Chapter 13: Bells & Rings

Why is this guy calling you? Dr Edwards? He's still alive. I was like, no, no, no, it's his son. He took over his practice a while ago. I told him to call me if he ever saw anything strange. And he saw something strange, we should probably head over there Oakley Farms, he said, so Vipping Olivia, you two should stay here. Get yourself cleaned up. Now, hold on, both of you look like you've been through the ring. No ship. We were attacked by a giant dog three hours ago.

And I just found out I have a grandfather who suddenly back from the dead. So I think I look pretty good considering back up giant dog. That's what we were trying to tell you before when we were attacked, leaving the words it it attacked us, Jeremy, it was. It was real. Yeah, I swear it was real. I believe you. I'm sorry I didn't before I get it. I barely believe it now myself. I wonder. I wonder if the dog is wount attack the cows and the

horses from last year. Last year, I don't remember finding anything about animal attacks from last year. He means nine. That's gonna take some getting used to. Yeah, well we all have to just so. Yeah, how are we supposed to do that? Nana? You've had what at forty years, forty years during what you could have told any of us the truth? You know what? Just don't Okay, I'm gonna go home and try to forget that monsters are real apparently, and then everything I thought I knew about

my family is wrong. Olivia, Please, just shit. I need to deal with this, of course, but we need to go to Oakley Farms, see what happened before, the evidence the case more. Who cares, it's it's just a couple of cows. It's hardly more important than this. It's just a couple of cows for now. If it's the same dog that attacked us in Freetown, it already made its way through Rehobeth. Who knows where it could be by now? It could do a lot of damage very quickly. Are

we never going to get a fucking break? I think we should go check it out. If it's really the same dog. We know it doesn't just attack other animals, and if it's not, then you've got more than one monster on our hands. Hey, there, your live. I'm going to leave in a second, Okay, I just I needed to catch my breath or something. I'm already fucking exhausted, and I really don't want to crash my car. Why don't you come inside? And is it really him? Is

it really him? Is that man really Thomas Bradshot? It's him? How? How well we're still trying to figure that out? He was trapped in some kind of in between place, in between what this world and another one? Oh? Come on, I'm serious. Live You know when Vippen and I were driving over here, I kept talking about how all the stories you told me were real, that I couldn't believe it, and you were never lying to me. With any of that stuff. I never had any solid proof until now,

just a feeling. But you were always honest with me about that feeling, about about there being something dangerous out there. I wanted to keep you safe. Then why lie about him? I didn't If you knew he was still alive, I didn't. I swear I didn't, but I hoped. But that's all it ever was until yesterday. You knew he was my grandfather. I mean, unless, of course, you had a very active dating life in nineteen I'm assuming you knew. I knew,

I knew we were. We were together for over a year by the time I found out I was pregnant Nanna. Wasn't he married? Yeah, he was, but it had been rocky for a while. And when we found out about the baby, he told his wife and they were getting divorced and we were going to be a family, and then he went missing. So so what you decided just to act like he never existed, Like like mom just came out of nowhere, and he always told her and to ask that he was dead. I thought he was.

I thought he was, But why keep his identity a secret. He wasn't just some guy, he was someone you loved someone who had a son. That's why. That's why, Olivia Jeremy is why I kept it a secret. It was a big case Thomas go and missing, a huge local

news story. They talked about it for months and months, and the circumstances around it brought all kinds of folks from around the country to report on it or do their amateur investigations, and well it, uh, you know, it put a lot of attention on the Bradshaws, and you know, the wife and son who got left behind. And I I couldn't. I couldn't let Thomas's name get dragged through the mud. And I couldn't bring that chaos into your

mom's life when she was just a baby. So I just told everybody was an old flame in Boston who I had reconnected with, and if I had honest about it, it would have become part of the story and we would have had to leave Bridgewater entirely and find any kind of peace, and and you'd never leave, right, not until you found out what really happened. Yeah, So, so what did really happen? He just got like Captain America Frozen in Time? Who's that? God? Nancy? A movie for once?

In your life. I mean he looks like he's thirty. Yeah. Yeah, a time it passed differently wherever he was. And the truth is, we don't really understand that place yet. But Celeste and the gathering they had a better idea, some kind of doorway or like a pass through to the other side. And then the children of Titchuba wanted to open it, but Celeste and her people they were trying to keep it closed, keep it closed, and and and

and trapped Thomas. No, no, no, I think Celeste was trying to get him out and close whatever gate he had come through. We think that dog came in the same way. Okay, so okay, okay, okay, let me get with the street. You're old boyfriend was pushed into a paranormal waiting room for some other side by a bunch of goth babies and and then pulled out of that place with a giant black dog that might be going

around to vice rating cows. Pretty much though, based on what happened to Vippen, the dog may have been here first. How why Because the veil is getting thinner. That's what's a less said, which means I think it means whatever wall has been protecting us from what's on the other side might not be standing anymore. Are we sure this is right? An said, the east edge of the property. It looks like the fence line is down in that field. Are you sure you're okay? I'm fine? I think. Are

you okay? Okay is the kind of relative term at this particular juncture. So you said, Um, something like this has happened before over at Shiner Farms. One side of their property ran along Freetown forest and a few horses were torn into I remember and telling me about that. It was seventy nine, you said, honestly, I'm not sure it could have been this year. Uh, it was hot when we went from the farm. I know that much August. Second,

how did you know? I think I remember reading that file one of several animal mutilations that happened that summer in fall. Jeremy, You've got yourself quite a partner here that I do. Oh, we never actually got to the introduction party. Hipp In Corona, Jeremy's t a. Thomas Bradshaw, Jeremy's dad. Yeah, it's good to meet you. Hippin's been helping me out with this book that I've been writing. And he is also an encyclopedia of we your Bridgewater

happening is you're writing a book? I yeah, he's me. Can I help you? Are you Dr Edwards? I am. I'm a friend of Anne Becker's. She had to take care of some other business, but she wanted me to come. Yes, yes, I see, Come on over, Come on over. Um, yep, just just hop right over. There's not a break in the fence for another half mile. Okay, not bad for an old man. Hopped a lot of fences in my day. Yeah, that part of your job, the stories for another time ship.

Are you okay? Yep, I'm fine. What did you say your name was? I'm Jeremy Bradshaw. This is my assistant fipp In, and this is my friend Tom and really sent the cavalry. Uh well, she said, things sounded pretty serious. Yeah, well, you know, take a look yourself. Randall came out this morning to check in his stock and found this. Oh god, oh my god, Jesus, God, Jesus. Do you think the smell is bad? Now? I gotta figure out how to get these guys out of here before the noon sun hits,

or things are gonna get really ugly. Do you know when this happened. Based on the level of rigor mortis, I would guess six or so hours ago. But that would mean are you sure it wasn't more recently, maybe in the last hour or two. That's pretty unlikely. Um, definitely would have to be at least four hours ago. Why. Um, we heard about another potential attack last night a little after that and thought maybe maybe it was the same animal. Oh, did you get a look at what it was? No shame.

I'd really like to know what could have done this. What exactly is the nature of the wounds? Well? Um, yeah, come over here. Uh, it seems the first and fatal injury happened here along the neck. That normally when a predator attacks like that, we'd see teeth marks all around the animal biting down on its praise throat. And do you think that there's something out there without a job big enough to get around a cow's neck. No, See, that's what's strange. This laceration isn't from teeth, so look

at it. It's clean and long, almost decapitation, which makes me think, Okay, it's a person, some sort of sicko who's going around trying to chop the heads off of cows. A person did this. No, again, there's this big cut here, but then if you look closely, there's four more lines running alongside it, one cut on one side of the

main laceration and three on the other. So I thought maybe somebody has a very sharp, very uneven pitchfork or some kind of I don't know, penteddont but you know that feels unlikely, especially when you consider the to the corpses. Yeah and um and mentioned evisceration. Yep, and you're looking at it now, so you know. I've seen a lot of this kind of stuff in my day, wolves getting a dog's or house cats. Hell, even foxes can do a number and a rabbit. But this this is something else.

Are those ribs uh huh? Cracked like a walnut? This is where we do see some teeth marks. Something bit into the torsoes of the cows and had themselves quite the midnight snack. It ate the ribs. No, I don't think that was the goal, but it broke the rib cage to get to the heart and lungs. You see eating all the way to the trick. You right, The lugs are just gone and the hearts took a big chunk out of two of them. The other two are

completely gone. So what does any of this mean? Well, if I was going by the evidence alone, I'd say some kind of predator with five claws sharp enough to make those cuts on the neck, strong jaw, with sharp canines, and an appetite for bovine insides? Is there is there any evidence of more teeth than you'd expect? How do you mean? Well, if you have to guess what kind

of like teeth pattern you're looking at. Honestly, I did a residency at the Maryland Zoo for a year, and if it wasn't for the size of it, this would look pretty similar to a chimpanzee's jaw, certainly comparable in strength. Why what what? What? What were you expecting? Um? Doctor? Do you mind? Would be okay? If I took some photos so we can show Anne. Yeah, go for it, as long as you don't sell them to the paper or anything. I know Randall won't mind. He just wants

to know what happened to his cows. Speaking of which I should go up to the house and tell him when I've got so far. Poor man couldn't stand a look at them very long, Thank you for your time. Dr Edwards. Sure sure, I just called the office. If you got any more questions or some answers of your own, I'll let you know if I'm able to find and

anything else. Thank you, Thank you, This very good of you. Um. Look, I don't know what interest Anne Becker has in livestock killings, but if this really is a person, I would certainly feel better knowing someone's looking into it. If someone did this, we'll find them. Are you a cop to I'm a private investigator? And then I worked together a lot. Well, take your time here. I'll be back after I talked to Randall to clear the bodies out. How similar is

this to what happened to the horses? It's pretty similar. I don't remember all the specifics. It feels like it was two months ago and also forty years ago. Yeah, but I won't forget what those horses look like anytime soon. I'm sorry, Dipen. What is that? Is that another one of those phones you were telling me about, Jeremy, Oh boy? Um? Yeah, it's a smartphone. You didn't have those smart phones? Yeah? It can. It calls, but honestly, people don't want to

use them for that anymore. You can send messages, go online. You can find someone to marry on photos. That little thing is a camera. It has a camera, yep, and it can take video to how Why did you ask about the teeth? Oh? Um, the dog it had three rows of teeth that we could see. At least we were kind of in a hurry. Maybe you should go home, vipp and you have had a long night. No, I want to be helpful. You are, you are. It doesn't mean you can't take care of yourself. Okay, you're one

to talk. Hey, I'm fine. If anything, this is is the most normal thing that I've done in days. I'm just researching this are happening in the Bridgewater Triangle. I mean sure in this instance, it's not a stoner who thought that they were abducted by aliens or someone driving down the road late at night convinced that they saw

a ghost. It's a little tiny bit more substantial than that. Hey, hey, Jeremy, it's looking at a bunch of cows who have had their lungs eaten by something apparently with huge claws and a jaw strong enough to bite through bone. And I am here sidebar with my dad who was dead until twelve hours ago, and he's not looking at a cell phone like it's a fucking flying car, which I guess it sort of is. There aren't flying cars, are there? No? Sorry, Welcome to the shittier version of the future where we

have climate change and no flying cars. But apparently we have lung eating monsters. But but but silver lining. You can carry a computer in your pocket, so it's not all bad. Oh, you know, maybe we should all go home. Oh no, no, no, no, no no. We have to investigate a monster attack, Vippen, because that's what we do now.

We are bovine murder detectives. Wait, the cows, what about them? Not? No, not these ones, the ones in nineteen forty What what do you mean the cows in nineteen four Alden told me a few weeks before he got lost, his neighbor's cows got torn apart. He was just a kid, of course, so it's not like he saw them, but it was a big deal in the brohood. I'd forgotten about that. It feels like he told me so long ago. Who is a boy who was trapped in the in between

space with my dad? What he's still trapped Jeremy with god knows what kind of monsters roaming around and there with him. I thought you said you never actually saw anything in there, just shadow. But now he's in there alone with Celeste dead. I don't know what could happen. We'll figure it out. But what if we're already running out of time. We're looking at two potential monsters now, and it's only been eight or so hours since the veil opened and I came out. What if he's already dead?

We have no reason to believe that. Look, maybe Vippen is right. Maybe we're all of it. You just got back. You should be resting arrest when we have a plan to get Alden. Dad, Dad, Dad? Are you okay? So I'm fine, I'm fine. Come on, let's get away from the smell. It's clearly not I can handle some dead animals. I'm not new to this. Ah, I just haven't had anything to eat in forty years. Parogies may have been ambusious. Guys,

someone's coming. Ship. It's Haddock, Haddock, Officer Haddock, Captain Haddock. Now good for him. We should get out. Ship ship ship ship okay, uh, Dad, you need to get out of here. I told you, I'm fine, you might recognize you, but hey, they haven't take my car. Get get back to Anne's. I'll meet you there. Dad. We cannot explain this, not right now, Pip. I'll take care of him. I really appreciate you staying to help Outlive. I don't know what's happening nowhere. Any of this is going to lead.

But this kid that Amas was with, he seems to be really important to him. Well, I found him, you did. It wasn't that hard. Honestly, there are only so many missing kids stories from nineteen and obviously it was a pretty big deal. So what does it say? All then, age seven goes missing one day from his own backyard and it is never found again. There's a town wide search for him for weeks but nothing. Christ Yeah, well we found Ethan Olivia. He's okay, Yeah, yeah, I know.

I'm just I'm happy he's getting out of here. He is. Dad's taking him to his parents. It's just for a little while. That's good. It's good. Part of me feels like I should go with them. Maybe you No, No, I am in this now, and and someone has to stick around to tell mom about all of this. Live. You can't get what tell my mom that her dad is alively. I'm not keeping this from her, especially not when she when any of us could still be in danger.

Ethan safe. That doesn't mean whatever tried to take him isn't going to try and take someone else. Your mom is not going to get taken. How do you know there's clearly a pattern here, I'm looking at it. You think that's what happened aldn Sure seems like it. And Alden wasn't even in the woods, so this could happen to anyone. Was his house near Freetown or Ham? He lived in Rehobeth. There's probably woods there, I guess, and probably even more in the forties, but nothing to the

extent of Freetown. And he just vanished from his backyard, no evidence left behind. I mean, the article isn't exactly the same as a police report. But no, there weren't any witnesses except his sister. She didn't see anything, but she heard bells and when she went outside, her brother was gone. How old was she? So she could have been making this up? But why would she? And why bills? There was a sound with the floating lights and home from Dighton Rock, but I don't remember hearing any bell.

Maybe you couldn't, and maybe it's one of those things only young people can hear. Well live. We will tell your mom at some point, but this is all gonna be so hard to explain that. Well, it's not going to get any easier the more you wait. And I can't keep this from her. I don't want to, So you have to tell her, like extremely soon, or I will. Okay, I understand. Wait, what what's wrong? I remember reading something

in Vippin's notebook last night. He's got notes upon notes about every weird thing that's ever happened in Bridgewater and more. And I think I remember something about bells. Well, what was it? I don't know, but his notebook is still in my car. Mr Bradshaw, I thought that was Captain and Haddock. What are you doing here? I could ask you the same thing. Dead cows are hardly urgent police business, are they? Especially not for Captain Randall is the owner,

and he's an old friend. He called me in a panic this morning, worry that someone's trying to destroy his livelihood. But it's an animal attack, now, I mean most likely, yeah, it almost always is. But you know how it is with favorites. Your friends. Yeah, sure, what about you? Are you taking a class outside? Uh? No, no, no, I just I thought it could be some interesting color for a book that I'm working on about the area. Oh why,

I look forward to reading that. We're friends. Um, those are just some colleagues who wanted to come along with they had they had to run off to get to their classes, which I, uh should also be doing too. So okay, take care. It's weird stuff in it. Mm hmm all of this, uh this animal mutilation business, it's weird. Yeah, it's very strange. I'm surprised An Becker's not with you. It seems right up her street. I guess she's focused on other things. Yeah, I must be. I was glad

to hear her grandson have been released from the hospital. Yeah, me too. Be careful, Mr Bradshaw, excuse me. Becker likes getting tangled up in all this weird stuff. It doesn't mean you have to. It might not be good for a person of your stature. Why are you telling me this. I have seen a lot of good people fall under her spell. H She has polluted the healthy skepticism of more than one officer. Okay, ah, thank you for your concern. Anytime, Randall,

I'll be right there. So long, Mr Bradshaw, take care now, take care, Randall. Have a couple of questions, of course, still haven't charged it? Well, I guess I'm walking. We're almost there. Great. So is it weird being back? No? Yeah, yes, that's definitely one way to describe it. It's still feels not quite real. I know what you mean. I mean no, obviously, I don't. I can't imagine what you've been through, what it's like to be lost for forty years and then

come back and everything is smartphones, you know. Yeah, it's good that you had company at least. Well, no, it's not good that a little boy is trapped in there, obviously, But you know you weren't alone. That's true. I wasn't alone. Do you have kids with me? No, I am twenty five years old. That's the hr I was when I had Jeremy. Really, yeah, I guess that makes sense. Actually, you still look. I know I should have expected, and I watched Olden stay seven for well for a long time.

I'm sorry. That must have been really hard. I guess stuff just kind of becomes normal after a while. Humans can be capable of enormous amounts of adaptation. Did Alton adapt? I mean to be that young? Almost all he's ever known. He doesn't remember much from his disappearance, just that he was standing in his backyard and the next moment he was in the in between. Did all didn't see any lights or hear any voices? Not not that he remembers.

He remembers there being mushrooms in his backyard, which he thought was strange. She'd never seen them before. Mushrooms. Yeah, he didn't eat them, trust me, that was a theory for a while. Does he remember how they were growing? What were the mushrooms in bunches or in a line? Or I think he said, in a circle? Oh my god, what my god? Of course what what? Of course? We're here? Come on, wait, phipp him Thomas, you're back, good hip. Oh my god, I think I figured something else. Okay,

what's got the kids all worked out? I could ask you the same thing. Okay, there were bells when the boy in nineteen went missing? Bells? Wait what his sister heard bells? And I looked in your notebook and well, I'm not sure I totally get it all, but it's a farealm. Yes, how there was a circle of mushrooms in his backyard. That's what the boy, that's what Alden saw, and that's another sign. Yeah, so that's what we're dealing with,

the fayrealm, like like the actual faarrealm, I think. So whoa can someone please explained to me what the hell you two are talking about? The pharrealm, the fairy realm, the other world, whatever you want to call it. It's another world us magical supernatural ones separate from ours, but accessible through portals like fairy rings, like circles of mushrooms. Though if it really is real, I guess that begs

the question of it. The fairy rings or wormholes is the pharom in other dimension, Time and spaces have to be weird in the other world, that's all controlled by the fake wort and they're very capricious. But that still doesn't explain how the rings VI focus up kids, right, yeah, focus. It is where the fairies live, basically, and a whole other host of supernatural creatures. Jeremy really is the one who wait, where is Jeremy? Wait? Wait hey hey ah shit bad luck man? Uh yeah, yeah, life is really

just one thing after another. Sorry, I would have held it for you if I had seen you. No, that's all right, it's just it's been one of those mornings, um or weeks months. Really sorry. Sorry, my weird day is not your problem. Did you just come from Oakley Farm? Yeah? I did. That's where I'm headed. Yeah did you? Oh? Did you see it? See what the cows? How do you know about the cows? I'm being so weird. I'm a legend tripper too. It's nice to meet you. I

nice to meet you. I'm I'm actually a professor. Oh, oh gosh, I'm I just assumed that's that's fine. Uh, you are a legend tripper. You've heard of the Bridgewater Triangle of course. Yeah, that's what I teach. Oh, so you're a cool professor. I'm pretty sure there's no such thing. Well, then I don't need to explain why animal eviscerations are interesting, especially here. No, you don't. So your legend tripping involves going to look at dead farm animals. I know it

sounds a little deranged, but anything's a clue. You never know what's part of the weird Bridgewater Triangle stuff. So are you a ghost hunter? I wouldn't say that exactly. I'm not sure, I believe in ghosts. So what then, do you think is going around killing livestock? Is it's a vengeful spirit or look, well, I'm still at the discovery stage. What about you. I teach a folklore class and I'm writing a book on the triangle, so this all just makes very interesting thought her. You know that

didn't answer my question though it didn't. Do you believe in this stuff? Mmm? I think I'm still at the discovery stage. Two hm. Well, if you ever want someone to discover things with, you should look us up. Paranormal Seekers is the name of the forum. Oh yeah, I'm familiar you are ye uh. You know, if there's a website out there that talks about cryptozoology, then I've been on it. It sounds like you might not hold the

highest opinion of us. In my experience, those kinds of places are often where urban legends start, which is interesting in its own way. The stories that people make up and share can tell us a lot about the role of folklore and socialization. But it's you know, it's just it's hardly reliable historical text. Wow, you really are a professor. Hum, I'm sorry. You know you shouldn't write it off entirely. There's been a lot of posting from Bridgewater people recently.

Apparently something's been happening here. Yeah, have have you experienced anything? I just got here, but a bunch of us from the form have made the pilgrimage over the last few weeks. So you traveled here for this. There's been a rash of sightings seemed worth looking into. Hey, you should give the form another try. I get why you'd want to write those kind of people off, but they can be a good source of information, definitely more forthcoming than the gathering.

You know about the gathering. The paranormal seekers are a pretty well informed group. How do you think I found out about the cows hate? I don't know how. How did you question? Okay, I'm just gonna tell you. The receptionist at the VETS office is a frequent poster. Lots of folks in Bridgewater keep their eyes and ears open for anything strange, and some of them don't even make this stuff up. Wow, it sounds like I need to find those people. Then, yes, you do, but don't take

too long. Who knows how much time we've got, right? Yeah, he looks like you're right? Is here? Um? Wait? One second, there's gonna be an in person meet up soon. Check it out, Okay, I will um so nice to meet you, you two, Jeremy. This episode of Bridgewater was written by Lauren Shippen and directed by Brendan Patrick Hughes Assistant director

Sarah Klein. Sound designed by Vincent the Johnny rema Il Kayali, Josh Thane, and Trevor Young, with music by Chad Lawson, starring Misha Collins as Jeremy Bradshaw, Melissa Ponzio as Anne Becker, Alan Tutick as Thomas Bradshaw, Karen Sony as Vipen Corrana, Sabra May as Olivia Hoskins, Cheryl Umania as Officer Bautista, Will Wheaton as Captain Haddock, Tricia Helfer as the Legend Tripper, Stephen Guarino as Dr Ed words Nandamisu Dumb as Peyton Blake,

Hillary Burton Morgan as Shelley Hoskins, Nicki McCauley as Celeste, Then, Victoria Grace as Katie Frank's, with additional voice acting by Greta Gould, Shelby Young, Adam oh Burn, Monty Markham, Charlie Bergman, and Tern Westbrook. Executive producers Aaron Manky, Misha Collins, Lauren Shippin, Matt Frederick and Alexander Williams. Supervising producers Josh Thane and Trevor Young. Bridgewater was created by me Aaron Mankey and is a production of Grim and Mild and I Heeart

three D Audio. Learn more about the show over at Grim and Mild dot com, slash Bridgewater and find more podcasts from I Heart Radio on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows, and as always, thanks for listening.