Lighthouse
“Why does this place exist?” asked Jacob through the night.
“You will see,” replied his grandpa.
The lighthouse beam illuminated the beach and a patch of the ocean with green light.
“There’s no dock. There’s not even a village on this island. Why would a ship come here?”
“Hush and watch!”
“I won’t! Who are you to tell me what to do? I’ve never even known you. You just show up at our house and my parents so willingly…”
“Look now!”
Jacob looked to where Grandpa pointed. In the ocean, not far from the shore, stood a man. The man inspected himself then turned to them. He hurried through the water.
Grandpa left the lighthouse porch. Jacob followed. They met the man on the beach. He was clothed only in raggedy shorts and his skin was crinkled from the water. He spoke with the excitement of a child.
“I’ve been roaming over the sea. I saw your light and was attracted to it. I found this body. It’s been so long. Do you have food so that I might taste again? Do you have drink, anything at all?”
“Yes. It’s all inside,” Grandpa said. He knelt in the sand, pulled a key ring from his pocket and unshackled the man’s leg. Jacob had just noticed the shackle. Its chain went into the ocean.
Grandpa stood and said, “Come.”
The man didn’t hesitate to follow Grandpa. They all moved to the lighthouse door, where Grandpa used another key.
The man looked at Jacob. “I can’t believe this. Alive again. I won’t waste it this time. This time, I will truly live.”
Grandpa opened the door. “Inside are dry clothes. I will fetch you something to eat.”
The man walked inside. Grandpa shut the door and locked it.
Terrible screams came from inside, causing Jacob to shake with horror. They were gone in a few seconds, and the light went out.
“So many screams,” Jacob said.
“Yes, one added every night.”
“So tortured.”
“Yes, and trapped forever.”
There was suddenly a glow. This time, it wasn’t from the lighthouse, though. Grandpa had lit a lamp. He unlocked and opened the lighthouse door, set the lamp and his key ring on the porch, went into the lighthouse and pulled out the body of the man.
“Is he dead?”
Grandpa smirked. “Every night. Take the lamp, so you can see.”
Jacob hesitated, got the lamp and followed Grandpa as he dragged the man across the sand. Grandpa replaced the shackle on the man’s ankle.
“There’s no need to take him out; the tide will do that part of the work.”
Jacob gasped at what he felt. “Grandpa! There’s something binding my leg too!”
“Yes. You can’t see it, but you can feel it’s there. It will go once you know you can’t escape anyway. The light will come on tomorrow. You know what to do.”
With that, Grandpa moved down the shore.
“Wait! I don’t want to!”
Grandpa laughed. “Who would? A woman will happen upon the island one day. She will feel sorry for you. I suggest you accept her hospitality. You’ll visit her grandchild when he’s of age. The keys are on the porch.”
“What if I don’t do it? I can’t leave, but I can refuse to cooperate.”
Grandpa laughed again. “Then the lighthouse will take your soul next.”
