Whispered words ...

**HellBoy** · February 4th, 2013

The Mist ends with David saying he's going to whisper two words that "sound a bit alike" to his sleeping son. "One of them is hope," is the final line. Does anyone KNOW what the other word was?

**Out of Order** · February 5th, 2013

Hartford?

As in Hartford CT............

**HellBoy** · February 5th, 2013

I've seen Hartford mentioned in other places, and it is the word he thinks he hears on the radio. Read in context though, it doesn't seem to fit, but maybe I'm wrong?

**HellBoy** · February 5th, 2013

Perhaps Mrs. Mod can help?

**Moderator** · February 5th, 2013

From the last page of the book:

I'm going to bed now. But first I'm going to kiss my son and whisper two words in his ear. Against the dreams that may come, you know.
Two words that sound a bit alike.
One of them is Hartford.
The other is hope.

**Spideyman** · February 5th, 2013

This can be found in the following link"
So, here's the skinny. In King's original novella, there are five survivors who make it out of the mist in David Drayton's car: David himself, his son Billy, Amanda, and Mrs. Reppler. They've pulled into a Howard Johnson's, and only have enough gas left to get about 90 miles. David finds a radio in the manager's office, and thinks he hears a single word in the static, although it's never revealed what that word is. Then he heads out to the lobby where his son is sleeping on a mattress, whispers "Hartford" and "Hope" in his ear, and the book ends. You don't know if they make it or not, and depending on what sort of person you are, you either imagine that they get rescued or think the bizarre mist creatures chomped them for dinner.

http://io9.com/325279/the-mists-brut...versial-ending

**HellBoy** · February 5th, 2013

Thanks Mrs. Mod!

Okay, so get this: I just re-read THE MIST from its original printing in Kirby McCauley's DARK FORCES anthology and that explains my confusion!

The version of THE MIST from Stephen's SKELETON CREW does in fact end exactly as Mrs. Mod so generously shared below.

HOWEVER ...

The version of THE MIST from DARK FORCES ends as follows:

"I'm going to bed now. But first I'm going to kiss my son and whisper two words in his ear. Against the dreams that may come, you know.
Two words that sound a bit alike.
One of them is hope."

See! I'm not retarded! LoL! It was written originally slightly different. An "Hartford," in my humble opinion, doesn't sound like hope--perhaps explaining the slight edit to the original story.

Originally Posted by Moderator

From the last page of the book:

I'm going to bed now. But first I'm going to kiss my son and whisper two words in his ear. Against the dreams that may come, you know.
Two words that sound a bit alike.
One of them is Hartford.
The other is hope.

**GNTLGNT** · February 5th, 2013

Hartford," in my humble opinion, doesn't sound like hope--perhaps explaining the slight edit to the original story.

...metaphorically it certainly does, and please do not toss around the word "retarded"...it's hurtful and offensive to many...

**kingricefan** · February 5th, 2013

Originally Posted by HellBoy

Thanks Mrs. Mod!

Okay, so get this: I just re-read THE MIST from its original printing in Kirby McCauley's DARK FORCES anthology and that explains my confusion!

The version of THE MIST from Stephen's SKELETON CREW does in fact end exactly as Mrs. Mod so generously shared below.

HOWEVER ...

The version of THE MIST from DARK FORCES ends as follows:

"I'm going to bed now. But first I'm going to kiss my son and whisper two words in his ear. Against the dreams that may come, you know.
Two words that sound a bit alike.
One of them is hope."

See! I'm not retarded! LoL! It was written originally slightly different. An "Hartford," in my humble opinion, doesn't sound like hope--perhaps explaining the slight edit to the original story.

When I read the original version in Dark Forces, all those years ago, I always thought the other word that King was hinting at was either 'No' as in 'No hope' or Hope-nope.' It was a downer ending then and I'm glad he changed it in the newer version.

**HellBoy** · February 7th, 2013

Agreed. I went with "no" as well. "Hartford" doesn't sound like "Hope" metaphorically or otherwise to me. Having said that, perhaps this is the debate SK was hoping to achieve with his ending, sort-of like the ending to THE EXORCIST where a person's faith dictated the ending in their mind.

Either way, I always find it interesting to see stories evolve over time and I have to believe that the slight edit on the later releases to THE MIST was simply for clarification, or a sense of closure.

Originally Posted by kingricefan

When I read the original version in Dark Forces, all those years ago, I always thought the other word that King was hinting at was either 'No' as in 'No hope' or Hope-nope.' It was a downer ending then and I'm glad he changed it in the newer version.