Dead Light.P1

 Hook: Friday Nov 4th, 1921. You both live in Arkham, Massachusetts. Peter’s grandmother will be celebrating her 90th birthday tomorrow up in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He has invited his dear friend Essie to come along since she has met the grandmother before. It’s late (6pm) by the time they get on the road after work. And the weather isn’t cooperating: driving rain, horrendous storm... the likes of which hasn’t been seen in a century.

Essie (Gagnon) Vance [Whitney]: Telephone Operator. High School sweetheart of Peter but they went their own ways… she interested in travel and adventure, he wanting to stay in Arkham as a cop. Essie married an Archaeologist and found her travel and adventure as the mechanic of the expeditions. But when they returned to Arkham, Richard was mysteriously killed. Which re-introduced Peter as the PI to solve the case. Them now re-connected friends.

Peter Graves [Jordan]: Private Investigator. He followed in his grandfather’s footsteps joining the police force. But his determination to solve his parents’ brutal deaths at the hands of bank robbers drove him down a path of vigilante justice which didn’t fit the police. Thus, him a PI free of the laws of justice (in his mind anyway).

Despite racing against the rain on your way northwards, the storm finally caught up with you in earnest and with it the night has fallen, abyssal black and riven by lightning. Conditions on the rain-swept road force you to slow down (20mph so that your headlamps can pierce the gloom and keep you on the path. The only thing certain now is that the weather behind you is worse than that which surrounds you, driving you onwards. 

Suddenly… a flash of lightning. Close. Damn close! But more importantly, the flash illuminated something in the road [Spot Hidden...Peter 100, Essie 41] “WATCH OUT!!” Peter was late trying to avoid the girl in the road; late slamming on the brakes and cranking hard-over on the steering-wheel. [Drive Auto...Peter 89, push 69-fail] The car fishtailed, "Thump", on the wet road before sliding into the shoulder brush. “Crash!”

 

They got out into the torrential rain to discover a body in the road, clipped by the left-rear fender. An unconscious girl, dressed in a light sweater and short skirt… definitely NOT dressed for the weather! Essie put her coat over the girl as Peter carried her to the backseat to be checked out. Peter instructed, “You’re the mechanic. See if the car is drivable while I try to warm her up.” Essie returned to the car uncertain, “Dented bumper. Can’t see underneath. Try to drive it out.”

Essie remembered, “I think I saw a sign about the Orchard-Run Diner just ahead.” Luck that Peter was able to back onto the road. “It’s drivable. Maybe a bent tie-rod. Maybe we can get it fixed at the joining gas station beside the diner. Strange how I’ve passed it all these times visiting Grandma. Nothing like the present to check it out.”

More lightning revealed a truck jackknifed across the road in front of the Orchard-Run gas pumps. No lights at the station but lights on at the diner. Peter parked under the pump awning for relief from the torrential downpour so he could get out and checkout the car more thoroughly. Ignoring the fact he made Essie walk thru the rain to visit the diner further ahead. It was a “Norm” moment as she stepped inside. Blank stares before, “How can we help you sweety?” Essie awkwardly paused before announcing, “We had a little accident. We… bumped into someone standing in the middle of the road.” Sam, the night manager, was the first to respond, “God, is everyone alright?!”

Meanwhile, Peter struggled to light a cigar before checking out the car. Not the mechanic, he turned his attention to the truck blocking the road. He ignored the distressed “mooing” of cattle in the bed of the truck as he stepped up on the driver-side footrail to peer inside. Empty. He arrived back at the car where Essie joined him, “Drive on up to the diner so we can get her inside. Maybe they can help.”

Peter barely got inside the diner before Sam blurted out, “Oh my God, it’s Emilia! Let me move a table so you can lay her on the bench.” But Mary, the server, intervened, “Get her away from the windows. Move her back against the wall. It's warmer back there. I’ll tend her. Is she OK? Did she say anything before passing out?”

By now, Essie and Peter got a read on the diner patrons. Besides Sam and Mary, there was “Jake, the truck driver. Keeps blathering about a light that drove him off the road. But knowing him as a local moonshiner, I doubt his story.” Then there were the 70-year-old Wini and Teddy Brewers, stopping for shelter on their way to Boston.

As Essie helped tend to Emilia, to Mary’s displeasure, Peter fell into his comfortable PI role as he approached Jake, “What’s with your cows? Can’t you hear them distressed?” But Jake ignored the prodding, “Leave me alone damn it! That light. That damn floating light in the middle of the road. I had to swerve to miss it. The cows are fine. They stand in the pasture during storms. They’re fine in the bed of the truck till morning.” Peter was close enough not to smell alcohol on the man’s breath. But he also heard Sam make queer comments, “Thought I’d never see the day. Mary actually caring for Emilia.”

[Psychology-pass] Peter cocked his head to listen to Mary trying to get Essie to go elsewhere so she could care for Emilia alone. He stepped forward to pull Mary back, “Why your sudden interest in the girl?” But Mary fired back, “Leave me alone. Weren’t you the one who almost killed her?! Ran her down! Just because I’m jealous of the rich little brat doesn’t mean I can’t care about her.”

And that’s when the Brewers asked, “What’s that light in the back of the truck? Did a lightning strike start a fire?” Everyone (except Mary) looked out the windows and confirmed the sighting. Jake pushed away from the window, “Nope, nope. No light in the rear of the truck. It’s that damn light I told you about!” [Intimidate] Peter came forward and slammed his fist on the table, “Man up and go check on your cows! Jake reluctantly grabbed a broom as a weapon as Peter had to prod him out the door. Everyone else (except Mary alone with Emilia) peered out the windows to watch.

As they walked closer to the truck, the light dimmed. And the cows sounded even more panicked. One bellowing a horrendous scream. “You check them out thru the slats, and I’ll check from the tailgate.” But as soon as Peter no longer prodded Jake forward, the driver bolted back to the diner. And that’s when the tailgate bust open as 2 cows jumped out. Luckily Peter was only barely sideswiped. But with the tailgate down, he had full view inside the bed.

Peter stood stupefied witnessing one cow still tied up, trying desperately to break free of the rope tied to the railing. To escape the other cow… where light poured out of its nostrils and eyes! Its rear melted into ashes. Its chest collapsed. [Sanity 92, INT 3, lost 2 Sanity] Peter fully grasped what he was witnessing. He bolted for the diner, occasionally looking over his shoulder! And saw the light flow from the truck and now pursuing him! [another point of sanity loss]

And that’s when a gasp rose in the diner, “Oh my God! What is that light?!” [Sanity check for all] Sam was frozen in fear and just stared out the window. Teddy grabbed Wini and ushered her back towards Mary and her patient. Jake burst thru the door and continued for the back. Essie stood at the door ready to let Peter in. And that’s when the lightning struck. “KABOOM!” Halfway between the door and Peter. Blinding him and Essie. So, it was only Sam who saw, “Where’d it go?! Where’s the light?! I think the lightning scared it off.”

Terrifying moments before Peter regained his sight and stumbled inside, “Where’d Jake go?” He followed the trail of water to the back door still locked. And then to the meat freezer… where he found a drenched Jake shivering in the cold freezer. “You damn coward! Get out of there before you freeze to death. The light is gone.”

And that’s when Emilia woke up, “Where am I? What am I doing here? Why am I all scratched up? Is grampa OK? Please, someone, check to see if grampa is OK. Something terrible has happened. I just know it.” Mary tried desperately to calm Emilia to no avail. Essie realized something off as she pulled Mary aside, “What’s going on? Why your sudden interest? Tell the truth.” Mary confessed, “Rich girl. There has to be a reward. I’m just in it for the reward.” But Essie could feel there was something more.

But Emilia started to come around more, “Something happened at the cottage. Grampa is hurt.” As Essie turned her attention towards Emilia, Mary tried to make a run for it. Peter [move 9] tackled her at the door. Mary confessed, “Old man Dr Webb always flashes wads of $100 bills when he comes to dine. There has to be a safe full of money. Hell yes, I’m off to get it. Make a new life for myself. Why not?”

But her words stirred Emila’s memory, “I remember… 2 boys attacked us. They tried to rob us. A shotgun. I ran. I think grampa was hit. Oh my God, he could be bleeding out! PLEASE, help me check on gramps!” Sam added to the story as he shot venomous stares at Mary, “Mary’s no-good bully boyfriend Clem and his sidekick Billy.”

Peter already had Mary trussed up with a rope. “Well Mary, you’re going to get that chance to see the inside of the Webb’s cottage.” Emilia borrowed Sam’s coat, “I’m coming along too!” Peter looked at Essie, “Care to be my sidekick on an investigation?"

THE CONCLUSION: https://wjr5oakley.blogspot.com/2022/08/dead-lightp2-conclusion.html