"Rest Stop" is a short story by the American writer
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
, originally published in the December 2003 issue of ''
Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
'' and collected in King's 2008 collection ''
Just After Sunset''. In 2004, "Rest Stop" won the
National Magazine Award for Fiction.
Plot synopsis
Author John Dykstra, who writes under the
pen name
A pen name or nom-de-plume is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen name may be used to make the author's na ...
Rick Hardin, has had too much beer to drink at his
mystery writer's group meeting and desperately needs to find a rest stop on his return home to
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers, Florida, Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, Florida, Punta Gord ...
. There is only one other car at the rest stop, and he overhears its occupants in the ladies' bathroom. He hears a woman's and a man's voice coming from the bathroom, and the sounds of
domestic abuse
Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. In a broader sense, abuse including nonphysical abuse in such settings is called domestic abuse. The term "domestic violence" is often use ...
.
Dykstra is too timid and frightened to act, but he assumes the mentality of his alter-ego, Hardin, and attacks the man with a
tire iron
A tire iron (also tire lever or tire spoon) is a specialized metal or plastic tool used in working with tires. Tire irons have not been in common use for automobile tires since the shift to the use of tubeless tires in the late 1950s.
Bicycl ...
. Hardin calls the police and orders the woman to leave the scene in the car, and much to her protest, Hardin smashes the man's glasses to ensure the man doesn't follow him on the road in retaliation.
After some time, Hardin mentally reverts to Dykstra, who begins to vomit out the side of his vehicle when the
adrenaline rush of the incident wears off. He stops at a gas station and thoroughly searches to make sure the man has not followed him. Upon returning home, Dykstra locks his doors and activates his
burglar alarm
A security alarm is a system designed to detect intrusions, such as unauthorized entry, into a building or other areas, such as a home or school. Security alarms protect against burglary (theft) or property damage, as well as against intruders. ...
.
Adaptation
In April 2019, it was announced that
Legendary Entertainment
Legendary Entertainment, LLC (also known as Legendary Pictures or simply Legendary) is an American mass media and film production company based in Burbank, California, founded by Thomas Tull. The company has often collaborated with the major stu ...
would develop a film adaptation of the short story, with
Alex Ross Perry set to write and direct.
See also
*
Short fiction by Stephen King
References
External links
"Rest Stop" at StephenKing.com*
{{Stephen King
2003 short stories
Short stories by Stephen King
Short stories set in Florida
Works originally published in Esquire (magazine)