Shadows Of the Night
part 6
"Daddy, did you remember to bring the nightlight?"
"Ally, sweetie, you're five years old now." Cole Turner briefly cleared his throat, puffing up his chest, as he deepened his voice jokingly. "Nightlights are for wimps."
"Daddy, that's not funny," she whispered softly. Though the corners of her mouth soon twitched into a small smile, as she pulled the sheets up to her chin, bringing her legs up closer to herself in her upright position.
"Your mother had the chore of getting you all dressed up, and I now have the task of putting you to sleep. We'll be right below you, sweetie. Nothing is going to happen."
"Are you sure?"
"And besides. If I take your light, and put it up here? Your mom and I are going to see it down by us, and we'll have trouble sleeping."
"But Aunt Paige says you're probably just trying to get me a baby brother anyway."
Cole frowned a moment, and then raised his eyebrows suddenly, throwing his hands down upon her bunk. "Well, Aunt Paige just says that because she knows she isn't ever capable of finding a man of her own."
"Why, Daddy?"
"Well, because- men don't like women who whine and who prove themselves to be too self-absorbed and nosey."
"She does all of those things?"
"You really don't know your aunt that well, do you?"
Alex shook her head, somewhat confused. "Can you please leave the light on, Daddy?" she pleaded again, straying from the subject.
"You have Mr. Stu, don't you?"
Alex retrieved a small beaten monkey from beneath the covers, proudly showing it to her father. One eye was missing from the socket of fuzz, and a leg was threatening to come clean off. Cole gently took the animal from her, laying it upon her pillow, as he calmly pulled a bit of blanket over the stuffed animal. "There. Now, you won't have to be alone. If anyone tries to come and get you, Mr. Stu will fight them off with his power of....x-ray vision. Okay?"
"Daddy, that's Superman," the little girl mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Yes, well Mr. Stu is a descendant of Superman....he's one in an entire line of potential Superman beings in training....to become just like him."
"Why can't Mr. Stu be just like you?" she asked then.
"Sweetheart, I think it's time you just get to-"
"I still remember how you saved me, Daddy," she said softly, her eyes growing big, as she looked up at him. "You were so strong, and you fought that bad lady...and you were my hero. You were so brave, Daddy."
"Ally, that was a long-"
"But I can remember it," she repeated. "I...I wish I could tell my teacher all of the great things you do, Daddy. You're better than the rest of the dads. I could show all of those kids."
Cole smiled, resting his chin upon his hands then, as he studied her a moment, his feet shifting in position slightly on the small ladder below. "Ally, you know I'd never let- well...you know, I guess it's important that we keep these secrets, you know? I mean, this is why they should stay between us, and no one else. It's because your teacher, or...or anyone else for that matter, just wouldn't understand. They're not magic."
"I know, Daddy."
"So you understand all of this then?"
"I do know it was wrong," Alex offered, then shrugged. "But I guess I...I just wanted to be as cool as everyone else. They always have nice stuff to say, and I...I don't Daddy. I'll bet they think I'm boring."
"Well, being cool isn't everything, if you aren't happy with who you are," he reminded her. "And you? Are anything but boring. You got that?"
"But I am happy with who I am," she insisted.
He gently sighed. "We can discuss this when it's time for you to hit the books again."
"Light?"
"No."
"Please?"
"You know, by refusing your child something so useful at this stage in her life....you are easily paving way for disaster down the road."
"Oh, Paige- what a lovely surprise. Just the person I needed to see before I go to sleep."
"Likewise, Cole."
"You're back late," he commented, as he planted a small kiss in Alex's hair, securing the sheets about her one last time. His smile growing wider, he removed the tiny nightlight from her suitcase, plugging it safely into the wall. The little girl giggled then, as she turned the opposite way, taking Mr. Stu into her arms. "'Night, Daddy."
"Sleep tight, sweetheart."
"Yeah, and you will not believe what I found out. Where's Phoebe?"
"Phoebe is off using a different bathroom, because our toilet now appears to be defective."
"Jinxed the room?"
"Well, you came into it, so what do you think?"
"Oh, that's funny."
"Look, we had a slight problem with the lights earlier, and I'm not even sure if that's resolved. I went and talked to Sterling, the guy's an ass, and I left the party quite pissed."
"What's he like?" she asked, scrunching up her nose.
"The man has secrets," Cole observed, climbing down, as he carefully shifted the ladder to his far left, clasping his hands together, as he met her expression of curiousness.
"Thank you once again for being one to state the obvious," she added sarcastically.
"I need to find out some more information here, okay? You honestly didn't think I'd have it all out of him in a day, did you?"
"Well, speaking of information, I found out quite the story myself."
"Really?"
"You may even be strangely impressed."
"Oh, I doubt that."
"Look, what reason do you have to-"
"I was kidding, Paige."
"You sure do have a funny way of showing it," she quipped, her eyes narrowing at him.
"So, do you think I should invest in a nightlight too after this?"
"You may not have found out this ship has a past, but I sure did. Got Billy Crane to open his big mouth to me back there. Turned on the extra charm, and he was all too willing."
"Maybe you've come in handy for something afterall." He crossed his arms over his chest, as he offered her a smirk. "Does someone have a little crush?"
"Oh, he shouldn't flatter himself. I was purely in it for the professional I am."
"For what?" Came a cheery voice, as Phoebe suddenly stepped in behind her, a small towel encased in her grip, as she gently placed her toothbrush down upon the countertop. "You know, has either of you taken notice that nobody on this ship likes to talk too much? I tried to make conversation with some little old lady back there, and she just acted as if I were invisible. I...I mean, not even a word- which is odd, you know?"
"Tired?" Paige suggested.
"Mmm...it is late," she sided. "But I'm just not getting the friendly vibe."
"You're just experiencing what Paige and I have been since we met," Cole assured her. "It's perfectly normal."
Paige reached out, and hit him, but smiled in spite of herself. "Still....you're just in time for a little campfire tale, Sis."
"Lucky me," Phoebe said quietly, glaring at her, as she gently placed her hands on her hips. "So spill. To haunt, or not to haunt?"
"Mmmm....if I would have to take a guess, I would probably say no."
"Wait," Cole cut in, briefly grinning, as he put out a hand, waving it in her direction. Sitting down upon an armchair that lay nearby, he watched as Phoebe opted for a place directly in front of him upon the carpeting. "You flirted with this guy all night, and all you got-"
"You know, you might want to keep your voice down," she urged. "I just put Melinda to sleep a few minutes ago, and if she hears us, it'll be two very inquisitive children."
"Seeing as we're all of a magical upbringing, I hardly think it matters," Cole offered, frowning. "Now, do you have something, or-"
"Easy, okay? Look, this has to stay quiet. If word gets out...I mean-"
"Paige!" they both cried out in unison.
"In the back of this place, there's a picture," she started. "It was all dusty and garbage, and I was trying to clean it up a bit...so Melinda and I could see it better. Well, we're talking about it, alright? And all of a sudden- bam. There's Crane...like, right behind us. I swear, I have no idea where he came from. But he was there, and naturally....accuses me of snooping."
"Naturally," Cole deadpanned.
"So we also see that this girl's name was Jacqueline Graves. She was the typical woman of the hour- long blonde hair, fancy dress...probably really popular in her time."
"Who was she on the Crimson Star?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm not sure about that. But she was apparently part of a rather violent love triangle turned sour. I mean, this girl did not have any happy ending."
"What are you talking about?" Cole asked quietly, placing a hand upon his wife's shoulder.
"She was murdered, she was in her earlier twenties, and they say one of the lovers did it."
"Ooo...a web of deceit," Phoebe mumbled.
"Exactly. And they never really found out the truth with any of it."
"So we have a haunting on our hands, afterall? Perfect. Just perfect. You know, I guess I'm just a magnet for demons, you know? I tried to come here, have a good time, and-"
"No," Paige interrupted, putting a hand up in protest. "No, that's not it at all. Contrary to what you may or may not believe, her ghost is not running around this ship wreaking havoc. In fact, everybody else has pretty much settled on the fact that it's probably Lowell, if there's any at all."
"Lowell! Well, it might actually help if we knew who this Lowell was."
"Her innocent lover, condemned of her murder," Paige explained. "Wrongly accused, but still tried and hanged."
"Someone was hanged here?"
"Yep. Only they say he was never lain to rest, obviously. I mean, when the entire ship is against you, and you don't have a soul in the world who would back you up...I'd say he took it pretty hard."
Cole sighed, shaking his head. "It...it seems a little forced, doesn't it? I mean, just your typcial story of guy meets girl, guys falls in love with girl- other guy is jealous, girl is murdered in this rage, despite the fact that both still love her."
"Whoa. And...you just lost me," Paige stated simply, blinking, as she stared oddly at him. "How about we slow down, and try again?"
"Who was the other lover?"
"I think his name was....Orin."
"Orin?" Phoebe offered, scrunching up her nose. "Guess I can see that jealousy part now, hmm?"
"What cause would Orin have to kill his beloved, when she was solely devoted to him?" Cole returned.
"That's just it. From what Crane said? She was falling more in love with Lowell each day. Orin knew this, aside from her attempts to cover up her feelings as best she could. Thing of it was, Orin and Jacqueline were together when she met Lowell."
"How so?"
"He came from this other ship, I think. I mean, I didn't exactly get all the details on that part. But he'd come over from a lifeboat, after his ship had lost its captain."
Cole remained silent then, as he closed his eyes. He didn't want to take in what she was telling him- didn't want to claim it as a form of truth just now. In his head, random images started to take shape that he wanted absolutely no part of. He shook his head, trying to force them away- but the vividness remained, cutting off his entire train of thought to reality. He saw the Mary Celeste, the small boats drifting far and beyond the ship itself, each one getting carried into a different direction by the waves. Those crew members...those crew members must have been awfully young, he guessed. Probably around the age of Jacqueline herself. He slowly swallowed, resuming his vision to the world around him. No. There must have been some mistake to it all. Some part of it they were overlooking. It seemed impossible.
"Cole?" Phoebe was calling. "Cole, are you alright? Cole? Honey, what's the matter?"
"It's a different ship," he mused carefully. "It has to be a different ship."
"Honey, what are you talking about? What ship?"
"What was the name?" Cole asked Paige ignoring his wife. "What was the name of the ship Lowell came from?"
"I...I don't know," Paige stammered, just as confused as her sister. "Crane probably shouldn't have even told me the names of those two guys."
"Do you think Orin is still here?" Phoebe whispered then, as her fear began to mount. "I'm- I mean, I'm just saying. Because like Cole said, it makes no sense that Lowell would want revenge against Jacqueline for anything she did. He would be going for Orin- wanting revenge upon him. So...so maybe it's-"
"Orin?" Paige finished. "I really don't think there are any ghosts here. I just took it to simply mean a story of unrequitted love, you know?"
"Something just isn't going over well on this ship," Cole mumbled. "I've...I still feel it. I just can't get it to go away. Something is here- whether it's human or not. There's something here."
"And I think he gets the prize for the most broodsome of the evening," Paige declared, holding up a hand. "What do you think, Phoebe?"
Phoebe gently rested her head upon her husband's knee, her face expressionless. "If he still thinks something's wrong.....I believe him completely," she whispered.
**********
"Welcome aboard, Sir! And how are we tonight? Looks like a storm's settin' in, eh?"
The young man stepped onto the sturdy deck with the outstretched hand that was offered to him, breathing an intense sigh of relief. He coughed briefly, throwing his strong arms around his chest. His dark hair was quite damp, and his gray eyes grew tiresome at the thought of having finally reached a patch of shelter. "Probably," he agreed, shivering.
"No more with you there?" his opponent returned curiously. "You by yourself, sailor?"
"Quite the loner," the man said softly, nodding. "Got...got separated from my ship."
"Ah. Well. Good news, lad. There's plenty of room for ya above this girl. She's got more than enough strength to carry thousands."
"Has anyone else been found?" he asked quickly. "I...I was travelin' with seven other members, the captain, and his family," he explained.
"You're the first to step onto the Crimson Star, as far as I can tell. We've got a pretty heavy load on our hands already."
"I should hope they haven't perished," he whispered. "It would have been all my fault."
"A ship's troubles are no one's fault," the other man insisted. "Come. We'll find you a cabin, lad."
"But I should worry for them."
"Nonsense. They'll find their way here if the tide is right."
"There's something out there," the young man gestured. "Something bad."
"I'm sorry?"
"Look. The name is Lowell Robinson. I was aboard the Mary Celeste. There is something in those waters that destroyed our ship."
"Lowell, son, if you'd just calm down, we can get to the bottom of this without seein' the need to resort to-"
"You don't...don't understand. There is a problem in those waters, and if we don't get going ourselves.....we could be next."
"They say the salt water makes ya crazy, but I didn't believe that 'til now." Shaking his head, he guided the boy up a couple of steps, leading him to an inner compartment within the vessel.
"I...I...I'm not crazy," Lowell added, shivering once more. "I speak the truth."
"You're seeing things, lad. It's only common. Now we'll just get ya some towels, get ya some grub, and you can go rest."
"Don't, don't want to rest. Can't rest."
"Orin, you silly thing, are you talking to yourself down here again?" A girl's voice echoed above the madness, as she let her eyes wander around the corner, absentmindedly edging her entire body into the other room as well. Upon seeing the drifter, her heart caught in her chest, as she noticed his wardrobe and exhausted profile. Her hands nervously grasped either side of her dress, as she made her way further down the steps, insistent upon getting a closer look. Her bare feet stopped inches in front of him, as she dared to look into his soft gaze. "My, what have we got here?"
"Came in by a lifeboat," Orin explained, smiling at the sight of the giggling female in front of him. "Thought we'd fix him up, get him goin' again."
"Monster," Lowell continued. "You know not what awaits you beyond this ship."
"Is he...chanting?" the girl questioned, raising a single eyebrow in his direction.
"Jackie, you get along now. I'll be up to get you before supper."
"But Orin, I wanna know-"
"I'll take care of him. A girl like you's got no business toying around down here."
"Aw....but I don't mean no harm," she sided, clearly defeated. "I was bored, and Daddy was his usual entertaining self, all fallin' asleep in his chair again. And I couldn't stand my shoes, as they were making too much noise, as I crept. So I now fear I've lost them somewhere along the way. Mother will be cross with me."
"You have to leave," Lowell told her suddenly, as he frantically reached out, and grasped her hand. "Leave now."
Jacqueline quickly turned around again, nearly colliding nose to nose with this stranger she knew absolutely nothing about. "I beg your pardon, Sir?"
"They won't listen. No one is. No one cares of what danger there is out there."
"So what danger is there?" she asked him, her mouth set in a tight line.
"There's a beast. A beast who consumes us whole," he ranted. "It's still out there. It's waiting for us."
"He's not coherant, I tell ya," Orin said, nonchalently shaking his head. "The man talks drivel, darlin'."
"Drivel," she repeated, glancing hard at Lowell, as she failed to release her hand from his. "He...he seems sane enough to me."
Orin laughed. "Then you've never seen someone who's completely gone, have ya now?"
"Why don't you give him what he wants?"
"Throw him back overboard?" Orin quipped.
"Somethin' made him come here, didn't it, Orin?"
"Yeah, but he's bluffin'."
"Somethin's got him scared," she observed, her eyes still focused on Lowell, as she gently bit her lower lip.
"It's the water," Orin insisted again, throwing the boarder a set of clean clothes. "He should be damn happy he's alive if his story's true."
"Your captain?" Jacqueline inquired.
Lowell just slumped to the floor in a small heap, as he calmly rocked back and forth. "We're next," he muttered. "We're next, and they'll never know what hit 'em. Never know."
"You're looking quite lovely today, darlin'," Orin breathed, catching his girlfriend within his full frame of vision.
"Think so?"
"You could believe, couldn't you?" Lowell spoke up, as if finally noticing her completely for the very first time.
"Believe what?" she asked softly, her voice just above a whisper.
"In the power it has. The power....it's overwhelmin'. It will devour you whole."
"I've seen lads close to the likes of him. Didn't live much longer, I tell ya. I see that same fate for this one."
"You'll see," Lowell said matter of factly. "You'll see it when it comes for you. They...they saw it...I know they did. And now they're gone. All gone now. No more left."
"Go and fetch him a plate, would you, Love?"
"Should we put him under supervision?" she tried.
"Nah. He'll be fine once he gets somethin' in his stomach."
"Mmmm," she mumbled. "Kay. Be right back."
Orin grinned. "I'll be waitin'."
She disappeared rapidly up the steps. Orin turned toward the visitor, kneeling down beside him, as a hand smoothed out his thin mustache. "You better come to your senses soon, or I will have ya thrown overboard, son. I'd make it look like an accident too. So don't ya step outta line now." He cleared his throat, staring at the wall in front of him. "Saw ya makin' eyes at my girl just now too. To think you'd ever have a chance with someone like her, is raising your stakes too high. She'd never fall for the likes of ya. She likes her men excitin' and likeable. You're anything but. So don't you step outta line, and make me do something I don't wanna do. Got it? Cuz I'll do it- I would."
Lowell simply placed his head in his hands, as he tucked himself tighter into a ball. "It will come," he pleaded. "It will come."