A work of fiction by Cedric Antilles

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Cedric: “Welcome to season one, episode one, of the ‘Oh No Zone’, where we get first-hand accounts of the weird, scary, and the unexplained. I’m your host, Cedric Antilles, and I’ll be guiding us through the world that lurks in the shadows to see if we can make sense of it. I have to tell you, this first season has taken me places and shown me things I could’ve never expected to encounter in my lifetime. I’m super excited to share these great stories with you, so let’s kick off our first tale: ‘The Ghost Pirates of Calico Cove.”

Preston: “It felt straight out of a TV show or movie. I swear, it didn’t even seem real. I mean, who would even fathom seeing something like that. I’d heard the stories, but until then, they’d been just that, stories.”

Cedric: “That is Preston, who is in his mid-30’s, with close-cropped blonde hair, a thick five o’clock shadow, and chestnut eyes that come alive as he recounts his experience. I found Preston through his local newspaper and articles about him that made it to national circulation. These articles sparked an avalanche of interest from paranormal thrill-seekers in Preston’s small fishing town along the Pacific coast, where there is a robust history of creature and ghost sightings that goes beyond the area’s first settlers, so Calico Cove and the surrounding Windcrest forest seems to be an area ripe with otherworldly energy. Preston talked openly about Calico Cove’s history and his unexpected fame.”

Preston: “I’m honestly surprised the Cove hasn’t always been crawling with monster and ghost hunters. I never wanted to be the one who put it in the national spotlight, but I couldn’t keep an experience like this to myself, and it’s kinda funny how many people are speaking up now about the things they’ve seen.

            So Calico Cove sits on the coast of the Pacific Ocean. It’s your typical smaller fishing village, and it sits basically in the middle of Windcrest forest. So, it’s got a nice little buffer from the rest of the world which makes it a prime area for weird stuff. Growing up, you’d hear stories about ghost ships docking in the cove or strange figures walking along the water’s edge. Going back even further, there are Native American legends about “water walkers” I mean, Calico Cove has embraced these stories as long as I’ve been around. Every spring the town hosts a water festival that’s rooted in bringing bounty from the ocean and to memorialize those who’ve gone out on the water but never returned. And then in the fall, for the month of October, culminating on Halloween, there’s weekly ghost ship parties, where every generation gets together to see if we can spy one of the famed haunted vessels pulling into the cove. It’s more about creating a shared experience for the community, but again, it’s based on Calico Cove’s history.”

Cedric: “Just feels like something was bound to happen with all that history.”

Preston: “And it did. Changed my life.”

Cedric: “Tell me about it.”

Preston: “I was twenty-six, so about ten years ago. It was October, so ghost ships and pirates were already on everyone’s mind. That’s what the skeptics latch onto, say I was looking for something, already heightened and more sensitive to call something normal strange. And sure, I think that time of year everyone’s got their senses going through a different filter. We like to get into the season, but that doesn’t mean my experience wasn’t real.”

Cedric: “I was going to say, it’s often easy to see what we want to see. But I know from what I read in the papers and some of our exchanges prior to this interview, you didn’t just see a shadow or feel a dip in temperature.”

Preston: “I wish, Cedric, I wish it was that simple. I’d love to laugh it off as a trick of the mind. But I don’t go down to the water anymore, not alone anyway, and I certainly stay out of parts of that forest.”

Cedric: “Really terrified you.”

Preston: “It did, to the point I feel like it changed who I am.”

Cedric: “Hell. Please, go on.”

Preston: “So I’m in my later twenties, enjoying Calico Cove’s October festivities, working as a dockhand for the fishing co-op, so I’m down by the water most of the day. If I’m not working, I’m hanging out with other deckhands, the fishermen, their families. It’s pretty grueling work, whether you’re on the shore or in the water, but it unites people. Again, this is a close-knit community that cares and looks out for one another. There was one evening, just at dusk, so there was still some light in the sky and the water was catching the sun to give it that shimmering brightness, there were probably four or five vessels still out. They’d taken a longer route that day because the weather was supposed to be good, and as expected, they were the last boats out. The other crews had gotten their vessels squared away and headed inland for dinner, so it was me and three other deckhands that stayed behind to wait for the other boats to come in and help unload the day’s catch. We were in one of those rare periods during the day where there really wasn’t anything to do, so we were sitting around chatting, tell stories, talking about things young guys and gals talk about. We got caught up in our conversation and lost track of the time until one of the guys looks out at the water and says, ‘Was it supposed to storm today?’ I thought he was being dense, because we’d all seen the forecast and radar reports – they were clear, and it’d been a gorgeous fall day all around. Even the fishing crews had been making comments about how the day had been one of the best on the water in recent memory. So here I was thinking this guy was on one until I look out at the water myself. I couldn’t believe it. I think all of us must’ve looked at the same time, because we all went silent. The sky had gone dark, and it looked angry. I mean, you could see the clouds swirling. This wasn’t directly overhead though, right? This was out on the ocean a ways, enough that you could see the rain coming down like wisps from the clouds. You know what I’m talking about? Okay. And then there was the water. Where it had been calmly catching the setting sun, it was now heaving and thrashing. I know the ocean is a fickle beast, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen it turn that quickly. I can tell you with complete confidence, I’ve not seen it happen like that since. There are storms, and then there are acts of God or whatever is playing with that energy in the universe. So we’ve got this storm that popped up out of nowhere, which has us all stunned, and then I think, ‘Oh, hell, we’ve got boats out there!’”

Cedric: “The threat level just ramped up. What do you do in a situation like that?”

Preston: “Communication and establishing a location are the first priority. Typically, the crews are actively radioing in to give an ETA and their position that we can match up and verify with radar. This is handled by the harbor master and that crew, which has someone on site 24/7. We’d not heard from anyone down at the docks, so once the shock wore off and we all start coming to grips with the situation, one of the gals, she takes off to check-in with the harbor master, another guy heads for town to start pulling the other crews back, because we’re thinking there’s going to need to be some sort of rescue staged tonight and maybe we’ll need all hands on deck to assist the coast guard. So it’s me and another dockhand named Steve, staying put to keep a lookout for any vessels coming in. With how quick the storm came up, we’re expecting there may be other boats not from Calico Cove that need to find a safe haven.”

Cedric: “So this storm seemingly came out of nowhere and has turned the ocean into a vicious, angry grinder, and everyone’s shifted into emergency response mode. Preston, this is already a harrowing story that’s undoubtedly raised the heart rate of any listener that’s more of a land lover, but we haven’t even reached the climax yet, have we?”

Preston: “We have not. Just imagine being in the presence of a tornado and the violent chaos of that experience. Hopefully you’ve never actually experienced one, but think of what you’ve seen in the movies. The wind is whipping off the water and pelting us with spray. It’s grabbing at our clothes. The sky is rumbling, and it’s dark now not because the sun set but because the clouds have almost blackened out the sky. It may as well be the middle of the night. It’s as fitting a use for the word ‘tempest’ as I’ve ever seen. So Steve and me, we’re in deckhand’s shack now, which is just off the water, trying to get shelter from the craziness outside while we get on our full rain gear. Steve got his gear on before me and is checking his phone for messages, weather updates, anything to give us any information about what’s going on outside. You see, that’s the thing with a storm like this, especially on the ocean, you’ll never feel so isolated. Steve and I could’ve been the only two people left on the earth for all we knew. It socks you in and changes how the world looks so all know and care about is what’s right around you. And this is where it gets really weird, because that storm made me focus on only one thing. Steve is still on his phone as I’m poking along getting my gear on. I remember bending over and putting on one of my boots, and as I stand upright again, I look out one of the shack’s windows that’s immediately to my left. The window gives a clear, open view of the cove, so anyone could easily see the comings and goings. So as I’m standing up, I look out this window and have to do a double, triple, quadruple take. The quick onset of an unexpected storm was surprising. What I see through that window about knocked me on my backside.”

Cedric: “What did you see?”

Preston: “A ship, sailing into the cove, but this was not one of our fishing boats, ship, or any other type of watercraft I would’ve expected to see. I saw, what I know to be now, an eighteenth-century frigate, full sails and all, coming into the cove.”

Cedric: “Oh my god. Preston, I’m on the edge of my seat needing to hear more. We’re going to take a quick break to hear from our sponsors, and when we come back, Preston is going to take us through the rest of his harrowing experience.”

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Cedric: “Okay, Preston, you’ve shared a pretty compelling story thus far. On what should be a quiet, normal evening, a severe storm arises seemingly out of nowhere, potentially threatening your peers still out on the ocean. Then, as you are prepping to face the long night ahead, you catch glimpse of a ship coming into the cove, but this is like no ship you’ve seen on the water. It’s an old eighteenth century frigate, like the ones in historic renderings of naval battles around the time of, or possibly even before, the Revolutionary War. I have to say, this is beyond what I expected even as we first corresponded, but, the story is far from over.”

Preston: “Obviously, I was transfixed by what I was seeing. I’m sure Steve was saying something to me, but I wasn’t hearing anything. I had shivers coursing up and down my spine, hairs on my arm were standing straight up. But it wasn’t just the fact there’s this ship from another time sailing into Calico Cove, it’s how it was moving. If you picture a ship on water, not your big freighters and tankers, but sailing vessels, there’s a movement to them that follows the waves. Sure, they cut through the water, but especially in a storm, they’re going to rise and fall, sway side to side. This ship, again, with its sails fully deployed, moved as if it was on rollers.”

Cedric: “Smooth sailing?”

Preston: “Like a hot knife through soft butter. The waves were still violent. The wind was deafening. But that ship was completely unaffected by any of it. So I’m just standing there watching it, and eventually I sense Steve has joined me at the window. He’s completely silent.”

Cedric: “He saw it too?”

Preston: “I straight up asked him if he was seeing an old ship coming into the cove as well, and he just nodded, couldn’t even get out any words. It was about then I remember there’s a pair of binoculars in the shack, so I grab those and immediately start scanning the ship. On a ship like that, in a storm like that, there has to be crew on the deck. Otherwise, the ship is left to the elements and doesn’t stand a chance. I don’t know how many times I went back and forth on that ship with the binoculars, but it must have been a good minute of concentrated exploration. I didn’t see a single soul. The deck was empty. Every hatch was sealed, and there was no light coming from within.

Cedric: “How’s that possible? How does an unmanned ship get safely into the cove?”

Preston: “I don’t know how it’s possible. If you talked to ten captains, all ten would tell you it shouldn’t be. But not only did the ship make it into the cove, it docked along the shoreline, away from the docks. By this point, I didn’t even notice the storm, Steve and I were completely focused on the ship as if nothing else existed. I’d given the binoculars to Steve so he could scan the ship as well and verify what I was seeing. He watched the ship at the shore for only a couple seconds before he dropped the binoculars and stumbled back. I couldn’t tell if it was shock or terror on his face. But he’d gone completely white and his eyes stayed fixed right where he’d been looking. I kept asking him, ‘What is it? What did you see?’, but it was like he’d become a mannequin. That alone nearly sent me over the edge, but curiosity took hold. I snatched the binoculars from the floor and looked for myself.”

Cedric: “I’m feeling a bit like Steve now. I don’t know if I want to know what you saw.”

Preston: “I remember it taking me a couple seconds to refocus the binoculars. The ship came into view, or at least whatever materialization of a ship we’d been seeing. I still didn’t see anything on the deck, so I panned toward the forest. That’s when I saw what must’ve made Steve catatonic. There were figures disembarking from the ship, moving across the shore and into the forest.”

Cedric: “Figures? Can you describe them?”

Preston: “Like people. They clear as day resembled people, but they had the same quality about them as the ship. It’s like they were mist, but they had a density, a presence. And they were straight out of the history books as well, looked like you would imagine a pirate crew looking.”

Cedric: “Ghost pirates? What made them stand out as pirates?”

Preston: “I don’t know if there was anything in particular. They were just all dressed differently, not like you’d picture a uniformed naval crew looking. And they looked far too shabby to be tourists or boarded passengers. No, these were peop…entities, that worked the boat.”

Cedric: “Were they doing anything as they disembarked or were they heading straight into the forest?”

Preston: “No, it was a pretty steady procession into the forest. When I got around to looking, there were maybe twenty or so, so I don’t know how many had already walked into the trees. But I watched until the last one disappeared into the darkness of the forest, and then it was as though the storm hit the pause button. The water became still and the wind had gone silent.”

Cedric: “Preston’s story is not done, but I think we need to hit pause and digest what we’ve heard so far. To help us do that, I’ve brought in an additional perspective in the form of Dr. Edmund Solder (‘sodder’). Dr. Solder is a professor of history, with hobby-focused knowledge of Calico Cove’s hidden history. Thank you, Dr. Solder, for joining us and sharing your thoughts on this incredible story.”

Edmund: “Thank you. It’s real treat anytime I get to extend my interests outside of academia, and I am no stranger to this particular story, as I’m sure many of your listeners could say the same.”

Cedric: “It’s certainly received some national and international attention, but I am still surprised there hasn’t been more done to see behind the curtain and solve this mystery.”

Edmund: “Well, that assumes there’s a curtain to see behind.”

Cedric: “Are you saying, doctor, that you believe in ghosts and that there’s no reason to be skeptical about what Preston experienced that October day?”

Edmund: “I’m not quite saying it that way. I believe there are great mysteries in the universe that we dismiss due to ingrained and collective skepticism. That doesn’t mean every bump in the night is supernatural in nature, but it doesn’t mean that bump or shadow couldn’t be something beyond our understanding. And, of course, skepticism is always warranted in these situations, but I one-hundred percent believe Preston is accurately recounting what he experienced. As to whether the event occurred in the realm in which we all exist or happened to be the result of a confluence of factors that impacted Preston’s, and we’ll have to say Steve’s, perception of their world, that is really the only outstanding question. I’m not sure that can ever be answered.”

Cedric: “That is a fascinating opinion. So, you’re looking at this event as something that definitively happened, but it’s a question whether it was something that could have been a broadly shared experience, or if it was only something perceived by Preston and Steve.”

Edmund: “Yes, and in the case of the latter, that is when society would label an event as fiction, because we can’t point to the existence of irrefutable evidence from a specific date and time.”

Cedric: “This particular case is not that cut-and-dry though, is it?”

Edmund: “No, not at all. I’m guessing most listeners will be focused on the presence of the ship and figures, but we cannot ignore the storm, which is its own entity in this story, and going more broadly, the area’s history.”

Cedric: “I’m anxious to hear more about the area’s history, and you’re absolutely right about the storm – I think that’s something easily overlooked, but its presence impacted more than just Preston and Steve.”

Edmund: “Exactly. Its genesis has a supernatural feeling about it given the absolutely pristine forecast for the day, and then the other dockhands, fisherman, residents of Calico Cove cannot deny the presence and nature of that storm. The storm, undeniably, occurred at the time and in the manner described by Preston. But, meteorology is not my area of expertise. I need to talk about Calico Cove and the rich history of it and the surrounding area.”

Cedric: “Doctor, the floor is yours.”

Edmund: “I’ll try not to disappoint. Before I get into any documented history, I feel it’s important to emphasize that nearly every inch of land in this country has Native American history. That doesn’t mean it has to be a burial ground or there was a tragedy that unfolded there, which is an unfortunate caveat for our nation’s history, but it could be blessed land, holy land. There could be greater spiritual significance placed upon certain regions, where the indigenous peoples believed the land possessed greater qualities of connection to ancestors and their guiding spirts. The value placed upon land is not random or inconsequential. There were likely occurrences, events, or experiences that were beyond any mortal comprehension, even as they would be today. Rather than being afraid of such things, the people elevated the esteem of the land because it was home to something greater. Windcrest Forest and Calico Cove have an extensive history of the unexplained. Native Americans documented their experiences with the land, sharing stories of long-dead ancestors seen walking through the forest or visions of prehistoric creatures swimming in the cove. On top of that, the weather there has traditionally been extremely unpredictable.

Cedric: “Sounds like an area ripe for the supernatural.”

Edmund: “It can certainly put one on edge. When I’ve visited, and since I know the history of the area, I always feel an extra charge in the air. There’s something else there. It could just be the mystique. Or, it could be what we typically relegate to imagination.

Cedric: “I love visiting places like that, when you can feel a strangeness in the air. Now, tell us more about the area’s history.”

Edmund: “So I’ve shared some about the Native American history. What I think is most relative to Preston’s particular story, however, is something that happened in 1788, which was documented in both survivor and Native American accounts.

Cedric: “’Survivor’ sounds ominous.”

Edmund: “The area was not yet seeing any settlement push. Any non-indigenous residents would have been comprised of those making their living trading with the Native Americans or fishing, but even this was rare at this time. Certainly, there was no organized population, and certainly nothing official yet from the infant United States of America. Something I find most intriguing about this period, is there was still a small pirating population.”

Cedric: “Like Blackbeard?”

Edmund: “Blackbeard is believed to have been long gone by this point, but yes, pirates in a similar vein. They would likely fit the bill of what you’ve seen in popular culture. It was not a real worthwhile profession at this point. Nations of influence, primarily Britain and Spain, cracked down on pirating earlier in the century and essentially ended pirating’s golden age. Regardless, pirating was not eradicated and survived with a few crews of note. Most of the west coast was patrolled by a fleet of vessels under the command of Captain Octavius “Bones” Richter, who you likely have not heard of, but don’t let that fool you into thinking he was not much of a pirate. His flagship, the Dark Scourge, was lined with human bones along the gunwale and had two large, flaming lanterns hanging off the bow. When ships were being pursued by the Dark Scourge, the first thing they saw off their stern were these lanterns, which many attack survivors stated looked like the Devil’s eyes, a sign his maw was about to swallow them up. Captain Richter turned this intimidation into three or four years of successful pirating, amassing a fair degree of wealth and a fleet of seven ships.”

Cedric: “Richter and his crew sound like a terrifying, formidable force. How have we never heard of him before?”

Edmund: “It’s the simple fact that there were more important things going on in the world, and the world’s powers declared piracy, at least as a rampant plague, was no more. Nobody cared anymore unless they were the ones being raided. This allowed Richter’s fleet to operate with relative impunity.”

Cedric: “Fascinating. So what became of Captain Bones Richter and his merry band?”

Edmund: “They eventually tried to get too much of the pie. Pirates were not known for their record-keeping, and Richter was no exception. If not for those surviving the pirates’ attacks documenting their tales, Richter may as well have never existed. Luckily, we have an exquisite record of his fleet coming upon an even larger fleet of the French Navy as they happened to be escorting a new governor, troops, and expedition crew to their Canadian territories. Heavy fog had separated the transport vessels from the more heavily-gunned escorts, though they were closer than they realized. The assumption is, Richter and his fleet came upon the transport ships and set upon them, not realizing there were other French ships in the vicinity. As several of Richter’s ships pulled alongside the transports and prepared to board, with Richter observing from the Dark Scourge, they were surprised by heavy cannon fire from the French escort ships that had finally broken through the fog and ended up in a perfect flank position.”

Cedric: “Nobody in Richter’s crew noticed these other ships?”

Edmund: “Seems unlikely, right? If the account is believed to be accurate, a possible explanation would be the continued presence of the fog and the fact the pirates smelled blood in the water and were wholly focused on attacking the transports. Still a stretch, but regardless of the path, there was still a definitive outcome.”

Cedric: “What happened?”

Edmund: “Plainly, Richter’s ships faced obliteration. He quickly signaled that it was every ship for itself, and they scattered. The French vessels sent at least four ships to the bottom of the Pacific and crippled the Dark Scourge, sending it limping into the fog, looking for a safe haven. I’d imagine, at this point, Richter knew his pirating days were over. His ship is crumbling around him, there are at least two lethal French ships in pursuit, and his once intimidating fleet is fleeing in all directions for self-preservation. And all of this has come to pass through happenstance. It had to be a sobering moment.”

Cedric: “Probably a bit of reckoning with one’s own mortality, with the French ships on the hunt.”

Edmund: “Undoubtedly. Just shows how fleeting anything in life can be. But, there was some luck still on Richter’s side. The French never caught up to the Dark Scourge thanks to the onset of a severe storm.”

Cedric: “A storm, you say? Any record if they got to shore?”

Edmund: “That’s where the French records end, at least as it pertains to the pirate fleet of Captain Richter. There are no other official records of Richter after his encounter with the French.

Cedric: “They just vanished? Did they retire?”

Edmund: “They could have been lost at sea. Even in the remote, unsettled Northwest, however, you’d expect there to be some detritus from a wreck washing ashore. Now, well there are no further official records, there is evidence the Dark Scourge survived the storm and docked. Native American paintings found in Windcrest forest depict a large ship running aground in what is now Calico Cove.”

Cedric: “Our infamous pirate captain?”

Edmund: “It’s certainly not a far leap to reach that conclusion. Adding to the intrigue, these paintings appear to cover the span of several years and show a flurry of activity moving items from the ship into the forest and then moving something from the forest back onto the ship.”

Cedric: “Any idea what was being moved?”

Edmund: “I don’t know for certain what was being taken off the ship. You could assume supplies, treasure, weapons. The paintings, however, are pretty clear in showing what was being moved back onto the ship. Bodies.”

Cedric: “What?!”

Edmund: “Yes, the paintings are crystal clear that bodies are being loaded back onto the ship. And then they burn it.”

Cedric: “The ship is burned with the bodies aboard?”

Edmund: “Mmhmm. And that’s all the paintings show.”

Cedric: “It’s possible then that Captain Richter and his crew never left Calico Cove or the forest.”

Edmund: “Whoever was on that ship presumably spent the last of their days in the area. If the ship was indeed the Dark Scourge, and Captain Richter was part of the crew that steered it into the cove, then I would have to say his remains are still there.”

Cedric: “And not under good circumstances. I don’t know, sounds like the perfect setup for a vengeful spirit. We give a thankful goodbye to Doctor Solder and return to Preston so he can take us through the rest of his experience on that terrifying night after the last of the ship’s crew went into the forest and mother nature went disturbingly quiet and still.”

Preston: “I couldn’t believe how peaceful it had become outside. There were still menacing clouds in the sky, but it felt like the cove was in a bubble. In that moment, it felt like my senses were elevated, on high alert trying to take in everything going on. I’d stayed locked in on the ship and shore, and then all of a sudden, I noticed the ship was beginning to fade.”

Cedric: “It was disappearing?”

Preston: “Yeah, slowly vanishing into thin air. I watched as it essentially evaporated, and then it was gone. Where there had been a ship sitting motionless there was just water. Now, I was still watching the shore and where the ship had been, thinking whatever was going on was over, but then I saw more figures emerge from the forest and stand just in from the tree line. Again, I’m not going to say they’re ghosts, but they had a hollow, misty look to them, just like the ship.

Cedric: “The ship’s crew. What did they do?”

Preston: “This is the part that gives me nightmares. It’s just something that I can’t unsee and feels straight out of a horror movie. Now mind you, my eyes have been glued to the binoculars since I picked them up, and I’ve been relaying what I’m seeing, assuming Steve is following along even though he seems to be in some state of shock and not fully in his right mind. And he’s not said a word since he dropped the binoculars. Okay, so I’m obviously not alone in this little shack, but it feels like I’m the only witness to everything that’s going down. So I’m looking, watching these figures come out of the forest and line up along the tree line, looking out over the water. Then, I don’t know what triggered it, but they all turn like they’re looking straight at the shack. I can make out faces and features.”

Cedric: “Oh my god.”

Preston: “Then, nearly in unison, all these figures’ mouths drop open as if they’re screaming. Their faces are all unnaturally contorting as their jaws keep getting wider and wider. I’ve gone absolutely cold at this point. It’s the most terrified I’ve ever been, at least up to that point. But then, as if their collective scream manifests, the storm returns with a vengeance and a gust of wind picked up some gear from outside and slammed it into the side of the shack. I had a physical reaction at that point and jumped at the sudden return of the noise. It’s the first time I bring the binoculars down since I picked them up, and I wish I hadn’t. I go into an immediate panic from whatever gear was slamming into the shack, to seeing Steve, facing me, his face contorted in the same scream as the figures from the forest. If I jumped before, I was straight up knocked onto my backside and locked up with fear.”

Cedric: “This has me in its clutches too. Every hair is standing up and I’ve got a continuous shiver down my spine. Now Steve is being overtaken by whatever supernatural force is at play here.”

Preston: “I don’t know what’s going on, but every fiber of my being is urging me to get out of that shack. I finally overcome my fear-induced rigor, even though my eyes are just locked on Steve right now. This has probably all happened in less than twenty seconds. So I get back to my feet and practically throw myself through the door and out of the shack, into the storm. As I do that, the other crews from town are just arriving. I can hear their vehicles pulling up, but I’m still looking through the shack’s door at Steve’s almost unrecognizable face. And I obviously don’t see it, but I can still feel the attention from all those beings on the shore. It’s like, it’s like whatever supernatural force is at play here has focused on me. Like it knows I’m there, the one who wasn’t invited to the party.”

Cedric: “How absolutely terrifying.”

Preston: “I don’t know if I can even put the feeling into words. I guess there’s a combination of shock that this is all happening, because it doesn’t feel real. Then, at the same time, I’m getting pushed to the absolute limit of what I can handle and still keep my sanity. Every sense, every nerve, is as scared as it’s ever been and there’s just no more capacity for input. When I look back on that day, Cedric, I honestly believe that if anything else had occurred, say like Steve marches out after me with that look on his face, I probably would’ve had a heart attack and expired on the spot.”

Cedric: “I think I can say for all our listeners we’re glad that didn’t happen. You may be right though, because I’m just listening to you, and I’ve got a sweat going on. I can feel my pulse skyrocketing as if I just did some strenuous physical activity, so I can only imagine you were at the breaking point.”

Preston: “Definitely hit that point where terror had seized hold of my body and I was operating as if I was a spectator to my own life, almost an out-of-body experience. And then like someone flipped a switch, it was over.”

Cedric: “What was over?”

Preston: “Everything. The sky cleared, and the water calmed. Steve’s face returned to normal and he turned away from looking at me through the shanty door to looking out over the cove, but now he was hanging his head and bracing himself against the wall, like he was trying to catch his breath.”

Cedric: “What about the figures on the shore?”

Preston: “I couldn’t see, and even if I could’ve, I don’t know that I would’ve had it in me at that point to look. I was too busy trying to process everything that had changed so abruptly. I remember still being on my backside on the dock outside the shanty and then feeling a couple of the fellas that had just arrived trying to help me to my feet. They were asking me questions rapid-fire-like, but I wasn’t hearing it. What I did hear was someone from behind shout, ‘The boats are coming in!’ And there they were, looking like they had been out for a pleasure cruise.

Cedric: “What? How’s that possible?”

Preston: “It’s something the whole town still talks about. The boats, they never encountered a storm. It was calm waters for them since they set out in the morning. Those crews had no idea what we were talking about and, frankly, got a little mad everyone kept asking them about it, thinking we were trying to have a laugh at their expense.”

Cedric: “How’d the town move forward after the events of that night?”

Preston: “After I started telling my story and the events of that night gained notoriety, the town leaned into it. The pirate ghost ship became part of the October celebrations. There’s even a reenactment of the events of the night staged in the cove. We’ve all accepted it as truth. Even the crews of the ships that didn’t have any of the experience came around to believing they had been spared a close encounter from beyond. That night is now thoroughly part of the town’s history.”

Cedric: “And how have you moved on? Was Steve okay?”

Preston: “It’s fair to say I got my fifteen minutes out of the ordeal, even though the images and feelings from that night are going to stick with me for a lifetime. I think about it every day, anytime I look out at the water or to the forest. I, I know…I feel there’s something out there. We don’t see it anymore, but it’s still out there. I’ve never been in the forest since. Have skipped out on camping trips with friends and family, and frankly, don’t want to drive through it either, but if I do, I’m glued to the road at all times.

Cedric: “So it’s absolutely changed your life.”

Preston: “Yes, dramatically when you think about who I was and what I did before and what I do now. Dramatically different.”

Cedric: “Have you ever thought about moving?”

Preston: “Of course, but moving isn’t going to erase the experience. That’s going to be with me, deep inside me, for the rest of my life. Plus, this is where my family is, my friends. Why should I have to give all that up? Would just be another mark that night left on me.”

Cedric: “And Steve?”

Preston: “Something had a hold of him that night, and I don’t know if it ever fully let go. Steve was different after that, aloof and withdrawn. He quit working the docks and did odd jobs around town for another couple years, but then he just left. I could never get him to talk about that night, and as far as I know Steve never talked about it with anyone else either. And then, one day, he just leaves town with some belongings and we’ve never heard from him since.”

Cedric: “An experience like that can be a lot to handle, physically and mentally. And from how you described it, Steve had his own experience and perspective on those events that shook him to the core.”

Preston: “It feels weird to be talking about it here, because it’s almost like we’re making light of what happened. But that’s not what I’m trying to do. Something beyond our understanding happened that night and changed the people of Calico Cove. I’ve always wanted to bring light to that experience and make sure the story gets told. I hope Steve hears this. Steve, buddy, I want to talk to you about that night. There is a shared experience where we can help one another cope with what happened.”

Cedric: “Would love to have Steve reach out and reconnect, finally get to hear his side of the story. But Preston, any closing thoughts?”’

Preston: “I guess just listen to those stories that sound far-fetched and beyond belief. They probably stem from some true experience, so it’s okay to believe in the weird.”

Cedric: “Wow, what a story. It leaves us with plenty of questions. What is happening in Calico Cove? Were the ghost pirates just replaying their final days? Is there something supernatural still at work in the forest? And, most important, what was Steve’s experience that night. I’d like to thank Preston for sharing his story once again and being vulnerable as he took us further into the strange experience than ever before. We’ll keep digging into the mysteries of Calico Cove and would love to for all you digital detectives listening out there to send us your research and theories to see if we can uncover what’s at work in this idyllic fishing town. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast wherever you listen. And, above all else, join us on the next episode of the ‘Oh No Zone’. Stay super.”