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"What the dickens is that noise?" Cast Aweigh said to herself, hurrying down with a hurricane lantern in tow. It was a terrible spring storm, one that surely no one in their right mind should be out in!

She looked down the steps to see a shadow at the door's porthole.

"Good heavens!" she exclaimed and ran down to open it.

"Nonsense, I'm not going to let you stand out here and catch your death," Cast shook her head. "I insist you come up to the top, dry off, and have something hot."

Cast Aweigh opened the door and stepped aside to let him in.

"I don't have anything like a weather radar," she said. "But you can tell just by looking this is going to be a rough storm. High tide sometimes comes all the way up to the door around here, I wouldn't want you washed away!"

"Don't be silly, of course you're going to be dripping," Cast laughed at him, pulling open a foot locker and handing him an enormous Turkish towel. "And to think I've finally got a use for these! I just use one towel for myself and fill a large wooden wash tub for a soak. Would you like a soak, Mister uh... Where are my manners? I'm Cast Aweigh! This is my lighthouse!"

"If my mom were here, she'd do the same thing and insist you stay until all was safe. One swift wave can come, out this far, and just drag you out to sea! My mom captains a cargo vessel and I captain this lighthouse to make sure ships come in safely. Every night, I light the lamp and make sure it stays running."

She bolted the door behind them to make sure the wind didn't push it open again.

"It's my job to help the lost," Cast explained. "I'm the last light in the fog and the rain. Which reminds me..."

She pulled down a large lever and the light that was placed above the door came on with a buzz.

"I don't usually turn on the door light because most people don't come out this far in weather like this. Once I figure out how to do some proper wiring, though, I'm going to set this light on a timer. I can't do it right now, though, I'm trying to finish my schooling."

"Well, don't bother trying to mop anything until the storm stops," Cast laughed. "Water will come seeping uder the door, anyway. There's a drain in this lower floor for a reason. Everything on this floor is in a tight box or up on freight palettes. I've got all manner of canned, dried, and herb food upstairs. Why don't we have some tea and I'll put a stew on!"

Cast motioned for him to follow her up the stairs to where her "room" was. She had a hammock placed next to a wrought iron wood stove.

"Yeah, it gets lonely, but what choice have you got sometimes?" Cast shrugged. "Someone has to control the lighthouse! It's a time honored duty, when my mom arrived here no one was working it. So she refurbished and refit it so she could ensure that everyone who comes to port will have safe passage."

Cast put more wood in the stove before putting on a copper kettle of water.

"I've got all manner of dry goods," Cast opened the door that led into a pantry. "What would you like to eat?"

"You can help us both and get warmed up!" Cast laughed. "You just brought a book out all this way? No hat, no satchel, no light? I'll have to remedy that, I think."

Cast Aweigh sat by the stove and watched the kettle slowly spit out wisps of steam. She already had two ceramic mugs, some loose green tea, evaporated milk, and sugar.

"Yes, my momma refurbished a lot if it. She didn't build the whole thing, but it was in pretty bad neglect when she found it. When I was old enough, my mother Knots taught me how to run the lighthouse. She asked me if I wanted to attend a boarding school or work here and I picked here! Anyone can go to boarding school and live a regular old life, but not everyone can live in a grand old lighthouse with the sea and the stars as your family."