The Lighthouse
The gale pushed the lighthouse’s leaded glass office window
open with a bang.
“My God!” Sean exclaimed. “Will it never stop?”
Oona just stood there, horror emblazoned on her face. “Sean,
what’s happening? It’s never been like
this before!”
Sean had never seen her look like this: so scared.
“Just another bad lake gale, dear. Please don’t be so
worried,” he said as he re-latched the window. “It will be gone shortly. I
promise.”
Secretly Sean recognized that this was the worst storm he
had ever experienced in all his years as a lighthouse keeper on the island.
Even the 150 year old lighthouse seem to tremble from the storm’s fury.
Oona grasped Sean’s shoulder, squeezing so hard he winced
with pain. But, he said nothing so as not to alarm his beloved further.
“Sean,” Oona implored. “We have to leave this damned place
once the storm is over.”
“Oh, c’mon,” Sean answered. “I am an employee of the U. S.
Coast Guard and have been for 22 years.
We’ve seen worse, haven’t we?
This is certainly is not the worst.”
He knew it was, but he was a dedicated employee and, right now, they
were without options. Best calm Oona, he
thought.
“Please, please, Sean,” Oona continued. “Promise we will
leave. You can transfer. You could retire. Enough is enough.”
Without warning, the eastward ground floor door of the
lighthouse slammed open with a horrible crash.
Sean rushed downward to seal the errant banging door,
thrusting the lock bolt firmly in place, while thinking it strange that the
protected side of the structure had surrendered to the pressure of the wind.
As he turned to rejoin his frightened Oona, Sean heard the
sound of the storm engulfing the inside of the lighthouse.
Twelve hours later
“Well Commander, any opinion?” asked Sheriff Tom Wellesley.
“At this point, no,” Lt. Commander Ronald Skeffington, US
Coast Guard, answered. “But, USCGCIS
will be notified.”
“They’d better be. Two people gone at the height of the
worst storm in 30 years, everything locked from the inside, and no place to
go,” Wellesley responded. “Never heard of such a thing.”
“Really?” asked Skeffington.
“We have. One hundred fifty plus years ago. Same lighthouse. But, that
was another story fraught with allegations and references to ghosts and sea
monsters. Of course that was before forensics, science, and truly trained
investigators. Right, Sheriff? No such things as monsters these days.”
Slowly the dark being sank beneath the surface and returned
to its lair: its craving now satisfied.
Terry Le Feber
November 1, 2014
420
