The Bottomless Pool by Ralph Milne Farley
Summary
A narrator recounts how his friend Martin Aylthorpe, a writer of weird fiction, was lured to death by a mysterious "Bottomless Pool" in a New England swamp. After discovering that the pool uses lizards as bait on hooks to trap humans, the narrator attempts to lure the creature out using a windlass. He successfully hauls up a monstrous, prehistoric head before cutting the line, leaving behind a golden hook engraved with symbols depicting the creature's ritualistic consumption of victims. The episode ends with the narrator pleading for authorities to board up the pool to prevent further trage…
Topics discussed
Sponsorships for Thirteen and A Funny Feeling podcasts
Introduction to 'The Bottomless Pool' and the narrator's plea
Martin Aylthorpe's arrival and recovery at the cottage
Martin reveals the legend of the Bottomless Pool
Exploring the swamp and discovering the black pool
The narrator is hooked and dragged toward the water
Debate over the incident and Martin's fishing theory
Martin investigates local myths and colonial history
The narrator discovers Martin's disappearance at the pool
The narrator's feverish plan to use Martin's windlass
Setting up the windlass in the foggy swamp at night
Hooking the lizard bait and feeling the pull from below
Winching the line and the emergence of the creature
Description of the monster and the snapping of the wire
The narrator's escape and subsequent police report
The golden hook, its carvings, and the final warning
Outro and support information for Horror Babble
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