The Mystery Short Story
Background : You will choose one of the following mysteries listed on this page to solve. Your resolution of the mystery will be in
flashback form. This means that your story must include dialogue, characterization, plot, theme, and a valid solution to the questions one
might have concerning the mysteries below. Enjoy your super sleuth status!
Unsolved Mysteries:
1. The Lighthouse Keepers of the Flannan Isles
Other than its relative isolation, the Flanna Isles Lighthouse would be a relatively unremarkable light, were it not for the events that
took place just over a year after it was commissioned. The first hint of anything untoward on the Flannan Isles came on 15
December 1900. The steamer Archtor on passage from Philadelphia to Leith passed the islands in poor weather and noted that the
light was not operational. At noon on Boxing Day (December 26th), the crew of the Hesperus and the relief keeper found that the
flagstaff was bare of its flag, none of the usual provision boxes had been left on the landing stage for re-stocking, and more
ominously, none of the lighthouse keepers were there to welcome them ashore. Jim Harvie, captain of the Hesperus, gave a
strident blast on his whistle and set off a distress flare, but no reply was forthcoming. A further search of the island found no one
and no explanation as to their whereabouts. The disappearances of Thomas Marshall, James Ducat (who left a widow and four
children), and Donald MacArthur (who left a widow and two children) cast a shadow over the lighthouse service for many years.
Were they swept out to sea in a storm by a rogue wave? Or were they gobbled up by a sea monster? Was it another alien
abduction? Your job: Explain the mystery. What happened to the three men?
2. Mothman
Some believe that a crumbling set of buildings outside Point Pleasant, West Virginia are home to one of the most bizarre and
terrifying creatures ever to walk the earth: half-man, half-bird, and a portent of impending disaster. Those who have seen the
creature call it “Mothman”. In late 1966, a strange series of sightings began in and around Point Pleasant in an area known to
locals as T.N.T. Originally a wildlife preserve and bird sanctuary, portions of the land were appropriated by the military during WWII
for use as a munitions factory and storage facility. Abandoned after the war, the area became a popular hang out and party spot
for local youth. It was here that two young couples first spotted a strange creature on the evening of November 15. Described as
half-man, half-bird, the creature was said to have prominent red eyes, a horrific screech, and a wingspan of eight to twelve feet.
Over the next year, sightings of the Mothman increased in frequency. Other weird things began to occur. Residents reported
finding their farm animals dead, drained of blood, and with the heart removed. The Mothman terrified all who saw it, and some even
believe the creature is linked to the greatest tragedy ever to befall Point Pleasant. The Silver Bridge leading out of town collapsed,
killing 46 people. One witness claimed to have seen the Mothman on the bridge just prior to the disaster. Your job: Explain the
Mothman mystery. Was the Mothman a government experiment gone awry? Was the creature a mutant bird created by the effect
of the chemical residue from the munitions plant on bird DNA? Or perhaps Mothman was, as some believe, simply an extremely
large specimen of the sand hill crane, a native bird that stands nearly as tall as a man and has two red patches of flesh that might
have been mistaken for eyes. Your job : Explain the mystery. What is the Mothman? Or is it even real?
3. The Philadelphia Experiment
In 1943, the government conducted a test using domestic animals of the invisibility experiments being conducted at the
University of Chicago. The animals were placed in metal cages on the USS Eldridge. The ship became invisible but when it
materialized many of the animals were missing or had radiation and other burn marks on them. Humans were not to be tested. Yet
on October 28, 1943, the USS Eldridge with a full crew aboard reportedly underwent the Philadelphia Experiment. The men did not
know what was to happen. The generators were fired up. The switches were thrown. The ship disappeared and all seemed well. (The
Navy released the Eldridge's deck log and war diary and at no time was the Eldridge in Philadelphia.) The ship was gone from the
harbor for about 4 hours, not just a few minutes. Legend has it that the ship was transported through space and time. It arced
through Space/Time. Four hours later it returned to its original place. There was a greenish haze on deck. Some of the sailors
were on fire. Some seemed insane. All were sick. Some had heart attacks. Some were dead. Some were part of the super structure
of the ship, buried in the deck or walls of the ship. Some reports said that men just seemed to disappear and were never seen
again. The Navy denied everything and said the men were lost at sea. Your job : Explain the mystery. Where had the ship gone for
4 hours?
DUE DATES :
Story Map : Monday, July 27th
1st Rough Draft : Wednesday, August 12th
2nd Rough Draft : Wednesday, August 26th
Final Draft : Wednesday, September 2nd