Havenbrook's Ghosts - The Siren's Call

Emma and Daniel returned to the Havenbrook Historical Society, eager to examine the photos Emma had taken at the cliffs. They hoped to find some clues about the identity and origin of the ghostly sailors.

They plugged Emma’s camera into a computer and opened the image folder. They were stunned by what they saw.

The photos were blurry and distorted as if the mist had interfered with the camera’s lens. The figures of the ghosts were barely visible, their features obscured by the fog. The only thing that stood out was their eyes—glowing orbs of light pierced through the haze.

As she looked at the photos, Emma felt a chill run down her spine. She had expected to see clear evidence of the supernatural but got more questions than answers.

“What’s going on here?” she muttered, frustrated.

Daniel shook his head, equally puzzled. “I don’t know, Emma, but these photos are abnormal. There’s something wrong with them.”

He zoomed in on one of the images, trying to make out any details. He gasped as he noticed something he had missed before.

“Emma, look at this,” he said, pointing at the screen.

Emma leaned in, following his finger. She saw a faint outline of a ship behind the ghosts—a ship that looked eerily familiar.

“Is that…?” she began.

Daniel nodded. “It is. It’s the Siren’s Call.”

They looked at each other in disbelief. How could the ship they had read about in the book be also in the photos? Was it a coincidence or something more?

They decided to compare the photos with the book they had found earlier. They opened the book and flipped through the pages until they found a sketch of Siren’s Call.

The sketch matched the outline of the ship in the photos perfectly. There was no doubt about it—they had seen the ghost of the Siren’s Call.

But why? What was the connection between the ship and the town? And why did it appear only on misty nights?

They searched for more information about the ship in the book, hoping to find answers. They learned that the Siren’s Call was a merchant vessel that sailed from England to America in 1892. It carried valuable goods, including gold, silver, jewels, and spices.

The ship has yet to reach its destination. It disappeared off the coast of Havenbrook, leaving no trace of its fate. Some speculated that pirates attacked it, others that it hit in a storm, and others that a siren lured it. This mythical creature sang enchanting songs to lure sailors to their doom.

The book also mentioned that some crew members had ties to Havenbrook. They were either born there or had relatives there. They had left their homes searching for adventure and fortune but never returned.

Emma felt a pang of sympathy for them. She wondered if they had any descendants still living in Havenbrook. She asked if she knew any of them.

She looked at Daniel and saw a similar expression on his face. He was also curious about their stories.

“Maybe we should try to find out more about them,” he suggested. We can trace their family trees and see if we can contact their relatives.

Emma nodded, intrigued by his idea. “That sounds like a good plan. Maybe we can learn more about their lives and why they ended up on the Siren’s Call.”

They agreed to split up and do some research on their own. Later that day, they would meet again at the historical society and share their findings.

Emma decided to start with her family history. She knew her ancestors had lived in Havenbrook for generations. Still, they needed to learn more about their specific roles or occupations. She wondered if any of them had a role in the Siren’s Call in any way.

She logged into an online genealogy website and typed in her name and date of birth. She was surprised by how many results came up. She clicked on one of them and saw a family tree that traced her lineage back to her great-great-grandfather.

She scanned the names and dates, looking for anything that caught her eye. She stopped when she saw one character that made her heart skip a beat.

James Everly

Born: 1867

Died: 1892

Occupation: Sailor

Ship: Siren’s Call

Emma felt a surge of shock and disbelief. James Everly was her great-great-uncle—the brother of her great-great-grandfather. He had been one of the crew members on the Siren’s Call.

She had a relative who had been on the ship. She had a relative who was a ghost.

She stared at the screen, unable to process what she had just discovered. She felt a mix of sadness, curiosity, fear, and wonder.

She had to know more. She had to find out what had happened.

She grabbed her camera and ran out of the historical society, heading back to the cliffs.

She hoped he would be there, waiting for her in the mist.

To be continued…