MrBallen Podcast: Strange, Dark & Mysterious Stories

Episode: "For a Price"

Date: January 22, 2026
Host: John Allen (MrBallen)

Episode Overview

This episode, titled "For a Price," explores the dark consequences that often accompany the pursuit of adventure, desire, and greed. Through three riveting, true stories—"Surge," "Stowaway," and "The Path Less Traveled"—MrBallen illustrates how our yearnings can lead to unexpected, often tragic outcomes. Each story stands as a haunting reminder: everything worth wanting comes with a price.

Story 1: Surge

[02:16]
A dream vacation turns into a fight for survival deep in a flooded cave in Thailand.

Key Discussion Points

• Setup: In October 2007, Helena Carroll and her fiancé John Cullen, needing a break from stressful lives, spend the last of their savings on a vacation in Thailand instead of saving for a house.
• Adventure: On their last day, they join a guided tour to the Nam Talu Cave in Khao Sok National Park.
• Warning Ignored: Park rangers warn their guides about the dangers of entering the cave during monsoon season, citing the risk of flash floods. The group proceeds, confident in the absence of rain.
• Disaster: Deep inside the cave, a sudden, unexpected flood rushes in.
  • Helena and John climb to a ledge; Helena witnesses a wall of water sweeping away their guides and fellow tourists.
• Desperate Decision: With water rising, John decides to risk swimming for help:

  “We’re going to die if we stay here. We're going to drown. I have to go, I love you, I have to go.” – John Cullen ([05:07])

  • He disappears into the water; Helena, left alone, clings to the ledge for 20 hours.
• Aftermath: She alone survives. Emerging from the cave, Helena discovers eight coffins outside: she is the only one left.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the Cave’s Attraction:

  “…there was a river that ran through it where at times as you walked through this cave, you’d have to hold onto a rope and wade through the water, where the water was up to your waist or even up to your neck at times. But it felt safe and controlled…[It was] exhilarating for foreign tourists…” – MrBallen ([03:21])

• On Ignoring Danger:

  "Despite the warning, the group continued on because it hadn't rained that day and there wasn't any rain in the forecast." – MrBallen ([03:44])

• Aftermath Scene:

  “…as soon as she stepped outside, she saw there were eight coffins that had been lined up right outside. And she found out that she was the sole survivor.” – MrBallen ([07:09])

Story 2: Stowaway

[07:51]
A restless teen’s desperate quest to see the world ends in tragedy at 30,000 feet.

Key Discussion Points

• Keith’s Wanderlust: 14-year-old Keith Sapsford from Sydney is obsessed with traveling but lacks the means. His parents hope a single trip to Europe will satisfy him—it only fuels his restlessness.
• Repeated Runaways: Keith attempts to flee multiple times. Fearing for his wellbeing, his parents send him to a restrictive boarding school, but that only intensifies his urge to escape.
• Ill-fated Escape: Two weeks in, Keith escapes the school, and after days of being missing, he sneaks onto Sydney Airport’s tarmac.
• Tragic Stowaway Attempt:
  • Keith hides in the wheel well of a flight bound for Tokyo.
  • By pure chance, photographer John Gilpin, testing a new camera lens, captures the moment the plane takes off—unaware it would record Keith’s final moments.
  • The plane retracts its wheels after takeoff; Keith falls 200 feet to his death, witnessed accidentally by the photographer’s camera.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• The Aftermath:

  “John had inadvertently captured the final moments of Keith as he fell nearly 200ft to his death.” – MrBallen ([10:19])

• On the Odds:

  “But even if he had not fallen out, he almost certainly would have died from freezing temperatures and lack of oxygen at altitude.” – MrBallen ([10:44])

Story 3: The Path Less Traveled

[14:18]
The discovery of a cursed gold mine dooms all who are seduced by its promise.

Key Discussion Points

• The Gold Hunt:
  • In 1870, gold prospector Frank Lemon joins a group scouring Canadian wilds for gold on behalf of investor Lafayette French. Frank brings his friend Blackjack along.
  • Frustrated by failure, Frank and Blackjack split from the group, lured by a mysterious trail deep into the woods.
• The Discovery: They find a stream rich with gold—possibly worth billions.
• Dilemma and Division:
  • The friends argue: Frank wants to keep the gold secret; Blackjack, true to his morals, insists on honoring their contract.
  • The argument escalates; in a moment of enraged darkness, Frank murders Blackjack in his sleep with an axe.

    “…as he thought about this, these dark thought loops were going through his head. Frank just became consumed with rage. It was like he couldn’t control what he was doing.” – MrBallen ([22:58])

• Supernatural Consequences:
  • Disturbed, Frank hears voices and moaning—he becomes convinced Blackjack’s vengeful ghost is haunting him.
  • He flees to a nearby town, confesses to a priest, who becomes obsessed with the gold himself.
• Everyone Corrupted:
  • The priest and his friend John McDougall attempt to hide the murder to claim the gold for themselves, only to be tormented by supernatural whispers and laughter.
  • John soon dies of alcohol poisoning after being psychologically tormented; the priest tries but the forest foils him as the trail is destroyed by fire.
  • Lafayette French spends decades searching; when he seemingly finds the mine, he dies in a fire the same day.
• Legend of the Curse: The gold is never found again; stories persist that Blackjack’s ghost curses the mine and all who seek it.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Frank’s Murderous Impulse:

  "He is an obstacle. He's not a friend. He's a problem." – MrBallen ([22:45])

• On the Haunting:

  “…the voices were clear. They were talking to Frank and they were saying, ‘You’re going to be tortured for what you did to Blackjack.’” – MrBallen ([25:07])

• Priest’s Corruption:

  “…it was like this intense feeling had come over the priest, this darkness that just made him suddenly so greedy. He had never felt this way before in his life, but it was like he was laser focused on finding a way to claim that wealth…” – MrBallen ([26:11])

• Legacy of the Curse:

  “…to this day, no one has ever been able to successfully find the gold again and live to tell about it.” – MrBallen ([36:00])

Episode Structure & Memorable Moments

• Unified Theme: Each story demonstrates that the pursuit of desire—adventure, travel, wealth—often comes with devastating costs.
• Cinematic Tension: MrBallen's immersive storytelling style repeatedly brings listeners directly into the harrowing moments, like Helena clinging to a cave wall ([05:44]) or Frank realizing the voices in the forest aren’t in his head ([21:30]).
• Ethical Dilemmas: The "Path Less Traveled" especially underscores how greed poisons character, corrupts even the innocent (the priest), and destroys all involved.

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [02:16] – Story 1: Surge begins
• [07:36] – Story 2: Stowaway begins
• [14:18] – Story 3: The Path Less Traveled begins
• [36:00] – Cursed gold mine legacy and conclusion of main content

Tone and Language

MrBallen’s delivery throughout the episode is suspenseful, vivid, and empathetic—transporting listeners into the emotional core of each mystery while never losing a sense of foreboding and awe for the strange, dark, and mysterious.

Summary:
"For a Price" is a reminder that our most passionate pursuits can have unintended, sometimes supernatural, and tragic endings. The stories stay with you, as much cautionary tales as they are mysteries, with memorable narration and haunting final notes.