The Children of Fishneck
The first sign came with seagulls flying side by side
Being hunted by old dead men on an incoming tide
The ghosts of sailors flooding in aiming for the coast
Grabbed the seagulls wings and used them as a host
The mournful sound of moaning filled the cold night air
Thunder shuddered split by screams and by piercing sighs
When a grey and ugly mist rolled slowly from the waves
Carrying unhappy ghosts from their uprooted graves
The deafening shrill shrieks of panicked frantic gulls
Soon reached the ancient village, Fishneck- By- The- Sea
Where people who had heard the ghosts quickly ran inside
To find places underground where they could safely hide
Sails were lowered, boats were moored, alarm bells began to ring
All the frightened villagers who had watched the mist roll in
Heard shouting from the harbourmaster by the harbour walls
'The ghosts are nearly here. I can hear the seagulls' calls.'
He knew the tale of sailors who had long ago departed
Forced to leave their families to man the sailing boats
But still returned to Fishneck where once they called it home
To steal away the children and treat them as their own.
The villagers locked themselves away from the deathly mist
Afraid the ghosts of sailors would force their way indoors
Their hollow eyes, gaping mouths, and their brittle bones
Dragged their chains along the streets pounding stone on stone
Hiding at the back of the harbourmaster's house
His children ran upstairs and crept beneath a bed
Issie and her sister Liv held tight to each others hands
As the sailors marched together like drummers in a band.
The sound of heavy footsteps grew louder with each stride
Ghouls with their creaking bones lined up side by side
Howling at the house, 'come bring your children out
We only wish to save you,' the ghosts began to shout.
Liv and Issie shivered clinging close and keeping still
As the leading ghost climbed and reached the window sill
His rotten teeth clicked as he poked out a finger bone
Whistling from within the mist he began to moan
'We roam the sea beds searching for our long-lost mates
Taken long ago by cruel and twisted fates
Pulled from sailing ships to the shadows deep below
Leaving nothing more than footprints made centuries ago.'
His dead fingers plucked out wood from the window frame
'Children won't you come to us and play our magic games?'
The sisters lay there frozen, 'Don't you move Liv,' Issie said
'We can't believe these creatures, they should all be dead.'
Their hearts beat fast they hardly dared to breathe.
It felt the night would never end and the ghost would get inside.
'I can see his eyes where blood and tears have dried,'
Liv cried out 'What can we do, there's nowhere else to hide?'
Hour passed hour and slowly the light of dawn arrived
The mist grew thin and the ghosts began to fade
They howled and waded back to sea, as their bones turned blue
As a hundred ghosts of sailors disappeared from view.
The sisters felt they had escaped and were mightily relieved.
Even though their story, not a single friend believed.
Still when the girls grew up and had families of their own
They made sure their children were never left alone.