"Hello?" "Wait!" "Hello!" "What are you doing here?" "Tell me!" "I don't know..." "What is your name?" "I was on my way to San Francisco." "I do some report on civil engineering assignment, then..." "I was in the water, there was a storm... light in a distance." "God, the rest just blur." "Impossible?" "It's maddening." "The wound in your head." "I found you unconscious on the beach." "You've been knocked out for two days." "The light?" "It was a warning, Not an invitation." "Thank you for looking after me." "I'm in your debt, Mr..." "Let me be clear, boy." "This place is isolated, remote." "I like it that way." "My job here is to maintain the house, the grounds, and to keep the light burning." "It's not to play host to guests or making friends." "Of course." "I'm already up and around, I won't cause any more bother." "I'll be on my way this afternoon." "No one leaves this peninsula..." "Excuse me?" "No one leaves this peninsula, Except by ferry." "When is it due?" "In two weeks." "There must be another passage." "There is... a footpath." "Impassible." "Runoff from the mountains make a creek at this time of year." "Crossing it would be suicide." "You have a telephone." "My shipwreck..." "The authorities would know about it." "Hello?" "Hello?" "There will be ship manifest, missing persons report." "They can tell me who I am." "Hello." "Nothing." "The lines must be down after the storm." "It happens all the time." "On the beach, did you find a satchel?" "A satchel?" "Yeah, with a manuscript inside." "You're a writer?" "No." "Well, yes." "It is a technical journal." "It's complicated." "My ambitions led me to the city once, to a lucrative position." "But it didn't work." "She must have taken it..." "Who?" "A girl." "I saw her on the beach before I fell." "You didn't see a girl." "Yes, a young woman." "I called out to her, but she didn't answer me." "I followed her but she disappeared behind the rocks." "She didn't answer you because there is no girl." "You and I are the only two souls on this God forsaken rock." "You're not in your right mind." "Your imagination is... playing tricks with you." "No... but I can't be sure of anything in my present state." "I have work to do." "Walsh." "My name is Walsh." "Wait!" "Wait, come back!" "I want to talk to you." "What causes these tremors?" "The earth below us is chalk... full of catacombs... eroded by the crashing waves continuously when the tide comes in." "If that's true, the foundations of this house will be compromised." "It's only a matter of time." "Then let's drink to the lighthouse crumbling into the sea." "Not a drinking man?" "Don't worry." "I'm used to drinking alone." "Perhaps I can reinforce the foundation." "Stave off the inevitable?" "It is the least I can do to repay your hospitality." "After all, if I'm going to be a prisoner here, I might as well be useful." "Whatever you want." "I don't understand you." "I tell you this house is down to crumble around your ears and you just shrug." "What do you call it?" "A prison..." "You've been here a few days." "Imagine... being here a life time." "This peninsula is a grave..." "This lighthouse a tombstone." "Forgive me if I fail to shed a tear at the prospect of its destruction." "Don't you care about anything?" "I id once." "I took a young wife." "I promised her a prosperous new life in the city." "Jobs were scarce." "Finally, when I was desperate for work, I brought her here." "Ours was a whirlwind courtship." "She was so beautiful... so... vibrant when we met." "But it's hard to know a woman after so short a time." "She became melancholy." "For weeks on end, she would despair." "I thought starting a family would..." "would make her feel less alone, but... she couldn't bear the thought of a child... suffering here the way she did." "Her constant sorrow began to annoy me." "I just wanted to shake the sadness out of her!" "What happened?" "She made her escape." "The woman on the beach..." "There is no woman." "We are alone here." "No, I saw her again this afternoon in the woods." "It was not a hallucination." "My mind was clear." "Is your mind clear now?" "Has your memory returned?" "Do you know who you are?" "Can you even tell me your real name?" "How can you be so sure we're alone?" "How can you be sure I didn't see your wife?" "Because..." "I saw her... fall into the sea." "Come, let the burial rites be read." "Let the funeral song be sung!" "An anthem to her... the queen is dead... and ever died so young." "A dirge for her... the doubly dead in that... she died so young." "Please forgive me." "Don't let your candle go out." "Always..." "always keep a light burning." "Good mornin'." "What do you have there?" "Kerosene." "The light needs to be refueled constantly." "Tell me, is there a safe way down to the beach?" "A staircase, just a stones throw from here." "That way." "If you had waited till the tide went out that first day... instead of foolishly scaling the cliff..." "It would have become obvious." "Hey!" "Keep away from the caves." "They are dangerous." "What are you doing here?" "I'm sorry." "I didn't mean to frighten you." "I don't mean you any harm." "I'm not the one about to suffer harm." "Talk." "I was afraid you would disappear again before I had the chance to speak with you." "You should have shown himself." "I've called you before, you didn't answer." "I've seen you twice before and twice you disappeared without a word." "I was beginning to think you are a ghost." "Would a ghost do that?" "You're soaked through." "Stand by the fire before you catch a draft." "For someone so desperate to speak with me you don't say much." "Sorry... what's your name?" "What are you doing out here?" "Are you alone?" "A lot of questions." "Sorry." "You say that a lot." "My name is Nora." "What's yours?" "You can call me JP, I guess." "JP." "What kind of name is that?" "What does it stand for?" "I don't know." "What do you think?" "Now who's being mysterious?" "You never answered my question." "What are you doing living alone?" "Out here of all places." "Times are tough all over." "It's no secret." "I thought this place would be..." "a refuge, I guess." "It could be dangerous... out there for a girl all alone." "Somehow I think you can handle yourself." "Why are you looking at me like that, JP?" "Have me met?" "I feel like I know you." "I bet you say that to all the girls." "Haven't you ever felt that way about someone you've just met?" "Once..." "A long time ago." "Well, tell me... is there another way off this peninsula, other than by ferry?" "That depends." "On what?" "On how strong a swimmer you are?" "I can't swim." "Will I see you again?" "You know the way now, don't you?" "You have to go?" "Come with me back to the lighthouse." "At least for a little while before you return." "No, I can't." "I don't understand." " Do not speak of me to Walsh." " Don't speak of you?" "Please, JP." "He's mad." "Nora, wait!" "What are you doing?" "Did you hear that?" "What?" "Voices." "Voices?" "What were they telling you?" "I don't know." "It wasn't quite clear." "More of a little murmur." "Like wind?" "Like the creaking of an old house settling?" "Like the sounds of an old lighthouse on unstable ground?" "You think I dreamt it." "Perhaps." "Who is this?" "The woman you spoke of?" "No... it's just a drawing." "You're right, there is no girl." "She's just a figment of my imagination or... a ghost." "I don't believe in ghosts." "You don't believe in the afterlife?" "I've lived through hell and heaven here on earth, usually by my own design." "No, nothing awaits me after death, except the cold embrace of the grave." "It is a pretty sombre outlook." "You're still young, boy." "Wait until you get to my age." "You might find the promise of oblivion... a reprieve." "What are you doing?" "I thought I heard something." "This is my private room." "Keep out." "I will not warn you again." "Nora!" "Come with me." " Where?" " I want to show you something." " What is it?" " Come on." "What's the meaning of this?" "Are you insane?" "I warn you." "Don't let this go out again." "Nora!" "What are you doing here?" "Do you want Walsh to see you?" "No, I couldn't stay away." "I had to see you." "Come on." "Wait, it's too soon." "You hardly know me." "I know you." "Nora!" "Nora!" "It's like a dream, isn't it?" "As a child I used to dream of a little boy." "But I pinched myself to wake up, because I could not bear the thought... of falling in love with someone... who was just a figment of my imagination." "He was so like you." "When I first saw you on the beach I thought I was dreaming." "I felt the same way, like I dreamt of you before we met." "I'm afraid." "Of what?" "Being alone again." "This isn't a dream." "It's real." "Lately, my mind has been like a book with shuffled pages... but I'm sure about one thing." "Come with me." "What?" "Come with me to San Francisco." "No one leaves this peninsula." "Nonsense!" "Where did you hear that?" "Walsh?" "Nora, this..." "this sadness, it isn't like you." "We are all of us more than one person, JP." "I am leaving, and I'm asking you to come with me to San Francisco." "We can build a life there." "Is it possible?" "Yes." "Yes!" "Yes!" "Take me with you." "I will." " We'll be together." " Always." "Nora?" "Nora?" "Nora?" "Nora!" "Nora!" "Don't!" "Nora!" "Nora!" "Nora!" "Oh my God, no." "Nora!" "Nora!" "Don't speak of me to Walsh." "Please, JP." "He's mad." "No one leaves this peninsula..." "No one leaves this peninsula..." "Walsh!" "Walsh!" "You." "You did this." "Did what?" "You killed her." "You may not have laid a hand on her, but you killed her just the same." "Killed who?" "The girl." "She said you were dangerous." "She was afraid of you all along." "She was desperate." "You filled her head with lies, made her think she couldn't leave this place." "I don't know what you're talking about." "We are here alone." "How long have I been here?" "When is the ferry coming?" "Let go of me." " When is it coming?" "Tell me!" " In two weeks." " The ferry will be here in two weeks." " No!" "You said that before." "I want the truth." "Enough!" "Enough!" "Silence!" "For the love of God, stop!" "The voices." "You do hear them." "No." "Don't lie to me." "Alright." "Alright!" "Yes." "Yes, I hear the voices... whispering, angry, Vengeful, whispering!" "They torment me." "They torment me." "No!" "No!" "Don't go down there!" "No no!" "Walsh." "Walsh, open the door!" "Back, damn you!" "Back!" "To the lighthouse." "Back!" "Back you son of bitches!" "Back to hell!" "Back!" "Now!" "What are those things out there?" "Phantoms?" "Ghosts?" "Ghosts?" "Can a ghost put bony hand around your throat and choke the life out of you?" "Why are you standing there?" "Go to the kitchen, Go to the back." "Light all of candles." "They abhor lights!" "Go!" "They are out there... waiting." "Yes, waiting for us to let down our guard." "Until the morning sun drives them back into the shadows." "You saved me back there." "Thank you." "That was twice, boy." "That is for striking me on the beach when my back was turned." "I probably saved your life." "You should know by now that nobody leaves this peninsula." "You've said that before." "You know exactly what's going on here." "What are those things?" "They are my curse." "My plague." "Spawn of the Destroyer... born of the sepulchre... to torment me..." "Dragging me back to hell." "Vengeance!" "That is what they want, Plain and simple." "You wronged them." "Yes." "Then you knows how to appease them." "I cannot change what I have done." "Nothing less than my soul will sate their hunger." "What did you do?" "Tell me." "When my wife fell..." "I wanted to die but I was too cowardly to finish myself." "I would drink until I couldn't lift the glass." "Then, one night, I failed to refuel the lamp." "I had..." "I let the light go out many times in my drunken stupor, but this time... this time a ship suffered the consequences." "A tramp steamer." "I saw it approaching and I..." "I tried to light the signal, but I was too late." "I stood there and watch as it crashed on the rocks..." "There were no survivors." "You hid them..." "Buried them in those catacombs." "It broke into a hundred pieces and sank beneath the waves." "What little of it washed up at shore I burned." "Most of the men went down with the ruined hulk." "Those who tried to swim to shore, they never made it." "They drowned." "Their bodies dashed on the rocks." "In one or two days, there was no trace of it ever happened." "I could almost convince myself it was a bad dream." "Almost." "You bastard." "Those men had wives, families." "They deserve to know." "I could imagine a woman on a widows walk..." "I could see her on the roof of her house... looking out across the horizon, waiting for her husband to return from the sea." "I thought about all those sailors children." "Lost at sea... has a much nicer ring to it than dead." "They could still hope that way." "I could not take that from them." "You hear yourself?" "You are inhuman!" "I'm only human." "I did what any man would have done under those circumstances." "Not every man." "You think you would have done something differently?" " I know I would have." " You know nothing!" "You don't know who you are until you faced the horror yourself." "Hello." "Let us in..." "Nora?" "I don't understand." "What's not to understand?" "Are you a ghost?" "Would a ghost do that?" "Why are you afraid?" "I'm not afraid." "You said we'd be together always." "You said you would take me with you to San Francisco." "I'm sorry." "I..." "I can't do that." "Why not?" "The ferry hasn't come." "Well, I have a better idea." "You can stay with me here, forever." "No!" "Jonathan Percival Walsh..." "What are you doing in here?" "I warned you to stay out of my room!" "The light." "Oh no." "Hey!" "Hey, come back!" "The rocks!" "For the love of God, man!" "What are you doing?" "You were right." "Was I?" "Yes." "I didn't know who I was before... but I do now." "I do now." "Is that so?" "Yeah." "You were wrong about one thing though..." "What was that?" "Those things out there." "I believe they can be appeased." "And how do you propose to do that?" "I'm going to kill you, lighthouse keeper." "Hello?" "Wait!" "Hello!" ""IS ALL THAT WE SEE OR SEEM BUT A DREAM INSIDE A DREAM?"" "EDGAR ALLAN POE"