199 Steps

It was a hot summer day vacationing on the small cape.  She

had seen the lighthouse from a distance and it seemed to

beckon her to the shoreline.  She had heard talk in town that

the lighthouse was haunted.  Gathering her things in her car

she thought,  how bad could it be in daylight?

She drove down the winding road, the trees seemed to whisper

'beware" to her listening ears.  Cautiously, she drove down Lighthouse

Road.  Her heart beating in anticipation.  What would she find

within those stone walls?

Purchasing her ticket she is briefly filled in on the lighthouse's history.

Quickly,  she starts ascending the spiral staircase of 199 steps.

Each landing a welcomed reprieve.

Reaching the lighthouse room she senses a dreary darkness.  Does no

one notice the chill in the room on a hot sunny day?  A cold breath

brushes against her neck, chills run down her spine. The black crows
screeching below become audible over the crashing waves.  Should she
be fearful as spirits hover near?

Descending the spiraling staircase, invisible iron clad hands stretch out

beyond the grave, grabbing her ankles holding her in place.  Legs trembling

with terror, why won't they let go?  Her breathing is tense, pulse rapid

each step agonizing.  What story do these residents have to be told?

Is she the only one who feels them? 

Gasping for air, standing on the final landing,  she searches upward desperately

struggling for answers. A shadowy  figure  hovers near the window port above

and she  hears the cries of a small child. 

Quickly, sprinting to her car, desperate to get far away from this place. It

looks like rain,  ominous clouds roll in.  She hurriedly drives back towards town
but,  somehow makes a wrong turn, finding herself back on Lighthouse Road. The first bolt of lightning strikes to the  groan of thunder.

Poets United - Telling Tales with Magaly

I may have broken a rule as it is based on a true story.