Winchester Family-Book One

DEAD IN THE WATER

CARLTON HOUSE

Will Carlton sits on the kitchen counter eating cereal, Bill at the table reading the newspaper. Sophie comes through the room.

Sophie kisses her father on the cheek.

Sophie: Morning, Daddy.

Bill: Morning, sweetheart.

Sophie goes to get something out of the refrigerator.

Will: All these workouts, Soph, I don't know. Guys don't like buff girls.

Sophie: Yeah, well, girls don't like guys who still live at home.

Will drains the milk from his cereal bowl and slides off the counter.

Will: Ha ha ha.

Sophie: Ha ha.

She opens the door to leave.

Bill: Be careful.

Sophie: I will.

She closes the door.

LAKE

Sophie stands on the dock, looking at the lake. Will watches from a distance as she dives in. She swims and comes up for air, looking around; she sees no one. She keeps swimming. She comes up for air again and looks around some more; still no one. Someone approaches her from underwater and pulls her under. Bubbles. Nothing.

MOTEL

A truck goes past a neon sign that says HOTEL, behind a building that says THE Lynnwood INN. The Impala is parked in front.

DINER

There is a mostly empty plate in front of Dean, who is circling obituaries in a newspaper.

He circles an obituary that reads:

CARLTON, SOPHIE -The Carlton family is sad to announce the death of their beloved daughter in a tragic swimming accident. Sophie Carlton, 18, was having her [...] Lake Manitoc WI, an [...] suddenly [...]

An attractive waitress Wendy approaches him

Wendy: Can I get you anything else?

Dean looks up and grins around the pen he's chewing on.

Sam and Nathan walks over and sits down

Sam: Just the check please.

Wendy: Okay

She smiles at Dean and walks away. Dean drops his head and looks at Sam. Nathan chuckles.

Dean: You know, Sam, we are allowed to have fun once in a while.

He points to Wendy walking away; she's wearing short shorts.

Nathan: Now that looks like fun.

Sam looks at both of them. Nathan hands him a newspaper.

Nathan: Here, take a look at this, I think I got one. Lake Manitoc, Wisconsin. Last week Sophie Carlton, eighteen, walks into the lake, doesn't walk out. Authorities dragged the water; nothing. Sophie Carlton is the third Lake Manitoc drowning this year. None of the other bodies were found either. They had a funeral two days ago.

Sam: A funeral?

Dean: Yeah, it's weird, they buried an empty coffin. For, uh, closure or whatever.

Sam: Closure? What closure? People don't just disappear, guys. Other people just stop looking for them.

Dean: Something you want to say to us?

Sam: The trail for Dad. It's getting colder every day.

Dean: Exactly. So what are we supposed to do?