The Running Man
by Stephen King
Contents
…Minus 005 and COUNTING… Bent haglike, a man in a reverse hur
Overview
Mortally wounded and disemboweled, Richards drags himself through the aircraft after Amelia’s death, refusing to surrender before completing one final act. The chapter narrows the story to Richards’ dying body, the empty plane, and the unreachable controls, intensifying the question of whether Richards can still turn his defeat into vengeance.
Summary
After Amelia is sucked out of the emergency door, Ben Richards forces himself away from the blown opening through the violent suction and cold night air. McCone’s shot has torn Richards open, and Richards’ intestines trail from Richards’ body while the lighter’s flame burns him.
Richards moves through second class and first class, passing McCone’s body and reaching the galley. Richards tries to gather his intestines but cannot put them back inside, and the realization that Richards is truly dying nearly overwhelms him.
Richards screams himself back into awareness because Richards still has “one more thing” to do. Richards staggers forward through unbearable pain, remembering an old work-break conversation about the worst ways to die and recognizing, now, the agony of being gutshot.
Richards continues past the bodies of Donahue and Friedman toward the cockpit, driven by a last command from Richards’ mind despite Richards’ failing body. Richards trips over Holloway’s body and nearly gives in to sleep while Otto hums on.
With a tremendous effort, Richards raises Richards’ head and sees the controls ahead, still moving. Harding is visible beyond the cockpit windows, but the controls seem too far away for Richards to reach.
Who Appears
- Ben RichardsMortally wounded runner who crawls through the plane toward the cockpit for one final purpose.
- OttoThe plane’s automated control system, still humming as Richards struggles toward the controls.
- HollowayDead crewman whose body Richards trips over near the cockpit.