Lakehouse | Scene 1 - Episode 1 "A Summer Soiree"

Scene 1 - The Coach House

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For full characters and synopsis, click here (WARNING spoilers, as this contains the plot outline)

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Upper State New York 1922

Clem Plunkett and his two sons are sitting in the parlour after enjoying a Sunday supper of corned beef and potatoes. Clem married late in life, and his young bride had succumbed to TB when the boys were barely out of diapers, Clem had raised them on his own. Their mother would be proud. He lights up his pipe up and relaxes in the rocking chair watching them both. David the youngest, a boy of sixteen is engrossed in a Popeye comic book. The eldest John is practically a man now at nineteen. He is trying to master the art of whittling but he’s all thumbs, he curses when he nicks himself. Clem smiles.

Their evening peace is suddenly broken by the dog barking uncontrollably; the horses in the stable can be heard whinnying in distress. They all leap to their feet. Plunkett & Sons operate the last remaining coach house in Lake George, a remnant of a bygone era since the introduction of the motorcar. Still, folks holidaying will hire them for a picnic in the woods, they give riding lessons, or they do the occasional transit of goods to more remote areas. The horses are their livelihood.

"Son, take this and go on ahead. I’ll be right behind you with my rifle" Clem passes a flashlight to David. He nods at John, who picks up a fire iron. They make their way across the bricked courtyard, past the forge where Clem Plunket still practices the art of farriering. The coach house is a long building with entrances either end. The stable area at the front has four stalls either side, eight in total. Two carriages and an open topped wagon is garaged at the other end. A commotion is going on inside; they can hear growling and snarling. Tentatively, David opens the door. A dark shadow emerges from the stable, it leaps out and bowls the boy over on his backside. The flashlight clatters to the ground shattering the glass. John picks it up, shaking it, but it’s useless now. The family dog, seriously injured, whimpers and lies down on its side.

"There boy, it’s ok, it’s ok. What in tarnation did this to you?” The three examine the bloodied dog, patting him down, when David recoils in horror.

“Pa..pa look!” he points to the dog’s hind leg.

“Let me get some light” Clem strikes a match and holds it over the dog’s hind quarters to see what they are dealing with. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!” he exclaims. The dog’s right foot is bitten clean off. The extent of the injuries is prolific, and Clem hangs his head. “Son, you need to look away" he tells David. The sound of the rifle shot reverberates in the still of the night. Clem puts his arm around David’s shuddering shoulders, as they silently lament the loss of their beloved dog.

“Pa, we need to check on the horses” John reminds him. He locates an old oil lamp hanging on the side of the coach house to light their way. The gun shot should have frighted off whatever attacked the dog, but they proceed with caution, nonetheless. Just inside the stable area they can see two horses lying on the ground.

“Are they dead?” whispers David. Clem crouches and runs his hands over them, no obvious injuries sustained. Their eyes are staring wide open, the whites prominent, and there is foaming around the mouth.

“What happened?’ asks John. Clem shakes his head and gets up slowly.

“It’s like they had a heart attack. I’ve seen this before, animals dying of fright.”

“Pa, what could have frightened them so?”

At that point they can hear a low growling coming from inside one of the stalls. Clem presses his finger to his lips and motions the boys to get behind him. They venture closer, and can hear wet, sucking sounds, snorting and grunting. What they witness chills them to the core. An indescript creature is gnawing at the side of the horse, the animal’s steaming innards are all over the floor of the stall. At first it doesn't notice them, the gunshot earlier obviously hadn't scared it off, but the change in light from the lantern as John held it aloft causes the creature to look up. It howls in rage and lunges past them, bursting through the timber doors of the coach house with incredible strength. Clem fires off a few shots from the rifle but misses his target in the darkness. The trio stands there shaken. Finally, John speaks.

“Pa, what was that? What are we going to do?”

“I don’t rightly know son, what manner of beast that was. I do know this is beyond us. A hunting party needs to be organised. We should go to the police first thing in the morning.”

Something on the floor glittered in the lamp light catching David’s eye. “Pa, what’s this?” the boy holds up a silver chain with an amulet on the end in the shape of a multi-spoked wheel. Clem examines it closely before recognition dawns on him.

“So, after all these years, they’re back”

“Who Pa? Who’s back?”

Clem narrows his eyes, and spits on the ground, “Damn Gypsies!”

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