Latest / Common Mystics / Boo Review #12: The Merman's Prophesies
Transcript
- 0:00Speaker A: Foreign Good evening. Welcome to the BOO Review. I'm Jill Stanley. This evening, stories comes to us from the American weekly Mercury out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, dated September 6, 1739. Tonight we delve into a captivating tale of ambition and the harsh realities of life. Let's meet Dax, a spirited fisherman with big dreams, and his business partners, the steadfast Nile and the brave Oscar. They'll be chasing after their dreams on the high seas when their life takes unexpected turns that will forever change them. For more on this, let's head to the bulletin desk with Jennifer James. Jennifer?
- 0:57Speaker B: Thanks, Jill. In 1739, Dax Robinson had recently settled in the bustling seaport town of Perth Amboy, N.J. once the heir to a grand plantation, Dax's fortunes had been decimated by legal disputes over land. As an Englishman, he had once lived a life of luxury, dining on fine food, wearing exquisite clothes, and attending lavish parties with the elite daughters of New Jersey. However, at 34 years old, his father's wealth had evaporated. His credit was exhausted, and Dax now found himself renting a dingy room at the New Perth Inn. He worked as an assistant caulker, repairing boats as they arrived at the docks. A humiliating fall from grace. Frustrated and desperate to reclaim his social standing, Dax was on the lookout for any opportunity to amass a substantial sum of money. Dax devised a plan to strike it rich. Aware of the lucrative nature of fish hauls, he crafted a straightforward strategy. He would purchase a small sloop, harvest the ocean's flower finest catches, and sell them at premium prices at the fish market. With the fortune he would amass, Dax envisioned buying his own property and reclaiming the life he believed he deserved. Dax believed his plan was sound, but he faced two significant challenges. Firstly, he he lacked the funds to purchase both the sloop and the necessary equipment. Secondly, his knowledge of fishing was minimal. Determined to overcome these obstacles, Dax decided he needed business partners. Ideally, these partners would be experienced fishermen but inexperienced in city business dealings, making them easier to outmaneuver. Dax set out to find two skilled fishermen who were both naive to urban ways and had the financial resources to invest. One fateful evening at the New Perth Inn, as Dax was having his dinner, his prayers were answered. He noticed two young men who appear to be fishermen, drinking beer and conversing in Dutch. Approaching them, he introduced himself and was relieved to discover that they also spoke English. Oscar and Nils de Groot, two young Dutch brothers, had recently arrived in Perth Amboy to work as fishermen. Despite their family's successful farm on Staten island, they realized farming wasn't their calling. Instead, they found success in fishing, aiming to save enough to start a new life in New Jersey. Oscar de Groot, at 22 years old, was a large, framed young man with big hands and a slow wit. Despite his physical strength, he was timid and quiet. He often felt guilty for leaving his father shorthanded on the farm, and his greatest wish was to make him proud. In contrast, his younger brother, Niels, was small and cunning. Niels hoped to earn some money and return to Staten island to marry his sweetheart, Inga. When offered the chance to work on Dax's sloop, the brothers hesitantly agreed. They had savings to invest in the venture, and their father had enough capital, and they knew he would support them. After some negotiations over hard ale at the New Perth inn, Dax and the DeGroote brothers signed a contract promising equal shares of the profits to all three men. A contract Dax knew from the beginning he would break. Dax and the DeGroote brothers combined their resources to purchase a sloop and all the essential fishing equipment for coastal ventures. They aimed to catch striped bass, known as stripers, which were highly prized in the market. Given that stripers are more active at night, the trio decided to set out one evening to test their new sloop and identify the prime coastal waters for their prized haul. The sloop glided effortlessly through the calm coastal waters, at first its sails billowing gently in the breeze. But then the wind began to howl and the currents churned, turning the tranquil scene into a chaotic tempest and violently tossing the vessel to and fro. Dax clung on amid the spray, struggling to steady himself and his queasy stomach. As the sloop rocked and pitched, brothers Oscar and Niels battled the sails with all their might, their faces grim with concentration as they tried to keep the sloop steady. Meanwhile, Dax cowered on the deck, retching and panicking, his knuckles white from gripping the slick, wet boards. The storm raged on, each wave crashing over them more ferociously than the last, testing their resolve and endurance. But after a time, the boat steadied. In a moment of quiet stillness, Niels shouted, ready the net. The sloop was surrounded by a large school of stripers. Oscar sprang into action, and the two brothers hurried to cast the net. Dax popped up and gazed at the swarming fish as eagerly as if they were gold coins. As the net plunged into the depths, clouds cloaked the moon, shrouding them in darkness. The net stretched, the sail creaked, and the waves slapped and splashed relentlessly. Suddenly, the men heard a goat's bleat piercing through the night. Stunned, they exchanged bewildered glances they were too far from shore to hear any land animal, but there it was again. The unmistakable sound of a goat bleating. Only this time it wasn't just a bleat. It was more of a growl, chilling and otherworldly. The men peered over the deck, searching for the source of the strange sound. Suddenly Oscar's eyes widened as he glanced at the net trailing behind the sloop and let out a blood curdling scream. Dax and Niels dashed to his side and their blood ran cold at the sight before them. Entangled in the net was a bizarre creature unlike anything they had ever seen. It was the size of a full grown man with a goat like head, adorned with a long beard and mustache. Its naked body was covered in matted black hair and its neck was unnervingly long and snake like. The creature's arms were short, but ended in fingers that tapered into rubber razor sharp claws. Its webbed toes resembled those of a duck, complete with fins sprouting from its heels. As the beast twisted and thrashed within the net, the men noticed a large spiny fin protruding from the base of its spine. Hopelessly entangled in the cordage. The sight of the writhing monstrosity sent chills down their spines, leaving them rooted in terror. The beast let out a low menacing growl as it thrashed wildly in the net. After a few frantic moments, it suddenly stopped and fixed its gaze on the three men. Their blood ran cold as its tiny goat like eyes darted at them lifeless like dead fish eyes. Without warning, the beast arched its hairy fin back and unleashed a ferocious roar in their direction. Oscar was the first to hear the voice in his head. The sound of the sea fill his ears. Followed by a clear voice that seemed to emanate from both the beast and all around him at the same time. It was eerie, yet captivating. The voice echoed in his mind. Set me free and you will make your father proud. Entranced by the prospect of bringing pride to his family, Oscar fixated on the creature's black eyes. Mesmerized by the promise of earning his father's admiration, Nils stood close to his brother. His heart pounding. He waved his hand in front of Oscar's face and shouted his name and gripped his arm, trying to shake him out of the strange trance. Just then, the black goat eyes locked onto Niels, sending an ice cold sensation shooting through his forehead, blanking his thoughts. Only the sound of the sea and the eerie noise remained. Was it music? No, no, it was. It was a voice. A voice whispering. Set me free. Set me free. And you will marry the girl of your dreams. Suddenly, a warm rush of love washed over Niels heart. He longed to marry Inga and start a family. He stood there, swaying with the waves, completely hypnotized by the thought as the goat headed fish man bleated and growled perversely in the spray. Oscar and Neil snapped back to reality with a start, their minds clear now from the fog. Without a word, they grabbed their knives and began slicing through the net, determined to free the beast and the stripers and other fish entangled within. Dax had started to fall under the hypnotic spell of the goat headed fishman. But the sight of the DeGroote brothers slashing at the line snapped him back to reality. With a surge of rage, he lunged at them, grabbing for their knives and shoving them away from the net. There was no way Dax was losing his valuable catch. Nor would he let go of the bizarre beast. This creature was rare, he was sure of it. And his mind raced with the myriad of opportunities it presented. Maybe he could kill it and sell it to a collector of rare specimens. Or maybe he could keep it alive in a tank and charge admission for people to marvel at it. What if he took it on tour to all the great courts of Europe? This could be his ticket to knighthood, to a title to land, wealth and prosperity at last. The men wrestled fiercely. Oscar seized Dax, pinning his arms back while Niels fumbled with the net. Dax's gaze locked onto the goat's cold black eyes. A shiver ran down his spine as a chilling voice echoed in his mind. Release me and you shall have the title you deserve. Dax's thoughts grew hazy, his heart pounding with desire. Yes, he thought, yes. Almost entranced. Give me the title I deserve. At that moment, Oscar and Niels watched as Dax Dax underwent a sudden transformation. With renewed urgency, all three sprang into action, working together to free the beast. The men returned to shore with a meager catch, their net ripped and twisted, their bodies bruised and exhausted. Yet despite it all, each one held onto the belief that their dreams were on the verge of coming true. It wasn't long until Niels and Oscar quit working with Dax and gave up fishing altogether. Niels returned to Staten island and married his longtime sweetheart, Inga. In a beautiful ceremony attended by family and friends. They settled into a quiet, happy life, where Niels found contentment working in a local shipyard. Oscar, meanwhile, took a job as a night watchman. And one fateful night, he saw a house on fire and rushed into the burning structure without a second thought to save the residents trapped inside. His bravery earned him a commendation from the city, and during the award ceremony, he proudly accepted the honor with his father beaming from the audience, tears of pride glistening in his eyes. As for Dax, his ambitious fishing scheme never really took off. Despite his best efforts, he failed to turn a profit and fell deeper into debt. Unable to repay his creditors, he was eventually imprisoned for his financial misdeeds. On his cell door, a small plaque read Prisoner 182, a somber title and a constant reminder of his fall from grace. Back to you, Jill.
- 16:17Speaker A: Well, there you have it. In the journey of life, we seen the Dax, Niles and Oscars ups and downs as chased their dreams. From Dax's ambition getting weighed down by reality to Oscar's brave move that lit up the night, we see that human spirit's resilience. Niles found comfort in life's simple pleasures, reminding us sometimes just being happy is the biggest win of all. As their paths split, we were left with a beautiful yet bittersweet reminder that every journey comes with choices that will shape us into who we are. Thank you for listening. This has been a Common Mystics Media production in association with Access Paranormal Story by Dennis Broze Edited by Yokai Audio, Kalamazoo, Michigan for more Common Mystics, please visit our website commonmystics.net Follow us on all our socials podcast. Listen in wherever you're hearing your favorite podcast. Thank you again and good night.