The Keeper's Remains

“Make sure to leave room for mister Gray’s luggage, and pray to the seas he didn’t bring too much rubbish. The lords know a man doesn’t need much up there”. Marina fastened different kinds of crates and sacks to the carriage, making sure the rocky journey up the cliff wouldn’t send stuff flying everywhere. “Yes father” she replied, pulling the ropes to see if it was secure or not.

“… And add the new medical supplies as well, I’m sure the previous shipment is long gone by now” mister Scott added, his nose buried into an old ledger. “Already in there” Marina replied, double checking if the water canisters were closed properly. “And is the mule well fed and ready to go?” her father questioned, still not looking up from the ledger.

“Are you really asking me?” She replied, almost certain he wasn’t. He finally looked up from his book. “I’m sorry dear, I’m sure you’re all set and ready to go” he said, shutting the book and putting it under his arm.

He got up from the crate on which he had sat himself down, and walked stiffly around the carriage to the other side of the barn where the mule was set up for the journey. He gently stroked her nose, and ran his fingers through her manes. “She’s getting older, isn’t she? Are the trips getting hard on her?” he questioned, his voice a lot less authoritative right now. “She’s doing fine, she knows the roads well, I don’t even need to tell her where to go” Marina answered, looking at her father. He was a tall man, bald, and a salt and pepper coloured beard. He wore a tailored overcoat and shiny leather shoes – just a little bit too formal for the occasion, in Marina’s opinion.

She herself chose a more practical outfit, and a better representation of her everyday wear. A large blue wool coat was wrapped around a high-collar dress, with flat leather lace-up ankle boots to keep steady on the rocky terrain she was about to embark on. “When will mister Gray be here?” she asked her father. “He won’t be arriving here, you’ll have to pick him up from the Aylen Inn at the crossroads” he replied. “Won’t you join us for the meeting then?” Marina asked him, trying not to sound to indignant. “Surely it wouldn’t be polite to not even meet up with him”.

Mister Scott walked around the mule and checked the carriage inventory, placing his walking stick against the wheel. “I was going to join you two, but I figured, let’s see how long this one stays before I get to know the man. Remember mister Campbell from last year? He only stayed a month before leaving again!” He spoke these words with a chuckle, but Marina didn’t think it was very funny. Not many people were cut out to be a lighthouse keeper, and though the rumours of a haunting seemed excited for many first-time keepers – it wasn’t as exciting once you were all by yourself in the middle of a storm, a mile away from civilization, in the midst of the night.

“Well, mister Gray is a tried and tested lighthouse keeper, from his application letter he seems like a capable man”.

“Don’t let ink on paper fool you my dear, take everything he wrote and divide it by half. That’s how capable men really are.”

Marina greeted her father and set out to journey from Aylen Inn to the Darkmore Lighthouse. It was about a ten minute ride to the Inn, and she already saw what had to be mister Gray waiting outside. He was tall, broad-shouldered and was dressed in a large tattered robe. About her age. His black hair was slightly longer than what seemed appropriate for the job, and it made his pale skin look even whiter. Are you the new ghost that will haunt this place? She thought to herself, and she chuckled to herself.

Mister Gray only had two suitcases with him – her father would be proud.

She drove the carriage to a halt to the side of the road, and waved mister Gray to come through. He crossed the road, and extended a hand to greet her.