Gremlin in the Gulf - Campfire Story

GREMLIN
IN THE
GULF

HELLO FRIENDS OF THE ORANGE MOON

Here we go again, yup, that’s right! Time for your pal, Autumn Rose, to guide you back through the sacred curtain betwixt life and dreams. But don’t you skedaddle just yet. It all come round in the end, so don’t worry none, I got ya. ... (Click Here for Coloring Sheet)

Right! So whatabouts we start off with somethin’ ya might could have heard talk about, what they call a “gremlin.” Now, I, myself, don’t figure to much ’bout no gremlins and all. But hopefully, this is the story right here what gone clue us in just a bit.

* * *

❦ Back when I was younger, Uncle Mike used to tell us stories about his time in the Navy. He had been what they call an aviation electrician aboard the USS Kearsarge. But most of his stories were not “war stories” in the regular sense. He used to talk a lot about work and how dull it could be sometimes, how everybody tried to keep entertained, how there was always something that needed a fix and such things like that. Some stories were even kind of funny like the time Uncle Mike took a nap at lunch, slept ’bout near the end of his shift and waltzed back into work without a single soul ever noticing he’d been gone. Then again, there was another time when he weren’t so lucky.

But a weird thing happened late one evening, while he was staying over, and we were all gathered ’round outside. The Fourth of July, I think. There was this one story, and Uncle Mike only did ever tell it once. Lookin’ back now, so odd it seems, but I am not sure what to believe anymore.

So, Uncle Mike, someone asked him that day ’bout the strangest thing he ever saw working in the Navy. Uncle Mike always had a smile before starting a story, a kind of smirk. But not this time, he began slow, almost expressionless. The light seemed to fade from his eyes while staring off into the distance. It was like something had changed inside him. And all got quiet.

Mike, he says, “It was back ’05, ’bout the middle of the Bush Era I think, and we were somewheres off the coast of Jordan. It was a routine systems check on a Seahawk and was ’bout nearly finished when all the check lights began to flicker on and off, not together, just all at random. I radioed in, but the second help arrived, everything went back to normal. It wasn’t that they didn’t believe me, but, I guess, like me, they weren’t sure what to think.

They told me to keep at it but seem a little alarmed. As they walked off, I could hear a brief remark about somethin’ the pilot had said or done, somethin’, a sort of nervous breakdown, I think. As soon as they passed from shoutin’ distance, the lights kept at it again. I yelled to the top of my lungs and then, as if somethin’ could hear me, the lights stopped. And that’s when I heard it.

It was a scurrying sort of sound, like a rat but with small clops like a horse. That bothered me a bit. Somethin’ must have gotten in there with me. All I know, I wasn’t no exterminator and wasn’t foolish enough to try my luck. But as soon as I turned around, there, right there it was.

It stood on its hind legs no more than a few inches tall. It wasn’t a rat but right ’bout near as ugly as one. It didn’t move but just looked back at me with its nasty, crooked, yellow teeth and glowing eyes. I can’t fully explain ‘the thing’ and never knew what it was. I must have been out of it, it was wrapped in somethin’, somethin’ almost looked like a windbreaker. A few seconds later, it vanished, like it never had been there. Fine by me, I didn’t need a good look, nobody could ever forget somethin’ like that.

I called out sick for the rest of the day. No one else saw it except maybe for the pilot, and he got discharged. Oh no, you didn’t need to tell me twice. I knew how to keep my mouth shut. Few weeks later, the guys, they get to talkin’ ’bout that pilot fella said he was bad off. Says he had seen— a gremlin.”

At the word “gremlin,” no other word was spoken that evening, and Uncle Mike left back to the guest room to retire for the night. ☙

* * *

By thunder! I sure wouldn’t like to run ’cross one of those gremlin things, myself. Don’t know what I’d do to speak the truth. Seem like such scary critters best sleep with a broom in hand tonight, I suppose. But, by the by, that’s tonight. Hope y’all enjoy y’selves and will come back next week.

’Til we meet again—stay together... keep nigh unto the fire.

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