Publish Or Perish

@produtta27 | Prompt 1 • Jul '18

'You're calculating a lot Stuart, let it go! Everything is just going to be great!'

'Hope so. ', said Stuart.

Stuart went to Jill's house and had lunch, then at around three in the evening the left for their mission of looking out for the ghosts in the Haunted Lighthouse.

They reached there around an hour after. They planned to wait till midnight in the cowshed that was around five minutes from the lighthouse, after they got off the train.

Midnight clock strikes!

It was midnight, the boys took their backpacks and wide immense courage started walking towards the Haunted Lighthouse. It took them exactly five minutes to stand in front of the massive door of the Haunted Lighthouse. Guarded with spider webs and the creepers crawling through the walls, it was quite a creepy start. This was just the beginning, the duo didn't know what they were looking forward to. Jill took out his scissors and parted the creepers into two, Stuart went in with his torch. The interior was very cold. No windows, no air, it was indeed a risky place for a mission to take place.

'So, what do you think Stuart, isn't it a great place to be at midnight?', asked Jill, his voice echoed throughout the place. Just then a few bats flew from one corner of the hall to another.

'Yes, indeed a great place to be !', said Stuart.

The floor suddenly trembled and Jill fell down. 'Jilly,! Are you okay? ', shouted Stuart.

'Yeah, Just a scratch on the elbow. Doesn't matter. ' said Jill

'This place is getting colder and colder every second! ' said Stuart

'Well, most of the ghosts are meant to stay in cold places! ' said Jill.

The duo shared a moment to giggle, but just then the whole place started to smell of rotten eggs and dead rats. The boys were almost choked by the smell, when suddenly Stuart saw a very creepy hand stretching out, the bony hand clawed and ripped at the air, desperate to wrench them into the abyss.

The hand stood there for a minute or so behind the huge pillar, Stuart slowly holding Jill's shoulders shook him to show the hand. Both the boys looking clueless and getting up slowly, the stood up. The hand was seen coming closer when Stuart pushed Jill near the staircase, and the hand grasped Stuart and pulled him towards the pillar. Jill was shook, Stuart was shouting 'Help! Help me someone please! Jill run and get some help!'

Jill ran up the stairs and went into the control room, it was very difficult for him to find out what should he do. In the meanwhile, when went to see in what condition Stuart was, he found that he was nowhere. Suddenly, the same bony hand clawed upon his legs and tried to pull him down the stairs. While Jill was being dragged down the staircase, Stuart came from behind with his baseball bat and hit the hand so hard that for a moment it was still. Jill said, 'Stuart! Are you okay? What did it do to you? '

'Yes, almost not dead, said Stuart, 'The hand took me behi..' , and Stuart's face went pale and with a look of being cold-blooded.

Jill asked,' What happened? Why did you stop? '

Stuart shouted, 'Jilly, put your head down!'

And the hand was in action again, it again pulled Stuart away behind the pillars.

Stuart said, ' Jilly, go and do something to save me! Call people, do anything, don't stay standing!'

Just then an idea clicked in Jill's head, he ran towards the room and started looking for the handle by which the light could glow.

It was a very risky idea, as the light may not glow because the lighthouse was closed or rather people stopped entering into it in the last five to Six years.

At last, after a ten minute long mission of finding the handle and also understanding how much pressure would be needed to pull it, Just with a small torch, Jill finally managed to execute his idea.

There was no sign of the creepy hand, he at first, gently pulled the handle, no scene of light anywhere outside, after a few attempts, the light glowed up, dim it was, but enough to notice for people. A house just a few minutes away was experiencing the dim light. A man named Abby, who was sleeping peacefully woke up as the light reflected on his closed eyes. He woke up into surprise! He couldn't believe his eyes, he couldn't believe that it was the light from the lighthouse.

Jill took up the telescope, and he could see Abby standing against his window looking all confused. Then, came the second and last part of his plan, the cutout of the word 'Help' was taken in his hand. He placed his phone in front of the light, placed the paper and there Abby could see the letters written 'H-E-L-P'.

Abby quickly ran down the stairs, fetched his keys to his car, and left his door of the house wide open. He sat in his car and drove as fast as he could. He didn't want to let go of another life, Just like in the case of his brother. It became his mission to save that unknown person, to call it even, as he couldn't save his brother Danny in the exactly same case, when he went to find out for the ghost in the lighthouse a year ago. He lost his brother, but not this time. He reached the lighthouse in eleven minutes or so.

This time, he didn't forget to take the instructions written by the father of Saint. Mary's Church. The last time, though he had it, it was too late to save his brother's life.

As the door was open he swiftly went inside and ran right up towards the room. He saw a kid around half his age, standing there in fright. Jill hugged Abby tightly and said, 'Please save us! Save us!'

Abby said, 'Us? '

'Yes, I and my friend are trapped in here! '

Abby went on to first lighting up the candle, putting a picture of Jesus and started saying and repeating the same things that were written on the paper. In a minute or so, Abby realized that Jill wasn't there with him. In a second, he could hear him shouting, 'Save me, save us! Please?!'

Abby continued repeating, as he knew only this could save them. While reading the last line, the whole lighthouse was trembling, shaking and what not. Just after he finished saying all the stuff, he saw the man in an angel form, the man who was trapped and tortured by the businessmen to strain all his wealth, he committed suicide but wasn't set free.

Danny died this way as the man, wanted him to set him free but couldn't and hence killed him. The same would have happened to the kids but Abby saved the day.

Slowly, the sun rose and all the blood and injuries of the kids were healed.

The kids thanked Abby and were even dropped by Abby to their town.

Jill and Stuart come home back safely

Jill's mother opened up the door as the bell ranged.

'You're back home? The celebration got over? What happened? 'asked Jill's mother.

'It's a long story mom! Will tell you later, now please make me some coffee.'

The End

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