(5 stars for the illustrations of maestro Javier Olivares since the story is not King's best.)
One day, while in New York, I passed by a pleasant-looking restaurant. Inside, the maître d' was escorting a couple to a table. The maître d' happened to see me and gave me the most cynical wink in the universe. I returned to the hotel and wrote this story. During the three days it took to write, it completely possessed me. In my opinion, what makes it work is not the crazy maître d' but the sinister relationship between the couple on the verge of divorce. In their own way, they are crazier than him. By far.
Stephen King.
A sinister story that Stephen King gave us back in 1995 and that appeared in the anthology Dark Love and where he tells us how a man, Steve David, arriving home one day, finds a note from his wife telling him she is leaving and intends to ask for a divorce. From that day on, Steve, with a partner, also decides to stop smoking, so the abstinence from both abandonments will practically turn him into an unbalanced person. Diane's lawyer...
My service dog has also been sleepless like me!!! Exactly on the same night that I was sleepless too!!! He listens intently to the neighbor's dog from time to time or to the wild dogs on the street. I, on the other hand, am listening to the sound of the trucks headed for the city center and the honking of the cars.
This passage is from a book. It vividly describes the similar sleepless states of the author and his service dog. The dog's attention is divided between the neighbor's dog and the wild dogs outside, while the author is focused on the noises of the trucks and cars. This contrast between the dog's and the author's experiences adds an interesting dimension to the description. It makes the reader feel as if they are right there with the author and the dog, sharing in their sleepless night.