The fisherman woke early, as he always did. Dawn hung over the sea, the air cool and damp, the waves whispering promises of a good catch. He prepared his gear, checked his boat, and was about to set out when his gaze caught on something odd along the rocky shore.
At first, he thought it was just a large crate or a discarded container washed up by the tide. But the closer he got, the tighter the knot of unease grew in his chest. Before him lay a coffinold, metal, rusted, and tangled with seaweed, as if it had drifted for years before finally landing here.
“Bloody hell,” the fisherman muttered, glancing around. The beach was empty, save for the crashing waves and the cries of gulls. His first instinct was to leave it and call the police, but curiosity won out. Crouching cautiously, he examined the coffin.
A small, corroded latch clung to the lid. One sharp tug was all it took to break it free.
His heart pounded as he slowly lifted the heavy lidand what he saw made him freeze.
Inside lay human remainsbones, scraps of fabric that might once have been clothing, and blackened metal fittings eaten away by salt and time.
Staggering back, he covered his mouth with his hand. For several seconds, he could only stare, unable to believe what hed found.
Later, when the experts arrived, they estimated the coffin was nearly a century oldlikely lost at sea after some long-forgotten shipwreck. Currents and storms had carried it for decades before finally washing it ashore.
Word spread quickly through the village. People whispered about the seas dark secret and the fate of the poor soul inside. For the fisherman, it was the strangest day of his life.
It was as if the sea itself had chosen to reveal an old, buried mystery, hidden deep in time.
