32 Comments
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Michael S. Atkinson's avatar

Oh, I loved that ending. The allusion to Genesis, (also maybe Tolkien and the eagle in The Return of the King?), and honestly the whole story. I could *see* the General Store, you know? Man, I wish we had one of those here in Indiana.

Anyway. Very much looking forward to the rest of this.

Scoot's avatar

I'M IN! BUCKLE UP FAM WE'RE GOING TO FERRIS ISLAND!

Patricia J.L. 👻🧶🖊️'s avatar

Ferris Island reminds me of Mackinac Island here in Michigan. People have the same feeling about it. Plus, there's lots of ghosts.

Molly Ringle's avatar

A delightful unlikely pair as an investigative team! Love this start - a proper pilot episode.

Forkbeard Jon's avatar

I really liked this. I don't even like romance, but I find I low-key want to know what kicks off between these two. But mainly I'm in it for the ghosts. And also to work out what accent the Captain actually has. Most people think my childhood accent, Brummie, is pretty nasal, but Birmingham is as far from the sea as you can get, so I'm guessing he's Scouse.

The Crazy Cat Lady Writes's avatar

Your descriptions of everything really make me feel I'm there in person.

Joseph L. Wiess's avatar

Captain and Ms Phelan. Paranormal hunters.

I wish General Stores still existed. Just like passenger trains, and other sundries.

John Lovie's avatar

There are a couple on Ferris's neighboring island!

The Man Behind the Screen's avatar

There's a few sticking around, though they're tricky to find and often tucked away in rather remote areas. A rarity indeed, but still discoverable.

Alexandra Wendt's avatar

I've been researching Ireland a lot, so I was picturing some mysterious island off the coast of Ireland the whole time, haha--and then I discovered your whole Ferris Island Index. What a fascinating world you've created! The ending was perfect.

Frank's avatar

Nice reveal on the good Captain, kind of an Everyman, there but invisible. Everyone knows him but no one KNOWS him I bet! There's a subtext that can't be left alone...Ok then, the stage is set and the key players have hit their marks for the prolog! Let the curtain rise on Act 1 Scene 1...

The Man Behind the Screen's avatar

A number of people are talking about how they could see the General Store, but what stood out to me was how clearly the soundscapes came to my mind, especially during the phone call with the Captain. I could hear the slight distortion of the receiver, the way it would warp his voice just a little bit like an audible screen between them. I could hear the patter of the rain and the shrill cries of the gull and the sounds of the ocean and wind as Caroline approached the Seavend marina, to say nothing of the crunch of her tires as she wound her way through that pothole filled parking lot. Being able to see the Seavend General Store is worthy of a lot of praise, but there's so much more than that! For me, this was a sensory feast!

Cole Noble's avatar

Loved the feel of the place you conjure up here! Another awesome addition to Ferris island

Parker's avatar

Splendid stuff. Love it. Looking forward to the rest of this.

Is this the fourth Caroline Phelan story, or have I missed any? I could *see* the General Store too. Wish we had such places here in the UK.

S.E. Reid's avatar

Hi Parker! The Left Hand of Jim Barton was Caroline's first appearance, then The Weeper at the Wake, then the two library stories. She's also made cameos in a few other tales. But this one should stand alone, as far as knowing anything important about her, so don't worry! The others are mostly fun context.😁

Parker's avatar

Thank you :)

It would seem that I’m currently unable to count! I read the previous 4 tales recently. And as usual am enjoying everything immensely.✨🔥✨

E. Alberto Palacio's avatar

Your scenes and characters are very easy to see in the mind’s eye. I had to change my image of the man on the phone and to the one she met in person - but I’m sure you planned that.

Posy Churchgate's avatar

Yes 👍🏻 that is an intriguing start. Your descriptions are great & the pace welcomed the reader in

svndavn's avatar

So glad I saw this story on Notes! I’m so excited to read more about Catherine and the Captain! Also, you probably have the best writing I’ve seen on Substack so far; it reads like a professional novel ☺️

Leanne Shawler's avatar

I don’t know why I’m late to this party but it popped up in Notes that this was going behind a paywall so I thought I’d take a look. Woo hoo! Lots of reading ahead for me this weekend! (I promise I will holler if I don’t make it to the end before the deadline)