Episode 5: The Fogmountain
The Mystery Trio thought that they might need a break since their last case. That's why they have a hike through the Titans Knee the mountains. In order not to run into the next case there. All three of them were sleeping in their tent right now. When suddenly an alarm clock rings. Rob and James woke up annoyed.
Rob: [annoyed] Matt!
James: [impatient] Matt!
Matt: (sleepy) Huh?
Rob: Matt, turn off the stupid alarm clock.
Matt: Wh-at?
Rob: You should turn off the stupid alarm clock.
Matt: Huh, huh, huh? I'm awake, what was the question? What?
Rob: You're not in Hexside Matt...
Matt: What? What?
Rob: ... but in a tent. It's three o'clock at night...
Matt: (moans)
Rob: ... and your alarm clock has been ringing for hours! Now turn off the thing!
Matt: [moans] Uh, that, that..
Rob: Turn it off, right now!
Matt: Yes, I would like to, but I don't know where the alarm clock is, man...
James: [nagging] In your backpack.
Matt: Where?
Rob: In your backpack.
Matt: Here he is... he is not here.
James: Stop throwing your smelly socks at me!
Matt: I don't find this stupid thing!
Rob: Just do a light spell.
Matt: Tell me... oh..
Rob: I can't stand it anymore!
Matt: Yes, wait.
James: Where does the tuting come from? This beeping...
Matt: Scht.. quiet! That comes from my sleeping bag. That can.. can`t be!
James: That really can`t be.
Matt: I was just in there. Ha ha...
Rob: And?
Matt: Haa! Yes, here!
Rob: [doubtful] Oh?
Matt: Yes, here, wait a minute. So.
[Beeping silenced]
James: Finally peace!
Matt: He must have slipped in there somehow.
Suddenly, the three heard a very loud explosion from afar.
James and Matt: [frightened screams]
Matt: What was that?
Rob: Probably an Islesquake.
XXX
From Rob's travel diary:
Rob: [writes] I'm sitting on a stone at the edge of the forest near a babbling stream somewhere in the Titans Knee, chewing on a dry piece of bread and watching the sky again and again. It looks bleak. James, Matt and me are already on the road for the second day, but I haven't gotten around to writing in this little book yet. It was Matt's idea to go hiking during these holidays. He wanted to go to the mountains, to solitude, far away from all witches, far away from everything that could get us into trouble. I liked the idea. I can't even remember holidays where we really took a vacation instead of working on a case. Since our departure yesterday morning, we have not met a human soul. We have already lost our way twice. James has a good map, but sometimes the paths are barely visible trails, and if you don't pay attention and walk by, you risk huge detours. Oh yes, our first night in the far too small tent was a disaster of uncomfortable forest floor, snoring in the stereo sound and Matt's alarm clock that started beeping at three o'clock. And then there was a small Islesquake. James thinks that Islesquake is unusual in this area, but he is probably just desperately looking for mysterious events. His biggest concern is probably that the Mystery Trio could actually spend a completely unspectacular journey this time. Although Matt stiffly and firmly claims that he heard on the radio that a convict named Radcliffe, who had been fleeing for weeks, had been seen here in the mountains. But that was a few weeks ago, and the guy is guaranteed to be a few cities away. Soon I'll write more, we have to keep going, the others are already jostling. - Period.
Matt: [nagging] Now finally pack away this stupid book, Rob, otherwise we won't be able to reach our milestone today.
Rob: Alright, alright. Wait a minute.. - By the way, your pants are still open.
Matt: Oh, yes.
Rob: And, we can go.
James, Matt and Rob set off. It went on and on uphill. They hiked for two hours without a break. To the left was the forest, but the trees became sparser and the trees smaller. The summit was not yet visible. He disappeared into the clouds, which seemed to hang lower with each step. And then came the fog. Practically from one minute to the other, a wall of white air pushed towards the three hikers and enveloped them. The world disappeared into a murky, grey soup and James could only see fifty metres away.
Matt: Wow, what's going on now?
Rob: We are in a cloud.
James: We better stay together from now on, otherwise we will lose ourselves.
Rob: I don't want to worry you, Brothers, but do you have a clue whether we are still on the right track?
James: Hey! Look.
In the fog, the three saw a white something floating around. It had red eyes and looked spooky.
Matt: [gasping] What, what is that?
Rob: T-t-theres something white floats in the fog.
Matt: That's a ghost, 'n ghost. Do you see that too?
James: [whispers] Yes! It, it doesn't move. But it has seen us, it..
Suddenly, the Ghost started screaming and laughing. The screaming was so loud, and it hurt in the ears of the three.
Matt: What is that, James? Rob, what kind of Monster is this?
Rob: [panicked] It's coming to us!
Matt: [screams] Run!
The three run away gasping. But Rob stumbled and fell over.
Rob: [screams in pain]
Matt: Rob, whats wrong?!
Rob: I stumbled across a stone. [moans and screams] My foot!
James: Is it broken?
Rob: I don't think so. [moans] But it hurts a hell of a lot.
Matt: Can you get up?
Rob: I think so.
James: Can you walk?
Rob: Yes, but not long and not far.
Matt: We have to get out of here. Away from this meadow and this, this, this... Monster! Where is it anyway?
James: Swallowed by the fog.
Rob: What was that? This was not a common monster like in Bonesborough.
James: I don't know.
Rob: [in the background] Aua, aua
James: All I know is that it scared a hell out of me.
Matt: I-I'm still shivering all over my body.
XXX
Rob: [writes] Before dusk, we looked for a resting place and set up our tent. My foot still hurts. Of course, we all wonder what kind of thing it was on the mountain today. James, who always wants a logical explanation, claims it was a witch or an unknown animal. He does not want to see that this explanation is in reality devoid of any logic. What should a Witch be looking for up there? How can it float in the air and glow white? And why? And this terrible howling was all sorts of things, but not a sound that a Witch would be capable of or an animal, what kind of demon would that be? I don't think even King would know that. Right at sunrise we got up. So. - Matt made tea and James had found a house on our hiking map that is maybe two hours away from here on a lake on the other side of the mountain. - Yes, that's good.
Shortly after the three had set off, the pain in Rob's foot became stronger and stronger.
Rob: I'm sorry, folks, but I'm not going to make it that far today. Definitely not as far as Bonesgrow
James: Okay, then we try to reach the house on the lake.
Matt: Hopefully someone lives there at all. After all, this is only one point on the hiking map. Could be anything. An old cowshed or something.
James: A cowshed with a lake view? Certainly not. This is guaranteed to be the villa of some rich owl who loves solitude but is happy about every visit. He will invite us to a feudal meal and we will sleep in four-poster beds.
Matt: (laughs)
Rob: Under these conditions, I will just manage the track again by then.
James: I am leading the way, colleagues. I have memorized the path on the map exactly. So let's go..
Matt: Is it possible?
Rob: [moans] Yes it is possible.
XXX
The first detective had not misjudged himself. It was about two hours to the lake. Matt discovered the house first. It was indeed not a cowshed, but unfortunately not a villa neither. But a simple, two-story farmhouse made of dark stone. It was completely lonely and abandoned near the lake shore. Only a narrow path led to it. However, Rob did not see an abonimation car. A small rowing boat was tied to a wooden peg. That was all. This was probably the loneliest place to live in the world. The house was so gloomy that Rob's anticipation of a warm, safe spot suddenly disappeared. He suddenly didn't have a good feeling at all. It had been a stupid idea to come here. They knocked on the door and there came a slightly older woman with 4 eyes.
Joanna Masterno: Yes, please?
James: [clears itself] Excuse me, madam. We have been on a hike for three days. The nearest village is still a few miles away and our friend here is injured.
Joanna: Dear Titan! But you have now scared me tremendously...
Rob: Sorry.
Joanna: Almost no one gets lost in this lonely area!
Matt: No wonder.
Joanna: When there was a knock, at first I thought my husband had forgotten his key. Well, come in. But if this is a trick and you want to attack me, then I'll tell you right away, I'm not as defenseless as I look. And my husband comes back every moment!
Rob: No, no!
James: Don't worry, we are completely harmless. Come brothers.
Joanna: Alright, come in.
James: So, may we introduce ourselves? I'm James Jones and these are my brothers Matt Jones and Rob Jones.
Matt: Hello...
Rob: Hello.
Joanna: Welcome to Lakeview. I'm Mrs. Masterno, Joanna Masterno. If you want, you can stay here until tomorrow and move into the small attic.
Matt: Are you serious?
Joanna: Of course. We're always attuned to guests, you know? At the moment our daughter is also here. She went to the village with my husband for shopping. And Mr Falko. He is still asleep, he always goes to bed very late.
Rob: Aha...
Joanna: But the chamber is still free. However, you have to share the bathroom with him.
Matt: No problem.
Rob: It doesn't matter at all. That all sounds very great, Mrs Masterno. How expensive would such an overnight stay be?
Joanna: Don't worry about that. I'll make you a special prize. Up here in the mountains it is often so lonely. I am always happy about guests!
James: Well, friends, what do you think?
Rob: Dry sleeping place and running water, [laughs] that sounds like paradise.
Matt: Yeah!
James: So nice. Mrs Masterno, we gratefully accept your invitation.
Joanna: Great!
XXX
Rob: [writes] Even if it looks scary and repellent from the outside, Lakeview is an oasis. Here it is dry, warm and cozy. We slept almost all day and got up in time for dinner together. On this occasion we also got to know the other residents of the house. Mr Masterno is a somewhat silent but nice man with half baldness and beer belly and also with 4 eyes. He and his wife moved to Lakeview in the solitude of the mountains a few years ago when he retired because Mrs Masterno has asthma and her Healing Covenist strongly recommended that she move from the polluted city to the pure clear air of Titans Knee. The landscape is beautiful but also damn gloomy and it is lonely. The nearest neighbours live in Bonesgrow, several miles away. In order to make life a little more varied, the Masternos rent out the upper rooms. For example, to Mr Falko. He is a writer and has been coming here every summer for years to work undisturbed on a new book. I've never heard of him, let alone read it. Either do the others. But we didn't let him know that, he would certainly have been offended. And then there's Sarah, the masternos' daughter. She works in Bonesborough and always visits her parents for a few weeks in the summer. - Yes. - For dinner there was a great vegetable stew and afterwards everyone just sat down and talked ever since. I withdrew a bit to continue the travel diary. It's already eleven o'clock at night. I think the Masterno family is getting tired, but of course the three of us got a bit out of rhythm and wide awake. And Mr Falko as well.
Falko: What are you writing, Rob?
Rob: Um.. [evasive] Oh, a travelogue.
Falko: You probably want to be a writer, hm?
Rob: Actually, more of a journalist. Or something else.
Falko: And? Have the three of you experienced anything exciting on your hike?
Rob: [excited] Oh, well, so..
James: [falling into the word] Actually, no. Apart from a sprained ankle. What could you experience here in the mountains?
Rob: Yeah...
Falko: Well, after all, you were on the Fogmountain. For example, you could have encountered the fog phantom.
Matt: [swallows himself with surprise] What!?
James: Fog phantom? What is it all about? I've never heard of it.
Falko: There are a lot of legends surrounding this mountain. Did you know that its summit cannot be seen more than 300 days a year because it is in the clouds? Thats because the mountain has his name.
Noma Masterno: But it has nothing to do with a phantom, but with geography.
Joanna: But there's still something to this phantom story, Noma. The people down in the village keep talking about it...
Noma: They are just superstitious farmers, Joanna. We know all the monsters on the Boiling Isles. And there are no curses from witches. In which they turn into spirits after death.
Falko: But I have a completely different opinion on that. The legend of the fog phantom is even very closely linked to this house. With the house of Richard Asher. He built it and lived here until its mysterious disappearance about 40 years ago.
James: Who was this Asher?
Falko: A young adventurer who lived in this area. Already in his young years he was heavily in debt. Until one day, by chance, he discovered a vein of gold here in the mountains.
Matt: Gold!? Here?
Falko: Yes.
Rob: Thats crazy!
Falko: Asher was a miserable businessman, but he had a kind of sixth sense when it came to tracking down unusual sources of snail. But to mine the gold, he needed snails again. His creditors did not want to give him anything more. Until he got involved in a lousy deal with one of them.
James: Aha.
Falko: He promised him half of the profit from the gold mine. In return, his financier initially stretched out the sum he needed to hire workers, dig the tunnels and mine the gold.
Rob: Well, And then?
Falko: Asher built this house to supervise the excavation work on the Fogmountain. But the gold vein had been smaller than he had hoped. Nevertheless, he did not give up. He was sure to come across a second veast. So he dug further and further. The mine got bigger and bigger and devoured more and more snails. But despite all his efforts, he did not find any more gold. Eventually, he had to give up. In the end, he had lost more money than he had won. The mine was closed, he could never pay off his debts.
Matt: And what happened to him?
Falko: Asher was so depressed by the recent failure that he retired to this house and rarely let himself be seen in the village. And then one day he disappeared.
Matt: He disappeared?
James: What does that mean?
Falko: That he no longer appeared in the village – and nowhere else. No one got to see in more. And weeks later, when someone wanted to see what was right, he found this house empty. Asher had disappeared, no one knew where he go.
James: Strange...
Falko: The years passed and he fell into oblivion. But one day a lonely hiker had an eerie encounter on the Fogmountain. He saw a ghostly figure hovering over the wet meadows and making terrible sounds.
Joanna: [shuddering] ohh...
Falko: Now the rumor spread in the village that it was Asher's ghost who had returned to the fogmountain because he was still hoping to find gold. This mountain is cursed! Every witch in the area knows this. Anyone who gets too close to the fog is no longer safe.
Joanna: There's something to the stories. That is also the reason why, for years, no one wanted to have this House.
Noma: [murmurs] Hm oh...
Joanna: They are all afraid of Asher's ghost. And I know you don't want to hear that, Noma, but they're also afraid of us. The people in the village avoid us because we moved up here.
Noma: Thisis nonsense, Joanna. These are all just spooky stories.
Sarah: [clears itself] I don't know, Dad. When we were in the village earlier, I also had the feeling that people are still suspicious. But you have lived here for so many years!
Falko: [laughs] When I imagine that the fog sometimes creeps down to the lake. And that the phantom is then very close.
Suddenly, something crashed so loudly that nearly everyone in the living room was screaming.
James: That came from the window! Wait...
James opened the window and looked out into the dark void.
Rob: James?
James: Damn dark out there. You can hardly see anything.
Matt: James? James, be careful!
James: Aha! The shutter. It must have gotten pretty windy outside. He has torn himself away and thundered against the window.
Everyone: (laughing in relief)
Noma: [laughs] Fallen for it! Knew right away that it was the shutter. It slacks back and forth, I have to repair it. But it was fun to watch how scared you were.
Sarah: Ha ha, Dad!
Joanna: Enough with the scary stories for tonight. We want to go to sleep. You guys can stay down here as long as you want, that doesn't bother us. Noma, Sarah?
Sarah: So, guys, sleep well.
Noma: Yes, good night.
Mystery Trio: Good Night!
Falko: Good Night!
The Masternos left the living room and left the boys alone with the old man. For a while they listened to the cracking of the fireplace when James broke the silence.
James: Well, Mr Falko, that was an entertaining horror fairy tale. But what about you? Do you believe in the story yourself?
Falko: The Fogmountain is a mysterious, dark place. The question, however, is, would he be if there were no people telling legends about him?
Rob: Hm...
Falko: Or the other way around. If the mountain didn't exist, would people tell stories about something else? The lake, for example. The interaction of place and witch fascinates me. Therefore, I deal with the mythology of a place. And I try to believe it. Because if I can believe, then I understand the place better and the witches who live there. Truthfulness is the most important thing in my literary work.
Matt: Hmm, hmm, I don't think I understood a single word. Do you now believe in the Phantom, or not.
Falko: I don't think that's important, Matt. The only important question is the true core of every legend. What I believe is completely irrelevant. But do you think that a legend can spin around nothingness?
Rob: Well...
Falko: I don't think so. And so it is clear to me that the Fogmountain is surrounded by a secret.
James: Interesting.
Falko: I just don't know yet of what kind. [Clock strikes midnight]
Rob: Look out the window, friends. Outside there is dense fog again.
Matt: What a soup. You can hardly look ten meters far.
Falko: That comes through the lake. Where there is a lot of water, there is also a lot of fog. Mrs Masterno said that in winter you can hardly see anything for days.
Matt: Creepy...
Rob: [murmurs] I would go crazy.
Matt: Shouldn't we just go to bed?
Rob: You wouldn't sleep anyway.
James: Stay calm, Matt. That out there that's just fog. Small water droplets suspended in the air. Quite harmless. Maybe someone else wants a tea?
Suddenly Rob screamed.
Matt: Whats wrong, Rob?!
Rob: A-aat the window. I think there was something.
Matt: W-w-what?
Rob: No idea. Something scurried past the window outside. I saw it!
Matt: What?
Falko: [laughs] You really are the most amusing company I've had during my stays on Lakeview.
Rob: No, I really saw something there!
Now the Mystery Trio saw a white hand slam against the window.
Matt: [anxious] Have you seen that? Have you seen that?
Falko: [loud] What was that?
Matt: [anxious] That was a hand. A white hand slammed against the window.
Rob: Yeah...
Matt: James! That was a hand, right?
Rob: That was a hand!
James: [unsettled] Yes, I saw the hand too.
Falko: You're guys are joking!
Rob: No!
Suddenly, the white hand hit the window again, this time everyone had seen it.
James: Again the hand!
Falko: This time I saw it too!
Matt: [panicked] The Phantom!
Falko: Who is that out there?
Matt: [panicked] This is the Phantom! It has come through the fog!
Rob: Calm down, Matt, calm down.
Matt: Be careful, Mr Falko, and g-go away from the window, yes? It could smash the disc and reach for you!
Falko: Oh what! You've seen too many horror movies. Someone out there is sneaking around and fooling us.
Matt: [anxious] S-they don't want to go out!? James! We have to do something. The thing should disappear! Call the coven or something.
Rob: Yes, Matt now calm down.
James: The Coven, Matt? Matt, we are here in no man's land. The coven is guaranteed not to move out in the middle of the night in this fog, just because someone has knocked on the window here.
Falko: [determined] I`m gonna to see whats going out there.
Matt: [desperate] No!
Rob: Mr Falko!
Matt: No, stay here!
Falko: I will put an end to this dumb joke. [opens the door] Whoever that is out there, he can experience something!
Falko: [moving away] Come out, you weirdo! Where are you?
Rob: Where has he gone now? Now he's gone.
James: Mr Falko? Are you still there?
Falko: Yes, James. [approaching] In this damn fog you don't even see your hand in front of your eyes. I – [screams] AAAAHHH!
The Mystery Trio looked out of the open door, and heard Falko screaming, after which they heard a distorted laugh. That sounded like the phantom on the mountain.
Rob: Oh my Titan!
James: Mr Falko?
Rob: Mr Falko?
Matt: Mr...?
Rob: (nervous) W-w-we have to help him!
Matt: If we go out now, we are lost like Mr Falko!
The Masterno family also came to the three boys.
Noma: What kind of noise is that and why is the front door open?
Rob: [excitedly stuttering] M-M-Mr-Masterno, here...
Noma: Who screamed so terribly?
Joanna: Whats wrong?!
Rob: M-Mr Falko is out and then...
Joanna: What's going on, Noma?
Noma: I don't know, Joanna, don't have the slightest idea.
Sarah: Dad, what was that terrible noise?
Noma: What happened here? And where is Mr Falko?
Matt: Yeah, Mr...
Rob: That's what I tried...
James: [clears itself]
James purred himself to give his voice a firm sound. He succeeded only partially. Nevertheless, he tried to report as calmly and objectively as possible what had happened.
Noma: The Phantom?
James: I know it sounds crazy, but that's exactly how it happened.
Noma: But you didn't see anything out there, did you? Except for that hand, I mean?
Matt: No, but we've heard it. And it was the same terrible howl as yesterday on the mountain.
Rob: Yeah!
Sarah: Yesteryday on the mountain?
Joanna: What do you mean by that?
Now the second detective reported what had happened to them on the Fogmountain. Gradually, Mr Masterno's facial expression became milder and eventually there was a trace of fear in his eyes. His wife and daughter, who had hung spellbound on James and Matt's lips, crowded close to him.
Joanna: Titan, Noma! Then the stories are after all true!
Noma: I-i don`t know.
Joanna: But we have heard the howling!
James: We ourselves do not know what to believe. But Mr Falko is gone. Someone or something out there overwhelmed him and...
Matt: My goodness, wait, maybe he's still there! It could be right in front of the house. We must seek him!
Rob: Maybe he's hurt.
Noma: We could make a light spell and go out.
Joanna: [anxious] Oh, please Noma... don't go out there.
Noma: You heard what the guys said, Joanna. Mr Falko may still be outside and he needs our help.
James: We all go. If we stay close together, nothing can happen to us.
Everyone agreed with that. Mrs Masterno and Sarah put on a dressing gown. Then six of them stepped out into the night. The fog greeted them like a wet, cold hand. It quickly turned out that the light spell was of little use to them. It only lit up the fog like a spotlight that dazzled her. So Mr Masterno lit up on the floor. So they had at least a little light and could indulge in the illusion of not being completely disoriented. Step by step, they moved away from the house. For a quarter of an hour, they searched the immediate vicinity of the house. They went down to the lakeshore and just as far in the other direction. But they found no trace of Falko or the Phantom. Eventually, they returned to the house frightened.
Sarah: What are we going to do?
Joanna: We have to call the Coven!
[Mrs Masterno presses the scroll's connect button several times]
Joanna: Wait, oh. - What's going on?
Noma: What do you have, Joanna?
Joanna: The line is dead!
Rob: What?
Joanna: No connection!
Noma: Come on, give me the scroll.
Joanna: Here.
Noma: Hmm...
Noma returned the scroll to his wife and went out after a while he said something from outside.
Noma: [from outside] I thought so!
James: What's going on, Mr Masterno?
Noma: Look at this. Someone cut the line on the scroll pole.
Everyone: What?
Noma: This means that we are cut off from the outside world.
Joanna: Oh Titan!
Matt: Tomorrow morning we will disappear from here. As fast as possible.
James: Right.
Matt: Right. - Right? Did you say "right," James?
James: Right!
Matt: I suspect madness, you're already leading something in your mind again, aren't you? James? James, you don't want to...
Rob: Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, James. No!
James: Of course! I don't force anyone to come with me.
Sarah: Wait. I can't quite follow you right now. What is it about?
Matt: James wants to look for the phantom!
Noma: What?!
Rob: He is crazy!
James: It is quite obvious. All traces lead to this mountain. If we want to unravel the mystery of the Phantom, we must start there following the laws of logic.
Noma: Following? What?
James: Well, with the investigation. Oh, that's right. Sorry, I had completely forgotten that. Can I give them our card?
Noma: Aha. [reading] The three investigators? Mystery Trio. We take care of every case. First detective, James Jones. Second detective, Matt Jones. Research and Archive, Rob Jones. [amused] Seriously?
XXX
Rob: [writing] The Masternos initially thought the card was a joke. But when James, in his usual manner, began to explain theories and possible approaches and incidentally became the spokesman of our small household community, they listened to him. What was the result? The Masternos want to go to the village tomorrow and alert the coven. James tried to stop her. He said he wanted to try to unravel the mystery of the Fogmountain on his own before the coven stood in his way. But fortunately, the Masternos didn't get involved and stuck to their plan. Nor could we stop James from his plan to climb the mountain tomorrow and look for the Phantom. - Yes. - The problem with this is, I can't possibly come along because my foot is still swollen. And Matt doesn't want to come along, of course, he's still shaking now. [laughs slightly contemptuously] This scared dude! But we don't want to let our first one go alone either. Otherwise, I don't know how to feel. We are all afraid for Mr Falko. He is now alone outside in the fog, if he is still alive at all. No one dares to say it, but I'm sure each of us has already thought of the worst.
It was almost noon when a decision was finally made. The Mystery Trio and the Masternos family sat at the kitchen table and James summed up.
James: The three of you will drive to the village by car and inform the Coven. The three of us are staying here. Or rather, Rob and Matt stay here while I look around on the Fogmountain. I will be back by nightfall – hopefully with Mr Falko.
Matt: [clears itself] I, uh, I'm also coming with you, James.
Rob: What?
Matt: Yes, save your comments. This whole plan is a single kamikaze company. But that's why you need me, James.
James: Well...
Matt: Alone you are lost up there. You don't even know where north is.
James: Hm...
Sarah: And I will stay here.
Noma: Oh no, you'll come with us, Sarah.
Sarah: [emphatic] I stay! If something happens, one of us can still get help. This is much safer than if Rob stayed here alone.
Noma: Ok then. We should finally leave now, Joanna.
Joanna: We will be back in three hours at the latest.
James: Good. And we're also on our way, Matt. Even if you don't believe me, I don't want to stay on the mountain longer than necessary.
Matt: That's a good thing, and either do I. So let's catch this silly phantom. And then I want to go home. As soon as possible, alright? And then no more cases for the rest of the holidays!
XXX
When Sarah offered to cook something a short time later, Rob pretended to want to catch up on a little sleep and went up the stairs to the attic. Silently, he opened the door of Mr Falko Zimmer and slipped through it. The room was larger than the attic where the Mystery Trio had slept. A real guest room, with its own closet, a comfortable armchair and a desk. Rob approached him. No mountains of paper, no books, no notes, as Rob had expected. On the table was only a flat Lapcrystal, nothing more. The third detective opened the notebook and turned it on. He called up the table of contents and flew over the file names. Tax returns, invoices, bestsellers. Bestseller? Rob pressed a few keys and with a soft rattling the text was loaded.
Rob: [murmurs] Interesting.
It was a novel, at least the beginning of it. Rob flew over the first few pages. It was about a lonely house in the mountains, far from any civilization, where an elderly couple and a writer lived. One day, the couple's adult daughter comes to visit.
Sarah: [reads] Cynthia had honey blonde hair and an exciting mouth.
Rob: Oh man, did you scare me, Sarah.
Sarah: [laughs] Don't be surprised you didn't hear me. This house is my parents' house. Although I didn't grow up here, I now know every single hallway and know how to silently enter a room. So, you're snooping around in Mr. Falko's paperwork.
Rob: [stutters] I-I'm not snooping, I'm looking for a trace.
Sarah: A trace? What kind of one?
Rob: No idea. Something that will help us move forward. James thinks Falko may know more than he told us. That's why he asked me to take a look in his room.
Sarah: And you tell me you want to go to sleep.
Rob: So what about you? Didn't you want to cook?
Sarah: Well, let's continue in the text. Let's see what else our writer writes.
Rob: What do we have here. [presses the keys]
Together, Sarah and Rob flew over what Mr Falko had written so far.
Sarah: That's a pretty accurate retelling of everything that's happened on Lakeview over the last few days.
Rob: And what about the Phantom Legend? This Mr Walko in the novel keeps talking about it. Did Mr Falko do the same in reality?
Sarah: No. At least not in my presence.
Rob: Aha. If I didn't know that Lakeview and the people described really exist. If I really read this like the beginning of a novel, then I would say that this phantom that Mr Walko talks about still plays an important role in the story. Later. Do you understand what I mean?
Sarah: Hmm.
Rob: This Falko builds his novel as if he knew what was going to happen in reality. Here, listen to this. [reads] "When they appeared tired and distraught for dinner, Walko saw them for the first time: the old-wise, the nervous and the silent." Well thats just rude.
Sarah: [laughs] He builds us all into his story. Let's take a look at the other files.
Rob: [murmurs] Hmm, wait, then I have to get out of here again... [presses buttons] So, wait a minute, what files do we have here? There! One file is called Asher Research. Wait, I'll open it. so, now something is coming.
Sarah: [reads] Asher research. I learned that I was right with many of my assumptions. During the time, in... [Rob reads murmuring along] ... When Asher closed the mine, he had a mistress named Melissa Radcliffe...
Sarah: ... and the signs are intensifying that an illegitimate son emerged from this love. Melissa Radcliffe passed away many years ago. I will not know anything more about her. but she had a sister twenty years younger, Angelica Parker, née Radcliffe. She is now an old woman and lives in... [Rob mumbles along]... Latissa. I was able to locate her and contact her.
Rob: My goodness, has already made an effort [speaking to himself] Radcliffe, Radcliffe, it seems to me as if I have heard the name somewhere before. Radcliffe...
Sarah: Farther. Mrs Parker was reluctant to entrust me with the story of her family to a complete stranger. But eventually she gave in and readily told us that her sister actually had a son...
Rob: [Key Noise] I'll scroll down a bit again, so.
Sarah: [reads] ... Harry Radcliffe. Who has been in the conformatorium several times for various offences, including serious bodily injury. She didn't know where he lives today, they haven't had any contact with each other for years. However, in her sister's estate, Mrs Parker found some letters from Richard Asher and copied and sent them to me. These letters are literally worth their weight in gold.
Sarah: [reads] Here are the most interesting excerpts. [Rob reads murmuring along] My creditors should have left Bonesgrow by now. I think there will soon be enough grass over the matter that I can dare to reopen the mine.'
Rob: Aha.
Sarah: [reads] 'I'm pretty much done. All entrances are bricked up, the tunnel is nearing completion.'
Rob: The tunnel...
Sarah: [reads]'Now it won't be long, dearest. Who would think that the only remaining entrance would be directly below...'
Rob: Directly below...? [presses buttons] Man, that's all there is to it. At this point, the text breaks off. Of all places, where it becomes important.
Sarah: Do you really mean?
Rob: Well of course.
Sarah: In the text there was no mention of the phantom at all.
Rob: Not so, but he may explain why Mr Falko is here.
Sarah: To write a novel, why else?
Rob: I suspect that's not all. I think he's looking for gold...
XXX
The higher Matt and James climbed the Knee, the more rocky the surroundings became. Every time a boulder emerged from the fog, the second detective winced. In each of the dark grey schemes he saw a phantom-like figure. And then after an eternity, a square monster appeared, which was clearly neither a stone nor a phantom.
Matt: [whispers] What is that, James?
James: I would say this is a mountain house. And possibly the goal of our search.
Matt: You mean, the phantom lives in there?
James: We'll find out in a moment. Come on, we'll stalk each other carefully.
Matt: Alright.
James: Pst! - [whispers] First look through the windows.
Matt: [whispers] And?
James: [whispers] There's nothing in there. Come on, Matt.
James and Matt opened the door and walked into the house.
James: Clear.
Matt: What does it look like here!?
James: The total chaos. A rickety bed, a table with a gas cooker...
Matt: Yes, and there are open cans and dirty clothes everywhere. Uh uh.. In any case, there is no Phantom and no Mr Falko here. So... Well, can we go now.
James: The perfect hiding place. Probably no one in Bonesgrow can remember this hut. No one would suspect that anyone can live on the summit of the Fogmountain. Now we just have to find out who has settled here at home and why. [Steps] What do we have there?
Matt: [whispers] James, what are you doing?
James: Rule number one: Never hide anything under your bed if you don't want an experienced detective to find it right away.
Matt: A box!
James: (opens) Look at this, Matt!
Matt: What's that?
James: You are allowed to guess three times. This is Dynamite!
Suddenly, the door was violently opened, and the phantom came in and shouted at the two detectives.
Matt: The Phantom!
James: Let's catch him!
Matt: Wait!
The Phantom made an abonimation spell and made a baseball bat out of the abonimation, knocking down the two. James and Matt both fell to the ground and lost consciousness.
XXX
Something drilled into his back. That was the first thing Matt consciously noticed again. Then the headache. And finally, very slowly, the memory returned. The mountain, the hut, the phantom! Instantly, the adrenaline flooded through his body again, making his heart race and waking him up so abruptly that it almost hurt.
Matt: (moans) Ohhh...
It was pitch dark. He was lying on a hard, cold floor. The pain in his back probably came from a stone. It was only when he wanted to straighten up that he realized that he was handcuffed to his hands and feet.
Matt: [desperate] Hello? Hello? Is there anyone? Hello?
Falko: Hello? Matt?
Matt: Yes. – [surprised] Mr Falko?
Falko: Yes, I am here.
Matt: Where is James?
Falko: I do not know. Is he also here?
Matt: I hope so. [calls] James? James? - Where are we here? What happened?
Falko: The Phantom. It really exists. It was all just a joke. It dragged me here. What about the others? What about Marco, where is he?
Matt: Marco? I don't know who you mean.
Falko: Did the Phantom overwhelm you all?
Matt: No, only James and me. But now they are already telling. What happened in the first place?
Falko: I walked out of the house. I was sure that was just one of Marco's bad jokes. So I went into the fog, far enough away from the house so you can't see us [moans]. And there, there it suddenly stood in front of me. White and scary. It was screaming and howling and I was sure, I was suddenly sure that this being was not Marco. That it was real.
Matt: Really?
Falko: I don't know exactly why, but suddenly I fainted. The phantom must have knocked me down. I woke up here tied up in the dark, and...
James: (moans)
Matt: [calls] James? James?!
James: Yeah?
Matt: [delighted] James! Thanks to Titan! Come on, wake up, we need your help.
James: What? What happened in the first place?
Matt: [impatient] Oh, James...
James: Where are we?
Matt waited until James was clear in his mind again. Then clarified about the little he knew so far.
Matt: I guess you could say that!
James: Let us postpone the physical efforts until later and turn to the intellectual ones.
Matt: [approving] Hmm.
James: Mr Falko, I have the impression that they are a good deal ahead of us. You know the Phantom, don't you? Who or what is behind it?
Falko: I don't know, I don't know. That means I thought I knew. But I don't know.
Matt: But who is this Marco your were talking about?
Falko: A friend. He helped me develop this plan. That is, actually it was his plan. I only hung on to it because – because I saw it as an opportunity. As you know, I've been spending some summer weeks at the Masternos on Lakeview for years.
Matt: Yes.
Falko: Over time, I have learned more and more about this area. About the history of Bonesgrow, about the fogmountain, the mine of Richard Asher, and so on.
James: And one day you came across something that made them sit up and take notice.
Falko: Actually, it wasn't me, but Marco. He was interested in the history of this area. I presented him with my results, and the story about Richard Asher and the gold mine stunned him. He felt that it didn't suit Asher to just give up everything after the mine was dead. I had to agree with him and did some research.
Matt: Oh...
Falko: In the end, I found out that Asher had most likely cheated on his creditor.
Matt: Cheated? How so?
Falko: Do you remember? He had agreed to share half of his profits with his creditor. But the gold deposit was soon exhausted. But that was exactly a lie.
James: [amazed] Oh!
Matt: What?
Falko: There was still gold in the mine. Asher just didn't want to share it anymore. So he claimed the mine was empty down to the last crumb of gold.
Matt: (laughs)
Falko: He sent all the workers home, closed the tunnels and mimicked the desperate man by entrenching himself on Lakeview.
James: Oh!
Falko: In reality, he was just waiting. He wanted to grow grass over the matter in order to get the gold out of the mine alone in due course and still become a rich witch.
James: But nothing ever came of it. Why not?
Falko: I don't know. Asher disappeared one day. He left his beloved and son penniless and uh. and uh.. and vaneed into thin air.
Matt: He turned into the phantom of the fogmountain.
James: [insistent] There is no Phantom, Matt!
Matt: What!? But we saw it! It knocked us down.
James: Exactly. It knocked us down, with a stick of abonimation! A bit unusual for a ghost, don't you think? This barbaric outbreak of violence is a highly witchy peculiarity.
Matt: But it floated, James. It was floating! [ironic] Is this also a Witches peculiarity?
James: It didn't float. I'm pretty sure I saw his feet when I went to the ground. When we first encountered the Phantom on the mountain, it just looked like it was floating. Because it was foggy. And this white, flowing figure was probably nothing more than a kind of bed sheet.
Matt: Oh man!
James: The only question is: Who is hiding underneath? You know, it Mr Falko? Is it your friend Marco?
Falko: No! That means yes - and again not. I thought he was. But I was wrong. The whole project was a huge mistake.
James: What project are you talking about?
Falko: Marco was of the opinion that there could still be a small fortune in this mountain if I were right with my theory. None of this was important to me at all. I just wanted to write my book.
Matt: What book?
Falko: A novel about the fogmountain. About Asher, over the mine, via Lakeview, the Masternos and the Phantom. Well, and so one thing led to another. Marco wanted the gold, I wanted the book. And so we got together and developed this insane plan.
James: Which plan?
Falko: We wanted to find the entrance to the mine again. I already did long hikes through the mountains last summer, but never found the entrance. Then I managed to get in touch with the sister of Asher's lover. She sent me ancient letters from Richard Asher to her sister. It turned out that Asher had carefully closed the mine entrance. At the same time, however, he dug a tunnel. And this tunnel leads directly to his house. Lakeview is not just a house at the foot of Fogmountain. No! It is the entrance to the gold mine!
Matt: The entrance to the mine is under the house? But t-then the masternos should have found the gold long ago!
Falko: They don't know about it. Presumably the entrance is too well hidden.
James: Oh! Slowly it dawns on me! Marc and she planned to explore the mine, but of course undisturbed. But in order to get into the mine unmolested, the Masternos had to be driven out of the house. And that's when they came up with the idea of resurrecting the Phantom of the Fogmountain.
Falko: Exactly!
James: But that wasn't the only purpose of the whole story. As they said so beautifully: Marco wanted the gold, they wanted the book. They were concerned with the story, didn't they? They worked on a novel about the fogmountain and all its legends. What they still lacked was the appearance of the Phantom. And in order to keep their narrative as close to reality as possible, they have just staged their own little novel to see how the masternos react.
Falko: Correct! But now my own imagination has caught up with me. It has indeed become a reality. The Phantom, last night – that wasn't Marco!
Matt: [anxious] How can you be so sure?
Falko: We forged this whole plan together.
James: Tell me, Mr Falko, have you ever thought that your partner Marco might be so after the gold that he might be cheating on you?
Suddenly, the three heard an alarm clock ringing.
Matt: W-w-w
James: Whats that now?
Matt: T-t-t...
James: Your stupid alarm clock! How does he get here? Where is he?
Matt: I have no idea. T-t-that comes from somewhere over there.
James: Did you have it in your backpack when we climbed the Fogmountain?
Matt: Uh...yes.
James: [annoyed] What the Heck? Why?
Matt: No idea, such an alarm clock – you can always use it.
James: This means that our backpacks are also here in the cave.
Sarah: [calls from afar] Matt! James!
James: That...
Sarah: [calls from afar] Can you hear us?
James: ... this is Sarah! Yes! [laughs with relief] Thanks to Titan! [calls] Where are you?
Sarah: I-I don't know.
Matt: Light! Sarah comes with a torch in the back! [calls] Here we are!
James: Rob is with her. [calls] At last! Fast! Take off our shackles!
Matt: [calls] Here!
James: My hands are almost dead!
Rob: [getting closer] Wait. We'll have that right away. So.
James: [moans and laughs in relief]
Matt: [laughs] What a blessing!
Rob freed the three handcuffed.
James: Sarah...
Matt: So, first of all, I turn off that damn alarm clock. Where is the backpack? [Steps] Oh... here. So...
James: [facilitated] Oh, well, finally. How did you get here?
Rob: We found the entrance to the gold mine after taking a closer look at the files in Falko's notebook. In the basement we loosened the plank boards, found a tunnel underneath, and then Sarah suddenly heard the alarm clock.
Sarah: Yeah...
Rob: And then we just followed the beeping.
Everyone: (laughs)
Matt: [laughs] My alarm clock!
Rob: Yes, the good old alarm clock...
Sarah: [laughs] - Where are we here? This cave definitely doesn't belong to the mine anymore, does it?
James: No, it leads somewhere outside back out.
Matt: [amazed] Going outside? How do you know?
James: The flame of the torch flickers. That is, there is an air circulation. And that can only happen if this cave has an exit to the outside.
Falko: Let's disappear from here. In this darkness you go mad!
James: Then lets go!
XXX
Sarah, Mr Falko and the Mystery Trio set off. The cave became very narrow and bent sharply. Behind it shimmered gray daylight. James led the way. After a short stretch straight ahead, a passage about two meters wide led into the open air. The first detective pinched his eyes in front of the unusually bright light and looked out. They were on the Fogmountain! In the middle of the clouds! James shrugged back.
James: Huh?
Matt: Whats wrong, James?
James: Less than ten meters from here is the mountain house where the phantom has overwhelmed us.
Falko: Be quiet. Do you hear that?
James: Here lies a man. Tied up and gagged.
Falko: This is Marco! Marco! Wait I'll tie you loose.
Marco: Thanks to Titan! What happened? Are you here to... - I know you boys. You were on the mountain, a few days ago... Falko, we have to get out of here! This madman is certainly still sneaking around somewhere.
Matt: [anxious] James! James! There, there in the fog. The Phantom!
The phantom screamed and laughed disgustingly, it went to the group.
Sarah: [screeches] It's coming to us!
Matt: (panicked) Run!
The Phantom made a fire spell and shot down the group. After that, he made an abonimation blade.
Harry Radcliffe: [steamed] Hands up and no movement! Go over there, to the wall! [general shouting, steps] No boy, over there. And in such a way that I have all of you in view. The game is over.
He made his finger ready for the next spell. He aimed on the group.
James: Who are you?
Harry: [steamed] I am the owner of the mine. It belongs to me. The whole mountain is mine. You have lost nothing here! No one but me has a right to gold. The mine is my father's property.
James: You can quietly pull the silly sheet from your head, Mister. I know who they are. Richard Asher's son.
Harry: [pulls off sheets, speaks clearly] Harry Radcliffe. Correct.
Matt: Harry Radcliffe? The convict who has been on the run from the Coven for months?
Rob: What?
James: You were looking for the entrance to the gold mine.
Harry: Just like these two guys here. Think they could cheat me out of the inheritance. But without me! The gold is mine! Mine all alone! For weeks I searched in the mine and then suddenly these guys come and want to take everything away from me. On my mountain! [laughs] But thank you for showing me the entrance. You have done your duty. Bye bye! Who's the first to die?
James: [excited] Sir! Don't do it! Nobody wants to take anything away from them. You're making a big mistake!
Harry: Shut up! You also gonna die!
Suddenly, Matt's alarm clock rang again. And Harry was frightened and looked around.
Harry: [unsettled] What is that?
James: Now!
When James said this, everyone made a spell and shot Harry with it. Falko tied up the criminal with abonimation and he fell over.
Marco: Now stuff this gag into his mouth!
Matt: That was close.
James: [annoyed] Why does that damn alarm clock ring again? Matt!?
Matt: Damn!? My beloved alarm clock saved our lives!
James: [laughs] Yes, but why?
Matt: No idea! I was so nervous as we marched through the cave. I played around with the alarm clock and adjusted the alarm time. When the phantom appeared earlier, I dropped it in fear.
James: Matt?
Matt: Yes?
James: [spread politely] Would you do me a favor?
Matt: [suspicious] Which one?
James: Turn it off!
Everyone: (laughs)
XXX
Rob: [writes] I think it's time to write down the rest of the story as well. We joined forces to drag Harry Radcliffe to the basement of Lakeview. Shortly thereafter, the Masternos returned, accompanied by the Emperor Coven. They immediately arrested Radcliffe when they realized that he was indeed the escaped convict Matt had heard about on the radio. Together with the Coven and Radcliffe himself, we also solved the rest of the puzzle. Radcliffe had learned by reading his late mother's diary who his father, whom he had never known, had been. And that many years ago he owned a gold mine here at the Fogmountain. The diary probably also mentioned that there was still gold in the mine, and of course Radcliffe wanted that. He made his way here on the run from the Coven and entrenched himself on top of the mountain in an old, forgotten hut. From there he searched for the entrance to the mine. He arbitrarily blew up some rocks because he believed they were hiding the mine entrance. The earthquake we felt was therefore not an earthquake, but an explosion. So Radcliffe was looking for gold while we were wandering over the Fogmountain and suddenly met the Phantom, to be exact Marco. He had also taken up position on the mountain, because the operation was to start from there. He was about to pitch his tent when we crossed his path.
So he decided without further ado to test his phantom disguise on us. This eerie howl came from the tape. – Yes – At the meeting with Mr Falko, Marco reported on his encounter with us and they discussed the last steps. But they couldn't get around to carrying out their plans, because the next day Marco accidentally discovered the mountain hut. Radcliffe surprised him. He was afraid that Marco would report his hiding place to the Coven, but he knew nothing about an escaped convict. Radcliffe overpowered Marco and questioned him. And so Radcliffe learned who he was, what purpose this phantom disguise had, and what plans he had together with Falko. And that's when Radcliffe decided to simply adopt these plans. Mr Falko thought, of course, Marco would be under the disguise and played the game, which was no longer one. Outside in the fog, he was then knocked down by Radcliffe and dragged up the mountain. We finally found the mine and visited it. With the skeleton we found on it, in all likelihood, they are the remains of Richard Asher. I think now we know why Harry understood Asher's father one day without a trace. And so our case ended. We found the gold. Who actually owns it will have to clarify the coven and a number of lawyers. It remains to be mentioned that Matt insisted on giving his stupid alarm clock a place of honor in the headquarter. He never tires of emphasizing that this thing have saved our lives after all. James and I are ready to get involved. But we will take out the batteries first. [laughs]
End of Episode 5!
I hope you enjoyed this episode! Write me a review if you like it. Or write me what I could do better! See you next Episode!