The Fog

11:55...

...almost midnight.

Enough time for one more story...

...one more story before twelve...

...just to keep us warm.

In five minutes...

...it will be the 21st of April.

One hundred years ago, on the 21st of April...

...out on the waters around Spivey Point...

...a small clipper ship drew toward land.

Suddenly, out of the night, the fog rolled in.

For a moment, they could see nothing...

...not a foot ahead of them.

Then they saw a light.

By God, it was a fire burning on the shore...

...strong enough to penetrate the swirling mist.

They steered a course toward the light...

...but it was a campfire like this one.

The ship crashed against the rocks.

The hull sheared in two.

The mast snapped like a twig...

...and the wreckage sank...

...with all the men aboard.

At the bottom of the sea lay the Elizabeth Dane...

...with her crew, their lungs filled with salt water...

...their eyes open and staring into the darkness.

And above, as suddenly as it had come...

...the fog lifted, receded back across the ocean...

...and never came again.

But it is told by the fishermen...

...and their fathers and grandfathers...

...that when the fog returns to Antonio Bay...

...the men at the bottom of the sea...

...out in the water by Spivey Point...

...will rise up...

...and search for the campfire...

...that led them to their dark...

...and icy death.

Twelve o'clock...

...the 21st of April.

It's twelve midnight, and we just started the little witching hour.

This is Stevie Wayne, on top of the world tonight.

And I'll be here right up until about 1:00.

I'm all through, Father.

Oh, thank you, Bennett.

Uh... I won't need you until 4:00 tomorrow, Bennett.

Yes, sir.

Would you like something to keep you warm on the way home?

No, thank you. Father, can I get paid?

Why don't you come in at, uh, 6:00 instead of 4:00 tomorrow?

Yes, sir.

Uh, Bennett?

Bennett?

Bennett?

Hello?

Uh...

It's 59 degrees outside.

And let me be the first to wish Antonio Bay a happy birthday.

We're 100 years old today.

The weatherman's been trying to spoil it for us.

He says we may be in for some rain tonight. But from where I'm sitting...

...it looks like clear skies.

I think the weatherman's been working too hard.

Well, I'll stay here for another hour just to see if he's right.

And I'm inviting you to stay here with me.

Uh, there's a cutter run aground over here on the east bay, over.

Global 1x5.

It's the Lady Belle Pacific, serial number 024KL596. Over.

Global 1x5, the Lady Belle Pacific is sea worthy, no major damage.

Why don't you send a tow on over here, about a quarter mile above the boatel? Over.

This is KAB, Antonio Bay, California.

Six minutes after midnight.

Haven't heard from the weatherman yet, so I can't say for sure about that rain...

...but there's a full moon and no clouds in the sky.

I'm Stevie Wayne. And if you don't have anything to do right now...

...I'll be here playing music all through the witching hour.

Even if you do have something to do, keep me turned on for a while...

...and I'll try my best to do the same for you.

Okay.

- Hi. - Hi.

- How far you going? - Other side of town.

That's close enough.

- Make it? - Yeah. Thank you.

Sip?

Thanks.

Listen, I never hitchhiked before.

I just really want to be careful.

- Can I ask you something? - Sure.

Are you weird?

Yes, I am.

- Yes, I am weird. Yes. - You are weird. Thank God you're weird.

The last one I had was so normal, it was disgusting.

He picked me up in Santa Barbara.

By the time we got to Carmel he wanted to marry me.

Oh, yeah. I thought you never hitchhiked before.

Not before last week.

You're my...

...13th ride.

Oh, great. Weird and unlucky.

We'll see.

Look out!

- Are you all right? You're sure? - I'm fine. I'm fine. I think so.

What the hell was...

It's exactly twelve minutes after midnight...

- ...and this is Stevie Wayne. - Let's get out of here.

...about one o'clock.

I'm high tonight in the KAB lighthouse on Spivey Point.

And in case you've forgotten, it's April 21st.

And a happy birthday for Antonio Bay.

Now, there's a celebration planned for tonight.

So if you're so excited about it you can't sleep...

...well, stay up with me...

...and I'll figure out some way to keep you occupied.

Or not.

- KAB. - Hi, sweetheart.

Hi, Dan. What have you got?

I'm just calling to see if you're lonely, if there's anything I can do about it.

Never lonely, Dan. I thought you were off work at 8:00.

I changed shifts so I can make it to the big party tonight. Will you be there?

Well... until I can talk someone else into giving up city life for Antonio Bay...

- ...I'm it. And "it" means day and night. - Too much work.

Well, that's what I get for owning a station. And if you don't tell me why you called...

...in about 15 seconds, I'm gonna have to hang up on you.

- You want something to talk about? - Anything.

I've got a position on a trawler about, ooh, 15 miles out...

...called the Sea Grass.

And I've got something on my scope, appears to be a fog bank.

Oh, it's about 25 miles out, moving in their direction.

Thanks, Dan. That's worth about 10 seconds.

I'm on the air. Bye.

Ahoy, maties. This is KAB, Antonio Bay.

Stevie Wayne here beaming a signal across the sea.

To the men of the Sea Grass, 15 miles out tonight...

...a warm hello, and keep a watch out for that fog bank...

...heading in from the east.

In the meantime, relax with me...

...while I play this song from the Coupe DeVilles...

...dedicated just to you.

- Boy, would I like to meet her. - I saw her at a grocery store one day.

- And? - You would like to meet her.

She's crazy. There's no fog bank out there.

What do you know about her?

- She owns that lighthouse. - I know that.

Her son plays little league with my kid brother.

- She's a mother? - I thought you were happily married.

- Not that happy. - There's no fog bank out there.

Hey.

There's a fog bank out there.

All right. I'm drunk enough.

Let's go back.

All right, all right.

Al, come here.

- Just give him a hand. - Come here.

What was that?

Come here.

What was that?

It's the generator.

Wha... wha...

Al.

- It's gone. - Hey.

- There was just a ship out there. - Al, listen.

- Nothing. - Listen.

Who's there?

Who is that?

Al!

Al, it's right beside us.

It's big, Al.

It's a ship.

It's a big ship!

What happened? Did you get wet?

It's 12:43...

...and I've got 4 in a row for you right here on KAB.

Nothing but water, Stevie.

But it sure beats Chicago.

KAB.

I like what you said, but for your information, you lied.

The fog bank has moved due west and probably missed the ship entirely.

Well, my gauges must be wrong. I've got a wind blowing due east.

- What kind of a fog blows against the wind? - You got me.

I'm not so sure I want you. You're just a voice on the phone.

And you're just a voice on the radio. We'd make a perfect couple.

You let me take you to dinner tonight, I'll prove it to you.

Sorry, Dan. My idea of perfection is a voice on the phone.

Okay, mystery lady.

- Good night. - Good night.

Not bad.

I started a week ago in San Diego...

...right up the coast, five drawings a day.

It'll probably take me a month to get to Vancouver...

...and if I can sell 'em for 5 bucks apiece, I'll be rich.

Yeah.

- Can I ask you something? - Sure.

What's your name?

- Elizabeth. - Nick.

- Hello, Nick. - Hi.

Is that where you're from, San Diego?

Wait a minute. You said, "Can I ask you something?"

Well, something to me means one thing. San Diego is two things.

Okay.

Pasadena...