1990: Saturday, 12pm
[Lights up on cottage and picnic table. Rachel and Jessica set dishes at the picnic table, but they are having trouble working around Leanne who is passed out, half lying across one corner. Charlene can be seen at the cottage window on the telephone.]
CHARLENE: Slow down, Mrs. Walker. I can’t understand you. Yes, I have some friends here for the weekend. Yes, Mrs. Walker, my parents are aware of it, not that it matters.
RACHEL: Come on, Leanne, get up!
CHARLENE: Yes, we were here all night. But I’m sure you know that already.
JESSICA: Leanne, if you’ll get up, I’ll make you a smoothie with supplements from my naturopath. You’ll feel a lot better.
[Rachel throws up her hands and stalks into the cottage. She returns with a portable stereo and an extension cord. She sets the stereo down on the picnic table beside Leanne’s head, knocking over cups as she does so.]
CHARLENE: Were we too noisy? Because, honestly, I couldn’t hear the people around the fire from my cottage, Mrs. Walker. Your dog is noisier than my friends. What? I beg your pardon?
[Rachel plugs the extension cord into the stereo.]
CHARLENE: Someone ran over your dog? Mrs. Walker, I’m so sorry to hear that.
[Rachel presses Play. Aggressive music tears out of the stereo. Everyone jumps; Leanne rolls off the table and lands on her feet ready to fight. Susanne bursts out of the outhouse, very pregnant.]
SUSANNE: What the fuck is going on?! Do you want my water to break or what?!
[Rachel turns down the music and everyone attempts to recover. Leanne lays down in the grass. Susanne waddles angrily towards them as Charlene comes out of the cottage.]
SUSANNE: God, I hate outhouses. Charlene, when are your parents going to put some plumbing in the cottage for Christ’s sake? I mean, who still uses a pump to wash dishes?
LEANNE: Shh.
RACHEL: Isn’t she radiant? What is it about pregnant women?
SUSANNE: [Angrily.] Have you ever spent a good twenty minutes puking in an outhouse when you’ve only had an hour of sleep? [Beat.] Right. Never mind.
CHARLENE: The dog.
SUSANNE: Charlene, God knows I love you, but ‘hair of the dog’is not going to help morning sickness.
CHARLENE: No, the dog.
LEANNE: Shh.
JESSICA: [Moves the stereo off the table to finish setting out the dishes.] Oh, lighten up, Susanne. Morning sickness is a good sign. I’ll make you some tea that will make you feel better.
CHARLENE: Mrs. Walker’s dog. Someone ran over the neighbour’s dog last night. Who drove home from the bar?
[Everyone looks at Jessica. She freezes for a moment before gushing out a teary-eyed confession.]
JESSICA: [To Leanne.] Oh, I told you we should stop! Oh my God, that poor little dog. That poor little dog. I thought I heard something. I was sure I’d heard something but Rachel and Leanne said not to stop. It’s so creepy on that road. There are no lights and it’s so dark and there was no moon last night. How could I see a dog on the road? But I heard something, a thump or something. Oh, my god, that poor little dog.
