Haven’s Peak Anthologies: Beneath The Pier

Have you ever felt like you’re always to blame for everything? Like even if you weren’t anywhere near it’s your fault. Well that’s what being a seventeen year old on Haven’s Peak is like. There are five of us and we are the only teens in our small village. Let me tell you a little about me and my friends. First, there is Benji. Benji is a tall muscled guy. He has short brown hair and deep blue eyes and that’s all we should know about him. His girlfriend is Fiona. Fiona is like the perfect Barbie girl, with big eyes and bigger dreams of leaving this place. Then we have Gerty. Gerty is our resident goth. Dark clothing, dark make up and more into the occult that anyone else in the village. Oh, and she prefers to be called Gaia. Next we have Winn. We is the most recent of the teens. He moved about a year ago from America with his dad who studied plants. Finally, there is me. I’m Harley. I think I’m ordinary especially when the others compare me to my comic book counterpart Ms Quinn but I don’t mind, compared to the others there’s nothing wrong with being ordinary. Ordinary is great.

It’s frigid on the island of Haven’s Peak so much so that you wouldn’t know it was Summer. The only difference between Summer and any other time is that I am not in school tomorrow. I guess that’s why the gang thought it would be the perfect time to sneak out and actually do something rebellious, considering we already get the blame why not. It was suggested this morning when we were waiting for Benji. He had recently been in the station with Officer Steele, yet again. He told us that he was blamed for some mysterious engraved Gaelige words on some old stones dotted around the island. Apparently that was Benji’s M.O. but honestly Benji only graffitied one soon to be demolished wall with a small spray paint tag. It just got caught for it. Steele doesn’t even realise it’s Gaelige, and only Gaia would be remotely able to translate it. Whatever, anyway, he suggested that as we were always to blame for every misdeed then why don’t we actually commit one or a few. He was always so persuasive, that we all agreed without a second thought. Each of us had a job. Gaia was to look into the vandalism, Winn and Fiona had to bring the booze, Benji was on lighting and comfort whatever that meant, whilst my job was to sort out music. It was easy, all I had to do was bring my speakers and power bank and my job was done. The only real issue now is how freaking cold it is and how I wish I’d brought a jacket at least. I mean sneaking out my house was easy, I lived on the bottom floor so it was a simple hop out my window. I stuffed my hands in my pants pockets and curled up again the wind. I thought I was meeting everyone at the junction before the beach but when I looked only Benji was there. He gleamed his perfect grin in my direction and waved a hand at me. “The others have gone ahead and I thought I’d wait for you. They thought you’d wimp out but I knew better,” he whispered as he put his arm around me, “and I thought we could get some alone time before we’re forced to join the others.” I felt the heat rise in my cheeks as he leaned in closer. He kissed me on the cheek and I moved away. “Fiona will be wondering where you are. Let’s go,” I muttered pushing forward and hurrying towards the beach. I saw him shrug and smirk in the corner of my eye, knowing he got under my skin. I mean if we weren’t meeting everyone else, I’d have stupidly given in. I gave in every other time he even suggested it, even if I knew he was cheating on her with me. This time I was stronger though and I stormed ahead with pride.

It wasn’t long before we was at the beach but I had no idea where the steps down where. I stopped at the stone wall that separated the beach and looked under the pier nearby. Sure enough, Gaia, Fiona and Winn was there. As I stared at them, I noticed Benji already on the sand. I looked around for the stairs but still saw nothing. “Just jump,” he explained holding out his hands to help me. I tried to hide my blushing face again but I let him help me down. We walked underneath the pier and it was as if we entered a different world. There was small fairy lights hung around and some chairs hung around a stone bonfire. I was shocked at how good it looked. Fiona and Winn was stood near a cooler by the fire whilst Gaia was sat on one of the chairs reading a book. I walked over to the cooler and attached my Bluetooth speakers to its lid. Within seconds we had our own private party with music playing quietly in are little hideaway.

“So the music finally showed up then,” Fiona smirked, “about time. I thought you wasn’t going to show to be honest.”

“Yeah you usually flake on us,” Winn continued.

“Hey, cut it out you two let’s just have fun,” Benji interrupted them, “anyway we have an unexpected guest.” As Benji spoke, a small figure stood out for behind him. Winn’s eyes widened. “Peter! What are you doing here?!” Winn exclaimed.

“I followed you. Why should you get to have all the fun?” Peter replied. Peter was Winn’s ten year old brother. It was weird really as the rest of us knew Peter better than Winn considering his dad had recently adopted him but still Winn was very protective over him. “Go back home, before Dad finds out,” Winn spat.

“And what would happen if Dad found out about you?” Benji stepped between the two and in his usual persuasive stance. “Now, now we’re all kids why not let’s just have some fun and you know figure out the vandal whilst we’re at it. Right, Gaia?” Gaia looked up from her book and nodded. She was always the quiet type but the determination in her eyes suggested she had something. We all nodded and Winn grumbled an agreement making sure that Peter stayed near him. I glanced at the cover of the book Gaia was holding. It was simple in design, a brown leather bound book with a crescent moon in the centre. The title read Ancient Texts and the Occult by Garth Saol. I looked over her should as I grabbed a drink. As usual I had no idea what she was reading but she looked content. I sat next to her and made myself comfy. I pulled out my phone and looked at the playlist I had made. I have to admit I enjoyed the music.

An hour or two went by as we had laughed and joked. Winn watched Peter go digging for buried treasure or something like that and Fiona was twirling her golden locks whilst talking to Benji. I just watched everyone else. “Erm, Winn I found something,” Peter excitedly shouted before being hushed. Winn walked over to the spot and I decided to join him. Winn looked confused as I stared in the hole. Peter stayed quiet and beamed at me proudly as I ruffled his hair. “It’s a rock?”

“No, not just that. It’s going some graffiti on it. Benji! Didn’t you mention that rocks had been engraved elsewhere?” I turned and saw Fiona huff as Benji and Gaia walked over to join us. I turned back and leaned in to rub some sand off of the word. Gaia gasped as she got to us. “It all makes sense!” She exclaimed dragging us to the book she had been reading. I looked around but Fiona had disappeared. I shrugged my shoulders as she did this often, usually to try and get some attention when her phone died. “Here,” she pointed, “there were four other stones that were marked. I mean this proves you didn’t do it Benji. The engraving is too old and worn but I know what each word means. It’s fire, water, air and earth. Now this one makes five and it’s Life. According to my book, it’s possible that they were some form of ancient occult ritual but these specific words are used in a lot of various rituals so I can’t pin point this specific one.” I let Gaia ramble on and pulled Benji back slightly. “Fiona’s missing again.”

“Urgh, that girl is the bane of my life. I wish I hadn’t agreed to go out with her and I should have dated someone like you instead.” I blushed harder than before. He wasn’t even being quiet about it. I stared at his bewildered. “What?! Oh, yeah I broke up with her. Told her I was interested in someone else, you.” My eyes widened and I blushed heavily. I stepped back and heard the water behind me. Suddenly, a splash took me out of the moment. I turned and saw Fiona. She was floating in the water, face down. Gaia, Winn and Peter came next to me. I began to panic. “Fiona! Are you okay?” I was about to rush to her when Winn held his hand up. “Listen, I know we talked about it before but come on, stopping kidding around,” he said. She didn’t move. Winn waded out into the sea and grabbed her arm. He turned her over and she didn’t look like she was breathing. Winn looked down and began to drag her to the sure line when we saw her eyes open. We all took a sigh of relief. “See, just a joke. Apparently we needed to get back at Benji for something. I wasn’t paying attention.” He began to wade back out when Fiona bolted upright and grabbed him. He was dragged further in by her and for a second we all froze. I don’t know if the others saw it but Fiona’s eyes were red, and cold. They weren’t her usual blue.

Gaia grabbed Peter and I dragged Benji and we moved back to the bonfire. We turned towards Gaia and we all understood something was off. “Maybe, it’s a big joke?” Benji asked staring at the ocean and back at Gaia. She shook her head. “You think Fi would let anyone ruin her mascara by using contacts.” We all agreed in a mumble. Then I realised something. Peter! I couldn’t hear him. I turned to look for him. “Peter!” I shouted. He was stood at the edge tears on his face. “Come on, bro, come back up.” I heard him say. I went to grab him but before I could get to him Fiona and Winn both stood up in the water. I froze again as I saw both of their eyes were red. Gaia and Benji were stood behind me frozen when two more figures stood further back. I recognised them slightly and as they’re faces cleared up I realised it was Peter’s parents who died in a fishing accident a few years back. “Mama! Papa!” Peter shouted. As soon as I heard those words I rushed to grab him but Gaia stood in front of me. “It’s too late.” She placed her hands on my shoulders and I watched as she was right. Peter was already gone. I had no chance of reaching him. I turned away with tears in my eyes and Benji placed his hand on my shoulder. “We should get away from the edge,” Gaia explained, “we don’t know how far they can reach.” It was as if she had willed it into being. I saw a pair of claw like hands grab her ankles. It was like second nature and I grabbed her arms. “Don’t let go,” I exclaimed as her feet were dragged back into the ocean and she was leaning on me. Benji grabbed my waist and was trying to pull us both. “It’s too late for me too,” Gaia said. I looked down and she was already being pulled further and further in. The sand had no way to hold us back. “Before I let go, Harley I wanted to say I love you.” She released her grip and both Benji and myself fell back in the sand. We stared as Gaia was submerged and Peter had joined the every growing figures in the distance.

Benji had pulled me back to the bonfire and he grabbed Gaia’s book. “There has to be a way to stop it. To save them. To save us.” I could hear the panic in his voice and I grabbed his hand. The tide was coming in and we had to move. I watched as the water filled the hole we had dug and I began to drag Benji further to the wall. He held the book tightly and was flicking through the pages when he fell. I could see the redness on his ankle before he had to tell me, he had sprained it. I helped him up and we made it to the wall. It was too high for either of us to reach the top and even if I helped him he couldn’t put weight on his ankle to boost himself up. “Harley, you run ahead. It’ll be a while before the water reaches the wall and I can hobble until I get to the stairs. I think they’re that way.” He pointed into the direction away from the pier. I gulped and hesitated. He held my hand tight and pulled me in for kiss. “Gaia already stole the moment but I always wanted you.” With those words burning inside me I ran as fast as I could, keeping an eye on the tide encroaching. It felt like hours but I knew it wasn’t when I reached the stairs. I climbed up them and I waited, watching the tide move in. “Hurry up,” I whispered under my breath. It was near the stairs and I couldn’t see Benji. I rushed along the wall until I saw him. “Benji, you won’t make it, just give me your hand and I’ll pull you up.” Without looking, he reached up high. I stretched down and as my hand grabbed his tightly, he looked at me. He had red eyes. I screamed but it was too late.