short story
4 min
The Curse Of The Bay
Alaina Gupta
It was a cloudy afternoon in San Francisco. Sadie was collecting shells by the bay, when she found an especially pretty conch shell, on the crashing waves. She examined the shell and held it up to her ear. An object rattled inside.
Something shiny was stuck in there. She reached in and pulled it out! It was a ring, rusty and old. On it, there was a beautiful sapphire, bigger than her thumb. Sadie lightly tossed it, and it landed in her palm. THUMP. It was heavy, and most likely real. If so, how did such an expensive thing get there? Sadie looked closer at the ring. Engraved on it, was the name Martha, in tiny letters. She squinted, and then raised an eyebrow. Why did the name Martha seem so familiar? Martha, Martha, Martha, she repeated softly. Martha, Martha, Martha. . . .
1965, 58 years ago
A young woman was looking out onto the bay. There was a slight breeze, the leaves rustled and fluttered in the wind. She spotted Alcatraz Island, a tiny dot in the distance, but actually quite large. High atop the hill sat the federal penitentiary, slowly being emptied out of prisoners. It was March 21st, 1963, and the prison on Alcatraz had stopped running. The prisoners, who now had no place to stay in San Francisco, were transported to other federal prisons, far far away. She thought that was fine though, for she had no interest with the prisoners.
She decided to come outside, maybe take a walk across the bay.
She pulled on a coat and slippers and headed outside. As soon as she stepped outside, she was slammed against the door. She looked around, surprised, and saw a man rushing down the crooked street. He must have been in quite a hurry, seeing that he had pushed her and didn't even notice.
"Wait!" She called out. "Where are you going?" The man stopped to look, and then scowled. "It's none of your business, you primped poodle!" The woman blushed but held her ground. "A primped poodle!" She mused. "How lovely, I'm sure my good friend the police officer would love to hear that." The young woman didn't think much of the comment, but it struck the man hard. He faced her, and she could finally see what he looked like. He had unruly brown hair and was wearing a baggy black coat two times too big.
His face had a look of pure hatred, but it seemed to be from somewhere else. The woman smiled sweetly, then said, "go on, you seem to be in a hurry." The man was hesitant, but the reminder was enough. He picked himself up and ran off, quite distraught. She shuddered after he was gone. Scoundrels. She muttered. She had changed her mind about going out. She'd rather stay inside than run into that again.
Over time, the woman began to see the man again, and again. She didn't think the encounters to be a pleasure, but she did get some information. The man's name was Oliver, and he had just recently arrived in San Francisco. He was a lawyer from a foreign country and had come to America for better business opportunities. Over time, the woman spent more time with Oliver. It might seem far-fetched, but perhaps at a point, she was really truly in love.
One October day, Oliver invited the woman downtown to enjoy ice cream at the pier. Oliver had ordered two ice creams and was sitting at a table by the sea. He had brushed his hair. (Sort of) And had bought a black suit. (Not really) The woman walked down the street, smiling that same sweet smile. She sat down at the table and looked out onto the bay.
About two minutes later, Oliver came back with two honey-drizzled chocolate cones. The woman gasped with delight. "How did you know chocolate was my favorite?" He grinned. "I just know things," he said. He set down the cones and looked at the woman. Her eyes were so beautiful. They were as blue as the sea, he could get lost in them. The woman frowned. "What?" "Is there chocolate on my nose or something?" Oliver just grinned. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. In it, was a ring. It was silver, and on it was a large blue sapphire, as blue as the sea.
The woman's eyes widened. She had never seen something so beautiful. She was astounded. "For-for me?" Oliver bent down, held out the box, and smiled wider than he had ever before. "Will, you marry-STOP!" A voice suddenly cut through like a sharp knife. "STOP RIGHT THERE!!" "DROP THE RING!!"
The woman was confused, but nonetheless angry. She marched over to the person who was talking, who turned out to be a police officer. "You idiot!!" She yelled. "You RUINED my engagement." "I´m sorry miss, but you were about to be engaged to a prisoner." "WHAT?" She yelled. She looked at Oliver in disbelief. He put his hands behind his back and looked at her apologetically. "No, NO!" She said, "Oliver is a lawyer, he is a man of the law!!" The officer laughed. "Got you wrapped around his dirty finger, eh?" "He lies miss." "That man was charged with murder and sent to our very own prison, Alcatraz." "Then it closed, and this young man escaped on a boat."
"Clever, eh?" "If I were him, I would hop on a plane, far away." "Heck, that is what he did, or tried to anyway." "Then he met you and was blinded by love." "He couldn't leave after that, miss." "But now, we´ve come to take him away, back to prison again." The woman was taken aback, this was all too much for her. "YOU-YOU CHEATER!!" She screamed at Oliver in rage. She stomped over to the table and snatched the ring. "WHOEVER IS RELATED TO THAT CHEATER AND FINDS THIS RING WILL SUFFER." "THEY WILL SUFFER JUST AS I HAVE!!" She leaned over the bay and threw the ring into the crashing waves. THUMP. The ring landed on the bottom of the ocean floor. Slowly, the ring rusted until all that was left were faint letter engravings, MARTHA.
2023, 58 years later
Suddenly, it came to Sadie. Her great grandfather had been a prisoner at Alcatraz. He had dated a woman named Martha. There was also something about a ring. And it being-CURSED. Sadie dropped the ring and tried to get away, but it was too late. There was a disturbance in the peace. The seagulls stopped chirping. The wind grew quiet. The last thing ever heard from Sadie Mckin was a terrified shriek and crash from the waves, in the blue sea.
THE END
Something shiny was stuck in there. She reached in and pulled it out! It was a ring, rusty and old. On it, there was a beautiful sapphire, bigger than her thumb. Sadie lightly tossed it, and it landed in her palm. THUMP. It was heavy, and most likely real. If so, how did such an expensive thing get there? Sadie looked closer at the ring. Engraved on it, was the name Martha, in tiny letters. She squinted, and then raised an eyebrow. Why did the name Martha seem so familiar? Martha, Martha, Martha, she repeated softly. Martha, Martha, Martha. . . .
1965, 58 years ago
A young woman was looking out onto the bay. There was a slight breeze, the leaves rustled and fluttered in the wind. She spotted Alcatraz Island, a tiny dot in the distance, but actually quite large. High atop the hill sat the federal penitentiary, slowly being emptied out of prisoners. It was March 21st, 1963, and the prison on Alcatraz had stopped running. The prisoners, who now had no place to stay in San Francisco, were transported to other federal prisons, far far away. She thought that was fine though, for she had no interest with the prisoners.
She decided to come outside, maybe take a walk across the bay.
She pulled on a coat and slippers and headed outside. As soon as she stepped outside, she was slammed against the door. She looked around, surprised, and saw a man rushing down the crooked street. He must have been in quite a hurry, seeing that he had pushed her and didn't even notice.
"Wait!" She called out. "Where are you going?" The man stopped to look, and then scowled. "It's none of your business, you primped poodle!" The woman blushed but held her ground. "A primped poodle!" She mused. "How lovely, I'm sure my good friend the police officer would love to hear that." The young woman didn't think much of the comment, but it struck the man hard. He faced her, and she could finally see what he looked like. He had unruly brown hair and was wearing a baggy black coat two times too big.
His face had a look of pure hatred, but it seemed to be from somewhere else. The woman smiled sweetly, then said, "go on, you seem to be in a hurry." The man was hesitant, but the reminder was enough. He picked himself up and ran off, quite distraught. She shuddered after he was gone. Scoundrels. She muttered. She had changed her mind about going out. She'd rather stay inside than run into that again.
Over time, the woman began to see the man again, and again. She didn't think the encounters to be a pleasure, but she did get some information. The man's name was Oliver, and he had just recently arrived in San Francisco. He was a lawyer from a foreign country and had come to America for better business opportunities. Over time, the woman spent more time with Oliver. It might seem far-fetched, but perhaps at a point, she was really truly in love.
One October day, Oliver invited the woman downtown to enjoy ice cream at the pier. Oliver had ordered two ice creams and was sitting at a table by the sea. He had brushed his hair. (Sort of) And had bought a black suit. (Not really) The woman walked down the street, smiling that same sweet smile. She sat down at the table and looked out onto the bay.
About two minutes later, Oliver came back with two honey-drizzled chocolate cones. The woman gasped with delight. "How did you know chocolate was my favorite?" He grinned. "I just know things," he said. He set down the cones and looked at the woman. Her eyes were so beautiful. They were as blue as the sea, he could get lost in them. The woman frowned. "What?" "Is there chocolate on my nose or something?" Oliver just grinned. Then, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. In it, was a ring. It was silver, and on it was a large blue sapphire, as blue as the sea.
The woman's eyes widened. She had never seen something so beautiful. She was astounded. "For-for me?" Oliver bent down, held out the box, and smiled wider than he had ever before. "Will, you marry-STOP!" A voice suddenly cut through like a sharp knife. "STOP RIGHT THERE!!" "DROP THE RING!!"
The woman was confused, but nonetheless angry. She marched over to the person who was talking, who turned out to be a police officer. "You idiot!!" She yelled. "You RUINED my engagement." "I´m sorry miss, but you were about to be engaged to a prisoner." "WHAT?" She yelled. She looked at Oliver in disbelief. He put his hands behind his back and looked at her apologetically. "No, NO!" She said, "Oliver is a lawyer, he is a man of the law!!" The officer laughed. "Got you wrapped around his dirty finger, eh?" "He lies miss." "That man was charged with murder and sent to our very own prison, Alcatraz." "Then it closed, and this young man escaped on a boat."
"Clever, eh?" "If I were him, I would hop on a plane, far away." "Heck, that is what he did, or tried to anyway." "Then he met you and was blinded by love." "He couldn't leave after that, miss." "But now, we´ve come to take him away, back to prison again." The woman was taken aback, this was all too much for her. "YOU-YOU CHEATER!!" She screamed at Oliver in rage. She stomped over to the table and snatched the ring. "WHOEVER IS RELATED TO THAT CHEATER AND FINDS THIS RING WILL SUFFER." "THEY WILL SUFFER JUST AS I HAVE!!" She leaned over the bay and threw the ring into the crashing waves. THUMP. The ring landed on the bottom of the ocean floor. Slowly, the ring rusted until all that was left were faint letter engravings, MARTHA.
2023, 58 years later
Suddenly, it came to Sadie. Her great grandfather had been a prisoner at Alcatraz. He had dated a woman named Martha. There was also something about a ring. And it being-CURSED. Sadie dropped the ring and tried to get away, but it was too late. There was a disturbance in the peace. The seagulls stopped chirping. The wind grew quiet. The last thing ever heard from Sadie Mckin was a terrified shriek and crash from the waves, in the blue sea.
THE END
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