The Lighthouse

The Lighthouse by TD Cooper https://amazon.com/author/tdcooper
http://www.tdcooperbooks.com

The Lighthouse

From my perch on the upper tier of the lighthouse, I watched as the clouds parted and allowed the last remnants of the sun to stream through them. I’d sat in the same place every day for years dreaming of Sofia, the woman I’d loved. The last day I saw her, we’d fought. Sofia wanted to reveal a secret and I didn’t believe her. She disappeared and I left everything I knew, boarded a ship, and sold my soul to the lighthouse. Now, I waited for the three-mast sailing ship to float across the horizon in hopes of renegotiating my contract. But, another day had come and gone with no ship. My head dropped, and my shoulders slouched in disappointment as I realized today would not be the day the ship returned to rescue me. 

As the sun dropped below the horizon and the sky grew dark, I gave up my perch and walked inside. At the top of the stairs, I etched a diagonal line through four existing lines and exhaled. The walls on either side of the winding steps, as high as I could reach, had these same lines. They were the way I counted passing ships and the days I’d spent at the lighthouse. The lines were many, too many to count, but my hopes were high that my day would come.

That night the clouds closed and piled onto each other, turning black. The night roared with nonstop lightning, thunder, and pounding waves. My job was to make sure the lamps on the lighthouse stayed lit and that they moved in a circular pattern across the coral reef. I worked non-stop well into the night, but just before dawn, the lamps went out. 

The morning light revealed a ship, on its side with the sails churning in the current, and wedged on top of the coral and rocks. I raced down the stairs, taking them three at a time and blasted my way out into the bright sunlight.

“No!” I screamed, recognizing the ship as my ride off the island. I saw no signs of life. “Had everyone drowned? Where were all the bodies that should’ve littered the beach?” I fell to my knees in agony and hopelessness. 

I don’t know how long I laid in the damp sand, but as the tide came in and filled my nose with the pungent smell of salt and ocean water, I became aware of the sound of singing. “There is a survivor. She’s trapped on the rocks.” I raced through the surf, “Hold on, I’m coming!” I shouted, splashing my way toward her, and then diving under an incoming wave. I emerge below her and alongside of the rock.

“Are you alright?” I asked. She startled and stared me in the eyes. “Ma’am, are you alright? I’m here to take you to shore. I’m the lighthouse master. Were you on the ship that wrecked last night?” I asked, running my sentences together and feeling like I should know her.

She giggled and looked over my shoulder at the building behind me.

“What…,” I started to ask, following her stare. The lamp was shining at full brightness. I inhaled and looked back at her, noticing the ship was gone from the reef. “I don’t understand… Do I know you…? You have a tail,” I muttered, confused. The beautiful blue-eyed woman reached out her hand, helping me onto her rock.

“It’s time for you to retire. Your replacement is in the tower, and I’m your escort if you so desire,” the blue-eyed woman said and smiled.

I looked back at the lighthouse, at the waves crashing over the reef, but more than anything, I realized who the half-naked woman with a tail was and why she beckoned me to follow her into the turbulent sea. 

My choice was clear… I dived head first into the next wave and into the waiting arms of Sofia.
https://amazon.com/author/tdcooper
http://www.tdcooperbooks.com