The Lighthouse Keeper

It was a stormy gray day when Dylan Jefferson and his family moved into the old lighthouse that rested on the rocky shore of Cautionary Point, Maine. Dylan had been asked to take over when Peter McClintock, disappeared. ‘Old Crusty’ is what they called him due to his beard that appeared to be crusted over with salt water. His wife, Emma thought it was a good opportunity but his daughter, Gloria had thought the lighthouse was creepy.

“I’m sure when we fix it up it’ll be a nicer place.” Dylan’s wife said softly. Their daughter nodded but they both knew she still didn’t like it at the lighthouse.

The first night went by without any incident, but the next day is when the incidents began. Well his wife and daughter were in town shopping he could swear he could hear footsteps walking up the iron stairs leading to his location at the top of the lighthouse. Not just foot steps though, but the sound of metal loudly scraping against metal, but he could find no explanation for the sounds, “Maybe I’m hearing things.” He said to himself.

Later that night while he and his wife were settling in he brought it up to her, “Maybe you were hearing things.” She said.

“That’s what I thought tok, Emma but thinking back on it I don’t know.” Dylan replied.

That night while they slept Emma and Dylan woke up to the sound of their daughter sobbing and screaming bloody murder. They ran to her room and began to comfort her seeing her bleeding with a cut across her belly, “What’s wrong sweetie?” Emma asked. Gloria frowned slightly as she explained she saw an old man enter her room and he used a knife to cut her.

The police had been called that night but they could find no explanation as to how someone got in without a key. Dylan asked his wife to take Gloria and go stay with friends while he stayed behind, “If anything were to happen to you or Gloria, I could never live with myself.” He said and though his wife protested, she knew she wouldn’t convince her stubborn husband to come with her. He bid the loves of his life goodbye unsure if he’d ever see them again.

That night while he stayed up making sure the lighthouse was working, he heard the familiar footsteps and the metal being dragged against metal. He was prepared to confront whoever it was and waited as the steps and dragging noise got closer. Than when the door open all that stood there was the dark shape of a man.

“Who’s there?” He asked. The shape entered revealing it’s appearance, the figure was male, wearing a black rain coat over a black button up shirt, black pants, and black boots. He also wore a black hat and his eyes were hollowed out sockets but Dylan knew who it was, it wad Old Crusty.

“GET OUT!” Old Crusty rattled out in an old raspy voice. Dylan backed up out of fear as the man approached him he was armed with an old harpoon spear.

The next day when Emma returned to speak to her husband she was horrified but what she saw, her husband was suspended from the ground, skinned and gutted as if he were a fish. The police came to take him away, and when they searched the area they found Old Crusty’s rotting body, his throat had been slit. To this day no one knows exactly what happened.

  • This is the best story ever especially the ending