101 Tales of Magic and Mystery is live on Kickstarter. In honor of the launch and of spooky month, here’s another preview from the book: a ghost story.
One Last Drink
by Chris Hopper
Illustration by Colin Throm
Ghosts return to the same tavern each night for a drink
Content Warnings: Death by drowning, survivor’s guilt
Genre: Mystery
Place: Any port city, including London
Time Period: Any
Duration: Short (up to 3 hours)
History Connection: Medium
Folklore Connection: Low
Keywords: Soldiers, ghosts, misunderstanding, friendship
Hook
A half dozen soldiers walk into a dockside bar each night, sit down to order a drink, and vanish in a splash of sea water moments later. It's spooking the locals!
Line
The spirits arrive at the same time each night, just after midnight, and form above the water's edge as if walking onto land. The spirits are carrying out their last wish, and they won't stop till they have been laid to rest. They seem unaware that they’re dead, playing out the same conversations every night as they approach the tavern.
They can be investigated by eavesdropping on their conversation and interviewing middle-aged men in the area. Twenty to thirty years ago, these soldiers were on their way home to celebrate a victory, but their ship, the Eveline, wrecked on a hidden shoal, and many on board were lost; they never made it to that one last drink. Laying them to rest will require the help of someone who recognizes them.
No one seems to know why the ghostly soldiers started appearing recently.
Investigation reveals that one of the soldiers is missing from the group. His name is Ned, though you may want to require some problem-solving to discover that. The tavern's landlord, or perhaps one of the patrons, knows a middle-aged army captain named Ned who used to drink here until recently.
Sinker
Ned was the lone survivor from among this band of soldiers. He caused the hauntings one recent night by raising a glass to his long-lost comrades. When they appeared in the tavern, he panicked, thinking they had come there to drag him to their watery grave. All they really want, though, is for Ned to join them for one last toast. The scripted conversation they’ve been repeating starts to change as they recognize their friend, and as they interact with him they become aware of their predicament. They ultimately will be able to move through their looping scene to whatever lies beyond their final resting place under the sea.
Preparation Notes
Invent or decide upon a foreign war the soldiers fought in, and how long ago that was. Two good choices from Tudor history are Henry VIII’s third war against France (1543–1546) and Elizabeth I’s occupation of Le Havre in Normandy (1562). Invent a few lines of conversation or jokes that the soldiers repeat each night.
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