The Ghosts of the Green Glass

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Cole Marsh’s story got real nuts real fast. It doesn’t stop there, though. If you haven’t read any so far, don’t start here. Click here to go to the chapter list, or click here to go back just one step to part five.

Thanks for reading. Without any further delay…

The Ghosts of The Green Glass

Jeremiah Marsh stood outside of his truck gathering himself as he took in the view of the market. His son had paddled put to Tannigath! That cursed rock had already taken his wife, Lily. He’d be damned if it took his son, too. Why hadn’t he warned Cole?

The whole place smelled of salt and the sea. Having spent so many hours here, the scents wafting on the light breeze barely registered on his senses. The stands were closing down after emptying their stock to restaurant owners who would sell it as ‘catch of the day’ specials. Pelicans glided through the air as the sun was setting on the horizon. A few of them rested on the docks’ high posts.

He shook his head and started running in the direction of his boat, a Power catamaran he christened The Herald.

Old Zeke stumbled out of the local watering hole, The Green Glass. Jeremiah nearly crashed into him as the drunk fell onto his hands and knees as he vomited on the sidewalk. Seek gave a sideways look to Jeremiah as he wiped his face with the side of his arm. His moustache contrasted with a dark scraggly beard that made him look like an old Labrador retriever. His eyes were tired. He pulled his hat down over his eyes and crawled around the corner of The Green Glass to lean against the outer wall. Zeke mumbled something unintelligible and fell over on his side.

Jeremiah gave the old man a backward glance and kept on in the direction of The Herald. He’d tripped over Zeke before. You could usually spot a leg stretched out from behind a porch as the man slept off what he called having a good time. Maybe he was drowning out a bad time. His incoherent rants were as famous in the market as his drunkenness. Who knows what the old goat had seen out on the water.

The wooden dock sounded hollow beneath Jeremiah’s footfalls. There was a sliver of sunlight left beneath the crescent moon. The sky was clear. Perfect conditions for the air to feel alive. It even shimmered. On the opposite side of The Herald, Jeddy Lee was tying up his pontoon boat, The Hungry Grasp. He loved sitting on the deck of his pontoon and gazing out at the clear evening sky reflected on the ocean. Him and Jeremiah had shared many great conversations about the meaning of life and family on that deck.

Jeddy looked up from his rope. “Jeremiah? Hey man, everything OK?”

Jeremiah ignored him and went straight for the cabin of the power cat. He rummaged around to find his hat then went to the back of the boat to start the dual outboard motors.

“Jeremiah, man I’ve got to talk to you,” said Jeddy as he followed him into The Herald.

“No time, Jeddy, I’ve gotta get out in the bay.”

“Just wait a sec, please.”

Jeremiah stopped and looked him in the face. “Jeddy, I saw Cole paddling out to Tannigath.”

Jeddy backed up slightly. “Why’s he going out there?”

“I don’t know!” Jeremiah said as he activated the choke and started the engine.

”I hate to tell you this right now, but I saw her on the docks tonight, Jer. I saw Lily.”

Jeremiah met his eyes again and narrowed his own. “What did you just say?”

“As I was tying up The Hungry Grasp, only a few minutes before you came running, I saw Lily standing at the edge of the dock.”

“That’s impossible,” said Jeremiah as he held the rail.

“She was just there, wearing that dress she always wore. The one with the yellow flowers on it? She lifted her head to the moon and I saw her face, man. It was her.”

“You’ve been hanging out with Old Zeke.” Jeremiah was stunned. Lily was dead and that was that. No changing. No going back, but now he couldn’t move forward.

Jeddy Lee walked up next to Jeremiah and put his hand on his shoulder. “I’ll go with you. Let’s get out to the rock.”

The light reflecting off the ripples in the ocean surface shone all around them. As Jeremiah lifted his head to respond to Jeddy, the reflections began to lift off the surface of the water. Miniature orbs that flowed like emeralds emerged from the reflections began to flit about The Herald.

The air felt like it was alive with electric current. Both men felt the static on their clothes. Jeremiah took off his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. Jeddy Lee’s eyes were wide and he pointed to the helm.

“Jeremiah.” Only one voice had ever sounded so melodiously sweet in his ears. It couldn’t be. He didn’t dare follow his friend’s finger to see what he knew would be standing before him. All the grief. All the guilt. He couldn’t bear to see her knowing he had already lost her.

The lightest touch fell on his shoulder. Jeremiah had no reserve of strength to resist. The voice had done him in. Lily Marsh stood before her husband and looked deep past his eyes in search for his soul. Oh, how he’d ached to see his bride again! Jeremiah throw his arms around Lily and held her tight. Lily returned the embrace and rested her cheek in Jeremiah’s neck.

He released her from the embrace but still held her arms like she was the most precious porcelain vase in existence. To him, she was. “How is this possible?” He turned to Jeddy whose expression told him he wasn’t just seeing things. Her skin felt cool and smooth to his warm hands. “How are you here, Lily?”

“My love, there’s little time to explain but, you were right. Now Cole is in danger. He needs you.” She paused. “I need you.”

The static in the air dissipated with her final words. Jeremiah held nothing but shimmering emerald light in his hands that was quickly fading away into the water’s reflection.

Jeddy Lee put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and affirmed him. “I saw and heard it all. You weren’t seeing things. She was here.”

Jeremiah didn’t say anything.

“Hey,” said Jeddy as he patted Jeremiah’s back.

“Ghosts and apparitions!” shouted Jeremiah as he pushed Jeddy’s hand away.

“She was here.”

“Whatever that was, it was not Lily.”

Tannigath loomed on the watery horizon in front of them. The outboard motors droned as their gearboxes sat ready in neutral. Was he seeing things? There were no green lights dancing above the water. There was no static in the air. There was no Lily.

Jeremiah shook his head and turned to his friend. “Jeddy, listen. I’m sorry.”

Jeddy stood still and said again, “Don’t worry about it. She was here,” he said as he pointed out to the monolithic rock Tannigath, “but Cole’s out there.”

“You sure you wanna go? You know good and well how long it takes to travel through the nexus.”

Jeddy Lee smiled at Jeremiah and pulled the levers on the outboard motors. The Herald surged forward into the dark ocean toward an even darker rock that towered out of it.

What waits at the rock?

What do you think is going on or where this stories going to go? Hit reply, or if you’re reading this on the site, drop a comment and let me know.

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If you got here from the chapter list, tap here to go to chapter 7, The Creatures of the Dark Light.

Talk to y’all soon.

~ J.P. Simons