The Lantern That Waited | Boomerverse Yarn #004

The Original Boomer was walking back to camp just after dark when he spotted an old lantern glowing out in the scrub. That was odd for two reasons. First, there was nobody else meant to be anywhere near the Gateway. Second, the lantern wasn’t swinging like someone was carrying it. It was just… waiting. Boomer stopped, squinted at it, and muttered, “If this is one of those nights, I haven’t had enough coffee for it.” The lantern moved. Not fast. Just a few steps deeper into the bush. Then it stopped again. So naturally, Boomer followed it. The light led him past a dead tree, over a dry gully and up to a patch of bare earth ringed with old stones. The lantern settled in the middle of it, glowing brighter, as if it had brought him there on purpose. Boomer looked around. Nothing. No person. No tracks. No sound. Only the light. Then he noticed something half-buried beside one of the stones — a dented old biscuit tin. He crouched down, brushed off the dirt and opened it. Inside was nothing but three rusted fishing hooks, a smooth black pebble and a note so faded he could only make out two words: NOT YET Boomer stared at the note for a long moment, then at the lantern. “Well that clears up absolutely nothing.” A cold breeze passed through the clearing. The lantern went out. Boomer looked up. It was gone. No footsteps. No smoke. No sound. Just darkness and the tin in his hands. By morning, the black pebble had vanished too. Boomer still has the hooks. He says they’ve never caught a fish. But he won’t throw them away.