Archer's Voice

Years later, a young woman named Bree Prescott looks at a cabin for rent in a small town. Bree and her small dog, Phoebe, drove for two days straight from her hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio, to Pelion, Maine. Bree’s trip was unplanned.

George Connick, the landlord, shows Bree around the lakeside cottage. She agrees to rent it before the tour is over. Bree looks out a window and feels like crying from happiness, but the feeling soon fades.

Bree spends the afternoon cleaning with supplies left by George’s wife, Norma. Afterwards, she calls her friend from Cincinnati, Natalie. Natalie expresses concern about Bree’s mental health and asks if she left because of Jordan (later revealed to be one of Bree’s former best friends who forced her to kiss him). Bree says that Jordan was not the entire reason she left and that she was not running away. Bree assures Natalie she is going to be okay. Nat asks to visit, and Bree says that she can once she gets settled in. The next morning, Bree gives herself a short pep talk in the mirror, assuring herself that she is going to be alright.

Ann Cabbott, an elderly woman who lives next door, brings Bree a basket of blueberry muffins and invites her to have tea. Bree feels comfortable on Ann’s homey porch and Ann tells her she loves Pelion’s small-town feel but fears what will become of it when they tear down the lakeside cottages to build condos. Bree reveals she came to Pelion because her family vacationed there when she was a kid. The other side of the lake was a popular spot for tourists and Bree, her mother, and her father were once very happy there. Bree doesn’t tell Ann that this was the last time that Bree remembers being a happy family. Shortly after that trip, her mother was diagnosed with the cancer that took her life. Ann understands that Bree does not want to talk about what is bothering her and does not press her further. Bree says that she is looking for work. Ann tells her that the local diner is hiring a waitress and to tell them that Ann sent her. She also gives Bree directions to a local pharmacy, Haskell’s. On the way home, Bree spots a lone dandelion and makes a wish on it to find peace.

In the evening, Bree drives into downtown Pelion, which is quaint and old-fashioned. She goes into Haskell’s to buy some necessities. When she leaves, her grocery bag breaks and her items fall to the ground. As she is picking up the items, Bree notices a man in her peripheral vision kneeling down to help. He looks unkempt, but Bree notices that he is attractive with “beautiful” eyes. She attempts small talk, but the man remains silent. Bree finally says: “You know it would really help me out if you would speak and put me out of my misery here” (21). The man’s face falls and he walks away despite Bree calling after him. Bree feels a feeling of loss wash over her as she watches him leave. When she returns to her car, she sees dandelion seeds strewn across her windshield.

The next morning, Bree gets up and tells herself that she is okay. Bree walks slowly to the shower, and when she turns it on, she flashes back to the moment of her trauma. The spray of the shower becomes rain on the roof and she hears the sound of thunder. Bree remembers a gun being dragged across her chest and relives the moment in which she thought she was going to die. In the flashback she tries to think of her father lying in his own blood in the next room, but in her terror she can only think of her own fear. When a car door slams, Bree is brought back to the present and throws up. She reveals that she has these flashbacks every morning. She calms herself down by telling herself that she is “okay.” She proceeds to shower, trying to relax, but still shaken.

When she gets out of the shower and observes herself in the mirror, she feels that she looks better than she has in a while. The sounds of the lake are calming to Bree and she feels optimism about how each new day makes her a little stronger. She dresses and heads to the diner about which Ann told her, Norm’s.

At the diner Bree takes a seat at the counter next to two young women, who are about the same age as Bree, and observes an older woman waitressing the tables by herself who seems overwhelmed by the work. Bree orders breakfast from the woman and inquires about the “Help Wanted” sign. The waitress, Maggie, hires her on the spot with the agreement that she can start the next day. Maggie expresses gratitude and excitement about hiring Bree and doesn’t charge her for her breakfast.

The two girls introduce themselves as Melanie and Liza Scholl. Melanie, the older sister, tells Bree that she and Liza are lifeguards during the summer on the other side of the lake, where the tourists visit, and that in the offseason they work at their family’s pizzeria. They tell Bree that they know everyone in town and if she has any questions about anyone, such as who is single, to feel free to ask. Bree asks the sisters about the man outside Haskell’s. They tell her that the man is Archer Hale. She tells them the story about how she dropped her groceries and he helped her and the sisters express surprise that Archer would acknowledge her, since he usually keeps to himself. The girls tell Bree that Archer is deaf from an accident that he was in when they were all kids. They did not have details about the accident, but they reveal that his parents and his uncle, the town’s police chief, were all killed. The sisters invite Bree to hang out sometime and the women exchange numbers.

Bree thinks about Archer and decides to apologize next time she sees him. She wonders if Archer knows sign language and thinks about her dad. Her father was deaf, and they communicated with sign language. Bree thinks about how she feels “intimately acquainted with that particular disability” (28). Bree feels accomplished with finding a home, a job, and potential friends in just one day.

The next morning, Bree begins her job at Norm’s diner. She shows that she is a competent and capable waitress, which puts Maggie in a good mood. Maggie’s husband, Norm, is the cook at the diner. He is grouchy, but Bree sees him looking at Maggie with adoration and understands that he is actually a soft-hearted guy. On Wednesday, Bree does not have to work. She decides to explore the lake with her dog, Phoebe. As she is leaving the cottage she runs into Ann, who gives Bree her bike; Ann explains that she cannot use it because of her old age and gives Bree directions to a small beach.

Bree asks Ann about Archer and Ann says that she remembers him as a “sweet little boy” but explains that he doesn’t talk much now. She speculates that Archer doesn’t speak because he is deaf. She tells Bree that the route to the beach will take her past Archer’s property. Ann explains that Archer lived with his Uncle Nathan after his parents died, but Nathan passed a few years ago. Ann describes Nathan as “slightly strange.” Bree expresses concern that the county would leave a small child with someone so odd, but Ann dismisses it by saying that he was presentable and the only family that Archer had left. Ann talks about the “original Hale boys” and how they always “caused a stir” (32). Ann expresses pity for Nathan and explains that, in the town’s attempt to forget the tragedy, Archer was forgotten.

Bree heads off in the direction of the beach. Going past Archer’s property, she thinks of Archer and feels sympathy for him. She feels that she can relate, having lost both of her parents, but she can’t imagine losing both parents at the same time. She wonders how Archer coped with the grief. She slows down as she passes Archer’s property and stares at the gate.

Bree enjoys her time on the beach, which is mostly deserted. She falls asleep and dreams of her deceased father. In the dream she sees him in the pool of blood, but he is not dead. She asks him if he is alright and he replies “yes.” This surprises Bree because her father did not speak and relied on sign language to communicate. As her father continues to speak, she sees that his lips aren’t moving. She cries and tells her father that she wants him back. He father says, “I’m so sorry you can’t have us both, Little Bee” (34). Bree is unsure what his means by “both.” When Bree wakes up, she is sobbing and hears someone moving away in the woods behind her.

The next morning at the diner, Bree is feeling melancholy. A young police officer visits the diner and Bree learns that he is Travis, Archer’s cousin and Connor’s son. Bree asks Travis about Archer and Travis is taken aback and then dismissive. He calls Archer “weird” and Bree corrects him by calling Archer “different.” Travis claims that he tried to have a relationship with his cousin but he was too strange, and apologizes that he was part of Bree’s initial impression of Pelion. Travis is flirtatious with Bree and indirectly asks her on a date. Bree politely declines. Norm jokingly accuses Travis of flirting with his new waitress. In their exchange, Travis mentions that his mother is busy with the new developments to the town and Maggie’s expression tightens. Travis leaves, letting Bree know that if she is interested in a date, the offer stands.

That evening Bree follows the same path to the beach. Afterwards, she stops her bike outside of Archer’s gate and stares at it again. That night, Bree dreams that someone is on top of her and she is unafraid. She feels the weight of a man and cool water on her legs. She wakes feeling aroused and cannot sleep again until dawn.

Bree does not have to work the next day and wakes up at 8:17am, which is sleeping in for her. She gets out of bed and is confronted by the waking memory of her trauma. She remembers seeing her father through a window in the door between them. He was frantically signing the word “hide.” An intruder screamed at him to put his hands down, but since her father was deaf, he could not hear him. Bree remembers the gunshot that killed her father and how she cried out. She remembers putting her hand to her mouth to stifle the sound and running to the bathroom to hide. She remembers tripping over a box, not having a phone, and curling up in helpless terror. She remembers the door swinging open—her head clears of the memory and she centers herself by telling herself that it is going to be okay.

She takes Phoebe down to the beach and reads a novel. She sees the chaotic fun that the tourists are having on the other side of the lake, which is juxtaposed with the stillness and tranquility of the side of the lake that she lives on. She feels grateful to have ended up in Pelion.

On the bike ride back to her cottage, Bree stops at Archer’s gate and sees that it is open. Curiosity drives Bree to look inside. She is surprised to find a beautiful house, garden, and a perfectly tailored lawn. Phoebe runs onto Archer’s property. Annoyed, Bree chases after the dog. Phoebe runs around the back of the house. Bree hesitates, unsure of Archer. She thinks of how her instincts told her the night of her father’s murder that the intruder had evil intentions. However, her intuition tells her that Archer is not a bad person. Bree chides herself by thinking: “Was I going to let that evil man make me doubt my instincts for the rest of my life?” (43).

Bree continues around back and sees Archer chopping wood, shirtless. She looks him over and can’t help but notice his “smooth-skinned muscles” and “rippling abs” (44). Archer looks her over with an expression of surprise. Guessing that Archer can read lips, she explains that her dog ran into his yard. He says nothing but gives her a wary look. Bree looks for things to say. Archer signals for Bree to follow him.

Bree continues to try and make conversation as Archer leads her to his house. He opens the door and she spies two large book shelves. Bree, a book-lover, begins to move toward them, but Archer stops her. He leaves momentarily and comes back with a notepad. The notepad reads: “Yes I understand you. Is there anything else you need?” (46). Bree finds the question rude, but she apologizes to Archer for not realizing that he was deaf and then asks Archer if he would like to get a pizza with her. Internally, Bree is mortified by her own behavior and is doubly so when Archer declines her invitation. She awkwardly excuses herself and heads back to the gate. Archer returns to the woodpile and Bree scolds herself for not leaving Archer alone. She also is disappointed she did not tell Archer that she knew how to sign.

It occurs to Bree that Archer responded to her without reading her lips. She storms back to the woodpile and states bluntly that she knows that Archer is not deaf. Archer takes her back to the house and writes on the pad that he never told her he was deaf. Bree asks if he can speak. Archer writes that he can speak but wants to “show off my nice penmanship” (49). Bree knows that Archer can’t speak but is unsure if he is trying to be funny. She tells him that she knows sign language and can teach him. He signs that he already knows sign language. Bree feels emotional when communicating with sign because it reminds her of her father. Bree asks if Archer signed with his uncle, but Archer signs “no” and offers no further explanation.

Bree suggests that she and Archer be friends. Archer looks at her impassively. When Archer does not respond, Bree shows herself out, feeling embarrassed once more. She hears Archer return to his chopping.

Archer—Seven Years Old

Young Archer slowly awakens after an accident. He feels disoriented, like he is swimming upward toward a pool’s surface. He hears noises, including the voices of two nurses. He tries to remember how he got hurt, but only recalls disjointed images. He feels pain in his throat. As he begins to remember, he worries about his mother and fears that she might be “lying on the side of the road” (53). The nurses try to comfort him. He attempts to ask for his mama, but he cannot speak. The nurses bring in his Uncle Nate, who looks as if he has been crying. Archer recalls that his uncle always looks a little funny, often having mismatched shoes or an inside-out shirt. His Uncle Nate once told him this appearance was because his brain was working on more important things.

When Archer cannot speak, the nurse brings him a notepad on which he writes “Mama?”. The nurse and Uncle Nate look away and Archer knows that his mother is dead. He tries to scream out in grief but makes no sound.