Winged Creatures (novel)
| Author | Roy Freirich |
|---|---|
| Cover artist | Jeanette Levy (design) |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Drama/Fiction |
| Published | January 2008 St. Martin's Griffin |
| Pages | 295 |
Winged Creatures is a drama novel written by Roy Freirich. Rowan Woods has directed a film based on the book.
Laraby was in Carby's Restaurant twenty minutes before the shooting, as he soon finds out. While operating on one of the victims, he accidentally nicks the aorta with the scalpel, causing the victim to bleed to death. Riddled with guilt, Laraby sneaks migraine-inducing medicine into his wife's food so he can "save" her each time. She ends up almost dying from overdose to these drugs where he rushes to save her. In the film Laraby is played by Guy Pearce.
Charlie was grazed by a stray bullet as a result of the shooting, and survives. The doctors tell him he is some kind of lucky not to have been killed. A dazed Charlie walks out of the hospital, clinging onto the word "lucky". It is for this reason he begins to gamble incessantly, thinking his luck will work for him at the casino. In the film, Charlie is played by Forest Whitaker.
Carla is the cashier at Carby's when the shooting happens. She is unharmed, but it has a definite effect on her. She loses her ability to take care of herself and her infant son. She turns to alcohol and men to make herself feel better. Carla is also noted to have a crush on Laraby. In the film, Carla is played by Kate Beckinsale.
Anne's father was killed in the shooting, which Anne and her best friend Jimmy witnessed. Anne appears unwilling or unable to accept her father's death, and instead becomes infatuated with religion, in addition to becoming spacy and distant. In the film, Anne is played by Dakota Fanning.
Jimmy was with Anne when her father was shot, and it troubles him as much as anyone else. In response, he emotionally shuts down, refusing to speak or show any sort emotion whatsoever. He is noted to be secretly in love with Anne, as the book mentions that he looks at her when she isn't looking. Only Jimmy affectionately calls her "Annie" and is goofy around her because he loves the sound of her laughing. Tortured by their secret, Jimmy attempts suicide twice, with Anne there to stop him both times. In the film, Jimmy is played by Josh Hutcherson.
Abler is a psychologist, who repeatedly attempts to get through to Carla, Jimmy, and Anne. Carla is suspicious of him and deletes all the messages he sends her. Anne continually spurns his advances and seems to hate him especially. Jimmy is shielded from talking mostly by his father, who blames psychologists for the death of his other son, Michael. The one time Abler is not sent away by Mr. Jaspersen, Jimmy runs away and attempts to jump off of the bridge. The only reason he doesn't jump is because Anne was there to talk him out of it by threatening to reveal their secret.
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