Today on The Easy Chair, part one of Stephen King’s brilliant and terrifying short story, “The Man in the Black Suit.” It’s been less than a year since nine-year-old Gary lost his brother due to an allergic reaction to a bee sting, and he and his parents are still in mourning. It is a sleepy summer day and, after doing his chores, he is allowed to go fishing as long as he doesn’t go further than the fork in the river. He is successful, catching a couple of big trout, when he decides to rest on a sunny, flat knoll. As he daydreams, a bee lands on his nose. This is, of course, highly triggering to Gary, with his brother’s fate so fresh in his mind, but the bee turns out to be the least of his troubles. He is joined on the sunny knoll by the Man in the Black Suit, with eyes of fire, reeking of sulfur, and he brings with him some very, very sad news.

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