Shore

June 3

I moved here to start over.

At twenty-three, my life looked nothing like I thought it would.

I no longer spoke to my parents, and I didn't live at home anymore.

It wasn't some grand adventure. I needed a fresh start, and more importantly, I needed a job.

By late afternoon, I had spent hours walking around with a stack of résumés tucked under my arm. Most places weren't hiring. The few that were, wanted experience I didn't have.

That's how I ended up inside a small general store near the harbor.

A girl about my age stood behind the counter, flipping through a magazine. Her brown hair was so long. You could tell she'd straightened it. Her roots were starting to curl at the top.

In a pretty way.

"Hey," I said. "Any chance you're hiring?"

She smiled apologetically.

"No. Sorry."

I sighed.

"Figured it was worth asking."

"But," she added, "my dad is looking for an assistant at the lighthouse."

I glanced through the front window toward the ocean.

"The lighthouse?" I asked, pointing.

"Yeah."

I hesitated.

"Water kind of makes me uneasy."

And that wasn't a corny line. It genuinely terrified me.

She laughed softly.

"You'll be fine. Just show up around eight tonight. I'll let my dad know."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

I couldn't help smiling.

"Thank you."

Before she could answer, the front door opened.

A young blonde woman walked inside carrying a couple of shopping bags.

The girl behind the counter immediately rolled her eyes.

The woman frowned.

"Leaving early again?"

"My shift's over."

The woman finally noticed me.

"Who's this?"

I suddenly felt like I'd walked into the middle of something.

After a few awkward moments, the woman wandered farther into the store.

I looked back at the girl.

"You don't seem to like your mom."

She immediately shook her head.

"Stepmom."

"Oh."

"She's twenty-five."

I stared.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-three."

I blinked.

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah."

"That's... weird."

"You haven't heard the weird part yet. She's pregnant."

I didn't know what to say.

"Wow. I'm sorry."

She smiled.

"It's not your fault."

For a moment, neither of us looked away.

Her eyes were warm, and before I realized it, I was smiling back.

By the time I left the store, I had a job waiting for me and had met a girl I couldn't stop thinking about.

Not bad for my first day in town.

That night, the lighthouse looked even bigger up close.

The structure rose over a hundred feet into the night sky, its beam sweeping across the black ocean.

A man stood waiting near the entrance.

"You must be Josh."

"Yes, sir."

He offered his hand.

"Akira Saka."

We shook.

Then he led me inside.

The climb up the spiral staircase felt endless.

Once we reached the top, he spent nearly an hour showing me how everything worked.

The radio.

The maintenance logs.

The emergency alarms.

The lighting system.

Most of it seemed straightforward.

At one point, he asked about my family.

"So, are your parents here with you?"

I looked away.

"I don't really talk to them anymore."

He nodded once.

"Fair enough. I won't pry."

I appreciated that.

A few minutes later, he smirked.

"I hear you made quite an impression on my daughter."

I nearly choked.

"What?" I asked.

He laughed.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"My wife."

I immediately made a face.

Mr. Saka laughed even harder.

"I know. I know. She's young."

"Young is one word for it."

"We're in love, and we're having a child."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that.

He shrugged.

"I thought it was strange too when it started. Maybe it's meant to be."

I nodded awkwardly.

"Maybe."

The shift passed quietly after that.

Then, sometime after midnight, his phone rang.

I watched his expression change immediately.

He stood up.

"She's in labor."

Within seconds, he was grabbing his coat and keys.

At the doorway, he suddenly stopped.

His hand rested on the frame.

Then he looked directly at me and sighed.

"Josh."

"Yeah?"

"Listen carefully."

His tone made my stomach tighten.

"Do not change the radio station."

I laughed slightly.

His face straightened.

"Do you hear me?"

"Yes," I said.

"If you absolutely must touch it, avoid Channel 0666."

I stared.

"What?"

"Just don't touch it."

The door closed behind him.

I sat alone while the ocean wind groaned outside.

The radio played quietly in the corner.

I checked my watch.

4:43 A.M.

I rocked back in the chair, my heels lifting and dropping in the air.

Five minutes passed.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Eventually, curiosity won and I stood.

I walked to the radio and turned the dial.

Static crackled.

Then a voice emerged.

Faint and distorted.

Almost desperately begging.

"Don't let us reach shore."

I froze.

The voice repeated itself.

"Don't let us reach shore."

Again.

"Don't let us reach shore."

My skin crawled.

I immediately turned the dial away and backed up.

Silence returned.

I told myself it was some weird broadcast.

Some prank or local tradition.

Eventually, exhaustion took over.

I fell asleep in the chair.

June 4

"Josh. Wake the hell up."

I nearly jumped out of my skin.

Louisa stood over me.

"What are you doing here?"

"My dad had his baby last night, remember?"

"Oh," I said, rubbing my eyes.

"He sent me to make sure you got home."

She hesitated.

"Or something like that."

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing."

We stood there awkwardly.

Then I took a chance.

"Hey, you can say no, but maybe you'd want to get something to eat sometime?"

Her smile returned instantly.

"Yeah."

"Yeah?"

"I'd love to."

My heart practically exploded.

She nodded and headed for the stairs.

Then I finally went home.

It was time for my next shift.

I found myself looking forward to it more than I probably should have.

Part of it was the job.

Most of it was Louisa.

Mr. Saka had talked about her a lot yesterday.

As I climbed the lighthouse stairs, I caught myself smiling.

"Now I can never quit the lighthouse," I joked to myself.

The top room was quiet when I arrived.

Mr. Saka was already there, finishing paperwork.

After a brief greeting, he grabbed a flashlight.

"I'm going down below the grates to check something," he said. "Just sit tight."

"Got it," I said.

Then he disappeared down the spiral staircase.

I sat alone.

Minutes passed.

The lighthouse groaned softly around me as the wind pushed against the walls.

There wasn't much for me to do.

Honestly, I still wasn't entirely sure why Mr. Saka needed an assistant. He handled almost everything himself.

My eyes drifted toward the radio.

George Strait played quietly through the speaker.

Not a fan.

My dad was.

Or had been.

I honestly didn't know anymore.

I reached over and lowered the volume.

Then I stared at the dial.

I knew I shouldn't.

But curiosity had been eating at me for two days now.

Finally, I turned the station.

Static crackled.

I kept turning.

Then the dial clicked into place.

0666.

Nothing happened at first.

I leaned closer and pressed my ear against the speaker.

A faint voice emerged from the static.

I felt my head begin to pound.

"Don't let us reach shore."

The voice repeated itself.

"Don't let us reach shore."

Again.

"Don't let us reach shore."

The words sounded distant.

I heard footsteps climbing the stairs.

I jerked upright and quickly spun the dial away.

Some upbeat pop song filled the room instead of George Strait.

A second later, Mr. Saka stepped through the doorway.

He froze.

His eyes immediately locked onto the radio.

Then onto me.

"What did you do?"

I felt my pulse jump.

"Nothing."

"Josh."

His voice had gone very quiet.

"What did you do?"

I shook my head.

"Nothing."

He stared at me for several long seconds.

"Did you play the channel I told you not to?"

"No."

The lie came out faster than I expected.

His jaw tightened.

For a moment, I thought he was going to call me out.

Instead, he looked away.

"Why don't you go home early?"

"What?"

"Just go."

I slowly grabbed my backpack.

"Okay."

Without another word, I headed for the staircase.

This was my least favorite part of working at the lighthouse.

Going down.

The tower stood over a hundred and twenty feet tall, and somehow there was only a single dim light illuminating the entire spiral staircase.

The farther I descended, the darker it became.

My footsteps echoed through the stone shaft.

Above me, the light room disappeared into shadow.

I reached the bottom and stepped outside into the cold night air.

The ocean stretched into darkness beyond the rocks.

As I walked home, I kept hearing that voice in my head.

Don't let us reach shore.

I still wasn't sure whether I'd heard a real transmission.

Or something else.

June 25

Three weeks had passed since I played Channel 0666.

Three very strange weeks.

Mr. Saka hadn't let me out of his sight.

At first, I thought he was joking.

Then I thought he was paranoid.

Now I wasn't sure.

If he checked the grounds at three in the morning, I went with him.

If he misplaced his phone for ten seconds, I went with him.

If he had to use the bathroom—

"Okay, kid. Bathroom time."

I rolled my eyes.

"I don't have to go."

He sighed.

"Fine."

I smiled.

"Thanks."

He pointed at me.

"I'll be back soon."

The moment he disappeared down the stairs, I jumped from my chair.

Straight to the radio.

I turned the dial.

0666.

Nothing.

Only static.

I checked again.

Still nothing.

Then the static vanished.

The radio went completely silent.

I tried changing channels.

Nothing worked.

A cold knot formed in my stomach.

Then I heard footsteps climbing the stairs.

Fast.

I quickly switched the radio off.

Seconds later, Mr. Saka entered.

He didn't seem to notice anything unusual.

Instead, he pulled out his phone.

"Wanna see the baby?" he asked.

I nodded.

He proudly showed me several pictures.

Then Mr. Saka suddenly stopped talking.

His face went pale.

A deafening horn blast erupted outside.

The sound shook the lighthouse.

Instinctively, I looked at the radio.

Then at him.

His eyes widened.

"What did you do?" he asked.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

"What did you do?"

"I swear!"

He looked out at the ocean.

For the first time since I'd met him, Mr. Saka looked completely terrified.

He sprinted across the room toward a faded red button mounted on the wall.

He slammed his palm into it.

An alarm immediately began screaming through the lighthouse.

The sound echoed across the forest.

I covered my ears as Mr. Saka stared out the window toward the black water.

His hands trembled.

Then he looked at me.

"If you believe in God," he said quietly, "now would be the time to pray."

I followed his gaze.

Far beyond the reach of the lighthouse beam, something was moving toward shore.