my dream job at Alamo News & Books on Houston Street: we sold magazines and paperbacks, and I was allowed to read on the job. One monthly mag we carried was the now defunct Twilight Zone Magazine, published (I believe) by Rod Serling's widow and full of short stories both by well-known and up-and-coming authors.

I hadn't read much King at that point: Carrie and 'Salem's Lot were all. One day while standing behind the cash register and leafing through that month's TZ, I came across a short story called "The Raft"...at least, I think that was the title. It was by Stephen King, and it scared the socks off me.

Spoiler

It was about a group of friends (I seem to remember they were about my age) who swam out to a floating dock and were trapped there by the something in the water: a nameless, shapeless, black thing that looked at first like an oil slick. The swimmers were picked off, one by one, whether or not they stayed on the raft. The worst death--and the one that still haunts my nightmares--was the kid who got pulled through a knothole on the raft. It was...yucky. I can't remember if any of them survived.

Does anyone else remember this story? Any idea where or how I might find a copy? I'd love to reread it.

(Loved that old TZ magazine too.)

 

[Moderator]

I was 19 and living on my own in San Antonio, a little more than 1,000 miles from home. Found my dream job at Alamo News & Books on Houston Street: we sold magazines and paperbacks, and I was allowed to read on the job. One monthly mag we carried was the now defunct Twilight Zone Magazine, published (I believe) by Rod Serling's widow and full of short stories both by well-known and up-and-coming authors.

I hadn't read much King at that point: Carrie and 'Salem's Lot were all. One day while standing behind the cash register and leafing through that month's TZ, I came across a short story called "The Raft"...at least, I think that was the title. It was by Stephen King, and it scared the socks off me.

Spoiler

It was about a group of friends (I seem to remember they were about my age) who swam out to a floating dock and were trapped there by the something in the water: a nameless, shapeless, black thing that looked at first like an oil slick. The swimmers were picked off, one by one, whether or not they stayed on the raft. The worst death--and the one that still haunts my nightmares--was the kid who got pulled through a knothole on the raft. It was...yucky. I can't remember if any of them survived.

Does anyone else remember this story? Any idea where or how I might find a copy? I'd love to reread it.

(Loved that old TZ magazine too.)

"The Raft" is in the Skeleton Crew short story collection.

 

[GNTLGNT]

 

[Joanie Kay]

Thank you, Ms Mod and GNT. And OMG, GMT...that cover put me right back there! THAT’S IT! (So to speak.)

 

[GNTLGNT]

Thank you, Ms Mod and GNT. And OMG, GMT...that cover put me right back there! THAT’S IT! (So to speak.)

...it is also featured on the abomination known as Creepshow 2".......

 

[doowopgirl]

One of those stories that resonates doom from the beginning.

 

[GeorgieFan2003]

This is my favorite segment from Creepshow 2. The short story is pretty good too.

 

[Wab]

If I recall, The Raft as it appeared in TZ was a rewrite as a version was originally bought by one of the men's magazine publishers but SK could never find out which of the publisher's mags it appeared in.

 

[Doc Creed]

If I recall, The Raft as it appeared in TZ was a rewrite as a version was originally bought by one of the men's magazine publishers but SK could never find out which of the publisher's mags it appeared in.

Yes, it was originally called, "The Float".

 

[GeorgieFan2003]

What does TZ stand for?

 

[GNTLGNT]

What does TZ stand for?

...see my post at #3, should clear it up....

 

[GeorgieFan2003]

...see my post at #3, should clear it up....

Thanks for the clarification. I see now that it means The Twilight Zone, didn't know there was such a magazine.

 

[SNKoury]

I just finished reading this. Pretty sure I had read it before, as it seemed somewhat familiar, but damn, what an excellent story. One of King's freakiest.

 

[cbig61]

As the story goes, "The Float" was never published as the magazine who bought the story went out of business before it was published. The result was Mr King evidently writing "The Raft" from memory, which first appeared in Gallery Magazine in 1982. Then re-published in Twilight Zone in 1984.
The big mystery is did the original submission survive????

 

[Wab]

Although in the notes to the story his frustration stems from the fact that the publishers who bought the story only paid on publication, not acceptance.