Fog surrounded Katherine as her feet sunk into the usual grittiness of the sand with each step she took.
Katherine walked toward the bright flashing light that she now knew was a lighthouse.
"Father?" she called.
"Ye have been trying to contact me, lass? What did you need, me bonnie Bellet? Are ye in some kind of trouble?"
Convel stepped out of the fog., his pace quickened by his obvious concern for her.
"I'm fine" Katherine said stiffly.
Her tone stopped him in his tracks a few feet away from her.
"What's wrong then? Have I done something to upset ye?"
Katherine took a deep calming breath, inhaling the sea air, wet from the waves crashing upon the shore.
"You tell me. Why did you send two lycanthropes to my parents' house last night?"
To Katherine's surprise, Convel's lips stretched out into a charming smile. He looked quite handsome at that moment and Katherine could see exactly why Giselle had fallen for him.
"Oh, is that all? I thought that yer mother might have told ye something about me that upset ye."
"What exactly could Giselle say about you that would upset me? If there's something about you that I ought to know then I think it would be better for everyone if it came from you. I want answers, and I want them now."
Katherine's tone was pure steel. Unbendable, unbreakable, unyielding, and very cold.
"Very well, me darlin' But not 'ere."
"But-"
"Meet me at the island. I'll be waiting for ye, me bonnie Katherine."
And with that, the man who would call himself her father walked off into the fog.
The world around Katherine became blurry and she slowly realized that her body was regaining consciousness.
**
Katherine's eyes fluttered open, hot anger coursing through her veins. He didn't even try to deny it! He sent those lycans! Giselle was right about everything... Wasn't she? He said that he could explain everything, but how can I trust him?
Katherine let out a frustrated sigh, roughly running her hand through her hair.
I don't even know how to find this stupid lighthouse..
Katherine looked around her new room for the first time since she had entered it. The shutters of the balcony were left open to allow the room to air out for when Katherine slept there. Katherine had been told some time ago that a room was set aside for her "just in case," Giselle had said.
Moonlight poured across the large space, illuminating the crisp white of the wardrobe, the oil paintings of ships at sea and lighthouses, and the light blue paint that decorated the walls.
It also illuminated Katherine's laptop case, which she had mistakenly left on the kitchen table earlier that day. Katherine's mind suddenly lighted on an idea, and she got out of bed as quietly as possible, tiptoeing over to the laptop case. She pulled her laptop out, opened it and turned it on, all the while silently praying that she would find what she was looking for and that no one was awake to stop her from achieving success in her self-imposed mission.
Once her laptop was booted up, she turned on the wireless internet access and typed words into the Google search bar. Katherine's heart raced as she slowly typed, "lighthouses in or near Lysander, Maine."
Only one listing came up.
It was a tourist site of all the most haunted places in the United States. A lighthouse forty miles outside of Lysander was one of the listed places. Katherine used the finger pad to scroll over the listing, and, taking a deep, calming breath, she left-clicked it.
Oh my word... Katherine thought shakily, borrowing Sofia's favored expression.
A picture of the lighthouse from Katherine's dreams was now on the screen, and beside it was the history of it.
This historic lighthouse was built in 1918 to help freighter ships reach the port town of Merytonburg safely. It is located on an island three miles from the Merytonbug Dock, and has been out of use since the late 1940's due to numerous mysterious accidents occurring on the island. The lighthouse is supposedly haunted by one of the lighthouse keepers, Ray Stalls-"
Katherine's heart stopped as she read the name.
Ray Stalls? But how...?
Katherine read on eagerly:
...Supposedly haunted by one of the lighthouse keepers, Ray Stalls. Stalls took the post of lighthouse keeper in 1923, not long after his twenty-fourth birthday according to Merytonburg City Hall's Book of Records. He held that position until 1925, when he tragically committed suicide with his lover. It had been rumored that he held a secret affection for one Tracy Bloom, the daughter of a wealthy shipping magnate, and that she returned the young man's feelings. The rumors also incurred that permission for their marriage was sought from the father but refused.
A note was left at the top level of the lighthouse, telling of the lovers' suicide pact. They had written that they would dash themselves upon the rocks and be together for eternity if they could not be together in life. The note had many lines scratched out, suggesting that the pair could not agree on what to write at first. Altogether, it is one of the most tragic stories I have heard of in my personal experience. No lighthouse keeper has ever stayed at the lighthouse for long, all telling tales of a ghostly couple walking the stairwells, arguing about what they should write in their suicide note."
Katherine wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. Of course, Tracy and Ray obviously didn't die, and not agreeing on what to write in their suicide note sounded just like them, but that they had resort to suicide in the first place because Tracy's father couldn't accept someone different for her than what he had planned hit a little too close to home on how unyielding and not accepting her parents were.
Not that I have to worry about that now that Dad's kicked me out of the house... Stop it! Stop feeling sorry for yourself. You have things to do, including finding Convel.
Katherine dug through her laptop case and took out the pen and notepad she always kept in it, and wrote down the directions to the lighthouse. Katherine noted the time on the laptop clock. 4:03.
I have to hurry, Katherine thought. Some of the guests woke up as early as 4:30, leaving Katherine less than half an hour to get what she needed and get out.
Katherine grabbed her favorite grey Sweater and threw it on as quickly as she could.