The Green Light

The Green Light

Tammy Wortham had been worried about the cruise ship traveling through the Bermuda Triangle. Her husband assured her such a thing was only an urban legend and didn’t exist. When she told him the Bermuda Triangle was the region made by the three points of Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico, he laughed it off as sailor’s superstition. Tammy figured she was being silly and agreed to go on the cruise. She really needed the vacation after all.

The Alton White Rose sat in the port of Miami. The cruise ship contained twelve decks. Tammy marveled at the sight of it. They were going to have so much fun.

“Isn’t she beautiful?” Ben, her husband asked.

“She sure is.”

They boarded the Alton White Rose and searched for their cabin on the twelfth floor. The stateroom surprised Tammy. It looked like the suite of an upscale hotel. A king-sized bed, made up neatly with Egyptian silk sat in the middle of the room. A forty-inch flat screen was mounted to the wall (they made a promise to each other they would not lie in bed all day watching TV) and a clear balcony door let in the sight of the sea. A blue ocean stretched to the horizon. Tammy stepped out on the balcony overlooking the sea. The ocean seemed to be infinite like the love Ben and she had for each other.

Her newlywed husband joined her on the balcony, hugging her from behind. "Do you like it?"

“Like it?” she said. “I love it.”

He kissed her cheek. “So what would you like to do first? They have a casino, a buffet, live performances, shuttle board, a spa, swimming pools. There’s—”

“What would you like to do?” she interrupted.

"This!" He picked her up from behind and carried her to the bed, laying her down gently.

She giggled and kicked, knowing what he had in mind.

#

After they were done making love, they walked around the cruise ship, taking a tour of the gigantic boat. First, they went to the spa. There, they received massages and relaxed in a hot tub for thirty minutes. Then they decided to visit the casino; Tammy won six thousand dollars on slots. In the evening, they visited the main restaurant. A live band was playing jazz music, some famous group that Tammy hadn't heard of (she wasn't into jazz) but she found the atmosphere the band created to be pleasant.

After dinner, they strolled around the ship, holding hands, staring at the stars. Tammy was from New York City and had never seen the night sky dotted with little tiny balls of fire. As a child, she had often heard of making a wish upon twinkling stars, but had never seen many before, not this many. The night sky was dotted with a myriad of suns, all from distant galaxies. Nothing could make the night more perfect, that was until they made love again in their cabin.

There would be no cuddling tonight; Ben rolled over after their session and fell asleep. She smiled as he snored beside her. This was heaven. Why had she always refused to go on a cruise? He had asked her several times after their wedding, but she always blew it off, being that she didn't know how to swim.

Tonight was the most wonderful night she ever had in thirty-one years, and it was all thanks to the man lying at her side. She left the bed, the warmth of her new husband, and walked onto the balcony. An endless ocean stretched before her, the black sky falling to kiss it. A myriad of stars twinkled and flaunted their glory to all the world. She decided she would make a wish. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, green light shot from the ocean, rising into the night sky. It was an eerie aura, something not of this world. She spun around to wake Ben. He had to see this, only her husband was already awake.

“Ben, I saw a green light. Something not of this world." She noticed the look on his face. She had never witnessed such a look on his countenance. "Ben …"

He wrapped his arms around like he had done so many times before, but this time was different. He handled her roughly, not saying a word.

“Ben!” she exclaimed.

But he did not reply. He hoisted her into the night air.

“Ben!” she screamed as she fell twelve stories, plunging into the ocean with a clap. Frigid water engulfed her. Her breath left her lungs as fast as they could pull it in. She struggled to stay afloat on the surface, thrashing violently until she sunk.

Down in the depths, she tried to scream. No sound came, only water rushing into her lungs. As she sunk a green light enveloped her. Was this death?

#

Ben left the police department after the detectives questioned him and slid into his car. With any luck, he would be getting a new one soon. His hands shook on the stirring wheel, shaking with adrenaline. He couldn’t believe he had gone through with it. Tammy was dead, and he was five hundred thousand dollars richer.

He cranked up his raggedy car, a broken down 2001 Honda Accord. Soon he would have himself a 2021 Dodge Charger. Or maybe he would go with a Mustang GT. Now it was time to play the waiting game. He drove home with a smile on his face and laughed to himself. The detectives really bought the idea of Ben believing the green light of the Bermuda Triangle took his wife.

#

Months went by; Ben played the waiting game. The detectives did not find any evidence that could lead them to Tammy; they believed her to be dead. And so Ben petitioned the court of law to declare Tammy deceased, using the detective’s investigation as evidence. A few months later he was five hundred thousand dollars richer. He decided to go with a yellow Camaro convertible.

He raced down an empty country road with his new damsel in the seat beside him. Her name was Amy, a beautiful blond whose hair danced in the wind as he sped through the countryside. Amy was only twenty years old. She initially spurned his advances, him being thirty-nine, but he paid her good, a hundred dollars a week. She decided she liked dating the sugar daddy and said yes when he asked to marry her.

He promptly took out a million-dollar life insurance policy on her and planned a vacation on their fifth wedding anniversary. His friend, Jonathan Bosman, owed a deep-sea fishing vessel called Blue Gust. They decided to set off for a three-day trip out to sea. Amy was reluctant to go, being that she couldn’t swim, but Ben had assured her it would be safe.

“What if the boat sinks?” she had asked.

He gave a wave of his hand. “That only happens in the Bermuda Triangle.”

She laughed, thinking it was a joke. “The Bermuda Triangle isn’t real.”

“Yes it is!” he exclaimed. “It the points between Miami, Puerto Rico, and Bermuda.”

She loved his charm and felt safe in his arms when he hugged her. So she decided to go on the deep-sea fishing trip. He would take care of her, allowing no harm to come to her. Besides, if they caught a shark, just think of the story she would have to tell on social media. On top of that, Amy asked Lady Gay, a famous psychic in the area, if she should go on the trip. Lady Gay said she would win riches going on the fishing voyage—exactly one million dollars.

The Blue Gust departed from Miami, sailing on a peaceful ocean. Once out into the sea, they dropped their fishing lines. To all of their surprises, Amy caught the biggest fish: a marlin weighing in at just over nine hundred pounds. They had fought the monster for nearly three hours. It took all three to hold the fish as they set the camera on a timer.

It wasn't quite a shark, but Amy still would have a heck of a story to post online. Ben and Jonathan had said it was almost a thousand pounder … a grander. Who would have thought her out of all three would have caught the biggest fish?!

Her life had been so dreamy after meeting Ben. That night they made sweet love in their cabin and cuddled all night until she fell asleep in his arms.

And that’s how she awakened … in his arms.

Ben was carrying her out of the room. She rubbed sleepies from her eyes. “Ben …”

She had no idea what he had in mind but felt so safe in his embrace. That’s until he threw her overboard.

“Ben!” she screamed as he thrashed in the water. Was this some prank? That had to be it. “Stop playing! You know I can’t swim!”

But Ben turned away and walked back to his cabin. Her heart raced in her chest as she flailed in the water. She screamed until she sunk under the surface. She held her breath as she flailed at the ocean around her, seeping into the depths. This was it. She was going to die.

A blinding green light enveloped her. Strong arms wrapped around her. Soft lips met hers, blowing breath into her lungs. When the green light dissipated, Amy lay on the deck of the Blue Gust. A ghastly woman stood beside her, a green aura wavering from her body.

Ben’s countenance was split between disbelief and terror. “Ta … Tammy.”

“Come with me, Ben.” The woman shrouded in green aura rushed forward and seized Ben by the neck. Although the woman was only five-seven, and no more than a hundred and ten pounds, she hoisted the grown man in the air by his throat. Ben kicked and screamed as lily-white nails dug into his throat. The ghoulish woman walked to the side of the deck, holding Ben in her clutches. She then did something that surprised both Ben and Amy … she hugged him.

The woman rose into the air like a ghost, floating over the rail. Then the ghastly creature plunged into the water, squeezing Ben in her vise-like embrace.

“Amy,” a voice came from behind.

Amy rose to her feet on shaking legs and spun around to see the captain of the Blue Gust yawning.

“You look like you have seen a ghost,” Jonathan said. “Where’s Ben?”

Amy glanced at the ocean and back to Jonathan. “He … the green light. The woman …”

“Slow down,” Johnathan said.

"A woman surrounded in green light."

Amy sighed. No one would believe her … “Ben fell overboard.”

#

Thirty days later, Amy received a check from Ben’s life insurance company: exactly one million dollars.