Original Scary Fiction
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A Stormy Night on Bell Islandby Brian Skinner
ai251@chebucto.ns.ca
http://www.chebucto.ns.ca/~ai251/Stories.html
Now, to some, this may not be the most scary ghost story they ever heard. However, like many claim, this story is true.
It all happened on one stormy night, on Bell Island, Newfoundland, and all who know what happen, still remember it to this day. The year was 1951, and Bell Island was a small mining community, on an island not far from St.John's. The men worked in deep, dark mining tunnels, with only the rats for pets to keep them amused in the darkness. From dusk till dawn they toiled in those mines, trying to put food on their families tables.
One of these miners was Joseph Anthony. Joseph was a quiet man, hardly drank, and was liked by all who knew him, as he was a good man. The mines were his livelihood, to feed his wife and six children. The mines were his life. Back in those days, miners on Belle Island did not wear hard hats, only cloths on their heads, that held battery powered lights. One of the few sources of light down in those tunnels.
It was not an easy life for Joseph and his co-workers, but it was the only life they knew. Now, the night was like any other, there was nothing strange about the storm, rain meant little down in those mines. It was close to the end of his shift, and Joseph, despite the storm raging outside, wanted nothing more than to walk through that storm, back to his family for a meal. When the shift had ended, Joseph said good-bye to the rats, and started with the other men to the cart that they would ride through the tunnels to the surface.
These carts were quick, and provided the best way to the surface, all the men used them. Joseph was the last one on, and it was crowded. He had to stand up slightly to fit in, as there were no other places to sit. Finally, they started back, and Joseph let his mind wander to his family, and to the small, but warm meal that awaited. He thought nothing of the storm, it was better than down in the mine.
As his thoughts were elsewhere, the cart sped on the tracks, towards its goal. Joseph had ridden this a thousand times, day-in, day-out. The path had many stalactites hanging from the ceiling, but the held no interest to Joseph, he had done this many times...
Thunder crashed, the rains increased. George had just finished work and was heading home. Home... it sounded good on a day like this. Why it was only evening, yet it was as dark as midnight with the clouds and rain.
Thunder crashed again. He tried looking ahead, rain pelted his eyes. There was somebody coming down the road. Probably Joseph, he passed him everyday, like clockwork. No storm would keep Joseph from his home, no sir. As he came closer, he could make the man out. Yup, Joseph, foolish of me to even wonder, I think I even pass him at the same place everyday. He chuckled to himself despite the rain, wondering if even a hurricane could get Joseph Anthony off schedule.
He looked at Joseph's face, he had a distant look on his face, looking out in the distance, towards his house's direction, though it could not be seen over the rolling hills. Now, Joseph was a quiet man, but he always seemed to have a happier look on his face, mainly when his shift was over, even in the rain. George decided to have a word with him, to see if anything was the matter, perhaps an argument with one of his co-miners.
He called to him, "Joseph, what's the matter with you just strolling through this storm, you'll catch cold!".
Joseph didn't even look. Now this was peculiar, Joseph always stopped to talk to him, catch up on the days happenings. He called again, no answer. The Joseph walked right by him, not even turning his head, keeping his eyes towards his goal. George scratched his wet head, that was mighty peculiar. Well, anyways, perhaps it was none of his business. He just hoped that Joseph was in better mood when he got home, for his own sake. His wife Sadie wouldn't put up with any of that attitude, that's for sure. George chuckled in spite of himself, then took one last look towards where Joseph was...
Thunder crashed. The Anthony house was a bustle of activity. Sadie was trying to cook dinner, and that was a task in itself today. The whole family was here tonight, her oldest son bringing with him her first grandchild, Joe-Anne. Sadie looked at Joe-Anne and smiled, she loved children, and her family. Speaking of family, Joseph was due home soon, she'd better hurry up with supper. She called for her daughters Shirley and Maisy to give her a hand. They grumbled at why they had to do work, while Florence and Margaret got to play with Joe-Anne. One withering look from their mother stopped any more complaints they had. Sadie was a kind mother, but when she wanted something done, it got done, and there was not a more stubborn woman on the whole island. She looked out the window, no Joseph. He was always at least on the path to the house by now, everyday, like clockwork.
Thunder crashed. Florence played with the baby in the main room, while the baby fooled with the door to the kitchen. Florence told her that the door never moved, had been stuck for years. But that was no deterrent for a active toddler. Finally she had to pick up Joe-Anne and move her away from the door. She of coursed cried. Florence tried to distract Joe-Anne with a rattle. She continued to cry. She tried rocking her, but she still cried. She tried everything she knew, even asked stuffy old Margaret if she could help, but nothing helped, she still cried. She must be hungry, thought Florence....
Thunder crashed. Now where was the Joseph, making me stand around like this with screaming babies, and food getting cold. The nerve, on a day when he knew there'd be a big meal and everything. This was very unlike Joseph, she hoped he didn't make a habit of this in the future. Now if that baby would stop crying, maybe she could get her thoughts together to think what he must be up to. Perhaps talking to George a bit longer than usual today. Probably telling about some trick one of the miners taught a rat. She had to laugh at that, silly men. Where was he? She sent Maisy out of the kitchen to see if she could get that baby to stop crying, the poor thing. He should at least be on the path by now, long ago actually...
Thunder crashed. A door slammed. Everyone looked in shock at the door. The door. The door that had been jammed for years. Not a hand had touched it, the kids were in sitting on the other side of the room, the rest in the kitchen. But the door had slammed. Never had they heard such a loud sound. Sadie just stared in wonder. A knock. Finally, Joseph was here. Wait till he heard about this, he'd wanted that door fixed for years, but he never had found the time. No worries about that anymore, not after tonight. She went to the door, the slamming door on her mind, ready to tell Joseph, she opened the door... It was Ian, one of worker's from Joseph's mine. He had a sad look on his face, a very sad look. Sadie felt cold, every inch of her. She asked Ian to come in, and had him sit down. He could barely bring himself to look her in the eye, his head stuck looking at the floor. Somehow, she managed to feel even colder, sicker, sick to her stomach. She asked Ian why he had come to visit...
Thunder crashed. Ian looked at Sadie, saw the worry that marked her face, saw the worry in her eyes... How could he tell her that... he looked at the floor. She pleaded to him to tell. Oh, hell, why did he have to be the one to tell her. This was never easy, never. He finally found the courage, the heart to speak up.
"Sadie, I can tell by the look on your face that you're scared about what I have say. I wish I had better news, I wish... oh God. Sadie, on the shuttle, out of the minds today... we had done it so many times, never thought... oh God. Sadie, Joseph had to stand up, to make room and all... and... and... his head... it happened so quickly when it struck, there would have been no time for him to feel pain, Sadie, I'm sorry, I know my words can't help but... Joseph hit his head on a stalactite, he died instantly Sadie...."
He saw Sadie break down to tears, he tried to offer comforting words, but he knew that nothing would help right now, only time would.
The storm ended. Bell Island wasn't too small, but small enough that news of something like a death in the mines, like Joseph's, spread around quickly. George was shocked, he had seen Joseph, he had seen... there was no doubt in his mind who he had passed on that stormy night, but yet, Joe had died...
He went to Joseph's house, to give his condolences to the family. The house was quiet, everyone solemn. Without Joseph, there would be no one to put food on the table, his second oldest, Harvey, would have to take that role. He told Sadie what he had seen, no what he thought he had seen that night, but what he HAD seen that night. Joseph, his eyes towards home, on time, like everyday...
He saw the door that had been jammed, he had visited enough, and heard Joe complain enough about it to know about how it had been jammed. To make conversation, to break the tension, he asked how it had been opened. Sadie said, it had opened itself, no hand to be seen touching it, at the time Joseph would have been home, everyday. Like clockwork.
George paled slightly, then thought to himself, "He had his eyes at home, and he made it, to see his family, one more time... and to fix that door."
fini
(*Author's note: Well, that's my first story, and yes it is true, well, at least of what my family tells me happened to my grandfather. I'd like to add that due to this accident, they introduced hard hats as mandatory for all miners to wear at all the Bell Island mines. There is also now a monument in the center of the island with the names of all the miners who lost their lives in the mines. Included is the name Joseph Anthony. Sorry I had to put that stupid joke in the last line, but when I got there, oh just couldn't help myself. Hope you enjoyed it, thanks for reading.)