Cary Ripton
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Cary Ripton is a fictional character that exists in the Stephen King and Richard Bachman mirror-world books known as "Desperation" and "The Regulators," respectively.
On the world in which the events of 'Desperation' takes place, he is the head of the project to extract copper ore from the so-called China Pit mines. On the world in the events of 'The Regulators' takes place, he is a fifteen year-old little league player and Poplar Street's resident paperboy.
In "Desperation," a series of events leads Cary to become Tak's first can tak.
[edit] Death
As is the case with some of the characters including himself, Collie Entragian, Kirsten "Pie" Carver, Jim Reed, Peter Jackson, and Audrey Wyler, Cary Ripton dies in both books.
In the "Desperation" story world, Cary Ripton is consumed with curiosity once the bones and other personal effects of some Chinese miners were found (who died in a previous cave-in of Rattlesnake Number Nine); this leads him to mount an against-regulations, solo expedition into the mine shaft. Upon getting too near the ini, however, Tak countermands the muscles in Cary Ripton's body, forces him to walk to the edge of the ini, and has his body open its eyes and mouth so that Tak can infect him, making him Tak's first can tak (host body). Unfortunately for Cary Ripton, Tak's unique form of possession destroyed the original essence/soul of the host body, leaving behind virtually nothing of Cary Ripton's spirit. Due to an undiagnosed case of cancer -which Tak's mystical energies feed and super-charge -Cary Ripton's body lasts for less than seven hours before Tak is forced to dispose of it (leaving behind a now physically massive but nevertheless lifeless husk) and pick out his second host: Brad Josephson.
On the Earth in which "The Regulators" takes place, young Cary Ripton, while running his paper route, is caught unawares by the Regulators themselves, who proceed to shoot him in the back at extremely close range with both barrels of a double-barrelled shotgun. Cary dies instantly.
