At first, Ralph found it hard to drop off to sleep. Then he was waking up earlier and earlier. Then the hallucinations start - colours, shapes and strange auras around his friends. Not to mention the bald doctors who always seem to materialise at the scene of a death. Then Ralph begins to understand why his hitherto mild-mannered friend Ed is getting dangerously out of control and why his home town is about to become the new Armageddon. An evil of unimaginable proportions has found its way in - and Ralph has one chance to beat it - in a card game. The stakes are high - they always are when you're playing for human souls. This was a new phase of writing for King: his heroes in this outing are the elderly retired Ralph and his middle-aged girlfriend. Cover art by Steven Crisp.