The lighthouse.

Roger was a city boy, born and raised. That’s all he knew, the fast life, the hustle and bustle of 24 hour action on the street. Engine noise, sirens, concrete, tarmac, street lights, people everywhere, no peaceful time. So when he went to the coast for a short holiday to escape the city, up north where it was wild and desolate, almost uninhabited, he felt like he was on another planet. And it was so beautiful, somewhere he could live forever. But there were no jobs, so it wasn’t possible. Not for him. He was not an entrepreneur, no-one in his family had ever been self employed. So when on his last day on the coast he stumbled on the historic lighthouse that had been continuously guarding the rocky coastline for 200 years, and they were offering free tours to visitors, he jumped at the chance to see it. And what really excited him was a sign on the bulletin board advertising a job position for a trainee lighthouse man. “OMG, I my dream job! Escape the city, the madness, the pollution, the crime. Where do I sign up?” He thought to himself. Grabbing the attention of the old grizzled lighthouseman manning the light at the top of the tower, Rodger bombarded him with questions. Like how much do they pay, is experience needed, when can he start. He was so excited.

The old lighthouse keeper tried to answer all Rodger’s questions, gave him an application form to fill out, and Rodger left. It was a beautiful sunny day, hardly a breeze , and seagulls flew around squawking. The sea was calm and flat like a pond, and in the distance a whale breeches the surface. Rodger felt that his future was staring him in the face. He rushed to the picturesque fishing village two miles away that was was listed on the application, determined to get the job before someone else beat him to it.

There he met Lauren, a beautiful young intern from a large university studying oceanography and working for the lighthouse support agency for the summer. Rodger thought all the stars were lining up in his universe. A dream job, a new potential girlfriend, it was amazing.

He got the job! It started in two weeks, with plenty of time to go back to the city and pack his essentials for living on the lighthouse in isolation. Lauren discussed with him about his duties, and the conditions at the lighthouse. Rodger dismissed all the negative conditions, like the isolation, loniness, hazardous weather, no day to day help, self sufficientcy, the potential long hours during the winter storm season. He was focused only on the extraordinary good luck of finding this job and potentially a new girlfriend who will be so close and in the same field. His luck, and life was about to change.

The day came, and Rodger showed up for work at the lighthouse office in the harbor, and he was disappointed that Lauren wasn’t there to greet him. A boat was docked out front, loaded with provisions for his initial two months stay. He added his belongings into the boat, and they were off. After a 5 minute journey they arrived at the lighthouse dock, a simple dock, nothing fancy, and the old lighthouse keeper was waiting to help unload and carry the provisions up to the lighthouse. The pilot, Rodger and the old keeper worked for about one hour carrying all the belongings and provisions up to the lighthouse, and the keeper showed Rodger his duties. It wasn’t hard or complicated. A gasoline generator, to run the lights in the tower as well as the light beacon. And the ham radio to contact shipping and the harbor. The refrigerator and freezer, the heater. Very sparse, very easy. No T.V. Or music stereo. Rodger looked around. No books. Oh, and he didn‘t pack any, not that he reads a lot, he never had any time. Oh well, he has his cell phone. He can go online to read stuff, and text his friends.play games, he’ll be just fine.The keeper took him over to a rifle mounted on the wall, and showed where the bullets were kept. “Do you know how to use this?”he asked. “Sure, I’ve shot a rifle many times, target practice” Rodger replied. “What would I need it for?” “Oh, you never know. A sea creature might come on the rocks, bad guys might pull up to the dock and you have to chase them off, anything” the old keeper said. “Have you ever had that happen to you? Rodger asked, in a shaky voice. Oh boy, I didn’t sign up for that! What have I let myself in for? The old keeper laughed, “I’m just pulling your leg, sonny. You’ll be fine. see you in two months”. With that, they were off, and Rodger was alone. very alone.

He wandered around, poking into everything, just to be acquainted with his surroundings. He saw the binoculars on the window sill, and looked through them at the sea, trying to see a whale. Nothing. Maybe I’ll take a nap. Nothing to do until nightfall when I have to turn on the beacon light. He mused. Good plan! Paid to sleep, what a job.

Nightfall came, and Rodger turned on the revolving light at the top of the tower. Ok, we have electricity, no problem. I’m not sleepy, there’s nothing to read or do, maybe I will play a game on my phone. Rodger thought. Hey, at least I’m not talking to myself, first sign of madness!. He chuckled. Oh, this is great. The days slowly went by, monotonously, boringly, until Rodger was feeling slightly crazed. “ my phone. I can play a game. That’s the ticket!”

Rodger tapped the screen on his smart phone, and entered his password. He had no bars! “Damn, no cell coverage” he said, loudly. “ now what? I can‘t play games, or call my friends. I can’t even call Lauren. How am I ever going to hook up with her if I can’t chat to her. Maybe I can text her” he laughed out loud. “ I will not give up trying. If that doesn’t get her attention, maybe a message in a bottle. Chicks love romantic things.” Rodger typed a message to her, but it came back, “undelivered”. “ No! No, no.” He shouted at the cell phone, “ damn it! This so bullshit! ”

Rodger stormed outside, and walked onto the dock. There was nothing to see, except of course the screaming seagulls, flying overhead. Some landed on the edge of the dock, looking at him. “What are you looking at? Stop looking at me!” He scream at them. “Go away. Get” he bent down and found some shells and a rock, which he threw at them. They scattered and flew away. “ ha ha ha. That will teach you.” He jeered at them. Then they circled around and landed back on the dock. “ what! Are you guys serious? You’re messing with me. I will get you” he said. Rodger went inside, and rummaged around in the storage room for some ammunition to throw at the seagulls. He found some scrap piping, nuts and bolts in a drawer, heavy brass. “That will do the trick” he mumbled, and filled up his pocket. He walked back out to the dock, and the seagulls were still there, maybe more than before. He took a nut out of his pocket, and threw it at the nearest gull. He hit it straight on, and it screamed, then the flock took off and flew away. “Ha ha ha, got you. And don’t come back.” Rodger went back inside, and staged all the nuts and bolts by the door, ready to use again if needed. He climbed the spiral staircase to the top of the tower and looked out to sea. There was nothing there. There never was. The boredom was crushing. But wait! Someone was sitting on the rocks. Sunbathing. “No way, is that Lauren? How did she get there, where’s her boat? Oh wow, is that a tail? Is she really a mermaid? I love mermaids. They are real! I knew it. Lauren, I’m coming for you”.

Rodger ran down the staircase trembling with excitement. Lauren came to visit me! Finally. He pushed through the door and squinted out onto the rocks and water at the edge of the lighthouse. “Lauren, hello. Lauren, I’m here. I’m coming” he shouted, waving. He stumbled over the rocks, picking his way not so carefully in his rush to get to Lauren. The seagulls screamed at him and flew overhead. “ not now you bastards, go away. My girl is here to see me.” As he got closer, Lauren stood up and barked at him, her skin black and glossy wet from the water. Rodger stopped, confused. It wasn’t Lauren, it was a seal, with big white teeth snarling at him. It began lurching towards him, making hideous snarling noises. “OH MY GOD! It’s not Lauren. What did you do with Lauren? What did you do to her? You better not have hurt her”. Rodger turned around, and ran to to the light house. He grabbed the rifle off the wall, cocked the bullet into the chamber. “Good thing I loaded it already, I knew I would need it one day” he said. He went back outside. The seal was still there, sliding down the edge of the rocks into the water. Rodger aimed at it, and shot. He missed, the bullet ricocheting off the rocks. He shot again, the bullet slashed into the water next to the seal. He shot again, and this time found his mark. The seal screamed and sunk into the water and disappeared from view. “ I got it! I got you, you bastard. You won’t hurt Lauren again”. Rodger gazed out at the spot where he had shot the seal, but he saw nothing. Except seagulls. “Fucking seagulls! I hate you. Go away.” Rodger aimed at one seagull, and let off a shot. His aim was accurate, and the gull exploded in blood and feathers. With a loud series of screams, the flock scattered and flew away in a frenzy. “Ha ha. I got you. Now don’t come back” he shouted, and danced a jig, waving the gun into the air. “I’m the boss here. Don’t mess with me”.

Rodger patrolled outside the lighthouse for about an hour, until dusk, but saw nothing, except dark clouds building up on the horizon, and a flicker of lightening. “Uh oh, a storm is buildin! Better get prepared” he mumbled. “ check the generator. Fill it up with gasoline incase I lose power. Make sure I have water on standby, oh, and make some food ahead of time”.

A gust of wind hit him in the face, and he noticed the temperature had cooled. The water was restless and choppy, splashing against the rocks. “About time. Now things will get interesting ” he mumbled.

shockingly quickly, the storm arrived, with strong wind gusts, and unrelenting steady wind. The waves got bigger and more threatening by the minute. Thunder crashed overhead, and it got dark and ominous. Rodger felt scared for the first time. He retreated inside, and climbed to the top of the tower, where the revolving light was shining bright. It gave him some comfort. “Wow, this is a big storm!” Rodger became more alarmed as the storm’s ferocity increased, and the lighthouse building trembled evertime a monster wave crashed into it. He couldn’t sleep, and the time inched along until morning came. Rodger was exhausted. The storm was unabated, and even though it was daylight, it was still dark because of the thick storm clouds overhead. He had never been so scared in his life. He didn’t know if he could do this much longer. “When this storms over, I’m out of here! Forever. City life is safe, and good. I can handle traffic, sirens, even crime. But storms? No way”.

’Just then, the ham radio came to life, calling the lighthouse call sign. It was a boat in distress. Rodger looked out of the windows, and saw the small boat approaching the rocks at the base of the lighthouse. The storm had passed, but the sea was still rough, and the swells were still big, and crashing against the rocks . What was he supposed to do? The light was still shining. He returned the radio call, and found out the engines had died, and the boat was drifting in towards the rocks. Rodger call the harbor and explained the situation. They dispatched the coastguard to rescue the boat. Rodger gathered life jackets by the door, and ropes to throw out to the people on the boat if it crashed on the rocks.

‘The engines rumbled into life, and roared loudly as the captain throttled them up to get away from the rocks. The boat moved away from the lighthouse and out of sight. “Phew, that was close!” He got on the ham radio and informed the harbor authorities of the close call. It was over. Roger collapsed into a chair. “No more drama, I’m done” he muttered. He fell asleep in the chair, and when he woke up he was dazed disoriented. He was so lonely, and felt so alone and unwanted. He had to get out of here and back to people. He wanted Lauren. Just then, he looked out the window, and on the rocks at the water level he saw A beautiful woman sitting there. It was Lauren, no, it was the mermaid from weeks ago. “But I shot her. I must have missed. Thank god. “Lauren, I’m coming. Wait there. I won’t hurt you” Rodger screamed, as he stumbled out the door and made his way to the waters edge.

As he got closer, he could hear her singing, softly, and it sounded so sad. She was crying, tears rolling down her cheeks. “What’s wrong, why are you crying?” Rodger asked. The mermaid answered “ I’m so sad. I’m all alone. My people are all dead, I’m the last of my kind.” Rodger gasped, “it’s all my fault! I shot a mermaid several weeks ago, I thought it was a seal trying to attack me. I’m so sorry”. “No, it wasn’t you, my people died off years ago. I’ve been all alone for so long. Sailors made a cruel story about mermaids that we attract lonely sailors by singing, and then when they get close we attack them. And kill them. It’s not true! My parents were very kind and loving to every human they met. So was my sisters and my brother. But they were killed just for being mermaids and mermen. And now I’m all that is left. When I’m gone, there will no mermaids in the world. You seem like a nice human. Will you be my friend?” “ yes, of course I will. I will be your merman.” Rodger got it out in a rush, stumbling over the words. “ it is my dream to be with you forever, as your merman.” He crept closer to her, and their hands touched, caressing each other with their eyes. “Come into the water with me now. I will teach you how to breathe under water and live like I do. We will be together, forever.” “ and we will have babies, lots of babies”. Rodger slipped into the water with the mermaid. She smiled, and kissed him deeply. They sank under the water, and Rodger found he could breathe through her, like they were one person. They were one person now, forever. Rodger was at peace, he had found his place, his wife, his life. They swam away, into the new future. Dreams do come true.

weeks later, the old lighthouse keeper arrived to relieve Rodger, and found his dead body slumped in the chair, his lifeless eyes staring out to the endless sea. A smile on his face. He looked at peace.