Chapter 16: The Howler

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How did you?

I'll explain everything, but you need to come with me. This part of the swamp isn't protected.

Why don't you put down that knife first?

Well?

There, Thomas, you're looking surprisingly well and this wasn't for you?

Was for that?

Are we going to a gathering meeting?

Why would you think that?

I don't know the symbol you carved those in the trees when you want to meet, don't you?

That's one purpose for them, But that's not the primary one.

So what is the primary one?

Come on, we'll talk as we go.

Okay, Hey, how did you know Thomas's name?

I know who all of you are, Thomas, especially why the Houdini active pulled there?

I'm not sure if you were impressed or annoy.

Can I be both? Aren't you going to ask me who I am?

We know who you are. You're a gathering leader from Virginia.

Right, I guess we all have reputations preceding us. Then I assume you know why I'm here?

Well, why don't you tell us, all right, here we go.

Ah, where are you taking us?

It's not so much about the destination as it is about getting on a bus. What I haven't had a chance to cover the whole swamp yet, and the bus stop was closer than the areas I have secured. The bus will be safe.

Iron rank the favor of help. Iron buses are steeled, which is an iron alloy.

M The next bus should be here in three minutes. We can talk freely on it.

What do you mean you haven't covered the whole swamp yet.

The ruin I carved it wasn't for community cation. It was for protection.

That's why that bigfoot creature vanished.

H can't come past the boundaries of the rooms.

Now.

I can keep it out of areas, but I can't keep it in. So be careful if you choose to come back.

So you're saying it's not gone for good.

No, just vanish to the other side for now. That's why I'm here. A lot of things are not where they should be.

Yeah, we've figured that out.

On our own.

Does that also mean you figured out what's causing it?

Well, yeah, we know that something is off balance.

You think things are not just off balance, Jeremy. They are broken.

Because of you.

Me.

What did I do? I was trapped for forty years?

Exactly. You should never have come back out.

What do you mean he shouldn't have come back.

Thomas was in there for a reason and he should have stayed there.

How dare you say that?

Hey, hey, listen, don't be mad at me. I'm just the messenger.

Oh yeah, and who exactly is the source.

Of this message the other side?

Oh cool, So you've got like a buddy over there or something.

I'm not trying to come here and mess up your life, Jeremy, No.

You're just coming to murder my father.

Again.

That wasn't me, That wasn't any member of the gathering, or even a member back then.

Oh sure there was an offshoot. Yeah, we've heard that all before. Then.

You know, I'm right. You have no reason to take your anger out on me.

Given that I'm the only one here who's actually the victim of an attempted murder.

I think I could be angry at whoever I want.

That's fair, And I know this doesn't mean anything to you. I wasn't even alive when you were pushed into the liminal but I am sorry for what happened to you. It wasn't right not to mention it didn't even work. The liminal mm hmm, that's what we call it. Where Thomas was and your solution.

Is just a thrown back again.

Do you know exactly what you're dealing with here?

We have some idea, yeah, then.

You know who's on the other side, what that place is. Or you have a bunch of half baked theories but not enough solid proof to connect all the dots.

Well, we've been thinking maybe it's the Fay realm okay, and considering the way you reacted to my iron assumption.

Yeah, okay, so you're not totally clueless.

So that is what's doing this.

The Fay Court, the Hidden People, the Secret Commonwealth, whatever you want to call it, non human beings who reign over a kingdom that lays just beyond a liminal space, who could destroy all of us with ease if they so chose.

If that were true, wouldn't they have done it by now? I mean it certainly feels like they've been trying at least here.

They made a deal centuries ago. What do you We don't bother them, They don't bother us. Everybody stays happy and ignorant.

And we have to give them something like a human life.

It's different for each doorway here, Virginia, Muda, Mattlock, the Dragon's triangle places where the veil between worlds is thinnest, where the other side is accessible. There has to be something between here and there, hence the liminal where you were trapped with someone else. I'm assuming how did you know that it's similar in Virginia. Well, the need for two souls is at least two souls, one that has to be new every forty years. That's my understanding of how Bridgewater works.

And he wasn't willing, so so things have been hinky here for a while.

Yes, it's not a deal breaker for the Fay realm, the willingness bit, but having two residents of the liminal that's non negotiable. It keeps things nice and closed.

So without me, the.

Gates are wide open for anyone to waltz into the kingdom or out of it.

Okay, so how do we close it?

We follow the terms of the deal.

Even if I went back in Alden wouldn't be able to come out, or we'd be stuck with the same problem.

I take it Alden as the other person in there. No, they wouldn't be able to come out either.

Okay, well that's a mood point. Because you are not going back in there.

Someone has to or people are going to die.

Whoa, whoa. We do not know that you think.

You would have been able to defend yourselves against that beast. That's not your storybook, sasquash Jeremy. We've got similar creatures in the South, bear like things that can stand on two legs, take down trees. There's the Faky monster, the Ozak Howler.

And wait wait, the faky monster that's Arkansas, right, and it kills livestock.

Right, then, maybe what we just saw is the thing that killed the cows.

That's exactly my point. These monsters are not gonna stop at a visceray and cows, which is why we need to fix this.

Doesn't have to be me though, right, Whatever deal exists doesn't stipulate a specific person.

No, it doesn't have to be you. But to be really honest, I don't know who else would willingly go in there.

Why would we trust her on this?

Why would we trust you on this? We don't even know you. And the gathering hasn't exactly been.

Good to us. I have no reason to lie to you.

Even if you are telling the truth, that doesn't mean that there's not something else we can do. Okay, you got rid of that beast, the howler thing, whatever, just very easily. You just teach us how to do that, and we can take care of this area.

It doesn't work like that. I told you I can keep things out by creating a protective boundary, but I can't keep anything in. They'd be free to rome elsewhere.

Can we kill them?

They are flesh and blood, presumably right, so we figure out how we can take them down.

The monsters coming from the other side are not your biggest problem.

I'd say they're pretty urgent concern.

If the terms of the deal aren't honored, the Fae Realm won't stick to its side of the veil.

Mean what, we're gonna send more monsters through?

What does that mean?

They won't have to The boundary will collapse, the two worlds bleeding into one another, causing problems we can't even imagine. The deal must be honored.

It sounds like we need to renegotiate this deal.

Yeah, I don't think you really comprehend what we're dealing with here, Jeremy. This is old magic. It's not something that can be altered or undone. It's like gravity. We have to bend to it.

Humans have found plenty of ways to defy gravity.

But we always have to come back down always.

And do you want to chime in here?

Yeah?

Dad, I think she's right. We may not have a choice, esays, what is happening here.

We met her five minutes ago, and you're just taking everything she says at face value.

I'm not saying that we should just give up, but thank you.

No, Jeremy's right, we don't have any reason to trust you. Your predecessor was slippery at best and manipulative at worst. I've known her a lot longer. So until you have proof of what you're saying, and I'm not even sure what that proof would look like, we're going to keep doing what we've been doing and figure things out the old.

Fashioned way, grasping for straws in the darkness.

Investigate.

You know what, Fine, I can't force any of you to do anything. We don't know how disastrous that is, So go ahead, do your own investigating, but do it quickly and when you finally figure out that I'm telling the truth, come and find me, all right?

All right?

So have you moved into Celeste house too? Huh? Stepped into her whole life.

I'm not her permanent replacement. Besides, I wanted to keep an eye on things, so I'm staying in Freetown Forest. That safe, I'm protected, all right. Listen, follow the ruins from the East Hiking Path and you will find me.

I don't think we're gonna need to, but thanks.

Remember, don't take too long.

Hey, it's Jeremy, Jeremy Bradshaw, the cool Professor.

Hi.

I know it's only been a few days and I don't have any really important sightings to tell you about, although I do actually want to tell you about the Bigfoot situation at some point, but that's not why call. I'm calling because a woman named Peyton Blake showed up up here. She's a gathering leader from Virginia, and I basically just wanted to know if you think she's someone I can trust or.

Not, if you have any inpo on her. Sorry, I know that's a bit weird, but.

Yeah, anything that you could tell me would be helpful, or anything any of the other legend trippers might know anything anyone knows would would be helpful, So you can just you know, text me back or call me back or whatever, any any mode of communication. And yeah, that's it, Okay, thank you.

I talked about whatever later, dork. Hey, who was that?

Oh that was that legend tripper that I met? I was just curious if she had any information about that about Peyton.

Yeah, well that was an interesting text to get yesterday.

Yeah.

Well, you know, I just thought that I should loop you and Olivia in on the newest, weirdest developments.

But you're okay, you know, after nearly getting ripped apart by us Sasqua.

I think so.

Yeah, but I've decided to call it a hackamack howler.

Because it sounds more academic.

I am really not looking forward to lecturing.

Today, but I'm not sure what to do, because apparently life doesn't stop just because evil fairies are trying to kill your dad.

Feels like a reason to take a sick day, though.

Yeah.

Unfortunately, I think if I take any more of those, I'm going to lose the health insurance it helps me after these monster attacks.

I don't know. Do you want to do?

You want to help me go over the topics for today.

This is so fucked.

Eloquent as always lived.

Well, I don't know what else I'm supposed to say. I mean, if even half of what Peyton told you was real, then well, first of all, I'm moving the moment I graduate.

Okay, don't joke about that.

I'm not joking. It's one thing to grow up hearing stories about pug Wedges and windogows, but now there's a whole other dimension that's one badly executed ritual away from collapsing into our world and unleashing all sorts of hell, no, thank you.

That is not going to happen.

Okay, we are going to figure out how to stop all of this for good.

How new, Grandpa.

We're talking about some seriously ancient forces here, and we can't be the only people who've wanted to fight back against them before. I mean, what if the deal that's been made is the best possible version of a win.

We're not gonna think like that. Okay, We're gonna figure out what the fey realm wants, what they can do, and how they can be beat.

Oh sure, yes, super easy stuff.

Well I didn't say it was gonna be easy, but we don't have any other choice.

All right, what do you need me to do?

You still want to help with all this?

Do I want to prevent the evil fairy apocalypse?

Yeah?

Yeah, that'd be nice.

All right.

I prefer you stayed inside as much as possible, because I don't like how close that dog got to you.

Yeah, you and me both?

Yeah?

What needs doing?

Ah?

Well, let's see. Jeremy's chasing down some information on the fay realm. Vivian's working on some kind of map. I have no idea.

He's using all the different reported sightings to try and track creature's movements.

Fantastic, And I'm gonna go and see if Doc Edward's got any think from his lab examination of the cow.

So I could use a hand.

Okay, I think we need to find out more about what happened to Olden.

Oh yeah, sure, I can help you with that.

All right, all right, well, I'll be back in a bit. Call me if the house starts to shake again.

Oh haha, wait, what do you mean again? H what happened now?

I'll explain later. I'm sure he'll be fine.

Nanna, we'll be fine, Olivia.

You know, the more you both say that less I think.

You believe it.

I don't know what else to say. I have to believe it will all be okay.

Right, right, of course, I'm sure it will be. And I'm surprised you didn't want to help Jeremy with his research. I'm sure he'd love to spend more.

Time with you.

It wasn't really something I could help with. He had to go to work anyway, and he's calling up an old friend from Oxford. Did you know that he studied.

There for a semester. I didn't.

I mean I didn't really know him all that well, we only met, like just got a few weeks ago.

Right of course, you two didn't even know each other existed. Yeah, how do you feel Anne? Did you forget mom? Shelly?

I'd take it Anne's out.

Yes, yes, you just missed her, but I'm sure she'd be right back. We could call her on her cellular phone.

Yeah, yeah, probably better. She's not here. Okay, hey, live, would you mind giving us a minute?

Oh yeah, sure, I'll just take my laptop to the guest room and start doing that research.

Okay, Well, I would say that I'm sorry for just dropping by unexpectedly, but.

Yeah, I guess I take the price for that. Huh.

Olivia told me she explained everything to you, or tried to at least, but that she needed some time. I would have come to see you if I know.

It's fine to be honest, I still need time. But I was driving to work and was about to pass the turn to my mom's house, and before I knew it, I was driving over here. And I wasn't even planning on coming in until I saw my mom's carpool away.

I know she really wants to talk to you. Do you want to sit or I can make you some coffee? I barely understand. And the machine it's got these weird plastic pods.

But I'm sure I don't know how long I can stay. Right, You've really just been gone for forty years and just blinked out of and back into existence.

Not exactly, I was somewhere all this time.

Right right, Yes, it was some magical in between voice.

It sounds crazy, I know.

Well I don't think that you do. You don't even look old enough to be the father to a teenager, let alone, you know.

Yeah, I know freak me out too, that you're really yeah, yeah, I'm really your dad and you have to know, Shelley, I never wanted to leave you or Jeremy and and I.

We had a plan. We were going to be a family.

But then you got sucked into some other dementia.

I know it sounds about as believable as I'm going out for cigarettes.

I'll be right back.

But yeah, at least it's not cliche.

At least there's that, Shelley, why are you here?

Hey?

It was Olivia researching, by the way. When she left this morning, she said, something happened.

Oh, we met someone who knows a lot more than we do.

And well, the.

Situation is, it's it's complicated.

There was a boy with me in that other place. It was also trapped in Olivia.

She's helping me to try to find out more about him so that maybe we can help him.

Is another.

A boy from a long time ago.

So this thing, whatever it is, it does take children.

Yes, I don't know if that's the preferred sacrifice.

What sacrifice.

There's some sort of balance sheet. That other place needs two people at all times. I ended up there by mistake. I think I think maybe it wanted Jeremy back then.

Yeah, my mom did mention something about him. Going missing one.

We got him back, just like you got your boy back. He's not in danger anymore.

We'll forgive me if I don't take you at your word that I'm keeping him at his grandparents for the foreseeable future, his other grandparents.

I'd like to meet him someday, if that's okay.

I don't think so, I mean, at least not. You know, I honestly have no idea. What's okay?

You know I don't know you.

I know no, I mean, I don't even have stories about you. Mom did not tell me anything. She never talked about you.

I never would have told her to do that.

Well, Anne Becker does whatever it is she wants, and for some reason, she didn't want me to know that you were my dad.

I still am.

No.

You don't just get to claim that you've been gone forty years and we never I mean, we never met, and you've never been a father to me.

You're right, but I.

I thought about you every single day. I understand that you're angry, I do, and confused and frustrated.

I am too.

I was just figuring out how to be a dad, and then I was ripped away from it, from the chance to watch Jeremy grow up, the chance to meet you, But that doesn't mean being a father was ripped out of me. Because there was Alden, that other kid. She needed me, and I did figure it out for him. So in the times when I let myself imagine what it would be like to come back, I actually felt prepared. I mean proud of who I'd become, the kind of

Well, I'm sure Jeremy is thrilled to have you back. He remembers you growing up. You could tell he lost you. He was carrying that hole with him everywhere, and.

It seems like he turned into a good man in spite of it. I don't know.

I'm still getting to know him, but he seems smart, protective of the people in his life.

Like me. I'm feeling a bit like a fifth wheel, like he doesn't need anything returned to him. Then there's you. I really don't know you, but I can tell you're strong and you've raised an amazing daughter.

I'm glad you didn't grow up like Jeremy, feeling like a part of you was missing.

But I still want to belong to you if you'd ever had me.

Of course, I felt like something was missing.

I just.

I didn't know what exactly to miss.

Well, whatever it is, you don't have to miss it anymore. I'm here now, and you're I mean, you're.

Are you real? You know you're not a ghost or a I don't even know what to ask you.

I'm real, and I'm I don't know how many of this works.

But if I'll live another fifty years, or if my body just looks young and really I'm in my seventies, I have no idea what my life would even look like here in twenty twenty a year. That still sounds made up in my ears. But I know that all these questions aren't really important. The only question that matters to me is if you'll allow me to get to know you.

I don't, I don't know, And this is all still so.

I understand.

I mean, I'm not saying no, I just I wanted to come over here today to try and make it make sense, you know, as much sense as it could.

How's that going?

Not great?

I bet.

I've always had a really hard time with the paranormal stuff. You know, my teenage rebellion was becoming as pragmatic and straight edged as.

Possible a model teenager, were you.

Well, no, I would not say that. I was still pretty awful with the mootiness and shouting matches and awful boyfriends.

God, you and Jeremy never, oh God, no, no, no, Jesus Christ, I would have been.

Look, I'm barely registering that I have my father who is alive. I think the question of a half brother is just going to have to sit on the back burner for a minute.

Okay, understandable, But no.

No, Jeremy and I didn't overlap in school much. I have no idea what kind of teenager he was at home.

I'm sorry I missed it all.

I really should get going to work.

Wait, yeah, thank you, you know for coming by. Maybe we could continue the conversation at some point.

Yeah, maybe, Oh God, what is it, I have your nose? Jeremy doesn't, but I do.

Yeah, you do.

Tell Olivia's here at home, so.

Now let go. I have no idea, but thank you for talking to her, for trying.

I didn't mean to overhear well, actually, I was totally eavesdropping when she asked if you were real you were talking around something.

Not a lot gets past you.

Huh, you're not sure you're going to stay.

If I have anything to say about it, I will.

I'll get Alden out, I'll shut down the fay realm, I'll live my life.

Right.

But I don't know Jeremy's worried something's happening to me, or that the liminal might take me back?

Is that something you're worried about?

Peyton sent that beast back to the other side with a simple carving. What's to say that same thing couldn't happen to me or to anyone that it was as easy as drawing a symbol somewhere.

But you don't belong there.

That sasquatch was from the other side, so that room sent it back. You're not from the liminal.

I've spent more years there than I did here. Maybe it sees me as part of it, and I keep I keep feeling sick or tired, dizzy. That's what makes me wonder if I'm not actually as young as I appear.

Do you feel like you're in a seventy year old's body?

Oh?

But that doesn't change the fact that I'm sitting here with my twenty two year old granddaughter. Oh, I just realized I'm dumping all of my problems on I'm sorry.

You're a kid. You shouldn't have to listen to the adults in your life worry like this.

Okay, first of all, I'm not a kid, and second of all, I know we're genetically a few generations apart, but I mean the reality of it just feels like we're cousins or something.

You don't feel weird about listening to all your grandpa's fears.

Oh, I feel weird about literally everything that's happening in my life right now. But that doesn't have to be a bad thing.

Besides, who else are you going to talk to?

You know, like four people, and one of them is your long lost love and another is your son.

You might be right. I just don't want to worry them. I know, not that I want to worry you.

No, I know it's okay, Like, you don't have to explain, And after all, we don't really know each other, do we. With Nana, you have this whole complicated history, and you knew my mom existed. You didn't know to expect me and with Jeremy.

I don't know how to talk to Jeremy. He's still a little boy in my mind. So sometimes when I look at him now, I have to remind myself that he's the same person, not just some man i've met.

But there's other times.

Where I feel like I'm arguing with him like I would have if I'd been around when he was growing up.

Well, for what it's worth, I think Jeremy does need you.

You're not a fifth wheel.

It's kind of you to say.

I mean it.

Look, I may not know Jeremy well, but I've gotten to know Vippen a bit, and I think he might be the person who knows Jeremy.

Best, isn't he Jeremy's ta.

Yeah exactly. They've been working together for a few years, and Vippen called him Professor Bradshaw until like, I don't know a week ago, but I think Vippen is the closest thing that Jeremy has to a best friend.

Really, that's what I mean.

He's not. I just don't know how full his life is, or how full it was before all of this happened. Vippen said that Jeremy gave him a whole speech about not turning out like him, telling Vippen to make sure he had a life outside of work and all that.

I'm not sure that this makes me feel better or worse.

Yeah.

Sorry, I'm not exactly the best at PEP talks.

You know what, I think you're doing just fine?

Hello, Sophie, it's Jeremy Bradshaw. I know it's been forever, Jeremy.

Good lord. I didn't think i'd ever hear from you again.

Oh come on, well, I'm sorry. I know I'm terrible at keeping in touch.

It goes both ways. I imagine you've been quite busy. You're back in the Bridgewater Triangle.

Right, Yeah, I've been back for a while.

Must have your hands full with all sorts of speaks.

No less than I'm sure you have in Pluckley.

You're still there.

I'm actually back at Oxford, if you can believe it.

What are you going for another degree?

Handing them out? In fact, I'm a professor like you.

Oh wow, an Oxford professor. Wow.

Okay, well, I guess you've reached the apex for anyone in our discipline.

Congrats.

I don't get me wrong, I'm still hoping to someday find fame and fortune as the first person to provide definitive proof of the paranormal. But twelve years in the most haunted village in Britain and I didn't see a single ghost.

Sorry, no, you're not.

You always knew none of it was real.

What am I hearing? Has Sophie Burton become a skeptic?

I'm skirting dangerously close.

Well, I guess time does funny things to all of us.

Don't tell me that you believe.

No, no, but I would say that I am. I am working on keeping an open mind.

I'm impressed. Is that why you're calling me up out of the blue? You need me to give you my old ghosts a real shpiel?

Uh, not exactly.

I've actually been trying to expand my expertise, hence the open mind, and I'm working on something that's a bit outside of my comfort zone. Okay, I'm trying to write a lecture that covers the Fay realm. And I realized that I don't actually really know much beyond the basics because it's never really been much of a thing in Bridgewater, so I haven't even bothered before.

What's making you want to bother now just curiosity. Well, you certainly called the right person. We're chocolate block for the fath o here.

Yeah, that's what I was hoping.

What exactly do you want to know? It's fairly expensive.

Well, that's why I wanted to talk to an expert directly instead of just diving into my books.

Is there a particular region or myth origin you're looking at?

I guess the biggest question is friend or foe.

Yeah. So I feel like the popular cultural representation is fairly positive overall, tinker Bell and the like, But I know there's a lot of darker versions of fay Realm. More so, I'd love to know which side.

To come down on.

Well, there's really not one definitive answer to that question. For as long as there have been fay Realm legends, there's been good and bad.

But there is a distinction.

I mean, there are different there are different groups, right.

They can be In Scottish law, there's the Sealy Court and Uncaly Court. Both are fay courts, so therefore dangerous. But the Sely won't go out of their way to hurt humans, but the Uncily Court will. There are related to a whole manner of evil creatures over here, boggots, habby lovers, creatures of the devil. Essentially, what do the Fay want? Well, just general mischief, not the cute fun kind mind, more of the beating and possessing variety you mentioned.

The courts are those physical courts.

Some times there's a lot of law around fairy lands. Sometimes they're called other worlds or underworlds, even herd fairy kingdom. And sometimes they're a physical place, sometimes just a ritual or the very act of doing magic.

Okay, So if they are physical places, presumably human beings could enter into one of these lands, and.

There aren't many legends that explore that idea plenty of fiction and films, but original myth is mostly the Fay courts coming over to the human realm.

How about making deals with humans?

Oh? Yes, Fay contracts very tricky things. Their story is you should never accept a gift from a theory, especially food, never get into debt with them, never make any promises, and don't even give them your name in the case of creatures like.

So basically avoid them at all casts exactly.

Okay, So hypothetically, what if there is an existing contract, can you break it?

I have absolutely no idea. Are you in law school? Now? Is your class on fairy contract law?

I'm just trying to create a full picture.

Well, I mean, I've given a few lectures on the famous and there's so much to cover. It's honestly best to keep things surface level.

If I were you, Okay, sure, But let's say I was doing fairy contract law.

What would I teach my students to never.

Enter a contract with a fairy no matter what. But if they had, they aren't going to let a contract be broken. The only way I could see out of it would be if you had something on the fay court that could neutralize it. In a lot of law, they hate being in debt. If there was a mutual debt that could be exploited, maybe the slate would be wiped clean. But more likely, you just have a very angry and violent spirit after you.

Okay, is there a way to kill them?

Jeremy? What is this really about?

If I figure it out, I promise I will tell you, Jeremy, just please, whatever you can tell me about ways to stop them or even just ward them off.

I really appreciate it.

Just just humor me here.

It really depends on the type you're dealing with. There's all sorts of things, turning your clothes inside out. Avoiding fairy circles, of course, but circles of all kinds can be problematic. A rooster's crow or church bells have been said to scare them away. I can send you a list of all the methods I'm aware of, if you like, that would be amazing.

Selfie, Thank you. Thanks, You've already been a huge help.

Sure you'll bring me back if you find yourself in over your head.

That's why I caught you in the first place.

Are you This sounds ridiculous? Are you okay?

I don't know.

I I think I've got.

It all under control.

Of course, you've got it under control. I always do.

Wow. Fuck, I know. Are you okay? My whole body is sore, but I am alive.

I cannot believe I turned down your offer to join you.

Next time I go monster hunting, I'll insist.

I appreciate that. Hey, thanks for meeting me here. By the way, I was going to suggest hawk a mocks.

But yeah, Well, weirdly, Freetown Forest feel safer at the moment, even if Peyton is hiding around.

Here somewhere I'm sorry again for not being able to help with her.

No, No, it was fine. It was a long shot. I just wish I knew if I could trust her. Names are really fucked up here. Things are certainly fucked up here. There is just a lot at stake for me. I don't even know how to.

I don't know how to protect myself from a sasquatch.

Jeremy, it sounds like it was pretty terrifying.

Yeah, and if Peyton hadn't shown up, I probably would be dead.

My dad was right. I'm an academic. I'm not the person who fights monsters. Here.

Let me show you something what I'm not poisonous. I promise it'll be easier if I just guide your hand.

Trust me.

Okay, so move your hand in a bee like this, and then moved to center and bring it all the way down. Okay, now you do it.

Okay, I know it feels goofy.

Let's try it all right, the.

Center down, and I'm supposed to do what exactly?

Yeah, well, it's supposed to banish monsters or trap them or something. Honestly, I haven't had the opportunity to try, but see his keep running into them for real?

Well, that'll be an experiment for next time.

Yeah, report back to me. I'm dying to know.

If it works.

Where'd you learn that there was this other legend tripper a while back? I met her at some conference or other.

There are legend tripper conferences.

You're telling me you haven't been to anything like that.

No, no, no, of course I've been to paranormal conventions and academic conferences. I just haven't met a whole lot of uh, monster hunters in one place.

Okay, well, maybe conference was putting a bit strongly, but these communities are all tied in together, and there are meetups from time to time. I as she picked it up from some guy in Norway.

So it's some kind of old Norse room.

Yeah, so she said it translates to protection. I think, now maybe you know how to fight monsters.

Well, here's hoping that I never have to use it.

Come on, you're telling me there's not even a little part of you that's dying to see something else.

It was genuinely, really frightening. I would not. Oh shit, yeah, okay, maybe right, of.

Course I am. I mean, after all this time studying and teaching all of this stuff for years, you actually get to witness it. I'd be fucking jealous if it wasn't so cool.

Yeah, well, you keep hanging out in these forests and swamps and you might see something yourself soon.

Maybe I just need to hang out with you more.

Well, I guess it's worth a shop.

Here's the spirit.

You know.

I was expecting to see you, but not so soon.

I don't think we really got to finish our conversation earlier.

And what conversation was that?

The one about how I broke everything.

I seem to remember your son having quite a lot to say about that subject.

It's going to get much worse very quickly.

Isn't it.

Yes?

I believe so.

And you think I'm the only one who can fix it, not the only one, just the right one.

What would I have to do?

This episode of Bridgewater was written by Lauren Shippen and directed by Brendan Patrick Hughes Assistant director Sarah Kleine. Sound designed by Vincent de Johnny Rima El Kali, Josh Thain,