Young Storykeeper Volume III

262 | STORYKEEPERS VOLUME III AGE TWELVE | 263
THE BLACK LIGHT
THE FORGOTTEN LIGHTHOUSE
It was a jet-black night in the town of
Whitehead. The only light that shone across
the town was from the majestic Blackhead
Lighthouse overlooking Belfast Lough. Its
light was the guiding star, the beacon of
hope for all ships out at sea. The winter was
bitterly cold, and many townspeople sought
comfort from the warm glow of its lantern.
The people who lived in the town had grown
accustomed to the lighthouse and could not
conceive that one day the light would be
extinguished.
There was once an old man who
was called Nicolas. He had worked at the
lighthouse for an eternity now and kept it
shining bright every day and night. He lived
in the lighthouse and so he become very
fond of all around him, after all he could see
for miles out with the beaming light shooting
rays of hope out to sea.
It was a normal day when this story
takes place. The sky was leaden and dull.
Nicolas was tending his schedule when
he heard an immense, dramatic crash. He
immediately went to investigate. Dashing
outside, he found out that an enormous
car ferry had shattered on the jagged rocks
below him. He instantly phoned the search
and rescue and within hours all the crew and
passengers from the ferry were taken to
hospital to check for injuries.
As night started to fall, the enormous
ship remained wedged under the black rocks
of the lighthouse. Nicolas grew increasingly
stressed that the rocks below his home
would give way and bring him down with
them. The rescue teams and geologists had
confirmed that the rock was stable, Nicolas
had his doubts as he fell into a fitful slumber.
That night he heard a long, sluggish
groan from all around him. Suddenly there
was a loud screech that sounded like nails
on a chalk board. He jumped out of bed,
got his flashlight and went to see what
new horrors awaited him. He was only to
discover that there was a gash in the side of
the lighthouse. He was so puzzled at what
had happened that he didn’t realise that the
orbiting light was now beaming directly up
into the heavens. Suddenly there was an
explosion near the crash site. Nicolas didn’t
know what to do so he ran back inside the
lighthouse to find that half of his home had
fallen down the cliff. Frozen by alarm and
fear, he didn’t realise that part of the floor
behind him was now sliding down the cliff.
He took a step back only to find himself
teetering above the shipwreck and he only
avoided the plummeting drop by grasping the
curtains of his broken kitchen. Exhausted,
he pulled himself onto the safety of the
shattered floorboards. The lighthouse now
silent, he gazed sadly at his fallen lantern
canopy which continued to pulsate light into
the sky.
Horrified, Nicolas watched as it started
to roll directly towards him…
Andrew Fitzhenry
Co Antrim
HOOK HEAD LIGHTHOUSE
There was once a lighthouse on the coast,
Watching and minding all the boats,
The waves come crashing off its walls,
The light on the top spins slowly round,
It stops the sailors so they don’t go
aground,
Stripy, solid, strong and tall,
Oh ancient lighthouse protect us all!
Evan Nicholl
Co Down
Once there was a girl called Sara and she lived in a seaside town.
One night, Sara was in her bedroom when she heard the seals singing a sad song.
She went towards the lighthouse from where the seals were singing. There she saw an
elderly man looking confused trying to get into the lighthouse, calling out to someone called
Anna, but nobody was there. A while later the man left looking disappointed.
The next night Sara went into the lighthouse to look for something to explain why
the man came back to the lighthouse each night. Then Sara saw an old newspaper article
on the table. It said when the ship crashed a young man jumped into the water to save
everyone, but he couldn’t reach a girl called Anna McCauley.
“The man must be the one who saved all those people and he’s coming back every
night since in search of Anna!” exclaimed Sara.
Sara remembered that the people of the town had voted to demolish all the old town
buildings including the lighthouse, so that they could make their small town into a big city!
The town must have forgotten about this amazing story of the lighthouse, she thought. Sara
knew what she had to do.
The next day Sara gathered everyone in the town hall to give a speech on why they
shouldn’t demolish the old buildings but should instead restore them. Everyone agreed.
Next, Sara went to the library to find out more about the ship that had crashed, but there
weren’t any books about what happened.
On her way out, Sara asked the librarian, “Do you know anything about a girl called
Anna McCauley?”
The librarian replied, “I don’t know much about her but I do know where she lives!”
The next morning Sara went to see Anna. Sara explained to Anna about the man who
returned to the lighthouse every night in search of her, so the next night Anna and Sara
went to the lighthouse and waited for the man to arrive.
When he called out “Anna?” She replied, “Over here!” The man was overjoyed to see
her and exclaimed, “I can’t believe that you’re alive!”.
As for the old buildings and landmarks being demolished, the town decided to restore
them to their former glory and the town from that day on was never busier with the tourists
visiting the pretty place.
The man moved into the lighthouse and he wrote this poem which he read to the seals
each night.
Oh lighthouse, my lighthouse,
Your stripes are red and white.
You steer me in the right direction,
And turn darkness into light.
Oh lighthouse, my lighthouse,
You keep the ships afloat.
You guide me to safety,
While I sail in my boat.
The man lived happily ever after and the seals sang their happy song once more.
Emily Farrell
Co Wicklow