Beneath icepick rain and a moon shining blue, the old seaman wades through knee-deep saltwater. It drools inside his rubber boots, sloshes between his toes. Grizzled by time and tide, his lungs plead for air, and his curved spine squeezes pain into his back with every step.
The old seaman stills a while as he reaches the doors of the lighthouse, hears the shriek of a seabird echoing on the wind as an omen, but is not certain to which side it harks. In one hand, he carries a lantern, the violet flame inside shivering in the gale. In the other he holds a large iron ring mottled with rust, and amongst the set of keys is a smaller ring, a ring clasping a shimmering stone of promise.
The lighthouse has stood empty for two generations, ever since Evans the keeper stole the light away and hid it where he thought nobody could find it. Evans too, vanished, never to be seen again, and on that very night the town became veiled in shadow.
Taken by the sea, murmured some. Too much whisky, others said – words to comfort the beliefs of most. But as with many things, the truth was known by one, and only when she was being led away by death was it revealed.
The old seaman tries the biggest key. It fits. He turns it slowly, wary that if forced, it may snap. It turns smoothly and the bolt eases back. He pushes the door open and raises the lantern. He wipes his stinging eyes dry. The air inside reeks of forgotten time. Each step he takes on stairs spiralling up crunches on decay and abandoned shells.
Evans is waiting for him at the top, naked, crouched in a corner, arms wrapped around his knees.
“I have something for you,” says the old seaman, “from my mother’s mother.”
He sets the lantern down, “Yours, I believe. And this.” He lays the large iron ring down next to it.
Evans rises and comes closer. He takes the diamond and crushes it to dust, then peels open his ribcage to reveal a chasm blacker than death. He cups the violet flame and places it where his heart once was. He seals up his skin, closes his eyes, and as his body melts away, the night sky becomes illuminated with a brightness the old seaman has only ever seen in dreams.
Photo by Srikanta H. U on Unsplash
Comments