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Book collection, manuscripts destroyed, Stephen King comes to the rescue

Stephen King is coming to the rescue of one Bangor businessman after his bookstore's basement flooded and destroyed a good portion of his Stephen King collection.

BANGOR, Maine (NEWS CENTER Maine) -- What’s the best thing that could happen after massive flooding destroys a collection of one of kind pieces of writing by a world famous author? The author himself comes to the rescue.

That's exactly what Stephen King is doing for one Bangor businessman after his bookstore’s basement flooded and destroyed a good portion of his collection.

Gerald Winters owns Gerald Winters and Sons, a shop he opened two years ago that only sells Stephen King related items . Winters lost a good portion of his one of a kind collection, including some of King's original manuscripts, after his store's basement became a scene straight out of IT.

"It's pretty much a disaster," Winters said. "Everything that has been found that was in a cardboard box is like mush now."

The news of the damage spread like wildfire. Winters has heard from people around the world, some even sending him new books. "I was shocked, but it's nice to have people do things like that." Winters said.

But there was one person he never expected to hear from...Stephen King himself.

"He reached out yesterday and said if I need anything to let him know and let his office know and he'll do anything to help me, which is great." Winters said.

Stephen King said to NEWS CENTER Maine in an email:

"As a book lover and sometime collector myself, I understand how awful this is. When I think of all those manuscripts floating around in a flooded cellar, my heart sinks. I'll try to help him regroup, but when one-of-a-kind items are defaced or destroyed, there's almost nothing you can do."

Winters says that means more to him than any book -- and that luckily those can be replaced. His store will dry out and new memories will be made, knowing the man who changed his life will now help him rebuild.

"I think Stephen King once said the story is still the same story, even if it's written on a napkin," Winters said. "So I don't have the manuscript... but I can still read the story and that's all that matters."

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