Read Online Anthology of Ichor III: Gears of Damnation by Kevin Breaux, Erik Johnson, Cynthia Ray, Jeffrey Hale, Bill Albert, Amanda Auverigne, Marc Sorondo, Gerry Huntman, AJ French - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Kevin Breaux, Erik Johnson, Cynthia Ray, Jeffrey Hale, Bill Albert, Amanda Auverigne, Marc Sorondo, Gerry Huntman, AJ French
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sounded. I picked up the ear cone and Trevor asked me to come up to the catwalk and bring Steven. Trevor thought he caught a glimpse of something in the water and his voice was seriousness enough I quickly joined him. There was a heavy wind blowing from the west and, despite the storm, a few lights from the coast three miles away could be seen.
"Look there, boy," Trevor said, pointing to the southwest. Even though I was thirty he still called me boy. “You, Fletcher, you be a sailor man with keener eyes than me."
I took the spyglass he offered and quickly scoped the horizon.
"Got it?" Trevor asked.
"Nothing out there for my eyes to see," I said hoping I didn’t sound mean.
"Keep looking. I tell you, there be something out there."
I looked hard but saw nothing distinct. Steven asked me if he could look so I handed him the spyglass.
Directly above us the foghorn under the vent ball sounded and we all jumped in shock. I yelled at Jason to hold off on the horn while we were out here and he looked at Trevor for approval before letting go of the pull rope.
"You're going to have that young man scared out of his wits, Trevor. Giving him those stories and all," I said.
"They not just stories. They be the truth."
"Bonkers!" I laughed.
"Two years ago, it was, that I looked to the south and see trouble."
"Two years ago?" I asked. He had caught my attention and I looked straight at him almost afraid of what he’d say next.
"Yes, it were two years ago I saw something under the water moving south. Something big, something evil . It came to a halt just a few kilometers off land down there. It broke the surface, just for a moment, and it were the most horrid thing I ever seen. It weren't no whale and it weren't no shark, it were bigger than both. It looked at me, looked right through me and through this lighthouse with these big eyes it had, then slowly slid back through the water. It swam farther south 'til I lost sight of it. Next morning I were walking the beach near the landing dock, and I see this little boat floating about ten meters off the shore. Had a man swim out there with a rope and we dragged it in. There be nothing on it. Not a thing. No people. Nothing. Lamps were burning, though, the clothes were lying on the bunks as if they were ready to be worn, but there weren't no one there. It were as if the whole crew just up and left."
I had been so caught up in his story telling I hadn’t realized until now that the rain had stopped.
"Never found out who it belonged to," Trevor continued. "The Navy just dragged it away."
"When was this?" I asked really wanting him to speak.
"I told you when it be. Two years back."
"But when? When during that year?" Dammit! That fat old man was going to have to tell me.
"Near the end of March, as I recall," he said after a moment.
"You fool! I shouted and couldn’t stop myself from stepping towards him with my fists clenched. "You nearly had me falling for your crazy lies, old man."
"Cool it, Fletcher," Steven said looking at me wide eyed.
I couldn’t take my eyes off that damn old man and I at him grabbing the collar of his coat and pushing him against one of the storm panes panel of the lantern room.
"Two years ago, in March, my ship went down out there and you knew it. It went down to the south, where you said that thing was headed. How could you use that to make me believe you’re crazy lies?"
I felt Steven grab my shoulders and pull me away. My eyes were locked on the fat old man and I couldn’t fight the American but I kept my grip on Trevor.
"What are you saying, boy?" Trevor asked, more than a little afraid.
"You knew my ship and the other went down there and you added that bit about something swimming around offshore to make me believe that you could see all those things, those omens that you are always spitting out," I growled in shock that the old man would be so cruel.
With more strength than I thought he had Steven pulled my hands away from their grasp on
"Look there, boy," Trevor said, pointing to the southwest. Even though I was thirty he still called me boy. “You, Fletcher, you be a sailor man with keener eyes than me."
I took the spyglass he offered and quickly scoped the horizon.
"Got it?" Trevor asked.
"Nothing out there for my eyes to see," I said hoping I didn’t sound mean.
"Keep looking. I tell you, there be something out there."
I looked hard but saw nothing distinct. Steven asked me if he could look so I handed him the spyglass.
Directly above us the foghorn under the vent ball sounded and we all jumped in shock. I yelled at Jason to hold off on the horn while we were out here and he looked at Trevor for approval before letting go of the pull rope.
"You're going to have that young man scared out of his wits, Trevor. Giving him those stories and all," I said.
"They not just stories. They be the truth."
"Bonkers!" I laughed.
"Two years ago, it was, that I looked to the south and see trouble."
"Two years ago?" I asked. He had caught my attention and I looked straight at him almost afraid of what he’d say next.
"Yes, it were two years ago I saw something under the water moving south. Something big, something evil . It came to a halt just a few kilometers off land down there. It broke the surface, just for a moment, and it were the most horrid thing I ever seen. It weren't no whale and it weren't no shark, it were bigger than both. It looked at me, looked right through me and through this lighthouse with these big eyes it had, then slowly slid back through the water. It swam farther south 'til I lost sight of it. Next morning I were walking the beach near the landing dock, and I see this little boat floating about ten meters off the shore. Had a man swim out there with a rope and we dragged it in. There be nothing on it. Not a thing. No people. Nothing. Lamps were burning, though, the clothes were lying on the bunks as if they were ready to be worn, but there weren't no one there. It were as if the whole crew just up and left."
I had been so caught up in his story telling I hadn’t realized until now that the rain had stopped.
"Never found out who it belonged to," Trevor continued. "The Navy just dragged it away."
"When was this?" I asked really wanting him to speak.
"I told you when it be. Two years back."
"But when? When during that year?" Dammit! That fat old man was going to have to tell me.
"Near the end of March, as I recall," he said after a moment.
"You fool! I shouted and couldn’t stop myself from stepping towards him with my fists clenched. "You nearly had me falling for your crazy lies, old man."
"Cool it, Fletcher," Steven said looking at me wide eyed.
I couldn’t take my eyes off that damn old man and I at him grabbing the collar of his coat and pushing him against one of the storm panes panel of the lantern room.
"Two years ago, in March, my ship went down out there and you knew it. It went down to the south, where you said that thing was headed. How could you use that to make me believe you’re crazy lies?"
I felt Steven grab my shoulders and pull me away. My eyes were locked on the fat old man and I couldn’t fight the American but I kept my grip on Trevor.
"What are you saying, boy?" Trevor asked, more than a little afraid.
"You knew my ship and the other went down there and you added that bit about something swimming around offshore to make me believe that you could see all those things, those omens that you are always spitting out," I growled in shock that the old man would be so cruel.
With more strength than I thought he had Steven pulled my hands away from their grasp on
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