An abandoned lighthouse- Point Clifton, off the coast of No. California
On a stormy night, 2 sixteen year olds walk into a dark lighthouse by the light of a flashlight. The boy, Bobby Warner, says "Welcome to Devils Lighthouse." The girl, Sara Kincaid, is frightened and reluctant to continue but Bobby coaxes her farther inside. He then turns off his flashlight and lights a candle from a lighter he carries. They look around the downstairs which is covered with cobwebs and dust. He then goes to the long winding metal staircase. While lightening crashes outside, Bobby reassures Sara that "the stairs are 100 years old and won't fall down tonight." They ascend to the lighthouse tower. Sara comments how beautiful the view is - we see lightening flashing over the water illuminating clouds, cliffs, and rocks. Bobby says on a clear night the light could be seen for 25 miles but that the lighthouse was shut down over 50 years ago and the light hasn't worked since. Bobby puts the candle down on the rim of the lighthouse's lamp and tells Sarah he loves her; they embrace and kiss. Behind them, suddenly the candle blows out. We hear a click like a motor starting to whir, then suddenly the lighthouse lamp rotates behind them and the light comes on, dimly at first, then very bright, all the while we hear a demonic growling noise. Then, the entire tower is illuminated. With that a huge vacuum begins and Bobby is swept off his feet and he is sucked feet first into the lamp itself. Sara, screams, squinting her eyes, yelling, "I can't see you!" as she frantically calls his name. Then from out of the lamp's light a ghostly apparition appears, wearing a brimmed cap. He smiles an evil grin and then returns to the light himself. The vacuum stops, Sara is left alone.
At the same time, in a shack near the cliffs by the lighthouse...
An old woman is looking out the window at illuminated lighthouse. Lightening crashes in the night. . She is obviously upset looking at the lighthouse and puts her hand to her mouth saying , "Damn you, Noah!."
Legacy House library - evening
Derek is telling Alex, Rachel and Nick that he found an article in the Point Clifton local paper that a boy named Bobby Warner went missing from an abandoned lighthouse and his girlfriend, Sara Kincaid, was now blind from whatever happened but those were her only injuries. . Rachel says that hysterical blindness is a psychosomatic byproduct of trauma, very rare and usually lasts just a short time.. Derek asks Rachel to examine the girl and makes plans that they all go to Point Clifton in the morning. Nick says he knows a guy from his SEAL unit who runs a boatshop up there. Derek says, find him, maybe he can help, and Alex suggests they could trade old war stories. Nick gives her a look and says "I don't think so". Nick then asks Derek if he's sure this is a case for the Legacy. Derek responds that the locals call it the "Devil's Lighthouse" and that's good enough for him. Derek and Rachel leave. Alex comments to Nick that he doesn't seem real happy to see his friend. Nick replies that he's not exactly a friend. Alex pursues the topic and says they were in the SEALS together. Nick says, "he washed out". Alex again tries and says a lot of guys wash out. Nick replies 'yeah' and drops the subject, turning away.
Boatshop, Point Clifton- morning
Nick walks past tethered fishing boats on the dock and sees a man working on a boat and drinking beer. . He asks him where Mike MacCreedy would be. The man looks up and says "if it ain't Nick Boyle All American point man". Nick looks slightly surprised and replies, "it's been awhile." Mike finishes the can of beer and gets out of the boat noticing that Nick didn't recognize him and says, people change. He asks Nick if he's looking for a boat. Nick replies he wants to see the lighthouse. Mike says its haunted, and spooky, and offers Nick a beer. Nick refuses and asks Mike what he means. Mike again says it's haunted, and been derelict 50 years but he has seen the light go on and off. He comments he has tried to tell the town but "who's going to listen to a bum with a dishonorable discharge from the United States Navy, right Boyle?" Nick doesn't reply, just looks at him, Mike answers for himself "right."
Bobby Warner's House
Alex is in the kitchen with Joan Warner, Bobby's mom, who tells her that she knows he didn't run away and that the police can't find anything but she believes he is alive. . She says Bobby is all she has in the world and that she told him never to go to the lighthouse. Alex promises they will do everything they can to get him back and asks for her help to find everything she can about the history of the lighthouse for them. Mrs. Warner promises she will try.
Sara Kincaid's house
Derek, (in a zippered cowl sweater and a leather coat) and Rachel meet Sara's father, James, and proceed to the couch where Sara is sitting. Rachel sits down next to her and gently starts to talk to her about what happened. Sara gets upset saying "He's gone, Bobby's gone." Rachel motions for Derek and James Kincaid to leave. Rachel's asks where he went and Sara replies, "he went into the light. He got sucked into the light!"
Boat Shop
Nick, Alex and Derek are preparing to leave the dock in fishing boat. Michael asks if he should go along. Nick replies that they can handle it. Michael replies "that's right , Nick Boyle doesn't need backup." Derek looks sharply at Nick who turns toward the front of the boat. Derek asks Michael about what he knows and he again talks about how he has seen the light go on. Derek gets into the boat. Nick cast off the line. Michael says they have the boat till 6 pm but if they're late, he gets to have dinner with Alex. She smiles and suggests they all have dinner, "our treat". Michael grins widely as Nick drives the boat away towards the lighthouse.
Lighthouse Tower
Alex is taking pictures of the lamp unit. Nick is walking around with headphones on holding a monitoring device. Derek is studying the light itself and comments on it's beauty. Nick says radar put the lighthouses out of business. Derek comments that the lamp is well preserved like its been maintained and that something may still be there. Nick says it's possible that Bobby may have gone over the rail and out to sea. He continues scanning with his monitor. Alex heads downstairs to take more pictures and Derek warns her to be careful as he puts headphones on and looks at his monitor.
Alex descend the stairs and begins to look around and take pictures. Meanwhile, Nick is drawn to the lamp by his monitor. He calls Derek and tells him he heard the kid calling his girlfriend. He gives Derek his headphones and we hear Bobby calling Sara's name. At the same time, Alex begins to get a vision, we hear bells tolling and voices saying "Hey Wilkes, You're a dead man," "We're coming to get you" We hear screaming and shouting as Alex turns around the room. Then she sees a man in a brimmed cap (the same one as the man in the lamp), and a hangman's noose. Alex clutches her throat. Then she sees a younger man swinging at the end of the noose who says softly, "Elizabeth."
Sarah Kincaid's house
Sarah is on the couch with Rachel and Alex sitting on either side of her. Derek is standing. Rachel tells Sara that Alex saw a strange thing at the lighthouse that day and wants to talk to her about it. Alex tells her about the man she saw and Sara says that man took Bobby into the light, and begs them to save him. Rachel stays and comforts her. As Derek and Alex leave , Derek tells Alex they'll return to the lighthouse that night at the same time and in the same conditions that Bobby disappeared. Alex asks what he thinks happened to him. Derek says he's sure he is trapped in the lighthouse somewhere because Nick and he heard him. He tells her he is convinced that as long as they can hear him they can get him back, - "When we can't hear him anymore, he's gone forever."
The Warner's house
Joan Warner shows Alex the books and clippings she found at the library. Alex tells her she is sure Bobby is still alive while she looks at the material. Then she finds a clipping that talks about a ship that sank 47 years ago off the Lighthouse Point. There is a picture of Daniel Baker, the captain on the front page. The article says that an angry lynch mob killed the lighthouse keeper, Noah Wilkes. The survivors said they never saw the light go on. The captain, Daniel Baker, went down with the ship. Mrs. Warner speculates that may be what made Elizabeth Baker shut herself off from everyone in town. She said the captain's widow had become a recluse after the death of her husband, living alone in a shack near the cliffs by the Point. Alex wonders if maybe Mrs. Baker knows anything and says she has learned in cases like this that "answers turn up in the most unlikely places."
Outside Mrs. Baker's shack
Alex knocks on the door and goes inside when she gets no response, calling out Mrs. Baker's name as she enters. The house is furnished with chairs and tables from the past. Alex sees a framed picture of a man in a hat and a uniform, the same picture that she saw in the newspaper clipping.. She then picks up a newspaper from a table dated nearly 50 years ago. It's headline proclaims, "Ship wreaks on rocks." Suddenly, the paper is yanked from her grasp and Alex is confronted by the old woman, who demands to know what she is doing there and tells her leave. Alex attempts to talk to her but the woman is adamant that she leave. Alex leaves her card and asks that she call her if she changes her mind. and turns to leave the house. Mrs. Baker says ominously. "that girl is cursed now and that boy is as good as dead and you go out to that lighthouse, you will die ,too. Mark my words."
The Kincaid house
Rachel and Derek are coming down the stairs. Rachel tells Derek that Sara's condition has degraded and she wants to move her to San Francisco to a specialist she knows. Derek agrees and tells her he'll have a helicopter sent up. He tells Rachel to let the father know that the Luna foundation will pay for the treatment. Rachel's tells him of her plans to move Sara and her Dad to the Legacy house tonight and to the hospital in the morning. Derek tells her that he, Nick and Alex are going back to the lighthouse that night and will be there until dawn. He reiterates he still thinks the boy is in the light. Rachel says "it sounds like Jonah and the whale." Derek says "I hope so, Jonah escaped from the whale, remember?" He leaves.
Mrs. Baker's shack, night
Joan Warner comes up to the door with a flashlight and knocks, begging Mrs. Baker to open the door. Inside the house, we see Mrs. Baker sitting in the dark looking very upset. She whispers, "Noah, what have you done?", puts her hand over her face and begins to cry.
"Water's Edge" Restaurant
Michael, with a drink, and Alex with a plate of food, are at a table. Michael says he doesn't think Nick will come. Alex tells him he will and asks what happened between the 2 of them. Michael tells her they grew up together, were both Navy ' brats, did basic together, made it to the SEALS together and were tight once until they had a falling out...He drinks from his drink glass, and says, "it's a long story." Alex says she wants to hear it since Nick won't talk about it. Michael begins and says they were tasked for a black op mission, a covert hostage extraction situation. He says "basically it didn't go off like they planned and everyone didn't make it out alive." Then he finishes the drink. Alex comments, "You like your drink, don't you?" He looks up and grins and says, yeah, its a Tuesday right.? She only smiles. He continues and comments that a deadbeat like him doesn't get the chance to have dinner with a beautiful woman like her. He then continues and says there was an inquest and he was cleared of any misconduct but that he thinks Nick still blames him. Just then, Nick sits down next to him and says, "Why don't you tell her what really happened Michael.?" and it comes out that Michael was hung over when everyone else was counting on him. Nick says he was always 'irresponsible'. Michael asks Nick why he doesn't cut him some slack and says that it wouldn't have hurt him to cover for him. Nick replies, "It was combat, not high school!" Michael then reminds Nick that he wasn't convicted of anything. Nick replies, "yeah, have another drink because you don't feel sorry enough for yourself, yet." Michael, very angry, turns to Nick and says, "you know what your problem is?, you've never been the goat, not once, and you can't identify." Nick stares at him Michael gets up apologizes to Alex and comments that he is sorry she has to be partnered with "this guy, it must be absolutely brutal to be perfect all the time." He leaves the restaurant. Nick angry, gets up and leaves too.
Outside lighthouse-night
Joan Warner is walking outside the lighthouse and hears Bobby calling to her. She is excited and hurries to go inside. Scene cuts to tower, lamp is dark but we hear Bobby's voice saying ,"I don't know where I am- I don't know what's happening to me."
Outside Restaurant in the car
Nick is behind the wheel. Alex gets inside and looks at Nick for a few seconds, then says "Well, he drinks a lot, doesn't he?" Nick replies, "Always did, still does." Alex asks what'll happen now between him and MacCreedy. Nick says 'there isn't anything between him and MacCreedy and tries to drop it. Alex comments that dropping it is certainly is the easiest way to deal with it but that Michael may have a point, and asks Nick if he will drop out of her life as quickly if she screws up. He stares at her and replies, "Look you've know him since only this morning. I've known him my whole life and its not up to me to save him from himself. " Alex reminds him that while there is bad history there is also 'good' history' and that MacCreedy is Nick's last connection to who he used to be and she thinks that's worth salvaging. Nick looks straight ahead for a long moment, then starts the car and drives away.
Lighthouse
Joan Warner climbs the winding staircase by flashlight while calling to Bobby to hang on and that she is coming. As she looks around in the tower, the ghost of the lighthouse keeper appears to her. She asks where her son is and demands his return. He tells her she'll be with him soon enough, then the motor whirs, the ghost looks at the dark lamp and the light comes on and she is sucked in to the light while the ghost smiles.
Mrs. Baker's shack
Elizabeth Baker is looking out the window and sees the light go on . She looks worried, turns around and leaves the window.
Boatshop
Nick and Alex come up behind Michael who asks why they're there. Nick tells him he is "pathetic and should look at himself"'. Just then, Alex's cell phone rings, we see Mrs. Baker whispering into the phone, "It's happening again, he's got Joan Warner!" Meanwhile, Nick follows Michael down the dock telling him that they're not finished. Michael turns and tells him, 'yes he did screw up , he got drunk and he is sorry.' Nick looks at him for a moment and says "Anybody that I got any history with is in the ground. I don't want to see you drink yourself there." Just then Alex comes up and tells them about the phone call. They look at the lighthouse, the light is on. Nick tells Alex to call Derek and though Michael wants to come with them, Nick tells him to stay to be sure Derek gets a boat. They then go to leave for the lighthouse.
Lighthouse
Lamp is dimming and we hear Joan Warner's voice, "Someone help me," as the lamp goes dark. The downstairs door opens , old Mrs. Baker goes to bottom of the staircase and says, "Noah, you got what you wanted, I'm here." She climbs to the top and the light house keepers ghost appears. She says, 'it's you, isn't it.?" He looks at her and says, 'Elizabeth" He tells her he has waited for her all these years and she never came to see him . Elizabeth is very frightened and asks what he wants. He replies that he has always wanted her. She replies , "We were wrong, my husband was a good man, I never should have betrayed him, it's over." Noah's ghost says, he'll never let her go. She begs him to let her go and says Daniel's death was an accident, let it go. Noah tells her it was NOT an accident and that he sent her husband to his death because she wanted him. She begins crying. He says she can't even admit the truth to herself. We then see a flashback of Noah and Elizabeth fifty years ago making love on the floor of the lighthouse. The lamp is dark. That was the night the ship wrecked. Noah tells her he turned off the light and she knew it. She always knew it.
Downstairs in the lighthouse
Nick and Alex come in calling Joan's name. Nick begins looking downstairs, going into one room while Alex goes upstairs.
Back in lighthouse tower
Noah's ghost tells Elizabeth to stay with him or he will get everyone who comes to the lighthouse. Just then Alex comes up and sees them and says "you're Noah Wilkes aren't you?" This lighthouse is dead, you're dead, you don't belong here anymore". Noah says it's still alive looks at the lamp and the light comes on. just as Alex tells Elizabeth Baker to leave. Meanwhile , in the room downstairs, Nick goes to leave it and the door slams shut. He can't get the door open. Upstairs, Alex is struggling not to get pulled in, but does get sucked in feet first into the light. Noah's ghost disappears into the light then and the lamp goes dark. Downstairs, the door where Nick is now opens and he rushes out to find Mrs. Baker coming down the stairs. She is crying that she "didn't do it. Its not my fault." He reassures her and she tells him Noah Wilkes murdered her husband and he is upstairs. Nick asks about Alex and she tells him he took her into the light. Nick rushes upstairs , the light is off .He searches but can't find Alex.
Downstairs
Derek and Michael come in. Nick tells them Alex is gone and he never should have left her. He said he searched but can't find her. They all start to go upstairs, Mrs. Baker, sitting on a bench near the door begs them not to go upstairs, telling them Noah will take them into the light, just like their friend and the boy last week and lots of other people too. She is crying and says she knew, she saw them go but she never told anyone. She says, Noah will never let her go, "He never lets anybody go." Derek, carrying a lantern, stops on the step, turns and looks at her and says, "Tonight. He will." Derek proceeds upstairs.
The outside door to the lighthouse then slams shut. Nick and Michael can't get it open. We hear Noah's ghost saying, "You're mine, Elizabeth, always."
Upstairs
Derek gets to the lamp and calls Alex. Her voice, coming from the light replies, "I'm here in the light, Derek". The light comes on and the ghost of Wilkes comes out. Derek demands that he let the people go. Noah replies that they are part of his lighthouse. Derek, looking very stern tells him "Nobody owes you anything." Meanwhile Nick is climbing the steps, he gets to the top, draws his gun and says "it's over, Wilkes." Wilkes wheels around to Nick, looks at the light and it comes on, with an enormous wind and the gun flies out of Nick's hand as the force of the wind pulling at Nick forces Derek to the wall opposite him. Over the sound of the wind, Wilkes shouts, "Before this night is through, you will all be dead with me." Nick grabs onto the rail as the light tries to suck him in but he is losing his grip as it get stronger. Derek reaches for Nick's gun on the floor. Michael gets to the top of the steps and grabs Nick and pulls him closer to the rail so he can get a better grip just as Derek gets the gun and aims it at the light and begins shooting at the center of the light. Wilkes is screaming , "NO!", then the third shot shatters the lamp and the light goes dark. The wind force stops and Wilkes disappears back into the lamp. The room is dark Then the lamp comes on dimly for a few seconds, flashes and then goes dark again as we see a white mist coming from the base of the light. Then, by the light of Michael's flashlight, we see Bobby and Joan Warner and Alex, all looking confused and stunned. Derek moves to Alex, touching her face with his hand then hugs her close and tight. He looks closely at her face as they embrace. Derek smiles.
Downstairs
Mrs. Baker, still sitting on the bench. says , "It's over. Finally. It's over. Rest in Peace, Noah Wilkes."
Early morning - Legacy House
Rachel wakes up Sara and tells her she has a visitor. It's Bobby. She regains her eyesight and tells him she can see him. They embrace. Alex and Rachel smile.
Lighthouse - day
Michael and Nick descend the staircase. Michael tells Nick no one will ever believe him about what happened. He tells Nick he has a reputation for being a drinker and that people don't listen to him because he's loaded a lot of the time. He apologizes to Nick, saying "you were right, I did let you down, I'm sorry." Nick tells him to forget it. Michael says sadly that he doesn't know what happened to him, remembering he was one of the elite too but now he just keeps sinking deeper. Nick tells him it doesn't have to be that way, not if he doesn't want it to be. Michael nods his head. Nick says, "Come on let's go bud" and they leave the lighthouse
Alex at her desk, writing in her Journal