
A lone explorer sets out for the farthest island off Maine’s craggy coast, chasing the simple thrill of stepping where no one else has. The cove’s glass‑like waters and silent rocks feel as though time itself has paused, letting the sailor linger in a place that seems untouched by the world’s rush. As he pushes past tangled foliage and a barbed‑wire fence, the landscape shifts from wild shoreline to a neatly kept garden that feels oddly out of place.
There, a modest white cottage stands under a lone radio antenna, its porch framed by a neatly mowed lawn. An elderly woman in a lace‑trimmed dress emerges, followed by a young girl in a crisp white silk dress, both moving with a calm that contrasts the island’s raw nature. Their presence hints at a lingering secret, a quiet life that has somehow persisted while the rest of the world rushed on. The encounter promises a puzzling blend of nostalgia and mystery, inviting listeners to wonder what stories linger behind that unassuming door.
Language
en
Duration
~53 minutes (51K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Weeks, Mary Meehan and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Release date
2016-01-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1910–1992
A master of fantasy, horror, and science fiction, he helped shape modern genre fiction with sharp wit, dark imagination, and unforgettable adventurers like Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. His work ranged from sword-and-sorcery classics to eerie urban tales, earning lasting praise from generations of readers.
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