Henry Sevenous: Tales of the lighthouse keeper

The tale of a young man whom discovers a mysterious creature, washed up on the beach when he is travelling to his Uncle's lighthouse.

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The tide rolled in, my feet touched the cold wet sand and my heart felt lighter. The moon was high in her prime, night had truly descended and what a fair night it was. The winds light, the seas tame, everything was right and fair. I swung my jacket over my right shoulder and began whistling as I walked along the shore line. It was not until I had walked for quite a distance that I heard a disturbance ahead. I could not see for the marshes had roamed out further but there was a cry that arose from the behind them. Curious I set off and there behind the marsh in the shadows there was a girl. She was drawn in on herself, weak and shivering.

"Are you alright Madame”

 

"Go away dear sir, I do not wish to be seen.”

 

I stood awkwardly for a moment and took in the girl. Her hair was in miserable wisps about her face and her lower body covered in filthy fisherman rags. Her head was low, though through the dark entrance of her hair I could see green eyes gleam as the moonlight. They were transfixed on the seas.

"Please Madame, I only wish to help you.”

For a moment her eyes strayed from the sea, she tilted her head as though she had a thought. However with in instants her head whipped back, her eyes yet again in place of the roaming tide.

 

"You cannot help. You are human, and worthless in my affairs.”

 

"What ever do you mean?”

 

She let out a great sigh.

 

“Please Sir, leave me now, I am waiting for aid but I cannot ask it of you.”

 

I stood there , my head becoming light, what a strange girl this is. But all the same I could not leave her.

 

"The tide will come in soon, you cannot walk?”

 

She ignored me. I studied her closely , her lips shivered as though they were whispering something. Then I realised there was a song in the air. Ever so quiet but still there in the wind.

 

"The lighthouse keeper

Will come for me

He will save me from my wretched bonds

For he is the keeper , the keeper of the sea

And he will come for me

Mermaid I be, the one of the sea

I am his charge

He will come for me”

 

"The lighthouse keeper?” I uttered

Her head shot up, “You heard my song? What do you know of the lighthouse keeper, what do you know?”

Suddenly as though a temper had shot through her she leapt forward , her hands dragged her like claws in the sand.

 

“What do you know?” her action uttered conflict and rage but her eyes, as they watched me from below begged mercy.

 

I pointed towards the tower at the far end of the cliff. “That is where he lives. His name is John , he is my uncle. I am going to him now. He is sick you see and could not leave his bed.”

Her head fell low, her eyes alive with tears,

 

“That is why he has not come for me.” she muttered so silently. “You must take me to him, he can save me.”

 

"How? What are you? I don’t understand.”

Frustration burned in her eyes, for a moment she sat there , her eyes fleeting from me and to the sand.

Then suddenly she whipped the rags from her body and a sight that was revealed to me stole my breath. Not legs but a tail, gleaming and bright as a fish.

 

"I am a mermaid, I have came to shore to be like you, I was told that if I was bound here to the sand then the lighthouse keeper would come and give me legs as you have. You have to help me” her eyes pleading , she reached for the rags and hid her tail, her head bowed low in shame. Fear was alive within my heart, but how could I deny her what she asked?

 

I searched my mind for a means of transport, whilst she sat there; her breathing raked in with the silence. I looked down to the rags that covered her and an idea sprung to my mind. Slowly and carefully I placed the rags about her lower half and urged her to grip tight to them. She did as was asked and so I pulled the rags from behind her small frame and began to pull her towards my uncles tower. She moaned a little and writhed in the bed I had made for her, turning so that her eyes were cast upon me. I caught my breath , every muscle within my body straining under the weight of her. “Thank you.” her voice sounded strange, an accent I did not recognise. My thoughts turned to the sea for she was creature, not woman. I looked down to find her watching me, her eyes so bright, her lips , her pearl white skin. Beautiful.

A trail would surely be left for all the way we had went. Deep imprints in the sand. “are you alright?” she had turned once again, leaning back gazing at the stars above. A smile was dancing on the red of those lips, “Quite alright.” I nodded , the breath slowly leaving me. A sweat broke out upon my chest and face. “We are almost there. He doesn’t sleep much so he should be awake. It will be a struggle though to get you up the stairs, there are many you see.” she turned once again her eyes drawn to the edge of the stairs in the far corner of the rocks past the bluff. She looked troubled. “I … I am not sure what help I can be, but please I do beg you, I must get to the lighthouse keeper.” I nodded, though I had not but an ounce of a clue how I was to get her there. “I fear to drag you in case I let go. But my uncle is to sick. I will go to him first and see if there is anything we can do” she did not say anything. There was a fear and hope in her eyes like I have never seen before. “I won’t be long.”

 

In settle her down by the edge of the waters, and scrambled towards the stairs. The harsh metal pole that wound up bit into my palms as I hounded myself forwards. Inside my uncle was sitting by the fire looking lost and alone. “Uncle.” His head shot up and instantly life shot back into his dull grey skin. “My boy.” I took in ragged breaths and sat down, “A mermaid, Uncle,” His eyes widened as I explained my recent events.

 

"A mermaid! I have waited for one for all my life and here at the end of my days! My lad you have to help her, you can save the young girl, give her legs for more than the seven days she hoped for, you can give them to her.” his voice roamed from manic to peaceful. I was losing him and couldn’t make sense of what he meant.

 

“But uncle how can I help the girl, I am not a lighthouse keeper.” he smiled before a fit of coughing over came him, blood spitting into the white handkerchief. “Oh but you can Henry, you are not only newly a lighthouse keeper but you are special, a seventh son of a seventh son!” I frowned down upon him ,

 

“Superstitions? How can that save the girl.” my uncle rose an eyebrow, laughter bubbling, “You want to doubt superstitions now, on a night like this?” I paused a moment. Before I could say any more he frowned and shot up with all the energy he had, barking orders, “Now no more questions, we must tell you what to do before I am gone!” he staggered by my side so that I had to grip hold of his arm. He charged to the other side of the room towards a large chest under the chimney sweep. “Come , come Henry I can’t open it myself, a dying man I be!” I shot over by his side, helping him sit by the cold coals of the fire. “Open it.” I opened the chest and inside discovered an assortment of things but one thing caught my eye most of all; a book, old and ageing, titled ‘The Light House Keeper’s Guide’. My uncle pointed down at it. “You will find all you need in there.” He let out a great sigh of relief and smiled as he took in his home. He gripped hold of my shoulder, his grip not as tight as I remember as a boy. “You will take good care of my home , I know you will. It has always been you I was to pass it on to. Now help a dying man to his bed.” I stammered and shot up , a building pressure building up in my chest. “You need to sleep.” he laughed and shrugged. “Now hurry she can’t have long”.

　

 

I left my uncle and hauled the book from the chest then bolted for the stairs. I had to get to her. Half way down the stairs I stopped and looked out to the window that looked upon the beach. My heart stilled , “The tide!” I ran as fast as my feet could carry me but as I reached the bottom of the stairs, I realised I was to late. She lay there, half of her body encompassed by the sea. I ran to her and threw the book by my side. I reached for her hands and they gripped mine. She looked so weak, as though the very sea were taking the life from her. “what is your name?” she whispered. Her voice fading. “Come on fight, I can help you now, I can help you!” she smiled sadly and shook her head, tears falling into the sea, creating whirl pools against the tide. “I am Titania.” I looked down upon her, fighting, my arms straining as I pulled and pulled. But it was no use. She was gone to the sea, moments later with a silent gasp a wave over came her pulling her hands from my grip and then she was gone. I fell back the waters receding, my palms lay still, my eyes tracing the shore, then in the distance there were eyes watching. The saddest eyes I ever seen. Her eyes, Titania. “Henry.” I uttered into the night. They brightened for instants then disappeared. “My name is Henry.” A shell fell into my palm, I lifted it to my ear and heard a wail of anguish. “Too late, dear Henry, too late. I can never return. Never return to my dearest shore.” my heart caught in my chest. “I will watch for you Titania for all my days.” I sat there the waters enfolding my body. Turning I pulled the book by my side and flicked through the rotting pages and stopped on a page marked, ‘Saviour of the Sirens’. I lost mines tonight, but would never forget her. Just then a vision began to paint itself within my mind. It was of Titania and there before me she became, but as a woman, smiling and dancing on two feet within the shallow banks of the sea. She laughed and turned to me, “I’m human Henry, human!” she danced about the beach and my heart tightened, she was but a ghost of what could have been, what should have been if I was quicker. The most beautiful sight I have ever seen but she is gone to me. Gone. She the prisoner of the sea.