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Stede pulled his overcoat close to his body as he stood on the small pier in front of the lighthouse, a foreboding breeze of salt air caressing his face. He could hear the Wind speak to him, softly, gently, but the whistling of her words was ominous. Do not cry, sweet child, she told him as she dried his tears, leaving stains of despair on his cheeks, for you will not be lonely tonight. Fear not the Ocean and her creatures; embrace her and all that she offers. He shivered at the words, and as much as he wished to dismiss the Wind’s talk as sleep deprivation and overfamiliarity with isolation, the words still plagued him as he took in his view, for, as the sun arose, the sky was overcome by a veil of sharp crimson, as if a blood-stained silk handkerchief had draped itself across the Heavens and tinted the horizon with its anguish without mercy. This only confirmed Stede’s fears: a storm was brewing, and if the dark and gruesome silhouette of the clouds was by any means foretelling, he could only imagine it was going to be a harrowing one. The Wind’s words, paired with the promise of turbulent weather, stirred dread within Stede. The implications of her statement made his stomach clench in unease, as the books of folktales and fantasies he had read religiously as a boy materialized in his mind; stories of sirens and sea serpents haunted him when the skies turned black and thunder clapped in evil delight, as it was only in pure darkness that these beasts made their appearance, rapid flashes of light revealing their hideous scales and clammy flesh within a blink of an eye. Not only this, but there was a new moon tonight; Stede had to take a deep breath to keep himself from diving in too deep of a panic. He had read, in those fantastical books, that the most dreaded sea beast of all, the Kraken, unveiled itself only in circumstances when the moon was nowhere in sight, pulling those who were unfortunate enough to cross its path down to the recesses of the ocean where it resided. Full ships of loot and supplies and men were doomed on such nights, with only their prayers to keep them from going insane at the mere possibility of the Kraken attacking them with no means of escape.
Another breeze brought Stede out of his wandering thoughts, and with the sun above the horizon, he could go into the lighthouse and sleep while his partner took over for the day. Safe in his bedroom, he changed into his sleep clothes and retired to bed, but he was not ensured security for long. He dreamt of a deadly tempest, thunder and angry waves crashing in concert. He was on the balcony of the lighthouse, soaked to the bone in his work clothes. He was watching the sea as the beacon highlighted the waves, and then he saw it: the Kraken, thrice as big as a British naval ship, undulating tentacles waving at him. But there was no ship in sight for him to attack. No, rather, the Kraken’s tentacle reached out for him, and he screamed in terror, begging for forgiveness from God as it neared. He knew that this, his untimely demise via the most formidable creature from the deep dark depths of the ocean, was his consequence for abandoning his family and wealth for the sea. Still he prayed, and he promised he would return to his loved ones, just as long as the Kraken didn’t take him, oh please, God, not like this, I beg of you— A flash of lightning and a crash of thunder overwhelmed him, and instead of being wrapped by a tentacle, he was left unscathed. A man now stood beside him, dark clothing reeking of brine and fish. The man was more of a shadowy figure with indistinguishable features, with unruly hair that draped over his shoulders and a beard that hid most of his face. He placed a tender hand on Stede’s cheek as he whispered something he could not hear. There was a deafening clash of thunder, and that is when Stede was awoken by a loud knocking at his door. It was his signal that the sun had set, and it was his turn to take charge of the lighthouse once more.
Stede dressed for his shift and grimaced as he looked outside his window. The normally-calm, royal night sky was overshadowed by looming clouds, and the stench of petrichor coalesced with the sea, thick and earthy and damp. He tried not to ruminate over the dream that felt all too real as he went up to the light room, preparing it and himself for what was going to be a long night. Hours passed, and rain began to pour heavily, beating against the windows. Stede's senses were being abused by the disorder outside the safety of the light room. Thunder threatened in the distance, the waves slammed severely against the rocks, and the Wind howled incessantly. As he surveyed the void of the ocean, he noticed something peculiar. Through the raindrops of the window, he saw a very faint blue haze on the water, which piqued his interest. He buttoned his overcoat and walked out onto the roofed balcony, and once against the railing with his telescope to his eye, he let out a gasp in awe. It was a ship. Its sails were glowing an electric blue, creating the illusion of a ghost ship. Of course, it was St. Elmo’s fire. Stede had only read about it in books he loved dearly but had not yet witnessed it as a lighthouse keeper. Truth be told, he thought it was fictitious, but he knew he could not be mistaken at this moment. Stede kept his eye on the ghost ship as it drifted across the treacherous waves until wicked lightning hit the ship. He watched in horror as it burst into flames, the heavy rain doing nothing to smother the fire. In the magnification of his telescope, Stede counted half a dozen monstrous serpentine arms rise from the water. There was no mistaking the creature that was about to overtake the ship. The Kraken had made its appearance, and Stede felt defenseless as he watched it take down the burning blue vessel. With quivering hands, he pulled down his telescope and backed away from the railing, fragments of his dream reeling in his mind. He recited the same prayers from his nightmare through racing thoughts, hoping to God, anyone, that the beast would not reach for him. His back hit the the window of the light room, and the blood pounding in his ears drowned out the sound of glass shattering on the deck when his telescope slipped from his fingers. Thunder roared and lightning flashed before his eyes, and Stede cried out in terror. He trembled as he saw a man appear right in front of him. It was the same man from his dream, with his long hair and beard hiding his face. His clothes were dripping wet, and there was that same intense odor of salt and fish. Stede began to wail, “Please don’t hurt me, I didn’t do anything wrong, I just wanted to get away—” but the man silenced him with his hand on his shoulder. Stede could finally see his face as he took a step closer. His face was terrifyingly handsome, rugged yet inviting, his eyes revealing to be breathtakingly deep as the light hit them. They were dark and reminded Stede of coffee-colored sunsets in the fall. They were kind, yet they were unmistakably tired at the edges. Stede felt himself relax under the man’s palm, which was clad in damp leather. “You’re the Kraken, aren’t you?” he heard himself murmur in a wavering voice, but he wished he could take back his statement just as soon as it left him, for the man’s face turned cold and apprehensive as his hand retreated like he had been scorched.
Stede could see the pain in the man’s face. He could recognize it as longing and loneliness, for he saw it in his own reflection every time he looked in a mirror. All at once, Stede was relieved of all qualms and anguish, and he was washed by an overwhelming sense of affinity for the man before him. The words of the Wind echoed in his mind: You will not be lonely tonight. Fear not the Ocean and her creatures; embrace her and all that she offers. And so he did. He grabbed a hold of the man’s arm and pulled him close, hugging him tightly, ignoring the stench and dampness seeping into his coat from the man’s soaking-wet clothes. The man was frozen for the briefest of moments before he, too, succumbed to the embrace and wrapped his arms around Stede.
Although Stede had just witnessed the unforgiving destruction this being was capable of, he also realized the immense care the Kraken harbored deep within himself. Who was he to deny a creature goodwill when he struggled so with the hardships of solitude himself? In the end, Stede supposed the Kraken, too, deserved companionship, and he invited the man into the light room. Soon, the rain settled into an apologetic patter against the windows and the Wind whispered their future of fortune, but neither of them heard as together they rediscovered what it felt like to be treasured by another.