The water slowly lapped against the crescent shaped shore continuous and never ending. Along the shore, a cluster of great oak trees stood tall towering over the bay. The forest rustled in the faint october breeze. The trees were brown and tingled with vivid hues of yellow and red still present as summer tried to relinquish its hold on forest. Above the trees, dark voluminous clouds hung in the inky night sky, ominous and forbidding. Against the dark sky stood a great lighthouse. The lighthouse was made from solid grey stone, and sat on a lone hill on the other side of the bay. Its great beacon shone with luminous orange light piercing the veil of darkness. Dense, fog hung to the ocean like a great cloak swirling, twisting into intricate patterns as it slowly enveloped the bay. In the misty tendrils of the fog, a lone figure appeared obscured by the dense fog. The mist parted to reveal a man. Clad in a tattered shirt and pants, he had a suntanned face with deep set grayish blue eyes that sparked with intensity. Around eighteen, his skin was golden brown and it contrasted to his almost jet black hair. The man glided across the water barefoot, seemingly unaffected by the early morning chill. The water seemly supported his weight as he leisurely strolled across the bay, his steps sending ripples across the glass like water. He continued forward, until he arrived at the sandy shore. The man paused on the beach, one foot supported by the water, the other supported by land. Rocks jutted out of the beach like spikes and little pools of water littered the sandy landscape. He sighed loudly and exited the water. Stumbling, the man attempted to cross the beach. With a great crash, the man fell face first onto the sand. Muttering under his breath, he slowly rose using his left arm for support. With a great heave, he pulled himself up. In front of him, lay twisted pieces of driftwood and rotting logs. He moved closer and realized that it was the remains of a ship. All that remained of the once great vessel, was a rotten skeleton beaten by the relentless waves and wind. The man walked up to wreck and selected a short beam that lay discarded in the sand. Using it as a crutch, he trudged to lighthouse in the distance. Arriving at the base of the hill, huge drops of water erupted from the sky and within seconds, the man was completely drenched. Shivering, he climbed the smooth steps to the lighthouse until a voice yelled, “Stop.”
Looking up the man saw a women. She was in her late thirties and wore a bright red rain jacket that sagged under the weight of the rain. Her brown hair curled around the edges of her blemish ridden face. Her face was set in a permanent pout as she shouted over the repetitive pounding of the rain, “Who are you and what are you doing.” she demanded
The man responded his voice dry and hoarse, “My name is Orion and I...” before he was cut off by the women with a sharp gaze.
“I saw you on the beach from the lighthouse”, she said gesturing to the building behind her, “Where you ship wrecked or something?”
Orion answered, “Um... sure”
The women nodded pleased by his answer and annoying flicked a wet piece of hair out of her face, “Well are you just gonna stand out there in the rain.”
“No.”
He thrust out his hand. She took it with a deeply calloused hand and returned the hand shake with a surprising amount of strength. “Anna.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Follow me” she said, before turning around heading back towards the lighthouse. Orion glanced over his shoulder to examine the rain swept bay, before reluctantly following Anna.
The first thing that struck him was sense of warmth as he entered the lighthouse. It was a lofty space with a living room and a set of spiral staircase that ascended into the upper levels of the lighthouse. In the living room, dozens of books and old charts littered the otherwise organized room. Anna hung her rain jacket on a long slender hook. She gracefully strode into a room and reappeared with a stack of towels. Throwing one at him she said, “So what happened to your ship.”
Orion caught it unsure of what to do. “There was a storm.” he stammered
“Their sure was.” Anna responded as she rummaged through a chest of drawers in the family room. “I saw it on the top of this here tower. Funny, though I didn’t see no ships.”
“Well, I..”
“Finally”. Anna voiced triumphantly. She moved her hand to reveal two cigarettes. Reaching her left pocket, she produced a silver lighter. She flicked the end to produce a spark. She held the end to the lighter and the cigarette ignited, dirty grey smoke emitting from the end. Anna signed after taking a long puff.
“Do you smoke, Orion.”
Orion shook his head, “Never really tried.”
She held it out in front of him. After a long pause, Orion grasped the end, held it to his lips and inhaled. Alarmed, he threw it to the ground as the acrid smoke enveloped his mouth. Gagging, he leaned on the wall trying to expel the smoke from his throat.
“Why would you do that to you self.” Orion questioned still trying to rid himself of the horrible taste.
She avoided the question staring at his drenched, torn garments.“You probably need some clothes instead of those rags.”
Orion stared down at his clothes as if he hadn’t seen them before. “That would be good.”
“I got some, up stairs if you’d like em”
“Sure.”
Anna stared up the stairs and gestured for Orion to follow. He climbed the staircase and entered another room. In the room was a bed, a single dresser and a lone mirror leaned against the wall. Anna opened it and produced a baggy grey sweatshirt and a wrinkled old pair of jeans.
She said, “I will give you some privacy.” before shutting the door and exiting the room.
Orion ripped of his threadbare shirt and pulled on the grey sweatshirt. The shirt was enormous on him and flowed down past his waist almost to his knees. Orion took off his belt and removed an old piece of paper from his pocket. He then sripped of his frayed pants and donned the old jeans. He slid the old paper into his pocket and sat on the bed grateful for the silence. Ever since the storm and his landing on the beach, he had been bombarded by sound. He missed the ever present feel of the ocean, always comforting and soothing. He didn’t even remember why he had come here.
Memories started to assault him as taste of smoke lingered on his mouth...
He remembered the acrid smell of smoke causing him to cough. Eyes watering ,he crawled on the ground as flames dancing around a house, devouring everything it touched. Two figures obscured by the flames yelling, “Run!”. And he was falling off a cliff into the icy water below...
Jolted back to reality, Orion found himself curled in a ball on the bed.
“What was that?” Orion mumbled to himself, trying to make sense of what he had just seen. Feeling congested and claustrophobic, Orion searched for a way out of the room. Noticing a hatch located on the top of ceiling of the room, he stood on the top of the bead and yanked it open. Climbing through the hatch, he was blinded by the dazzling sunlight. Shielding his eyes he pulled himself out of the hatch on to the top of the lighthouse. From the top the landscape stretched out for miles in front of him. The brilliant sun parted through dark clouds, bathing the cold shore in bright light, and dispelling the early morning fog. Beyond the valley, there was a cluster of buildings, smoke emitting from small chimneys. Squinting, Orion made out another shape. A huge dark brown mansion lay off to the side away from the small town separated by a sea of dark green pine trees. The mansion was perched on a cliff that sharply dropped into the ocean.
“Great view, right.” Anna whispered behind him.
Alarmed, Orion turned around. Anna stood looking out at the view a wistful look in her eye.
“This was my grandpa’s favorite view. At night you could see the stars dot the sky.” she said.
Orion paused curiosity getting the better of him. “Your grandfather.”
Anna responded, “He used to run this here lighthouse. Worked here till the day he died.”
“What happened to him.”
“Why do you care.” she said suddenly on the defensive.
“Just wondering, I guess.”
Anna’s angry demeanor disintegrated in the cool october breeze.
“Sorry, he was a hard working man that didn’t deserve what he got in the end.” Then she added, “Practically raised me as a child”
Orion nodded in understanding. “Do you know what the building over their is?” he said pointing towards the dark brown building in the distance
Anna looked over the great expanse of land and answered, “Sure, that was the old Fischer's place.”
“Old place?” Orion questioned
“The Fischer's used to live there until some fire burned the place down or at least thats what the town people told me.”
“Did anyone survive.”
“No, I don’t think so. Every one in the house died.”
Orion reached down and pulled the latch open. He slid down into the little room and exited through the door. He descended the stairs two at a time. He dashed across the room leaving flying papers in his wake.
“Wait!” Anna bellowed.
Orion turned around, “What”
“Where are you going?”
“To the old house.”
“Why?”
Orion hesitated, struggling to find the right words. “I just have a feeling.”
Anna grabbed her red jacket and said, “Lets go.”
Orion shook his head, “No, its something I need to do my self.”
Anna responded, “So your plan is just to walk their?”
“Um, yes.”
“Do you know how far the house is?”
“No.”
“Well, Orion that is up to five miles and I doubt you will be able to get their by your self so.”
Orion took a deep breath, trying to formulate the right words.
“Why, why do you want to help me?”
“Well if you didn’t notice I am the only person that works this here lighthouse and it gets boring from time to time.”
“Okay, fine.”
Anna lead the way out of the door and Orion followed closely behind. Orion shivered the icy wind cutting through his sweatshirt as if it was nothing. In the shadow of the great lighthouse, a small wooden garage leaned against its side. She approached the garage and started to lift the heavy wooden door.
“A little help please.” she grunted.
Orion placed his arms in the door. With a mighty heave he pushed up with all his strength. The garage doors groaned as it was lifted into place.
“What's that.” questioned Orion.
“That, is our ride” she said, pulling away a dirty tarp, sending dust flying in all directions. Under the tarp, an ancient truck almost brown with rust stood planted in the ground as if hadn’t moved for years. Orion opened the rusty door and climbed in. Anna entered the car and inserted the key into the engine. With a cough the engine sputtered alive, dark grey smoke trailing from the behind. The car plodded forward across the dirt road. Turning right, the car accelerated. Orion started at the rabidly passing landscape and coughed.
“Come again.” Anna answered from behind the wheel.
“Why do you work in the lighthouse, alone?”
“Well, my grandpa used to work it,” she swerved to avoid a pothole in the rode.
“He passed away a year ago.”
“Sorry. I didn't mean...” said Orion. 
“It’s fine I just..” She stopped the truck bring it to a lumbering stop. “Well we aren't getting across this.”
“Why?” Orion said climbing out the vehicle. The house stood separated by a river that gushed with grey tinted water. Frozen clunks swirled aimlessly bobbing and diving under the waves at compete mercy of the current.
“Get back in the car, Orion.”
Orion walked to the river, browns leaves crunching underfoot.
“Its like ten feet deep, damn it, where are you going?”
Orion approached the bank of the river. He heard a car door slam and turned around. Anna raced towards him her hair billowing behind her like a wraith. She grabbed his shoulder just as his foot made contact with the river.
Gasping for breath, she demanded, “Get out of the river or you’ll drown.”
Orion looked at her a smile slowly tugging at his face. “Grab my hand.”
“The hell I ain't.” she said surprised.
  Orion continued headlong towards the grey river. He walked over to the water at slow deliberate pace until he stood in the middle of the river.
“What...” Anna stammered her aura of confidence washed away. She struggled to find the right words. “How are you doing that.”
Orion smiled and started back to the shore, his steps creating small little waves.
He stretched out his hand towards Anna.
“Grab my hand.”
“No. I.”
“Grab my hand.” he repeated.
“But how?” she sputtered climbing to her feet.
Orion stared intently at her. She started to raise her hand but stopped leaving it hovering in the air. “I just can’t I....Ahhh”
Orion quickly seized her hand and pulled her towards the frigid water.
Screaming, she fell into Orions arms paralyzed with fear. She stood on the water astonished.
“How...”
Orion cut her off and gently whispered, “Shhh.”
He led her across the river their foot steps creating waves that rolled in different directions. The current rushed past them as they trecked across the river. Reaching the other side, Anna dove towards the river bank. Orion leisurely strolled off the river unto the ground. Anna slowly tried to stand but slipped and fell into the muddy ground.
“Here, let me help you.” Orion offered
“No.” Anna said angry pushing Orion away. “I need some answers,” her voice rising with intensity.
She carefully rose from the ground caked in mud and grime.
“Now!” she barked. “How can you walk on water. How can any of this be possible?”
Orion meekly responded, “I have been doing that ever since I remember.”
“What about your ship.”
“There wasn’t one.” Orion repeated ashamed.
“Then how do you end up on the beach.?”
“I just walked to it.”
“Where did you come from?”
“The ocean.”
“But from where?”
Orion paused for a long time before saying, “I don’t know, I been walking for my whole live. Across the atlantic to around South America and then to Pacific just drifting. All I remember is a bright yellow light. I saw the light from your lighthouse form that storm last night and decided to check it out. When I was on top of the lighthouse the wooden mansion looked familiar some how.”
He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a photograph that was burned at the edges. It showed a boy posing with his parents in front a great wooden house. He gave it Anna saying, “This looks like the same house, right.”
She nodded comprehension dawning on her face
Orion turned around and headed towards the mansion. He picked his way through a field, littered with debris . The building had long since deteriorated, its structure almost unrecognizable. Orion crouched under a fallen beam and crawled through the entrance. The house was blackened husk of its former self. The wooden interior lay blackened and scarred. Old pictures and broken glass littered the dirty floor. The roof had caved in, a lone light shining through the otherwise shaded house. Orion carefully shuffled towards the other side of the house. The rest of it had tumbled off the cliff into the sea and to the jagged rocks below. Orion cried out, clutching his head as imagines overwhelmed him...
He was sitting in the parlor a toy in his hand, a fire truck to be exact. He grinned with delight as the moved the toy back and forth. Looking up he saw his parents talking next to a black table, but he was too engrossed in his playing to understand what they were saying. He moved the bright fire truck forward once more and stopped as he smelled a putrid aroma. Laying the fire truck on the floor, he slowly hobbled towards his parents. They smiled as he approached but he started the cry the horrible smell causing him great discomfort. Their mouths moved but no words came out. Suddenly, a dark mist settled over his vision. He started the cough as the noxious smoke entered his lungs. In the thick smoke he could make out two figures. Coughing, he crawled towards them but a wall of flames materialized appeared in front of them, blocking the way. The flames were mesmerizing as they danced and pranced devouring everything they touched. Orion retreated towards the end of the house diving to the ground as flaming colmus of wood crashed over his head. He screamed as embers and ash rained down on him. Crawling, he noticed a photograph that lay shattered on the floor. He shoved it in his pocket and fled to the back of the room, the raging inferno setting every in its path ablaze. He stumbled backwards, the scorching heat driving him back.  
“Mom, Dad!!!” Orion screamed as his voice cracking.
As the flames threatened to devour him the house a huge crack split the house in two. The house slid off the cliff taking Orion with it. Arms failing, Orion plunged into the icy water below. With a sickening impact, Orion landed feet first into the water. Debris rained down on him as sprinted across the water as fast as his little legs could carry him. The house plummeted into the ocean sending up a enormous tidal wave. The fastly moving mass of water engulfed Orion, carrying him away from the shore. The last thing he saw was a great white light set against the dark night sky before everything descended into darkness...
  Orion found himself in a ball on the floor shaking.
“Orion, are you okay?”
Orion turned around to see Anna staring intently at him. “You’ve been sitting there for a long time.”
Orion shakely  replied, “This was my house.”
Anna looked at him worried, “What?”
“This was my family's house.”
She sat down on a old log and lit up a cigarette. “This has been a hell of a day.”
“What do you mean?” Orion questioned.
She took a long puff and started at the remnants of the house.
“Finding you, watching you walk on water, say if I didn’t know any better I think I was drunk. Every since I came here weird things have been happening.”
“How did you end up in that lighthouse anyways?”
“Well, just watching and waiting was kind of what I needed after everything with Scorpio and I.”
“Scorpio?”
“My exhusband. He used to do things. to me and I had to get away. When they told me my grandpa had left me the lighthouse in his will, I jumped at the chance to work it. To take a break for a while and figure things out.”
“Didn’t now it would be so lonely though.”
“I was always lonely on the ocean. But in the tough spots I would just stare at my reflection on the water and it always showed me what I was and what I wanted to become.
“And what was that.”
“A person who figured out where he belonged.”
Anna laughed, a deep chuckle that ran throughout her whole body.
“You gotta get your head out of the clouds boy.”
Orion looked at her with surprise then turning to anger.
“Whats wrong with that.” he demanded.
“No one belongs anywhere, not you, not me.”
“This is my home.”
“Was your home, a long time ago.”
Orion paused unsure of what to say.
Anna broke the silence, “Sun’s setting we better get going.”

They felt the house as the sun had started its descent out of the sky. They walked down the worn path to the river. As they stood on the river bank Orion held out his hand. Anna grasped it and together they crossed the wide river. Then they climbed into the the beaten old pick up. Silence was all that could be heard in the car’s interior as it sped towards the town,
They arrived at the neat little town and passed some dingy fishing huts. Anna pulled up near a large building and wedged into a parking spot between two other cars.
Anna started to get of the car but Orion pulled on her arm.
“What are we doing here?”
She answered, “After this long day I need a drink.”
“What about going to the town hall.?”
“In a sec, just follow me.”
Orion followed her in the bar. Orion blinked his eyes struggling to adjust to the dim lighting. The strong scent of alcohol lingered in the air. At least twenty people lingered in the bar chatting and conversating. Anna led them to the bar tender.
“What can I get you with folks.” the bartender said.
“I’ll have the usual Joe.” Anna answered.
“How bout your friend?” Joe asked.
“Well he will have a...” she looked at Orion.
“Water will be fine.” Orion said.
Joe went in the back. A few minutes later returned with a beer in one and a clear glass of water in the other. He dropped them off and went on to service other customers.
Anna took a long drought and sighed deeply. Orion moved the glass of water out of his way.
“What are you gonna do after you find out about your parents.” Anna questioned
Orion sat on the stool and answered, “I really didn’t think after that?”
“Theres always room in the lighthouse if you want it kid.”
“Maybe, you can show me those stars you were talking about on the roof of the lighthouse.”
“Yes, I could show my favorite constellation. Its called the hunter...”
She was cut off my by a enormous man who reeked of alcohol. His small beady eyes attached on to Anna and he drew his pincher like hands up to his sides. He bared his teeth and they gleamed a sicking green.
“I’ve been looking for you, Anna.” the man snarled.
Anna looked up shocked. Her surprise was slowly replaced by fear.
“Scorpio?” she whispered.
Scorpio answered, “Your a hard person to find. They said you were up in some lighthouse.”
“You're coming with me” he threatened
“You had to much to drink you can’t just...” Anna mumbled.
“No!” Scorpio said, pulling her out the seat and slamming her to the ground. Everyone in the bar froze and all conservation stopped. A eerie silence hung in the air. Joe the bartender quietly whispered into a telephone in the back of the room.
“Lets go, take a walk.” Scorpio garbled, dragging Anna out of the room.
Outside snow had started to fall in heavy heaps from the heavens. The Scorpio threw Anna to the ground.
“You filthy b****.” he stammered his words slurring.
He brought his leg back and kicked Anna with all his strength.
“Always complaining, and making up bull .”
Scorpio kicked her again and again, ignoring her screams of pain. Orion burst through the doorway and yelled, “Get off of her.”
He shoved Scorpio into a tree.
Scorpio smiled, “Now who in the hell do you think you is. Nobody tells me what to do.”
Scorpio lashed out with is left fist. Orion easily waved dodged the blow and Scorpio fell to the ground losing his balance. Muttering curses, he pulled himself from the ground and produced a knife from his pocket.
He spat, “I’ am gonna make you pay now, boy.”
He slashed at Orion in drunken rage. The knife sliced across the Orion hand, causing blood to spurt from it. Orion eyes burned with anger. He jumped back to avoid a wild knife slash brought his hand up in a vicious upper cut. His fist connected and Scorpio fell back onto the ground writhing in pain. Orion carefully applied pressure to his hand in an attempt to stop the blood. The knife had left a big cut on his previously unblemished skin. Orion rushed to Anna side.
He carried her to the back of the bar and propped her up against the wall. Her eye was swollen shut and cuts covered the rest of her face.
“Are you okay Anna, please say something.”
Her right eye slowly opened and she cried out in pain.
“Stay here I going to go get someone.” Orion quickly said before rushing back towards the bar.
“Wait.” Anna croaked.
Orion turned around.
“Wait” she repeated.
Orion was back at her side. “What?”
She slowly whispered, “Wheres Scorpio?”
Orion walked over to Chuck and rolled him over. The knife lay buried in his chest, his blood a bright red on the freshly fallen snow.
“Anna, O my god he must of fallen on the knife, it wasn’t me, it wasn’t...”
He turned around and two police officers had their metal guns trained right on him.
One of them ordered, “Do not move or we will shoot you.”
“I didn’t do it I swear, he fell on his knife” Orion pleaded.
The other policemen whispered in his radio, “we have a murder on 21st street, requesting back up immediately.”
“Put your hands up and where I can see them.”
Orion eyes locked on to Anna’s and she gave him a look of doubt and then pity before she was pulled inside by Joe.
Orion tucked in his arms and sprinted towards the tree line. Gun shots cut through the air around him creating “Booms” that echoed across the valley. Orion entered the forest, foliage exploding around him. He blindly, stumbled through the snow clad forest, branches whipping him as he continued his mad dash for safety. He burst through the tree line his breath coming in ragged gasps. He paused to catch his breathe. The trees once so colorful were now lifeless and dead. The towering lighthouse stood silently its great beacon extinguished. Snow descended from the cloudy sky in huge clumps blanketing the world a single white hue. The bay was now covered in a thick sheet of ice that stretched for miles. 
“He’s over here.” someone roared in the distance.
Orion darted on the ice the police men in pursuit. Slipping and sliding across the ice he continued forwards the bay receding the distance. With an audible “Crack” the ice sheets broke upon each other sending fissures and crevices across the ice. In front of Orion, open water stood between him and other ice sheet. Orion raced across the open water. For a moment he was seemly supported by the water, but alas the moment ended and Orion sunk beneath the waves.