Monday 5 October 2015

October Frights: An Ocean View



Welcome to the October Frights Blog Hop!



For today’s post, we stare at the sea’s undying horizon…



An Ocean View

It sits atop a craggy cliff, a small old stone crypt, at the end of a winding stairway carved from the rock itself. The land around it has grown wild, sitting idle from years of neglect. Few have ventured there over the years; only the brave or the foolishly curious.
The wind at the top blows cold, and often, rustling the overgrown grass and the ever spreading wildflowers. The sound of the ocean echoes, as it laps at the cliff base, and the seaborne horizon stretches out in an eternal panorama. There is a peace up there, far from the confusing world and its progression into the future.
The surroundings suit her, the woman buried there.
For it is her bones that keep company with the wind.
It is her ghost that haunts the cliff every moonlit night.
Just a whisper of ethereal gossamer standing at the cliff’s edge.
Many stories scatter and abound, about the ghost. The one most often told spins thusly…
Her name was Rose, and she died at eighteen, back when corsets were the rage, and ladies sat demurely in the parlour for tea. Rose boasted a sweetheart, a local sailor, and was promised in marriage upon his homecoming from sea. But sadly, the wedding never came to happen. On a moon soaked night, not far from the shore, her betrothed’s ship floundered on the rocks and sank. Broken-hearted and in despair, Rose threw herself from the very cliff where she was later to be buried.
A sad tale indeed. Sadder still when you know the rest.
For you see, her ghost still waits for him. Waits every full moon, until his ship appears on the horizon. Then she stares, onto that eternal horizon, and watches her love sink under the waves once more.


© A. F. Stewart 2015 All Rights Reserved






Ebook Giveaway





For More October Frights Fun Check Out The Bloggers List:





18 comments:

Ash Krafton | @ashkrafton said...

The sea is such a provocative setting, full of mystery, hope, and sadness. excellent story...

A. F. Stewart said...

Thanks, Ash. I grew up with tales of the sea and ghosts, so I had to do at least one sea born tale for the hop.

Juli D. Revezzo said...

Such a sad story. It reminds me of Annabell Lee! :) I enjoyed it.

Clarissa Johal, Author said...

Nice one! Very spooky and atmospheric!

A. F. Stewart said...

Thanks, Juli. A lot of people tell me my writing reminds them of Poe.

A. F. Stewart said...

Thanks, Clarissa.

Fee Roberts said...

These books sound so good! I love the frightfully delicious!

Unknown said...

Very nicely done! I love the "moon soaked night" line. :)

KM Randall said...

Haunting and beautifully written! :)

Unknown said...

I love how you showed what the ghost thought of her place of rest before introducing us to her beautiful and tragic end. She seemed less terrifying described in this way, as opposed to how stories about her are probably told to scare children on dark, spooky nights. I enjoyed this :)

A. F. Stewart said...

Thanks, fee roberts. Be sure to pop back on Saturday for the last day of the hop when I spotlight a new anthology.

A. F. Stewart said...

Thanks, Lexa. I always seem to get the "moon" in there somewhere.

A. F. Stewart said...

Thank you, KM Randall.

A. F. Stewart said...

Thanks, Scott. I do like to mix up a bit, from the creepy scary.

Mai T. said...

Thanks for the giveaway. I'd love some horror read at the moment.

A. F. Stewart said...

You're welcome, Mai. Good luck with the giveaway.

Mary Rajotte said...

Love a good nautical ghost story. Thanks for sharing!

A. F. Stewart said...

Glad you enjoyed, Mary.

Subscribe Now:

Search This Blog

Powered By Blogger

Monthly Pageviews