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The Lighthouse Part One

The old, brick lighthouse was no longer taller than the trees. They had dwarfed the lighthouse for years, eventually hindering its usefulness to boaters. The lighthouse was on a small island that was only accessible via a concrete bridge with red, iron handrails.
The crooked, leafless trees encouraged the local teenagers to come up with ghost stories about the lighthouse. Crossing the bridge and touching the lighthouse became a rite of passage for them. The most courageous of them even tried to venture inside. But upon hearing about the vandalism they performed inside, the city council quickly put a stop to that by barricading the door.ย
So now, the only person who ventured to the island was a young woman and her journal. She often sought refuge at the lighthouse, using it as her escape from the real world for a few minutes.
The woman thought she was alone, not that it mattered if she wasnโt, when she opened up her blanket and set it on the dead leaves. She placed her bag on the blanket and sat down next to it. And then she leaned against the cool yellow brick. She took out her journal and began to write.
~~~
The leaves crunched under his boots. He had spent all afternoon on the small island, photographing every inch of it for the realtor. The final thing he had to photograph was the lighthouse; inside and out.
He set up his tripod and positioned the camera to capture the lighthouse, the bridge, and several of the trees. Once he was happy with the photo, he moved a few steps closer to the lighthouse to emphasize it more. Thatโs when he saw her sitting next to the lighthouse.
Fantastic. He thought when he saw her. Now I’ll have to take that one again. He grabbed his camera and tripod and walked over to her. He tried to make as much noise as he could so he wouldnโt startle her, but her focus was impressive and she didnโt look up until he was right in front of her.
โExcuse me, miss,โ he began. โ I donโt mean to bother you, but Iโm photographing the lighthouse and I was wondering if you could please move for five minutes.โ
She looked up at him and he looked down at her. He held out his hand to help her up, but she ignored it.
โWhy are you photographing the lighthouse?โ She asked while she stood up. She picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder.
โItโs going up for sale,โ he answered as he watched her.
She turned to face him abruptly. โExcuse me?โ
โYeah, the whole island is on the market. The city is tired of maintaining the property.โ
โThey canโt do that.โ
โApparently they can, and they will,โ he answered. โWhy donโt you buy it?โ
โExcuse me?โ
โIf you love it so much, why donโt you buy it?โ He repeated.
โI can barely make rent, and you want me to buy an island with a lighthouse? Where would I sleep?โ
โRelax, it was just a thought,โ he said. โI didnโt mean anything by the suggestion.โ They stood and looked at each other for a few seconds.
โWell, get on with it then,โ she said. She followed him away from the lighthouse so she wouldnโt be in the way while he photographed it.
โIโm all finished outside,โ he said. โThank you for being patient.โ
โYouโre welcome,โ she replied as she set up her blanket on the ground again.
He walked up to the lighthouse to unlock the padlock on the barricade. He looked at her again, as she was just getting settled on the blanket.
โUm, would you like to come inside with me?โ He asked.
She looked up at him again. โNo thank you,โ she said. โIโve got some work to do here.โ
โIf youโre sure,โ he said. โIt was nice to meet you.โ He opened the door and went inside.
6 responses to “The Lighthouse Part One”
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