Chasing Darkness

A/N - Probably my First and Last DUO story!

'Oh no Abhijeet Watch out!' yelled Daya suddenly. Abhijeet managed to steer their yacht out of danger and seconds later they heard a splash. They were sprayed with ice cold water as a huge humpback whale jumped back into the water.

'Good lord! We could have been killed by a mere few seconds delay' exclaimed Abhijeet.
Both senior CID officers were on a much deserved vacation abroad. Wanting to do something adventurous, they had hired a yacht and had set out sailing in the Atlantic Ocean.

Daya inhaled the salty air as their yacht bobbed along with the waves. They were completely surrounded by water from all sides. The coast was nowhere to be seen.

Vast was the sea. Deep, endless, no one around for miles. You could scream and scream, and not a soul would hear you.

Abhijeet turned off the engine and let the yacht drift along the calm waves. He came out carrying two fishing rods and handed over one to Daya. 'Let's catch some fish for tonight's dinner.' he said.

They tied the fish bait and got their grappling hooks ready. Slowly they began lowering the line.
The air was chilling cold. They sat on the deck watching the glorious sunset and chitchatting. Small icebergs bumped onto their yacht every now and then.

'Gotcha! I got a huge one!' said Abhijeet his eyes twinkling. Sure enough he had caught a huge Atlantic salmon. Daya had no luck with the fish for sometime but later he too managed to catch few of them with his bait.

As night fell, they went inside and had their dinner in the cabin. It was an enjoyable affair. They had freshly caught fish barbecued with salad and toast along with some wine.

At about 9.30 pm, light rain had begun to fall and they could hear clap of thunder. A fiery bolt of lightning shot up in the sky illuminating the entire area. The ocean looked deadly. The sparkling stars and the moon were hidden behind the thick blanket of clouds.

'Looks like a storm's coming up' said Daya.

'Yeah, we better get out stuff inside.'

They went out on the deck. The huge waves splashed over them. They zipped up their jackets and began gathering playing cards, fishing rods and other stuff which lay on the deck.

'Are we sailing north?' Daya roared over the sound of crashing waves.

Abhijeet checked the compass.

'We were supposed to be sailing towards north but due to the waves we are slightly drifting North West. I have shut the engine. It won't hold up against these waves anyway' he said.

'Abhijeet how about a game of cards?' asked Daya as they went back inside.

'Sounds good. We'll put a timer. It'll be much more fun' said Abhijeet.

Daya tried turning on the old radio. It sprang to life after a few minutes.

'Wow! Amazing! This one works!' exclaimed Daya.

They began their game while the radio played an old song which was one of Abhijeet's favourites -

My heart's a stereo
It beats for you, so listen close
Hear my thoughts in every no-o-o-te
Make me your radio
Turn me up when you feel low
This melody was meant for you
Just sing along to my stereo

Oh oh oh oh, oh oh oh oh to my stereo
Oh oh oh oh to sing along to my stereo

(Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes)

'One heart' said Daya.

'Ummm... Wait... I'll have to think before playing my next move' said Abhijeet scratching his head.

Suddenly they heard a roar of thunder. It sounded like an explosion. Their yacht rocked violently. Tins fell on Daya's head from the cabinet.

'What the hell was that?' Abhijeet whispered as the light inside their cabin flickered and eventually died. They got up quickly and began looking for their flash lights. They weren't able to stand properly.

Finally they found the flashlight and went out on the deck. The scene was not good. The sky was ablaze with lightening and the deck awash. Angry waves attacked their tiny yacht from all sides. They were blinded by sudden veins of light and rain. They had never witnessed anything like this before. 'What do we do?' yelled Abhijeet.

'This yacht is not going to hold much longer. Hell! We should have turned back after dinner itself!' Daya shouted back.

'We won't survive this storm Daya! This is it! The end!' said Abhijeet.

'Abhijeet let's just grab necessary things. If something happens to our Yacht we'll have to jump!' said Daya.

'Daya are you crazy? You are planning to jump in that?' Abhijeet asked in disbelief pointing at the sea.

'We will stay on this boat as long as we can. Come on! There isn't much time!' said Daya and they went back into the cabin and grabbed whatever they could and put on their life jackets. Fortunately the lights inside the cabin were back again.

'Let's stay here' said Daya.

'No. We have to know what's happening outside' said Abhijeet.

Minutes after they went out, there came a deafening roar of thunder as they lightening illuminated the sky both pairs of eyes widened in fear. A huge wave almost two feet taller than their yacht was making its way towards them. They didn't even have seconds to think before it crashed over them. Their screams were drowned by the gushing water and sound of thunder. They were plunged into the water as the remains of their yacht were swallowed by the sea.

The water was so cold, that it made them numb. Daya was unable to make any movement. The worst part was that he couldn't see any sign of Abhijeet. He knew there was no use calling out his name as Abhijeet won't be able to hear him. Daya was not scared of death but he just wanted his best friend to be safe.

Abhijeet had managed to grab a huge wooden plank from their broken yacht. He was desperately looking everywhere for Daya. Daya didn't want to give up yet. He was still hopeful of finding Abhijeet. He began swimming forward. But the waves were pushing him behind. Once again the sky was lit by the lightening and both Daya and Abhijeet spotted each other.

'Daya! Hold on! I am coming!' yelled Abhijeet. Relieved Daya began swimming in opposite direction. Within few minutes Daya and Abhijeet were on the wooden plank floating along with the waves.

'Are you all right? Thank god I found you. Now it doesn't matter even if I die! I am with my best friend!' shouted Daya.

'I am fine. Fine. Daya don't say that! There is a chance of our survival! There is an old lighthouse up there! I spotted it right now. We are in luck. We just have to stay alive till we reach there. It's just a few miles away. We will just go with the flow of the waves. Got it? And no matter whatever happens just don't let go of this wooden plank' yelled Abhijeet.

'Okay! Let's go!' said Daya.

It was not an easy task swimming against the waves. The low temperature was not helping either. After a quarter hour they finally reached the lighthouse. It stood on the slippery rocks.

'God! I don't believe we are still alive' roared Daya.

The storm was still raging but its force had been somewhat diminished. Both lay on their backs on the rocks gazing at the sky. They were completely out of breath. They let the rain fall. Right now nothing else mattered. Both of them had miraculously escaped the storm and were safe.

Finally after few minutes they sat up on the rocks. The flashlight in Abhijeet's bag was still working. He shined the light on the light house. It was huge and was over 150 feet tall. Its walls were covered with moss. It was broken in few places.

'It doesn't seem to be in use' said Daya.

'Looks like it. But there is the door?' asked Abhijeet.

'Maybe it's on the other side. Let's have a look' said Daya.

They carefully moved from one boulder to other. Finally they found the door. It was locked with a rusty old chain. Daya broke it easily. The door opened with a loud 'Creeeaaakkkk!' Both of them ducked their heads as a bat suddenly flew out. 'Hell! I hate this place already!' said Abhijeet as they went inside.

'Don't complain. We would have been dead by now if this lighthouse hadn't existed' said Daya as they tried to get it. The stone walls had almost blocked the noise from outside.

A sour odour filled their nostrils. Daya wrinkled his nose in disgust. As Abhijeet flashed the light inside, they saw something and it seemed horribly like a human bone.

'It must be remains of dead sailors who are washed ashore in this portion of the ocean' said Abhijeet.

The stench was unbearable. Then they saw a huge spiral staircase. They began climbing carefully. They had never been inside a lighthouse before. They looked in awe at the rusty pushing clogs, turning wheels and pumping levers inside the lighthouse. It was like some huge mechanical clock. They became slightly dizzy as they climbed up and up the spiral staircase. Finally they reached the watch room deck. They peered out at the sea which seemed a bit calmer and a little less scary.

They sat down waiting for the storm to subside. 'How are we going to get out of here?' asked Daya.

They were out of network coverage. 'We will have to wait for some ship to arrive. It will take us to a nearby port. Then we can take a flight back home' said Abhijeet.

'I just hope some ship will come along soon.' said Daya.

The ghostly wails of the wind could heard from outside. They drifted off to sleep tired from their sea adventure. At about1.30 am, Abhijeet heard a low whistle. It seemed to be getting louder. Abhijeet looked out of the watch room deck window. It was very dark outside. The storm had died down and a thick grey fog had settled over the sea but then he saw a gigantic ship materialise out of the mist. He couldn't see anyone on it. A few lanterns were lit on the ship. 'Mary Celeste' was painted in peeling red paint. A flag was fluttering along with the wind. It had a three skulls and a huge cross bone below them.

Abhijeet woke Daya up.

'Daya! There is a ship. Get up!' he said. Both of them descended down the staircase. They stood on the slippery rocks. The waves were ferociously going in and out. 'Is anybody out there? We need help!' said Abhijeet in a loud voice.

After some minutes a loud harsh voice spoke over the water 'Who are you?'

'We need help. We are marooned. We lost our yacht in the storm! We need to get to a nearby port. Can you take us aboard?' asked Abhijeet.

'Aye sure! We can do that!' said the same harsh voice.

'Why can't we see anyone?' whispered Daya.

A rope ladder suddenly descended at their feet. They carefully climbed the ladder and stepped over the railing. They landed on the massive wooden ship deck. In the dim light of the old fashioned lanterns, they saw that they were on a sailing ship. The sails billowed in the wind. A flight of wooden steps led up to the wheel house.
'Welcome aboard Mary Celeste good sirs!' came a voice.

A man pudgy short man with a black beard and piercing black eyes moved in front of them followed of at least 20 rough looking sailors. They looked menacingly at the new comers. Some of them were holding harpoons and other sharp instruments in their hands. Their clothes were very old and worn out.

'Who are you?' asked Daya looking at the short man.

'I am Captain Jonathan Briggs. I own this ship. We are on a voyage to the pacific. We were short of crew members. You two will be our crew members till we reach our destination' he said.

'What? No you are mistaken sir! We are CID officers both of us! We need to get to a port as soon as possible. We are not crew!' exclaimed Daya.

The others laughed. The captain pretended he had not heard Daya.
'Step close! I no see you! No see you!' he said.

Daya and Abhijeet stepped closer to him. Daya's face was covered with black soot. He was trying to wipe his face aggressively.

'CID officer eh? What is that? That means nothing on this ship!' he snarled.

'Parker will assign you jobs. Any misbehaviour and you will be punished' said Captain Briggs.

'You both will fill oil in those barrels and then clean the deck' ordered a thick voice. The man must be Parker. Daya inhaled a familiar smell. 'What is stored in that?' he asked pointing to the barrels.

'Oil. For running ship' muttered Captain Briggs.

'That smells like whale oil! Why do you need whale oil for running the ship? Don't you have an engine?' said Daya suddenly.

'Engine? What is engine? I do not understand you!' roared Captain Briggs.

'An engine. To power the ship' said Abhijeet.

The entire crew and the Captain burst into laughter as if Abhijeet had cracked a joke.

'This ship is powered by wind and sails! This is a whaler ship' thundered the captain.

'Daya these guys are crazy! Whaler ships? Whaler ships have not made voyages since mid 18th century!' whispered Abhijeet.

'Abhijeet we'll get down right now. I don't have a good feeling about this' said Daya.

'Captain we just forgot something. We'll be right back' said Abhijeet. Both Daya and Abhijeet ran to the railing from where they had climbed up the rope ladder. To their surprise, the lighthouse had vanished.

'Where did it go?' Daya asked in surprise.

Behind them they heard the eerie laughter of the captain and his strange crew. Just then a tall man wearing a salty pea jacket strode towards them, a lantern dangling from his hand. He cast a look at Abhijeet and Daya whose face was now clean of soot. His eyes widened in surprise.

'Aye where you hail from?' he asked looking at Abhijeet.

'We want to go back to the light house!' said a frustrated man was observing them carefully.

'Captain! Sir! You recognise him? He is the king! He is Lord MacElphin!' he said pointing a shaky finger at Abhijeet. And he is the thief 'Rollo' we have been looking for! He had kidnapped the king and he stole the gold!'

'Nonsense!' said Captain Briggs agitated.

'See thyself! I speak no lies!' he said.

Captain Jonathan Briggs moved towards them to take a closer look at Daya and Abhijeet. Then he exclaimed suddenly 'Thee is right! I am ashamed Lord. Please forgive me. I did not recognise you!' said the captain wailing as he fell at Abhijeet's feet. Daya watched in amazement and exchanged a look with Abhijeet. 'There people are weirdo's! We have to escape this ship!' said Daya.

'Yeah, wait I have an idea!' he said to Daya.

'Captain Briggs! There is no need to be sorry. Just get both of us to the lighthouse. It's a request' said Abhijeet.

The captain looked guiltily at Abhijeet. 'Request? No sir. Lord MacElphin must command not request. Not request! We will get whatever you want but first My Lord let me arrest the thief!' said Captain Briggs pointing an accusing finger at Daya.

At that moment the pale faced sailors ran towards Daya brandishing their harpoons at him. They began tying him with ropes! Though strong, Daya was no match for around twenty people.

'What are you doing? Leave me! I am not a thief!' shouted Daya.

'Stop it!' Abhijeet yelled and all the activity ceased at once. 'He is not a thief. He is with me!' said Abhijeet.

'My lord! You are mistaken. He had kidnapped you and had tried to poison you for stealing your gold! He stole the gold gifted to our kingdom!'

'What rubbish! What are you talking about? Abhijeet these people have gone mad!' said Daya.

'No Captain Briggs! I, Lord... um… Damn! What was his name?' though Abhijeet.

'Never Mind! I command you to leave him! Won't you follow my orders Captain? You will be in serious trouble!' warned Abhijeet.

'I am sorry Lord MacElphin sir! But I cannot put your life in danger. He is very dangerous! A criminal!' began Captain Briggs.

'My life is not in danger!' said Abhijeet now losing his temper. 'Leave him right now.'

'Sorry sir. I am ready to face your wrath but the thief will be punished. Parker! Take the thief to the dungeons! I command you! Pay heed to nobody! Once we complete the voyage he will be fed to Sharks!' snarled Captain Briggs.

Immediately the sailors carried Daya away. He couldn't break free. What the hell was this all about?

Abhijeet tried to stop them but he was surrounded by a bunch of sailors.
'Get the crown!' ordered the Captain.

A fierce looking sailor came ahead carrying a crown and a gold embroidered suit. 'I am John Corkin sir. I will be honoured if Lord would kindly accept this.' he said.

'No... I really...' began Abhijeet. But someone put the sparkling crown on his head. And another sailor forced the golden suit on him. Abhijeet felt really stupid. The captain fired three gun shots into the air.

'Sir this is a signal that we have the king safe with us and the thief is caught!' he said in reply to Abhijeet's questioning look.

They rejoiced and carried Abhijeet on their Shoulders. He was made to sit on a lavish Gold armchair. The sailors got him fruits and stale meat. 'Abhijeet was worried for Daya. He didn't how to escape this weird ship.

Meanwhile Daya was carried to a barred cell which was used as the ship's prison. It was dark and cold. He was locked in the farthest cell. The room was dimly illuminated by a lantern and had one wooden bunk. It had no windows. The sailor threw some stale mouldy bread for him to eat and went away locking the gloomy room. Daya looked around. There were a few wooden barrels in the cellar. Daya opened one of them and saw bottles of wine and alcohol. They seemed to be very old. The date was faded. In fact everything about the ship right from the crew to its interior seemed very old fashioned. A calendar was hung on the wall. Daya received the shock of his life when he saw the date. It was 13th October 1872!

How the hell was it possible? He had to get out of here and find Abhijeet! Something strange was going on! And they would have to find a way to escape this ghost ship! Daya set to work. He began looking for a sharp object so that he would be able to break the lock.

O-o-o-o

'Is Lord MacElphin still angry with us?' demanded Captain Briggs.

'No... No not at all. What makes you think so?' asked Abhijeet.

'You are not eating sir!' said Captain Briggs looking at the untouched food plate before Abhijeet.

Abhijeet kept casting a wary glance at the door. Where was Daya? He needed to find him fast.

Then suddenly Abhijeet got an idea. 'I wanted to have a look around this ship' he said.

'Yes... Why not... Why not... It's an honour for me that Lord MacElphin himself wishes to see my ship! I will take you meself!' said Captain Briggs happily.

'No. Thank you. But I'll go alone. I want to be alone for sometime' said Abhijeet.

'Do you feel ashamed of me and my crew sir? Do you not wish to accept our services?' asked the captain sadly.

'No. I did not mean that. I am indeed very happy with you and your crew. And you will be greatly rewarded for that once I reach my kingdom. But right now I wish to see this ship alone' said Abhijeet.

'No matter! No matter!' said the captain happily. He ordered his crew to step aside. Abhijeet left in a hurry. The lighting was very poor. He descended a staircase. He remembered the captain had ordered the sailors to take Daya to the Ship's prison. 'It must be below somewhere' he thought.

He removed the crown and the golden suit and placed it on a nearby barrel. He walked with brisk steps looking for any sign of Daya. Daya was totally frustrated. There was no way out. What were they going to do? This was turning out to be the worst nightmare in his life. He was thinking what to do when a sound on the stairs interrupted his thoughts. He listened as the footsteps grew louder and louder.

'Who is it? Get me out of here! I am not the thief!' Daya shouted.
Abhijeet recognised his voice instantly. 'Daya! It's me Abhijeet!' he called out.

'Abhijeet! Are you alone? How did you manage to escape? Anyway you'll have to find something to open this door. I have tried everything. It's not working' said Daya.

'The keyhole is of no use. They have just barred the door shut. Hang on. I will get out in a minute' said Abhijeet.

He opened the door and Daya came out. 'Are you okay?' asked Abhijeet.

'Yes. There is something weird going on on this ship! There are things here which have became outdated ages ago! And you won't believe I saw the date on the calendar back in my room. It says this year is 1872! Have we gone back in time or something? This is scary!' said Daya in one breath.

'I don't know! Even I am confused. But how do we escape this ship? We are in the middle of the Atlantic! We can't just jump into the sea!' said Abhijeet.

'And how come you are alone? Where is everyone?' asked Daya.

'I tricked them! Thank god they believed me!' said Abhijeet.

'So what do we do now?' asked Daya.

'I say we will just fond a good place to hide. Let's wait till we find land. And then we'll run away.' said Abhijeet.

'This is your plan?!' asked Daya.

'Well my brain is not working at the moment. And we must stick together else it will be very difficult. I am fed up of the captain and his crew. They think I am some sort of King. They forced me to wear a stupid crown and an embroidered robe! Disgusting!' exclaimed Abhijeet.

Daya began to laugh uncontrollably. 'A crown?! I should have been there! I would have clicked your photograph! Wait till Tarika hears this!' he said sniggering.

'This is not funny Daya!' said Abhijeet angrily.
'Okay... Okay... Let's not talk about it. Let's find a place to hide' said Daya.

They climbed up the stairs noiselessly. The moon was hidden behind the clouds. The wooden floor creaked and groaned. They walked quietly in the shadows. 'Clang!' came a loud noise. Daya had walked straight onto the empty pans kept in the dirty corner.
'Owwww! My foot' came Daya's muffled voice.

'Daya shut up what are you doing? They will find us!' whispered Abhijeet.

He was looking behind at Daya when he bumped into someone.
'Don't move! We are armed!' came a voice which they recognised immediately. It was of Captain Jonathan Briggs. Daya and Abhijeet looked up. Captain Jonathan Briggs stood blocking their way. Parker and John Corkin stood beside him. Behind them was a parade of around thirty to forty sailors! Abhijeet gulped.
All the sailors were holding bows and arrows or sharp knives.

'Captain Briggs, I was just strolling on the ship when I found him escaping. I have caught the thief for you!' said Abhijeet in a rather unconvincing voice.

'Quiet! Your are a liar! You helped him escape I know it! You are not the King! You have fooled us! You have insulted me and my crew. You will be punished for your sins. Both of you will be our prisoners forever! You cannot escape my ship. You both will perish here on Mary Celeste!' roared the Captain. Everyone laughed. An evil mad cackle. Daya and Abhijeet felt cold chills as they listened to his tirade. They were lunatics all these people.

Captain Briggs turned to Parker and said, kill!' Parker raised his knife and hurled it at Abhijeet. But Daya having anticipated his move tipped the table which was near him in front of Abhijeet. The knife pierced through the wood and its sharp point came out right through the other side.

The captain got really angry. 'Bring them to me!' he yelled in a commanding voice.

Both Daya and Abhijeet turned back and began running ad fast their legs could carry them. Arrows flew over their heads flying in all directions. Daya hurtled the wooden barrels at the sailors. They didn't know where they were going. Captain was yelling orders to everyone. Daya and Abhijeet were trapped. They had reached the end of the ship. There was no way to go. The sailors rushed at them but Daya and Abhijeet outwitted them with some smart karate moves. But their number was increasing. A multitude of hands reached out at them attacking them with sharp instruments. Just then a shout came from behind. 'Stop!'

Captain Briggs walked up to them and let out a snort of laughter.
'No use. I told you, you cannot escape this ship. Orne! Take these two down to the prison. And you will stay outside and keep a watch in them. Till then I will think what to do with them.' he said.

A small figure with a slightly crooked grin walked up to them. Daya and Abhijeet were tied with ropes. He led the way and they followed him quietly. Once they were out of earshot, Orne spoke in a low voice, 'Run for your lives else he will kill you'

Daya and Abhijeet looked at each other. A ray of hope had emerged suddenly.

'Who are you? Why do they want to kill us?' asked Daya.

'I have completed twenty years on this ship. Even I wanted to escape but I couldn't. Now my soul will rest here forever.' said Orne.
'Soul? What are you talking about?' asked Abhijeet.

'Haven't you realised? We all are dead! This is a ghost ship! Of course they haven't realised that they are dead.

The ship belonged to Captain Briggs. He was made rich by the king. But one of his trusted men stole his gold and ran away. His bad time had started. They kept searching the thief and the gold but both were never found. Within few days, the ship was caught in the storm. Everyone perished on the ship. The accident had happened near the lighthouse. The ship and its crew were never found. It remained one of the biggest mysteries in the maritime history. But the Captain was very ambitious. He was unable to face his death. The ghostly crew and the ship still haunt the ocean and it will continue to do so.

'This is unimaginable! But then what about the time? The calendar shows we are in year 1872!' exclaimed Daya.

'The time stops when you are on this ship! It freezes completely. The accident happened in 1872 I believe!' said Orne.

'But how we escape? Help us!' said Abhijeet. They had arrived at the stern of the ship. Daya looked behind. All the crew had vanished. The deck was empty. A single star peeped through the murky clouds overhead.

'They are holding a meeting to decide what to do with you' said Orne watching Daya.

'Now is the right moment! Tell us right now the way to escape.' said Abhijeet.

Orne pointed the lantern towards a dark corner. Two overturned boats were lying there. The oars lay in the corner.

'Are you crazy? You want us to go back in this boat? He is totally mad Daya.' asked Abhijeet.

'You have no choice. If they come back, you won't be able to go back.' said Orne sternly.

Abhijeet looked at the ocean. Je saw the water churning into a bubbling white froth. A harsh scream of the sea bird came from the dark surroundings. Orne stared at them with unblinking eyes.

'Abhijeet I think we should do this. We may never get another chance. We are dealing with dead people. We are no match against ghosts!' said Daya.

Abhijeet paused for a moment and then nodded.

Orne silently beckoned them further. Together they lifted a boat and two oars. It was tied with a rope. Daya placed tje oars inside lowered the boat into the sea. It rose and fell along with the waves of the sea. 'You go first' said Daya.

They turned behind to thank Orne but he had disappeared.

'Where did he go? Was he real?' asked Daya.

'Dunno. Let not worry about him. Let's get out of here. Abhijeet stepped over the railing and was about to jump into the boat when a voice made them jump, Ahoy! You are taking a big chance there!' Captain Jonathan came into view grinning.

Without thinking Abhijeet let go of the railing and jumped into the boat. 'Daya come one! Hurry up!' he shouted. Captain Briggs grabbed his arm. Daya had a harpoon in his hand. He stuck the harpoon in the Captain's chest but it went right through him. His maniacal laughter rang in Daya's ears.

Daya suddenly grabbed a nearby flickering lantern and smashed its glass. He hurled it in Captain Briggs' face. He didn't know what made him do it. But his act had worked like magic. Captain Briggs' eyes widened in fear seeing the fire and he backed off releasing Daya. At that instant Daya jumped off Mary Celeste and landed into the boat. The boat almost overturned with his sudden fall but they managed to prevent it from overturning. Daya cut the rope with the harpoon and they detached their boat. Captain Briggs' shrieks rent the air.

By that time the other sailors also had joined him. Angry screams emanated from the sailors. They hurriedly rowed their away as far as possible from the ship. Captain Briggs pointed a finger at the sky and whispered something in strange language. The atmosphere changed suddenly. It was as if he controlled the forces of nature. The sky turned black and angry. Rain lashed and came in torrents. Wind roared creating mountainous waves.

Once again Daya and Abhijeet were thrown into the water. Daya struggled to keep himself afloat. Abhijeet had managed to still hold onto their small boat. But then the waves became bigger and bigger and swallowed them both in a gulp. Daya and Abhijeet were unable to breathe as the gushing water filled their lungs. They knew this was their end.

O-o-o-o

He was floating and drifting with the waves of the sea, calmness filling his body, seagulls crying overhead, wind whistling calmly through his ear. Daya woke up gasping for air; he had not realized he was holding his breath. He sat up and looked around. The water was shallow. He saw the huge lighthouse next to him. 'Abhijeet?' Daya called out.

He saw Abhijeet lying on the rocks. Abhijeet too sat up and looked around. The wind blowing in his face made his eyes sting.

'We are alive? But I remember getting drowned!' said Abhijeet.

'What what happened to that Ship? 'Mary Celeste?' The spooky Captain and its crew?' asked Daya.

'I don't get it either? Were we hallucinating?' asked Abhijeet.

'No! How can we both have the same dream? It seemed so real yet now it all seems just a stupid nightmare.

'But the lighthouse! It's right here! We never left the lighthouse. It was all a dream!' said Abhijeet.

'I am not very sure' said Daya.

They heard a sound of a motor boat. Abhijeet waved his hands. The man caught his attention and the steered the motor boat towards them. 'What's up mates? Where is your boat?' he asked.

'We were caught in the storm. Our yacht was swept away in the sea. We need to find land' said Daya.

'Oh! I am heading towards the coast. Got some fresh crabs fir Sunday breakfast! Come aboard. I will take you to the coast. And I am William Orne by the way' he said.

'Orne? Again?' said Abhijeet looking at Daya.

'What's the matter?' asked William.

'Nothing. We will just get our stuff. 'said Daya and both of them rushed back toward the lighthouse entrance. Daya's bag was lying there. 'You think it's safe to go with him? I hope he is not one of them. What if this part of the sea is haunted?' asked Daya.

'Only one way to find out.' said Abhijeet.

Daya followed him and they saw William Orne waiting for them.
'Hey how does your motorboat run?' asked Abhijeet.

William looked perplexed. 'How does it run? With engine ofcourse! And oil!' he said giving Abhijeet a strange look.

Daya and Abhijeet smiled at each other.
'Thank you for helping us. We are really very grateful' said Daya as they stepped into the motorboat.

'Have you heard about the ship Mary Celeste?' asked Abhijeet.
' ship and the crew had disappeared mysteriously. I had read many articles of maritime accidents over the internet. I remember reading about Mary Celeste. Why do you ask?' asked William.

'We had a strange dream yesterday night.' said Daya.

'About Mary Celeste? I would like to hear!' said William excitedly.
'It was not a dream.' said Abhijeet.

'How can you say?' asked Daya.

Abhijeet pointed at Daya's bag. Daya looked and saw a harpoon lying in his bag. It was the same harpoon with which he cut the rope of the boat while escaping Mary Celeste.

** THE END **