AUGHRIM LOUGH

By Harry Durkan

[DATE]
THE HENLEY COLLEGE
[Company address]
SOUND: SLOWLY FADING IN A LARGE ANGRY MOB,
SHOUTING, OVERLAPPING VOICES (BURN HIM! THOMAS!)
DRAMATIC MUSIC. CRACKLINGS IN A FIRE START THEN
SCREAMING BEFORE A ROARING FIRE IS HEARD THEN
CHEERING. FADE OUT
FADE IN
SETTING: INT. AN OLD IRISH PUB, EARLY DAWN
SOUND: WAVES CRASHING, BIRDS CALLING (EXT)
CLOCK TICKING, FOOTSTEPS AND A PHONE RINING (INT)
A young girl is pacing up and down the bar, her phone
is ringing. She eagerly wants to speak to this person
AOIFE Ah come on mum pick up the phonecome on!
SOUND: THE PHONE ANSWERS, SHE SIGHS IN RELIEF
AND HER PACING STOPS SHE SPEAKS TO HER MUM ON
THE PHONE, WE CAN HEAR THE MUM BUT FAINTLY
AOIFE Hello mum how are you? ...yeah its
fine, got in last night, I flew into
Shannon (LAUGHS) no ghosts yet
SOUND: A SISNISTER TONE STRIKES THEN A SHORT
PAUSE
(Laughs)yeah Ive already spoken to
the landowners across the roadyeah
they still want it goneyeah they
want it burned down still
NARRATOR The last time Aoife set a foot in
this bar was when she was six years
old, she had just been told her
mother, Niamh had drowned herself and
her older brother had also perished
trying to save her.
AOIFE Yeah its gorgeous the landscape and
the lough looks so peaceful, but it
is sad being here again, been so
long, Ive had a good look around
found loads of old photos of her and
 my grandmother
SOUND: SINISTER TONE LONGER THAN FIRST
Well well she looks normal really
couldnt have thought it when you
look at her, in photos anyway

SOUND: A LARGE CRASH THEN FOOTSTEPS RUNNING

UPSTAIRS, SINSITER TONE
AOIFE What? Mum Im going to call you back
SOUND: THE PHONE IS PUT DOWN WITH A DING THEN CAN
HEAR HER FOOTSSTEPS AS SHE WALKS THROUGH PUB
TOWARDS AND UP THE STAIRS
AOIFE He-hello? Whos up there!? I dont care for
squatters! Ill get the police on you! Wh-
whos there?
SOUND: SINSITER TONE A LONG PAUSE
AOIFE MMMMUM?
SOUND: A RECORD SCRACTH THEN DANNY BOY PLAYS IN
THE DISTANCE, WE CAN HEAR AOIFE BREATHING THEN A
SINSITER TONE
NARRATOR Although Aoifes real mother was there
watching over her, she wasnt the
spirit that Aoife was communicating
with
SOUND: SINSITER TONE. WE HEAR THE SONG GET LOUDER
AND FOOTSTEPS AS SHE WALKS TOWARDS IT
AOIFE Mum did you turn on this? Is it you?
Have you sent me a sign? (Breaks in her
speech as she is starting to cry, first
time shes spoken to her mother)
SOUND: AOIFE CRYING NOTHING ELSE, THEN WE HEAR A
CLICK AND A KETTLE STARING TO BOIL, ITS VERY OLD
AND MAKING ALSORT OF NOISE
AOIFE Mum if that is you pleaseplease can
you say something? Eoghanolder brother
is it you? Please youre scaring me
SOUND: THE KETTLE BOILS LOUDER, ITS STARTING TO
SCREAMTHERE HUMAN SCREAMS SHOUTING AND CHANTING
FADE IN. FIRE EBEGINS TO CRACK AND ROAR. DRAMATIC
MUSIC
UNKNOWN WOMAN (WITHIN THE DREAM)
THOMAS YOU WILL BURNBURNBURN!
FADES OUT
SOUND: KETLE BOILING FADES IN, AOIFE GASPS (SHES
JUST WOKEN FROM HER TRANCE)
NARRATOR Aoife awoke to the room filled with
grey midst as she regained her
attention she suddenly couldnt
breathe, the room was full of smoke and
ash not vapor, the building was alit
with her inside
SOUND: FIRE FADES IN, SMOKE RISING, DEEP BREATHING,
SINSITER AND DRAMATIC MUSIC. LOADS OF CHAOS
AOIFE (realizing the danger shes in)
No please (Coughing) Oh my god save me
please Mum! (Coughing)Mum save me!
SOUND: ALL THE CHAOS IS CUT WITH THE SLAMMING OF
DOORS AND SCREAMING, DEATHLY SILENT ALL WE CAN HEAR
IS AOIFES BREATHING. THEN SLOWLY A DOOR CREAKS OPEN
AOIFE Why do you want me to go in the mum?
SOUND: SINSITER TONE, HEAR AOIFE TAKING SLOW STEPS.
SINSITER MUSIC BEGINS TO PLAY, CAN HEAR THE MURDER
OF THE HUSBAND
NARRATOR This room where Aoife is stood, the
office, forty years prior is where
Aoifes grandmother, Eireann murdered
 her husband, Donal. Then subsequently
herself; while Aoifes mother slept at
friend house. When she returned the
Aughrim Lough, the only home she ever
knew was gone and her parents were
dead. She left Ireland within four days
to live with her auntie in England, she
was six years old. Aoife knew exactly
what happened in this room and knew her
mother would never issue her in here.
AOIFE
WH-who are you? What do you want?
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS START SLOWLY-GROW VOLUME,
DIFFERENT PERSON WEARING BOOTS (DIFFERENT SOUND)
AOIFE WHO ARE YOU? LEAVE ME ALONE, GO AWAYGO
AWAY! WHERE ARE YOU?
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS STILL APPORCHING, SINSITER MUSIC
PLAYING LAST FOOTSTEP IS THE LOUDEST AS IF HE IS
RIGHT NEXT TO HER THEN THEY STOP SO DOES THE MUSIC,
ALL WE CAN HEAR IS HER BREATHING
SOUND: A LARGE CACKLE ALMOST EVIL, AOIFE SCREAMS
AND SHE STARTS RUNNING THROUGH THE CORRIDORS AND
DOWN STAIRS, THEN A SHGE SLAMS INTO THE DOOR AND
ITS LOCKED. SHE RATTLES AND SHAKES TO DOORKNOB
AOIFE: No no no please
SOUND: THE DOOR SLOWLY CREAKS OPENS, WAVES CRASH,
BIRDS CALL, WIND BLOWS. AOIFE TAKES STEPS OUTSIDE
NARRATOR: Although she couldnt explain it, there
was here mother standing on the bank,
right in front of her as if she could
reach out and grab her, stop her. But
she couldnt go any further
SOUND: AOIFE STARTS TO CRY, WE HEAR THE SPLASHING
OF WATER AS THE MOTHER SUB MERGES HERSELF. THEN WE
HEAR THE CALLS OF HER BROTHER TRYING TO SAVE HER
AOIFE Mum
SOUND: WE HEAR AOIFE CRASH TO HER KNEES, THEN
FOOTSSTEPS AGAIN JUST BEHIND HER. WAVES, BIRDS AND
WIND FADE OUT
NARRATOR when she regained consciousness she
wasnt outside on the bank, she was
inside asleep in the bed she slept in
last night, it was warm and soft as if
shed awoken from a long dream. She
wonders if that was all it was.
SOUND: HEAR HER SIGH GET OUT OF BED WALK AROUND
TURN THE
KETTLE ON AND WALK DOWN STAIRS WHERE THE PHONE
BEGINS TO RING
SHE ANWSERS. Peaceful music plays
AOIFE Hiya mum how are yo- why are you
shouting? What? Pardon mum? I cant
understand you!
SOUND: DANNY BOY PLAYS, HEAR FOOTSTEP APPROACH,
THEN STOPS, DANNY BOY PLAYS ON.