Bodyguard Spray

The Bodyguard Spray is a small aerosol canister of a mild chemical irritant, described as "basically nothing but watered-down teargas" , that Gretchen Tillbury, a family-abuse counselor at WomanCare, gives to Ralph Roberts during a visit in late September 1993. Tillbury presents it as "a little present from all your grateful friends at WomanCare" after informing Ralph that he has been officially designated a Centurion by Ed Deepneau's inner circle, making him a potential target for violence. The can's label depicts a woman spraying a masked attacker and bears the single word "BODYGUARD" in red capital letters (E01533–E01534). Ralph initially resists the idea of carrying it, but Tillbury insists it is a necessary "insurance policy" given the unpredictable threat posed by Deepneau and his followers.

Appearance and Mechanism

The can is small enough to fit into a jacket pocket, with a red top and a red aerosol nozzle beneath a plastic cap . Its cartoon illustration shows a woman heroically warding off a man in a slouch hat and eye-mask, a design that Ralph finds reductive, noting that "no shades of gray here; just a case of go ahead, punk, make my day" (E01576–E01577). The spray itself is milder than Mace—a legally risky proposition in Maine—but Tillbury assures Ralph that a faceful will "numb the skin, irritate the eyes, and cause nausea" , incapacitating an attacker for at least a couple of minutes. Ralph later learns from pharmacist Joe Wyzer that the product is essentially a weak antihistamine-based irritant, not a disabling nerve gas .

Key Occurrence: The Library Attack

The Bodyguard Spray becomes crucial on Sunday, October 3, 1993, when Charlie Pickering, a mentally unstable anti-abortion activist acting on Ed Deepneau's instructions, ambushes Ralph in the Derry Public Library. Pickering presses a hunting knife into Ralph's side, threatening to disembowel him, and Ralph realizes he has no conventional weapon. As Pickering's blade draws blood, Ralph's hand finds the aerosol can in his right jacket pocket—a can he does not remember putting there . He later deduces that Dorrance Marstellar, the elderly poetry lover, had retrieved the can from the top of Ralph's kitchen cabinet and placed it in the pocket of his gray leather jacket, even hanging the jacket neatly on the coat-tree (E01817–E01824).

When Pickering momentarily eases the pressure, Ralph throws himself to the floor and sprays the can directly into Pickering's face. The result is immediate: Pickering screams in pain, drops his knife, and clutches his face, his glasses fogging over . He rolls on the floor, howling that he is blind and that his skin is melting, though Ralph knows the spray is not acid . The attack is thwarted, and Pickering is arrested.

Consequences and Significance

The Bodyguard Spray saves Ralph's life and prevents a likely fatal stabbing. Its presence in his pocket at the critical moment is presented as a form of supernatural intervention—Dorrance Marstellar, who seems to possess knowledge beyond ordinary perception, had foreseen the need and placed the can there. Ralph reflects that "my guardian angel was looking out for me, I guess" , though he suspects Dorrance himself was the agent. The incident also deepens Ralph's entanglement with the hidden world of auras and the conflict between the Purpose and the Random, as the spray becomes a tangible link between the mundane and the extraordinary. After the attack, Ralph places the can on top of the kitchen cabinet, but when he later checks, it is gone—confirming that Dorrance had indeed moved it . The spray thus functions as both a practical defensive tool and a symbol of the unseen forces guiding Ralph's path.