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.
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.)
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.
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.)