The Lighthouse of Mantum

My name is Tomaine and I'm a light keeper. I tend to a lighthouse on a small remote island called Mantum. While my location is remote it is quite important to many of the major trade routes. There is always a storm going on even if it's a light one so it is always wet no matter what. Ships stop at my small harbour once every three months to bring me food and supplies. I came here after the previous light keeper Pollie mysteriously disappeared. He was assumed to be dead since it looked like the lighthouse had been raided. But a body was never found.

I've been here for two years now and though it is quite lonely I rather enjoy my job. It gives me a sense of purpose to help all the ships navigate their way through the small chain of rocky outcrops I'm in the middle of. However I don't always feel alone. There are times where it seems like someone is in the lighthouse with me but of course I never find anyone. My days pass in simple solitude and I enjoy my time.

One night while tending the light during a particularly bad storm the harness that holds the light snapped. There was a brief ten minutes where there was no light shining out into the darkness. When morning came I found a ship crashed among the rocks. From the flag that I could see it looked like it had been a ship of pirates. I walked down to the beach to get a better look at the ship. When I got down there I saw a blade still in its sheath. The sheath was covered in ornate jewelry almost to the point of being gaudy. Yet something compelled me to grab it and so I did.

I spent the rest of my day mourning the loss of life. For while they had been pirates it was my belief that all should have safe passage by my lighthouse. What they did past my gaze was their business but while under my watch all should be kept safe. The days passed after that without any incident. The light stayed strong through the night and no more life was lost. Though the feeling of not being alone was becoming more and more prominent.

A month, three weeks, and two days after the first incident it happened again. This time the storm wasn't as bad but visibility was still low. The light dimmed considerably for only three minutes but in that time I heard the sickening sound of a ship slamming into the rocks below. As soon as it did the light returned to full brightness burning into the darkness. I got a full view of the ship below as the waves swept and battered the sailors around until they were gone. I spent the rest of my evening unable to tell if it was rain or tears I felt on my face.

Morning came and eventually the storm died down enough for me to go look at the ship and see if anyone had survived. I had seen last night that they were flying a skull and crossbones flag. More pirates that had come too close and paid the ultimate price. I saw a small logbook on the beach that was water logged and yet I felt a compulsion to pick it up. I returned it to the lighthouse and placed it with the sword I had found from the last ship.

Twice more over the next five months did my light mysteriously fail. Each time only during storms bad enough to drive ships into the rocks and only pirate ships were the ones to crash. There were never any survivors and each time I collected another object from the beach. Something always compelling me to grab the items and keep them. It was starting to look like a small shrine where I kept the items so I decided to make it into one. I used their items to create a small shrine to Saint Nicholas, one of the patron saints to sailors and ships. For the patron saints looked over all and never picked or chose amongst those they watched.

It seemed to help at least for a few months. There were no more incidents even though I knew pirate ships had passed through on a number of occasions. One day though when I woke up a few hours before my time at the light was supposed to start I found the shrine ruined. Somehow the idol of Saint Nicholas had been drowned in so much salt water that it had rusted completely. Turning him from looking benevolent over all who took to the sea to something out of my nightmares. A beast who beset itself upon ships hungry to drown sailors and pull their treasures to the depths.

That same evening a storm of truly epic proportions came across the island. So violent was the rain that I thought someone would crash even if nothing happened to the light. At the peak of the storm the bulb shattered, showering me in small glass shards. Sending the entire area into pitch blackness. It took me close to an hour to find a personal light of my own, hunt down one of my spare bulbs, and then replace the broken one. By the time it was replaced I thought I had heard two crashes below though with the raging storm I was uncertain.

It was two more days before the storm finally died down enough for me to go outside. There were no other incidents during that time but I had to look down during those two days and see the two shipwrecks on the rocks. My small slice of heaven was starting to look like a graveyard. Enough so that the people bringing me supplies had started to mention it to me. Though they always seemed relieved when I told them that it had been pirates and not the normal merchant ships. When I went outside the compulsion to go collect items from the ships was so strong that I ran down to the small beach. I found a number of items laying on the beach this time. A spyglass, some treasures, and a wooden peg. I scooped them up and ran back inside placing them gingerly on the small shrine of the Demon Nicholas.

As soon as I had the compulsion left me and all I could do was stare at this twisted shrine I had created. It was an absolute perversion of everything that I stood for. I had become a light keeper because I wanted to help keep all sailors safe, not just the merchants. I became angry and knocked all the items including Nicholas to the ground. When I did I heard a voice behind me scream, "Why did you do that?!"

I turned around to see a spirit in front of me. I recoiled in shock and surprise, "A spirit! Why are you here? Are you one of the pirates that have died here recently?"

The spirit's face twisted into disgust as the air around me became considerably colder, "How dare you call me a pirate? I am the previous light keeper Pollie."

I walked towards the spirit now pulling my coat in close though it did nothing to really stop the cold, "Pollie? Why are you a spirit? Are you the one who has been messing with light and compelling me to collect those items?"

Pollie nodded his face turning slowly into a creepy grin, "That I am. I'm a spirit because I was murdered here by pirates. Pirates who came to raid this tiny little lighthouse and steal what goods I had. I tried my best to defend the lighthouse but in the end I was brutally murdered.

I was given a choice to move on or come back as a spirit so that I could take revenge on all pirates. You've helped me with every item you brought back. Their regret and suffering gave me strength. So much now that I was able to take form and show myself to you. So now you know and I hope you understand. Why I've had to do all this Tomaine."

Now it was my turn to look at him in disgust, "Understand? No, I don't understand. I became a light keeper to keep all people safe. Not just the ones I liked. I'm sorry for what happened to you. But that gives you no justification for what you've done. You've caused so much death and destruction. You possessed me! Nothing you've done is okay. I will remove these items and I will never leave this place again if need be." With that I grabbed a burlap sack and started shoving all the items into it including the defaced idol of Saint Nicholas.

Once they were all in the bag I began walking outside. Pollie possessed me the second I opened the door but I kept pushing myself forward one step at a time. Every step was heavier than the last but I kept walking towards the ocean. I could hear him in my head screaming non-stop about revenge and how terrible I was for doing this. I finally made it to the ocean and I forced my arms to swing the bag backwards and then threw it as hard as I could. As the bag hit the ocean and began to sink I could feel Pollie's influence lessening. I made my way back to the lighthouse and went to sleep.

I kept true to my word and never left the lighthouse again. The ships that brought me my supplies would drop them at my front door, knock, and then leave. Pollie never bothered me again though the feeling that someone was with me never truly left the lighthouse. I had to be constantly vigilant and over time I learned various ways to rig the light so that Pollie couldn't break anything. I wrote down everything that had happened and all of my modifications to the light.

When I was sixty seven illness overtook me. I let my suppliers know that I would need a replacement. Thankfully he was brought to the lighthouse before I passed and so I was able to pass on that I had learned. I was met with skepticism but before I died it seemed I got through to him. I left this world happy to know that someone with my same values was taking care of the lighthouse.

Fun fact: It was recently discovered by archeologists that Saint Nicholas was not only the Patron Saint of gift giving but also of sailors and ships which is why I thought it would be fun to include him for this story. The same Saint Nicholas that we believe was the start of Santa Claus. I hope you all enjoyed this read as much as I did writing it for you all. If you did please like, subscribe, and feel free to leave a tip. Till next time.