'Salem's Lot Chapter 7: Matt Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Ben goes to talk to Matt's creative writing class. Matt invites him for dinner afterwards.
  • They chat about Ben's book, which is going to be about sex murders. This caused him a nasty shock when Ralphie Glick disappeared (though Ralphie was killed by vampires, not sex murderers).
  • Matt knows about the children disappearing in the 1930s, and he and Ben talk about that.
  • Matt says Straker opened the store, and Susan Norton and lots of other folks went down to see him.
  • Matt says that his doctor, Jim Cody, said that Danny seemed fine and then just dropped dead.
  • Matt suggests that Ben go with him to the Marsten House to talk to the proprietors sometime soon. Ben says okay and leaves to meet Susan.
  • Since he can't sleep, Matt goes over to Dell's. He runs into Mike Ryerson, who looks awful.
  • Matt thinks Mike must be on drugs, but Ryerson says he's not. Instead he starts talking about the eyes in the grave he dug. Not very cheerful.
  • Mike says he passed out, and when he woke the grave was all filled in, though he doesn't remember it. Since then, he's been sick and can't take any food or drink. Because all he can take now is… blood.
  • Mike's also sleeping through the day and waking at night.
  • Matt decides to take Mike home and then to the doctor's tomorrow.
  • At home, Matt sees that Mike is very pale and has marks on his neck. Uh oh.
  • Matt lies awake thinking what he dare not think, but what Shmoop and you know all too well. Matt thinks about calling Ben, but then he doesn't.
  • Vampires. They're coming finally.
  • Matt's figured it out. He knows the town's got vampires but doesn't want to admit it. He hears Mike Ryerson tell someone to come in. He wants to go down and find out what's happening, but he is too frightened.
  • Then he hears sucking sounds. Ewww.