The Last Lighthouse

A keeper of a dying lighthouse finds a message in a bottle that changes everything.

The Message

The storm had been raging for three days.

Elias had seen many storms in his forty years at the lighthouse, but this one felt different. The sea roared like a wounded animal, throwing itself against the rocks below with a fury he had never witnessed.

It was on the third night that he found the bottle.

It washed up at his feet as he made his rounds, a dark glass bottle sealed with wax. Inside, a single piece of paper, yellowed with age.

"To the keeper of the light," it read. "I am stranded on the northern reef. My name is Mara. I have been here for seven days, and the tide rises higher every night. Please — do not let the light go out."

Elias read the words three times. The northern reef was a ghost story, a legend the old fishermen whispered about. No one had ever seen it. No map showed it.

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Quick answers about The Last Lighthouse

What is The Last Lighthouse about?

A keeper of a dying lighthouse finds a message in a bottle that changes everything.

Is The Last Lighthouse free to read?

Yes. Every story on RapidTale is free to read in the browser, with no sign-up and nothing to install.

How long does it take to read?

This story runs 1 chapter — most readers finish in one sitting, and you can stop and return to any chapter using the contents list.

Who wrote it?

Editor Staff — original fiction published on RapidTale.