"The Same Boat Washes Ashore Every Fog" | CLANCYPASTA

[00:00:00] When I was just a kid, grandpa's stories were like a gateway to another world, blending

[00:00:15] the edges of reality with time's long since past.

[00:00:21] He often reminisced about his childhood home, a quaint little house perched quietly beside

[00:00:27] a beautiful lake, and he had plenty of stories to tell.

[00:00:32] But my favorite, and the one story he probably told more than any others, was of the fog, or

[00:00:40] rather, what would happen nearly every time the fog rolled in.

[00:00:47] He described how a few times a year when the fog cloaked everything in a dense impenetrable

[00:00:53] veil.

[00:00:55] There was this canoe that would silently appear on the shore, devoid of any occupants.

[00:01:02] It wasn't simply a case of random boats getting washed ashore in the intense wind either,

[00:01:08] because, well, you see, it bore the same marks and identifiers each time.

[00:01:17] It was always blue, a worn and faded paint, with paddles laid inside as if ready for

[00:01:25] use, and often it carried bizarre tokens, scraps of bread, dried meat, and, once, a piece

[00:01:34] of paper with indecipherable writing, symbols foreign to anyone in the family.

[00:01:42] It happened so often growing up that by the time my grandpa was about ten, it was

[00:01:47] a common occurrence.

[00:01:50] He said one time he noticed it out on the shore, and he just walked on over and pushed

[00:01:55] it straight back into the lake, not even thinking to mention it to anyone else.

[00:02:01] It was that common.

[00:02:03] Well, the real chill of grandpa's story came with the recollection of an event when

[00:02:11] he was just twelve years old.

[00:02:15] It was a day that started with the piercing scream of his mother shattering the peaceful

[00:02:20] morning calm.

[00:02:23] Grandpa woke with a start, the sound having come from just outside, from the lake.

[00:02:31] Fueled by instinct, he dashed towards the commotion only to be stopped abruptly

[00:02:36] by his father right before he reached the door.

[00:02:41] The firm grip, his dad hurled him back and on to the floor, issuing a stern warning not

[00:02:47] to venture outside or even peek through the windows under threat of severe punishment.

[00:02:54] Don't you peek, boy, my grandpa would say in impersonation of his father.

[00:03:02] Confusion and fear wrestled within him as he complied.

[00:03:07] His dad walking out the door he just tried to reach, apparently joining his mother.

[00:03:17] For hours he was left to his own devices, the silence of the house amplifying every

[00:03:24] creak and whisper.

[00:03:27] Finally, there was a sound at the door.

[00:03:32] He ran out to the living area, defined though his parents were both back.

[00:03:38] Their faces were etched with sorrow, eyes red-rimmed as if they were crying.

[00:03:44] What's wrong?

[00:03:47] Was the natural question.

[00:03:49] But by the way, his parents reacted, you wouldn't know it.

[00:03:53] They lost it, screaming at him to go to his room and not to expect supper.

[00:04:00] He knew not to bring up the incident after that.

[00:04:04] Strangely, after that day there was never another visit from that mysterious canoe.

[00:04:14] Grandpa always assumed there was a connection between the strange events of that day and

[00:04:20] the lack of future lake sightings, but he never knew for sure.

[00:04:27] I remember one day I asked grandpa if he ever tried to find out what exactly had happened.

[00:04:34] I expected him to just shake his head, but I found him staring out of the window, and

[00:04:40] then he turned to me with a solemn expression across his face and nodded.

[00:04:47] He then began to speak.

[00:04:52] Others had turned him from the bewildered little boy in that little house into a man,

[00:04:58] a father with children of his own when he finally mustered the courage to question his

[00:05:03] mother about the incident.

[00:05:06] She was in a nursing home then.

[00:05:09] Him sat across from her in an old fold-out chair.

[00:05:13] When he finally inquired, the mere mention of it caused her to retreat into a shell

[00:05:19] of silence.

[00:05:22] He kept pressing, and eventually he at least got her to speak, though her words would only

[00:05:29] add to the mystery.

[00:05:32] Son, she spoke after a long silence.

[00:05:39] That canoe was sailed by none other than the devil himself.

[00:05:46] Devil, wrapped in illusion.

[00:05:52] The gravity of her words hung in the air dense and quite unsettling.

[00:05:59] Her response was cryptic, layered with the weight of memory's best left undisturbed.

[00:06:08] Grandpa, driven by a mixture of fear and an insatiable need for understanding, pressed

[00:06:16] for more details.

[00:06:19] It was a dirty trick, but your dad and I beat him.

[00:06:28] She said after a while her voice a blend of defiance and a hint of unresolved terror.

[00:06:39] That was all she offered before sealing the past away with a firm refusal to revisit

[00:06:44] those memories a moment longer.

[00:06:48] It was less than a month later that she passed.

[00:06:54] So the mystery lived to cloud another day.

[00:06:59] As far as the story was concerned, dad marked the end of it.

[00:07:04] I grew up, the story a fun and spooky tale to revisit from time to time, and life

[00:07:11] went on.

[00:07:13] It wasn't until about a decade ago that my grandpa passed on.

[00:07:19] Thankfully it was a peaceful event.

[00:07:23] Oddly in thinking about it now, he hadn't so much as brought up the story about the

[00:07:29] lake and the canoe in the years prior.

[00:07:33] But despite the lack of recent tellings, his stories were hidden safe, deep within

[00:07:39] the depths of my memory.

[00:07:46] It was during a recent vacation to a secluded lake house that these memories resurfaced with

[00:07:53] a poignant clarity.

[00:07:57] Surrounded by a lush forest, the air was alive with the melodies of birdsongs, crafting

[00:08:04] a serene backdrop to the vast, tranquil lake that lay before us.

[00:08:10] Looking up at the clouds, it was like staring at a painting of blues and pinks and violets

[00:08:18] and reds.

[00:08:20] The beauty of the place was undeniable to anyone who could see it, and yet in the

[00:08:25] most quiet of moments I couldn't help feeling that there was a somberness to its

[00:08:34] tranquility, a silent word that spoke of secrets hidden beneath its serene facade.

[00:08:43] But this was not something I dwelled on.

[00:08:46] The place was too gorgeous to not enjoy, and I found it was just the break I needed

[00:08:53] to relax and recharge with my wife and my two beautiful children.

[00:09:01] On the last night of our stay, as if drawn from the pages of grandpa's tale, I let out a hearty

[00:09:10] chuckle as I stared out of the window as a dense fog swept over the lake, transforming

[00:09:17] the usually bright and earthy landscape into a scene from another world.

[00:09:27] The silver mist hugged the water and trees, blurring the lines between land and lake, reality

[00:09:36] and the stories that danced in my mind.

[00:09:40] It was as though creatures of light and shadow danced through the mist before my eyes.

[00:09:47] I made my way outside to the back deck, and with a cup of chamomile tea warming my

[00:09:54] hands, I found myself lost in thought, staring forward, bathed in the mist, the fog inviting

[00:10:02] me to think about grandpa's old tale and reminisce I did.

[00:10:11] It was as I continued staring out into the lake that a shadow suddenly emerged from

[00:10:19] the haze.

[00:10:21] The outdoor light on my deck, a solitary beacon in the dark, stretched to cast its glow on

[00:10:29] the water, revealing a shadowy mass inching closer to our backyard from the direction

[00:10:37] of the river.

[00:10:41] A jolt of fear shot up my spine, grandpa's story suddenly losing its nostalgic bliss

[00:10:48] in gaining the weight of an horrific reality.

[00:10:54] I felt compelled to run back inside and get my wife, but as I turned to run inside, I froze.

[00:11:04] I thought about how bizarre and quick this was all happening, and suddenly pondered

[00:11:10] the possibility that I was maybe simply seeing things in the shadowed fog.

[00:11:17] Probably best not to make a scene of things, regardless.

[00:11:23] Turning back around, I fought the dread working its way through my body and tried to understand

[00:11:31] what was before me.

[00:11:35] I stepped off the deck, moving towards the unknown with cautious steps.

[00:11:43] As I came closer, I became absolutely positive at whatever was before me.

[00:11:51] It was really there.

[00:11:54] The silhouette of the ghostly canoe became ever clearer.

[00:12:00] My heart pounded with a mix of fear and, oddly enough, an undeniable pull of curiosity.

[00:12:10] What was this thing?

[00:12:13] It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.

[00:12:17] The mist seemed to part just enough to reveal its form, grounded eerily on the shore.

[00:12:26] But it was the figure aboard that arrested my attention.

[00:12:32] A man, if you could still call him that, who looked as though he had been carved from time itself,

[00:12:40] ancient and withered, yet standing with an unsettling presence.

[00:12:48] He was almost entirely shadow in this horrid light, but the details I could make out were striking enough.

[00:12:57] His smile, if one could call it that, was a grimace of emaciation, revealing a story of centuries and the creases of his face.

[00:13:10] It was like I was standing before a man no younger than a thousand years old.

[00:13:17] As his head looked down for a moment, I realized he was wearing a hat, like a fedora or maybe a small cowboy hat.

[00:13:30] I know you've heard the stories. I know you know who I am.

[00:13:37] He uttered in a voice that seemed to weave through the fog, reaching me before I could even process his appearance fully.

[00:13:49] No, I managed to reply my voice steadier than I felt.

[00:13:55] The truth was I didn't know him.

[00:13:59] Grandpa's tales never mentioned a man accompanying the canoe, and I was sure I'd never seen this man before in my life.

[00:14:12] Ah, well there are more surprising things in the world.

[00:14:18] I bet your old grandfather was kept in the dark. He wouldn't have allowed it had he known.

[00:14:25] The figure continued, his words wrapping around me like a snake.

[00:14:36] Know what? I asked as I took another step closer.

[00:14:42] My question hung in the air, my gaze starting around, half expecting the fog to manifest further specters of the night.

[00:14:53] The sense of unease deepened, a feeling of being watched, of stepping into a scene that had been laid out with a purpose beyond my current understanding.

[00:15:08] And then he spoke again.

[00:15:12] That they sacrificed you? Well, something like that.

[00:15:19] Oh, yes, yes. I can see the wheels turning but struggling to catch in your mind.

[00:15:27] Let me explain, shall I?

[00:15:30] Allow me a moment to peel back the layers of time which cannot be done without first introducing myself.

[00:15:40] I am the essence that stirs beneath these waters the spirit of this ancient lake.

[00:15:49] In times long past when the moon was young and bright in the sky, and the dawn of civilization was still in recent memory,

[00:16:02] I was revered, nourished by offerings as was the dew of old.

[00:16:10] But as millennia turned and the centuries wore on, the world forgot its debts.

[00:16:19] The thunderous silence greeted me where once there were prayers and sacrifices.

[00:16:27] I stewed in this disrespect for far too long before I could bear the disgrace no longer.

[00:16:36] Left with no choice, I began an era anew and reached out into the world of men claiming what was owed to me to sustain my being.

[00:16:51] A task most peculiar at first and one I'd never had to employ.

[00:16:59] But soon I realized this was a particularly efficient means of obtaining the sacrifice.

[00:17:10] Looking back to some 90 winters past, right at the doorstep of your grandpa's youth,

[00:17:20] near the old barn swallowed down by mist, you'd not glimpse its bones through this thick soup,

[00:17:28] but it is in fact still there just past that grove of pines to your right.

[00:17:34] It was there I encountered your great grandmother, her hands caressing the stream's cold skin in the dawn's embrace.

[00:17:47] A chosen one I declared her.

[00:17:53] Her sacrifice was meant to feed the cycle for years to come.

[00:17:59] Yes, all was as it was meant to be.

[00:18:04] Ah, but the despair in your great grandpa's eyes, what a sight!

[00:18:11] I rejoiced in the face of the man as he unraveled before me, pleading with the fervor of the damned offering up his soul to shield hers.

[00:18:25] She was already in my grasp, utterly helpless, and your grandpa's father knew this too well.

[00:18:36] Perhaps I was amused by the sight, or was simply curious, but we discussed the situation at hand,

[00:18:48] your great grandfather and I, and struck a most peculiar bargain.

[00:18:54] After some considerable time, I consented to spare her and theirs for the span of their earthly careers.

[00:19:06] Yet, as you should very well know by now, all things come to an end.

[00:19:16] Upon their departure from this rock, the accord would dissolve, leaving the future a page unturned.

[00:19:27] Once they had passed on, all protection would be erased, and any and all familial connections would become fair game once more.

[00:19:41] Believe it or not, they embraced this, knowing full well the seeds they sowed may one day sprout thorns among their lineage.

[00:19:56] And now, as if drawn by the strings of fate, here you stand right at the shore of this very lake, the due time, now upon us.

[00:20:10] You, ripe for the reaping, could join me on this silent voyage into the embrace of the mist.

[00:20:21] All that is necessitated from you is to simply walk forward, step onto this vessel, and you shall simply fade away, releasing your energy to be absorbed into mine.

[00:20:36] Yet, as the eons have lent me wisdom, so too have they bestowed a sliver of mercy.

[00:20:49] So, I offer you a similar out as your ancestors.

[00:20:57] You may take your wife and your kin and leave this place in safety.

[00:21:04] But this is where the similarity to your great-grandparent's arrangement ends.

[00:21:13] For them were given the safety of a lifetime, but for you it is another story.

[00:21:23] For only you, your wife and your two children shall be sheltered.

[00:21:31] When the time comes for you to know how it feels to be a grandfather, you may not feel that peace or long.

[00:21:43] For your grandchildren shall be snatched up without a moment's notice.

[00:21:49] Are they ever to come anywhere near this lake?

[00:21:54] Your family tree shall be branded with this curse, and the stain will last until the sacrifice is finally slain.

[00:22:07] So, I ask, what shall it be?

[00:22:13] Will you step into the mists with me and end the nightmare, protecting your grandchildren and their children for all time to come?

[00:22:26] Or shall you cast this lot under the shoulders of those yet to walk this shore?

[00:22:34] The shoulders of your own blood.

[00:22:42] As his words fell upon my ears, I felt like I was on the verge of passing out.

[00:22:51] The terror that enveloped me was absolutely suffocating, a primal fear that clawed at the very essence of my being.

[00:23:01] The gears in my mind turned at full speed as I tried to compute the words I'd just heard.

[00:23:10] The lake spirit's proposition, while offering a sliver of hope to me and my current family,

[00:23:21] would essentially involve me kicking the can down the road, waiting for my unborn kind to deal with the mess I had the opportunity to clean up but didn't.

[00:23:33] But amidst the whirlwind of dread, going back and forth over the information in my mind,

[00:23:44] I suddenly knew that one thing was crystal clear.

[00:23:49] Under no circumstance would I set foot on that canoe.

[00:23:56] The very thought made my body lock up like a car that hadn't gotten its oil changed in five decades,

[00:24:05] a cold dread that anchored me firmly to the shore.

[00:24:11] With a voice trembling but resolute, I accepted his offer of postponement.

[00:24:20] The man, or spirit, or whatever he truly was, responded with a giggle that seemed to chill the air around us even further.

[00:24:35] As I stared forward, he tipped his hat, an oddly courteous gesture from such a sinister figure.

[00:24:47] And then, with a grace that contradicted his eerie presence and with not a word further,

[00:24:56] he nudged off the shore and floated away in his canoe, melding into the fog until he vanished from my sight.

[00:25:09] My heart pounded as if it sought to escape my chest, and the moment I was sure he was gone,

[00:25:21] I turned and sprinted back to the safety of the lake house.

[00:25:26] Once inside, it struck me how different the reality was now,

[00:25:32] and how different life was just moments before the last time I was inside.

[00:25:40] But now, everything had changed.

[00:25:46] Maya, my wife had already tucked the kids into bed.

[00:25:51] Their peaceful slumber, a stark contrast to the storm of fear raging within me.

[00:25:58] But I just couldn't shake the sense of imminent danger that clung to me like a second skin.

[00:26:07] As I realized, I just couldn't stand another night in this house,

[00:26:14] and with a haste born of sheer panic, I woke them all,

[00:26:19] ignoring their confusion and protests, and told them again and again

[00:26:24] to pack up and get ready for a long drive home.

[00:26:30] I explained nothing as we piled into the car,

[00:26:35] the urgency of our departure pushing us into the night.

[00:26:39] The drive home was a blur,

[00:26:43] each turn of the wheels distancing us from the lake,

[00:26:48] from the fog,

[00:26:50] from the haunting choice laid before me.

[00:26:56] My wife seemed absolutely irate with me,

[00:27:01] though that would lessen in time to simply worry in my bizarre behavior.

[00:27:08] Yet, even as the miles widened between us and that cursed shore,

[00:27:15] the echo of the lake's spirit's words lingered,

[00:27:19] a specter that no amount of distance could erase.

[00:27:25] The fear, palpable and relentless,

[00:27:30] was a constant companion as we fled from the darkness

[00:27:35] back into the semblance of our normal lives.

[00:27:38] I have spent countless nights wrestling with the memory of that fog and shrouded encounter,

[00:27:50] trying to even dismiss it as a trick of the mind,

[00:27:54] a product of exhaustion or the stirrings of an overactive imagination.

[00:28:01] Anything to avoid confronting the chilling reality of what transpired

[00:28:09] at times,

[00:28:11] I nearly succeeded in convincing myself it was all just a vivid nightmare,

[00:28:18] an echo of grandpa's stories morphed by the shadows of sleep deprivation

[00:28:24] in an unfamiliar place.

[00:28:28] But the illusion of peace is a fragile sanctuary indeed.

[00:28:33] Shattered last night by the sudden recollection of a memory from my childhood so potent,

[00:28:43] it pierced through the veils of all denial and doubt.

[00:28:49] I shot out of bed from my sleep like a rocket at the revelation.

[00:28:54] Though my grandfather's passing is etched unforgettably into my mind,

[00:29:04] his parents passing, my great-grandparents, were distant memories

[00:29:13] shrouded in the haze of childhood innocent.

[00:29:18] I barely have any memory of them.

[00:29:21] In the few I do are mostly enforced by old photographs my grandpa and parents always kept around.

[00:29:30] But of the two, my great-grandpa lasted the longest.

[00:29:36] And as luck would have it,

[00:29:39] I suddenly recalled the very last time I saw him with intense clarity.

[00:29:45] I was about seven and my mom took me to the nursing home.

[00:29:51] His once robust frame now surrendered to the ravages of time

[00:29:56] confined to this sterile environment.

[00:30:01] As I stood there, a simple child trying to understand the sight before me.

[00:30:09] I watched as he summoned the last one.

[00:30:12] I watched as he summoned the last reserves of his strength to wave me a little closer.

[00:30:20] I looked to my mom and after she gave me a short nod of approval, I did so.

[00:30:30] With a deliberate shaky motion,

[00:30:34] he lifted the oxygen mask from his face when I noticed eyes that held the weight of a lifetime of unspoken secrets and warnings.

[00:30:47] Then, in a voice barely above a whisper but laden with urgency,

[00:30:55] he imparted a simple command that though I didn't understand at the time

[00:31:01] it now took on a whole new meaning.

[00:31:09] He stared me straight in the eyes as he whispered,

[00:31:16] Stay out of the lake.

[00:31:31] I was a little nervous.

[00:31:36] I was a little nervous.

[00:31:41] I was a little nervous.

[00:31:44] Thank you for listening to tonight's episode of Clancy Pasta.

[00:31:48] I really hope you enjoyed.

[00:31:50] If you did, consider following for more and if you'd like to listen to ad free episodes,

[00:31:55] you can go to patreon.com slash Clancy Pasta.

[00:31:57] And if you'd like to hear new episodes first, you can go to youtube.com slash Clancy Pasta.

[00:32:03] Huge thanks to all of my patreon supporters and YouTube members and my Instagram is at Clancy Pasta and same with Twitter.

[00:32:12] Alright, I hope you're all having a great night and I'll talk to you soon. Cheers.