Speaker 1: Calarogu Shark Media, Hello, and welcome to Ghost Scary Stories.
This episode is titled Spirits of the Speakeasy, a New
York Ghost Story, Part four, Requiem for the Forgotten.
Speaker 2: The early morning light filtered through the windows of the
broken bottle, casting long shadows across the empty bar. Eddie
Hernandez sat at a corner table, surrounded by stacks of papers,
old photographs, and hastily scribbled notes. Dark circles under his eyes,
betrayed sleepless nights spent unraveling the decades old mystery that
had consumed his life. As Eddie poured over the evidence
one last time, the pieces of the puzzle began to
fall into place. Thomas Blackwards, criminal empire, Sofia, and Daniel's
plan to expose it, his own grandfather's involvement. It all
led to one inescapable conclusion, but the final piece was
still missing, and Eddie knew he had to act fast.
A soft whisper brushed against his ear. Eddie hurry. He
looked up to see Sofia's ghostly form hovering nearby, her
eyes filled with urgency. Eddie nodded, understanding the unspoken message.
Time was running out With renewed determination, Eddie reached for
his phone and dialed a number he'd discovered in his
grandfather's old address book. As it rang, he silently prayed
that the person on the other end was still alive
and willing to talk. Hello. A gravelly voice answered. Eddie
took a deep breath. Mister Rossi, my name is Eddie Hernandez.
I'm calling about something that happened at the Broken Bottle
in nineteen twenty five. There was a long pause, then
a heavy sigh. I wondered if someone would ever call
about that. It's about time. An hour later, Eddie sat
across from Frank Rossi, a man in his late nineties
who had once been a low level enforcer for Thomas Blackwood.
As Rossi spoke, his voice trembling with the weight of
long held secrets, the final pieces of the puzzle fell
into place. Blackwood was losing control. Rossie explained, Sofia and
that journalist. They had evidence that would have brought down
his whole operation, but it wasn't Blackwood who silenced them.
Eddie leaned forward, his heart pounding. Then who Rossi's roomy
eyes met Eddie's. It was Judge Harrison he had the
most to lose if the truth came out. He ordered
the hit, and I I'm ashamed to say I carried
it out. As Rossi continued his confession, detailing the events
of that fateful night, the air in the bar grew cold,
glasses began to rattle on, and the old jukebox in
the corner crackled to life, playing a mournful jazz tune.
Suddenly the room was filled with ghostly figures, flappers, gangsters, musicians,
all going about their business as if it were still
nineteen twenty five. And there at the center of it
all stood Sophia and Daniel, their forms more solid than
the others. Eddie watched, transfixed as the scene of their
final moments played out before him. He saw Daniel confronting
Judge Harrison, brandishing a folder full of evidence. He saw
Sophia rushing in to warn Daniel, not realizing she was
walking into a trap. And he saw his own grandfather,
young and terrified, trying desperately to intervene, but arriving too late.
As the ghostly tableau reached its tragic climax, Eddie felt
a hand and on his shoulder. He turned to see
his grandfather, not as the old man he remembered, but
as the young bartender he had been in nineteen twenty five.
I'm sorry, Miho, his grandfather's ghost said, his voice heavy
with regret. I tried to protect them, but I failed,
and then I failed you by keeping the truth hidden
all these years. Eddie reached out to touch his grandfather's hand,
but his fingers passed through the ghostly form. You did
what you thought was right, abuelo, but it's time to
set things right with newfound resolve, Eddie turned back to Rossi.
Mister Rossi, I need you to come with me to
the police. It's time to tell them everything. Rossie nodded,
tears in his eyes. Yes, it's long past time. I'm
ready to pay for what I've done. As Eddie and
Rossie stood to leave, the ghostly scene faded away, but
Sophia remained, her form growing brighter as she approached Eddie.
Thank you, she whispered, her voice clear, for the first time,
you've given us peace. Eddie smiled, feeling a weight lifted
from his shoulders. No, Sophia, you gave me purpose. Rest.
Now your story will finally be told with a radiant smile.
Sophia's form began to dissolve into motes of light. As
she faded away, Eddie caught a glimpse of Daniel waiting
for her, his hand outstretched, Then in a flash of
warmth and light, they were gone. The aftermath of Eddie's
discovery sent shockwaves through New York. Judge Harrison's descendants, who
had continued to profit from his ill gotten gains, were
brought to justice. The full extent of the nineteen twenties
corruption was exposed, leading to to a reevaluation of numerous
historical cases. The Broken Bottle, once a den of secrets
and sorrow, was transformed. Eddie used his inheritance money his
grandfather had squirreled away out of guilt to renovate the bar,
turning it into a jazz club that honoured the memory
of Sophia Bellamy and all those who had been silenced.
On opening night, as the first notes of jazz filled
the air, Eddie felt a familiar chill, but this time
it wasn't accompanied by whispers or fear. Instead, he caught
the faint sound of Sophia's laugh, joyous and free, and
knew that she and all the restless spirits of the
Broken Bottle had finally found peace. As Eddie looked out
over the crowded bar, he raised a glass in a
silent toast to Sophia and Daniel, to his grandfather, to
all those who had played a part in this decade's
long drama. Their stories would not be forgotten. The secrets
of the Broken Bottle had finally been laid to rest,
but it's leglegacy, a legacy of truth, justice, and the
power of uncovering long buried secrets, would live on. And
as the music swelled and the crowd cheered, Eddie Hernandez
knew that he had found his true calling, giving voice
to the voiceless and ensuring that the echoes of the
past would always have a place in the present. The
Ghost's story of the Broken Bottle was over, but its
impact would resonate for generations to come.
Speaker 1: Ghost is a Calaogus Shark Media production written and hosted
by Alexander Ian McIntyre, produced by Mark Francis. Executive producers
Mark Francis and John McDermott. Portions of this podcast may
have been created with the assistance of AI.
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Speaker 1: Caloroga Shark Media