The Lighthouse: Preview.
So much for a preview! This is the entire chapter one. I really like this story, the atmosphere it gives off in my head.It excites me.
There's the song that it's based off of, for you to have a listen to, and here are the lyrics, so you understand the story.
The Lighthouse
Une:
The lightning struck over us and the rumbling of the planes made me jump.
Crash.
Shattering glass. Screams. I ran upstairs and flung open the door. My brother sat on the bed, holding my sister tightly in his strong arms.
"We have to leave," I hissed. There was darkness everywhere and more sounds from outside. Gun shots. Explosions. More and more screaming. I picked up an old, army green bag, belonging to our father who was dead in a field somewhere by now. I pulled out some of her favourite clothes and flung them inside, taking only a few for myself and my brother. Another plane flew low overhead. I shuddered along with the house.
"Emmett, help me," I hissed, throwing him another bag. He packed warmer clothes, blankets, and anything valuable that he could find. Alice shivered on the bed. I jumped up and hurried towards her.
"Ally, you have to help us, okay? We're going to get you out of here, everything will be fine." She had tears streaming down her beautiful face and I wiped them away as best as I could, kissing her forehead firmly. "Go put on your coat and best boots, we're leaving now, before this gets any worse."
"Bella!" Emmett yelled from down the hall. "The city is on fire, it's spreading fast!" My heart began pounding even more furiously in my chest.
"Where is it?" I called. Alice threw on a thick knitted sweater and a pair of long-johns before pulling on a pair of pants and her favourite skirt. I smiled at her sadly and Emmett burst into the room, pulling a sweater over his own head. He threw me my own and I pulled it on over my dress, grabbing a pair of slacks and hopping into them as we hurried downstairs. Alice pushed her arms through her sleeves quickly and picked up a lamp and matches. Emmett and I carried the bags, laden with our belongings.
The snow outside was bitterly cold. It fell down slowly, in large clumps, but was not to be admired. Smoke filled the air, flames licking at the stone and wood of houses near our own. Trees were alight in front yards and another plane flew over head. Another explosion in the middle of town. People were running, but in the opposite direction than I intended. They were heading for the center of town, which was the last place I wanted to be. I grabbed Alice's shoulder before she could follow them, and we turned quickly, running down the lane towards the meadow, and down the hill to the sea.
"Bella, where are we going?!" Alice called over the noise. Emmett was breathing heavily, looking to me for answers. As the oldest of all of us (only a few minutes older than Emmett) I was expected to have all the answers. I wasn't sure if I could give them.
"We have to get away from the city," I called. "It's going to burn to the ground, the ocean is the safest." Emmett's face pulled into a frown and he wiped ash from his sweaty forehead as we trudged onwards.
"Bella, that place is haunted," he said seriously, fear laced in his tone. I shot him a look.
"Emmett. There's a storm. Bombs are being dropped all over here. We have to go," I enunciated each word carefully. "The city is burning, and the ocean is too rough to pull out the boat, the lighthouse is the only safe place. No one will remember it's there, it's always dark."
"There are ghosts, Bella. You don't know what they'll do to us."
"Emmett!" I yelled. "I've had enough. It's just a story. You're tired and you're being a fool, as usual. Stop frightening Alice, and just come with us down there. the sea is the safest place for us with a fire raging through these houses."
"Bella, I'd believe him," Alice said. "I've seen the ghosts." I stopped where I was and turned to them exasperatedly. "It's the truth! When we were younger I fell out of Daddy's boat when I was by myself. I nearly drowned, but this pale, ethereal woman pushed me out. She saved me." I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose to keep from screaming. There was no time for this.
"Both of you, stop it. You can believe what you want, but we're going to the lighthouse. It's all that's left." The words had no sooner left my mouth when the building next to us was blown high into the air. We screamed, Emmett threw us to the ground, but not unharmed.
Alice was hit by part of the front door, giving her a large gash on her head. A piece of wood shoved itself straight into my calf, and Emmett's back was hit by a shower of glass. The chill of the snow on our faces was so different from the burning through my body. Emmett stood up quickly, brushing himself off before picking up an unconscious Alice and helping me to my feet. I limped alongside him, holding onto his shoulder for support as we tumbled down the snow, getting closer and closer to the red and white lighthouse.
I heard Emmett telling Alice a story, to try and bring her back to life, consciousness, anything. He spoke, of how the ghost lady had gone to the lighthouse to wait for her lover, a sailor, who left for sea but never came back. She went up there and waited for him. But, the door had locked from the outside, trapping her inside until she died, never to see her lover again. I shuddered. It was too creepy to think of at a time like this.
I gasped in pain as I stumbled yet again to my knees. My hand flew to the wood in my leg, the blood pouring out over my pants and the skirt of my dress. I let go of Emmett, dropping my bag to the ground. My vision swirled, spotted with blackness and I breathed, gasped for air. My mittened hands pushed at it hard, trying to keep my life in me as a wave of nausea swept over me.
Whatever had been in my stomach spilled out over the snow. Emmett yelled out to me. We were so close, but with our injuries it seemed twice as hard. Emmett turned back to me, clutching Alice tightly in his arms, and I tried to call out to him to keep going. My vision blurred for a last time and as I fell to the ground, I saw a pale figure walking towards my brother from the open lighthouse door.