Friday

The Last Light on Beacon Hill

The storm arrived without warning.

One moment, the sky above Beacon Hill was pale and quiet; the next, it roared like a wild animal set free. Rain battered the village rooftops, wind howled through the narrow streets, and waves crashed angrily against the cliffs below.

From her bedroom window, twelve-year-old Eliza watched the lighthouse beam struggle against the darkness.

Beacon Hill Lighthouse had guarded the coast for over a hundred years. Eliza’s grandfather used to say it was the village’s heartbeat — as long as its light shone, sailors could find their way home.

But tonight, something was wrong.

The beam flickered.

Once.

Twice.

Then vanished.

Eliza’s stomach twisted. Without the lighthouse, ships would be blind in the storm.

She grabbed her coat.

“Where are you going?” her mother called, worry etched across her face.

“To the lighthouse,” Eliza shouted over the wind. “The light’s gone out!”

Her mother hesitated, then nodded. “Take the torch. And be careful.”

Eliza raced uphill, rain soaking her hair, shoes slipping on muddy paths. The lighthouse tower loomed ahead, tall and dark — no comforting glow, only shadow.

Inside, the air smelled of damp stone and oil. The spiral staircase stretched upward, disappearing into gloom.

Her legs burned as she climbed.

Halfway up, she heard it: drip… drip… drip.

Water was leaking through a cracked window, pooling near the generator. Sparks danced dangerously close to the puddle.

Eliza remembered her grandfather showing her the emergency switch hidden behind a loose brick.

Her fingers trembled as she reached behind the wall.

There.

Click.

The generator rumbled.

The lighthouse shuddered — then burst into golden light, slicing through the storm like a sword.

Outside, waves continued to rage, but the beam stood firm.

Eliza sank against the wall, breathless but smiling.

Later that night, villagers gathered at the bottom of the hill, cheering when they saw the lighthouse shining once more.

Her mother wrapped her in a blanket.

“Your grandfather would be so proud,” she whispered.

Eliza looked up at the steady beam cutting through the dark.

Sometimes, she realised, even one small person could keep the light alive.

Retrieval Questions

1. Where does Eliza first notice something is wrong?
2. What happens to the lighthouse beam during the storm?
3. Why is the lighthouse important to the village?
4. What problem does Eliza find inside the lighthouse?
5. How does Eliza fix the problem?
6. What happens after the lighthouse light returns?

Extension: Inference & Deeper Thinking

Explain your answers using evidence from the text.

1. Why does the author describe the storm as “a wild animal set free”?
2. How does Eliza feel when the light goes out? Which words show this?
3. Why do you think Eliza’s mother allows her to go into the storm?
4. What does the lighthouse symbolise in the story?
5. How does Eliza change from the beginning to the end of the narrative?

06.02.26

LC: To investigate angles within triangles