The Persephonie Report

This is a short science fiction, fantasy story about a young man with love on his mind chasing a falling star.

The Persephonie Report

　

　

It was over thirty years ago, the summer of love I like to call it; I lived on a fifty three-foot motor-sail on Lake Ontario called the Persephonie moored in the Port Credit Harbour. She was a single master with a three-cylinder diesel engine capable of pushing the boat to full hull speed. Terrance and I got her for the salvage fees with money we earned from summer jobs one year and rebuilt her from bow to stern by the time we graduated from Highschool. We call her our W***e Lure, every night we would meet girls in local bars and invite them to go for a midnight cruise on our sailboat. Back then there were plenty of wild natural coves and harbours unspoiled by man we could anchor in for a romantic liaison. We never slept alone the entire time we had that boat.

 

That July we were bored with the local girls so we sailed across the lake to Rochester New York. We moored in our sister harbour for free and headed for the bars. It wasn’t long and we met two Nubian Goddesses called Moirai and Yolaine. I never dated a black girl before Terrance and I have been friends since we were in school together and the only black girls I knew were his sisters and they were off limits. These two girls were incredibly voluptuous and beautiful. We introduced our selves as Joe and Terry and invited them to go for a midnight cruise on our sailboat. They said yes and we knew we were in, we left the bar and headed for the harbour stopping only to buy some wine for the cruise.

 

The night was cool and exquisitely beautiful there was no wind or clouds and the lake was smooth as glass; the air was crisp, and the stars and the moon shone upon the black water as if we were sailing on twin skies. The only sounds were the muffled drone of the engine and our utterances at the night’s splendour. I was at the wheel behind Yolaine showing her how to steer the boat as Terrance and Moirai were cuddling on the bow.

 

Yolaine had the biggest brown eyes filled with life I have ever seen, her long curly black hair smelled of strawberries and peaches. Our cheeks met as we turned the boat to look back at the lights of the city. Her eyes sparkled with the silhouette of the city two lucid pools so deep and warm they fell over me as a gentle mist making the world around us disappear like a dream. We kissed her lips were as soft as silk and tasted of cherries. The warmth of our intertwined bodies enveloped the air around us in our passionate embrace when.

 

"Hay Joe, Joe," Terry called out waking us from out trance. "How about finding a place to park this tub."

 

"I know just the place, Butlers Cove." I replied. I knew all the best make out spots around the lake Butlers Cove was just deep enough to sail into and wide enough to find in the dark.

 

Twenty minutes later we set anchor in the middle of the cove spawning Carp could be heard splashing in the water as we entered the cabin. Terry took over giving the girls the grand tour. "Ladies Persephonie here comes with all the modern amenities, over here in the main cabin we have navigation and communications. Next to that we have the hatch to the engine room, crew quarters and the head that’s what sailors call the powder room. Across from the crew quarters we have the ships galley with all the modern conveniences of home and here we have the dinning hall with the captain’s table. Here we have the activities center complete with Movie Theater and gaming tables. Last we have the captains cabin the largest quarters on the ship."

 

The girls and I enjoyed Terry's embellished tour of Persephonie given a chance he could sell ice to an Eskimo. Yolaine spotted the colour Television and the Batetamax and asked if we had any movies. We only had one movie with us, Night of the Living Dead we mostly rent from the movie club. Terry complained, "Don’t play that, what good is a colour TV and a black and white movie?"

 

We knew it was the perfect movie, scary movies make girls cuddle closer and closer was what we wanted. Terry turned on the TV and the Batetamax and started the movie as I poured the wine and opened a bag of chips. We sat down and watched as we sipped our wine and nibbled on the chips, this couple, brother and sister were in a graveyard putting flowers on their fathers grave when the brother started to tease his sister saying, "They’re coming to get you Barbara. They’re coming to get you."

 

Suddenly there was a loud thump Moirai and Yolaine jumped sending wine and chips all over the cabin. Moirai grabbed Terry and Yolaine landed in my lap with her face in my shoulder she was shaking. Terry and I started laughing and Yolaine slapped me on the shoulder saying, "It’s not funny."

 

We laughed some more as I explained it was probably a spawning Carp hitting the hull of the boat. We continued to watch the rest of the movie Yolaine never left my lap holding on to me hiding her face and making squeaking noises during scary parts. It took all my self-control to keep from laughing when she wriggled in my lap she acted relieved when the movie was over. For the first time I noticed Terry and Moirai were necking I told Yolaine I would be back in a minute I wanted to check the mooring lines. She insisted she come with me she didn’t want to be alone so we went up on deck. I hoped Terry would get the hint and go into the forward cabin so we could be alone when we came back.

 

Yolaine stargazed as I checked the mooring lines when she called out pointing to the sky. I looked in the direction she was pointing and there was a falling star. But this didn’t look like any ordinary falling star they were usually high in the sky and far away, this one was close. Red yellow and green sparkles were trailing off of it as it fell and I could hear it whistling through the air now. Yolaine called for Moirai and Terry to come up from the cabin and watch. The whistling was louder now as Moirai and Terry reached the rail and the falling star was growing closer. Terry asked me if I should move the boat and I said no it’s not coming directly at us and the chances of it hitting the ground let alone us is pretty remote it will probably burn up. We watched as the falling star came down and struck the hill in front of us with a loud bang. Terry yelled at me, "I thought you said it would burn up."

 

"I said it will probably burn up, not would burn up and in this case, one out of three is good enough. It missed us by a half a mile." I replied to Terry and the girls.

 

"What if it made a giant crater?" Terry said with an angry look on his face.

 

I smiled and said, "Then moving the boat wouldn’t help, we would still be toast, so we might as well enjoy the view."

 

By this time Yolaine joined in the argument, "Stop fighting and lets go find it."

 

"Find it, what for?" said Moirai.

 

"It’s a rock from the heavens, who wouldn’t want to have it? She replied.

 

Instantly our mood changed we were on an adventure, we agreed to get the rock. Terry and I lowered the dinghy we kept as a life raft into the water. As the four of us rowed to shore we could see the backs of the spawning Carp in the moonlight as they lazily swam along the surface of the water. They’re dorsal and tail fins jutting up like little sailboats making the smallest ripples as they passed in the night. In minutes we were on shore working our way through the underbrush towards the hill where the meteorite struck. Our trek took us through a grove of Sumac that made climbing the hill easy in the dim light of the moon and our flashlights. Half way up the hill we broke in to the open of a field of tall grass, in the moonlight we could see the crater made by the meteorite fall. It was about twenty feet wide and the dirt from the crater mounded about the parameter. As we climbed the dirt about the crater our flashlights failed and we climbed the rest of the way by moonlight. Peering over the edge into the crater we could see the low glow and feel the heat coming off the one-foot wide red-hot meteorite.

 

Cursing at my self, I should have realised it would be hot and we had no water to cool it down or any thing to protect our hands to pick it up. Disappointed we headed back to the boat to get something to put the meteorite into. Without the light from our flashlights to guide us, we stumbled and fell as we meandered through the Sumac trying to find our way back to the cove and the boat. We could hear the splashing of the carp and we headed for it thinking it would lead us to the cove when the Sumac opened onto a river. In one step I found myself knee deep in water boiling with the spawning Carp.

 

Terry and the girls laughed at me standing in the water when this great beast rose up out of the river among the boiling carp. Growling and black it was just a couple of feet from me, I froze with shock as I stared at the thing. It was a good foot taller than I stood, it’s great arms draped in weeds and tendrils as it bellowed at me in the dark, waving its arms. I found my feet and the four of us were off running into the Sumac for cover the girls screaming non-stop as we ran from the creature in the water. We could hear the great beast bellow as we fled through the under brush. It wasn’t hard to keep track of the girls in the dark all we had to do was fallow their screams as we ran. Through the Sumac we could see lights and it wasn’t long and we broke into the open.

 

We were on a back road and the girls were talking excitedly to a sheriff and a couple of deputies when we came running up. They had been called out for the meteorite fall when the girls had waved them down on the road. The two deputies took Terry and me to a side and questioned us about that night’s event. After we told them about the creature and what happen they put the girls in the deputies patrol car and hand cuffed Terry and me putting us in the sheriffs’ car. When I protested the deputy told me to cool my jungle fever.

 

His comment aggravated me, he reminded me of my father when he first met Terry, I don’t want you learning no n****r things." He said.

 

I was going to say something to the deputy when Terry stopped me and I just sat in the back of the patrol car. The two deputies spoke with the sheriff a few moments and then left in the patrol car with the girls. The sheriff came up to the patrol car we were in and told Terry and me to wait there as he took his flashlight out of the glove box of the patrol car and went into the trees the way we came. Terry hollered after him to watch out for the creature in the swamp, as I stifled the urge to say, like we have a choice.

 

Half an hour passed and Terry and I started to worry that the swamp creature had got the sheriff, we were locked in the back of his car and unable to get out. What if the creature followed us to the road and got the sheriff when he went to investigate the swamp? Just then the sheriff emerged from the trees, he was smiling and shaking his head as he approached the patrol car.

 

"I thought the creature had got you or something." Terry said, as the sheriff got into the car and drove off in the direction the deputy’s car went.

 

"No the boggy man didn’t get me." He said as we drove in the dark.

 

I knew the sheriff didn’t believe us about the swamp thing. After a couple of minutes I asked him if we were under arrest, he said, "Yes!"

 

I asked him what for, he replied, "I’ll think of something later."

 

When we got to the station house the sheriff breath tested us and took us to the cells. He removed the handcuffs, put us in separate cells locking the doors and leaving. We could hear their muffled voices and laughter as we waited to know our fate. A couple of hours passed when the sheriff returned telling us we were under arrest for mischief. Since we were Canadians we would wait in jail for the circuit judge on Monday morning. I asked him what happen to the Persephonie and the girls, he said my boat was towed to the Rochester Harbour by the Coast Guard and his deputy took the girls home.

 

We spent Sunday in jail and Monday morning we were escorted into the court prisoner’s box in handcuffs. Every one rose as the judge entered the courtroom, "Be seated." He said as he sat down behind the bench.

 

The bailiff announced, "The district court of Weston County is now in session the honourable Justice William C. Wheelwright preceding."

 

His face was stolid as he looked at Terry and me in the prisoner’s box. "And what are these two young men here for Mr Parsons." He said to the district attorney.

 

"Never mind I’ll read it for my self." He said as he picked up the papers in front of him.

 

The judge looked angry as he started to read the papers in front of him only pausing once to look at us in the prisoner’s box. He banged his gavel and said, "Court is in recess for fifteen minutes." as he got up and left the courtroom.

 

We waited in the prisoner’s box until the judge returned we were still standing when the judge looked at the district attorney and said. "Mr Parsons I do not believe the matter of these two young gentlemen before the court merits any further action by the court, I am therefor dismissing the charges against these men and releasing them. Case dismissed. I hope you gentlemen have learned something from this experience and will darken my courthouse steps with your presence no more. "

 

The bailiff removed the handcuffs as we thanked the judge and left the courthouse. We got the Persephonie released from impound at the Rochester Harbour and sailed home. I was at the wheel as Terry cleaned up the mess made by the harbour patrol when they searched the boat for contraband. After mooring in the Port Credit Harbour, the harbour masters assistant came up to us and told us the harbour master wanted to see us as he escorted us to his office.

 

We waited outside harbour masters office until the phone rang and his secretary said, "You may go in now."

 

The harbour master was behind his desk reading papers as we entered the room. "Please sit down gentlemen." As he gestured to two chairs in front of his desk.

 

We sat down as he handed us two pieces of paper and began to speak. "This is an incident report from the Rochester Harbour. You can imagine my surprise when I found it waiting for me when I arrived in my office this morning. I’m sure you understand the need to maintain a good relationship with our sister harbours in order to keep our mooring privileges. Your escapades this weekend are not the kind of incidents to maintain such a working relationship. Persephonie was the Queen of the underworld and the wife of Hades. We do not want her to live up to her namesake or you will lose your mooring privileges. Your only saving grace is the fact that this incident occurred out side the harbour and thus was not a breach of harbour codes of conduct and no laws were broken. Otherwise we would be suspending your mooring privileges for the rest of the season.  Gentlemen you may consider this an official warning. If such an incident ever happens again your privileges will be suspended now take these copies of the report and go."

 

We left his office and returned to the Persephonie reading the report.

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The Persephonie Report

　

Harbour Master, Robert L. King.            Date 16/07/74

Rochester Harbour,

Rochester New York USA.

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

Incident involving the passengers and crew of the Persephonie.     Date 16/07/74 Incident report: #1865487

Crew roster:

Joseph White

Terrance Prescot

Home harbour The Port Credit Harbour, Port Credit Ontario Canada

Passenger manifest:

Moirai Washington

Of 132 Lain av. Ap.215 Rochester New York, USA Phone: [phone]

Yolaine Johnson

Of 132 Lain av. Ap.215 Rochester New York, USA Phone: [phone]

Witnesses:

Weston County Sheriff Donald Ward

Sheriff Weston County New York, USA Phone: [phone]

Ellis Crane

Route 5 Weston County New York, USA Phone: [phone]

See attached copy of sheriff’s report.

 

Synopsis of Harbour Master, Robert L. King

 

On the 15^th Day of July 1974 the Persephonie docked at approximately 21:30 hours, mooring at sloop # 243 until approximately 22:45 hours. Where upon which the Persephonie left the harbour with two passengers residents of Rochester New York, one Yolaine Johnson and Moirai Washington. They travelled east approximately five miles to Butlers Cove where they laid anchor until Rochester Harbour Coast Guard towed the Persephonie back to the Rochester Harbour approximately 04:14 hours the 16^th Day of July 1974. Activities unknown until 02:15 hours the 16^th Day of July 1974, when the passengers and the crew set out to investigate a meteorite fall. Upon discovering they were unable to salvage the meteorite they headed back to the Persephonie when the passengers and crew came upon a local fisherman named Ellis Crane.

 

Mr Crane was Seine net fishing for the spawning Carp when the falling meteorite startled Mr Crane causing him to fall into Three-Mile Creek that feeds into Butlers Cove. He had become tangled in his net and was unable to free himself When the passengers and crew of the Persephonie came upon Mr Ellis Crane they screamed and fled leaving Mr Crane to fend for himself.

 

The passengers and crew of the Persephonie had consumed wine however when the sheriff breath tested passengers and crew of the Persephonie he found them not legally impaired.

 

This is a serious matter we are extremely disheartened to learn that members of a sister harbour would abandon a person in distress to there own devices thinking that the person in distress was the boggy man. Had this incident occurred on the open seas the crew of the Persephonie would be in a very serious position, however since it occurred inland the local authorities shall deal it with. (By god man, the boggy man!) What is wrong with these people?

 

End of report. Harbour Master, Robert L. King.

 

The sheriff’s report under comments said, "The only reason I bring this to the attention of the court is, you been down a little lately Bill, and I thought you could use a pick me up."

 

We have been in the dark about what had really happen all the time, and it was going to be a long time before we lived this one down. But I smiled the entire time Terry read the report out loud. He asked me why I was smiling, "We were in deep s**t."

 

I held up the report and said, "I have Yolaine’s number."

　

By

Josehf Lloyd Murchison

Author's Note

Tell me if you liked the story and please be critical about your reviews. If I made a spelling mistake let me know as I do miss some word confusion spellings and so does MSWord. which, witch is which is a bitch.