Michael Peterson – Jakob’s Point Audiobook——

The salt spray stung Elias’s face as he wrestled the small fishing boat through the turbulent waters. Jakob’s Point loomed ahead, a jagged finger of rock pointing accusingly at the churning sea. He’d avoided this place for years, ever since the incident. But the cod weren’t biting anywhere else, and the weight of a hungry family back on the mainland was heavier than any ghost.

Jakob’s Point wasn’t just a geographical feature; it was a scar on the collective memory of Port Blossom. A place whispered about in hushed tones, especially when the wind howled like a banshee. Legend had it that a man named Jakob, a reclusive fisherman with eyes as cold as the winter sea, had lured ships to their doom on the treacherous reefs surrounding the point. Some said he used lanterns to mimic the harbor lights of Port Blossom, others claimed he possessed a hypnotic song that drew sailors towards the rocks. Whatever the truth, Jakob’s name was synonymous with tragedy and loss.

Elias, a man etched with the hardships of a life spent at sea, scoffed at the legends. He was a practical man, a believer in storms and faulty rigging, not siren songs and vengeful spirits. Yet, as he neared the point, a prickle of unease ran down his spine. The air felt heavier here, colder. The cries of the gulls seemed to carry a mournful quality he hadn’t noticed before.

He’d grown up hearing stories about Jakob’s Point. His grandfather, a weathered old salt who smelled perpetually of brine and tobacco, had sworn he’d seen Jakob’s ghost, a spectral figure standing on the rocks, beckoning ships to their destruction. Elias had dismissed it as senile ramblings then, but now, alone on the water, the stories felt less like folklore and more like a warning.

He anchored his boat a respectable distance from the point, baited his hook with a practiced hand, and cast his line. The silence was unnerving, broken only by the creaking of the boat and the relentless crash of waves against the rocks. He tried to focus on the task at hand, on the rhythmic pull of the line, on the familiar scent of the sea. But his mind kept drifting back to that day, ten years ago.

Ten Years Gone:

Elias had been a young man then, full of reckless confidence and a thirst for adventure. He and his younger brother, Samuel, had been inseparable. Samuel, with his bright smile and easy laughter, had been the light of Elias’s life. They’d often dared each other to swim to Jakob’s Point, a feat considered both foolish and dangerous.

One summer afternoon, fueled by youthful bravado and a bottle of smuggled rum, they’d taken the plunge. The current was stronger than they anticipated, pulling them relentlessly towards the jagged rocks. Elias, a stronger swimmer, had managed to fight his way back to shore. But Samuel… Samuel had been swept away. His body was never recovered.

The official report cited the strong currents and Samuel’s inexperience. But Elias carried a different truth in his heart: a truth laced with guilt and the chilling certainty that something… else… had been at play that day. He’d seen something in the water, a dark shape that wasn’t a wave, a fleeting glimpse of something malevolent just before Samuel disappeared.

He hadn’t spoken of it to anyone, fearing ridicule or, worse, confirmation of his deepest fears. Instead, he’d buried the memory deep within himself, along with the grief and the crushing weight of responsibility. He avoided Jakob’s Point, clinging to the familiar rhythms of his life, trying to outrun the ghosts of the past.

Back in the Present:

A sharp tug on his line jolted Elias back to reality. He gripped the rod, his muscles straining as he fought to reel in the fish. It was a big one, a cod the size of his arm, its silver scales flashing in the fading sunlight. As he hauled it aboard, a sense of grim satisfaction washed over him. He needed this catch. His family needed it.

But as he looked towards Jakob’s Point, he saw something that made his blood run cold. A figure standing on the rocks, silhouetted against the twilight sky. It was tall and gaunt, its arms outstretched as if beckoning him closer. Elias’s heart pounded in his chest. He knew, with a certainty that defied logic, that it was Jakob.

He gripped the oars, his hands trembling. He had to get away, to escape the malevolent presence that clung to this place. But as he rowed, he noticed something else. A small boat, adrift near the rocks, its mast broken and its sails tattered. And then he heard it: a faint cry for help.

His instinct was to flee, to put as much distance as possible between himself and Jakob’s Point. But the cry was insistent, desperate. He knew what he had to do.

He rowed towards the stricken vessel, his fear battling with his sense of duty. As he drew closer, he saw a young woman clinging to the wreckage, her face pale and drawn. She was alone, exhausted, and clearly in imminent danger.

Elias pulled her aboard his boat, wrapping her in a blanket and offering her water. She was too weak to speak, but her eyes conveyed her gratitude. As he rowed her back towards Port Blossom, away from the looming shadow of Jakob’s Point, he felt a sense of peace he hadn’t known in years.

He hadn’t faced the ghost of Jakob. He hadn’t solved the mystery of his brother’s disappearance. But he had saved a life. And in doing so, he had finally begun to heal the wounds of the past. Perhaps, he thought, Jakob’s Point wasn’t just a place of death and despair. Perhaps it was also a place where redemption could be found, a place where even the darkest shadows could be pierced by a single act of courage and compassion. The sea was still turbulent, the wind still howled, but Elias no longer felt the same fear. He had faced the darkness, and he had found a glimmer of light.