I thought I was safe.
When I finished writing The Morro Bay Fog-Mythos, I told myself that I had contained it. I told myself that by putting the Takers, the Watchers, and the Estuary Man onto paper, I had trapped them in ink. I thought if I kept the stories centered on the Rock and the bay, the horror would stay within the city limits.
I was naive.
Book 1 is out in the world now. You are reading it. You are learning the rules. You know to listen for the third note of the foghorn. You know not to look too closely at your reflection in a dark window.
But last night, I took a drive north, up Highway 1 toward Cayucos.
I wanted to clear my head. The sky was clear in Morro Bay. The stars were out. But as soon as I passed the Toro Creek dog beach, I hit a wall.
It wasn’t a marine layer. It was a bruise. A heavy, charcoal-grey wall of mist that smelled of ozone and wet copper. It didn’t roll over the hills; it marched.
I pulled over near the Estero Bluffs. I rolled down my window, just an inch.
The ocean was silent. That terrified me more than anything. The Pacific crashes against those cliffs with a roar that shakes the ground. But last night? Nothing. Just a wet, rhythmic slap… drag… slap… drag on the rocks below.
And then I saw it.
To the north, a beam of light cut through the dark. It was coming from the Piedras Blancas Light Station.
But that lens has been dark for years. And the light wasn’t white.
It was blue. A cold, electric, impossible blue.I realized then that I haven’t finished the story. Or maybe the story isn’t finished with me. The fog isn’t just “keeping” things anymore. It’s moving. It’s hunting.
I am currently compiling the accounts for the next collection, Shadows of the Coast, coming in early 2026. I have to warn you, the safety of the shore is an illusion. The shadows have learned to walk on the pier. The trees in the eucalyptus groves are waking up.
Enjoy Book 1. Learn the legends. Because by the time Book 2 arrives, you’re going to need to know what to do when the lights flicker blue.
Stay out of the fog.
– PB
The invasion has begun.
Shadows of the Coast is coming in 2026. But to understand the origin of the threat—and to survive the fog right now—you need the field guide. Get Book 1: The Morro Bay Fog-Mythos in Print
The best way to know when the next story emerges from the mist is to subscribe to my newsletter!
As a thank-you for joining, you’ll get a free download of my exclusive subscriber-only short story, “Where the Fog Settles First,”—a spooky tale you can’t read anywhere else.
Pamela Beach is a multi-genre author, poet, and lyricist who writes from her home on California’s foggy Central Coast. She is the creator of the “Morro Bay fog-mythos” and author of The Unstoppable You. You can read more of her work and explore her complete “fog-mythos” collection at her blog, Beyond the with Pamela Beach
Curiosity powers this blog, but coffee powers the blogger. Enjoy the content? Consider buying a cup to help fuel the next deep dive. Your support makes all the difference! https://beyondtheblog.org/power-the-next-post/ or https://buymeacoffee.com/pambeach
Leave a Reply