This is a brand new first chapter. After changing the point of view to this like the rest of the story, I decided to scrap it and just rewrite it. Hope you enjoy. (This one is also much longer than the original. I've put in some backstory content from the book.)

Violet Torrance sat by herself in her room. She lay on the bottom bed on a set of bunks. Her kid brother Danny got the top one. The room was covered in stickers, picture books, and toys. In fact, it was probably a jump even calling it her room. Really, it was Danny's.

But then again, everything was Danny's. That's just how it was. Sure, Violet had all she needed, and she knew the family couldn't afford much, but sleeping on a bottom bunk at 16 years old? That's pretty sad.

Her father, born John Daniel Torrance, but known as Jack, was out of town. He was at some hotel in the mountains of Colorado. The Over-something. He was applying for a job as a caretaker in the hotel's off season.

The only reason he was there was because of his friend

(drinking buddy)

Al Shockley. Al was a fine enough guy, and he got on with Jack like a house on fire. They used to go out every Saturday night, drinking until all the bars were closed. Jack would stumble in at three in the morning and Violet, being a light sleeper, would get woken up.

They sure were a formidable pair. But Violet loved her dad anyway, even if he was a recovering alcoholic.

Jack used to work at a high school, Stovington Prep. He was forced to resign. No one would tell Violet what happened, but some of her friends there said he assaulted some popular kid named George.

The first thing Violet thought was that he must be drunk. He wasn't. Somehow, that scared her even more. Her dad didn't have to be drunk to beat someone up.

But he was trying to get a job that Al put in a good word for, and Violet appreciated him trying. Maybe they needed some time away from this cramped little house. Maybe they all needed space.

Her mother, Wendy, was no better. She loved Violet when she grew up, but there was some thing about Danny that seemed to demand all her love and affection. Wendy, who knew her marriage was slowly failing, couldn't leave her husband. Not when he would come home drunk with Al Shockley, not when he would get angry and yell at her, not even when she broke Danny's arm after he raged out.

Thinking back on it, Violet supposed she was like her mother in that way. As a kid, she was used to avoiding her dad whenever he was drunk. She would hide all her toys when he was angry so he couldn't break them. If he hit her, she had a first aid kit under her mattress, with a small pocket knife beside it. She constantly lived in fear, yet for some unexplainable reason, she loved him to death. More than she loved her mom. Maybe more than her mom loved him.

She was sitting at her desk with blotches of color covering her bare arms. Violet was an art enthusiast; almost all of her possessions were somehow related to art. Her drawers were filled with sketching pencils, color pencils, pastels, watercolor paints, acrylics, and the list went on. She had boxes up in the loft that were filled with sketch books that she had used over the years. At the moment she was making a painting for her dad. He had asked her to make a cover for his play that he was working on, The Little School. She had her watercolour paint set out in front of her, with a jar filled with murky water, newspaper to wipe her brushes and the half finished thick sheet of paper with a big graduation cap painted on it. She was just finished with the background, and was about to get her illustrating pens out for the title and author when there was the sound of a car.

She wiped her hands and set off down the hallway in socked feet. Violet could hear Danny squealing in excitement and greeting Jack.

She slid out the door before her mom noticed and walked down the concrete path. "Hey, dad! How was the interview?" He glanced up at her and grinned.

"Oh, you know, I won them all over with the Torrance charm and wit. I got the job, sweetie!" He pulled Danny away and walked over to hug Violet instead. Violet leaned into his 'dad' scent, one that was thankfully free of alcohol. It had almost become a nervous habit to sniff for alcohol whenever he came home. It was a habit she knew Wendy did also.

"Violet, get those socks off the concrete!" It was her mom. "I only just bought those, and they'll be getting holes in them already!"

Jack laughed. "Calm down, babe, she just wanted to greet her daddy-o after a long day. I'm sure we can cough up the money for a new pair of socks." Violet squeezes him one last time and released herself from the hug.

She pointedly peeled her socks off and tiptoed back inside. Everyone else followed her in. Wendy put the kettle on to boil and started preparing coffee for her and Jack.

"Oh, hey Dad, I'm almost done with your play cover."

"Well I better have a look now, make sure you're doin' in right."

Jack set off down the hallway to Violet's room and she ran after him. "No, Dad, it's a surprise, you have to wait 'til I'm done!" She overtook him and they faced off in her doorway, wiggling their eyebrows at each other in a mock stand off.

Jack curled his face into a snarl, "I'm afraid there ain't enough room in this doorway for the both o' us." He reached for his imaginary gun, but at the last minute leapt onto Violet and started tickling her sides.

While she was distracted, he ran up to the picture and snuck a glance. "It's great, Vi. I love it. You'll be an artist someday, you know that?"

She sat up, hair a mess, and sighed. "When your play gets published I will be." He grinned and ruffled her hair even more as he walked out.

"Better get packing, Vi, because we're going to the Overlook!" She smiled at his shadow disappearing down the hallway.

Closing Day

The Torrance family sat in the battered VW as Jack cruised it around the mountain edge. The engine seemed to be protesting the steep incline, and Violet could tell by the way Wendy wrung her hands in her lap that she was really nervous. She tried to make conversation in the quiet car. "Say, wasn't this the area where the Donner party got stranded?"

Jack shook his head, but kept his eyes on the road. "Nah, that was further west. In the Sierra Nevada."

Danny leaned forward behind his parents, listening in to the conversation. "What's the Donner party?"

Violet, who was a stickler for dramatic news stories, decided it was her chance to pipe up. "It was a group of hikers who got snowbound. They had to resort to cannibalism to survive."

"That's right," Jack said, "they were gonna starve so they ate each other up instead!" He wiggled his eyebrows in the rear view mirror at Danny, who had a shocked expression.

"They ate each other up?" he repeated, voice going up in octave in amazement.

Wendy, who started the conversation, felt it was getting too dark for her little five year old. "Now, let's not talk about that. What's the hotel like, Jack?"

"You'll see in a minute for yourself, it's really great. Massive kitchen, big old hedge maze on one side, beautiful view. Loads of places for Danny to explore, hey?"

Danny put up a smile, but Violet knew it was fake. She was always worried about Danny. He was intuitive; he seemed to always know what everyone was feeling or thinking, and sometimes he knew things no one ever told him, sometimes things that hadn't even happened yet. Wendy said he was just clever. Violet wasn't so sure.

Finally, the asphalt turned to gravel, and they were pulling up the wide driveway that led to the Overlook. The VW put-putted along and slowed to a halt at one of the front parking spaces. There were only about five or six cars left, one of them the company limousine that would drop all the staff and remaining guests at the nearest airport.

Violet hopped out first, eager to stretch her legs after the long drive. Jack got out next and opened the boot to take out the suitcases and bags. Wendy and Danny left to go find Danny a bathroom.

A short, fat gentlemen approached he two remaining Torrances. His shiny badge pinned to his lapel read "Mr Ullman MGR". He frowned at Jack and nodded his head at Violet.

"Well, Mr Torrance, I must say, I was expecting you more around three." He seemed displeased that the new caretaker was early.

"Just wanted to give some extra time in case the old bug broke down."

Mr Ullman frowned even harder at the car. He looked up to another car in the lot, an expensive, shiny Prius that was clearly his. "Come inside, then. I'll give you a tour." He turned back to them, noticing Violet again. "Where's the girl going?"

Violet furrowed her brows. How rude. "My name is Violet, Mr Ullman, and if it's okay by you, I'd love to join the tour." Mr Ullman huffed and walked inside, not looking back to check they were following.

Jack high-fived Violet and grinned at her. "Officious little prick, isn't he?"

"Sure is."

Halfway through the excruciatingly boring tour, Jack spotted Wendy and Danny wandering around one of the hallways. He called out, amd they came over. Mr Ullman seemed even more disgruntled that two more family members had joined.

He led them to the kitchen, and made some excuse about 'guests needing the help of an official' and left.

The four of them stood in the kitchen, which looked like if went on forever, it was so big. Jack didn't know whether to wait for someone to come or call out. Before he could decide, a voice piped up behind them. "Hey family! You here for the caretaker job?"

Violet, Danny and Wendy whirled around. Jack turned more slowly. "That's right. Are you the cook?"

"That I am, sir, that I am." The man was tall, with dark skin and white teeth. He had a short crop of hair that was turning gray at the temples. He had a friendly smile on his face, one that was contagious, and Violet couldn't help but smile back. "I'm Mr Halloran, and I'd love to show you folks 'round my kitchen. It's big, sure, but that means it has everything you'll ever need. Are the two littlies staying up here for the whole off season?"

Wendy nodded, and put a hand on Danny's head. "They are, sir. Almost like a family vacation, don't you think?"

Mr Ullman frowned. "Oh, I don't know, the winters can be awful harsh if you ain't used to them. Don't you two want to come hang out with me in sunny California, catchin' fish and gettin' a tan?"

While Wendy answered, Mr Halloran turned to Violet and Danny. You sure you don't want to come stay with me for the winter? It ain't safe here for children. Violet recoiled. She heard him, clear as day, yet his mouth didn't move at all, and it didn't seem like anyone else heard, except Danny.

(What's going on?)

He smiled at her. You're shining on, that's what. You have the shine, and your brother has it, and so do I. That's why you shouldn't be here. He turned back to Wendy, said something back to her and started showing her around the expansive kitchen.

(I don't understand. Mr Halloran, why isn't it safe?)

The hotel shines too. And some bad things have happened here.

(Bad things happen everywhere. How is that dangerous?)

It ain't. But I don't want Danny to see the things I've seen here. You neither. He turned to Danny for a moment, and Danny gave him his full attention. They were talking now. Violet assumed Mr Halloran was telling him the same thing he told her.

Wendy had finally stopped cooing over the kitchen and all the food inside and thanked Mr Halloran. He smiled at her and just as they were about to leave, Mr Halloran piped up.

"Hey, you don't say this young girl could help me bring out my bags while you three finish the tour? I'm an old man. It gets harder every year." Jack nodded and pulled Wendy and Danny out with him into the hallway and around the corner, Danny waving goodbye to her.

The walk to his car was silent. Violet wanted to talk to him, but every time she went to say something, someone would come bustling around the corner before she got the chance.

Finally, they arrived at his car.

"Mr Halloran?"

"Please, call me Dick."

"Okay, Dick, what's really up with this hotel, and the shine you were talking about?"

"Violet,

(although she didn't recall anyone telling him her name)

when I was a little boy, my grandmother and I would have whole conversations without ever opening our mouths. She called it the shining. Now the shining also lets you see things. You ever see things that ain't real?" Violet nodded. "Things that happened before they ever did?" She nodded again. "That's why this hotel ain't safe. It has a lot of bad history. Now, I've working in many kitchens all over America, and I ain't ever had trouble. But ever since I started working here I've seen things. Violent things. Things you wouldn't want a five year to ever see. You understand?"

"I get it. But you said they aren't dangerous."

"I don't think they are. They've never once hurt me. But Danny, he shines like nothing I ever seen. And I'm just not sure. If you stay here, swear to me you'll look after him?"

"Of course. I swear. He's my little brother. I'll protect him with my life."

"And just as well for that. You see, his parents won't understand. His Ma only shines a little, like all mothers shine. And his daddy…well, to tell you the truth I ain't too sure whether your daddy shines or not. But if Danny sees something, his parents won't know what's happening like you do. Take care of the little fella." And with that he opened his car door and sat inside.

He started up the car, but with a final thought, turned back to Violet. "If anything does happen, and I ain't saying it will, just think real hard at me. Who knows, I might hear it all the way in California. Get Danny to holler real loud too."

"I will." He nodded and backed the car out of his park, turned the car around, and left.

All of a sudden the place felt a lot more lonely.