8. The Children Appear - Children Of The Corn
Burt jumped from the pulpit and ran down the centre aisle. He threw open the outer vestibule door, letting in hot sunshine, dazzling. Vicky was bolt upright behind the steering wheel, both hands plastered on the horn ring, her head swivelling wildly. From all around the children were coming. Some of them were laughing gaily. They held knives, hatchets, pipes, rocks, hammers. One girl, maybe eight, with beautiful long blonde hair, held a jackhandle. Rural weapons. Not a gun among them.
Children Of The Corn is another short story from King, depicting the fate of a couple who run over a young boy's corpse in the middle of a deserted town surrounded by corn fields. Upon looking for help, they realise the town is empty, and something isn't right. The growing tension is unbearable as the husband Burt looks for people; only to find his wife being attacked by a mass of creepy murdering children. It's the children that make this story scary; there isn't a great amount of detail and the tale is extremely short. The fun intent of the children behind killing the couple of what makes this book, and this passage in particular incredibly creepy.