2.02 Spiorad

The Titlecard.

"Spiorad" is the second episode of the second season of Lincoln City.

## Episode

Near the village of Castletown in North Caithness, a family has setup a campfire on the beach as the sun sets in the distance - the sillhouette of Castlehill Heritage Centre and Castletown Harbour and are exchanging stories, some are scary and others are very strange, a young man called Niall begins his story: "I have a friend in town. A fisherman. He says there is a monster in the harbour" he says to the family, his mother, father and sister who are camping out with him. "And what does this monster look like?" his father asks him. "They say it is a giant seahorse...but it has huge teeth." Niall replies back to his dad who looks to his wife and daughter in confusion. "No I don't believe you" his mother says in a snarky tone. Niall tells them that he has seen the monster in the harbour however, his sister, Kelly, interrupts him: "A seahorse? with frickin' teeth?" she then bursts out laughing, this causes Niall to look down and get angry at her, Niall then starts to yell at his sister, telling her that he has seen it, Kelly asks him: "Who do you think you are?" before he can answer back his dad interjects: "Alright you two, stop it" this causes Niall to be quiet for a minute before yelling back at his sister: "It was real..." his sister rebutles: "Yeah...and so's Nessie...." this causes Niall to snap completely, he snaps: "Fine...if you three don't believe me, I will go and share my story to someone who cares" he starts to walk towards the Heritage Centre however his mother points out that it will likely be closed as it is late. Niall takes this to heart and walks away from the family, leaving them alone by the campfire as marches with purpose, eager to tell his tale whilst his family watch him walk away - he is nearly at the centre and quite far from his family when Niall hears a loud splash followed by a thud as something falls into the water, this causes him to pause as he looks upon on old white boat marked WK370 Halcyon, he thinks the thud he heard came from around the boat so begins to snoop around carelessly as he approaches the water's edge to see if he can see what was thrown in - however before he can find anything, he is confronted by a scruffy looking man in an old sailor's outfit from what appears to be the 50's, the man looks like he hasn't slept in a long time as he stares at Niall with tired eyes and a pale complexion. "What are you doing here?" the man asks Niall in a calm yet terrifying voice. Niall answers back that he was merely on his way to the Heritage Centre as his family wouldn't believe his story about the monster in the harbour, he asks the man if he can tell him the story of the monster however the man looks at the boat and then back to Niall: "Go home" he says sternly. "But why?" Niall asks the man "I'm going to tell everyone about this" the man shoots this quote down metaphorically as he raises his voice as he tells Niall: "Just GO HOME!" however Niall gets out his smartphone and starts filming the man, saying that this will help him tell his story to everyone, this causes the man to become enraged, he runs at him and the two fall into the water, this causes Niall to drop his phone on land, the man drags Niall under the water however a scream is heard from above and the man lets go of Niall who swims to the surface to see his mother jumping into the water in an attempt to save him. She manages to grab him and pull him out of the water however she is soon pulled in herself by the scruffy man who emerges from the water dragging her down into it - Niall watches in horror as his mother is dragged down into the depths.

His father and sister Kelly soon come running over to him, Kelly asks him: "What happened?" however before he can answer they see the scruffy man emerging from the water, Kelly screams and hides behind her dad whilst Niall tries to get away - however he is grabbed by the man who tells him: "You saw nothing..." the man then seemingly manipulates one of the metal poles near the boat and uses it as a weapon to try and beat Niall but his father intervenes and is inadvertently hit instead, he falls into the water, unlike his wife though he does resurface as Niall distracts the man - his father climbs out the water and grabs the other end of the metal pole, driving into the man's stomach however instead of bleeding out or any physical injury being present, the man simply disappears as Kelly calls the police to see if they can help, their mother still yet to resurface as she makes the call.

Elsewhere, on Kyle's farm, Kyle and his family can be seen herding sheep for the sheering season ahead as they discuss various topics such as football and other work, Kyle's dad is quick to make friendly competition with the farm nearby by comically gloating about his best shearing "moments" whilst Kyle's brother tells their dad that he thinks he's a great shearer but in reality he's "bang average" - this causes their dad to look at them in mock offense before starting to get competitive himself, Kyle's brother says to him vaguely: "You know that last time you were on your own? It was 10 minutes, Dad." This prompts Kyle's dad to shout back at him: "Aye I know son! I can tell you how long it took me!" he then goes on to recount his previous shearing moments in detail - however his speech is interrupted by a loud thud heard from somewhere nearby, Kyle volunteers to check it out to simply get away from the situation - as he walks towards the house, it is revealed that the thud was Shane tripping over and falling flat on his face, he attempts to play it cool though speaking very quickly to cover his actions: "Ah...Kyle Macleod, It's been a while...and by that I mean one single night...how's the farm?" he then looks at Kyle's brother who is giving him a thumbs up in approval of his attempt at covering his actions. Shane continues: "It's good to see you guys too" he says before looking over at Kyle's mum who is stood behind him - "Oh crap..." Shane says under his breath. "Is that a friend of yours?" she asks Kyle causing Kyle to nod with a "I'm not mad, just disappointed" look on his face as Shane smiles awkwardly at her before looking back at Kyle for help in the situation however, before anything can happen, Shane blurts out: "I'm gonna go...get...cleaned up" he says now observing the grass stains on his face and clothes before running back to the house. Kyle's mum continues to talk to her son however: "So who was that?" she asks him "Shane...a friend of mine" Kyle responds back to her. "He seemed to be avoiding me..." his mum says in response, Kyle suggests that Shane is shy which causes his mum to laugh as she says: "Oh sweetie...we need to get you out more" - Kyle rolls his eyes as he too makes a move inside declaring his need for a break as his father and brother continue to bicker, this time over the "correct way to sheer a sheep" and Kyle's brother stating that he thinks Kyle's dad "does it wrong".

Kyle heads inside to find Shane talking with Alexander Hunter, who is sat on the couch playing a wrestling game on the Xbox, they are discussing various wrestling topics until Kyle walks in telling Alexander to "Put the controller down" - Shane quickly changes the subject and says out loud how awkward everything seems to be however Kyle says: "That's country life for you city man, it's slower out here sure but it's very methodical" Alexander asks about the shearing but Kyle just shrugs him off - Shane then gets out his tablet and connects to the internet, he logs onto the Hunter Network to see if there's anything nearby that could count as a case as it's clear to everyone around him that country life isn't for the "city man" Shane, after a while he finds a case that peaks his interest: "Here we go boys, a woman was found by police divers out near Castletown Beach, says her the vic was supposedly last seen defending her son from a quote on quote strange man in a sailor outfit however this has been unconfirmed, what is confirmed is that she drowned" Shane then sighs after reading this and sarcastically says: "It's all Sunshine and rainbows out here isn't it boys?" he then asks a follow up question: "Do either of you know Castletown?" this prompts Kyle to reply with a simple: "Aye" Alexander tells Shane to shut up before adding: "Castletown is up north...pretty decent chippy it has to be said...they have a Heritage Centre too for the history buffs" Shane is quick to volunteer himself for this mission and even states that he wants to go there immediately - Kyle decides to tag along in an attempt to keep an eye on Shane, despite his mum re-emerging to say that the farm comes first, this causes Kyle to nominate Alexander who looks somewhat surprised and confused at the proposition of becoming a farmhand for the day as Shane and Kyle pack up their hunting equipment yet again, as well as their "Agency" suits, and get into Kyle's small red car as they head to Castletown.

As they arrive at Castletown, Shane and Kyle park up and walk down the street discussing the case: "What do you think we're dealing with?" Shane asks his friend, wanting to theorize however Kyle cuts him off by saying: "I think you're getting ahead of yourself" Shane then counters back by saying: "Look, we both know there's something weird going on out here" he then says in a hushed voice however Kyle points out that: "Not everything is supernatural, some people are just batshit crazy" Shane looks at him with a puzzled, yet understanding, expression on his face but continues to listen to him - "I mean, what if this is just some homeless guy with a costume?" he says in an attempt to provide a more realistic possibility however Shane interjects and says: "Does this look like Scooby Doo to you?" as he points at his suit. The pair then argue back and forth about the situation at hand as they walk into the local tourist information centre and ask the lady behind the counter if she has any information on the family who was attacked, she doesn't at first however she then leads them to the desk of a man called Mr. Johnson, the boss of the tourist information centre, who reveals that he does indeed have some information on the case - Mr. Johnson is a very enthusiastic man who wears a Scottish tartan kilt and talks very quickly about everything, he begins by talking about how he met Niall and his family: "They moved from Inverness, looking for a new lease of life - young Niall (the son) is very interested in the supernatural...he kept asking me about it actually, I guess I never really understood it though" - "Can I get a first name please Mr. Johnson?" Shane asks professionally as he jots down notes, Mr. Johnson replies with "Tristan" which causes Kyle to sigh heavily in disappointment for no particular reason as he still firmly believes this case isn't a true case. Shane continues with the questions regardless as he gives Kyle a backwards glance: "How do you know the family?" he asks Tristan, who sits forward slightly: "I have a fishing boat...they helped me keep it going during the credit crunch...I bought it from a local fisherman years ago, he was having trouble keeping it going as well" - "Do you know where he is now?" Kyle asks, almost mentally begging to get this encounter over and done with so they can head back home. "He's dead" Tristan replies solemnly as he shakes his head. "Really?" Shane asks in disbelief. "Aye he drowned a couple of years ago..." Tristan says quietly - Shane carelessly continues to press with more questions: "Do you have a name? It maybe important" he says. Tristan begins to feel overwhelmed at this point so stands up and says: "Aye...his name was James Smith" Shane looks at Kyle with a smirk as he holds up his phone triumphantly for no reason and says: "Check mate!" however before Kyle can say anything, Tristan gives a quizzical look to Shane: "Please tell me you aren't suggesting a dead guy killed Niall's mother?" this causes Shane to go red with embarrasment like he's been rumbled and Kyle laughs in response, Shane quickly recovers himself though and says: "We're just following up some leads...please just continue" he says before Tristan continues with his story: "The whole family was out on the beach the day she died, she got dragged into the water by some guy in a sailor's outfit, some low life scum that I hope burns in hell...that's about all I know really...I don't even know where they live...it's been years since I saw them." - Shane thanks him for his help and tells him they'll probably be in touch before he exits the building with Kyle.

Shane can be seen in a very smug mood upon exiting the tourist information centre: "I told you it was supernatural, dead guy killing people...thats a ghost to me Mr. Macleod" however Kyle isn't convinced: "Dead guy. Maybe. How do you know this isn't just some guy murdering people after he faked his death?" only to be met with a rebutle by Shane: "Do sailors normally do that kind of thing? Maybe in the 1700s but surely not in the 2020s..." causing Kyle to sigh: "You clearly never saw Scooby Doo with Captain Cutler then." Shane rolls his eyes at his friend sarcasm as the two walk down the street, Shane suggests they go talk to Niall and his sister Kelly who are looking after the family home as their dad recovers from the strange attack the other night - however before they can leave, a police car pulls up and a policeman steps out: "Are you guys here about the case?" he asks. "Aye" Shane replies as he continues to act like an experienced investigator as he pulls out his "ID" - the policeman introduces himself as PC Maitland and invites them into his car to talk about the case further as they both get into the seats of the car, Shane gets in the front as he's the most interested - as he gets in, Kyle notices his girlfriend Maria is in town as she can be seen walking down the street towards them and can be heard talking to herself as her brunette locks wave in the wind causing Kyle to tell Shane and PC Maitland: "You boys report your findings back to me...something just came up, I'll be two seconds" he then exits the car and runs over to Maria who is now standing by her own car as Shane shrugs before turning his attention to Maitland, a professional looking cop with a stubbled beard. "So tell me what you know about the case" Shane says in his most serious voice he can muster.

Elsewhere, the boat known as Halcyon sits quietly on the country road near the Heritage Centre - Niall can then be seen coming out of some bushes as he attempts to loot a forensics tent in a desparate state of mind in order to retrieve some of his mother's belongings from inside it - as he continues to open boxes inside the tent, he discovers a note pad that is used for logging information regarding the cases at hand - he is hooked by this and becomes almost instantly obssessed with reading through it all as he frantically flicks through pages of notes regarding the cases of "Victims" possibly making Niall's mother part of a long list of cold case drowning victims - Niall then arrives at a page containing a picture of his mother which makes him start to cry, he closes his eyes and weeps - after a short while, he continues to do so before noticing his own breath, like the air around him just went ice cold (despite it being summer) he turns around to see the "Sailor Man" as the police cliffnotes call him standing there in front of him, he quickly takes out his phone and films him however the phone merely picks up a mist like figure rather than an actual human shape - this revelation causes Niall to trip over thus contaminating some of the found evidence in his panicked frenzy, he is soon grabbed from behind by another figure - this figure is wearing clothes similar to that of what his late mother was wearing when the Sailor Man killed her, Niall screams at it as he tries to break free of its grasp however this causes his phone to fall from his hands and land on the ground, shattering into pieces and rendering it useless - as the figure tries to get a good look at a squirming Niall.

Back in the police car, Shane and PC Maitland discuss the case: "Do your records know a sailor by the name of James Smith from say...the....1950s?" Shane asks, still attempting to keep up appearances. "James Smith? No that doesn't ring a bell...but we do have records of a James Smith drowning off the coast of Castletown Beach in 1958" Shane becomes shocked at this new revelation: "What happened? or at least What's the story?" PC Maitland begins to talk: "Well as far as we know, a man named James Smith drowned himself off the coast of Castletown Beach in 1958, we believe it was due to a storm that washed him away after he tripped and fell out of his boat due to it being slippery under foot - his body was never recovered" Shane nods at this: "Was Mr.Smith an angry individual?" PC Maitland pauses for a few seconds before answering: "We don't know...it was before our time." Shane thinks to himself for a moment before asking PC Maitland a follow up question: "So what do you know about the present day victims? Other than they drowned" the cop ponders this for a moment before replying: "We don't know much about them unfortunately, the husband's injuries are not life threatening as far as we can tell...he is currently under observation at hospital" - "Have you tried talking to the husband?" Shane asks - "Yeah we have, but he's in a pretty bad way" - Shane nods his head: "And what of this Niall?" the cop replies with "He's a smart kid...he's taken a few days off work because of everything that's happened however he's also very paranoid about his mum's death and that this "Sailor Man" may come for him next or something...as for the mother, we found some of her belongings on her when we recovered the vic...put them in a forensics tent near that Halcyon boat." - Shane is intrigued at this point however before he can ask anymore questions, an alert comes through the system that motion detectors (a security measure for certain crime scenes with no regular police presence) at the forensics tent are going off: "Shit...we have an issue" Maitland says unprofessionally as he is flustered by this sudden event - "Fancy coming?" He asks Shane who nods his head in agreement, the two speed off in the car as Kyle looks on in what appears to be relief as he chats to Maria.

Maria looks at her boyfriend with her blue eyes that could light up a room and says: "Didn't know your other job was working with the police" she nudges his arm "How exciting!" she exclaims - Kyle can't help but laugh at her excitement before trying to justify his presence: "They're not just my friends you know, they are colleagues...the case we're working is pretty graphic, lots of paperwork and forensics..." he says, trying to explain himself - Maria takes his hand and squeezes it tight before saying: "I know hon, I'm just teasing you silly! You seem so busy lately but I understand you need to keep working, I know how important it is for you...both the farm you have and your new job...D.I. Macleod at Caithness' service" as she pretends to salute him, this causes Kyle to blush as he knows deep down that he would give up everything for her if it came to it - Maria kisses him passionately as the two share a tender moment before Kyle begins to stutter as if to try and break what he thinks is a bit of an awkward moment as he pretends to react to something on his phone: "Look, I've got to go, they've called me in for a breach at the crime scene...it's probably nothing though but the evidence can't be tampered with...I'll text you later" Maria looks concerned and grabs Kyle by the arm as he tries to leave: "Wait babe, do you want me to come with you?" Kyle smiles and hugs her, telling her he'll be fine and that she should go and enjoy her night out and that her friends are probably wondering where she is right now, he does this awkwardly however she looks at the time on her phone and agrees before getting into her car and driving off leaving Kyle to breathe a sigh of relief, his detective facade working as Maria has no idea that he isn't one but IS indeed a hunter, like Shane and Alexander.

As Maitland pulls up, the two exit the vehicle cautiously, Maitland pulls out his taser out of pre-caution and tells Shane to stay behind him before entering the tent - the motion detectors in the tent begin to beep aggressively as they approach the tent however this noise stops suddenly when they enter the tent, it's dark inside however a strange misty figure can be seen standing in the corner of the tent, Maitland shoots his taser at the figure but it has no effect on it whatsoever, Shane goes to retrieve his backpack however Maitland tells him not too: "Leave it...we have to stay calm...play it's game as it were" - The figure slowly begins to move towards Maitland who begins to step backwards however it never gets any closer, it just remains eerily still as if observing him, Shane looks at the misty figure from behind Maitland and gives it a quizzical look to see if he can determine any features in its appearance - Maitland notices this and tells Shane: "Stay focused mate, don't fall for his tricks" - the two step backwards until they are completely out of the tent however the figure stays inside of it, once it realises they are gone, it disappears - Maitland goes to call for backup however the pair are jumped by the "Sailor Man" who materializes in aggressive fashion and throws Maitland across the grass with incredible strength, he falls onto his back and hits his head hard as he watches his attacker stand over him, Shane runs over to him as Maitland bleeds from his head, the Sailor Man turns around and looks at Shane, the two glare at each other as they both begin to circle around one another: "Can you speak?" Shane asks the Sailor Man with a tone that shows a lack of fear in his voice, he is met with a snarl from the Sailor Man who proceeds to use some kind of telekenesis to launch Shane across the grass too, he lands eerily close to Halcyon which sits there idlely - Shane sits up, wincing in pain as he notices Maitland is now unconscious - Shane tries to get up however the Sailor Man jumps on him and uses his powerful grip to choke him, Shane desperately tries to break free but to no avail, he feels himself losing consciousness before Kyle comes from nowhere with a tyre iron and smashes the Sailor Man with it causing him to disappear once again - Kyle then grabs Shane and helps him up as they both run over to Maitland who is now beginning to wake up: "Jesus christ I think you just saved my life" Shane says in disbelief as Kyle ignores this and begins to inspect Maitland's head: "It's bleeding badly, I think we need to get him to A&E" Kyle says.

Shane checks the tent as Maitland lies unconscious and Kyle performs basic first aid to the officer, Shane finds that it has been ransacked, presumably by Niall earlier who has left a trail of dirty footprints leading to the Heritage Centre, also in the tent are many of Niall's mothers belongings that were on her person at the time of her unfortunate demise at the hands of the Sailor Man - Shane discovers three items of importance: her engagement ring, a watch and a piece of jewellery that reads "To my lovely daughter Kelly" Shane then reads a report from the coroner which can be found next to the evidence detailing how she was murdered by drowning after being held down by someone "much stronger than her" and someone that seemed "almost mist like and transparent according to Niall and Kelly" thus confirming that the Sailor Man is a Ghost - Shane exits the tent and joins Kyle at Maitland's side: "Alright?" Kyle asks Shane. "Yeah...we've got a ghost on our hands" Shane replies - Kyle nods like he knew all along and asks Maitland if he can cordon off the area so the two hunters can conduct a "private investigation" promising to send over a report once they are done - Maitland seems to understand as he drives away in his police car after Shane grabs the hunting equipment the pair packed earlier on Kyle's farm - They start their investigation with an EMF sweep to see if any other paranormal entities (other than the Sailor Man) are present, they discover that there is an extremely high EMF reading near the water's edge however nothing else is present, at the same time Kyle can be seen inspecting the Halcyon, it is a rusting white boat however it is unclear what it was used for as it is nothing more than a white shell at this point after years of abandonement, Shane soon walks over with the EMF meter and explains to Kyle what Maitland told him: "James Smith, that's who last owned this boat...according to police records, he drowned a few miles off Castletown Beach in 1958 after falling out of said boat during a storm and his body was never discovered yet the boat was - he would use take this boat out (when it was in better condition) to get away from it all as it were" Shane says - Kyle nods at this before asking: "What happened to it?" referring to it's battered state - Shane thinks for a moment before answering: "That's anyone's guess but it was in pretty bad shape when it was found so I think it might have been vandalised after Smithy died...which would explain he is possessed if this Sailor Man truly is him - what do you make of the boat?" Shane asks, eager for his friend's opinion: "It's old...very old" Kyle replies with, unsure of what else to say - Shane nods his head in agreement as he pats Kyle on the back - "Right then I'll do...." something catches Shane's attention "....a sweep" he pats Kyle on the shoulder as if to say turn around as a soaked female figure (identical to the one that held Niall back from the Sailor Man in the forensics tent) can be seen observing the two hunters from a short distance away - "Kyle...get the spirit box" Shane says as Kyle retrieves the device from the bag of equipment, he the turns it on allowing Shane to ask: "Why are you observing us?" Shane asks the female figure as it begins to move towards them before it disappears into the air like smoke - Shane continues with: "Who are you?" however his questions are met with nothing but silence. "Do you know Niall?" Kyle asks, trying to establish some form of communication with the ghost as a ghostly female whispers emits from the spirit box: "Yes" - "Here's mother" Kyle says tensely as he attempts to communicate with the ghost - "Tell us where Niall is" Shane says sternly - "Niall is in danger" the ghostly whisper says, this causes Kyle to ask: "Where is he?" but his question is met with no reply from the ghost - Kyle turns off the spirit box and asks Shane: "What do we do?" Shane thinks for a moment before pointing to the Heritage Centre: "It's worth a shot right?"

Kyle nods his head before they both walk over to the centre, they attempt to open the door but it is locked shut - "Great" Shane says sarcastically before a faint knocking noise can be heard from behind the door, this causes them both to look at one another with confusion plastered onto their faces, they then both hear footsteps followed by a key turning in the door as it is opened slightly, Kyle steps inside followed by Shane who closes the door behind him as they see Niall sitting on the floor with his back to them, he appears to be shivering and sobbing whilst holding his mothers necklace that was stolen from the forensics tent in his panic, he doesn't hear them approach - they are stopped in their approach very quickly by the ghost of Niall's mother, her soaked appearance is very disturbing as she towers over them: "You're not going to take him too are you?" she asks in a broken voice - Shane and Kyle don't answer her question as she repeats herself: "You're not going to take him too are you?" - Shane shakes his head: "No, we want to help" he replies simply - The ghost seems satisfied by this answer as she moves past them towards her son, they are both surprised when she reaches out to him however her hand doesn't go through him and she manages to stroke his head gently before embracing him into an almost hug before she looks at them - both Kyle and Shane are astounded by this: "Family bond can be a strong thing" Kyle ponders in amazement, however this is interrupted as a scream can be heard from outside - The ghost looks at them in alarm as she vanishes into thin air, Shane quickly rushes outside where he finds Maitland lying unconscious on the grass: "Maitland!" he exclaims as Kyle stays behind with Niall - Kyle introduces himself to Niall however Niall is still panicked by the events that have unfolded and begins to have a panic attack: "Hey, it's alright...everything's fine" Kyle says in an attempt to calm him down - Niall is not convinced at this, his tone is shaky: "No...it's not, the Sailor Man isn't happy...he said to me I'm next...that I'm next!" Niall panics - Kyle holds Niall tight and tells him to breathe, he does this calmly and slowly as Niall eventually calms down before looking around nervously as if he is being watched, he spots a figure in the distance however it vanishes quickly before Niall can say anything - Kyle asks him: "Did he say anything else to you?" however Niall denies this, he becomes more distressed however: "Look, I know you're scared but your mother is with you and so are we, ok?" Kyle assures him before asking him: "When you we're exploring the boat whilst coming here that night...did you make contact with the boat, scratch it for example?" Niall nods his head causing Kyle to think before speaking once again after a long pause: "Do you know the story of the Death of James Smith?" Niall nods his head once again and even elaborates the story, showing off his fascination in the Supernatural: "Sources say that because he wasn't found, he roams the land near his boat guarding it like a prized possession as it's what ties him to the world and if anyone tries to move it or investigate his death, he will kill them AND their family...his boat is all that's left of his life and if it's moved or investigated...he will kill you all" Niall says as if he had memorized it - Kyle nods at this.

Outside, Shane can be seen approaching Maitland however James Smith appears and stands between the officer and Shane, he glares at Shane who tells him that he means no harm: "Mate...I'm sorry for what you had to go through but killing everyone that wants to help you isn't going to help" putting his hands up in defense as he takes a step backwards - "It's not you that I'm afraid for" Smith says in a harsh whispery tone - Shane seems surprised that he can speak without the need of a Spirit Box however he keeps a straight face: "Oh...well that's nice" - Smith smiles at this before asking: "Are you a believer?" Shane doesn't know how to answer this question, he just nods his head in response - "The truth is I've been a believer since I was a kid, my mother was a believer...and now look at me, stood her talking to your vengeful ass" Shane says with a small chuckle - Smith looks at him confused as if he had no idea what he was talking about before asking: "My ass is vengeful?" causing Shane to chuckle and say: "Oh wait, you're from the 50's you wouldn't understand..." - Smith seems angry at this and lunges at Shane however he is quickly stopped as he is bound by an unseen force, he is frozen in place as Niall's mother re-emerges and grabs the ghost causing Shane to run inside to Kyle and Niall: "Kyle, did we bring any matches?" he asks hurridly - "Yes but why?" Kyle asks confused, "Burning and Salting procedure, if we can't burn and salt Smith's remains - we're gonna have to burn something else....it's a stab in the dark but say we burn the boat, it might help him move on" Shane says like he's speaking in a single breath - Kyle seems to understand as he volunteers to do it, he carries a small box of matches and replaces his suit with a more comfortable leather jacket and jeans as he runs like his life depended on it out of the centre to the Halcyon, seeing where Kyle is running to causes Smith to scream as he disappears from Niall's mothers grasp.

Niall's mother walks silently back into the centre and approaches her son: "Niall, I need you to be strong for me...me and the Sailor Man share a strange connection because of what happened and when that boat goes up, I will too...just know this..." ghostly tears begin to form as Niall also begins to sob as his mother becomes a solid form one more time before saying: "I love you, remember that always...and stay strong for me" before vanishing - Niall collapses to the ground sobbing as Shane embraces him in a hug however, in a twist, Niall knocks him out and charges after Kyle and the ghost of James Smith, armed with the tyre iron that Kyle brought with him and a bucket - Maitland tries to get in the way of Niall however he is knocked back as well.

At the boat, Kyle lights a match as Smith materializes: "Oh...you're one ugly motherfucker" Kyle says to the ghost in a very cold way - "Burn it all, give it hell" Smith says as if he's taunting the hunter - Kyle stares at him angrily before throwing the match into the boat as it goes up in flames, James Smith roars in pain however a bucket of water is thrown over the fire thus extinguishing it immediately causing Smith to reappear as he laughs, Kyle looks over at Niall in rage: "What did you just fucking do?" he snaps at Niall who ignores him as he dumps the bucket into the sea: "I'm saving my mother" he announces causing Kyle to approach him in a very quick manner, he rubs his own head as if trying to compose himself: "You'd let Smith live as well? He won't stop, he's not even him anymore" Kyle says trying to reason with the naive Niall - Niall seems to ignore him and tackles him to the floor as a struggle ensues, Smith's ghost looks on with a morbid amusement however Kyle quickly overpowers Niall and pins him to the ground as the latter begins to rant: "What would you do to save your mother? What would you do? WHAT? TELL ME" he screams at Kyle.

Kyle's grip tightens on Niall's shoulders, his face twisted with a mixture of anger and desperation to get Niall out of this desperate state - "I would do anything," he grits out through clenched teeth, his voice strained. "But this won't save her. Letting Smith continue his warped path won't bring her back...I'm sorry, I truly am but she's gone..." Niall's eyes blaze with a fiery determination as he pushes against Kyle's hold. "You don't understand! You don't know what it's like to watch someone you love suffer, to see them fade away. I won't let her be taken by that monster!" His voice quivers with a mix of sorrow and defiance as Kyle's grip falters slightly, his gaze softening as he meets Niall's desperate gaze. "I've lost loved ones too, Niall...we all have, whether that be a pet, a close friend or even a family member, it's put you through hell and I should know, I've been through hell, and I know what it feels like to want to save them at any cost. But there's a difference between saving and being selfish like you just we're...Doing something for someone else because it's right is selfless but doing something just for you is Selfish." - Niall's struggles lessen, his expression reflecting a mix of confusion and exhaustion. "What do you mean?" only for Kyle to respond "Not letting Halcyon go up in flames was selfish, as callus as that sounds, you think saving Smith will save your mother, but it won't. It won't bring her back, not properly and it won't bring you peace, trust me I know how ghosts work...It'll only perpetuate the cycle of violence and vengeance. You have to find another way, Niall. A way that doesn't consume your soul like dealing with freaks like that ghost over there did to mine."

Niall's eyes glisten with unshed tears as he takes in Kyle's words, the weight of his actions sinking in. "But... I don't know what to do anymore. I'm scared... I'm scared of losing her." Kyle's grip loosens completely, and he slowly rises to his feet, helping Niall up with him. "I understand your fear, Niall. But we're in this together. We'll find another way, a way to help your mother move on and put an end to Smith's torment. But we won't do it by becoming just like him." Niall's shoulders slump, and he nods, a mix of resignation and determination crossing his face. "Okay, Kyle. I'll trust you. Let's find another way." With an understanding nod, Kyle puts a hand on Niall's shoulder, the two of them turning their attention towards the daunting task ahead. The boat lies forgotten while James Smith's ghost watches them intently, the morbid amusement replaced by a flicker of uncertainty as Kyle's mood changes: "I hope you know Niall, there isn't another way..." Kyle says under his breath, his eyes shining with an unspoken emotion, Niall subtely nods as Kyle throws the rest of the matches into the boat before lighting one and doing the same, Smith is livid at this turn of events causing the ghost to charge at Niall however the burning of the boat (Smith's most prized possession) causes the ghost of James Smith to combust into flames, dispatching him as he screams in agony, his agonizing screams echoing across the beaches, cliffs and beyond, finally coming to a stop as the ghost disappears into nothing - Niall collapses to the ground sobbing in relief as he begins to reminisce about his mother, he looks over at Kyle who sits beside him near the flaming boat, embers signify the journey just experienced as the ocean waters crash against the shoreline.

They are soon joined by Shane and PC Maitland who arrive from down the road in Maitland's car: "We saw the flames from the car" Shane says sombrely as he pats Niall on the shoulder and sits beside him: "So what now then?" he asks no one in particular which doesn't get a response from any of the men. Maitland leans against the car door, sighing heavily as the others all sit on the ground looking up at the clear night sky. The ocean waves crash against the shoreline rhythmically as the tide comes in, Maitland breaks the silence as he offers everyone a ride back into town: "Well I guess this is where I drop you lot off then?" he says in a playful tone - "Sounds good mate" Shane says standing up from his place on the ground as Niall follows suit along with Kyle, on the drive back into Castletown - Shane asks Niall: "Will you be ok?" Niall nods his head and looks out of the window at the view passing them by: "Yeah...I think so" he replies before resting his head against the window of the car.

Once they arrive at Niall's house, Niall bids the three farewell and rejoins his sister Kelly, who is just coming off the phone to the hospital, a bright smile emits from her as she says to Niall: "Dad's gonna be coming home tomorrow!" - Niall smiles in return and hugs her before giving her the necklace he took from the tent earlier - "I may have took this from a forensics tent but the officer says I can have it...as long as I go to court to explain my actions" Kelly facepalms in the heat of the moment but forgives Niall as the two embrace emotionally.

PC Maitland then drops off Shane and Kyle next to Kyle's small red car and bids them farewell, Shane then asks Kyle about why he was being so cagey earlier which causes Kyle to explain to Shane that his girlfriend Maria was in town and he's trying to keep his hunter life separate from his normal life, hence why he tried to convince Shane that the hunt they we're working wasn't a hunt at all as they proceed to get in Kyle's car and drive away as heavy rock music blasts from the car speakers much to Shane's annoyance as he doesn't like rock music that much, as they drive away Kyle wonders how Alexander got on as a farm hand - when they get back to Kyle's farm, they find Alexander out cold and sprawled on the couch, dirt and sheep's wool everywhere - "Guess we know how he spent his day then" - Shane jests - Kyle shakes his head in agreement as he heads upstairs to his bedroom leaving Shane to sort out the living room: "Hang on Kyle, you aren't leaving me to clean this up are you?" Shane calls up the stairs - "Yep" Kyle replies from the top of the stairs as he ascends to his bedroom as Shane sighs to himself: "Maybe, City life isn't too bad after all" Shane chuckles to himself.

The next morning, Shane can be seen departing Kyle's farm and heading back on his few hundred mile trip back to Lincoln City, he thanks Kyle and his family for their hospitality - "No problem" Kyle replies in an exhausted tone: "Well I best be off, I have a long journey back home" Shane says after this simple exchange. "See you around" Alexander says as he almost misses Shane's departure, the taxi Shane ordered becoming a spec in the distance as the journey home begins.

## Characters

* Shane
* Kyle Macleod
* Alexander Hunter
* Maria Murray
* James Smith
* Niall