Into The Fire / The Glory Bus by Richard Laymon

I know Buffy is reading this at the moment, and I'm going through it for a second time.

The story starts off which our main protagonist, Pamela, in a car with her apparent kidnapper, Piggy (whose name is actually Rodney or something). Rodney has killed her husband and kidnapped her after harboring a crush for her for years. After seeing her wedding picture in the newspaper, he decided to plan and eventually made his move.

Meanwhile, good natured college boy Norman is making his way home. A ne'er-do-weller named Duke jumps in Norman's car while he goes in to pay for gas, and threatens to kill Norman's family if he doesn't give him a lift (Duke read Norm's car's registration). So begins his ride.

For reference, in the US this book is called Into The Fire.

In the UK and Australia, it's called The Glory Bus.

We should pm Emma and see if she wants to join in.

I'm just now to the part where Norman picks up Duke.

So I guess it's good I didn't go on to say what happens next...

The first six chapters of the book are really just Pamela's story. She devised this ridiculous escape plan, and when it backfires and she's about to get her head blown off, she's rescued by a dude with a bus full of manequinns. I believe those six chapters end with the man, named Sharpe, then needs to dispose of the body of Pamela's kidnapper. They throw it down 'The Glory Hole'.

Pamela still feels uncomfortable, however, as she's not sure if she escaped one attacker just to fall into the arms of another. So is Sharpe on the level or what?

Yeah, that about sums up those chapters nicely.

Have they mentioned the T-shirt on the mannequin yet?

I'VE BEEN TO PITS
IT REALLY IS THE PITS
PITS, POP. 6

Something along those lines.

Haha Yeah, a little boy was wearing it.
I'm hoping it explains the whole mannequin thing. I'm sur eit will but then again maybe not. It's just so weird.

Yeah, it'll all make sense soon enough. Probably after the next few chapters. I don't think they explain it until afterwards, but you'll figure out their meaning quick enough.

OK. I just finished up with a few Chapters on Norman. NOw he's met up with a chick named Boots. Looks like the next chapter is on Pam. Maybe I'll figure it out now.

Is it cool to just go ahead and talk about spoilers and stuff as we go along? I don't want to ruin it for anyone else, but I doubt to many people are going to be joining it.


There are several billboards on this pits place. How can a place with a population of 6 poeple have such hype?

They probably put them up themselves.

I'm just jumping ahead however far you go. I don't think anybody else is gonna read it.

Alright.
Sharpe is weird, he won't talk on the bus, what's that about.
This Lauren chick is kinda weird too. She's all "You've been through some tough times...you'll be fine now...you've been saved." What's that about?

I get this whole House of Wax feel from the mannequines. Sharpes reaction to Pam saying the passengers wre people he starved to death makes you wonder haha.

Yup, I think the idea is totally leave you unsettled.

I thought it was funny when he's saying no talking to the bus driver, company rule. Dude's driving around with a bus full of mannequins in the middle of nowhere....

Okay so apperently there is some mission and dude has saved 7 people since he started. Not sure what's going on but I can say I am a bit confused by it all.

I don't remember the reason for the mission right this moment... I can take a guess, since I know how the book ends. But I don't think it had anything to do with that... it was probably something else. I forget.

So I take it they've arrived in Pits. Population 6 (but that's just a general estimate).

yeah they are there. Apparently the population is supposed to be the number of people he's saved, but that's just my guess.

Nah, I don't think the population is really that important.

Well, actually I'm reading more on that now. Doesn't seem to be, but like I said, I'm just guessing.

You just know that Pamela and Norman's stories are going to intersect at some point... but not entirely sure how that happens. I forget, I mean. I know Norman, Duke and Boots end up at Pits.

There's also a Bates-esque house involved at some point.

Yeah that old victorian house that gets mentioned. I totally though Bates when I read that part.

Norman Boots and Duke are getting a hotel room right now. The part about Boots raw hamburger made my stomach flip, yuck.

pinkish hamburgers are alright.

Ah, Boots, Norman and Duke in the hotel... that bit's badass.

Yeah but he didn't make it sound pinkish, it says something about red juice dribbling down her chin and how when he looked at the burger the middle looked like a raw bloody wound. Gross.

Tsk, stupid internet went down and my message didn't get through.

Totally forget what I was commenting on as well. Bummer.

Ummm... well, I think it was something along the lines of everything on that girl is gross.

Well, Norman certainly thinks so too, well until the hotel room, he didn't seem to mind her repusivness much then.

Nah, even before that. He only stuck around because he thought he could see some boobie.

It's funny because that is such a male thing to do.

OH I know, that's what I was saying, he thought she was repulsive but stuck aroun to see some booies and then do her in the hotel. BUt the dude under the bed certainly screwed that up huh.