The Body

Gordie feels gloomy. He wonders if the incident with Chopper and Milo is a sign that they should go home. Teddy starts sobbing. Chris, who is always the best at comforting people, reminds Teddy that Milo wasn’t at Normandy like Teddy’s father. Teddy calms down. Vern says he’s scared and has been having nightmares about dead people. He’s worried that if they see the dead kid, he’ll come into Vern’s dreams. They reach the Castle River. 

Vern is nervous about walking across the train tracks on the bridge over the river. If a train comes, they’ll have nowhere to go, but using the tracks will save them a lot of time. They go in single file. Teddy and Chris are far ahead. Gordie goes last, following Vern. He has what he calls a “psychic flash,” kneels, and grips a rail. It’s vibrating. He’s more scared than he’s ever been. Gordie screams that a train is coming. They run. Gordie and Vern barely make it. 

They stop to drink the Cokes. Gordie is glad to be alive. In a flash-forward, the adult Chris muses that he understands why people become daredevils.

Chris asks him to tell a story.