At work, Brad recalls past times with his wife, both happy and not so happy: Ellen helping him on his first breakthrough ad; the couple learning that she could not conceive a child, which in a way is a blessing given the fact that she has a heart condition that could have been adversely affected by the strain of carrying a child; a trip to Nassau, Bahamas. It was on the plane ride to Nassau that Brad recalls having a bad scare, in which for a brief moment he thought his napping wife looked dead. After she awoke, and he told her about his fear, she made a joke that if she had died, he probably would have shipped her body back to New York City and married a "Bahama mama". In response, he told her that if she had really been dead, he would have used his imagination to keep her alive and simply refused to accept she was dead.
Brad receives a call from the building superintendent, who tells Brad that they now believe that the foul odor is in fact coming from his apartment. The superintendent then makes a pointed comment about how nobody has seen Ellen in over a week. Brad surmises that the super believes he has killed his wife, and agrees to meet the super in the lobby, after which they will go up to the apartment together to check for the source of the odor. Brad immediately leaves work and returns to his apartment building, where he uses a key previously given to him by the doorman to enter through the service entrance, thereby bypassing the lobby and superintendent.
In his apartment, he sees Lady skulking from the bedroom where his wife is presumably still asleep; the dog is licking her chops. In the bedroom, Brad finds that Ellen's hand has been chewed on by Lady, leaving only a few strips of flesh. He decides to use his imagination to deny this, and tucks the hand back under the covers. He waves away a few flies, figuring that they must be attracted to whatever it is that's creating the foul odor. He asks Ellen if she would like something to drink or to eat. When she says nothing, he asks her if she remembers their trip to the Bahamas. When she says nothing, he asks her if she doesn't want to get up and walk around a little.
The story ends with Brad lying down next to Ellen and telling her that he loves her. He says that they will go back to Nassau someday, and that everything will be fine. He closes his eyes and falls asleep.
Analysis
Under the Weather is one of King's most disturbing stories, as it explores the theme of denial and how it can lead to madness. The reader gradually realizes that Ellen is dead, and that Brad has been living with her corpse for days or even weeks. The clues are subtle at first: Ellen's lack of movement and speech; Brad's insistence that she is just under the weather; the foul odor coming from their apartment; Lady's strange behavior. As the story progresses, however, the clues become more obvious and horrifying: Ellen's hand being gnawed by Lady; Brad's flashback of seeing her look dead on the plane; Brad's avoidance of the superintendent; Ellen's body being covered with flies.
The story also shows how Brad's denial is rooted in his love for Ellen and his fear of losing her. He clings to their memories and their plans for the future, refusing to let go of her even after death. He imagines that she is still alive and responsive, even though she clearly isn't. He rationalizes away the signs of decay and decomposition, blaming them on a dead rat or a bad case of bronchitis. He believes that he can keep her alive with his imagination, as he told her on the plane. He is so convinced of this that he ignores the reality of his situation and the consequences of his actions.
The story also raises questions about the nature of reality and perception. How much of what we see and hear is influenced by our expectations and emotions? How much can we trust our senses and our memory? How far can we go to deny the truth and create our own version of reality? How do we cope with loss and grief? These are some of the questions that King poses in this story, leaving the reader to ponder and reflect on them.
Conclusion
Under the Weather is a short story that showcases King's mastery of horror and suspense. It is a story that shocks and disturbs the reader, as it reveals the dark side of love and denial. It is a story that challenges the reader to question their own perception of reality and their ability to cope with loss. It is a story that will haunt the reader long after they finish reading it.
If you are interested in reading Under the Weather, you can find it in the paperback edition of Full Dark, No Stars, or download it as a PDF file from one of these links . However, be warned: this is not a story for the faint of heart.
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