The Ghost Rider of Galveston Bay

Most folks in Galveston Bay just thought the legend was a fish tale.

Every Halloween night, someone swore they saw a glowing rider on a silver horse, galloping across the water like it was a dirt road.
But no one ever got close enough to prove it—until Sheriff Lila Jane came along.
Sheriff Lila Jane wasn’t the type to scare easy. She kept the peace with her old badge, her trusty lantern, and her horse Rusty, who was loyal as can be
(even if he did move slower than a snail on Sundays).
On Halloween night, when the fog rolled in thick as biscuit gravy, the sheriff decided she was going to settle the ghost story once and for all. Lantern in hand and Rusty clomping slowly, she made her way down to the pier.
The water was smooth as glass.
The wind had stopped.
Even the pelicans were quiet.
Then, through the mist, came a sound.
Clip-clop. Clip-clop.
Rusty’s ears perked up.
The sheriff leaned forward, squinting through the fog.
And that’s when she saw it: a glowing stallion galloping straight across the bay, its hooves never touching the water, a cowboy ghost perched tall in the saddle.
His hat was tipped low, his long coat fluttering like a flag in the wind.
“Evenin’, Sheriff,” the ghost said in a voice like a breeze through a graveyard.
Lila Jane didn’t flinch.
“Evenin’. You’re causin’ quite the stir 'round here.”
The Ghost Rider chuckled softly. “Ain’t mean no harm.
Just makin’ sure the bay stays safe. Always have.
Always will.”
Before she could say another word, the rider tipped his hat again and turned.
His glowing horse thundered across the bay until both faded into the fog like they were never there.
Rusty snorted and stomped the pier.
Lila Jane patted his neck.
“Well, I’ll be. Guess some stories are true after all.”
The next morning, fishermen swore they found hoofprints made of sea salt on the shore.
​ every Halloween since, folks leave a lantern by the pier—not to scare the Ghost Rider away, but to guide him home.
And if you’re quiet enough on a foggy night, you might just hear that gentle clip-clop echoing over the bay.