Image by Mostafa Habibi
Taking the path to the village along the cliff the old fisherman paused in his customary place to view the sea. The rowing boat caught his attention immediately - a dinghy cast up on the shore, oars shipped. No footprints on the smooth sand, no body drifting in the water, no sign of life anywhere. The tide crept closer, rocked the craft, yet it remained as though anchored. No seabirds wheeled in the air or pecked along the shore line and that was unusual.
The old man clambered down a narrow path to the beach. He wanted a closer look - there might be someone lying in the hull. He stood for a long time, watching, listening, before approaching the craft. The sand sucked at his boots and a sea mist crept in towards land, the dampness infiltrating his layers of clothing. He was not a fanciful man, indeed was known and respected for his practicality, but a sense of dread was growing in him.
Reaching the boat he peered in. There was nothing there. He chuckled and turned to retrace his steps. There were no footprints in the sand.
They missed him in the village, sent out search parties when days passed without sight of him, but he was never found. No-one claimed the dinghy and it soon drifted away. If anyone noticed the faded name they thought nothing of it. ‘Reaper’ wasn’t a local name.
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You wove a fascinating tale here. I loved the ending.
ReplyDeleteA powerful little tale Janice, and I always enjoy your creativity with the written word.
ReplyDeleteNow that WAS an unexpected ending!
ReplyDeleteNice write.
Hmm delightful tale - guess its a good thing to listen to instinct
ReplyDeleteWhoa. This is a good Ghost Story for the campfire!
ReplyDeleteOoh-brilliantly creepy!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great short story and illustration - I love mysteries!
ReplyDeleteLoved that ending.
ReplyDeleteThis is beautifully written... very clever!
ReplyDeleteOh, Janice. Not a local name, you say? Very well done. I wasn't expecting that. Crept up on me, leaving no footprints, you might say.
ReplyDeleteK
Cool. An unexpected ending well wrought.
ReplyDeleteLee
On 12/12—Blogging advice from a blogging expert (no it’s not me)
Tossing It Out
Spooky! The name of the boat was a great and pointed ending.
ReplyDeleteChilling tale Janice!
ReplyDeleteThat's a great, and very creepy, take on the picture. It reminds me of an area along the inlet outside of Anchorage. All the locals knew not to go on the mud flats because it would suck you in. Unfortunately visitors didn't always believe the warning signs.
ReplyDeleteOooh very good, I did like this :o)
ReplyDelete.. and thank you for the congratulations x
Great tale, I could imagine telling that round the fire in my canoe camping days.
ReplyDeleteAnd there he was, lost in the mists of time... :)
ReplyDeleteVery original take on the prompt and very enjoyable to read.
ReplyDeleteThat is spooky.
ReplyDeleteAh, amazing imagination. A dark fantasy tale...very well conceived and written. "Reaper" is the perfect touch to provide the shivers.
ReplyDeletea rather grim tale...hehe...smiles
ReplyDeleteGreat mystery/scary story! I like the dark surprise ending.
ReplyDeleteIntriguing and mysterious tale - a very fine read!
ReplyDeleteWonderful take on this Magpie. You write vividly and create the sense of foreboding appropriate to the subject matter.
ReplyDeleteOh, that was absolutely wonderful! LOVED the twist.
ReplyDeletePearl
A captivating tale indeed!!
ReplyDeleteOh very clever - love it!
ReplyDeleteAnna :o]