Usually, a walk is something that people enjoy, strolling down an avenue or country road. In the case of Stephen King's novel, however, The Walk is something else. Every year, teenage boys from around the area compete in a contest called The Walk. Each of them must walk at four miles an hour or more, or else they will receive a warning. If they continue to walk slow, they will be shot to the ground.
The boys, one hundred of them in this year's contest, don't really know what they are getting into. They think the walk is simply a fun, annual tradition. However, they soon learn that walking for such a long time without slowing down is not as easy as it seems.
The Major is the man who appears to be in charge of the walk. When he meets with the boys before the start of the "race", he greets them kindly, and encourages them to join the contest. All of the boys are more than willing to compete, but later, when they see him during the race, they want to kill him.
Wait: if this is a contest, then what is the prize. Well, the last Walker to remain standing will receive what is known as The Prize. In other words, they will get anything they want for the rest of their lives. Although this is an exciting incentive, it is known that most of the winners of The Walk die soon after, because of the harsh physical toll it has on them. Not only do the Walkers have to deal with extreme pain, they must continually think to themselves while they are walking that they could drop dead any minute.
Raymond Garraty is the main character and protagonist of the novel, sixteen years of age. Although he competes in The Walk for fun, he finds it to be extremely harsh on his mind and body. Although he wins the competition, at the end he runs away from the Major and his supposed prize.
