Half Light

---

(Orchestral music playing)

TOY:
Time for action!

Gangrene, you slimeball!

Hands up!

TOY:
Gangrene, you slimeball!

- Hey, Thomas.

- Hi, Brian.

- How was school, eh?

- Fine.

(Softly) good.

Time's up, you slimeball.

- Let's go outside.

- I'm almost done.

Come on, mom, you promised.

I know

and I am a terrible mother.

- You're horrible.

- Horrible?

- You're dreadful.

- Dreadful? Oh!

Well, Im gonna be horrible

and Im gonna be dreadful

if I don't finish

this chapter.

So I need at least...

- five minutes.

- Three.

Four.

Deal. We're escaping outside!

Whoosh!

- Hey.

- Hey.

- What did they say?

- (Groans)

Not interested.

What do they know?

They rejected my first novel anyway.

It's Tabitha king

syndrome.

Stephen King's wife.

She's a good enough writer,

but no one knows her.

All they know is Stephen King.

(Class bell rings)

They'll know you

one day.

Look at all the help

you've given me.

That's editing, darling.

It's not the same thing.

See? "not sufficiently

mysterious for a mystery,

nor sufficiently thrilling

for a thriller."

You know, it wouldn't

be the worst thing

to add a few thrills

and resubmit it.

Throw in some more blood?

Psychopath jumping

out of the closet with an axe?

No, it's not

the English tradition.

I thought a sort of style, wit...

imagination.

Darling, you have wit?

Very good.

You're the best editor in London

is that so bad?

Max Perkins saved Hemingway.

Yes, well, no one

remembers max Perkins,

and he's right up there

with Tabitha what's-her-face.

Well, I couldn't have done

any of this without you.

Well, you do realize,

darling, that...

that Im supposed to be

saying that to you?

Hey, when can I read some?

About three minutes.

That's all Thomas has given me.

Okay, three minutes it is.

TOY:
Action alert!

Hand's up!

Action alert!

Hands up!

Brian, dinner's ready.

Yeah, coming.

Thomas.

Thomas?

Thomas?

Thomas?

Thomas?

Thomas! No!

Oh, baby.

Brian! Come on.

Come on! Breathe!

Brian!

(Choral music playing)

(Sobbing) no...

no no...

no!

WOMAN:
I searched

every website.

This is everything you want.

It's remote, quiet,

- no one around for miles.

- Ingonish cove.

You'll get so much writing done

it's got the boats we used in Suffolk

do you know how long

you might want it for?

I don't know.

Just whatever it takes

for me to finish this book.

It looks great.

Well, Brian hasn't

been any help.

He should have been

there for you.

Yeah, weli...

he tried.

Look, whatever we had,

we lost a long time ago.

Yeah, I know.

But are you really gonna

be okay out there, all by yourself?

- It's only been eight months.

- Yeah, Im fine.

Would you like to get some tea?

Yeah.

I'll get you wherever you are!

(Eerie music playing)

(Soft piano tune playing)

If you're really gonna go,

take these with you.

You know I was wanting to try

it without it for awhile, Robert.

It's just in case.

(Elevator dings)

Rachel.

Shall I call Bartlett?

I'm not up for divorce

lawyers right now.

Let's just deal with all that

when I get back.

(Dings)

- ROBERT:
So how did it go?

- BRIAN:
All this time,

she's never talked

to me about Thomas.

She won't open up to me at all.

You've got to remember it's not

the same for you.

What, because he's not my son?

Because you weren't

the one who left the gate open.

- Hello.

- WOMAN:
Rachel, how are you?

You should see where

I am right now.

- You're there already?

- It's beautiful,

and there's not another

house around for miles.

They said there

was a lighthouse

there as well?

- Mm-hmm.

- You've got one in your book

haven't you?

You can do some research.

RACHEL:
It's perfect.

It's exactly what I wanted.

If I can't write here,

I can't write anywhere.

Ah. At least you're

not stuck writing crap

for a crap paper,

like I am.

It's not that bad.

It keeps the bills at bay.

- Almost

- yeah, which is good for you.

Which I don't

need reminding.

Hey, remember...

if you want me to come out there,

you just say the word.

Thanks.

I'm-I'm-I'm gonna be okay.

I really... I really think

Im gonna be okay.

Excuse me...

excuse me? Am I headed the

right way into town?

Sorry?

Am I...

am I headed the right

way into town?

Yeah, you just follow up the beach.

You can't miss it.

Okay, I wasn't sure.

Are you traveling through?

Oh, no no, actually, Ive just

moved into foster road, number 1.

Foster road, number 1?

Are you sure?

I think so.

It's the only house on the road.

Yeah, that's it.

I'm Finlay Murray,

what passes for a police

sergeant round here.

- And Im Mary.

- Hello. Rachel Carlson.

- So you here

on your own?

- Yeah.

Well, if you hang on,

Ill give you a lift in.

It's a wee bit of a hike.

Thank you,

but this is what Im here for.

- Are you sure?

- Absolutely.

- Okay.

- To the beach.

- Yep.

- All right. Thank you.

Your son's waiting for you.

On the swings.

He's been waiting for you.

He told me.

My son?

I'm sorry.

It must have been

someone else's little boy.

Wait. Can I talk to you?

I was mistaken,

that's all.

It's a beautiful day,

isn't it?

(Squeaking)

THOMAS:
Mom? We're escaping outside

come with us.

You promised,

but you never came.

(Camera shutter clicking)

It's impressive,

don't you think?

Quite.

I didn't realize that there was

anyone else around.

Carry on.

Lighthouses are a dying breed.

I'm Angus McCulloch,

the lighthouse keeper.

Rachel.

Sorry, I just assumed

that all lighthouses

were automated now.

Well, most of them are.

In a few years,

Ill be gone, too.

So what brings

you out here?

I'm researching

lighthouses for a book.

It's a long way from America

just to see a lighthouse.

No no, I live in London

actually.

I'm just out here

doing some writing.

Oh, you're in

the cottage.

It's about time

someone moved in.

It's been empty for years.

Well, you've certainly

come to the right place

to write a book.

Did you meet the horses yet?

That's a story for you.

A Spanish galleon shipwrecked,

right there, 1754.

The entire crew died,

but a few horses

swam here to safety,

and they've been here

ever since.

And they've never

been off the island?

I can think of worse.

Yeah.

Listen, Im just

putting some dinner on.

You're welcome to stay,

have something to eat.

I can tell you

everything you need

to know about lighthouses.

Thanks, I need to get back.

I'm still unpacking boxes.

Well, look, maybe next week.

Same time?

I'll cook some extra

and if you don't show,

Ill eat with the horses.

We should be friends.

We're neighbors now.

We should.

(Gasps)

RACHEL:
"to my love in

honor of what we decided yesterday."

"Forever yours, k."

"Page 145, line 7."

"Today I begin to understand

what love must be,

if it exists.

When we are parted,

we each feel the lack

of the other half of ourselves.

We are incomplete,

like a book

in two volumes

of which the first

has been lost.

This is what

I imagine love to be...

incompleteness in absence."

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