The Shining Chapter 23 Summary

How It All Goes Down

In the Playground

  • While Wendy and Danny are headed to the library in Sidewinder, Jack is trimming the topiary. If he owned this hotel he'd get rid of these animal hedges.
  • He takes a break to check out the playground. He wonders why Danny never plays in it.
  • Inside, Jack examines the playhouse, a mini-Overlook. It's about Danny's size, and it opens when pulled. It's empty inside so kids can play in it.
  • Jack sits up at the top of the slide, remembering going to the park with his dad when he was a kid. They'd eat hotdogs for lunch and feed the birds.
  • Jack's dad was drunk most of the time and smacked him around a lot. Still, though, Jack was always his favorite.
  • Jack slides down the slide and plays around a little. Then he hears a noise behind him.
  • He doesn't see anything unusual when he turns around. Why then is he covered in goose bumps, and why is all his body hair sticking up?
  • He looks at the topiary. The hedge animals seem to have moved. The lions are blocking his way. He thinks he must be insane. The dog seems to have joined the lions.
  • The buffalo and the rabbit have moved too. They look like they're in attack mode.
  • He closes his eyes, refusing to believe that this is true. When he opens them again, everything is back to normal.
  • Feeling exhausted Jack goes back to the hotel and takes some Excedrin. Then he goes down to look at the files until he hears Danny and Wendy pull in with the truck.
  • He doesn't think it's necessary to tell Wendy and Danny about his "hallucination" (23.62). Everything is OK now.