Lighthouse Ocean Springs
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“We’ll never make it in time,” she said, her voice sounding strained. “They’ve got to be close.”
I was staring down the coast and trying desperately to figure out where we were headed with all that open ocean in between. The lighthouse was at least a half-day sail away and there wasn’t any sign of land in sight.
It would take more than an hour for the wind to build enough to get us there even if the sky was clear as glass like I thought it was going to be. In fact, the clouds seemed to be building in intensity by the minute and I had to wonder just how much longer they could hold out.
“Maybe you should have told me you were a wizard before we left,” I said under my breath.
She looked at me like I’d gone insane. “You don’t need magic to know the weather will change.”
“It’s not the same thing!” I shouted, then took a deep breath when I realized what I’d done. She gave me a strange look from over the rail as I tried to find some way of making amends. “Sorry,” I finally mumbled. “That didn’t come out right.”
The captain gave me a funny look but said nothing and soon she was back to watching the horizon.
I sighed and went back to work on the rigging. There were two main lines running up to the spars and they needed a lot of repairs or replacements. We’d lost a few knots already because of that and we could lose more with lousy rigging.
It was hard work and my fingers were numb by the end of the day, but at least it kept me busy. My thoughts were still wandering back to that girl in the bar. If I hadn’t been so damn tired, I’d have remembered exactly why I’d been so drawn to her from the first. Maybe the reason we couldn’t have worked out was that she was just a kid.
When the sun started to set, I went below decks and found myself a bunk to sleep in. As I lay down I thought about the girl from my dreams and the feeling of her lips against mine. What the hell is wrong with me?
There were no dreams that night and when dawn came again I felt better rested than I had since we’d left New Orleans. Even though my head hurt, it was worth it to hear the sound of the waves lapping against the ship. The breeze had picked up during the night, although not much, it was enough to keep the sails full and give us a little extra speed as we headed toward the Mississippi.
By noon the skies cleared and the wind started blowing in a steady 20-knot wind that was keeping us right on course. The lighthouse was only another five miles off to starboard as we sailed down the channel. The captain came up onto the quarterdeck with her spyglass and I could see she was excited by our progress.
She pointed off to one side of the channel as a small boat approached. When he got closer, I could see it was the boy who had met us when we docked in New Orleans. He was smiling broadly and waving at us, but the captain frowned as she studied him closely.
“What’s he doing out here?”
“Probably just fishing,” I offered.
“I don’t think so,” she said. “He hasn’t brought anything on board yet. And look at his clothing.” She held out her arm with her watch dangling from her wrist. “And look at that watch. I bet this is some kind of trick. You can tell by the way he’s dressed that he wants something from us. Something that we probably don’t want to give.”
I nodded and turned to look at the boy. He was still waving wildly from the boat. I waved back at him to try and be friendly, but the captain didn’t seem happy about having him around either. She stepped down from the deck and began walking toward him when he stopped and pulled up in the middle of the channel.
“Wait,” he called out, his eyes wide with surprise. “I thought you’d be pleased to see me.”
“No, I’m not pleased.” The captain glared at him. “Why are you following me like that?”
“Because…because I want…” His face reddened at being caught in a lie, but it only made me think he might actually be telling the truth. “I want to help you save the city.”
“Save the city?” I asked as my curiosity was piqued.
“Yes, you can’t save them all, but maybe you can save some.” His gaze shifted nervously as he spoke, like someone who wasn’t used to sharing ideas. “You must have heard of me.”
“No, I haven’t,” she said. “Who are you, boy?”
“My name is Benjamin Franklin, but everyone calls me Benji for short. I’m the youngest member of the Society of the Elect.”
***
The girl from my dream stood at the railings on top of the lighthouse looking out over the water. I watched her as we sailed past, wondering if she knew how good-looking she really was. Her long brown hair was tied back behind her head; she wore a light cotton dress that matched her skin tone perfectly and the sunlight seemed to highlight her features.
She reminded me of an angel from the pictures my mother liked to show me. I wondered if she had ever seen them too.
She turned as we passed and looked back at me before smiling sadly at me and then returning her attention to the ocean below. She was wearing a hat, but it fell off as we neared the lighthouse and I could see the delicate line of her neck where her collarbone disappeared beneath her dress. She was beautiful.
“Do you know why the lighthouse is there?” she asked as soon as I got close to her.
I shrugged uncomfortably, unsure how to answer. It was a question that would normally make me smile or laugh, but something about this girl made me uncomfortable.
“Well, it’s because this area of the river is known for its shallow waters and treacherous currents,” she explained as if I was slow. “But it’s also dangerous for boats coming upriver. Many vessels have been lost over the years.”
“Is that why they built the lighthouse?” I asked.
“Yes, to warn ships away,” she answered with a smile that I couldn’t shake.
I glanced back toward the ship before turning back to face her once more. “Have you always lived here?”
“No, I grew up in Boston. We’re moving to Philadelphia later today.”
“Where’s your family?” I asked.
“They stayed in Boston when we moved,” she sighed. “I guess I’ve gotten used to living by myself. Do you live alone too? Is that why you were so lonely?”
Her words hit home with me, and I felt like I needed to say something, but I was at a loss for what to say. I shook my head instead. “No, no, I’m not lonely.”
She smiled at me again and reached up and touched my arm before pulling back quickly when she realized what she had done. “I mean…you’re not very popular on your ship are you?”
She sounded genuinely concerned, so I didn’t feel quite so bad for lying to her. I took a breath and decided to let it go. “That’s not true. Most of the men like me.”
“Really?” she said and raised her eyebrows. “Most of the men are afraid of me.”
“You?”
“Oh, don’t worry,” she laughed as she put her hand back on my arm, “I’ll keep you safe.”
I stared into her blue eyes and felt my heart start beating faster than normal. It felt good to talk to someone. “Are you sure you should be talking to a sailor?” she said as she looked around nervously. “You never know what we’re going to do.”
“It’s fine,” I assured her, even though I suddenly felt guilty for being here with her while other men had gone missing.
“What’s your name?”
“Bennett.”
“Bennet, huh?” She smirked. “Did your parents have a sense of humor?”
She was joking with me. She couldn’t possibly be serious. I smiled back at her and nodded.
“How old are you?” she asked, leaning forward slightly.
“Eighteen.”
She frowned and shook her head before turning and walking away from me. I looked after her, confused by her reaction and hurt. Maybe she did just want to be friends. I sighed and walked back toward my room, trying hard to ignore the pain in my chest that came from knowing I might never see her again.
***
When I returned to my room, I noticed the captain standing outside my door talking with one of the other men in his crew. I thought about waiting for him to finish, but he must have sensed my presence because he turned to look at me before quickly leaving the room.
I was about to open the door when I heard something else. It was quiet at first, almost too quiet to hear, but as I listened carefully to the sound, I could make out what was happening. A man’s voice. One I knew well.
The End