Grey matter

Grey Matter is a short horror sci-fi story by Stephen King, published in his Night Shift collection.

Related Topics:
Sci-fi - Stephen King - Night Shift

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Grey Matter is the story of a bunch of older men at a convenience store during a heavy snowstorm. A young man runs in, deathly afraid. The older men know the kid, as well as his father, Richie Grenadine. Injured during an accident at work, Richie was given lifetime worker's compensation. With no need to ever work, Richie has been seen doing his pnly two pleasures — relaxing at home, and drinking cheap alcohol. Few had seen him in months.

Related Topics:
Convenience store - Snowstorm - Worker's compensation - Alcohol

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After speaking privately with Richie's kid, the owner (Henry) and a few other regulars decide to take the beer to Richie personally. As they walk in the snow, Henry relates what the kid told him — stories that his father has been slowly transforming into an inhuman blob-like abomination. Spying on him one night, the boy saw his father ate a dead cat, which sent him running to the store in search of help.

Related Topics:
Blob - Abomination - Cat

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Arriving at Richie's apartment, the man demands that the group open the beer cans, and bring it into him. Henry, loading his pistol, tells him he cannot do that. If Richie wants the beer, he will have to come out and get it. The smells pouring out from behind the door immediately convince the group that Richie was eating more than dead cats. Richie was eating humans that most had thought missing.

Related Topics:
Beer - Pistol

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To the group's shock and horror, Richie's door opens, and he walks out. Grey-skinned, and leaving a trail of slime behind him, Richie is more fungus than man. To make matters worse, it is obvious that the Creature is in the process of dividing. As half the group immediately runs, Henry begins firing his pistol at the Creature.

Related Topics:
Slime - Fungus

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The story ends with half of the group, mathematically realizing that if the Creature continues to multiply, it would mean the end of the human race. They sit at the convenience store, hoping that "Henry" will be the next person to come in from the cold.

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It is also worth noting that the story takes place in the same area as one of Stephen King's novels, "DreamCatcher".

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