BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Birthdays are often a time in our lives to take stock of the mark we've left on the world. As Stephen King turns 70 on Thursday, his mark is all around us.
King has a particular ability through his writing to find the underlying terror in the most mundane, everyday things. You can thank (or blame) his books for the chill that runs up your spine whenever a red balloon floats by.
King has done this trick so frequently that we decided to make a game of it. Join us on a scavenger hunt for 13 iconic objects from many of his most popular books. Use the list below as your guide. We've assigned points to each item on a sliding scale based on their scarcity.
- Red balloon (from IT) - 1 point
- Red Sox hat (from The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon) - 2 points, add 100 points if it's autographed
- Dog collar (from Kujo) - 5 points
- Blueberry pie (from The Body, adapted into the movie Stand by Me) - 5 points
- Crystal (from The Talisman) - 10 points
- Prom dress (from Carrie) - 50 points
- Sledgehammer (from Misery) - 50 points
- Handcuffs (from Gerald's Game) - 75 points
- Pres. Kennedy campaign button (from 11/22/63) - 100 points
- Typewriter (from The Shining) - 150 points
- Revolver (from The Dark Tower series) - 200 points
- Rita Hayworth poster (from Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption) - 500 points
- Plymouth Fury (from Christine) - 1,000 points
NEWS CENTER's Dustin Wlodkowski gave himself two hours to see how many items he could check off the list. He finished with a score of 347. Can YOU do better?
Give yourself one bonus point for every item you find in King's hometown of Bangor. And images you find online don't count. Everything must be found in the real world. Happy hunting!
