mermaid fairy tale ch.02

   We left the peaceful Bac'chelet behind, our interview with Jack, the mystery of his dissaperance written off by the local authorities as just something he does. Apparently he was always a wanderer who came and went over the years. After some additional footage of the beach, and even chartering a small boat to take us around the cove so we could get footage of the rocks and even of the cave with its gorgeous clear water entrance like a wide arch and just enough protruding rock like a ledge to stay above water on high tide that it was hard to imagine it as a natural formation and not hall from some lost ancient structure long since collapsed by time into the piles of jagged rocks around it. Certainly an area to romanticise. Our producers did write off on chartering a boat and an underwater drone camera for the coordinates on the note as a kind of detour; however while all that was being arranged we were to head to Marlando and see about finding if we could the men Jack named; Boris M'Lock and Thomas O'Hare.

   Our research took us to Marlando; we had expected; at the very least much of the crew had expected those names to be fake or mis-remembered after forty years; however we were able to find both individuals. Problem was however both had passed away some years prior to our investigation. Oddly enough both men drowned, the public records indicated that Boris M'Lock had fallen over board during a storm while fishing with friends; his friends unable to save him through the high waves that had suddenly kicked up July 16th 1986. Thomas O'Hare apparently commited suicide, seen walking into the ocean after stripping all his clothes off as witnessed by party goers down the beach in the night of July 17th 1986. Both men dying a day apart would be suspicious; but we couldn't find anything else to connect them as this was over ten years after the incident with Jack and according to the police record both men had gone on to ordinary lives and work; their official report of the incident being that Jack was just crazy tossing food and junk into the water; and there was nothing in the cave.

   This is where our adventure would have ended, a dead end, one old drunk and two men who died near each other in time but further investigation would reveal unrelated causes as aside from being sent on that one case the two weren't partners or anything, they just both happened to be nearby and there in fact were three other officers involved, just those two were sent with Jack on a small boat to check out the cove. Those other three officers are alive, but refused to be interviewed, regarding the case as old and unimportant, just the ramblings of an old drunkard and two unfortnate men; all happenstance. However we still had time to film, and our producers charted us a ship to the coordinates and we took the stone with us.


  An oddity worth noting that a member of the crew brought up while we were heading out on the boat we had charted was the part of Jack's story he left out. That we had heard about; that fifteen years after the incident he had given us more details about; and doing the math may have coincided around the time of if not some years after the deaths of Thomas O'Hare and Boris M'Lock. That around the age of 45; if Jack was in his late twenties to early thirties as he and the secondary sources said about the cove encounter; and that was the seventies, then sometime after their deaths Jack was seen happy again; only to suddenly start wearing a blind fold and being terrified

   -well as we are repeating the information, a copy and paste from our initial script regarding the secondary account interviews summary:

   "That is where the record ends, but not where the tale of Jack ends. He had grown distant, despondent, distrustful of friend and family, accusing everyone he had ever met of fetching the constables and making him break his promise that no one could ever see his wife but him. That was until one day, at the age of forty five Jack had become happy again, but within a week isolated himself to his cabin, fearful of his own shadow. He grew thin, screaming at odd hours of the night, telling people he did so to drown out the singing and laughter on the wind. He barely ate and insisted upon walking about with a blindfold on. He does not do that anymore, the towns people, of what little there are say they don't remember when he stopped, but gradually he ate more; drank mostly, but refused to ever set foot upon a boat again"

   A member of our crew looking over our transcripts for future editing pointed this out. Jack didn't include this part in what he told us; and we had neglected to ask; which is apparently too late now unless Jack returns. It seems there was another tale to tell, and one that might have given us more insight into his current outlook. He spoke many times of seeing past disguises, giving disturbed accounts, accusitory accounts aimed at the "mermaid" in the story. Best we can guess going by this is his outlook had changed. He had gone from viewing what he had believed to be a beautiful mermaid that he betrayed, to seeing her return, to his visions twisting what he once saw as beautiful into a hideous sea monster out to get him and ruin his life more. While we are no experts at this time one could assume some sort of mental disorder akin to schizofrenia being responsible; however we or better yet he'd have to consult a mental health professional to be certain. Although the account did make it sound like he got over it somewhat, but not in a healthy way, burying his thoughts in alcohol.

    As a surprise our producer hadn't just found a ship but had been looking for one with someone who knew anything about Jack, the old sea captain was about 62 years old and had been one of the fishermen on the boat that Jack was on that had been damaged going to the same coordinates we were going to this day; but the man had no apprehension about that, "Yeah I was there, just a kid doing a summer job at the time, little did I know it would become me carreer. I remember the boat getting all sussed up but I'd sooner believe it was one o'dem giant squids that did it than some mermaid; Jack can keep his weird little story; but what point would some sea witch have going after our boat like dat? Nah but I heard ya talkin earlier; ya talked to Jack already righto? But didn't bring up dis here time between being a hermit and being a drunk hermit, hah!"

   He paused a moment to laugh at his own joke, "Well I can tell yas what happened between here and here, in that intermitten time Jack weren't just some starvin hermit like that tape o'yers says; don't know who yas was talkin to ta get that idea. Man's gotta eat, so man's gotta work. Jack was doing dock work in Marlando, guttin fish, loading crates, went up and down the coast I hear too working other towns and ports when ya didn't see him in Marlando; not surprised they didn't see him much in Bac'chelet. But I's do remember, one day he did have a sudden spring to 'is step. But it weren't no mystery if you listened to him talkin to himself on the line; he was mumblin that he'd found her."

   The captain indicated the stone we had with us, "that thing was hung around Jack's neck, heard he got it from somebody up north at a port, a tourist best I can reckon. One oh those new agey psychics that were springing up like weeds back in the eighties or so. But next thing we know the man's all sad and stuff again and won't do the work right on the water anymore; then dat uter stuff came up you gots there; I only heard rumors he was walkin around with a blindfold and going crazy till he started drinking. We didn't see around Marlando again till after he was sauced up all the time...man can still do warehouse work pissed but man, back in the day you'd have thought he'd be like me and become a captain someday poor bas....
  *another man's voice on tape*: Captain we have a problem!"

   On the surface we found what looked to be three coast guard ships telling us we were in private waters, an offshore fish farm. The captain argued with these men for some time about fishing just a mile from here for years and never hearing about any fish farm in these waters. Not to mention a lack of markers. But these men were armed and very serious so we were forced to head back. Our camera man for a laugh looked through the stone joking about maybe we'd see a flying saucer or Atlantis being guarded by the Men in Black. His tone shifted and he went pale though after looking through it, he then fell over in pain cupping his hand to his ears. Several of the crew ours and the ships reported hearing a high pitched sound at the time but it was low like something off in the distance; one of the ship's crew suggested those coast guard types had a sonic weapon; the type used to disperse crowds, and aimed it at the ship, our camera man being right in its center possibly. However in his anguish he yelled out "here just take it!" and before we could stop him threw the stone Jack gave us overboard. He claims not to remember this, just the pain and feeling very sick like his ears, jaw, throat, and intestines were all trying to coil up like a snake.

   Reportedly the ship captain did report what happened to the harbor master; who told him and us there is no fish farm there, it is right in regular fishing waters; plenty of fishermen no doubt had gone that way without trouble. Supposedly he would report this and inquire the coast guard as to what was happening.

   update: the coast guard were doing drills in the area and fed us some phoney story for no reason. It doesn't make any sense; but everyone involved in the chain of command seemed nervous so we didn't press on any inquiries; especially as we were only guests in this country.