The Lamp Merchant of the Pier

California, 1920s. Tourists on the pier remember a man named Poofington—thin, pale, and always smiling from behind the glow of antique lamps. His pitch was simple: three wishes, guaranteed to come true, $150 cash.

They did come true—just in reverse. Fortune became debt, health became sickness, love turned to obsession. Within a year every customer was dead, and neighboring shop owners filed a petition to remove him. They swore they’d seen him floating above the boards at night, no legs, only light.

When police finally entered his lamp store in 1927, the windows were sealed, the air humming. Dozens of lamps flickered in a circle, and Poofington hung suspended in the center. When officers appro ...