The Lonely Lighthouse🔊

Once upon a time, on a small island in the middle of the Wuthering Sea, stood a lonely lighthouse named Lumen. Built in 1859, this lighthouse had been serving the purpose of guiding the ships amidst the intimidating waves, ominous fog, and the encompassing darkness. Its tall, cylindrical figure was hard to ignore even from a distance. Its light shone mightily, unwavering, cutting through the thickest curtain of maritime gloom.

The little island was inhabited by a village of fishermen, the Finleys. The Finleys lived in simple huts, and their lives were intertwined with the sea. Their main source of livelihood was fishing and selling the day's catch at the nearest mainland city. However, the Wuthering Sea remained restless most of the time and growing tempests and turbulent waters often made the voyages perilously difficult. But Lumen, true to his name and duty, shone brightly each day, guiding the Finley boats safely back to the shore.

One bitterly cold winter night, the sea was in fury. Unfortunately, the Finleys were out in the sea and a fiercer storm was predicted to hit their paths. All in the village were distressed, praying, candles lit at the church, while the children clung to their mothers in fear. The tall figure of Lumen, however, stood stoically against the tempestuous sea, his powerful light beaming unwaveringly across the tumultuous sea.

But what was this? The light flickered once… twice… and then was snuffed out, plunging the surrounding sea into deep darkness. Panic ran through the village. With Lumen's light gone, how would the Finley men find their way back amidst such storm and blackness?

A young boy named Noah, the lighthouse keeper's only son, watched the extinguished light from their home near the shore. His father had passed away, leaving him the immense responsibility of maintaining Lumen. It was during the day when, absorbed in mending his fishing net, he’d forgotten to refuel the lighthouse that night. Tears of guilt and fear filled his eyes. Noah, sheltered from the outside world for most of his life, had never fathomed that a day would come when he would be the village's only hope.

Harnessing his courage, he ran across the village, towards Lumen, battling the roaring wind and icy rain. He skidded into the lighthouse, heart pounding against his chest, legs shaking beneath the weight of his guilt. His breath hitched as he tread the spiraling staircase, cold, wet, and slippery. The howl of the wind and the rage of the storm only intimidated him more, but he knew he had to fix what he had broken.

Finally, standing in front of the lantern room, he took out his father's old pilot lighter, lighting, not the usual fuel, but the kerosene as it was easier to burn. The seconds he waited for the light to glow again were the longest moments of his life. But, as if comprehending the desperate plea of the boy, Lumen’s light slowly glowed back to life, shining brighter than ever, asserting its existence to the lost vessels.

Noah stood there, panting, exhausted, but victorious. When the Finley men, dancing on the threshold of survival, saw the flicker of light in the hope-draining darkness, new strength coursed their veins. Guided by Lumen, they fought against the furious sea, the wind, and gained their way back home.

That night, Lumen wasn’t alone anymore, and nor was Noah. The young boy became a hero, his deed lighting up not just the lighthouse, but also kindling a new flame of kinship and unity in the entire village. And henceforth, Noah, just like Lumen, stood as the new beacon of hope for the village, vowing to never let the light extinguish again.