The Wreckers of Talland Bay

By Ian K Pickup

Meet the beasts and monsters of your nightmares in these five chilling stories from Ian K Pickup. From vengeful ravens and mischievous imps to ghastly ghosts and vicious vampires, these short reads will leave your hair standing on end as you wonder... Just who are the wreckers of Talland Bay?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
• Release date: Dec 10, 2016
• ISBN: 9781786451187

Book preview

The Wreckers of Talland Bay

by

Ian K Pickup

SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Copyright 2016 Ian K Pickup at Smashwords.

https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/iankpickup

http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

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This is a work of fiction and the characters and events in it exist only in its pages and in the author’s imagination.

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Acknowledgements

Special thanks to:

Beaten Track Publishing

Tony Higginson

Mum, Dad and our Kid

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All stories written by Ian K Pickup.

Front cover artwork by Andrey Rossi.

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Contact:

Facebook - Andrey Rossi

Website - http://andreyrossi.com.br/

Email - [e-mail]

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Table of Contents

Foreword

The Wreckers of Talland Bay

The Fall of Lunt House

The Path That Led To Nowhere

The Ravens

Raising a Vampire

By Ian K Pickup

Beaten Track Publishing

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Foreword

The idea for the Wreckers of Talland Bay simply came from the law applying to sailing ships stranded on British shores back in the day that literally condemned survivors to death, which was shamefully wrong, plus the less talked about Cornish wreckers themselves.

The Fall of Lunt House came from daily driving past the only remains of the house, a pair of large gateposts.

The Path That Led to Nowhere was inspired by reading about ramblers or walkers who follow paths or tracks that just stop abruptly for no reason and the fear of being completely lost in an unfamiliar and lonely timeless landscape.

The Ravens was part inspired by Hitchcock and part for helping nature.

Raising a Vampire is a modern day story set in Formby after reading about one of the local churches having work done on it and someone who may have been a vampire slayer in real life.

A special mention for the front cover artist Andrey Rossi who I have followed on the Internet with his excellent artwork. he could not have been more helpful when I took a chance on contacting him.

Ian

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English law

It is illegal to claim salvage from a wrecked ship if any person aboard is still alive.

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The Wreckers of Talland Bay

The waves crashed mercilessly against the rocky coastline on an early November winter’s night. Under a blackened sky, surely sent straight from hell, a gang of wreckers successfully lured a stricken ship to its doom on the jagged rocks of their own secluded beach, using a lit lantern. The fifteen-strong group cheered aloud, showing their fists to the angry sky.

Right, lads, listen carefully, shouted Joseph Bulland, the leader. It’s the usual taking turns—a two-man watch until morning and the retreat of the tide. Anyone comes ashore before then, use your wooden clubs and then drown them. Show no mercy, lads. Remember, it will be all of us hanging from the rope if any of the crew make it to the lawmen, understand?

An overwhelming shout of agreement rang out into the howling wind, and then all but two of the men headed back up the steep path to the shelter of their homes.

The first two men watched on from behind rocks on the sandy beach, drinking rum to keep warm; it was a two-hour shift before they were replaced. No survivors were seen by anyone, and eventually the storm relented just as dawn broke.

Next morning, almost the entire village went down to help with unloading the ill-gotten cargo. The tide had receded far enough for the armed men to walk out to the stranded vessel, while the women, children and older folk stood back on the beach.

A grappling hook and rope were thrown up the side, and one by one, the gang skilfully climbed up and boarded to claim their bounty. Bulland ordered them to split into two groups to search the main deck first.

Eight bodies were quickly discovered, and then two more sailors were found barely alive. They spoke in foreign accents and pleaded for help but were instead cruelly silenced forever.

The wreckers searched the next deck down but found no one else. Presuming the rest of the crew were lost at sea, the gang climbed down into the ship’s hold without any resistance.

Loose barrels, huge fallen storage jars and parts torn from the ship blocked their path at first, so the men worked as a team to quickly clear a way through.

Bulland stood in the middle of the hold and looked around. I think we’ve done well here, lads. Let’s cut a hole and get what’s ours out and down onto the sand, he shouted, nodding his head.

His men used axes and took turns, two at